From Glory to Glory
Hi everybody, it’s Pastor Dave. Good day to you. Today is another “Daily Journal” day in our Alone With God journal. So, if you have an Alone With God journal, grab it. If you would like an Alone With God journal, get one at wordbymail.com. If you don’t have an Alone With God journal, you can grab any journal that you have. And if you don’t have a journal, just take the time to really focus, and grab your Bible. Grab your Bible. Open it to 2 Corinthians Chapter 3, verse 18.
2 Corinthians 3:18 (NLT)
18 So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord—who is the Spirit—makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image.
Now, Guys, I’m going to talk about the Meditate section in our Alone With God journal. But again, you can meditate with just your Bible, with any journal, or with our Alone With God journal.
In the Meditate section, it says, “What is God’s Word saying? What are the spiritual principles here?” And so, I want to help you a little bit with that.
Listen, “as we behold,” as we are “consumed with” the glory of who Jesus Christ is as the exalted risen Lord; as we “behold his glory,” we are being transformed into his image. This is the secret of transformation in the Christian life. It’s “beholding.” It’s being “occupied with”. It’s meditating on the glory of Jesus. It’s a process of knowing him more and more and more intimately. Knowing him more and more. It’s not being occupied with self. That ultimately brings only defeat. It’s not being occupied with others. That often brings disappointment. It’s being occupied with, it’s being consumed, it’s beholding the glory of the Lord. It’s as we do that, as we spend time with him, meditating on his Word and hearing him speak to us through his Living Word and by his Spirit, that’s how we become more and more like him.
This incredible transformation process takes place from glory to glory. It’s from one degree to another. It’s a process. It’s a lifestyle. Our salvation is instant when we genuinely put our full faith and trust in Jesus as our Savior. It’s instant, and it’s positional. But the sanctification process, the transforming of our life process, is from one degree of glory to another. It’s an ever-increasing transformation through an ever-increasing relationship with Jesus. An ever-increasing relational knowledge with Jesus as our Lord. And the power that brings all this transformation to pass is the power of the Holy Spirit. The same power that raised Jesus from the dead lives in us. And as you behold the glory of all that Jesus is as we meditate on him, on who he is and what he’s done, as we spend more and more time with him in his Word, the Holy Spirit will transform us more and more into his image. Then, we begin to reflect the character of Jesus in our lives. That’s what it means to become more and more like him. And as a result, we are forever changed. We are transformed in this life as we prepare to be eternally transformed in glory with him.
So, the Holy Spirit works in our lives step-by-step. It occurs, sometimes, little by little but it’s got to be occurring as the Holy Spirit speaks to us through God’s Word and as we surrender more and more of our lives to him. This, again, is a description of the gradual process of sanctification. If we want to become like Christ, we absolutely must spend dedicated quality time focusing, beholding him, focusing on him in the Word of God and being occupied with him, being consumed by him. And then this quality time with God becomes the basis, it becomes the foundation for the Spirit of God to transform us more and more into the image and character of Jesus.
So, now, if you’ve got your Alone With God journal, grab it. If you don’t, grab any journal you have. If you don’t have a journal, then listen – just focus with me as we continue. I’ve given you plenty of information to write in the Meditate section. That is “What is God’s Word saying? What are the spiritual principles here?”
But then, second, is Apply. It’s applying this truth to your life. The journal says, “How does this apply to my life today, personally and specifically?” And we’ve got to do that. We’ve got to meditate on this verse and on this truth long enough and ask the Holy Spirit, “How does this apply to my life today?”
And then we’ve got to Respond. The third step in the journal says, “What action will I take today in response to this truth?” How are you going to respond to the phenomenal truth in this verse?
And then, the fourth step is Pray. It’s write a prayer about this verse. While you’re meditating on this verse, “Write a prayer to God to align your heart with his on this truth.”
So, those are the steps of our “Daily Journal” page. You can do them in the Alone With God journal, or in any journal. We just pray that you would do them.
To close for you, let me read the verse one more time, let me pray, and then you go about completing your journal.
2 Corinthians 3:18 (NLT)
18 So all of us who have had that veil removed (meaning through faith in Christ) can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord—who is the Spirit—makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image.
Let’s pray. Lord, Jesus, please do this, Lord. Do this in us. Draw us to this place where we behold you more and more, where we’re occupied, consumed with you and your Word and consumed to listen, to hear from your Living Word, and to hear your Holy Spirit bring it up alive to us. And Lord, as we do, Lord, you promise to transform us. And so, Lord, if we will do our part, we know you’ll do yours. So, Lord, give us the strength. Give us the discipline. Give us the desire. And fill us with your Spirit to draw us into these life-transforming, intimate times with you, alone with you and your Word, and your Holy Spirit. Please, Lord, please bring this to pass in our lives. For your glory and your name, Jesus, amen.
Amen, guys. That’s it for today. Thanks for joining us for another Alone With God “Daily Journal” guide. If you need a journal, get one at wordbymail.com. If you know someone who needs to hear these devotions, then send this to them. Share it with them. And you can get us for any reason, any question, anything at all at (877) 790-WORD. (877)790-9673. And if you are moved to support this ministry, then we will be greatly appreciative and thankful to God. And you can give at wordbymail.com, and every dollar you give will go to getting the Word of God out by “Mail” (in a sense). Love you guys. Have a great day in Jesus. Talk to you tomorrow. Bye-bye.
2 Corinthians 3:18 (NLT)
18 So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord—who is the Spirit—makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image.
Now, Guys, I’m going to talk about the Meditate section in our Alone With God journal. But again, you can meditate with just your Bible, with any journal, or with our Alone With God journal.
In the Meditate section, it says, “What is God’s Word saying? What are the spiritual principles here?” And so, I want to help you a little bit with that.
Listen, “as we behold,” as we are “consumed with” the glory of who Jesus Christ is as the exalted risen Lord; as we “behold his glory,” we are being transformed into his image. This is the secret of transformation in the Christian life. It’s “beholding.” It’s being “occupied with”. It’s meditating on the glory of Jesus. It’s a process of knowing him more and more and more intimately. Knowing him more and more. It’s not being occupied with self. That ultimately brings only defeat. It’s not being occupied with others. That often brings disappointment. It’s being occupied with, it’s being consumed, it’s beholding the glory of the Lord. It’s as we do that, as we spend time with him, meditating on his Word and hearing him speak to us through his Living Word and by his Spirit, that’s how we become more and more like him.
This incredible transformation process takes place from glory to glory. It’s from one degree to another. It’s a process. It’s a lifestyle. Our salvation is instant when we genuinely put our full faith and trust in Jesus as our Savior. It’s instant, and it’s positional. But the sanctification process, the transforming of our life process, is from one degree of glory to another. It’s an ever-increasing transformation through an ever-increasing relationship with Jesus. An ever-increasing relational knowledge with Jesus as our Lord. And the power that brings all this transformation to pass is the power of the Holy Spirit. The same power that raised Jesus from the dead lives in us. And as you behold the glory of all that Jesus is as we meditate on him, on who he is and what he’s done, as we spend more and more time with him in his Word, the Holy Spirit will transform us more and more into his image. Then, we begin to reflect the character of Jesus in our lives. That’s what it means to become more and more like him. And as a result, we are forever changed. We are transformed in this life as we prepare to be eternally transformed in glory with him.
So, the Holy Spirit works in our lives step-by-step. It occurs, sometimes, little by little but it’s got to be occurring as the Holy Spirit speaks to us through God’s Word and as we surrender more and more of our lives to him. This, again, is a description of the gradual process of sanctification. If we want to become like Christ, we absolutely must spend dedicated quality time focusing, beholding him, focusing on him in the Word of God and being occupied with him, being consumed by him. And then this quality time with God becomes the basis, it becomes the foundation for the Spirit of God to transform us more and more into the image and character of Jesus.
So, now, if you’ve got your Alone With God journal, grab it. If you don’t, grab any journal you have. If you don’t have a journal, then listen – just focus with me as we continue. I’ve given you plenty of information to write in the Meditate section. That is “What is God’s Word saying? What are the spiritual principles here?”
But then, second, is Apply. It’s applying this truth to your life. The journal says, “How does this apply to my life today, personally and specifically?” And we’ve got to do that. We’ve got to meditate on this verse and on this truth long enough and ask the Holy Spirit, “How does this apply to my life today?”
And then we’ve got to Respond. The third step in the journal says, “What action will I take today in response to this truth?” How are you going to respond to the phenomenal truth in this verse?
And then, the fourth step is Pray. It’s write a prayer about this verse. While you’re meditating on this verse, “Write a prayer to God to align your heart with his on this truth.”
So, those are the steps of our “Daily Journal” page. You can do them in the Alone With God journal, or in any journal. We just pray that you would do them.
To close for you, let me read the verse one more time, let me pray, and then you go about completing your journal.
2 Corinthians 3:18 (NLT)
18 So all of us who have had that veil removed (meaning through faith in Christ) can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord—who is the Spirit—makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image.
Let’s pray. Lord, Jesus, please do this, Lord. Do this in us. Draw us to this place where we behold you more and more, where we’re occupied, consumed with you and your Word and consumed to listen, to hear from your Living Word, and to hear your Holy Spirit bring it up alive to us. And Lord, as we do, Lord, you promise to transform us. And so, Lord, if we will do our part, we know you’ll do yours. So, Lord, give us the strength. Give us the discipline. Give us the desire. And fill us with your Spirit to draw us into these life-transforming, intimate times with you, alone with you and your Word, and your Holy Spirit. Please, Lord, please bring this to pass in our lives. For your glory and your name, Jesus, amen.
Amen, guys. That’s it for today. Thanks for joining us for another Alone With God “Daily Journal” guide. If you need a journal, get one at wordbymail.com. If you know someone who needs to hear these devotions, then send this to them. Share it with them. And you can get us for any reason, any question, anything at all at (877) 790-WORD. (877)790-9673. And if you are moved to support this ministry, then we will be greatly appreciative and thankful to God. And you can give at wordbymail.com, and every dollar you give will go to getting the Word of God out by “Mail” (in a sense). Love you guys. Have a great day in Jesus. Talk to you tomorrow. Bye-bye.
Posted in Journal Guides, Month 1 Week 1
Posted in Alone With God Journal Guide, Daily Journal, Journal Guide, Month01-Week01
Posted in Alone With God Journal Guide, Daily Journal, Journal Guide, Month01-Week01
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