Renewal of the Mind New Series Part XI

Here is what I've been thinking about the last few days.  I am pretty "blown away" as we would say in our modern lingo, concerning the reality of Jesus Christ and this GREAT GOSPEL God has given us through Him.

No wonder the devil fights all the time to distort, distract, lie, twist, pervert God's precious Word of Life found in His Son.  It's obvious that all Satan can do is counterfeit.  He has been a liar and counterfeiter from the beginning.  And in this world, as John the Apostle penned, all things are indeed under the sway of the wicked one.

The other day I was downloading some music from Amazon.  And in the software is the picture of a cloud - you know how it goes - you now put your music, pictures, "stuff," out there in a cloud.  Guess Apple started it first.

So my mind started thinking about the Scriptures and the REAL cloud God has penned in His Word.   First there was the pillar of the cloud that led the Israelites through the wilderness - when the cloud moved, they moved.  Ex. 14:9

Also God told Moses that He would come to them in the thickness of a cloud so that the people would hear when He spoke with him and be able to believe Moses.  Ex. 19:9.

There was also the cloud that hovered over Mount Sinai with thunders and lightning truly representing the holiness of the Almighty God - so much so that all the people were in fear and in trembling.  Ex. 19:16.

Then there was the experience also of the cloud hovering over the tabernacle in the wilderness and the door of the tabernacle.  Ex. 40:34

When Solomon completed the temple and dedicated it, we are told that the priests could not stand up to minister, because of the cloud filling the house of the Lord.  I Kings 8:10

As we fast forward into the New Testament in the ministry of our Lord, we all know there was another cloud that took place on the Mount of Transfiguration.  We are told that a cloud came over where Peter, James and John were and covered them.  And they feared as they entered the cloud - Luke 9:34.  Then they heard the voice of God (vs. 35) "This is my Beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased."

The last cloud I want to mention is found in the first chapter of Acts, when the Lord returned to heaven, after His glorious resurrection.  It says that a cloud received Him out of their sight.  Vs. 9

Later on, God calls a man named Paul to write the glorious revelation of Jesus Christ in a complete understanding of what has happened through the cross and resurrection.  Paul preached Christ, Christ Christ!   And in Colossians 1:27 God had him pen these words, "Christ in you, the hope of glory."

If we are good at "connecting the dots," we should realize WHO it is that lives in our hearts.  He is the Glory of God - Paul even wrote that we are now the temple of God.

Now let's connect a few more dots and realize what God wants from our lives.  To let the Son of God fill us with His glory and grace.  Why let the world be awed with their ability to put our "stuff" in a cloud?  We, as the children of God, should be awing the world with the message that Christ wants to come and live in us by and through the price His Son paid.

"And that not of ourselves, lest we should boast."  The coming into our hearts of Christ is certainly the gift of God.  He came in by and through grace and our faith - receiving the message and His Son.

We continue this walk of receiving grace through faith and allowing this Son of God to fill our lives to the full - He really is the only glory and when we realize this and continue to yield to Him, we'll have a real story too - one of transformation and continual blessed hope.

Now to me, this is renewal of the mind - to think on these things - led by God's Spirit - that fill us with joy concerning Christ Jesus and again, our continual hope in Him that He CAN conform us to His own image.

"Thank you, God - thank you, Father for Your glorious Son.  Thank you, that within our hearts we contain in these mortal jars, the treasure of Your heart.  Can't believe You came to live inside a little 'ol jar like me/us - but You did - all by Your grace - the gift of God.  Now we ask that YOU would indeed, fill us with Your Son's glory today by the Holy Spirit and the Truth of YOUR Word.  Let us continue to know the glorious work of your grace in our lives so that we can testify even more, of YOUR great salvation and how you do transform us.  Blessed be YOUR name forevermore.  Amen!"

Sue Gaither