{"id":560,"date":"2017-03-09T12:16:58","date_gmt":"2017-03-09T18:16:58","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.flcssc.org\/wordpress\/?p=560"},"modified":"2017-03-09T12:33:26","modified_gmt":"2017-03-09T18:33:26","slug":"lent-transformation-metamorphis","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.flcssc.org\/wordpress\/2017\/03\/09\/lent-transformation-metamorphis\/","title":{"rendered":"Lent: Transformation \/ Metamorphis"},"content":{"rendered":"

As I wrote in my last post, Lent is a time of reflection, inspection and renewal. \u00a0All of this is true. \u00a0We look towards the cross and realized how much God has done for us. \u00a0No matter where we are in our walks in life, God accepted and accepts us as we are. \u00a0This is the grace and mercy of the cross. \u00a0It is not by our doing and it is not for the sake of God but for us.<\/p>\n

When you hear Jesus gave Himself for us, as we are, does it brings chills? \u00a0It does for me. \u00a0I have done many things that I am not proud of. \u00a0The person I am today, is not who I was 25 years ago. \u00a0I saw so much that was black and white. \u00a0There was no grey in anything I saw. \u00a0It was either a yes or a no. \u00a0Others’s needed to change, not me. \u00a0I don’t have the problem, it is their problem. \u00a0Are you crazy, what is wrong with them. \u00a0It is only by the power of Love, God, that I have been able to change. \u00a0I still have much to change though.<\/p>\n

Over time, and through the grace of God, I have experienced the mercy of the cross. \u00a0I have began to realize, and sometimes I need to re-realize, that we all need change in our lives. \u00a0Change is however not enough. \u00a0I have been preaching on the Daniel Plan by Pastor Rick Warren. \u00a0Some still only see this plan, whatever name you want to call it, as a diet. \u00a0Some see it as only fitness. \u00a0Some see it for only others and not themselves. \u00a0Some ask, why now in Lent? \u00a0Why do I need to listen to all of this. \u00a0Cannot it be said quicker? \u00a0 Yes, I have heard this and much more. \u00a0I try to preach the Word of God, and there is so much to say and so much to say at this important time of the year, Lent. \u00a0Daniel Plan fits at Lent. \u00a0It is very appropriate for Lent and the 40 days of.<\/p>\n

It is unfortunate that we, as humans, often make up our minds without getting full information. \u00a0It is unfortunate that sometimes we cannot see the value of something for others, even if it may not be as valuable for ourselves. \u00a0The Daniel Plan is about reflection upon what we have always done in the past, in light of what Jesus did and does for us today and tomorrow. \u00a0The Daniel Plan is about inspection of what we are doing today, in light of what Jesus did and does for us today and tomorrow. \u00a0The Daniel Plan is about renewal of ourselves, for the sake of God, in light of what Jesus did and does for us today and tomorrow. \u00a0The Daniel Plan is about transformation. \u00a0The transformation of relationships, finances, faith, spirituality, and yes they physical self.<\/p>\n

The transformation is far more significant than to make a version a, b, c, etc of ourselves. \u00a0It is much greater than many may be able to imagine. \u00a0I can however, because I have experienced and continue to experience it in my life. \u00a0I grew up not believing in God. \u00a0There was nothing ever presented to me when I was younger, that would have ever allowed for a relationship between me and God. \u00a0God did not exist, period! \u00a0Later in life, I realized what my life was lacking without the love of God. \u00a0I have experienced what Paul speaks about in Romans 12:2<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t 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\u2019s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.<\/p>\n

Tyndale House Publishers, Holy Bible: New Living Translation<\/i><\/span><\/a> (Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, 2013), Ro 12:2.<\/p>\n

When going back to the Greek version of the Bible, the word transform, is used in the present tense. \u00a0In other words, now. \u00a0Not in the past and therefore it is done. \u00a0Not in the future, therefore you can wait. \u00a0It is now, that we are to transform. \u00a0The word is also an imperative. \u00a0In other words, it needs, it must, it is highly important, to do this and do this now!<\/p>\n

Let’s go further into the Greek and look at the Lexicon of the Greek word used here.<\/p>\n

13.53<\/b> \u03bc\u03b5\u03c4\u03b1\u03bc\u03bf\u03c1\u03c6\u03cc\u03bf\u03bc\u03b1\u03b9<\/b>a<\/sup>: to change the essential form or nature of something
\nJohannes P. Louw and Eugene Albert Nida, Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament: Based on Semantic Domains<\/i><\/span><\/a> (New York: United Bible Societies, 1996), 154.<\/p>\n

Note, to change the essential form. \u00a0That is not to enchance, to modify, to upgrade but the changing of the essential form we are now, the nature of what it is now to a new form, a new nature. \u00a0That is just like the metamorphosis that a caterpillar goes through when it changes into a butterfly. \u00a0During this time of Lent, God is telling us to change in light of what has been and will be done for us.<\/p>\n

If you look at Romans 12:1, “I appeal to you therefore…”
\nThe Holy Bible: New Revised Standard Version<\/em><\/a> (Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1989), Ro 12:1.<\/p>\n

All the next arguments that Paul presents, it is appealing to us in light of everything he laid out in the previous chapters. \u00a0I invite you to read Romans chapters 1-11. \u00a0Paul tells of all the things that God and Jesus has done for each of us. \u00a0This is what we speak about in Lent. \u00a0We look back at the ministry of Jesus. \u00a0We look at what God and Jesus has done, and will do for us. \u00a0In light of that, we reflect, inspect and renew. \u00a0Then we are urged, appealed to by Paul to change, to transform, to morph from our caterpillar selves, into beautiful butterflies.<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

This appeal is to everyone. \u00a0It is not just for some but everyone. \u00a0If we think we have all of our stuff together, then we are telling a lie to ourselves and to God. \u00a0This morphing can happen over and over. \u00a0We can become more and more Christ like, until the day that we meet the Father, Son and Holy Spirit in heaven. \u00a0Then, standing as the beautiful butterflies that God has created because of the love God has in Jesus Christ for us, we will be ready to hear, “Job well done, good and faithful servant.”<\/p>\n

Until that day, we have a lot of work to do. \u00a0We must keep on transforming. \u00a0We must help others in community to transform. \u00a0The Word of God is not just for some but for all. \u00a0Some do not need to hear the Word more than others. \u00a0One sin is no greater than another and we all stand convicted of our Sin, in the cross of Jesus. \u00a0We all need the Word and we all need to transform. \u00a0I need to be morphed into a butterfly, and that is most certainly true. \u00a0How about you?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

As I wrote in my last post, Lent is a time of reflection, inspection and renewal. \u00a0All of this is true. \u00a0We look towards the cross and realized how much God has done for us. \u00a0No matter where we are in our walks in life, God accepted and accepts us as we are. \u00a0This is […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","_cbd_carousel_blocks":"[]","_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_active":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_note":"","_exactmetrics_sitenote_category":0,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":true,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[17,8,7,21,6,18,20,22,16,19],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-560","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-daniel-plan","category-god","category-holy-spirit","category-inspection","category-jesus","category-lent","category-reflection","category-renew","category-sins","category-transformation","has-post-thumbnail","fallback-thumbnail"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p8agoY-92","jetpack-related-posts":[],"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.flcssc.org\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/560","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.flcssc.org\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.flcssc.org\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.flcssc.org\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/8"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.flcssc.org\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=560"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/www.flcssc.org\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/560\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":569,"href":"https:\/\/www.flcssc.org\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/560\/revisions\/569"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.flcssc.org\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=560"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.flcssc.org\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=560"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.flcssc.org\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=560"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}