GOD IS CHANGING US

GOD IS CHANGING US

by Robert Fltts



"And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit." (II Cor. 3:18) - NIV

We all want to be changed and we are all in the process of change if we belong to Jesus. This change has a specific goal, to be like Jesus! This is the destiny of every believer. "For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers." (Rom. 8:29) - NIV

How does this change come? God changes us through TRUTH, through TRIALS, and through a Transforming TOUCH.

CHANGED BY TRUTH Jesus Said, "You shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free." (John 8:32) As we walk in truth, we walk in reality and liberty. To whatever extent we are walking in error, (untruth), we are walking in unreality and bondage. To some extent, we are living in an unreal world.

Knowing and receiving the truth about how to become a Christian frees us from the bondage of sin and guilt. Receiving the truth about divine healing releases us from the bondage of sickness, weakness and disease. The truth about generosity and sacrificial giving breaks us loose from the bondage of poverty and debt. We must remain open to truth whether it comes to us through a holy and esteemed prophet or through the mouth of a dumb donkey! (see Judges 22)

CHANGED BY TRIALS We are also being changed through trials. This includes every experience of life whether they are good, bad, difficult, easy, pleasant, galling, smooth, rocky, sweet or bitter. Sometimes the greatest trial is to stay true to God in the midst of pleasant circumstances! As we yield to God in total surrender, we can trust Him to engineer all our circumstances and He will use them all in the process of transforming us into the image of Jesus Christ!

"For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared to the glory that shall be revealed in us." (Rom. 8:18)



"For we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him . . . (Rom. 8:32)



"Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering . . . But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed." (I Pet. 4:12-13)

CHANGED BY A TOUCH The Lord can also change us through a touch of His almighty hand. I like this one best! It is much easier, much faster, and more exciting!

Peter was changed instantly and dramatically through the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost. Before that transforming experience he was so full of fear that he lied and cursed when confronted by a servant girl who recognized him as a disciple of Jesus. After he received the baptism in the Holy Spirit he boldly proclaimed Jesus as the Christ before the very men who had put Jesus to death.

Through an encounter with Jesus on the road to Damascus, Saul of Tarsus, the persecutor of Christians, became a Christian himself. From that time on he was never the same.

You may be saying, "But I have already been saved and baptized in the Holy Spirit. Is there another touch that will change me more into the likeness of Jesus?"

In the second chapter of Acts the Holy Spirit came upon the 120 who were waiting in the upper room. They were all touched in a powerful way when they received the anointing of the Holy Spirit. But they were all waiting again in the same place in chapter four of Acts and the same thing happened again. That second outpouring was so powerful that the place in which they were assembled was shaken and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit . . . again!

Something is happening in the world today that is changing people from shy, fearful, doubting, denying Christians to bold, courageous, believing, powerful witnesses for Christ. The revival which was prophesied for years is now in progress . . . WORLDWIDE!!

Do you long for a transforming touch from the hand of the Lord? The first step is to acknowledge that for all you have received from the Lord, there is still more. Do you want more? I do! Are you willing to lay down all your prideful dignity and exalted sophistication and come to the feet of Jesus as a little child asking for another transforming touch?

Jesus prayed, "I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children." (Matt. 11:25)

I am convinced that we are sometimes too proud, pompous, and sophisticated to receive all God has for us. God has chosen to use the little things, little people, weak things, and base things to confound the wise, strong, and powerful. God has more of his blessing and anointing for us if we are little enough, weak enough, childlike enough to receive it. A powerful move of God that is exploding all over the world has come knocking on our door. Will we be hungry enough, thirsty enough, and humble enough to invite it in?


Robert Fitts
76-6309 Haku Pl
Kona, HI 96740
robertjoni@gmail.com
www.robertfitts.com


Where It All Begins
Out of the womb of prayer, praise and worship all the mighty movements of God in the earth are conceived and brought to birth for the glory of God and the good of mankind.

A Declaration of Unity
I belong to everything that belongs to Jesus and everything that belongs to Jesus belongs to me! It's not us and them. It's just us! There's only one Body of Christ, and the problems of the church, the whole church, are our problems, for we are the church and we can do more united than we can do divided! So let's unify, simplify, and multiply!

Divine Appointment Prayer
Father, give me a divine appointment today with someone who is hungry for God, or sick, or in need, and give me grace to minister the love of Jesus in the power of the Holy Spirit.

Winning the War on Terror by Prayer
Father, give every terrorist an encounter with Jesus such as Paul had on the road to Damascus.

Living to Give
Father, make me a generous giver today! Show me where to give and what to give, and let all my giving bring glory to the name of Jesus.

Grace, YES! Law, NO!
Law demands, demands, demands
But gives me neither feet nor hands Grace and Truth are better things
They bid me fly and give me wings!

Rejoicing in the Midst of All Things

Rejoicing in the Midst of All Things
By Graham Cooke

Rejoicing Always

Living in Christ makes us vulnerable to laughter. Laughter is more than a choice; it’s a requirement for us that we be happy. God’s highest plan for our lives includes a desire for us to find, live in, and love the joy that is in Christ. God is good news! His love and presence is an absolute tonic for us.

“These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full,” Jesus said in John 15:11. Every time God speaks to us, or reveals more of His nature to us, joy is part of that equation. Beholding Him and becoming like Him is an invitation to party and celebrate with Him. Everything God says to us is designed to bring us into joy. Everything in the Kingdom of Heaven is about gladness, joy, happiness, and laughter. God wants to bring a smile to our faces.

God is joyful because He knows what’s coming next. He knows the final score. When you know the end from the beginning, you can’t help but laugh at all of evil’s schemes and tricks. They become irrelevant when you know that you win. There is a continuous joy in Christ that runs so deep that no one else can even touch it. But to access it, we need to learn how to rejoice in all things.

For me, joy is a safeguard. It’s a shield against the enemy. When the enemy comes, we can laugh in his face—because God laughs at him first.

I once had a dream where I was on a battlefield. We had just fought off the enemy, but we had lost a lot of good people. There weren’t many of us left; we were small and pitiful, to be honest. Every one of us was wounded. I myself had at least a dozen sword gashes on my arms. I was bleeding badly, and was absolutely exhausted.

Suddenly, a trumpet blew, and I saw another enemy army take the field in front of us. I looked around but saw no reinforcements for our battered side. The enemy was powering up. Their ranks were swelling with every passing moment. It was a hopeless fight, but our ragtag band of survivors gathered close together and got ready.

As I set my feet and gritted my teeth in preparation for the enemy’s charge, I noticed a man next to me was dressed as a restaurant waiter. Perfectly-pressed black trousers, a bowtie, a crisp, white shirt, and a white towel slung over his arm.

“What are you doing?” I asked incredulously.

“Would you like the melon or the soup?” he replied.

“What?” I asked.

“Melon or soup?” he said.

“How can you talk about food at a time like this?” I demanded.

The waiter ignored me and went from person to person, asking, “Melon or soup?”

“Are you mad?” I said. “Don’t you see what’s happening? Don’t you see the blood all over the ground? Don’t you see the enemy over there? How can you talk about lunch at a time like this?”

“Mmm-hmm,” he answered. “Melon or soup?”

I lost my temper completely. “Are you stupid or something?” I screamed. “You want to talk about food at a time like this?”

Suddenly, I woke up to find myself shouting, “Talk about food!” in my bedroom. In that instant, I received a powerful revelation, found in Psalm 23:5—“You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.”

When we’re on the battlefield just trying to survive the next wave of the enemy, God is thinking about menus. He looks around and says, “What a great place for a picnic! We can have sausage rolls, meat pies, cheese sandwiches. This will be perfect.” He is so secure in who He is and in His power to defeat any enemy that He can feed us in the middle of the worst battle of our lives. And that confidence should be a source of pure joy in our lives.

FORBEARING One ANOTHER

FORBEARING One ANOTHER
-by David Wilkerson.

"Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have
a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye"
(Colossians 3:13, italics mine).

Forbearing and forgiving are two different issues. Forbearing means
ceasing from all acts and thoughts of revenge. It says, in other
words, "Don't take matters into your own hands. Instead, endure the
hurt. Lay the matter down and leave it alone."

Yet, forbearing is not just a New Testament concept. Proverbs tells
us, "Say not, I will do so to him as he hath done to me: I will render
to the man according to his work" (Proverbs 24:29). We are given
a powerful example of this admonition in David's life. He was in a
vengeful rage toward a wicked man named Nabal because Nabal
refused to help him when he needed help. David swore revenge
but he obeyed God's counsel, "Do not avenge yourself - let
the Lord fight your battle." That situation was resolved in a timely
manner and David praised God for his intervention. (See 1 Samuel
25 for the entire story.)

David had another opportunity for easy revenge when he found his
pursuer, Saul, asleep in a cave, in which David himself was hiding.
David's men urged him, "This is God's doing. He has delivered Saul
into your hands. Kill him now, and avenge yourself." But David forbore,
instead cutting off a piece of Saul's garment, so he could later prove
he could have killed him. Such wise actions are God's ways of
putting our enemies to shame, and that was the case when David
showed Saul the garment. Saul responded, "Thou art more
righteous than I: for thou has rewarded me good, whereas I have
rewarded thee evil" (1 Samuel 24:17).

Now we come to forgiving, which encompasses two other
commandments: (1) Loving your enemies and (2) Praying for them.
"I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do
good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully
use you, and persecute you" (Matthew 5:44).

One wise old preacher said, "If you can pray for your enemies,
you can do all the rest." I have found this to be true in my own
life.

Jesus never said the work of forgiving would be easy. When he
commanded, "Love your enemies," the Greek word for "love" does
not mean "affection" but "moral understanding." Simply put,
forgiving someone isn't a matter of stirring up human affection, but
making a moral decision to remove hatred from our hearts.

-SOURCE - http://davidwilkersontoday.blogspot.com