Psalm 86:5–God is Good & Forgiving

Psalm 86:5–"For You, O Lord, are good and forgiving, abounding in steadfast love to all who call upon You."

There is a stigma attached to Christianity that would caricature the teaching of Scripture.  This misconception reduce the whole of Christian theology to its conception of sin, rendering the human as nothing more than hopeless and helpless under the weight of sin.  And while this is a true sentiment that lies at the very heart of the Christian message, it wholeheartedly neglects the weightier portion of the gospel, it ignores the Good News.

This verse represents the breadth of the good news, that God is forgiving and loving to those who call upon His name in humility and faith.  What an amazing truth to behold!  Let us never neglect it.

A Note on Patience.

Patience, patience, patience.  It is the most profoundly difficult in this life to be patient, particularly when we are continually bombarded by a vast cacophony of irritants and frustrations.  Having been an impatient man for the majority of my life I can say with confidence that I know a good deal about what patience is not.

For instance, I can see that patience is not sniping your spouse when he/she does something disagreeable.  It is also not uttering some snide comment when something becomes unbearably tedious.  And it is certainly not the act of screaming at the top of your lungs every foul obscenity you can think of when the guy in the large SUV in the lane next to you comes over into your lane without any signal and then flicks you off like you're the idiot (I speak purely hypothetically, of course).  No, patience is not any of these things or even any thing that may appear like any of these things.

Patience is something altogether different.  It is, at the very least, a perspective that is applied to every facet of life.  Patience is sort of like holding your hand in cold dish water to pull those gummy, slimy food scraps out of the sink–not a particularly pleasant job but when it needs to be done.  But this also is but a shadow of what patience is, because it only considers patience a matter of time while neglecting patience's greater matter: relationships.

Relationships are the breeding ground or the cemetery for patience, depending, ultimately, not on willingness but on love.  If we love, truly love the people around us and see them as God sees them then we will be patience not out of any humanitarian disposition or altruistic intention but because we will, at our hearts, love them.

In the end, this is what patience is all about.  It is a matter of love and needs to be learned and practice as such, knowing that all love is received and refined by God as He imparts it to human beings through Christ.  Therefore, the most patient thing we could ever do is to look to Christ and to love Christ at all times.

Mark 9:35–First is Last, Leader is Servant

Mark 9:35–"And He sat down and called the twelve.  And He said to them, 'If anyone would be first, he must be last of all and servant of all.'"

This text has come to represent the very essence of service and leadership in Christianity.  In this simple but direct statement, Jesus is indicating that the sort of leadership in His Church will be significantly different than how leadership is done in the world.  There would seem to be a priority placed on the humility of the leaders of the Church.  In other words, the most important thing is not how well or effectively a leader leads; it is the leader's humility and willingness to serve.  In other words, humility should be the determining feature of a Christian leader, nothing else.

We would do well to make this the very meaning and measure of leadership in our own life.

John 4:24–God is Spirit, So Worship Him in Spirit

John 4:24–"God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth."

I would like to begin by stating what this text is not:

• It is not the singular text of Scripture of how worship is to be done.  In some ways, the whole of Scripture is concerned primarily with the task of worshiping God.
• It is not about how not to worship (sorry for the double negative).
• It is not a verse primarily about God's person (although to say that God is spirit certainly concerns the constitution of God, i.e that He is spirit).

Now that that's out of the way, let's get to the positive:

• It is about the difference between worship under the Old Covenant and how worship will be under the New Covenant in Christ.
• It is about how the Temple will no longer be the primary place of worship for the believers in God.
• This assertion comes as the emphasis of Jesus' encounter with the Samaritan woman at the well, indicating that, at the very least, that this new type of worship under the New Covenant will be for all people not just the Jews.
• Also of interest is that this seems to be of importance to John as it is included so early in his gospel account.

To be sure, this has been the most cursory exposition of this oft-quoted text but I hope it is enough to get you interpreting more accurately for yourselves.

For the whole thing see John 4:1-42.

Ephesians 6:12-13–We Do Not Wrestle Against Flesh & Blood

Ephesians 6:12-13–"For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.  Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm."

This is one of those basic truths of Christianity: that the battlefield in which we engage our battle is a spiritual one, and the war we wage is not against flesh and blood but against the spiritual forces of evil. At the very least, as we recognize the reality of our war we will finally be equipped for the fight. Additionally, we are already in this fight even if we do not believe it.

And if we do not believe it we will always wonder who or what is striking us much like the thought of a man entering a boxing match not even aware that he's already in the ring.  But I assure you that we are already in the ring and our opponents will do everything in their power to pull the veil over our eyes and keep us totally unaware of their presence.  But our enemies are real just as this war is real too.

Therefore, it is of vital importance that we would take seriously this charge to fight the fight that is worth fighting and to always remember who our real enemies are.

James 4:10–Humble Yourself

James 4:10–"Humble yourself before the Lord and He will exalt you."

There is a direct connection between self-induced humility and God exalting His people.  In a sense, penitence is the singular requirement of receiving blessing from the Lord.  This relationship is based upon the basic premise that God is who He is.  When we recognize who the Lord is we can only respond with a sincere humility.  In other words, admitting who we really are before God is one of the essential steps in receiving the great blessings from the Father.

Let us then always keep this before us that we would humble ourselves before Him so as to always see ourselves in the light of who He is.

Philippians 4:8–Contemplate the Right Things

Philippians 4:8–"Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things."

My personality is such that I am prone to obsessiveness.  This means that at all hours of the night I may be found lying awake in bed thinking intensely about life.  Admittedly, this is both a gift and a curse for sometimes it is beneficial to have the ability to earnestly consider life while at other times it would be nice to just go to sleep.

All this being said, though I do not in any way promote others to try to think like me, I would say that Paul is asking the Christian man and woman to take seriously the call to think.  But this is not merely a call to think like you would normally think, rather, this sort of thinking is one of focused intensity aimed at those things that are true, right, and beautiful.

In other words, Paul isn't asking us merely to think as we would already think about those common things that we already think about.  No, Paul is imploring us to think about God and the stuff of God: beauty, justice, excellence, holiness, honor, et al.

The point, ultimately, would be that we would take our faith as seriously as we take every other thing in our lives.  After all, how many of us have expired our intellects on our schedules, our families, our homes, our jobs, our relationships, etc.?  Humans seem prone to intense and arduous thought about any number of different things or people; Paul is asking that we would focus that ability at the right things: God.

My earnest prayer, then, is that we would make it an active part of our lives to think heavily about God and godliness.  In the end, wouldn't we do the same for anyone we claim to love–why should God be any different?

John 21:14-17–Do You Love Me, Peter?

This  passage, after Jesus' resurrection, chronicles Jesus addressing Peter directly.  He asks Peter, the one who denied Jesus three times, if Peter loves Him.  I find it telling that of all the things to say to Peter, Jesus chose this.  He asked Him quite simply: do you love me?  As if this were the most important qualification for Peter to possess.  And, in truth, it was.

I think it is telling that Jesus was so concerned with Peter's heart, just as He is primarily concerned with our hearts.  It is as if Jesus is asking us, ones who have denied Him like Peter, if we love Him.  This proves to be one of the most honest and profoundly revealing questions we can ask ourselves as Christians.

So, do you love Him?

James 1:5–Advice for Fools

James 1:5–"If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given to him."

I have an honest confession to make: I am a fool.

More often than I'd care to share I am utterly and hopelessly foolish.  Be it that one comment I made to my wife, the way I said something that should've never been shared, taking the last bite of cheesecake (not to mention having already eaten the majority of it already), or the way I cut-off the car in the next lane because I wasn't paying attention to anything outside of my vehicle.  The verdict is in: I am a fool.

That is why this verse is so profoundly comforting to me.  If you're anything like me then I highly suggest that you take heed to what this verse is asserting, and that you, like me, would earnestly pray to be granted wisdom so as to no longer be foolish.

But praise be to God and His graciousness, that He would impart wisdom to fools so that they may no longer be fools!

Ephesians 5:4–No Foolish Talk

Ephesians 5:4–"Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving."

There is an entire sermon series here.  This verse comes to us as part of a sequence that is concerned with answering the question of how Christians are to live.  But the reason this verse stands out so much is not because it seems so obvious that Christians would protect their speech from vulgarity; rather, what makes this verse so profound is the phrase: 'which are out of place.'

In a world that is dominated with every form of vulgarity and filth, particularly when it comes to language, it is completely counter-cultural to promote a lifestyle like this, one that takes speech and communication so reverently, so seriously.  Yet this is precisely the intent behind this passage and those like it.  Christians are called to live differently.  At the very least, we must accept that this means how we talk and the content of our speech.

Galatians 6:7-8–Do Not Be Deceived: Reap What's Sown

Galatians 6:7-8–"Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked.  A man reaps what he sows.  Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, form the Spirit will reap eternal life."

In many ways the reality of this passage seems so obvious to us as if it were a simple matter of arithmetic.  However, the assertion itself necessitates that the one who sows would live an observed life, that is, that the sower would be cognizant and self-conscious enough to recognize the priorities of his/her labors in this life.

Because this appears to be the case, rather than praying that we would sow correctly, we should first pray that we would be able to recognize where we're sowing already and, if the aim of our cultivation is one of the flesh, that we would then be reordered to plant in the Spirit.  This is about perspective as much as it is about prioritization, in focusing devotion as much as in transforming tastes.

Ultimately, the Christian life is about radically ordering our lives to the singular goal of glorifying God in everything we are.  Sowing in the Spirit turns out to be the primary mode for this occurring.  We would do well to make it our primary mode for life too.

James 1:2-3–Count Trials as Joy

James 1:2-3–"Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance."

This can be a very difficult passage to embrace.  It speaks of trials with an eye with joy, not to think of the trial for its present infliction but to consider them, rather, as means to a godly end.  The point, then, that we infer from this passage is that the any trial that we may face can be reduced if we maintain a proper perspective of hope that God would and does use every to grow His people.  It is true that trials will come and that we will still feel pain.  But we should not lose our secure hope in the reality that God uses whatever predicament we may find ourselves in for our good and for His glory.

All I can say to this is:

Amen!  Praise be to God!

Matthew 7:12–Do Unto Others...

Matthew 7:12–"So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets."

I have many thoughts on this verse, as I am sure many of you do as well.  But at the onset, my initial response is a question: really, this little maxim summarizes almost the whole Old Testament?  But this is what Jesus is saying, that the majority of the Old Testament can be reduced to a simple phrase, a compact phrase to live by.  My second thought, then, carries with it an exhortation: if only I could actually do this...

Fortunately, what Jesus continually asserts is that no one can actually do it.  We need to be made new in order that we would be able to live like this verse asks of us.  This is one of the main reasons Jesus came and died: so that we would be remade and be enabled to live this way.  Once we make Christ the center of our lives, we are empowered to actually do what this verse asks us to do.  Therefore, let's always strive to keep Christ first as we are intent upon living a life that brings God glory and loves people as we would have them love us!

1 Corinthians 10:13–A Bit About Temptation

1 Corinthians 10:13–"No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man.  God is faithful, and He will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation He will also provide a way of escape, that you may be able to endure it."

There seems to be not a day that passes without some temptation that attempts to pull us away from the righteous, the good, and the godly.  Fortunately, that is precisely what this verse is about.  In it Paul gives us a certain hope for the trials of temptation, that we would find confidence in the fact that God will preserve us amidst temptation.  This is a good and awesome thing.  We should praise God for this truth and let it build a confidence within us that even though we may be tempted, we need not shrink or cower.  We can face temptation with the certain knowledge that God is securing our safe perseverance whilst we face temptation.  In response to this, I can only say this:

Praise be to God!

Philippians 2:14–Don't Grumble or Dispute with One Another in Christ

Philippians 2:14–"Do all things without grumbling or disputing..."

At the onset, this verse is speaking specifically to Christian engaged in the fellowship of a local congregation.  And even though I've only taken aside the very first portion of this passage, it is indeed profound and convicting.  In a sense, this is precisely its intention, though.  Paul, being inspired by the Holy Spirit, is exhorting believers to live a certain way, a holy way.  This element, of doing things without grumbling or dispute, is one of the essential components to the new community that Christians are to exhibit on earth.  No longer are we to fall back on fleshly passions or whim, but we are called to live life differently.  Let us never forget that!

Gal. 5:16–Walk by the Spirit

Galatians 5:16–"But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh."

One of the foremost and important questions that every Christian needs to answer is: how am I suppose to live now?

In reality, most of the New Testament deals with this very thing.  And while there is a depth to this endeavor that goes far beyond the scope of this post, however, the above verse offers a wonderfully succinct exhortation to the task of Christian life.  The essence of this verse, and the Christian experience as a whole, can be summarized as living a life that is compelled and controlled by the Spirit.  In addition to that, while we are living by the Spirit, we will no longer be living for our flesh; that is, we will no longer be living to gratify our sinfulness.  Needless to say, the whole concept of 'walking by the spirit' has been the topic of encyclopedias of Christian theology, but it is a topic for every Christian to put into practice in their own lives.  Let us thus make this the very core of who we are and how we live as we strive to live lives of utter obedience and adoration to Christ!

John 8:31-32–Abiding in His Word

John 8:31-32–"So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed Him, 'If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and your will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."

John, one of the primary authors of the New Testament, has much to say about the importance of abiding.  It is one of the major themes of all of his writings, that Christians would abide in Christ, abide in His Word, and abide in the Spirit.  At the very least, we can recognize that to 'abide' means that we would be compelled and urged on my the leading of God.

Needless to say, there is more in this verse than just addressing the concept of abiding, but I will save all that for another time.  For now, it will suffice to think about whether or not we are abiding in God, and to adjust ourselves in alignment into the appropriate direction of abiding.

Romans 12:1–Present Your Bodies to God

Romans 12:1–"I appeal to you therefore brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship."

Christianity speaks often of devotion in spiritual terms as if worship was primarily some esoteric, mystical activity that required barely more than a willing spirit.  But this verse has something else to say.  It is a profound thing to say that our spiritual worship requires...the proper use of our bodies.

How many of us can say that we use our bodies as if they were instruments for worship?!

But this is precisely what this verse is commanding of us, that we would treat our bodies not as appendages to serve our own whims of enjoyment but as instruments of worship!

Let us commit to treat our bodies with this sort of reverence, recognizing that our bodies are to be our foremost tool for sincere worship.

2 Corinthians 5:18-19–Message of Reconciliation

2 Corinthians 5:18-19–"All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to Himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation."

Reconciliation is central to the the message of the gospel.  And the reconciliation presented by the gospel is a comprehensive one; that is, every piece of a person undergoes the process of reconciliation. In truth, once we come to Christ all that we are, each broken bit of who we are begins to be reconciled. Of course, the first area of reconciliation is a divine one as we are reconciled to God but this reconciliation does not end there.  We are also reconciled internally, as we are blessed with a peace internal.  But in addition to these we are reconciled relationally.  At the onset, it must be said that this part of reconciliation will most certainly be, at the very least, a process that will take time and patience but the promise of reconciliation remains.

We should not easily forget this that God has and is reconciling us in Christ!

Psalm 30:4–Sing Praises

Psalm 30:4–"Sing praises to the Lord, O you saints, and give thanks to His holy name."

Another day, another week.  I find it to be a good exercise and a worthy practice to begin the week with a basic reminder for praise.  This verse and those like it can serve as that reminder, pointing us in the right direction and keeping our ficus where it should be.  So, as we begin another week it might be a good idea for us all to begin like this, with praise.

Psalm 118:5-6–Comfort in Distress

Psalm 118:5-6–"Out of my distress I called on the Lord; the Lord answered me and set me free.  The Lord is on my side; I will not fear.  What can man do to me?"

Every human who has lived or who will ever live will experience distress.  It is not outlandish to claim that distress is the human condition.  But this is but a portion of the story.  As Christians, we understand that the trials and stresses of this life are as a result of sin.  We also assert that distress and tribulation are but temporary discomforts that pale in comparison to the vast awesomeness of God and His goodness. This means, at the very least, that when we are held under the seemingly-insurmountable weight of life, that we can have a confident hope in the knowledge of God.  We can face distress with hearts solidified not because we feel so strong ourselves, on the contrary!  We understand that our confidence rests solely on the greatness of the Lord God Almighty!

Let us never, not ever forget this.

Psalm 84:1-2–My Soul Longs For Your Courts, O Lord!

Psalm 84:1-2–"How lovely is Your dwelling place, O Lord of hosts!  My soul longs, yes, faints for the courts of the Lord; my heart and flesh sing for joy to the living God."

There is something here about praise and perspective, but mostly this passage is about priority.  The passage, in some ways, asks and answers the question of 'what does your heart desire above all else?'

I have to honestly ask myself if I would agree that my soul longs to the point of swooning as I desire the presence of God.  But isn't that the degree and intensity of passion that this verse is addressing?  In some ways, it is a statement of pure praise, but in another sense it is a call to praise, an exhortation to a deeper devotion, if you will.

Let us take this verse under prayerful consideration as we would seek to love the Lord with every bit of our beings.

Matt. 6:19-21–Lay Up Right Treasures

Matthew 6:19-21–"Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.  For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."

This is one of those passages that I need to go over often.  It is so direct and full but also convicting and difficult.  I would like to say that I don't ever have to deal with this, as in I never lay up earthly treasure for myself, but as it is I have to admit that I do sometimes struggle.  Perhaps the reason Jesus has to make such a clear statement about treasure is that we are so prone to striving after counterfeit treasure, that is, we are more eager for the temporal treasures that won't last than the treasures that don't. Moreover, Jesus is clear to assert that there is a direct connection between the treasure we seek and the nature of our hearts.  We would be wise to consider the content of this passage often, and as often as we do, to remember that anything other than Christ is but ash and cannot satisfy.

Matthew 5:14–You Are the Light of the World

Matthew 5:14–"You are the light of the world."

This statement by Christ is about identity.  In a real way, He is defining His believers as the light of the world.  But how can this be, considering that John calls Jesus the light of the world (John 1:9-10)? Luckily, Jesus answers this question for us.

"Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, 'I am the light of the world.  Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life (John 8:12)."

The point is that Christians become the light of the world through Christ.  It is by God's indwelling presence that we are transformed from people of darkness into people of the light.  Let us claim this transformed identity and live like creatures of the light in Christ!

Ephesians 5:2–And...Walk in Love

Ephesians 5:2–"And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave Himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God."

This is, in many ways, one of the central tenets of the Christian lifestyle.  It would be a magnificent thing for Christians to take this exhortation as seriously as it is given.  But if we were being honest with ourselves, how many of us could agree that we actually do live and love like Christ?  Or even more severely, how many of us truly give ourselves up for those we love?

But this is precisely the sort of love that Paul is calling Christians to exhibit.  He is prescribing to us much more than a different perspective; he is putting forward another lifestyle, a distinctly Christian lifestyle.

This lifestyle can be reduced, as Paul so easily confers, is this:

Walk in love.

The Essence of the Gospel

Rom. 1:16–"For I am not ashamed of the Gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and then to the Greek also."

1 Cor. 2:2–"For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified."

The heart of the Christian message is often misrepresented as a sort of cartoon caricature of social concern loosely mixed with some poorly interpreted verses of Scripture and some famous historical quotes like, "God helps those who help themselves (a Ben Franklin creation)."

In truth, though, Christianity is based singularly on Christ.  Even more directly, Christianity is about Christ crucified and resurrected.  And, as Paul asserts above, not only is this the essential message of Christianity, the Gospel as it were, but this Gospel is, in fact, the very power of God.

It is because of this, therefore, we should not ever forget the simple and offensive essence of Christianity, which is Jesus Christ crucified.

Resolutions

Admittedly I don't have a whole lot to talk about today.  However, I would like to write a brief encouragement.  Last week we ushered in a new year, and with it the prospect of resolutions and goals. This week, those things will be put to the test, our resolve will be challenged, and our conviction will run into trial.  At this point, I only want to encourage you to stay to your goals.  Remember why you have made whatever resolutions you have made, and use that to fuel you to stay perseverant when it would be easier to give up.  To be sure, this is not an overtly spiritual message today, but I feel it is a necessary one as we begin the new year.

Good luck and may God bless!

Micah 6:8–God Has Told Us What He Requires

Micah 6:8–"He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?"

This is a very famous verse of Scripture being the inspiration for several worship songs.  And while it is delivered as a question, it is actually a statement.  The prophet is asserting something quite profound here that, at the very least, God has told us what He requires of us.  But these three requirements are far from easy.  Moreover, these requirements do not even come naturally or without much effort.

It is at this point that we are presented with an honest but necessary question: how will we be able to do what the Lord requires?

And I do not mean to oversimplify this in any way, however, the answer to the aforementioned question is simple.

Only through God.  Only in the power of the Holy Spirit.  Only because of the work of Jesus Christ.

Let's not forget that as difficult as the requirements may seem, they are simply accomplished in Christ!

Psalm 118:24–Let Us Rejoice in the Day that the Lord has Made

Psalm 118:24–"This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it."

There are at least two things of note about this verse.

First of all, we should remember that this day is not speaking of any specific day in the ancient Hebraic calendar; it is speaking quite generally about everyday.  As in, the Lord has made everyday, most particularly the Lord has made today, indicating that today is a day–like every other day–that has been made by the Lord.

This basic assertion carries with the second point, which is that once we recognize the sacred value of today, the most appropriate response is joy.  It is the recognition of God's design of every single day that will compel us, at the very least, to treat every day with a sense of awe and worship, remembering the simple truth that what God creates is, ultimately, good.

Needless to say, there is more here but I'd rather just enjoy the day and rejoice in what the Lord has made!

Psalm 90:12–Teach Us to Number Our Days

Psalm 90:12–"So teach us to number our days that we might get a heart of wisdom."

Time flies, and as I get older time seems to speed by like a jet-propelled plane racing through the days of my life.  Realizing this can be, at the very least, a terrifying thought.  But before I fall into the deepest of despairs reckoned by the prospect of aging, I am reminded that time is valuable and I shouldn't waste it worrying about how precious it is.  Instead, I consider these verses and those like it that remind me that there is another perspective at play here, a different way to handle the swift passage of time: cherish it.

Remembering that our days are limited is the first step in treating each day as a distinct gift that should not be wasted away.  Let us commit to take this verse seriously throughout 2014 as we strive to live lives of discipline and wisdom.

2 Cor. 5:17–Old Has Passed; New Has Come

2 Corinthians 5:17–"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation.  The old has passed away; behold, the new has come."

With the New Year here, we fill our lives with resolutions and plans.  Not the least of these is the very average resolution to be 'better' this year than last, whatever 'better' means is based on any number of conditions: eating less, working out more, working less, spending more time with family, etc.  It would seem that the point of all these resolutions is based on the basic premise that who we are this year will in some way(s) be a distinct improvement on who we were.  But where all resolutions fail Christ succeeds.

You see, the issue is not that we would change our behavior but that we would have a transformation of character altogether.  Without a complete of heart, mind, and soul, we would have no ability whatsoever to truly adjust our behavior at all.  It is this that Jesus offers.  More accurately, this sort of full-person transformation is something that only Jesus offers.

As we begin 2014, our prayer should be a full-person Jesus-led transformation and nothing less!