I’ll never forget the first scripture that I memorized. I was 21 at the time, newly saved and knew almost nothing about the Bible. I knew that I needed to make some changes. My mind needed to be transformed and renewed through the Word of God. I needed the ultimate makeover.
After reading Romans 12:1-2, I gladly took its challenge and memorized every word: “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to the 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”.
I not talking about the temporary makeovers that you see on talk shows and in magazine advertisements. They promise to take fat out of one end and pump it into another, remove unwanted hair from some and replace much wanted hair on others. They plump up wrinkles on one person and snip the sagging skin off another. Today, people spend tons of money and submit their bodies to almost anything to transform themselves. We are a generation obsessed with maintaining and upgrading our physical bodies.
I would love to see people submit themselves and do whatever it takes to renew their mind to the Word of God. If we’d spend the same time and effort renewing our mind to the things of God as we do pampering our physical bodies, it wouldn’t be long before we’d see ourselves as the powerful, spirit beings we were created to be. It wouldn’t be long before we’d recognize and utilize the fire of the Holy Ghost that is living within us, clothing us in Glory and power! You and I are much more than pretty butterflies. We are soaring eagles!
Soon we’d be soaring above problems. Dwelling in the secret place of the Most High makes us more than conquerors. No weapon formed against us can prosper as we renew our minds to the Word. We have world-overcoming faith, the very nature of God residing inside of us. You and I have been granted every thing that pertains to godliness. We need to realize that we have authority to use the Name of Jesus to defeat every attack of the enemy and set the captives free!
But, unless you take the time to get into God’s Word and allow it to transform your old way of thinking, you will live in constant defeat and frustration and miss out on God’s plan for your life. Like most new Christians, I didn’t know who I was in Christ and what was available to me when I was first born again. More than anything, I wanted God ‘s perfect will for my life and to be used by Him. That’s when I began to diligently study the Word, trusting the Holy Spirit to teach me every step of the way.
Although I would have loved to join a church that taught the uncompromised Word of God, our constant traveling due to Jesse’s rock career made regular church attendance impossible. In those days, Sundays were usually spent traveling to the next gig (job). But as soon as we arrived in a new city, I couldn’t wait to find a church that I could attend and hear the preaching of God’s Word. I visited many different churches during the two years prior to Jesse’s salvation and quitting the music business, but there was only one that I’ll never forget.
The usher who greeted me at the door recognized that I was a visitor and asked me to follow him. He said that he knew some young women my age who loved Jesus and would enjoy meeting me. As he escorted my tiny daughter and I to a row of seats near the front, I felt instantly at home in church for the first time. During my next three weeks in that city, I dedicated myself to attend every service and soak in as much as possible. It was wonderful.
Since that time, I have often talked to Jesse about that unforgettable church. We both saw the impact that it made upon my life and still try to put our finger on just what made it so special to me. Was it the people my age that I identified with, the friendly ushers, the contemporary worship music or the dedicated Bible teacher that first taught me about the gifts and fruit of the Holy Spirit?
I do remember that, for the first time, I saw other Christians who really loved the Word of God and were as excited as I was about Jesus. God used that church to inspire me to continue to believe for my husband’s salvation and continue to renew my mind through daily study of His Word.
In Ephesians 4:22-24, it says: “That, in reference to your former manner of life, you lay aside the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit, and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth”.
You have a beautiful, recreated spirit that can transform every area of your life. Make a decision to get into the Word of God and allow it to renew your mind. Begin your ultimate make-over today!
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Reverend Cathy Duplantis is an anointed teacher of the Gospel dedicated to living by faith and inspiring others to do the same. Cathy is the wife of Evangelist Jesse Duplantis. She has worked continually with her husband in ministry since it began in 1978, serving as Administrator, Editor in Chief of Voice of the Covenant magazine, and television co-host.
Cathy uses her life experiences and divine revelations to encourage and inspire her audience and is a favorite guest speaker for women's conferences and church meetings. She also continues to preach the Gospel with Jesse in meetings throughout the USA.
Along with her husband, Cathy is the co-founder of Covenant Church, a local outreach of JDM in the greater New Orleans area. It was her vision to build a church where people would be encouraged to realize their potential in Christ Jesus, to be able to overcome life's circumstances and to experience success spiritually, emotionally, and physically. In the summer of 2017, Cathy obeyed God and stepped into the Senior Pastor position of Covenant Church. Now, not only is she sharing the Gospel through her local church, but she is continuing to spread the love of Jesus around the world. Cathy desires to show believers everywhere how they can be transformed into powerful and joyful people of faith by applying the teachings found in God's Word.