Transformed

I have moved several times in my lifetime. It seems that we can always find a new home and different people. It generally takes a while to become acclimated, but sooner or later the new place feels right. However, for the follower of Jesus Christ, we will not be at our true home until we ascend into heaven with Jesus. Our citizenship is in our heavenly home, where we will also have our bodies transformed into glorious bodies that will never decay or experience suffering again.

Philippians 3:20-21 says, “But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.” Life changes constantly. Places and people come and go. We will never be fully at home until we go to be with Jesus in our eternal heavenly home, when He will also give us a new glorious body.

American Dreamers

In America, we are consumed with making our dreams a reality. In fact, we have the overall expectation of achieving the American Dream. What the American Dream actually means has changed over the years. However, we are taught and have come to believe that we can achieve anything we want, if we just work hard enough and believe.

Jude 8 says, “Yet in like manner these people also, relying on their dreams, defile the flesh, reject authority, and blaspheme the glorious ones.” Our personal objectives have a place in our lives. The danger comes when we give those goals such a high priority that we ignore God and godliness and turn to evil in order to fulfill our dreams.

Trees Tell the Story

The Bible uses trees to illuminate many truths. It begins with the story of the Garden, after God had created man, Adam. He is forbidden by God to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. He eats of the tree, along with Eve, and is banished from the Garden. Also mentioned in this account is the tree of life. Eating from this tree gives one eternal life. However, scripture is clear that only those who trust in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord and thus are cleansed by the blood of Jesus from their sins will have access to the tree of life.

Revelation 22:14 says, “Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they may have the right to the tree of life and that they may enter the city by the gates.” Only those who have been cleansed by the blood and sacrifice of Jesus will be able to enter heaven’s gates. These people have been granted access to the tree of life and will live forever in the presence of the Most High God.

Be Still!

One of the hardest things for us to do is to be still and wait. We involve ourselves in a flurry of activity designed for us to make things work out as we think that they should. We want control over the events and situations of our lives so we keep ourselves busy trying to exercise that control. Then, when things don’t work out as we want, we get even busier trying to correct the situation.

Mark 4:39 says, “And he awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, ‘Peace! Be still!’ And the wind ceased, and there was calm.” We often create our own storms, by trying too hard or trying to make everything work out the way we want. Jesus calls us to, “Peace! Be still!” In this times we must wait patiently upon Him, rather than trying to execute control over the situation ourselves. After all, it is God who reigns supreme over all things, including our storms.

Stronger Faith

When our son was young, he enjoyed helping his grandfather in Grandpa’s workshop. Grandpa was skilled in wood craftsmanship and had all the tools. Often, when our son demonstrated that he applied the proper skills, Grandpa would give our son a tool to further his skills. So, our son eventually became quite skilled and had many tools to go with his abilities.

In Mark 4:24-25, Jesus says, “Pay attention to what you hear: with the measure you use, it will be measured to you, and still more will be added to you. For to the one who has, more will be given, and from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away.” The way to grow in faith is to apply what we know from God’s Word. Failure to apply these truths moves us away from God and faith. As we apply God’s Word to our lives, we learn to walk by faith through the experience and knowledge we have gained.