Community transformation—is it possible?

Image: Pixabay

TODAY’S SPECIAL: 2 Chronicles 13-17; Psalm 74

TO CHEW ON: “… and the children of Judah prevailed, because they relied on the LORD God of their father.” 2 Chronicles 13:18

“O God, how long will the adversary reproach?
Will the enemy blaspheme Your name forever?” Psalm 74:10


Three things come together for me in today’s readings:

1. In the recitation of good and bad kings from 2 Chronicles, what stands out is that all the bad kings were guilty of occultism, idolatry, and seeking to do things on their own without God. God’s blessing flowed again when godly kings destroyed these things and returned to true worship.

2. In the psalms reading, psalmist Asaph’s pleading with God (to again make His name famous, to make His cause prevail, to restore sincere worship and purity to the land) resonates. It’s how I would pray for my own land and people in the 21st century.

3. I watched a video about community transformation last night. In it the filmmakers tell the story of several communities (one in Mexico, one in Guatemala, and one in California) that experienced community-wide spiritual revival in the 1990s. It happened when the church and concerned pastors became modern-day Asaphs and pleaded for their cities, with prayer and fasting.

When God revealed to them the occultic roots of their community’s enslavement to the drug cartels (Mexico), poverty, drunkenness, and abuse (Guatemala), and addiction (California) they confronted and took authority over dark forces with, again, prayer and fasting.

If we are burdened for our land and community like Asaph was, let’s follow the example of the Christians of the 1990s and contend (with prayer, fasting, church unity etc.) for another transformation!

PRAYER: Dear Father, I believe the kind of turnaround You brought to Judah and Israel under godly kings, and the transformation witnessed in the 1990s is possible today. Help me to contend for it in my country and town. Amen.
PSALM TO PRAY: Psalm 74

MORE: Transformations (the documentary film)





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Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Thanks for reading! This year we are using The Bible Project "Timeless Reading Plan" to read through the Bible in 2018. If you'd like to read along in your own Bible, you can download a pdf of the reading plan HERE.

Acknowledge the past before transformation

Jacob Wrestles - Matthaeus Merian I (1593-1650)

TODAY’S SPECIAL: Genesis 32:6-32

TO CHEW ON: “So He said to him, ‘What is your name?’
He said, ‘Jacob’ (supplanter, deceiver).
And He said, ‘Your name shall no longer be called Jacob but Israel (Prince with God)…’” - Genesis 32:27,28


We left Jacob yesterday alone and determined to deal with his past. For not only had he broken with Laban, but he sent servants to tell Esau, his estranged twin brother, that he was passing through (Genesis 32:1-5).

The servants returned with the news that Esau was on his way to meet Jacob, accompanied by 400 men.

That put the scare into Jacob!

He did all he could to prepare for this meeting that he feared would end badly.
- He prayed - reminding God of His promise to him - Genesis 32:9-12.
- He prepared and sent on ahead herds of animals as gifts for Esau - Genesis 32:13-15.
- He separated his most precious possessions, his wives and children, from the main company and sent them to the other side of the Jabbok River.

In the fear-filled and sleepless night before the meeting, Jacob experienced perhaps the greatest preparation for the day ahead (and the rest of his life). He met a mysterious stranger who wrestled with him. This man (a theophany? an angel?) made Jacob say his name (acknowledge his identity, Jacob—deceiver, supplanter) before He would pronounce the blessing for which Jacob begged.

Then God blessed him with a new name (identity): Israel—Prince with God, a reminder of the encounter (a lifelong limp), and a formal blessing (Genesis 32:26-29)

Perhaps what happened to Jacob may also be applicable to us. Before we get God’s blessing of transformation, we may also need to admit what we were, to acknowledge the human means we’ve used to this point to make our way in life. This so we can forsake them and in their stead lean on God and trust His ways of working.

PRAYER: Dear Father, thank You for faithfully bringing me face to face with my human coping mechanisms in order to transform me into a person who relies on You.

MORE: The rest of the story…

To read how Jacob and Esau’s meeting went, read Genesis 33:1-16.

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Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Shining transformation

The Transfiguration - Artist unknown

TODAY’S SPECIAL: Matthew 17:1-13

TO CHEW ON: “And He was transfigured before them, His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became as white as the light.” Matthew 17:2


During His time on earth Jesus occasionally gave His disciples glimpses of heavenly reality. His transfiguration was one of those times.

It started as another simple mountain getaway for Jesus, Peter, James, and John. The Luke account tells us this incident began unspectacularly enough with Jesus praying. But then--wow! “As He prayed, the appearance of His face was altered and His robe became white and glistening” Luke 9:29. And Old Testament characters appeared and talked with Him.

“The appearance of Moses and Elijah would have confirmed Jesus’ Messianic identity to the inner circle of disciples. The entire scene was reminiscent of Mount Sinai: the cloud, the light, and the presence of God’s voice - Exodus 19:16-19” - NIV First Century Study Bible.

Indeed! And in that Sinai period, we find more details that resonate here.
- Remember the leadership retreat we read about several day ago, where God showed up in glory - Exodus 24:10,17.
- Then later, Moses’ face shone when he came down from communing with God on the mountain - Exodus 34:30-35.

During Jesus’ lifetime we have this display of glory here at His transfiguration and again at His resurrection - Matthew 28:3.

I love how Paul pulls these threads together to make an application for our lives as Christians. In 2 Corinthians 3, referring to the glory on display at the giving of the law (which he calls “the ministry of death”) Paul argues that the ministry of the Spirit is much more glorious - 2 Corinthians 3:7,8. He ends his treatise on Christ’s glory and how it exceeds the glory of the law with an inspiring declaration:

“But we all with unveiled face, beholding in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord” - 2 Corinthians 3:18 (emphasis added).

May we cooperate with the Spirit to effect such heavenly transformation in us!

PRAYER: Dear Jesus, thank You for these glimpses of Your glory in the Bible, May Your indwelling Spirit transform me so that I reflect Your shining presence. Amen.

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Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Praying for city transformation

Vancouver, B.C. (Photo: Pixabay.com)

TODAY’S SPECIAL: 2 Thessalonians 3:1-18

TO CHEW ON: “Finally brethren, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may run swiftly and be glorified, just as it is with you.” 2 Thessalonians 3:1

Do you pray for your community and city? How?

A sidebar article in my Bible links 2 Thessalonians 3:1 with the thought of praying for transformation of the communities and cities in which we live:

“In 2 Thessalonians 3:1 God’s Word reveals His desire for His work to advance everywhere in the way it had advanced in Thessalonica. We have the authority of the Scriptures to pray boldly for the gospel to “run swiftly and be glorified” just as it was in that city the Holy Spirit impacted long ago” - David Bryant, “How to Pray for Your Community,” New Spirit-Filled Life Bible p. 1695.

Bryant goes on to suggest two things on which to base our prayers for our communities and cities:

1. We can pray that our cities and communities will be impacted like Bible cities were. Bryant simply lists Bible city names in his article. I’ve looked up the references that tell the stories of the cities he lists:

- Nineveh:

Jonah preached God’s warning of destruction. The people believed en mass, which led to the king believing too and a time of city-wide fasting, mourning, and repentance - Jonah 3:4-10.

- Jerusalem:

People in Jerusalem were amazed to hear the gospel in their own language at the coming of the Holy Spirit. They were “cut to the heart” and believed, 3,000 in one day. This continued for a time - Acts 2:5-7, 37-41, 4:33; 5:12-16.

- Samaria:

When the disciples were scattered from Jerusalem by persecution, Philip went to Samaria and preached, with city-wide results - Acts 8:4-8.

- Lystra:

When Paul healed a lame man, the whole city was in an uproar thinking Paul and Barnabas were gods come down. This receptivity gave Paul a brief opportunity to explain the gospel to the crowd - Acts 15:8-18.

- Philippi:

The stir Paul created when he exorcised a demon from a girl who told fortunes landed him and Silas in prison. The earthquake that set them free brought the jailer and his family to faith and caused the city magistrate to release them - Acts 16:16-34.

2. That there will be a full activation of God’s love among believers in our communities - 2 Thessalonians 3:5.

On the agenda for the Greater Vancouver area, where I live, is the March 3-5, 2017 Festival of Hope crusade with Franklin Graham.

What potentially spiritually impacting events are scheduled for your communities and cities?

Let’s pray for these events, that through them God will bring city- and community-wide transformation, and will nourish an activation of love among us Christians.

PRAYER: Dear Father, I read about these city movements and long for them in my time and place. You know we need them in our communities beleaguered with crime, drugs, poverty, and homelessness. Please work community-wide today like You did in the past. Amen.

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Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.