Transformed Moms: TRANSFORMING THURSDAY... Jesus is OUR HOPE

It is GOD who BLESSES and TRANSFORMS...

This is a blog for women (not just moms) who:

(1) Desire to be transformed by JESUS' LOVE, HOLINESS, AND GRACE;

(2) Believe that GOD'S WORD is the true Spirit food for HIS HOLY SPIRIT who lives within us;

(3) Submit to GOD and walk this journey of life with HIM transforming us more and more into HIS likeness.

It's a blog about the POWER OF TRANSFORMED LIVES. Let's begin with yours and mine and pass it on... 1 + 1 + 1...

Since GOD's HOLY SPIRIT lives inside a christian, let's choose to be nurtured and transformed by feasting daily on HOLY SPIRIT food - GOD's WORD - The Holy Bible..

My regular posts stopped in 2013, with a major move and the chronic illness and eventual death of our oldest daughter. Yes, we grieve daily, yet I am determined to continue to let the LIGHT of my LORD and SAVIOR shine through me. I have tried to start posting again, over the last few years, but have not been consistent. So, I think the biggest blessing for you and me both will be to intersperse some new posts while revisiting some of the former posts. Let's begin with "Oh, the JOY!" as we head into living through Fall 2019; meeting back here 1-2 days a week.

If you need daily encouragement, you will find plenty by clicky on past posts. When reading earlier posts, you will see that I often posted daily, following this format: ...Sunday in the SON, Meditation Monday, GratiTuesday, Women in the WORD Wednesday, Transforming Thursday, Family Fellowship Friday, Ketchup & Mustard Saturday.

There's a whole lot here! Take your time to browse.

Please come back and visit each week. Welcome!

Because of JESUS, we can be family,

Patti

Thursday, July 26, 2012

TRANSFORMING THURSDAY... Jesus is OUR HOPE

At the end of yesterday's post, I shared this:

"When reading different scriptures that talked about Jesus as our hope, I was struck by the similarity of some of the language or words used. There were close to 20 words that jumped out at me, as being common words used in many "hope" scriptures. So, I decided to take a tally. I found 7 words/themes that were in many of those scriptures. I will share them here and then I'd like you to ponder on the connections they have, with Jesus as our hope, until tomorrow. Then, tomorrow on TRANSFORMING THURSDAY, we can study together some of the transformational implications."

If you are a "born again christian", then you have lived out the apostle Peter's directive in Acts 2:38:

Peter replied,

“Repent and be baptized, every one of you,

in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins.

And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
³⁹The promise is for you and your children

and for all who are far off —

for all whom the Lord our God will call.”

So, your sins are forgiven and you've come into a right relationship with God because of the gift Jesus Christ has given you. Yet, sometime since then, life has you on a journey that may include some or all of the following: suffering, affliction, insult to injury, discouragement, exhaustion, and/or powerlessness.

Just a reminder: Jesus is our hope! WITH HIM, this too shall pass! Oh, I know... it's easier said than done...

Many of the scriptures that talk about Jesus as our hope include:

God, the Father-another aspect of God that we do not deny!
The Holy Spirit-the third characteristic/piece of God that we do not deny!
Love-who God is and what He does!
Suffering/affliction/insult- difficulties that will either bring us closer to God or drive us away from Him.
Persevere/perseverance/endure/endurance-defined a steady persistence in a course of action, a purpose, a state, etc., especially in spite of difficulties, obstacles, or discouragement; continuance in a state of grace to the end, leading to eternal salvation.
Encourage/build up-to give courage
Power-ability to act or produce an effect

Where does the power, encouragement, perseverance/endurance, to keep HOPE, come from in the midst of suffering/affliction/insult?

It comes from our GOD who is LOVE: as a loving Father, a sacrificial Brother, and a Holy Spirit at work within us. It comes from the encouragement that is received by GOD's family, too!

It is possible to go for years and years and years of suffering, rejection, affliction, rejection, insult, rejection and still have the power to overcome... to be encouraged... to persevere... to love...

Colossians 1:24-29
Christ in you, the hope of glory.

²⁸He is the one we proclaim, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone fully mature in Christ. ²⁹To this end I strenuously contend with all the energy Christ so powerfully works in me."

Jesus, in you, the HOPE of glory!

Oh, the JOY!

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A Little History of this Blog:

A group of moms in Pitman, New Jersey began meeting every Tuesday morning in June 2008 to learn how to be Master-Full Moms. Although that class only lasted that summer, we have continued to have other classes for moms offered at the Pitman church of Christ. This blog will remain like an ongoing class. So, come back each day and join us as we discuss being God's women as we encourage transformation in each other.
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3 POINTERS TO NAVIGATE THIS BLOG:

1. Just below, you'll find a series of questions and answers about who Transformed Moms are.

2. Options for getting started...after those questions and answers... YOU COULD click on the June 2008 Archive, scroll down to the first post called MASTER-FULL MOMS and start from the beginning with our 14 day devotional challenge, or.... YOU COULD start with our summary of our original summer class and blog on the 8-31-08 post: SUMMER SUMMARY - SPIRITUAL, or... YOU COULD browse through the archive and click what looks interesting to you...and/or...
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3. You're invited to read recent posts and come back daily to join us as we are led by the Holy Spirit down the road to healing and / or transformation.

Thanks for joining us, Patti

2. WHAT DOES A MOM DO WHO HAS THE SPIRIT OF GOD LIVING IN HER?

… those who live in accordance with the SPIRIT have their minds set on what the SPIRIT desires …life and peace; the sinful mind is hostile to GOD. It does not submit to GOD’S law, nor can it do so. Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please GOD. You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the SPIRIT, if the SPIRIT OF GOD lives in you…Therefore, sisters, we have an obligation… by the SPIRIT you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live… Romans 8:5-13

6. MOM, DAUGHTER OF GOD, HOW DO YOU GET THE POWER TO LIVE AND NOT LOSE HEART?

For GOD, WHO said, "Let light shine out of darkness," made HIS light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of GOD in the face of CHRIST.
But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from GOD and not from us.

We are:

· hard pressed on every side, but not crushed

· perplexed, but not in despair

· persecuted, but not abandoned

· struck down, but not destroyed.

2 Corinthians 4:5-12