GOD’S WORD FOR  MAY 22

We are reading from a daily devotional  called “Running To Win” written by Erwin Lutzer  and the late, great D.L. Moody.   Erwin Lutzer is a light in our day as D.L. Moody was in his.  Besides his many ministries, and many books, Pastor Lutzer was Senior Pastor at Moody Church in Chicago for 36 years and now serves as Pastor Emeritus there.  He is Chancelor and a former professor at Moody Bible Institute, where he taught Theology and Ministry, and now has numerous radio teachings.

FROM A COCOON TO A BUTTERFLY

Romans 13:11

‘The hour has come for you to wake from sleep.”

D.L. MOODY

There are a great many in the church who make one profession, and that is about all you hear of them;  and when they come to die, you have to go hunt up some musty old church records to know whether they were Christians or not.  What we want is men with a little courage to stand up for Christ.  When Christianity wakes up, and every child that belongs to the Lord is willing to speak for Him, is willing to work for Him, and if need be, willing to die for Him, then Christianity will advance and we shall see the work of the Lord prosper.

ERWIN LUTZER

Moody said it like it is:  true conversion results in life-change.  But can we really change or are we all stuck with the personality and desires we were given?  How does God mold our character?  The Lord has given us a certain amount of raw material and He works with what we are, but we might ask:  Does God make far-reaching changes within us, changing our motivations and our attitudes so that we become different people?  The answer, of course, is YES!

In the gospels, we see Peter the cocoon;  in the book of Acts, we see Peter the butterfly.  Before he was filled with the Holy Spirit, Peter was filled with timidity and fear, but suddenly we see him speaking in boldness because God was standing with him.  Just so, God gives us what we need for the moment.  Inner transformation is available for those who desire it.

PRAYER

Father, please teach me to say “no” to my sinful desires and weaknesses.  Today, let me receive the strength Your Spirit can give me to bring about inner transformation.

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2 Corinthians 5:17 – “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!”

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Romans 12:2 – “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.”

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Ephesians 4:22-24 – “Put off your old self, which is being corrupted, and put on the new self, created to be like God.”

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Philippians 1:6 – “He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”

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Colossians 3:10 – “And have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.”

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Titus 3:5 – “He saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of His mercy.”

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2 Timothy 3:16-17

All Scripture is inspired by God and beneficial for teaching, for rebuke, for correction, for training in righteousness;  so that the man or woman of God may be fully capable, equipped for every good work.”

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Galatians 5:22-23

 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,  gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.

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2 Corinthians 3:18

But we all, with unveiled faces, looking as in a mirror at the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit.

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Philippians 3:21

who will transform the body of our lowly condition into conformity with His glorious body, by the exertion of the power that He has even to subject all things to Himself.

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