Is Your Mind Glowing?

A Mind Map. Start Thinking Differently.

What do you suppose Jesus looked like when He was transfigured? As descriptive as Matthew chapter 17 is, I still have unanswered questions. 

We know that Moses had a similar glow after coming from the presence of God (Exodus 34:30). This “glory” was seen at various other times during biblical history and seems to indicate the presence or authority of divinity. 

There was a fundamental difference between what Moses experienced and what Jesus experienced. Moses’ face glowed because he was in the presence of God. The reason Jesus glowed was not because the Father was in the area. Jesus was transfigured. He went through a kind of metamorphosis. He revealed the glory of God to His disciples.

This was such an important event that Peter wrote about it later in his life in 2 Peter 1:16-21. Peter reported that they were “eyewitnesses of His majesty” on that day (verse 16). I’m sure it was an incredible experience.

The word “transfigured” used by Matthew is metamorphoo. It is where we get the word, metamorphosis. Romans 12:2 says, “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind...” The word “transformed” is also metamorphoo. The same word is used in both places. Is that significant? Is it a coincidence?

I don’t think it can be explained by coincidence. Jesus transfigured into divine glory. Aren’t we also able to transform into similar glory? Obviously bodies will not literally glow as we mature in Christ. If the glory Jesus exhibited was the divine nature of God being revealed, wouldn't we exhibit some kind of "glow" if we partake in that divine nature? At least symbolically that must be true as we metamorphoze our minds. What is it the end of that metamorphosis?  

It seems that Jesus’ transfiguration and our transformation were what Peter had in mind when he wrote 2 Peter 1:3-4. “His divine power has given us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature....”

Don’t miss the importance of those two verses. We are able to share in the divine nature of God. As we consider Romans 12:2, we can see that we can transform our minds similarly to the way Jesus transfigured His body. In a sense, our thinking can “glow” because it is transformed into the divine nature. 

Shouldn’t this knowledge affect us? 

Maybe it’s just an intellectual point of discussion for some, but not for me. It's also not a metaphysical exploration on my part. I am aware of the symbolism that is being expressed in our metamorphosis. However, the glory of the Lord shining in the face of Peter made an impact. Peter, John, and James saw the Savior in a new light.

Does anyone see your mind as something different? Or do you tend to think like everyone else in this world?

Is your mind “glowing” from God’s presence? 

Meditate on that idea for a while and see what you come up with. Share your thoughts below! 

Here are some points that jump out at me.

1. Read the Bible, not just books that explain the Bible.
2. Stop dimming your "mental glow" by putting bad things in it.
3. When you speak, people ought to know that there is something different about the way you think if you are a Christian.
4. Stop asking PEOPLE what to think about different topics and start asking GOD what to think about them.
5. If you have not read the Bible all the way through, you cannot know how to think according to the divine nature. It is not natural. It must be learned. (That does not mean salvation is impossible, especially if you are new to the Word. The more you learn the more you grow. God's grace fits in somewhere.)

Leaders See Deeper Meanings

Nehemiah Saw More Than Walls

Look at the challenges you must lead people to overcome. Do not assume they see the problem in the same light as you. Is there deep,  emotional reason for them to achieve victory? Is there hope that they can accomplish it? Have you given the solution and thrown down a challenge to them?

Nehemiah was a great leader. He led the Jews to rebuild their city walls after they were destroyed by the Babylonians. The walls sat broken and charred for more than 70 years. He rallied the people of God and rebuilt them quickly and efficiently.

Nehemiah is a good example of leading people to accomplish a goal. It took such a man to get the people going in the right direction. People lived day after day in Jerusalem. As they walked outside to go to work they could easily see the rubble lying in the sun. The charred remains must have been a constant reminder that they were a defeated nation.

It took Nehemiah one visit to Jerusalem to make a difference. It is amazing how he accomplished it. He saw the walls for what they were and called the people to action to remedy the situation.

Nehemiah 2:17 states, "I said to them, 'You see the distress that we are in, how Jerusalem lies waste, and its gates are burned with fire. Come and let us build the wall of Jerusalem, that we may no longer be a reproach.'"

After such a speech the people rallied behind him and rebuilt the walls. Sound a little too simplistic? It is possible that Nehemiah had a long speech and this is the cliff notes. It is also possible that these two sentences is all it took. Many of the greatest speeches in history were short.

Winston Churchill rallied a nation to hold their borders against a relentless German attack with five words. He walked to the podium and said with great style and enthusiasm, "Never, never, never give up."

Jesus taught one of the greatest lessons in the history of civilization. Reading it today takes about 10 minutes.

So Nehemiah rallied people with a couple of sentences. Here's how that happened.

1. He saw the walls for what they were. The people saw rubble and charred stone. He saw reproach.

2. He did not ask them to rebuild the walls. He asked them to restore their dignity by getting rid of the reproach.

3. He asked them to work with him, not for him.

See like a leader, not like a follower. Then share that vision with others.

Making An Eternal Difference

How many seeds come from one kernel of corn?

The answer completely depends on how the kernel is used. If you take a kernel and plant it, and if it grows to fruition, it will produce many more kernels. That number could easily be multiplied many times. All you have to do is plant some or all of the kernels of corn that grow from it.

Then again, it could also simply rot.

Your life is that way. You can make a powerful impact on others. You can make a difference - and a difference that actually MATTERS in the long run.

Imagine sitting in Heaven one day and a stranger approaches you. He tells you that someone you taught and baptized taught him the truth. He put two and two together and realized that you were part of the reason he was there in Heaven. How would you respond?

Do we ever have any idea what kind of impact we can have on people around us in this world? The concept both terrifies and excites me!

People do not come to Christ by accident.

If you want to make an impact on others, you have to get the Word out! The Word of God is the seed from which Christians grow. But we need to be wise in how we spread the seed.

The Secret to Being A Great Friend

Everyone Needs Friends

Why did Jesus make friends? We know that He did. People flocked to Him. Some people did hate Him and eventually almost everyone left Him before His death, but He certainly made many friends during His ministry.

Perhaps the word "friend" is not the best description of His followers, but try telling people like Zacchaeus in Luke 19 that Jesus was not a friend to him. Try telling that to Lazarus, Martha, and Mary. Try telling the 9,000 people He fed on those two occasions that Jesus was not their friend. Try telling that to the "inner three" (Peter, James, and John). Friend? Oh, He was much more than that, but the world never saw such a friend as Jesus!

As you study the Bible you will notice that Jesus was a people-person. You could almost always find Him around other people teaching, ministering, and spending time developing relationships. He did not build these friendships in order to take from them. He did it in order to serve others. He Himself said that He "did not come to be served but to serve" and to "give His life a ransom for many" (Matthew 20:28).

Consider how we can apply the Master's example to our own lives.

Hebrews 10:24 tells us to "consider one another in order to stir up love and good works." The word "consider" is from a compound Greek word. Part of the word means "to perceive with the mind." The other part is a modifier that denotes intensity. In other words, we are to carefully consider how we can encourage others to express love and do good things.

Relatedly, 1 Peter 3:8 tells us to be compassionate toward others. "Compassion" means to share the suffering of others. It implies an emotional and a mental connection between people. In order to properly be compassionate, I need to understand what people are experiencing. The same is true for showing people consideration in stirring up love and good works.

If I do not know a person, I cannot properly show that person compassion. I can show pity, but that is not technically the same as compassion. People resent pity, but they appreciate compassion.

So if I want to help someone, I need to take the time to get to know them first. Let me tell you from personal experience that if you wait until someone is in need to try to get to know them, you will miss many opportunities to serve. People trust who they know. If they do not know you and you do not know them, they will usually not trust you to help and any help offered may be considered more of an intrusion than a help.

This is the secret to being a great friend: Make friends with the goal of serving them.

Sooner or later people will need a friend. If I am close to them and the opportunity arises I can be like Jesus and serve them with what they need. This is both an honor and a privilege to a friend. Another advantage to getting to know others is that when you need a friend (and we all do eventually) you will have one!

It might seem odd to some of you to talk about how to be a friend, but this is a skill many do not develop. Many people are selfish. They only seek friends for what they can get out of them. These people find only loneliness and the only "friends" they have are those who help from pity and not compassion.

Why do you have friends?

Be sure to build your friendships so that one day you will have the opportunity to be of service to them in some way. This is the heart of the "second greatest commandment" - love your neighbor as yourself.

I am grateful that Jesus came to serve. He taught me how to do it. I am glad that He was a friend to others. He taught me what a true friend is.


Meditate upon Proverbs 18:1 sometime: "A man who isolates himself seeks his own desire; he rages against all wise judgment."

The Path of Sinners

Know where a path goes before stepping on it.

“Thus says the Lord to this people: ‘Thus they have loved to wander; they have not restrained their feet.’ Therefore the Lord does not accept them; He will remember their iniquity now, and punish their sins” (Jeremiah 14:10).

Restraint is a part of life. It must be learned and it must be based on principles from God for life to be worthwhile. Unfortunately, many people fail to learn to restrain themselves beyond what is acceptable in society. The reason that is a problem is because what is acceptable in society is not always what is acceptable to God.

A wise person will look at his ways and live according to the Word of God. Proverbs 1:15-16 is part of a warning to avoid the enticements of sinners to do wrong. “My son, do not walk in the way with them, keep your foot from their path; for their feet run to evil and they make haste to shed blood.”

It is unfortunate that we often walk on the path with sinners until the path becomes too evil for us. We will go so far, but we have "standards". We set arbitrary limits. We will only have so many drinks. We will only go so far in “making out” with a boyfriend or girlfriend. We will only say certain words. We will only drive so fast. We will only walk in small steps toward hatred. We will only say so much about others in gossip. We will only walk toward sin until we start to feel guilty, then we will hurriedly flee that path.

The problem with going down that road is that the next time it does not feel as uncomfortable and we do not feel as guilty. So we travel a few more steps.

Look carefully at the road you are on today. Where is it going? What are the results of your choices in life? Are you on the path of sinners?

Notice how one of the wisest man to ever live said we should treat the way of sinners. “Keep your foot from their path.”

Why do we push limits and see how close we can get to sin before we are punished? It is usually because our hearts are at the end of that road, caught up in the desires for sin. When separated, our hearts and our bodies will move toward each other. The heart will pull the body unless the body remains steadfast. If our hearts are caught up in sinful desires, we will find a way for our bodies to arrive there.

Keep your heart focused on Jesus and upon His word and keep your feet from the path of sinners.