From the Apostle's Pen

Highlights From: The Transformed Life Part 1 The Necessity of a Change

By Apostle Joseph Hobbs, Th.D.
Rom 12:1-2

Rom 12:1-2


I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed ot this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. (KJV)


"A tragedy is just an opportunity disguised as an impossibility, for with God all things are possible!" - J. Hobbs


I believe that every person that God has created and allowed to be born was born with a purpose, a destiny, residing deep within their being. I believe that there is in each of us an overwhelming desire to make a difference in the world, the nation, the city, the community, in the family that we have been born into.


I. We Need to Be Formally Re-introduced to Christ
2 Cor 5:17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. (KJV)


One of the definitions of the 'present' implies to make an introduction to another. The first and most important introduction for anyone is to be introduced to Christ or in some cases to be re-introduced.


A. Our introduction to and acceptance of Christ is the catalyst to the change that we need to make in order to live the abundant life.


I believe that without a doubt Christ came to not only make a difference, but, He came to be the difference. Christ came in the flesh that he might be the first of his kind in the earth. Our confession of and obedience to Chrsit creates within us the Christ life. Unlike many religious people, I don't believe that salvation is only a concept that embraces the future life. I believe that everything that has to do with me is to be reborn, to be made new, to be improved upon.


Because we are we are born-again believers, we have been given the gift of the Holy Spirit, God's intelligent, creative, and powerful mind within us. Christ came to transform our being beginning with our spirit-man and then our soul (Minds). The Christ-life within us is intended to shape and to mold us into the ambassadors of Christ and agents of change that we were created to be.


II. Now that We are Converted Perhaps We Need to be Re-introduced to Our New Selves?


A. We are not to be conformed (fashioned, formed, molded, imprinted, or impressed) by the world's standards.


B. We are to be transformed by the renewing of our minds.


a. We are Corpus Christos; the body Anointed, the body Empowered, the body Improved upon.


b. Because of the Holy Spirit within, the Christ-life that we live empowers us to do all things that we desire for His glory.


III. If you are Going to live the Abundant Life, You Must Embrace and Welcome Change


A. Too many people are stagnate and unhappy because they refuse to make the necessary changes.


B. You must Decide to become acutely aware of all that is going on around. Become an observer of life.


a. Choose to respond rather than to react.


b. Realize that the choices you make will determine how you live.


c. Learn to live consciously on purpose. Wake up!


d. While monitoring your behavior begin to develop new good habits, to replace the negative, unproductive habits of the past.


C. Determine that you will live by a higher standard, the Word of God.


a. When life gets tough determine that you will do what is right and necessary in order to work it out.


b. Learn from every experience whether good or not so good.


D. Do the Word and the Work.


a. Expect that there will be obstacles to over come. Change that is worthwhile and long-lasting, is never easy!


i. Expect some naysayers and some criticism along the way.


ii. Everyone will not embrace or accept the changes you are making.


b. Make a commitment to God, yourself, and some significant person or persons in your life that you will do the Word and the Work.


c. Write down your goals and desires.


i. Write down the changes you will have to make


ii. Write down the method you will use in order to make the change.


iii. Make the changes slowly and deliberately


iv. Celebrate the new change

"Success is only determined by how we implement what we have learned from the series of failures we have overcome in our lives." - J. Hobbs