Unleashed: The Power Within - week five

Conform or Transform?

Romans 12:2 (NKJV)
"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."

Do you feel a little like "conforming" or just fitting into the every day world now and then? I know I do and I even spent many years of my life "fitting into" my generation, my situation, or to my lack of motivation.

Just take the "December Holiday" since it's fresh in our minds! We shop, we decorate, we cook, we go to parties, we bring out the red and green, we might even have a little attitude with the long lines. How quickly we forget to rest in, to seek, and to worship the King whom this season was intended to celebrate!

So, when you find yourself conforming, how exactly do you "transform" and reflect that good and perfect will of God? Well this scripture tells us to "renew our minds" and that can be an overwhelming task if we let it be!

To renew is "to renovate" or bring newness and freshness to it's original state. Well what is our original state? It's God's original intention for all of us before sin took hold, it's where we are in Him with rest, trust, love and glory!

Our mind is our intellect or understanding and the "mind-set" that we have about a particular situation, person, etc., including our feelings and own will.

So to "transform" by the "renewing of our minds", we actually have to change the way we think, we look at, and act towards our situations, our relationships, our choices, even ourselves! It's like an "Extreme Home Makeover" for our minds, where we tear down the old walls, decorations, and grime, and put up a new and marvelous home where God is the homeowner and resident!

This can only be done through the power of redemption that instills godliness into us all! Jesus died and rose again to bring us His power to transform our thoughts, our actions, our lives, and even those bad habits you are wanting to break in the New Year!

No matter what circumstance you may find yourself in, you have the power of Christ in you to become all that God has created you for! It won't come without your submission to His ways, but I promise that when you say "no" to your flesh and satan's lies and say "yes" to God, you can and will find yourself in His will and in His power, fulfilling the purposes which only YOU were created for!

Now go out there and "MOVE THAT BUS" so you can see the beautiful place IN YOU that God desires to dwell! (hee hee finally we have something to borrow from the guys retreat!)

Blessings, Love, & His Power,
Jenny Loveland

Unleashed: The Power Within - week four

Matthew 16:18-19 (New King James Version)
"And on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”

When I saw the verses that were assigned to me, I thought "oh great" (sarcastically) can I have a more controversial passage (if you don't understand the controversy, I can explain if you ask me). Some denominations base their whole belief system on these verses. However, as I studied them I realized how precious they are to us as believers in Christ. What a gift our Father has given to us and how great to remember this as Christmas approaches us.

Lets dissect this verse to see what Jesus was saying.

"...and on this rock"
The word "rock" meaning Petra or Christ the Petra, that is, the rock and foundation. Christ is the foundation on which the Bride of Christ or the church was to be built. This is the first time in Scripture that Christ speaks of His church.

Jesus was actually speaking to Peter in this passage.

"and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it"
Jesus was telling of His death and resurrection. They tried to kill Him, but Satan did not have his way. HE ROSE FROM THE DEAD!

"and I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven..."
Anyone who was a "key holder" back in this time was in charge of who came and went. Jesus was giving the disciples (and His future church) the keys to open and close the doors. He (Jesus) said only those who believed in Him could be part of the church or the Bride of Christ.

"whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”
This was a continuation of the authority that Christ gives to all believers. It confirms the direct authority we have in Christ to go directly to Heaven with binding or closing, and loosing or setting free.

Christ not only gave these words to Peter, He was speaking of the Bride of Christ, or all believers to come. How precious is the authority He has given us! Hold on to that, and know your importance to Him during this Christmas season.

Love you All and may your Christmas be a blessed one!
Cheryl Stevens

Unleashed: The Power Within - week three

Ephesians 3:20
Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.

Ephesians was written by Paul to strengthen the believers at Ephesus in their Christian faith. Paul describes the nature and appearance of the church and he challenges believers to function as the living body of Christ on earth.

In Ephesians 3:14-21 Paul is challenging them to live close to Christ (this is Paul's prayer for Spiritual Empowering) and then breaks into spontaneous praise. Verse 20 is a verse of praise for God's power that works in us. God's power in us is able to accomplish far more than we could ask or do ourselves.

Think of those times in your life you were at a place that you needed God's power and you didn't think you could do something. Did you do it? I believe you did with God's power that works in us each and every day.

Think about the words "through His mighty power at work within us", His power is at work in us through our daily relationship with him. He will give us what we need to do to fulfill that which he has called and purposed for us. Just as He gave Moses what he needed to bring the people out of Egypt He will give us the power we need to spread His word and His love.

Do you believe His power is at work in you????

Love In Christ !
Sandy

Unleashed: The Power Within - week two

Ephesians 1:19-20
I also pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God's Power for us who believe in him. That is the same mighty power that raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the heavenly realms.

Remember "Who's Power" you have! His "Power" that abides in us!

I have pondered all week on this verse. God keeps pulling me back to one word,"Incredible". In other versions they used the word "exceeding, incomparably, immeasurable, surpassing". Wow!

• "Incredible"- the power that cannot be believed, too extraordinary, unbelievable, fabulous
• "Exceeding" - to surpass, beyond anything
• "Incomparably - no comparison, having no equal, matchless, unique, transcendent
• "Immeasurable" - beyond all measure
• "Surpassing" - to exceed, to excel, to go beyond in any quality

Ladies we hold this power! Wow! The power that could not keep death in the ground. The power that goes Beyond anything! He has blessed us with this. What an incredible gift He has intrusted us with! Nothing is impossible.

Yesterday in the service the Lord showed me a verse in Psalms 68 :11(NAS)

"The Lord gives this command:
The women who proclaim the good tidings are a great Host...."

We are that great host that has His power in us to do exceedingly beyond anything! May you understand His power in you!

Blessing,
Susie K.

Unleashed: The Power Within- week one

That I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death Philippians 3:10

I'm not going to lie to you. When I first read and studied out this scripture I was a tad unnerved about "suffering" for Jesus, because all points indicated that this was a physical type of suffering, and I'm a WIMP when it comes to pain, I asked the doctor for the epidural when I started my 9th month of pregnancy, that's how much of a wimp I am!!


But this morning, as Kara was singing "Draw me closer to your heart" The Lord said to me, "The closer you get to my heart, the more you will understand my suffering, and how deeply I loved the world" Now that is POWER!

One of the Greek words for power is "Dunamis" Here's the definition of that word:

a) strength power, ability a) inherent power, power residing in a thing by virtue of its nature, or which a person or thing exerts and puts forth
b) power for performing miracles
c) moral power and excellence of soul
d) the power and influence which belong to riches and wealth
e) power and resources arising from numbers
f) power consisting in or resting upon armies, forces, hosts

Francis Frangipane said it best:
What a wondrous reality is the "fellowship of His sufferings." Here, in choosing to yoke our existence with Christ's purpose, we find true friendship with Jesus.

This is intimacy with Christ. The sufferings of Christ are not the sorrows typically endured by mankind; they are the afflictions of love. They bring us closer to Jesus.
Wow!!! To be that intimate with the Lord!!! That's the kind of intimacy that wherever the disciples went their very shadows healed someone!!!If we want to see Jesus lifted high in our life, love and world, this is what we need to be pursuing: HIM! Apart from Him we can do NOTHING. And when we get HIM we get EVERYTHING that comes with HIM!!I heard someone say once that the purpose of intimacy with the Lord is the supernatural, and that the purpose of the supernatural is intimacy with the Lord. Do you long to see Him do more???? Do you desire to be used at a higher level than you've ever been? Do you want to see His glory cover the earth, as the waters cover the sea? Then draw close to Him! Start chasing Him!I promise you when you seek Him you will find Him, and He will show you GREAT and MIGHTY things which you do not know!!

Heather Neil