Blog Awards

Three sweet bloggy friends have honored me with with awards. Andrea at Arise to Write, Bernice at My Journey, and Rita at Meemaw Moments all awarded me with the Circle of Friends award. I consider it a very special honor to be considered a part of their circle of friends. Andrea and Bernice also awarded me with the Lemonade award. Thank you all for thinking of me. I sincerely appreciate it.

You know there rules that come attached to these awards however, I think you know me well enough by now to know that when it comes to awards, I adjust the rules a tad. Every one of you is a precious treasure in my circle of friends so grab some lemonade and enjoy the two awards you have just been given.

The Circle of Friends Award says I should tell 5 things that I LOVE to do..... Is there anything that I haven't already told you before?

1. Bernice said she was a terrible night owl. Haha. Well Bernice, I'm a very good night owl as some of you already know. I rarely ever get to bed AT NIGHT. It's generally in the morning hours. The other day I was up til 6:00 am. :o

2. I love working on my graphics. That is sometimes why I am up til the wee hours of the morning.

3. I love digging deep into the Word of God. Surrounding myself with concordance and bible dictionaries, and researching words and meanings and discovering God at the deepest level I can.

4. I love talking with others about God and His Word. Learning from each other and finding ourselves in AWE of who He is.

5. I love my Jesus, my grand-girls, and my dog Tobi.

I could go on but I only get five. So now it's your turn.





"A girl needs to be so lost in God, that the guy is going to have to seek HIM to find her!" ...Maya Angelou

Do Not Be Conformed

What do you think of our culture? Are you happy with the messages embraced in our culture? Do you like what your children are being taught in this culture? Does our culture reflect Biblical values? Do you want to change the culture?

My answer. I want change the culture. I'm sick of secular culture views being crammed down my throat and into the minds of my grand-girls. It didn't used to be that way in this nation. There was a time when moral and biblical values reigned. So how did it change so drastically? That secular minority stood up and fought for what they believed in. Or maybe I should say they fought against what they didn't believe in. The point is, they didn't conform to a moral culture they didn't want, instead they changed it.

In Romans 12:2 Jesus tells us...

"And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God."

Jesus tells us that we are not to conform to this world. Let's look at the definition and synonyms of conform.

1. to act in accordance or harmony; comply.
2. to act in accord with the prevailing standards, attitudes, practices, etc., of society or a group.
3. to be or become similar in form, nature, or character.
4. to be in harmony or accord.

Synonyms: yield, agree, consent, correspond, agree, tally, adapt, adjust, accommodate.

Let's see if we can gain a fresh perspective on this. I have substituted the word conform with some of the synonyms and definitions.
do not act in harmony with this world.
do not comply with this world.
do not be similar in form to this world.
do not yield to this world.
do not adapt to this world.
do not adjust to this world.
do not accomodate this world.

Now lets consider what is meant by "this world". It's easy to think of "this world" in the big things, the things that are blatantly and obviously against the Word of God, but we need to be especially sensitive to the subtle things of the world that may not have the appearance of sin or evil but can distract us. These are the things that the enemy will use most effectively to keep us conformed to "this world". These are the things that will keep us from making progress in our efforts to forward the Kingdom and will cause us to lose ground. It's been happening under our noses for years and is the reason our nation is in the sad state it is in. Thoughts that something really isn't too bad, or that bad, or it's only, or it's just a little, or not a big deal, are just some of the warnings that we might be conforming, yielding, adjusting, and accommodating. We need to ask God for His perspective. Our lives are transformed as Jesus gives us a new mind, His mind, the mind of Christ. It isn't the same mind we had before we said we would follow Him. In order for that to happen we must give Him full reign over all our thoughts and take on His perspective in everything. We do this in willing active cooperation with Him on a continuous basis.

While you and I benefit from this transformation, it is not for me or for you, but it is to prove that the Will Of God is Good, Acceptable, and Perfect. It is to display the good, acceptable, and perfect will of God to other believers so that they will be encouraged, and it is to show the world of nonbelievers that God's will is good, acceptable, and perfect. It is to Glorify God!

We have learned that change begins with the individual so it makes sense that we begin changing the culture by doing what this scripture says and refusing to yield, agree with, adapt to, and accommodate the standards, attitudes, and practices of this world. Not just the obvious but the subtle as well.

I am praying and asking God to show me those areas where I have unknowingly conformed to this world. I hope you will continue on this journey with me.




"A girl needs to be so lost in God, that the guy is going to have to seek HIM to find her!" ...Maya Angelou

Change

For the last few months, God has continually impressed the thought in my mind and heart that it's time to Change the Culture. It's time to stop yielding, adapting, and accommodating this world and start making changes that will last. How do we do that? First we need to recognize that change does not occur overnight or in one fell swoop. So how does change occur?

1. Change begins in the mind of an individual. As Christians we are to have the mind of Christ. We should consult God in everything. No thought is too small or insignificant to take to God for His perspective. We need to question our own views and search out scripture for sound biblical reasons for our views. Don't search to prove your own view correct but search for the Truth and ask God to reveal it. Keep at it until you know, that you know, that you know, that God has revealed it, and that you have a sound biblical basis for it. If you have a doubt about it later on, bring it back to Him again and ask Him to confirm again that you understand His perspective.

2 Corinthians 10:5
We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. - NIV (emphasis mine)

Casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, - NKJV (emphasis mine)

The tools of our trade aren't for marketing or manipulation, but they are for demolishing that entire massively corrupt culture. We use our powerful God-tools for smashing warped philosophies, tearing down barriers erected against the truth of God, fitting every loose thought and emotion and impulse into the structure of life shaped by Christ. - MSG (emphasis mine)

2. Change occurs over a period of time but only when an action is applied. Change does not occur when there is no action. If change begins in the mind of an individual then the action must also begin with the individual. When we find those views that don't agree with God's perspective, and we will find some, we need to change our view and how it is lived out in our life, and adopt His perspective. Not doing so is a choice to conform to this world instead of the likeness of Christ.

And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. Romans 12:2

For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son... Romans 8:29

3. Change will have opposition. Change does not occur without resistance to the opposition, and at times, a battle. The battle will affect the individual. It will likely begin in the mind with doubts, or justifications for not applying the change to our own lives. This is another reason it is so important to place every thought under the authority of Jesus Christ.

The battle is spiritual but plays itself out in the physical aspects of our lives. When we take every thought captive and make it obedient to Christ, we gain a victory. Many of the doubts and discouraging thoughts that play through our minds are the whisperings of the enemy. If he can make you doubt God then he will render you ineffective. When you have thoughts like this, verbalize that you are taking that thought captive and making it obedient to Jesus Christ. In doing this you are resisting the devil and letting him know it. The enemy has no power over a child of God and must flee when you resist whether the battle is in the mind or obstacles that he is placing in your path.

Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. James 4:7

Trying to resist the devil without submitting yourself to God is not only ineffective, but it is also dangerous. It is only by the Power of Jesus Christ that we can resist the devil. It is only by submitting to God that we have the Power of Christ. It is only by applying that Power, that we can change the culture. But we can change it through the Power of Christ.

For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, and you have been given fullness in Christ, who is the head over every power and authority. Colossians 2:9-10

Jesus looked at them intently and said, “Humanly speaking, it is impossible. But with God everything is possible.” Matthew 19:26 NLT

I will be discussing this in more posts throughout the month and beyond as God leads. I would like to invite you to join me in seeking God's guidance and favor in purposefully changing this culture.



"A girl needs to be so lost in God, that the guy is going to have to seek HIM to find her!" ...Maya Angelou