Category: Uncategorized

How do you feel when you sense you’re being manipulated? Connie recently received an email saying someone had hacked her Apple account number and used it to buy a $26 movie on our credit card. Last year, a con artist bilked my sister out of more than $1000! My blood pressure elevates whenever I sense someone is using deceit on me or I see it happening to others.

But wait! How is that so different from a parent bribing their kids to get them to do good instead of evil? Is it all that different when teachers or preachers use setup situations in their communications to communicate a lesson? I have often wrestled with defining manipulation.

Manipulation is repulsive, and no one likes it. But could there be a very fine line between using discretion in order to get them to be a better person and manipulation that is done for selfish gain? The operative difference lies in the why—the motivations for what is done. Jesus used discretion to speak to the woman at the well and parables to open people’s minds to hear the truth so they could be set free or to live a more abundant life. Never was it for His personal gain.

In contrast, Jacob, a Bible character, manipulated his father in order to steal his brother’s inheritance. Eventually, God dealt with that character flaw using discretion to position Jacob for a crisis moment that would change the trajectory of his future. During that crisis, the angel of the Lord wrestled with Jacob until he admitted his name was Jacob, which meant schemer or trickster (Genesis 32:27 AMP). This admission ended with God changing Jacob’s name to Israel (Genesis 32:28). God also left him with a limp as a permanent reminder of his transformation.

Prov. 11:1 reads, “God detests the use of dishonest scales, but he delights in accurate weights.”    We get that because we know He is Truth and loves Truth. Furthermore, using dishonest scales is clearly for personal gain. Let us dive deeper into this. In the sermon on the mount, when Jesus was teaching how God will provide for us, He uses a metaphor pointing out how stunningly God provides for the grass in the fields. He then says, “how much more” (Mt. 6:30) will God cloth or supply our needs? It is an insult to God’s desire to provide for us when we use any form of manipulation, or any form of dishonest scales, to get what we think we want.

In that context, God hates manipulation because it is man’s way of trying to bypass God’s desires to provide for His children. What ways of our culture have you attempted in order to gain success when God does not seem to give you what you want when you want it? How well did that work out for Abraham? (Genesis 16:1-4) Have you tried to fast track things by using shame, fear, lies, or appealing to someone’s hunger for success, or using lust of some sort to get what you want? If so, do those ways sound like God’s ways of working with others, or Satan’s?

Being discontent with your current conditions, then trying to better yourself by using creative manipulation, is NOT the answer! Red Alert!! The father of lies, Satan, is trying to manipulate you just as he did Eve and Jesus in the desert. Get a grip! Jesus came that you could have an abundant life, but you must trust Him and wait for Him to provide it in His time and ways. Devious people are disgusting to the LORD, but he is delighted with those whose ways are innocent. Proverbs 11:20 (GW)

I will never forget going into a small classroom that doubled as a prayer room and kneeling near a pew there. What made it so memorable to me was what happened to me that Sunday morning.

I was a sophomore in Bible college wrestling with a variety of issues. The most pronounced was that being at this college was going against so much of what I wanted to do. I had vowed multiple times when in high school I would never be a pastor! … never! I attended this college because my dad requested me to go to Bible college for one year before transferring to a college that would prepare me to be a businessman, accountant, or counselor.

As I was driving off the campus my freshman year, a friend stopped me and said “Congratulations on your scholarship!” I was shocked. You see, in my first year I worked 60 hours a week pumping gas and doing minor mechanic work on cars to pay my way through college. That had taken all my money, so I did not have money to go to another college. Since the scholarship would pretty much pay for another year at college, I decided I would return to this college but continue to take only basic transferable classes.

Kneeling, I intuitively sensed God calling me to be a minister! I told Him I would obey, BUT I would only be a music and youth pastor. I’m sure God got a good chuckle out of that! My journey from that point on was like Abraham’s when God called him to leave his homeland but did not tell him where to go! He simply had to follow God’s leading. (Hebrews 11:8)

I was a slow learner because from that point on, I continued to be called to go deeper and deeper into occupational ministry and pushing back hard on that call each time. But God was merciful despite me. He graciously taught me and used how he had shaped me. Ironically, in 2020, I felt released from my calling so I could retire. Little did Connie and I know the retirement path ahead of us would consist of years of battling with Connie’s incurable, unique and lethal version of Myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS). The only thing we recognize in this journey is we again are on a trip, like Abraham, where we do not know where we are going. The only thing we know is God knows what He is doing in us and through us.

We’ve discovered God does not always tell you what He is going to do; He reveals to you Who He is. We believe in a miracle-working God and have learned through it all to surrender to Him until we will not be surprised at anything He does. This is a new level of faith for us. We, especially Connie, feel a variety of debilitating pain, but we enjoy a deep level of God’s peace within us.

Faith never knows where it is being led, but it loves and knows the One Who is leading. It is a life of faith, not of intellect and reason, but a life of knowing Who makes us “go.” The root of faith is the knowledge of a Person, and one of the biggest challenges is the idea that God is sure to lead us to victory. It is about something infinitely beyond the purification of faith. It is about being tried and proven, resulting in the faith the three Hebrew children had in Daniel 3:18. Their faith was not focused on God intervening. It was focused on the character of God. His ways may or may not be preferable to us, but they will always be right as well as best for all involved.

If your path is confusing, look beyond what you can imagine and upon who is leading you.

I grew up in one of multiple ‘holiness’ church groups. These fellowships championed a variety of extreme ideas. The group I was part of ranked somewhere in the middle. The negative reputation of the Biblical term “holy” was a consequence of some of their extreme behaviors and beliefs. Today’s culture, with its strong emphasis on individuality, independence, and self-centered ambition, finds these extremes especially repulsive. Holiness is rarely taught in religious settings, literature, or study groups nowadays, which is not surprising. Why is it that the Bible is so explicit about God’s demand for us to lead a holy life? Is God really that outdated? I’ve been driven by curiosity to investigate what the Bible truly says about this.

While Scripture frequently refers to being holy, the apostle Peter writes it most explicitly. But now you must be holy in everything you do, just as God who chose you is holy. 1 Peter 1:15 (NLT2) Grammatically, this is God’s command, not an ideal for us to consider. The context of the verse offers the best commentary on what this verse is really saying. First, it says we must define the term holy in the context of God’s holiness, not our fabrication of it. Second, it contrasted holiness with how you used to live, satisfying your own desires or the passions of your former ignorance. This is not just about outward holiness but one’s inner being, in how they think, behave, and respond. How critical is this matter? The Bible also says, make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; without holiness, no one will see the Lord. Hebrews 12:14 (NIV) That makes our inner holiness all important. So, why does God insist on us being holy when it is so diametrically different from human nature? He does so because He created us and knows the essentials for us to experience the most abundant life possible. (John 10:10)

The word “holy” means to be separated or set apart from the ordinary and devoted to what is true and right in the long term—Bible truths. While some may view it as piety, piety implies outward conduct rather than inner belief. Because of God’s pure integrity, He prioritizes a heart totally committed to loving Him over empty words or behavior.

I’ve been exploring John Comer’s book Live No Lies—a very enlightening book!! In it, he defines a lie and truth. He stresses that life includes a constant personal battle with the practice of living lies in contrast to truths.

We are being barraged with lies supported by friends, the media, politicians, educators—and yes, ministers at church. Jesus and the New Testament writers repeatedly warned against lies or false teachers. The fact is the growing dysfunction we see these days is simply the fruit of the decades of lies our world has embraced. The challenge we face is to discern correctly between the truth and deception in what we see or hear. The encouraging part is, God is not as concerned about the lies we may innocently follow as He is with how we respond to the lie when His Spirit enlightens us with His truth. That is when the call to holiness becomes vividly clear.

If you prayerfully examined the driving force behind your decisions, how many of them may have been rooted in personal preference and how many from God’s Word? Understand, no church group is flawless in their set of doctrines, so relax. God is focused on your response to His truth once He has enlightened you? How have you been responding when the Spirit reveals His truth about holiness—a life separated from the common and devoted to His truths? A holy life is a most abundant life.

Have you ever gone on a blind date? It can be scary! My college friends tried to persuade me to go on a blind date with their visiting friend. I learned secondhand acquaintances are risky! How well you know someone makes a crucial difference. Knowing Jesus as a babe in a manger, teacher or healer is extremely different from knowing Him after an experience with Him.

I grew up in a clergyman’s family. Witnessing hundreds of people come and go in the church world, I’ve observed those who knew Christ in a natural way and those who came to know Him in a personal way. As with knowing other humans, there is an enormous difference between how they knew Him. Paul wrote of his own experience, …At one time, we thought of Christ merely from a human point of view. How differently we know him now! (2 Corinthians 5:16b, NLT2). To know Christ “from a human point of view” means to know Him secondhand. At one time in Paul’s life, he hated those who followed Christ. In fact, he was on a mission to destroy them. But then, on a road to Damascus, he personally encountered Jesus. He was so blown away it radically changed the trajectory of his life. The difference between knowing about Jesus from what you have heard in church, classes or read about Him and knowing Jesus after engaging His presence is a difference maker.

Despite their three-year experience of living with Jesus, the disciples continued to lack faith in Him. They knew Jesus only in a natural way and scurried away when He was arrested. However, experiencing the Holy Spirit’s infilling solidified the credibility of Jesus’ words and actions. Their perspective of Him significantly shifted. Some people grow up in church, even in a pastor’s home, memorize Bible verses and listen to teaching about Jesus for years, but never truly meet Him personally. If their experience with Christ isn’t more intimate than emotionally experiencing the Christmas story or the Passion week, they are at high risk spiritually.

No one can afford to depend on their secondhand knowledge of Jesus Christ! If that is the extent of their knowledge, they will be like the seed sown on the paths, among the stones or thorns. (Luke 8:5-7) Salvation cannot be associated with the “me too” mentality. While it’s valuable to learn about Him through different methods, accurate knowledge comes from personal encounters and reflections on His Word. There is something indescribable about going through failures, tragedies or crisis and learning to lean on Him and His gentle assurances to you. Other believers can be a life-giving help to you. However, never allow any human to replace the direct teaching, the Holy Spirit will speak to a listening ear. After Paul encountered Jesus, he went out into the desert to be alone where the Spirit of Christ taught him for several years. This experience made Paul the stalwart man of God he was. You may not be able to go alone into a desert to learn from His Spirit, but He often teaches those who hunger and thirst after His righteousness in their daily quiet times with Him.

My prayer for you is that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, that He may grant you a spirit of wisdom and revelation [of insight into mysteries and secrets] in the [deep and intimate] knowledge of Him (Ephesians 1:17, b, AMP). Never settle for a secondhand acquaintance with our incredibly awe-inspiring God. And keep the relationship fresh. The more you experience Him, the more you will intimately know Him.

It doesn’t take a social analyst or historian to tell us our dysfunctional culture is like an out-of-control train headed for a disastrous accident. We can point our fingers and blame whoever we want, but flesh and blood cannot generate what we are seeing. If you examine scripture, what we are seeing is the fruit of what Jesus and New Testament writers warned regarding diabolic lies and self-deception 2,000 years ago. Paul described it well in his letter to the Romans.

God’s anger is revealed from heaven against all the sin and evil of the people whose evil ways prevent the truth from being known.  God punishes them, because what can be known about God is plain to them, for God himself made it plain.  Ever since God created the world, his invisible qualities, both his eternal power and his divine nature, have been clearly seen; they are perceived in the things that God has made. So those people have no excuse at all!  They know God, but they do not give him the honor that belongs to him, nor do they thank him. Instead, their thoughts have become complete nonsense, and their empty minds are filled with darkness.  They say they are wise, but they are fools; instead of worshipping the immortal God, they worship images made to look like mortal human beings or birds or animals or reptiles.  And so, God has given those people over to do the filthy things their hearts’ desire, and they do shameful things with each other.  They exchange the truth about God for a lie; they worship and serve what God has created instead of the Creator himself, who is to be praised forever! Amen.  Because they do this, God has given them over to shameful passions. Even the women pervert the natural use of their sex by unnatural acts.  In the same way, the men give up natural sexual relations with women and burn with passion for each other. Men do shameful things with each other, and as a result, they bring upon themselves the punishment they deserve for their wrongdoing.  Because those people refuse to keep in mind the true knowledge about God, he has given them over to corrupted minds, so that they do the things that they should not do.  They are filled with all kinds of wickedness, evil, greed, and vice; they are full of jealousy, murder, fighting, deceit, and malice. They gossip and speak evil of one another; they are hateful to God, insolent, proud, and boastful; they think of more ways to do evil; they disobey their parents; they have no conscience; they do not keep their promises, and they show no kindness or pity for others (Romans 1:18–31, GNB)

What we are now seeing is the long-term results of what man will do when God gives him over to their sin. Paul told the church at Corinth to do the same to the persistent, wicked man among them. (1 Cor.  5:5) You may think God will not let His children suffer the consequences of the sin of others. Careful here. When the early Jews stubbornly refused God’s persistent pleading through His prophets, He gave them over to their sin and allowed the Medes and Persians to march them off to Babylon. Daniel and 3 young, righteous Jewish men were among them. However, God promoted Daniel and walked with the 3 young Jews in the fire! Their selfless commitment influenced the king and the wise men under Daniel. He was the most likely person who influenced the wise men of his day to believe enough in God to motivate their offspring to travel to Bethlehem to find baby Jesus.

How then, should we live among those being judged? In short, we must do what Daniel and the 3 young Jews did while living among those under God’s judgement? They grew closer to God. When choosing the fiery furnace or bowing down before another god, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered, Your Majesty, we will not try to defend ourselves. If the God whom we serve is able to save us from the blazing furnace and from your power, then he will. But even if he doesn’t, Your Majesty may be sure that we will not worship your god, and we will not bow down to the gold statue that you have set up (Daniel 3:16-17, GNT). They were ‘all in’ regarding their faith and selfless obedience to God.

Surrounded by cultural sickness, we must not circle our wagons! Rather, like Daniel, be influencers by intensifying our efforts to hide God’s word in our hearts and seek to help others to do the same. Why? To prepare ourselves and others to be able to identify and resist Satan’s deceptive lies and stay true to our God. Allow God to position you to show others your sold-out faith in Him.

What is the greatest challenge you have been facing? Does that challenge provoke frustration or anticipation? Do you see it as your enemy or your friend? Our initial response to a serious provocation is to avoid or escape it. However, a far better response is to view it as an opportunity in which God can show Himself mighty. What has been your default response to your threatening challenges?

As with lightning, miracles occur when there is a massive voltage difference between need and supply. As long as we think we can figure out a way to overcome our problem, our need factor is low. Consequently, the probability of a supernatural intervention is low. Pride and self-sufficiency are enemies of God. A church mentioned in Revelation 3 said of themselves, I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing. But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. Revelation 3:17 (NIV) This is the polar opposite attitude of those for whom God does miracles. Consequently, God  promised He would spit them out of His mouth.

It is not enough to be a follower of God. I must become a friend of God. I must move beyond the point of simply using God as an insurance policy or a life preserver. Friends do not exploit each other, and I must never use my relationship with God as a handy ticket to success or an easy means out of a messy situation. These words of Jesus to His disciples were very revealing and provocative. I no longer call you slaves…now you are my friends (John 15:15, NLT2). They were no longer robotic servants; they were part-owners of His plans and purpose. But He also made it clear this transition was not automatic. Not all believers seek to become His friends. Only those who love God enough to abandon their self-interest can be made a friend. It must be clear to all that God’s purpose, vision, plans, and passions are mine as well.

I certainly have not arrived at the level of friendship with Him for which I so desire. I am just humbled and grateful that it has been growing within my wife and me. I now can see that when that friendship is at the core of my relationship with God, my awe of Him increases along with my faith or trust in Him being more personal than it ever has been. My varied insecurities are being replaced with a deep felt-NEED for an even more intimate friendship relationship with Him. My identity leans less and less on my knowledge, wisdom, or ingenuity, and more and more on my close friendship with Him.

Connie and I are currently facing a very tall mountain of a challenge. At this point, the medical profession can only offer what their limited knowledge tells them, which is an imminent death sentence. We are not cringing or being frustrated by it because we know He is the only one who has our days numbered. He alone is our Hope. Instead of angst, there is a sense of anticipation of how our friend, our God, is going to deal with this mountain. We are good with whichever way that might be. We only want our Friend to be glorified. We believe this is the posture that releases Him to respond in such a way that will most benefit Him, His kingdom, and each of us.

It is in this context; our challenge is not our enemy. It is an opportunity for Him to show His majesty, wisdom, love, grace, and truth. A Bible verse that has been my favorite for decades is what Moses asked of God. If it is true that you look favorably on me, let me know your ways so I may understand you more fully and continue to enjoy your favor. Exodus 33:13 (NLT2)

Each of us was born seeing our ‘self’ as king or queen. We didn’t care if mom or dad was exhausted after we kept them up most of the night or were sick or injured. When we were hungry or wanted our diapers changed, we demanded immediate action. As we mature, we hear far too much about ‘self’-fulfillment and ‘self’-promotion. We live life out sitting on the throne of the kingdom of ‘self’, also called the flesh.

When Peter pushed-back on Jesus’ words about Him having to suffer abuse and being killed, Jesus rebuked him. Jesus then took head-on the human kingdom of ‘self’-bias. Jesus told his disciples, if anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me (Matthew 16:24, ESV). Taking on this perspective would be like trying to swim upstream on the raging Colorado River. Yet it is crystal clear. If a person is going to be a Christ-follower, he or she must deny ‘self’. It also needs to be clear that Jesus is not espousing the “death of self”, He is calling for “death to self’. These prepositional differences change everything. Jesus is not talking about considering ourselves worthless! He went through what He did in order to save us, not destroy us. He is saying that if you try to save your own life, you will lose your soul.

It needs to be understood, a life of death to ‘self’ CANNOT be done by self-discipline. When a person is challenged to die to ‘self’, they often first think, “I must control myself.” That is a prime illustration of how deceitful our ‘self’-centered heart is. (Jeremiah 17:9). Death-to-self’ is to stop living for self and with His empowerment live for Jesus Christ and His love for others.

Paul wrote a profound statement. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have (past tense) nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there (Galatians 5:24, NLT2). This is a violent word-picture of what goes on when a person surrenders their life to Christ. Your sinful ‘self’ nature (flesh) is totally hostile towards God. (Romans 7:23). The decision is not a ritualistic prayer, it involves a humbling crucifixion of the ‘self’ will with all its passions and desires. Death to ‘self’ is an exchange for the life of self-centeredness for Christ’s life. (2 Peter 1:4). When that occurs within the core of the person, it radically changes one’s desires for self-gratification to God-gratification. (Ezekiel 36:27).

The notion that accepting Jesus is enough for salvation can be misleading. The foundation of salvation is built on a godly sorrow for ‘self’, making a mess of our life and a radical submission to Christ taking control of our daily decisions (2 Corinthians 7:10). When the life of Christ replaces our self-centered desires, it’s like a spiritual Continental Divide. Life begins to flow in the opposite direction. Our self-centered desires are replaced by the life of Christ, which motivates us to follow God’s ways.

When our trust lies in our personality, abilities, knowledge, and others’ approval, we are not relying on God but on ourselves. (John 5:44). Remember, the sinful nature is always hostile to God. It never did obey God’s laws, and it never will (Romans 8:7, NLT2).  As long as self dominates, we cannot have the confidence that gives us His rest, peace, and joy.

Do you sense a need to return to this spiritual Continental Divide and once again totally surrender your whole ‘self’ to Almighty God so His desires are seen in your daily life?

My earlier blogs have mentioned Connie, my wife’s medical problems. Despite the remarkable knowledge science, doctors, or medicine offer, Connie and I have determined the medical field has no solutions for her symptoms of a unique version of MDS and the physical trauma from her systolic blood pressure randomly and abruptly dropping 40-50. Each physician expressed their perplexity. We can resonate with the bewilderment the people of Israel had when threatened by armies much greater than theirs.

For them, the natural choice would be to reach out for help from a stronger nation like Egypt, the former world ruler. God forbid them to do so, saying He would protect them. Overwhelmed by fear, they saw Egypt as their only tangible hope. When most of us encounter medical problems, we reach out to doctors and medicine as our last tangible hope. God has used physical things to bring recovery to his people (Isaiah 38:21). He even guided Jacob to use striped stakes to grow the size of his flock (Genesis 30:40). He can use anything, but more often insists His people trust Him and Him alone. The challenge is to know which method He will use on each occasion.

In Isaiah 40, God had allowed the Babylonians to defeat His people because of their insistence on serving idols instead of Him, but now they needed comforting. Their imagination had been starved by focusing on impotent idols; today we have more idols in our life than they had then! They are not just images made of tin, wood, or gold. Isaiah told them to look up instead of around themselves. He tried to get them to feed their imaginings on the greatness of God seen in the nature He had created. He challenged them to look up into the heavens. Who created all the stars? He brings them out like an army, one after another, calling each by its name. Because of his great power and incomparable strength, not a single one is missing. O Jacob, how can you say the LORD does not see your troubles? O Israel, how can you say God ignores your rights (Isaiah 40:26-27, NLT2)? And He gives power to the weak and strength to the powerless. Even youths will become weak and tired, and young men will fall in exhaustion. But those who trust in the LORD will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint (Isaiah 40:29-31, NLT2)

There is a stunning difference in our countenance, emotions, or mental attitude when we intentionally take our eyes off our circumstance and fix them upon the awe-inspiring greatness of our God. It makes me wonder if God has allowed Connie and me to explore all the possibilities of the medical world to find them desperately falling short, so that we will fix our eyes on Him alone and imagine His indescribable awesomeness. Without question, we have seen Him, His power, love, grace, and mercy. We have had Him work His power through us and provide for us multiple times. However, we also have known God is far more magnificent than we can imagine. This is how He can show us another dimension of who He is. That very thought humbles me! It is no wonder why David wrote when I see your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon, and the stars, which you have put in their places; What is man, that you keep him in mind? the son of man, that you take him into account? (Psalm 8:3-4, BBE)

For those of you facing overwhelming obstacles, will you join Connie and me and look up instead of looking around at your circumstances? Paul wrote set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth (Colossians 3:2, ESV).

One of the affectionate words I use when talking to my wife is ‘Babe’. I really don’t know where I came up with that word, but I frequently use it for her. However, ‘Babe’ can be used in a wide variety of ways. Love is another word loosely used in diverse ways. People love their car, cat, dog, job, harassing others, or having intimate relationships with their spouse.

The Greek language has separate words to describe love, each of which are gifts from God given for its proper purpose. Eros is the type of love that builds romantic relationships (think “erotic”). Phileo is the word used to convey a closeness and fondness that develops as two people choose to befriend each other. We know Philadelphia as the city of brotherly love. Storge is the word that refers to parental love for their children. This type of love is more enduring and deeper than phileo. It can often be a one-way love because parents will love their child after that child has abandoned them. Agape, the pure gold level of love. It’s selfless. It is God’s love for us.

This multi-concept of love is widely accepted. What is not widely considered is that agape does not include the flesh’s emotional component. Any aspect of self is at war with God’s self-less agape. Just as Jesus’ human self-nature had to die in Gethsemane before He could die for our sins and rise again, so it is for you and me.

Agape is not action; it is a source of action. Nor is it a feeling or an emotion or intention; although it inspires intentions, actions, and feelings. It is a condition out of which actions of a certain type emerge. The objective of agape is not to be a person who does loving things. Rather, it is to become the type of person who naturally, joyfully, and is easily compelled to love others, including those who hold immoral positions or abuse us. If we give attention to taking care of our heart condition, righteous actions will naturally follow. Loving with God’s love does not mean giving in to what others want. By its very nature, it seeks what is right before God and offers what will enable them to do what is right in His eyes. It is not something you choose to do, it is what you become, a loving person. The love Christ wants to give us is NOT a result of human effort. It simply is the radical reflection of God who gave us His agape love. It will inspire His compassion for others rather than just sympathy for them.

God gave us agape, not because He needed our love, but because He knew we needed to love Him and others in order to have the fullness of joy that He has. His gift of agape is not a divided, soiled, or lukewarm love. Rather, it is a whole-hearted love that gives as He gives to us.

How do we reach that quality of love? Please understand, we cannot receive it by increasing our head knowledge, although head knowledge is helpful. Complete trust in God and death to self, opens the floodgates for His agape love to flow unconsciously into us. Self-effort prevents it. Paul described God’s method this way. And all of us, as with unveiled face, [because we] continued to behold [in the Word of God] as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are constantly being transfigured into His very own image in ever increasing splendor and from one degree of glory to another; [for this comes] from the Lord [Who is] the Spirit (2 Corinthians 3:18, AMP)

This revelation has relaxed my soul and given me a greater desire to be transformed into His image. I pray that sharing this will inspire you to have a similar desire for God and His agape.

I have lived long enough to see several fads or cultural changes. When Connie and I were in college, she had a page-boy fluff hair do and occasionally included a small wig in her hair. Interestingly, this hairstyle was common in that day. In recent years, the page-boy fluff never returned, but the occasional added hair piece has shown up. When hair or dress styles change, for guys or gals, like dominos falling, everyone changes with it. Remember when it was the in thing for guys to wear bellbottom leisure suits or knit slacks? Today it is tattoos, skinny or holey jeans. Fads are like cookie cutters that leave their mark on nearly everyone.

So, does God use a cookie cutter that leaves its mark on His followers? I would have to say, ‘yes’ and ‘no’. He doesn’t leave visible markings like some religious groups might (e.g. Amish). And He intends for each of His followers to have unique differences in their personalities, capacities, visions, and skill sets. However, He does leave the same marking on the inner part of each of His apprentices. Paul wrote, for those whom he foreknew, he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers (Romans 8:29, ESV). He also described how that would happen. And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ … (Ephesians 4:11-13, ESV). He has no other kind of a follower than the one shaped by a predetermined pattern, Jesus Christ.

The very last recorded command Jesus gave His apostles was wherever you go, make disciples of all nations: Baptize them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Teach them to do everything I have commanded you. “And remember that I am always with you until the end of time (Matthew 28:19-20, GW). Jesus set the pattern for all disciples when He said, If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross, and follow me (Matthew 16:24, NLT2). Paul also took that pattern seriously and wrote Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ (1 Corinthians 11:1, ESV).

It is noteworthy that the apostles took that pattern so seriously that unbelievers said those early Christians turned the world upside down (Acts 17:6). We must understand the Holy Spirit’s primary work is NOT to make us theologians or encyclopedias of Bible doctrine. Rather, to shape each of us into the very likeness of Jesus Christ, the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ. He also decreed Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect (Romans 12:2, NLT2).

Why did Jesus, Paul, and the Bible teach this? So, the world would SEE and sense deep within that we have been with Jesus, living witnesses of a risen Jesus Christ.

We have naively reduced discipleship (spiritual transformation) down to indoctrination of some sort. We think it amounts to teaching a formula, behavior modification in a sermon, small group or classroom. If you look back on your recent history, is there evidence your presence has turned those in your sphere of influence upside down? If not, could it be that someone inadvertently usurped the Spirit’s work and indoctrinated you instead allowing His Spirit to transform you?