Transformed Mind

Jesus’ birth, celebrated every 25 th of December, was the culminating event in God’s salvific historical plan as it stands today. It changed the history of humanity for eternity and with it, has brought freedom to those that choose to accept it. Before Jesus however, there were 613 commandments that were given by God to Moses as stated throughout the Torah. As the chosen people of God, the Israelites needed to have a distinct character and identity as His children. Therefore, after God rescued Israel from Egypt through his power and sovereign action, he gave the law as a covenant that revealed his standard of righteousness and holiness for scripture states, “For I (God) am the LORD who brought you up out of the land of Egypt to be your God. You shall therefore be holy, for I am holy” (Leviticus 11:45). This was not a list of suggestions, but a divine mandate that required strict observance. These laws that the Jews followed, were followed by Jesus as well.   He was circumcised afte

“Strive to enter through the narrow door. For many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able.” (Luke 13:24) What is Jesus saying here? Are we sure of our salvation? Is not the gift of grace from God free? What must we do to be saved if not simply believe that Jesus is the Christ? It’s all in the text my friends, it’s all in His words. Yes, we are justified through the cross of Christ, but that’s just the beginning. Free does not mean apathy. We do not receive Jesus then rest on his laurels, no, that is what we call cheap grace. The grace of God is oh so costly; it takes what can be summed up in one word, discipleship. This is why Jesus tells us that many will perish and not enter his Kingdom, that many will, “Knock at the door, saying, ‘Lord, open to us,’” but he will answer saying to them, “I do not know where you come from…Depart from me, all you workers of evil.” (Luke 13:25, 27). No, we must not simply seek Jesus, but strive ! It takes a lifetim

  Introduction (I know this is a long post, but I think God deserves a few more paragraphs of thought and reflection than the usual short devotional. So if you saw the length and said no way, come back to it when you have time.)             The Bible, a set of books and letters that reveal through the ages the divine revelation of God, can sometimes feel for new believers like a grand story of fictional tales and heroic battles than the salvific historical material in which it soundly resides. Literary analysis then, aids in peeling back the merely superficial appeal of the texts and allows a deeper story to prevail, or as one scholar states, “By focusing on the text as an artistic composition, we can begin to understand the purposes of the final author…” [1] So let’s give God’s Word the attention it deserves. (short version of 1 Kings 18 & 19: Israel is whoring after the pagan god Baal, God sends Elijah to get them to turn back to Him, huge contes