Conformed to God’s Word for Transformation
I appeal to you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewal of your mind… (Rom 12:1-2)
You are warmly welcome! This year we focus on Conforming to God’s Word for Transformation – this is the theme that will guide us in our spiritual growth, discipleship and mission, based on Romans 12:1-2.
Conforming to God’s Word is the only way to actualize the golden season of the reign of the Messiah. As a Chapel, we received this Word as we entered this Year 2024: “Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD rises upon you. See, darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the peoples, but the LORD rises upon you and his glory appears over you” (Isaiah 60:1-2). We see in this chapter the most glowing and beautiful description of the ‘golden age’ under the reign of Christ the King, adorned with the highest ornaments of poetry; the future glory of the church is displayed under the most splendid colors, and with every variety of imagery. This good news comes to excite and encourage you about this season – and you will advance in the light of Christ to the Father’s glory. According to Rev Jaspher Oluge, “God hates stagnation. We want to see and bless the progress in your education, job, career, development, business…” – and this will come to pass in this year!
How can you really see and enjoy the glorious blessed light? ‘See, darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the peoples, but the LORD rises upon you and his glory appears over you.’ In this life on earth, it is true we still have darkness and thick darkness in many places and institutions, but the promise of light is not negated or compromised at all. We can be sure to see and enjoy the glorious blessed light if we cease from being conformed to the patterns of this world, as Paul preaches: “Do not be conformed to this world (this age), [fashioned after and adapted to its external, superficial customs]” (AMP). The way the world sees success, growth and development is different from God’s way. See how dirty pornographic videos are more popular than worship and teaching videos! See how amassing more money and wealth – without regard for and to the detriment of others – is seen by the world as being successful! See how many ‘towers of Babel’ are being constructed in the name of technological advancements! While these advancements are alright, they are a big problem when God is not glorified but instead ridiculed! Oh, the wretched patterns of this world! These will only sink many people and places into darkness and thick darkness.
Do not be conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewal of your mind. As we focus on being conformed to the truth of God’s Word, we will truly have our minds renewed, and we will be able to see and enjoy the glorious blessed light of the Lord in this year.
Revival: Resist the Pattern of this World
“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind…” “Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.” (Rom 12:2, James 4:4)
You are warmly welcome! This year we focus on the theme: Conforming to God’s Word for Transformation.
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- Confirmation; Family Day
- Prayer and Revival Week, with Overnight – Breakthrough, Back to School…
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And following our theme, and as we start our week of Prayer and Revival under the theme Arise and Shine, we find a clearly pointed admonition in the Epistle of James – believed to be James the Lord’s brother, who was Bishop of Jerusalem. He calls upon his hearers and us all to arise from the dark pattern of this world, this age, and resist and cease to be friends with the world but cultivate a friendship with God. He clearly points out the problems of the former and abhorrent position, and the justification and benefits of the latter and preferred relationship.
The problems James speaks about in the first century are common in our own generation eons later, because their engine and root cause is the same.
Problems, Causes and Solution:
- Wars and fights, lust, murder (P)
- You do not have, cannot obtain (P)
- Desire for pleasure (C)
- You do not ask (C)
- You ask amiss, to spend on pleasures (C)
- Submit to God, draw near to God (S)
- Resist the devil (S)
1. The Problems: (vv. 1-3) Wars and fights, lust, murder, frustrations as a result of insatiable greed and selfish prayers – all these are here among us or our neighbours as a result of pursuing the pattern of “this world”! This refers, as McArthur points out, to the system of beliefs, values – or the spirit of the age – at any time current in the world. This sum of contemporary thinking and values forms the moral atmosphere of our world and is always dominated by Satan. You can easily name many evil agenda and policies receiving substantial funding and perennial sponsorship today – displaying the reign of the enemy and the anti-Christ.
2. The Causes: (vv. 2-4)
- Desire for pleasure (C) – self-centeredness, selfishness, carnal-mindedness
- You do not ask (C) – in pride?
- You ask amiss, to spend on pleasures (C) – “buy what you don’t need with money you don’t have to impress people you don’t like”!
“Do not be conformed to this world (this age), [fashioned after and adapted to its external, superficial customs]” (AMP) McArthur: do not be conformed. “Conformed” refers to assuming an outward expression that does not reflect what is really inside, a kind of masquerade or act. Don’t be like a chameleon (changing looks with environment) or just wear camouflage (concealing fear); thermometer (influenced by external conditions) or thermostat (controls the external conditions)
C. The Solution: (vv. 7-8a) But these patterns of the world are resistible and have been successfully escaped by many faithful believers – of low and high public and royal ranks, and of men and women, young and old across the long timeline. So, you too are encouraged similarly.
Those on the race to satisfy carnal appetites with worldly pleasures will reap again and again those problems James speaks of. Is this our destiny? We are made for a much better and higher purpose than just indulging in the pleasures the world runs after.
“Do not be like the children of the world, you who have been made children of God,” says Pelagius, “but renew your mind, by which the body is governed and all the members are directed. Thus, even the movements of the body will be renewed, so that you may be able to recognize the will of God and his mind, for these are revealed only to a renewed mind.” Your light has come to dispel all attacking darkness. Your light is Jesus Christ, and in Him we can break free from the besetting patterns of this world and arise and shine.
Submit to God. Resist the devil. Draw near to God. Ask. Ask Properly. Spend Properly.
Practically: Self-denial, fasting, prayer; thinking God’s way and God’s view.
The Power of God’s Word to Transform
Remember how the LORD your God led you all the way in the wilderness these forty years… He humbled you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna, which neither you nor your ancestors had known, to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD. (Deut 8:2-3)
You are warmly welcome! This year we focus on the theme: Conforming to God’s Word for Transformation.
Today’s sharing will focus on two things: 1) The power of God’s word to transform, and 2) The importance and necessity of fasting
1. Word Power
a) The Boss: Our common experiences show how powerful a word is: for example,
- in armed forces, a command is very powerful and must be obeyed without questioning;
- in court, the judgment is so powerful that it entertains no further questions from either party except in the next appellate level;
- “I am the Governor” – deploy this person. [forget about due process of advert, scrutiny, shortlisting, interview, due diligence…]
and there are some powerful people in your office or in government whose word can really transform – for worse or for better. These common experiences should point us to the power of words. More so, there is immense power in God’s Word to transform.
b1) “Let there be”: The power of God’s Word to transform is seen right from the beginning when God created by His Word – transforming darkness to light, boredom to drama, confusion to order, arnarchy to government, ugliness to beauty, thirst dryness to refreshing relief, famine to abundance…
God can transform your… and your organization’s… and your fellowship’s… and our country’s… and our world’s…
b2) “Let my people go”: In the book of Exodus, we find a nation enslaved by the superpower of the world then; this nation in slavery are the descendants of Israel – a name that was conferred on him after successfully wrestling with and angel; the prince was subdued for over four hundred years in Egypt. Seven times between chapters 5 and 10, the Lord God said to Egypt: “Let my people go.” (5:1, 7:16, 8:1, 8:20, 9:1, 9:13, 10:3) This word was so powerful that it left the superpower on her knees, totally disarmed – it transformed a superpower to an underdog; an enslaved people to a free and independent people.
Do not go against God’s Word. That can transform you for worse. He will not relent until He has freed his people.
b3) Word of Life: Leaving fertile Egypt landed the Israelites in a wilderness that was totally deficient of the good food that they were accustomed to. They were ushered into a forced fast! Later on in the journey, God teaches the lesson explicitly: man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.
Why is that very important scripture so unpopular? David, Asaph, Prophets, Paul? This Scripture is quoted by no one else other than Jesus Christ when he was tempted by the devil towards the end of his fasting. Our generation should go back to it more often, and draw life from every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.
b4) God’s Loud Silence: Much later in the book of Esther, God seems to be silent, but during and after the three days of prayer and fasting, God moved the heart of the King and a complete reversal of the lethal plan to annihilate the Jews was achieved. The man Haman who had built the killer gallows to hang Mordecai was himself hanged!
b5) In the New Testament we see many similar instances: Paul himself was completely transformed by God’s Word – both his Bible and the revelation on the road to Damascus; and he was never the same persecutor again, but instead changed to a preacher of the gospel. That is all the power of God’s Word to transform.
2. Fasting
a) Necessity and Importance: 1) To Hear God. 2)To Beat the hinderances – appetites of the flesh, eyes, greed, temptations, coarse jokes, pornography, drugs
b) What and why ineffective? Prayer, fasting, self-discipline, self-denial
Two problems: 1) Inadequate fasting – few people, few days 2) antagonistic fasting – antagonistic or non-synchronized, losing the advantages of teamwork, synergy and resonance
c) When? Ember Days – to pray for all who serve the Church in its various ministriyes, both clerical and lay, and for all who are to be ordained or commisioned to those ministries.
The term Ember days refers to three days set apart for fasting, abstinence, and prayer during each of the four seasons of the year. The purpose of their introduction was to thank God for the gifts of nature, to teach men to make use of them in moderation, and to assist the needy (wiki)
Rogation Days – prayers for God’s blessing on the fruits of the earth and the labours of men, agriculture and industry.
Preparation days (Eves of Easter, Christmas Days)
Do you have a regular fasting (in the last year 2023)
Public (Proclaimed) Fast (as Nineveh, Esther) [Now: Jan, Feb, Mar, May, June, Sept, Dec]
Personal Fast (as David)
We have seen the power of God’s word to transform… Come let us listen as we fast and pray for revival. “Man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD.”
Seek to live by God’s Word and experience true transformation for life today and to eternity.
Happy New Year! God bless you abundantly!