Transformation
Transformation
Hey everyone! There has been so much on my heart and mind lately and we have not posted anything on here in a very long time. I decided that I would like to use it to share some of the things that God has been putting on my heart during such strange, changing, tough, and awesome times. Feel free to follow, I believe that we are always in some sort of process with God, sometimes it seems to be more obvious than other times, however His Spirit is always moving!
About 2 years ago I was on my way into the city, I had just gotten a new iPod touch and decided to get the bible app “you version” its awesome and I highly recommend it, and its free! I started a bible plan that had me reading 4 chapters of 4 different books each day. The last reading was always from the book of Acts, and as time went on I would rush through the other 3 readings just to get to Acts, until I found that all I was interested in was that book. It had grabbed my attention so hard. It was like some secret book that no one had ever told me about. My heart was forever changed after reading that book.
I remember the first story that wrapped me in of Peter healing the crippled beggar in chapter 3, and ill never forget the words he spoke to the lame man that was begging at the temple gates…
“3 When he saw Peter and John about to enter, he asked them for money. 4 Peter looked straight at him, as did John. Then Peter said, “Look at us!” 5 So the man gave them his attention, expecting to get something from them.
6 Then Peter said, “Silver or gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.” 7 Taking him by the right hand, he helped him up, and instantly the man’s feet and ankles became strong. 8 He jumped to his feet and began to walk. Then he went with them into the temple courts, walking and jumping, and praising God.“
As I read this I began to think to myself, how have I never heard of this before? This was the kind of stuff that was happening after Jesus, as they were given the gift of the Holy Spirit! The same Holy Spirit that is with us today! Why was I not seeing the Holy Spirit move like that today?
The disciples were all living lives that were an outpouring of their radical love for Jesus! I began to look at my own life and realized that there was little to no fruit of my faith in Christ, I wasn’t change by this incredible news, nor did I even understand its weight!
All of it really got me thinking, I was reading this incredible book, seeing such amazing acts of faith and the question “why don’t I see this now?” was burned into my heart. And the desire to see God started to drive me crazy. I was reading in this book and it was hitting me so hard because it was “After Jesus” therefore it was now!
As I continued to read Acts I realized that these people were transformed by what they had seen; by the reality of the Gospel; by the hope that they found in the death and resurrection of our King Jesus! This reality should change us! We worship the “Living God” a phrase that I have heard over and over, but the truth is God is alive today! He wants to move in us, he wants to be apart of your life! Frances Chan says “Lukewarm people are moved by stories about people who do radical things for Christ, yet they do not act. They assume such action is for “extreme” Christians, not average ones.”
Jesus, my hope and my prayer is that we will no longer be “lukewarm”. I pray our lives as Your followers would be an outpouring of the radical love that we have for, and have found in You! Help us to be transformed by Your word, and live our lives each day giving you the room to do what you want. I pray that we would give you our availability to use us where we are however you please…
James 1:22 “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.”
Let us live our lives each day in the hope that is found in Jesus. Let us love on those all around us, and let us be forever changed by the author and perfecter of our faith, Jesus!
-Warren
