[danielcrowe86]

Haha....long name....I'm seriously considering making that the name of a band I've been working on, lol.

But seriously. What does it mean to be metamorphisized???

The American Standard Dictionary says:

Quote:
Metamorphosis - A marked change in appearance, character, condition, or function.


Wow. Think about the power in that definition. Not just a change, but a "marked" change. And guess what the best part is? You don't even have to be an insect for it to happen!

We've all seen superhero's like Superman and Spiderman giving a marked change when they've metamorphisized from regular humans into super-powered life savers. But guess what...YOU CAN TOO!!! Jesus told us to be metamorphisized (how many of you can actually pronounce that right...I can hardly). So you've been given power by GOD HIMSELF to be transformed from a regular human being into a super-powered life saver.

Quote:
Don't conform (copy) to the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will know what God wants you to do, and you will know how good and pleasing and perfect his will is.

Romans 12:2 (NLT)


Paul's telling us that we arn't to conform (copy) what this world is and does. As Christians, we are to take it a step higher. We are to transform ourselves to be more like Christ. But how can we get there? (not saying at all that I am close to Christ!) I like the verb used in the New King James version of this verse. It says "but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Jesus wants us to renew our minds, to clean out all the stuff in there that's not right....that we know he wouldn't like in there....and to take on the love of God.

Ohhh.....hard words.....the love of God. What does this mean? Let me ask you this. How do you think God sees people? How do you think Jesus viewed people who were angry at him? How did he respond to their arguments? I will tell you one I have delt with. When I was first told about this, before I started my missions work, I asked God to show me people as He sees them. Ouch. Its an easy statement to make, but God made it happen. Instead of seeing white, black, blonde, tall, short, etc., I began to see people in two categories - saved or lost. And because I'm not God, I don't know whether people I meet are saved or lost. But I began to see every person in light of eternity. I love baseball. But, if I went to see the Braves play, along with 40,000 others, my mind began to drift off the game, and wonder, how many of these people will spend eternity away from God??? And for me, to view people as God sees them hurts.

But Christ asked us to take on His mind, His thoughts, His actions. To renew our minds and hearts, and to let the world see Him through us. That when confronted, we would respond as Jesus did, always in love looking out for the good of the other person. When rejected, He did not force himself on others, but withdrew away from people to be with God and pray. Jesus asks us to be metamorphisized from this world. Do you think if Jesus lived today, minus the miracles, with just his actions towards people, do you think that He wouldn't stand out? That's what He wants you to do. He wants others to see a change in you. And not just a change, but a marked change. And when others see this marked change, which trust me won't go unnoticed, they won't be seeing just you, they'll be seeing the source of your change - Jesus.

So let me ask you, do you want to break out of the human mold and be transformed into a super-hero for God? Renew your mind. Make sure you are straight with Him. Then when your normal human self, like a caterpillar, goes into hibernation, you'll come out metamorphisized into the image of Christ, like a beautiful butterfly is transformed. And the world can't turn its attention away from something like that. Selah.

In Christ,
Daniel Crowe
2 Corinthians 5:12-21
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www.mercyme.org/phpBB2

[thinxtoomuch]

Thanks, Daniel...you remind me that God would rather I am on fire or ice cold for him, not luke warm.

Here's to being a super-hero for God.

[LyssaJane]

THANK YOU FOR POSTING THIS!!! It's something that has been on my heart for a while now. It's really scary when you start to see people the way God does. I try to make this my prayer everyday. Sometimes, I'll see a person and my heart will just break and it's all I can do to not cry right there in public for them. I know that God feel that way about everyone who is lost and hurting. May I become even more like Jesus in this!!!!!!!!