Transformation Journal

Wed, 22 Feb 2012 05:00:00 GMT

Wednesday, 22 Feb. 2012

Psalm 119:9-11

⁹ How can a young person stay on the path of purity?
By living according to your word.
¹⁰ I seek you with all my heart;
do not let me stray from your commands.
¹¹ I have hidden your word in my heart
that I might not sin against you.

Psalm 24:3-6

³ Who may ascend the mountain of the LORD?
Who may stand in his holy place?
⁴ The one who has clean hands and a pure heart,
who does not trust in an idol
or swear by a false god.

⁵ They will receive blessing from the LORD
and vindication from God their Savior.
⁶ Such is the generation of those who seek him,
who seek your face, God of Jacob.

Psalm 51:6-7

⁶ Yet you desired faithfulness even in the womb;
you taught me wisdom in that secret place. ⁷ Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean;
wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.

Questions

What does it mean to be “yoked”? Can you have purity when you are yoked with unbeliever(s)? Why is it so important to God that we are equally yoked?

REFLECTION

Psalm 119:9-11
How can a young man keep his way pure? By living according to your word. I seek you with all my heart; do not let me stray from your commands. I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.

My Crooked Walk

I once read that when livestock were used for farming, the yokes were meant to be used for two of the same kind of livestock, such as two oxen, two horses, or two mules. When two different types of animals were yoked together, like an ox yoked with a horse, they were considered unevenly yoked, and the result was their furrowed paths wound up in a circle rather than a straight line. If this is true, I can see why this metaphor is used for the Christian walk. God tells us not to be yoked to unbelievers (2 Corinthians 6:14), but I also think for my walk with God to be as near and straight as possible, I must be careful with “what” I yoke myself to. If most of my time is spent tied to what is pulling me away from God, then my walk is crooked and non-directional and far from the walk that God intended.

When my dad was alive, in his later years he had arthritis. His fingers were jagged sticks of swollen joints bent in different directions. About five years ago when he was diagnosed with cancer, I noticed the nails on my index fingers beginning to shift inward. It’s now been over three years since my dad has passed away, and my fingers are now made up of swollen knuckles bent and twisted in different directions. Sometimes at work I feel embarrassed by my hands, but most of the time I see my crooked hands as a bittersweet remembrance of him. In the imperfection of my hands I am reminded of the love of my dad.

When I look back on my life, I am ashamed of the times when I have been so far from the path I think God wanted for me. My journey too often seems to resemble the journey of the Israelites circling around in the desert for years on a trip that should only have taken a few days. In my youth I was impressed with the wrong things—and sometimes the wrong people—and I put all my energy into fitting in. As I got older, I transferred that energy into being the best mom working alone to provide all that my son needed, and my walk truly was about being an example most of the time, more so than having a relationship. Now I have to say I put too much energy into being the best at work. It seems a theme in my life: although I love God, He has always been fit into my life, rather than having my life fit around God. It’s no surprise, therefore, that my God walk has been less than a straight line.

Since mid-January, however, I have spent every morning on my knees, talking to God, reading His Word, and giving thanks. I am not concentrating so much on not making any mistakes; instead I am working at resting in God’s peace. I am ever so slowly removing the yoke of time constraints from classes and work and am finally allowing myself to simply rest with God.

Today I see the furrowed lines of my life, as crooked and off course as they are, as I do my hands—with a bittersweet joy. In my imperfect life with my imperfect choices God has not left me. In my crooked journey, even when I have set His Word on the shelf, He has not forgotten me, and so when I look back on my life, as misdirected as it has sometimes been, I am reminded of the love of my Father, who continues to whisper my name and set my path straight.

Prayer

Father God, You are perfect in every way. Please take my insecurities from me, Lord, and make my path straight. I do not need to achieve anything more; I do not need to try any harder, and I do not want to just fit You into my life any longer. Take the spoils of my life, and create in me something new. Amen.

Additional Scripture:

Contributed By: Suzanne Marvin

Tue, 21 Feb 2012 05:00:00 GMT

Tuesday, 21 Feb. 2012

1 Timothy 5:22

²² Do not be hasty in the laying on of hands, and do not share in the sins of others. Keep yourself pure.

1 Timothy 6:11-14

Final Charge to Timothy

¹¹ But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness. ¹² Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses. ¹³ In the sight of God, who gives life to everything, and of Christ Jesus, who while testifying before Pontius Pilate made the good confession, I charge you ¹⁴ to keep this command without spot or blame until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ,

1 Timothy 4:11-12

¹¹ Command and teach these things. ¹² Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity.

Questions

What relationships, activities, temptations have caused you to compromise your faith? What new choices do you need to make to become more pure and bring you closer to God?

REFLECTION

1 Timothy 6:11-12 (NLT)
But you, Timothy, are a man of God; so run from all these evil things. Pursue righteousness and a godly life, along with faith, love, perseverance, and gentleness. Fight the good fight for the true faith. Hold tightly to the eternal life to which God has called you, which you have confessed so well before many witnesses.

Lessons in Purity

Paul is mentoring Timothy. As a good mentor, he pulls no punches. In most of First Timothy, Paul gives instruction on the running of a church body. It gives instruction on everything from appointing leaders to the care of widows and even the respect slaves are to show to their masters. In verse 11 he says a curious thing; “Run from all these evil things.” You’re wondering what evil things, aren’t you? To quote a great preacher, “Glad you asked!”

Paul has just admonished Timothy in verses nine and ten about those who long to be rich. He says that they fall into temptation and are trapped by many foolish and harmful desires. Then Paul writes one of the most misquoted verses in the Bible, “For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil.” It is not money that is the issue, it is the LOVE of it. In verses 17 and 18 Paul instructs Timothy, “Teach those who are rich in this world not to be proud and not to trust in their money, which is so unreliable. Their trust should be in God, who richly gives us all we need for our enjoyment. Tell them to use their money to do good. They should be rich in good works and generous to those in need, always being ready to share with others.”

Jesus taught us, “Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.” To live purely, we must guard where our treasure is. Are you pursuing righteousness and a godly life, fighting the good fight, and holding tightly to the life to which God has called you? I truly believe that doing so leads to a life that is pure in the eyes of the Lord.

Prayer

Father, purify my desires and therein, purify my heart. Help me to trust only in You and to pursue the life to which You have called me. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

Additional Scripture:

Contributed By: Rick Johnsen

Mon, 20 Feb 2012 05:00:00 GMT

Monday, 20 Feb. 2012

John 15:1-4

The Vine and the Branches

¹ “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. ² He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. ³ You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. ⁴ Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.

2 Corinthians 6:16-7:1

¹⁶ What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said:

“I will live with them
and walk among them,
and I will be their God,
and they will be my people.”

¹⁷ Therefore,

“Come out from them
and be separate,
says the Lord.
Touch no unclean thing,
and I will receive you.”

¹⁸ And,

“I will be a Father to you,
and you will be my sons and daughters,
says the Lord Almighty.”

2 Corinthians 7

¹ Therefore, since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God.

Questions

What actions do you take every day to purify your heart? Memorization? Meditation? Quiet time with God? How do you hold yourself accountable to this time of purification?

REFLECTION

2 Corinthian 7:1 (NIV)
Therefore, since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God.

Sin and Germs: They are Everywhere!

I was visiting my son’s school and could not help but notice the numerous bottles of anti-bacterial/sanitizing lotion located throughout the school classrooms, cafeteria, etc. Later that same day I entered a department store, and right next to the numerous shopping carts was a stand containing disposable sanitizing towels. I have to admit that I keep a small bottle in my desk drawer for those occasions when I know a little germ killing will come in handy.

Unfortunately, despite our best efforts, the germs seem to win. A flu bug can spread like wildfire through a school even though the teachers and administrators do all they can to avoid this from happening. We can pick up a bacteria and/or virus in any number of public places even if we take steps to limit the opportunities. Germs are everywhere, and in most cases they are relentless.

Sin is just like these pesky germs. It is everywhere, and sin is relentless. Sin will stalk you and track you down when you least expect it. Sin exists in this world, and its power can’t be overstated. Just like bugs that move from person to person and place to place, sin will always be looking for a way to move into our bodies and make a home.

We must always remain on guard against sin. We must continually take steps to purify ourselves. Just as we take steps with antibacterial lotion to sanitize our bodies, we must constantly involve the Holy Spirit as our defense against sin. The prevalence of sin in this world is something we must never take for granted, and we must work regularly to keep our hearts pure.

Prayer

Jesus, please purify my heart each and every second of every day! Forgive me for allowing sin to occupy parts of my heart, sou,l and/or mind. AMEN.

Additional Scripture:

Contributed By: Jim Hinkle

Sun, 19 Feb 2012 05:00:00 GMT

Sunday, 19 Feb. 2012

Matthew 5:8

⁸ Blessed are the pure in heart,
for they will see God.

1 John 3:2-3

² Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. ³ All who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure.

1 John 1:7-9

⁷ But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.

⁸ If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. ⁹ If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.

Questions

What are the attitudes, activities or thoughts you need to confess and repent in order for God to purify your heart? What sins do you confess today?

REFLECTION

John 1:7-9 (NIV)
But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, His Son, purifies us from all sin. If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.

Practically Perfect in Every Way

Purity—the freedom from anything that contaminates, defaces, or pollutes. As Christians, we associate purity with freedom from sin. We know it is not possible to be unblemished in our human selves even though some people seem to think they can do no wrong. I hate to spoil their day, but it isn't going to happen. Even Mary Poppins was only "practically perfect in every way," according to her very special ruler (which she borrowed from me).

Today as I was using my snow blower, I thought of the expression, "Pure as the driven snow." As a lover of all things winter, I saw how white and spotless the new fallen snow appeared and was transported to a fairyland of sparkles. Unfortunately, I got too close to the edge of the walk and ground into the dirt that was then thrown right in the middle of my beautiful sparkling fairyland of snow.

How much our sin is like that dirt. It spoils the perfection with which God has blessed us. Through His love for us He allowed His Son to shed His blood on the Cross as the Sacrifice for our sins. Through His love for us and by His grace and mercy we are purified. However, just as the dirt contaminated the snow, our continued sinful ways tarnish that most precious gift from God.

We know what purity is, and we know that only God can purify us, so I urge each of us to stop and think, then make a conscious effort to maintain a life as free from contamination as possible and remember that it is only possible through God. We need to ask ourselves, "Is what I want to do now worth the price I will have to pay later?" And then we need to discuss it with God.

Prayer

Father God, thank You for forgiving us our imperfections. Help us strive to remain pure as we prepare for a glorious life with You. Help us make that conscious effort today and every day. Amen.

Additional Scripture:

Contributed By: Barbie Rose

Sat, 18 Feb 2012 05:00:00 GMT

Saturday, 18 Feb. 2012

Luke 6:43-45

A Tree and Its Fruit

⁴³ “No good tree bears bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. ⁴⁴ Each tree is recognized by its own fruit. People do not pick figs from thornbushes, or grapes from briers. ⁴⁵ A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.

Ephesians 4:20-24

²⁰ That, however, is not the way of life you learned ²¹ when you heard about Christ and were taught in him in accordance with the truth that is in Jesus. ²² You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; ²³ to be made new in the attitude of your minds; ²⁴ and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.

Questions

When have you made a choice for holiness and produced good fruit in your life? (Luke 6:43-35) According to Ephesians 4:22-32 holiness isn’t just a matter of resisting evil, but rather pursuing what is good. In what area of your life have you simply been resisting, and how will you pursue what is righ?

REFLECTION

Ephesians 4:20-24 (NIV)
That, however, is not the way of life you learned when you heard about Christ and were taught in him in accordance with the truth that is in Jesus. You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.

Luke 6:43-45 (NIV)
No good tree bears bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. Each tree is recognized by its own fruit. People do not pick figs from thorn bushes, or grapes from briers. A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.

Putting on my New Self

I consider myself a relatively new believer. Although I was raised as a Christian, my relationship with Christ did not play a large role in my life until just a few years ago. When I came back to Christ, I jumped in head first. I began going to church every weekend and attended Bible study every Wednesday night. I bought a couple different versions of the Bible and read as much and as often as I could. I was determined to understand Christianity and to truly turn my life over to Christ. As much as I worshipped, read, and studied, it still took me quite a while to realize that Christ was not just there to be my refuge, but that He also wanted me to be transformed. In the beginning I can remember thinking how easy it was going to be to avoid sin and not understanding the many ways I needed to be transformed. I was sure I was on the fast-track to being a great Christian.

We studied “The Sin Problem” in one of my Bible studies, and for the first time I realized what sin is. The book asked, “How do you, in your own life, see actions or attitudes that separate you from God?” I listed several things such as gossip, procrastination, laziness, self-righteousness, and for the first time realized how much work I had ahead of me. I set out to rid myself of these things and to invite Him into my life each day. I revisited this Bible study several times in my first few years as a new follower of Christ and can see now how much it has transformed me.

Several weeks ago, I looked back at this particular part of the Bible study and re-read the notes I had written about sin. “Still after a whole year I struggle with this!” I had written. How funny it is to me now that I thought I could conquer my addiction to sin in a single year! As I’m sure you know, I am still in the process of transformation. I have learned that “putting off my old self” is not as simple as taking off my work clothes, and “putting on the new self” is not as easy as slipping into a pair of jeans and a T-shirt. Rather it’s a slow process that Christ promises to help us with! I look forward to the day, though I’m sure it’s still a long way off, that I can see me in my new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.

Prayer

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for taking Your time with me. I praise You for Your patience, and I love You for Your forgiveness. Please continue to help me put on my new self and allow me to see how far You have already helped me to come. I love You. Amen.

Additional Scripture:

Contributed By: Elizabeth Heft

Fri, 17 Feb 2012 05:00:00 GMT

Friday, 17 Feb. 2012

2 Corinthians 6:11-7:1

¹¹ We have spoken freely to you, Corinthians, and opened wide our hearts to you. ¹² We are not withholding our affection from you, but you are withholding yours from us. ¹³ As a fair exchange—I speak as to my children—open wide your hearts also.

Warning Against Idolatry

¹⁴ Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? ¹⁵ What harmony is there between Christ and Belial? Or what does a believer have in common with an unbeliever? ¹⁶ What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said:

“I will live with them
and walk among them,
and I will be their God,
and they will be my people.”

¹⁷ Therefore,

“Come out from them
and be separate,
says the Lord.
Touch no unclean thing,
and I will receive you.”

¹⁸ And,

“I will be a Father to you,
and you will be my sons and daughters,
says the Lord Almighty.”

2 Corinthians 7

¹ Therefore, since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God.

Titus 2:11-14

¹¹ For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. ¹² It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, ¹³ while we wait for the blessed hope—the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, ¹⁴ who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.

Questions

What are the implications and dangers of believers being relationally joined with nonbelievers? What is your experience?

REFLECTION

Titus 2:11-12
For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. It teaches us to say, “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in this present age.

Doing a 180

In the keynote passage from Titus (chapter 2, verses 11, 12), the source of transformation is revealed to us in the form of God’s grace. There are two outcomes of this, with restoration only coming when both are activated.

The first thing grace brings about is the ability to say “no” to “ungodliness and worldly passions.” Oh, where to start with this one? While God provides us with people and things to better our lives and bring us joy, they are not to be obsessed over nor allowed to control us. Addictive behaviors come in many forms—drugs and alcohol, pornography, shopping, and yes, even hoarding. None of these things will bring about recovery in us, but instead, all of them provide us with a temporary coping mechanism that masks our pain. I would argue that these measures make things even worse since now we have something (an addiction) that will likely cause someone else in our life pain.

A key contributor to our moral condition is, let’s face it, other people. It is why Paul notes in 2 Corinthians 6:14 that we are not be “yoked together with unbelievers.” It does not mean that we should ignore or forsake these folks; it simply means that we should not form intertwined, committed relationships with those who have the potential of diverting us from a life of obedience. Many times, people cause us pain because we allow them to be part of our lives. I saw this dynamic when I taught a series of classes at a women’s center a few years back. Several of the young women I encountered allowed themselves to be involved with men who abused them, both verbally and physically. Until they were willing to walk away, they were not likely to experience the grace and recovery that Paul wrote about.

But simply saying “no” is not enough. We must be willing to fill that void with something that retrains our thought processes. Our ability to “live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives” is in direct correlation with our willingness to accept God’s purpose for our lives. When we turn only 90 degrees, what we leave behind is still within our peripheral vision, and the tendency to backslide is great. Only a 180 will put us in a position where our backs are turned to the past and our eyes are fixed forward.

This “grace of God” comes to us in the form of the Holy Spirit. As advocate for Jesus in our lives, the embodiment of God’s wisdom, love, and mercy will help complete this 180 when we are committed to making the necessary changes. These are not easy decisions to make…many times we have to separate ourselves from people who have been in our lives for many years, friends and family alike. But in the end, these are necessary steps that bring about salvation in our lives and in others who depend upon us.

Prayer

Father God, we understand that so much is at stake. It is not just our salvation that hangs in the balance, but those around us are also impacted by the choices we make—husbands, wives, children, and friends. Send us Your advocate this day so we can turn from that which tempts us while embracing a life that promises to bring about You glory. Amen.

Additional Scripture:

Contributed By: Matt Daniel

Thu, 16 Feb 2012 05:00:00 GMT

Thursday, 16 Feb. 2012

John 5:1-15

The Healing at the Pool

¹ Some time later, Jesus went up to Jerusalem for one of the Jewish festivals. ² Now there is in Jerusalem near the Sheep Gate a pool, which in Aramaic is called Bethesda and which is surrounded by five covered colonnades. ³ Here a great number of disabled people used to lie—the blind, the lame, the paralyzed. ⁵ One who was there had been an invalid for thirty-eight years. ⁶ When Jesus saw him lying there and learned that he had been in this condition for a long time, he asked him, “Do you want to get well?”

⁷ “Sir,” the invalid replied, “I have no one to help me into the pool when the water is stirred. While I am trying to get in, someone else goes down ahead of me.”

⁸ Then Jesus said to him, “Get up! Pick up your mat and walk.” ⁹ At once the man was cured; he picked up his mat and walked.

The day on which this took place was a Sabbath, ¹⁰ and so the Jewish leaders said to the man who had been healed, “It is the Sabbath; the law forbids you to carry your mat.”

¹¹ But he replied, “The man who made me well said to me, ‘Pick up your mat and walk.’ ”

¹² So they asked him, “Who is this fellow who told you to pick it up and walk?”

¹³ The man who was healed had no idea who it was, for Jesus had slipped away into the crowd that was there.

¹⁴ Later Jesus found him at the temple and said to him, “See, you are well again. Stop sinning or something worse may happen to you.” ¹⁵ The man went away and told the Jewish leaders that it was Jesus who had made him well.

Romans 6:1-7

Dead to Sin, Alive in Christ

¹ What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? ² By no means! We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? ³ Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? ⁴ We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.

⁵ For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly also be united with him in a resurrection like his. ⁶ For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin— ⁷ because anyone who has died has been set free from sin.

Questions

According to John 5, does our sin affect our quality of life? How so? What does Romans 6 say our response to God’s grace should be? Is there an area of unrepentant sin in your life? How would repentance affect your quality of life?

REFLECTION

John 5:8 (NIV)
Then Jesus said to him, “Get up! Pick up your mat and walk.”

Doc Jesus

I am not always proactive when I get sick. Sometimes, I will stubbornly wait until I am deathly ill before I go to the doctor, trying to cure myself with over-the-counter meds. See, I have to get out of bed, make the appointment, wait to see the doctor, get a prescription, and wait to get it filled, and all I really want to do is stay in bed and whine. By the time I actually set the appointment, it takes two or three rounds of meds to get better.

We can be just as stubborn with sin. Sin can plague us like a nasty cough, keeping us up at night. We try to handle it on our own until it is uncontrollable. The only “doc” in this case is Jesus, who has already filled the prescription with His crucifixion.

Baptism is our way to repent from sin and die with Jesus. Our old self is taken underwater, and our new self arises with a freshness and understanding that we are and will be united with him. Now, just because this has happened doesn’t mean that we won’t get sick again. The physical act of baptism does not take away our free will. As a result, we can choose to sin again, to become sick again. A lot of us take the wrong prescription: the bitter pill. Jesus prescribed many things for us, and it wasn’t for us to be bitter, unloving, and ungrateful. He gave us grace, love, and hope. He showed the way to a healthier and wiser us. He provided instructions on how to take care of ourselves and each other. We should no longer be slaves to sin.

The lame man waited 38 years before he saw the doctor. Jesus told the lame man to get up, pick up his mat, and walk. He could have just as easily said no, but he didn’t. He knew Doc Jesus had his best interest at heart even if he didn’t know who He was at the time. I ask you, as Jesus asked the lame man, do you want to get well? How many times are you going to look for help from within before you let the true Doc help you? He is just a thought, prayer, and name away. You don’t have to wait for an appointment to talk with him. Hospitals have an emergency room for a reason. Just open the emergency room doors of your heart. He is there waiting for you.

I don’t wait to see the doctor like I used to. I call him as soon as symptoms occur. Shouldn’t we also call upon Jesus when we are feeling the urge to sin?

Prayer

Father, You know what we are going through and what our temptations may be. Help us to lean on You during our sickness. Thank You for the instructions. We pray we learn to apply them.

Additional Scripture:

Contributed By: Julie Wehrkamp