Focus on the Lord

       The last four or five days I have felt very discouraged, I find myself wondering when this struggle will end, its been since November with the end no where in site. I am finding it harder each day to push on and stay positive, to want to keep going, to want to keep trying. My body literally aches from the amount of stress I am under right now, and I find that I am exhausted all of the time. My body and mind tell me to stop, to let it go and stop trying so hard, why should I being doing so much of the work? Why should I care when no one else seems to? Why should I keep trying and pressing on when it doesn't seem to matter or make difference? But my spirit says something all together different.
       In my spirit I know that the end is closer than it feels, in my spirit I know I am doing what is right, what is good and pleasing to my Father. In my spirit I know it is really Him I am serving by my actions and not man. In my spirit I am reminded that my strength comes from the Lord, and that in Him there is always hope. In my spirit I know that I can call upon the Lord for help and comfort, I know that in Jesus there is always purpose for the pain, for this struggle, and that all this suffering will produce something beautiful to glorify the Father.
       This morning I was pretty down, but I'm getting better as I lean on God and spend time in the Word. Currently I am reading 1 Samuel, and as the Lord would have it I read about Saul pursuing David with the intent to kill him, and I started to relate to David. His circumstances were by far worse than mine are, but it was the relentlessness of the pursuit and David's attitude and actions that I related too. Why? Because even though he could have on two separate occasions ended the pursuit by taking Saul's life and taken the throne as God's appointed leader, he instead let Saul go. Saul was also anointed by God and David knew he was never to kill the anointed of God, so despite the urging of his men, David allowed Saul to live and did what was right by God regardless of the pressures of the others. Saul's pursuit of David exiled David from his home land, Saul took David's wife and gave her to another man, Saul attempted to murder David! And still David choose to do what was right, and in the end he was given what was promised to him, in the end Saul would be dead by his own hands, and David became King over Israel.
       It is easy to read that and get hope, and it did give me hope too, and I'm thankful for that as well as the wonderful encouraging people the Lord has used to comfort and pray with or for me today. But there was something else in there that I read today that gave me relief. See, I may not have someone pursuing me to destroy my flesh like David did, but my spirit has been under assault week after week with one attack after another, one set back on top of another, and it left me depleted, feeling low, and starting to doubt the promises I have. Then I read 1 Samuel 27:1; which says "1 And David said in his heart, I shall now perish one day by the hand of Saul: there is nothing better for me than that I should speedily escape into the land of the Philistines; and Saul shall despair of me, to seek me any more in any coast of Israel: so shall I escape out of his hand." I read that verse and responded in my heart with, 'he took his eyes off the promise, he knows that Saul's attempts won't succeed because of the promise the Lord made him, David knows that Saul won't kill him, he's just doubting because of what is going on.' Then the light bulb came on, and I knew that's what I had done too. I quickly realized I was like Peter when he was called onto the water, I was looking at the storm and not Jesus; and because of that I was sinking just like Peter.
     It took time, and a lot of prayer to refocus my mind on higher things, but I'm doing much better now. I see what I did, what David did, and Peter too, and now I am doing whatever I can to let go of the struggles and hurt; and focus on the Lord instead. It's easy to get swept away in the currents of the turbulent sea around us, but we must remember to keep our eyes on Jesus, because it is then that we can walk on water. It is then that we are gifted with the strength and endurance to make it to the end of this season and into the next. Be blessed my brothers and sisters, and keep your eyes on Yeshua!

Proverbs 2:2-5
Making your ear attentive to wisdom and inclining your heart to understanding; yes, if you call out for insight and raise your voice for understanding, if you seek it like silver and search for it as for hidden treasures, then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God.

Isaiah 26:3   
You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.

1 Matthew 14:29-31

29 “Come,” he said.

Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. 30 But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!”

31 Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?” 

Philippians 4:8

Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things [are] honest, whatsoever things [are] just, whatsoever things [are] pure, whatsoever things [are] lovely, whatsoever things [are] of good report; if [there be] any virtue, and if [there be] any praise, think on these things.

Romans 8:5

For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit.

1 Peter 3:17

For [it is] better, if the will of God be so, that ye suffer for well doing, than for evil doing.

            

What Are You Waiting For?

        'But of that day and hour knoweth no [man], no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.' So were the words of  Yeshua at Matthew 24:36, in reference to the day of the return of the Lord. This morning I was thinking about this verse and a couple more that say something similar. I was thinking about a couple people I know who have been afraid to completely surrender to the Lord but do desire Him. And I was thinking of myself, how long I sought Him but still held onto the baggage that separated us, that kept me from fully trusting Him, and where I am now. I couldn't help thinking when I mulled over all of this, what took me so long? What was I waiting for? What are they waiting for?
       I can totally understand how scary and hard it can be to come to the cross, to lay down our burdens and just trust that God will handle it, trust that He really will forgive and love us despite the ways we have failed. To trust that He truly will provide for our needs and give us life in abundance. I understand this fear because I felt it, the doubts and skepticism, the what if I'm wrong and the world is right? And I understand the fear that comes up when you realize that change is part of the bargain, that you will be changed from the inside out, I know how scary it is to receive that revelation and wonder who you will be if you surrendered, to be afraid of that change knowing you won't live life the same, that there will be sacrifices, things you have to give up and walk away from because they have no part in God.
       I sat in church many weekends hearing the preacher's impassioned cries for repentance, hearing my heart's eager reply, knowing I truly desired to be close to Him again, that I truly wanted back what I had forfeited in favor of the world. But I was afraid of it too, and I would sit there with tears in my eyes wondering how He could possibly love me, possibly forgive me. I sat there wondering who I could be in Christ, but was afraid to take that step. I was afraid of the light, afraid to really look on my sin and see it for what it was, and what it was doing to my life. I was afraid to accept Jesus in a real way, and honestly I think it was because part of me believed the lie that I didn't deserve forgiveness or that something I had done was so bad that God wouldn't forgive me. So I held on to the things I should have been dying to. I have learned since then though, that when we walk in truth and lean on the Lord there is nothing to fear. Now I understand the gift of surrender, the freedom there in. I have traded my shame, my hurt, and my defeated, angry attitude for the Lord's beauty, for abundant joyful life, for hope and a future, for peace in the storms, and an attitude of gratitude. I have learned that surrender is a daily and necessary thing to live for Jesus, and that in this surrender the abundance of life is granted.
       We don't know how much longer we have to wait for His return, but we know it will happen because the Lord's word never returns to Him void (Isaiah 55:11), and the current state of the world testifies that the time of His return approaches. We can't say if it will be today or tomorrow or a hundred years from now, but we do know the clock is winding down and the time is growing shorter with each passing day. So I ask, do you really want to continue on this way knowing that? Do you really want to keep holding onto that sorrow and sin? Do you really want to keep hiding from God? Or are you ready to surrender? Are you ready to trade in your dirty rags for robes of white? To throw off your sin and be clothed in the glory of the Lord? He is waiting for you, what are you waiting for? Be blessed in Jesus name.

Psalm 9:10
And those who know your name put their trust in you, for you, O Lord, have not forsaken those who seek you.

Proverbs 3:5-6
Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.

Matthew 16:24-27
Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul? For the Son of Man is going to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will repay each person according to what he has done.

 1 Thessalonians 5:2
 For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.

2 Peter 3:10
But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.

James 4:8
Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.    

Be Vigilant in Faith

      Lately I've been getting a lot more of the type of comments that say things like 'the voice in your head isn't God' 'God is a fairy tale' or some other pretty negative things. I don't let these words discourage me though, I know the Truth because His evidence, His presence is in my life daily, I have known life with and without God so I know what difference He makes, I know He is real. I do my best to not pay attention to these negative comments, but sometimes I will engage with the people who made them and try to minister to them, try to point them back to the Father depending on what their comments were, but most others I simply ignore, realizing that they are only looking to start a disagreement. I could be wrong in this behavior but I just don't see how arguing with someone would change their hearts, so I choose to just turn them over to the Lord in prayer rather than being drug into an argument with someone who doesn't really want to listen.
       It does honestly break my heart to see people so deceived though, and to know that the deception is spreading ever wider all the time, even into the churches. This knowledge that the deception is spreading makes it all the more important that we, who are in the Body, seek the Father daily, that we spend time alone with Him, learning about Him and from Him. It is important that we check ourselves, our hearts, and our walk with the Lord often, are we being the light to others? Will they see Jesus in us by the way we live and give? Are our actions pleasing and glorifying to the Father? Are we pointing others to Yeshua? Are we showing them the love of God?
       To be honest I'm not just asking these questions for you but for myself too. These are important questions that we probably should all ask ourselves more often, everyday really. It is so easy to fall away and not even realize it, so easy to go astray into sin and deception, it is easy not see it in ourselves right away, or at all until its too late. That's why Peter warned us to be sober and vigilant (1 Peter 5:8-9); he tells us that Satan prowls around like a lion looking for people to devour, and he says that to resist him we must be firm in our faith. That means that our faith then must be forefront in our lives, our service to God and our relationship to Him must be our foundation for all relationships and things in our lives, that is solid faith, firm faith that won't be shaken because it is consistently looking to the Creator.
       We know from the Bible that the deception and corruption in this world are only going to get worse until Yeshua returns for His Bride. We don't know when that will be, but we know God's word never returns void (Isaiah 55:11), He never fails to fulfill His promises (Numbers 23:19;
Isaiah 40:8; Romans 9:6) so it will happen and we need to be prepared for it, our hearts should be ready. We need to be like the 5 wise virgins Jesus talked about found in Matthew 25:1-13; ready with oil to shine light and enter the banquet with our bridegroom at any given time. But that is impossible if you aren't doing the necessary things to be prepared.
       What are the necessary things? First having that relationship with God I keep talking about, not an every once in a while relationship but an everyday, all day relationship. Second we should check our hearts and actions against the Word often so we are focused on the things that please the Father and can receive correction from when we go off course. Third we need to be living what we read, we need the scriptures to be applied to our lives in a real way. This is how we avoid deception in our own life and shine a light that others will see. This is how we stay vigilant in a time of great deception. Be blessed.            

Ephesians 5:6                         
Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience.

Colossians 2:8

See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, rather than according to Christ.

1 Peter 5:8-9
8 Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. 9 Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings.

Accountable

       I have noticed in myself and others that people tend to like to blame their problems on others. We don't want to take responsibility for our part in things, even if our part was just allowing it to go on in the first place. It's much easier to say 'they are bad and took advantage of me' than it is to say 'I was foolish and should have stopped giving them things sooner'. It is much easier to say I'm an alcoholic because my parents were, than to do the responsible thing and try to stop drinking or never begin in the first place(which I know isn't easy, but with God it can be done). It is easier to say that you are unhappy in your marriage because of your partner, than to look at the things that you could do to improve it. It is much easier to throw stones, than it is to look at the whole situation and realize we had a hand in our current circumstances, that we did make choices that led to this point. And I think this lack of personal accountability relates back to why many reject the idea of surrendering to God, even people who call themselves Christians.  
       Sometimes I think the problem people really have with following the Lord, the problem they really have with surrendering to Him, is that it means they are accountable for things in their life. They are accountable for the choices they've made and very often that means we are actually partially to blame. I think the fact that you have to crush your pride and admit you were wrong, that you can no longer hide or play the blame game with your mistakes is really hard for most people. No longer can you blame everyone else for your problems or your unhappiness, instead when you surrender you must come to God and say 'yes I did these things and they were wrong. It doesn't matter what anyone else did to me that led me to that point, I still chose to do wrong and I'm sorry, Lord. I want to do better, I want to be better, I want you, and I know I need you, I'm too weak on my own.' This crushing of pride is hard for most, but it is when we come face to face with our mistakes, taking accountability for them, that we are able to really learn from them.
       Like it or not there is always a choice, we can do right even when others are doing wrong, or follow the crowd. I am realizing as I write this some situations that I am or have done this in myself. I included myself at the top knowing I've done it in the past, but revelations about the current circumstances are new. In this situation I have used excuses and blamed the current dilemma's out come on others without accepting my part in it. I knowingly did wrong by going along with what the others wanted even though I was uncomfortable I didn't see how to avoid it though without causing more stress, so I used the excuse 'I had no choice' to justify myself. I see now how wrong and unloving this actually is to be placing the full weight of blame on someone else. I now understand why I was to write this today. It's time I take accountability in this situation, I need to admit I was part of it, that it was wrong; I could have said 'no' even if it was the hard road and I need to ask for forgiveness.
       Brothers and sisters, please don't make my mistake, don't hide or blame shift your mistakes. God already knows the truth and He's waiting on you to be honest with Him and yourself. This honesty is humbling, it's pride crushing, but there is freedom in it. There is a lifting of burden and the opportunity to do better when we look clearly at the situation and admit our involvement. There is an opportunity for growth when we do this. Be blessed.

Jeremiah 17:10
“I the Lord search the heart and test the mind, to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his deeds.”

Luke 17:1-4
1 Then said he unto the disciples, It is impossible but that offences will come: but woe unto him, through whom they come! 2 It were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he cast into the sea, than that he should offend one of these little ones. 3 Take heed to yourselves: If thy brother trespass against thee, rebuke him; and if he repent, forgive him. 4 And if he trespass against thee seven times in a day, and seven times in a day turn again to thee, saying, I repent; thou shalt forgive him.

Romans 14:10-12

10 You, then, why do you judge your brother or sister? Or why do you treat them with contempt? For we will all stand before God’s judgment seat. 11 It is written:

“ ‘As surely as I live,’ says the Lord,

‘every knee will bow before me;

every tongue will acknowledge God.’ ”

12 So then, each of us will give an account of ourselves to God.    

Hebrews 4:13

And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account.   

Love Leads to an Abundant Life

       Not long ago I was speaking to someone about love, about how after I came to know Yeshua as my Lord and Savior my idea and depth of love changed. I have actually been thinking about that and speaking on that with others a lot recently, if I am to be really honest. It started a week or maybe close to two weeks ago now, I'm not really sure when, with someone commenting on a Christian post and speaking against the Lord. I can't remember all that was said now but at some point in the conversation with this person I said that the Lord had taught me to love, that before God I didn't truly understand love and I stand by that statement. It's not to say that I didn't love people before, but the love was different, it was shallow and selfish in comparison. Before God became my central focus I did love people, and I have always been the type of person to take other's burdens onto myself, but I never knew how deep love could run, or the joy and peace it could bring because I always guarded myself to some degree.
        I have thought over, and over about how my idea of love and depth of love has changed since coming to know the Lord, and as I meditated on that thought I started to think about how Jesus promised us life more abundantly in Him, (John 10:10) I thought about how He said we will be known as His by the love we show for others (John 13:34-35) and I the thought came to me that the two go hand in hand.
         What I mean is this, as I have learned to love more like Jesus did, the serving, open, honest way and to take down my protective walls guarding my heart from others I have started to have a deepening connection with the people around me. I have more love and respect for my husband than ever before, and it is because I have realized that loving him is loving Yahweh, it is service to the Lord and act of obedience, being obedient is an expression of our love for our Creator. This breakthrough in my marriage led to breakthrough in my relationship with my parents, with my mother-in-law, with my friends, and strangers I meet because I realized that it was the same, by loving them I was fulfilling the command given to us by the Father to 'love your neighbor as yourself' (Leviticus 19:18; Matthew 19:19 & 22:39) and showing my love for God. As this philosophy took hold on me the love grew deeper in my heart, and my selfish motives for loving people started to slip away. I no longer loved the people around me just because I had too and they are my family, or because they might love me in return or help me someday. Instead I started to love them because love had taken up residence in my heart and it poured out to them without expecting anything in return.
       At the same time that I was experiencing this shift of my understanding and practice of love another change occurred in my life. When I began to love people just to love them, without selfish motives my worries and anxieties started to slip away too because I no longer feared being hurt or disappointed by unreturned love, I understood and feel the love of the Father and no longer need or desire the approval of men. This lack of worry has led to me enjoying life more, to experiencing life more abundantly. I have peace and joy in my heart because I know the Father cares for me, even if things don't go my way I can trust Him because He is love, because He is good and He will use even the worst situation to bless in the end. I found freedom in loving Jesus and learning to love like Him, and I am think that is abundant life, tat is what Jesus meant not money or things, but the freedom to love and trust in the Lord, the freedom to experience life in fullness. Be blessed brothers and sisters, in Jesus name.        

Joshua 22:5
Only be very careful to observe the commandment and the law that Moses the servant of the Lord commanded you, to love the Lord your God, and to walk in all his ways and to keep his commandments and to cling to him and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul.”

Proverbs 8:17
I love those who love me, and those who seek me diligently find me.

John 13:34-35
A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”
       
1 Corinthians 16:14
Let all that you do be done in love.

Colossians 3:14
And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.

1 John 4:8
Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.

1 John 4:19
We love because he first loved us.

Time to Stop the Distraction

       Sometimes listening for inspiration, listening for God's voice can be hard. There are so many distractions today with all the smart TVs, tablets, smartphones, gaming systems, and whatever else they've been coming out with. I know personally, that just finding enough uninterrupted time to sit here, pray, read, and write can be a challenge. It seems like I can't set my phone down for more than a minute before it starts beeping, buzzing, and chiming with notification after notification, calls, emails, and text and then the temptation builds to check it, distracting me from what I originally set out to do, write something that honors the Father in heaven, and maybe encourage others if I'm very blessed. I've been thinking about distractions a lot recently as I have been struggling to not check my phone every five minutes during the day for the last couple of weeks. My husband and I are in the process of buying our first home, and it seems like it is all I can do not to check my email. This is a good, happy, exciting kind of distraction, but the fact remains that it is still a distraction, still something taking my focus off what I am supposed to be doing, still something distracting me from God and the task He has given me. This distraction has made it difficult to write some days recently, to really clear my mind and focus during prayer so that I can hear from the Lord.
       At first to be honest, I didn't relate the struggle I was having in finding inspiration to write to my being so distracted lately. I tried to find lots of other things to blame it on instead, fatigue and stress being the two biggest things. But on the weekends I have a rule that I power down, I stay off social media, only check my mobile games a couple of times a day and instead spend the extra time really in the moment with my family, and the Lord. It's my way of making sure that I am not just walking through life but that I'm really experiencing it and building relationships with the people that I say are important to me. This weekend though I caught myself on my phone frequently. At every beep, buzz, or vibration I was picking it up to check what it said. It didn't matter who I was with or what I was doing, I checked. I defended this as me just being excited about news on the house, and didn't see it as a problem because most of the time I am good about it. But last night when I was going to bed I caught myself putting my bible aside to check my email yet again, knowing that it wasn't likely to be my realtor as it was about 11pm. This caused me to pause. I thought back over the last couple of weeks that I've been having difficulty writing and realized this wasn't the first time I had done this. I had often been stopping my prayers, or stopping my studies to check my phone. I had been doing repeatedly without even realizing it. I had let my excitement become a stumbling block stealing my focus from the important things, and from the task at hand.
       I know that I am not the only one ever guilty of this, as humans we often get wrapped up in the new and exciting. We are easily distracted by the new and tend to get tunnel vision when it comes to it, but we can't let that come between us and what's really important, God and our families. That's what I was reminded of last night as I set my bible aside for the phone, I saw my actions and was disappointed in myself, I switched back to reading and turned the volume off on my phone, then I made the decision to do better. I decided that I needed God time to be just that God time, and I had to put the distractions away, because it is in those quiet moments with Him that He does the most work in us, whether we know it or not. I hope that by sharing this today I encouraged you today to focus more, and get distracted less. Be blessed.    

Joshua 1:8
This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.

Psalm 119:15
I will meditate on your precepts and fix my eyes on your ways.

Proverbs 4:25
Let your eyes look directly forward, and your gaze be straight before you.

Romans 8:5
For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit.

Colossians 3:2
Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.                                   

Jesus in You

       If someone from my past met me today I know I'd seem pretty different; for the first time in my life I have confidence, I like me, and now a days I am more often sweet than surly. If they asked me what happened to me, how or why I changed the only answer I can give is 'Jesus in me'. See, it was when I started to read the Bible everyday and I started applying it to my life that I changed. Jesus showed up then and started to fix what was broken in me. When I showed Him I was seriously, passionately in love with Him, everything in my world changed, my entire perspective on life, my future, and my purpose changed. I say this with all sincerity, Yeshua changed me, and He can you too.
        It will take total surrender, total devotion, and a deep knowing in your heart that you can't do it on your own. You have to want to give up the life you're in, and you have to be willing to do whatever the Lord asks of you to change it. You have to be willing to commit yourself to something more than yourself. You have to decide everyday to live for Him. And I don't mean that in the false way it is often stated by some where it's actually more like 'I'm saved and living for Jesus, but I'm living my life as I please and doing whatever I want because Jesus died for me.' No, I'm talking about actual salvation where you wake up every day with this prayer in your heart and on your tongue, 'Lord let me be used to turn them to you, let them see you in me, Lord let my heartbreak for them as yours does, and let it lead me to action.'
       Why do I say in that prayer for your heart to break and lead you to action? Because of the words of our Messiah in John 14:15-23; and John 15:1-17.  The repeated command here to prove that we are His is to love, Jesus says it is by our love that we are recognized as His but we cannot fulfill that command unless we allow our actions to show that love. We need our hearts to break for them, we need to be compassionate, and show that compassion by what we do. We need to be wearing our hearts of compassion on our sleeves for the world to see. Yes that means being vulnerable, yes that means you will be taken advantage of at times, and yes that means you need to forgive them anyway yes it will hurt at times, and it will be hard, and your flesh will fight you every step of the way because it loves rebellion, but with the Holy Spirit and Yeshua in your heart the flesh can be overcome and when it is the spiritual fruit that the battle bares will leave you humbled, grateful, and changed.
       Something I learned and am really still learning on this journey, that I was never actually taught in church, is that salvation isn't really a one time deal, its a daily way of living. It's an all day, everyday battle of spirit and flesh. And it is a constant coming back to the Lord, coming back to the cross. A constant refocusing of the mind on higher things than on the distractions that are surrounding us. It is an everyday deepening of the relationship between you and God, and you and His children. That is how you know you have salvation, and that is when you will see the changes in yourself and in the world around you. That's when you know you have Jesus in you. Be blessed in Yeshua's name.

Psalm 103:1-5

1 Praise the Lord, my soul;

all my inmost being, praise his holy name.

2 Praise the Lord, my soul,

and forget not all his benefits—

3 who forgives all your sins

and heals all your diseases,

4 who redeems your life from the pit

and crowns you with love and compassion,

5 who satisfies your desires with good things

so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.

Romans 12:1-2
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. 2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

2 Corinthians 3:18
And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.

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.
 
Galatians 2:20
I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

Colossians 3:10
And have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator.