Our mission is to see people transformed by Jesus. Jesus is living, speaking, ruling and at work through His Spirit. Our attention and awareness to His Holy Spirit is how we get in on what He is doing. Shaping how we think/believe about transformation is II Corinthians 3:18 (ESV) “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.”
We become like what we behold.
Akin to the word glory is beauty. Beauty draws our gaze upwards and makes us aware that there is something larger than ourselves—it draws our desire outward and upward. It gives us a higher perspective. Gazing upon the beauty of the Lord, Psalm 27:4, awakens a desire for one’s life to mean something in God’s world.
We were made to reflect God’s glory, made to be in relationship with Him. Seeing His glory, beauty, goodness changes us. We are to receive and extend God’s glory and goodness. Our relationship with God is not transactional. Religion can just be another way to have control of your own life. People in control results in chaos and “ugly;” God in control results in order and beauty.
All disciplines are meaningless if they don’t help you gaze upon the beauty of the Lord. Fasting, praying, meditating, singing songs are all for the purpose of beholding God’s glory. Their purpose is to reconnect us with our Creator.
Isaiah 61:1-4 (ESV) with the Lord’s anointing and Spirit we are the oaks of righteousness; we repair the ruined cities and devastated generations!
The Holy Spirit is what brings transformation, not human effort and disciplines alone. The presence and power of Holy spirit is what we need. Jesus released the Spirit 2000 years ago and He didn’t take Him back! The Isaiah 61 transformation reflects God’s glory—His beauty shines through our lives. Real relationship with the living God brings transformation. Transformed people GO into the chaos, ruins, ruined cities, etc, and bring transformation, repair, restoration. God does the work through us! We are to gaze upon His beauty; this transforms us, and then we go and share the good news. Again, we exist to see people transformed by Jesus Christ…we must be in alignment to the presence and power of the Holy Spirit because that’s what makes this real. That’s how we join in God’s plan.
