Restoring The Soul

RESTORING THE SOUL

Rom 12:1-2

1 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.

2 And be not conformed to 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)

4964 suschematizo (soos-khay-mat-id’-zo); comformed

from 4862 and a derivative of 4976; to fashion alike, i.e. conform to the same pattern (figuratively):

KJV-- conform to, fashionself according to.

3339 metamorphoo (met-am-or-fo’-o); transformed

from 3326 and 3445; to transform (literally or figuratively, "metamorphose"):

KJV-- change, transfigure, transform.

342 anakainosis (an-ak-ah’-ee-no-sis); renewing

from 341; renovation:

KJV-- renewing.

*** People say I don’t know why I started letting myself get involved in this.

*** Is it possible to be a perfectly contented individual having that calmness of spirit and having complete fulfillment of every desire, without wandering away from the law of God?

THREE PRINCIPLE THOUGHTS FROM AN OLD TESTAMENT CHARACTER DANIEL.

*** It was around 500 B.C. The nation had collapsed, that which they had dreamed for the city of Jerusalem was not to be.

*** God had brought them through the wandering in the wilderness to the land flowing with milk and honey.

*** It was only a journey of a few short weeks, 4 to 6 but God took them the long route around, it is important to know why,

*** He said so you would see your own heart and the wickedness of it, so you would know you man does not live by bread alone, so that you would know that even in the difficulties you face I never let you down.

*** THE PRINCIPLE OF HUMILITY- WHEN THEY SAW THEIR OWN HEART.

*** THE PRINCIPLE OF SPIRITUALITY-man don’t live by bread alone.

*** THE PRINCIPLE OF FAITH-sometimes you cannot be in control of your own life, that there is a God to whom you must submit and trust Him to take care of you.

*** For any nation to be great these principles are intrinsic.

*** But after 1 thousand years of having been established they were not able to learn those principles.

*** Jerusalem was now gone, the temple had now been ravaged, they were in enslavement in Babylon.

*** Do you see the problem? Analogues to our situation today?

*** The decisions that we now make-- as a nation in our courtrooms, in the highest offices of the land.

*** The choices by which we are allowing young people to guide themselves under the pretext that no longer is there a moral center to life, you may live any way you please even the lifestyles of those who stand as the supposed examples to our society.

*** Is this not the same road that we have entered upon, so the timeliness of an individual like Daniel the things that he did as he faced the uncertainty of his time.

LET ME TAKE YOU THROUGH THREE BASIC PRINCIPLES

1ST PRINCIPLE-KNOWING WHERE TO DRAW THE LINE OF RESISTANCE.

*** In the early part of the book of Daniel; Nebuchadnezzar has raped Jerusalem, he has plundered the temple, he has taken the vessels in the temple and brought them into Babylon.

*** Everything that gave the Israeli people their identity had been ravaged.

*** Then he did more he sent a decree to find the best minds in Israel the most intellectually capable either from royal descent or academic capability.

*** Bring them into the palace treat them with lavishness, give them the best of everything I have and train them in Babylonian philosophy.

*** He was taking them the best, and reinsuring a world view so that they would become the best spokesperson for what it is that he himself believed.

*** Daniel was one of these young minds. He made a staggering decision that stands out from the rest of them, and he took three of his friends with him in that decision.

*** I don’t want all that lavish diet that they want me to eat just give me a very ordinary diet.

***At the end of so many days if I don’t look as healthy as the rest we can talk again.

*** I don’t want to eat from the kings banqueting menu.

We are given the privilege by God to train and discipline our passions.

Some want to see how far they can go, others like Dan will see how far they can stay away.

*** If any of our lives have gone wrong, may I suggest to you it was not when you chose to cross the line, but possibly a line that was not drawn well before.

*** Its easier to say no before you have tasted it than to say no after you have tasted it.