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Welcome to Living Beyond the Dalet with Betty Hall

I don’t know about you, but I don’t want just another transition. I’m seeking transformation.

Transition is the process. Transformation is the outcome. Transition is the process of changing from one state or condition to another. Transformation is a thorough or dramatic change in characteristic, form, or appearance. 

Spiritual Renewal is Transformative

Spiritual renewal is a transformational process. It regenerates, mends, restores and otherwise re-enlivens and revives the spirit of an individual.

Transformation of the Ekklesia Begins at Rebirth

At rebirth, [When we become born from above] (see below John 3.3) the supernatural process of transformation of the inner self, the soul, begins. From that day forward, we find ourselves in a constant and continual state of transition. As the born from above saints of God, we are always walking out the spiritual process of transitioning from one state of being to another. 

We all, with unveiled faces, are looking as in a mirror at the glory of the Lord and are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory; this is from the Lord who is the Spirit. ~ 2 Cor. 3.18 HCSB

This can be seen in the resident realigning power emitted thru the Hebrew letter dalet.

Unlike our English alphabet, the Hebrew letters convey more than just sound. Every letter is infused with spiritual light and emits a spiritual energy. Some people reduce the significance of this divine power to merely symbolism. The Hebrew aleph-bet is charged with the same kind of energy released thru the spoken word of God. It is powerfully supernatural and creative. Additionally, each letter emanates with deep spiritual truths. 

Transitioning to Transformation

Jesus answered him, “I assure you and most solemnly say to you, unless a person is born again [reborn from above–spiritually transformed, renewed, sanctified], he cannot [ever] see and experience the kingdom of God.” ~ John 3.3 AMP

Jesus replied to Nicodemus, “I can guarantee this truth: No one can see the kingdom of God without being born from above.” ~ God’s Word Translation

The transformation that occurs at spiritual rebirth is just the beginning. 

Being born from above launches us into the born from above life, the life of the Spirit. The work of Holy Spirit in the life of the saints is an internal work of transformation. This empowering process is a lifelong journey of transition leading us into progressively greater and greater transformation.

Romans 12.2 says:

The Amplified Bible ~ And do not be conformed to this world [any longer with its superficial values and customs], but be transformed and progressively changed [as you mature spiritually] by the renewing of your mind [focusing on godly values and ethical attitudes], so that you may prove [for yourselves] what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect [in His plan and purpose for you].

The Message Bible ~ Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you. (MSG)

In the above verse, the Greek word metamorphoō is translated as transformed. Metamorphoō means: to be or become changed in outward appearance or expression as manifesting a change in nature or essence.

Renewed is the Greek word: anakainōsis – and conveys: the act of reestablishing something in a like-new and often improved manner. 

This means the very essence, the nature of our minds, is to be changed and reestablished entirely different than it was before we became born from above. It means that our fundamental nature is to be transformed by the having our minds constantly renewed. 

Our minds are renewed by the word of God. 

The Mind

MIND – Greek= nous – 1 that which is responsible for one’s thoughts and feelings; especially the seat of the faculty of reason; 2 mental attitude — a complex mental state involving beliefs and feelings and values and dispositions to act in certain ways.

The mind is the headquarters of the soul. 

Our soul is our inner self. It is an elusive and complex nerve center. What we believe, how we feel and think, our core values, our temperament, and humor are established, governed and controlled by the soul. 

Our spirit and soul are different, yet are so enmeshed where one ends and the other begins is nearly indiscernible. When someone has become born from above, their spirit is now born anew. This does not mean that the whole soul is completely changed. It doesn’t mean that every thought we think is from God. It means our spirit-man, the part of the nature of mankind that died when Adam sinned against God, has now been made alive. 

Once our spirit has been born from above, it can now receive ongoing communication and impartation from God, by way of the Spirit. Our soul, on the other hand, must be transformed. This transformation is not instantaneous. It is progressive. It takes an ongoing renewal process. This renewal process happens as we submit our mind, our will and our emotions to the Lord.

This is why the Apostle Paul wrote to the Romans that they needed to be transformed by the renewing of their minds. They needed the way they think and process information to be altered. This alteration needed to reflect God and His kingdom rather than the current worldly age. 

Mind vs Brain

The mind and brain are not the same. The brain is a member of our physical body. It is an organ of the body composed of nervous tissue that commands task-evoked responses, movement, senses, emotions, language, communication, thinking, and memory. 

Our mind is not physical. It is one of the puzzling components of the soul. Our soul consists of our mind, our will and our emotions. These three elements are intertwined. The brain transmits signals that instigates responses. 

The mind has the unique ability to affect and change the brain. The mind can alter the brain. As complex as the brain is, the mind is equally, if not more elaborate. 

We not only have the ability to renew our minds, but we possess the power to transform our nature. Combined with the working of Holy Spirit in our lives we have the ability to change our very essence. In this way we can become more spiritually minded. 

Meditate on these things

Our minds are transformed through meditation, the things we think about. What we set our thinking on, alters the brain. Our thinking influences our soul. Our soul influences our brain. When we meditate on God’s word it begins to alter our soul and ultimate transform our inner nature. We think differently. We feel differently. We act differently. We live differently. 

This is the trademark of the Ekklesia. We are no longer like the world around us. We live in this world, but we are motivated by the Spirit of God. Our very nature has been changed by the ongoing internal work of Holy Spirit. 

Be Renewed in the Spirit of Your Mind

Ephesians 4.17-24 AMP ~ So this I say, and solemnly affirm together with the Lord [as in His presence], that you must no longer live as the [unbelieving] Gentiles live, in the futility of their minds [and in the foolishness and emptiness of their souls], for their [moral] understanding is darkened and their reasoning is clouded; [they are] alienated and self-banished from the life of God [with no share in it; this is] because of the [willful] ignorance and spiritual blindness that is [deep-seated] within them, because of the hardness and insensitivity of their heart. And they, [the ungodly in their spiritual apathy], having become callous and unfeeling, have given themselves over [as prey] to unbridled sensuality, eagerly craving the practice of every kind of impurity [that their desires may demand]. But you did not learn Christ in this way! If in fact you have [really] heard Him and have been taught by Him, just as truth is in Jesus [revealed in His life and personified in Him], that, regarding your previous way of life, you put off your old self [completely discard your former nature], which is being corrupted through deceitful desires, and be continually renewed in the spirit of your mind [having a fresh, untarnished mental and spiritual attitude], and put on the new self [the regenerated and renewed nature], created in God’s image, [godlike] in the righteousness and holiness of the truth [living in a way that expresses to God your gratitude for your salvation].

Rewiring the soul is a life long transition. 

Daily practice turns into habit. A persistent habit becomes a core dimension of our character. It not only testifies of what we value, but ultimately sets the course for our destiny.

2 Peter 1.5-11 NASB

Now for this very reason also, applying all diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence, and in your moral excellence, knowledge, and in your knowledge, self-control, and in your self-control, perseverance, and in your perseverance, godliness, and in your godliness, brotherly kindness, and in your brotherly kindness, love. For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they do not make you useless nor unproductive in the true knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For the one who lacks these qualities is blind or short-sighted, having forgotten his purification from his former sins. Therefore, brothers and sisters, be all the more diligent to make certain about His calling and choice of you; for as long as you practice these things, you will never stumble; for in this way the entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will be abundantly supplied to you.

The Word of God is Quick

Transformation happens over time, as we meditate on the word of God, setting our mind on things above, where Christ is. Hebrews 4.12 says: the word of God is living and active. Some translations use the phrase quick and powerful. The word is quick. When we need quick help, the word of God is just that. We can trust God’s word to do a quick work. 

The transformation of the soul is a life long journey. Yet, the word of God starts working immediately It doesn’t wait. It isn’t late. It begins as soon as it is spoken out. It cuts through the worldly gunk that permeates our soul on a daily basis. It slices through the soul, aiming at our spirit. the more our internal spirit hears and receives the truth of the word the more fruitful our spirit becomes. Our spirit increases and expands and matures in the things of God. 

I know when I meditate on the things of God, my mind is more relaxed, I am at peace and I find life more enjoyable, no matter the circumstances. At the same time, I don’t always do what I know works. 

Our ears hear it. Our spirits receive it. Our minds get renewed. 

I need reminders. I typed out a list of scriptures I speak out loud as declarations. When I’m feeling mentally overwhelmed, dealing with confusion or mentally blurry I resort to my list. I have found it to be more than positive affirmation, it’s transformational.

Mind Declarations PDF

Below is the list of scriptures I paraphrased. I speak this out this during my devotional time.  Click here to open a link to the pdf.

Try the mind declarations above. Read the list out loud over yourself. The spoken word is powerful. Speaking words of life over our minds has the power to transform. 

Remember we are among a whole community

But [we are different, because] our citizenship is in heaven. And from there we eagerly await [the coming of] the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ; who, by exerting that power which enables Him even to subject everything to Himself, will [not only] transform [but completely refashion] our earthly bodies so that they will be like His glorious resurrected body. ~ Phil. 3.20-21 AMP

We are citizens of heaven and growing into a holy temple in the Lord

So then you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of God’s household, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole building, being fitted together, is growing into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together into a dwelling of God in the Spirit. ~ Eph. 2.19-22 NASB

Changed by the power of the word of God!

Our very nature is changed by the power inherent in the word of God. As we speak out the truth of God’s word we are changed and renewed. As a born from above, citizen of heaven, we have access to the Living God, through the work of the cross of Christ. We are being transformed from one degree of glory to another, by the power of Holy Spirit. 

We can take control over every thought and command our minds to submit to the work of Holy Spirit. As we do this we grow and mature, are transformed and renewed. Returning to the cross is good place to start. It is because of the cross of Jesus Christ that we are set free from this world and have access to God. 

BTW – This is Holy Week

On the Christian calendar, this Sunday is Palm Sunday. During this week, Christians everywhere are preparing to celebrate the death, burial and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. Whether you observe the Christian calendar or the Hebraic, this is a great time to reflect on what Jesus did for us, to purchase our salvation. 

It’s also a good time to get refreshed in the presence of the Lord and reset our minds. Some people like to do a fast during the time leading up to Resurrection Day. I like to meditate, rest my mind and saturate my spirit in the presence of God while listening to anointed music. 

Join in, together with the saints of God, as we prepare our hearts and minds to celebrate our risen Lord. 

Do you do something special during this season?

Some observe Passover, others Easter/Resurrection Sunday. Some people observe Good Friday with a fast, others enjoy a sunrise services on Resurrection Sunday. Share with us what you do. 

Coming Back to the Cross Centers our lives

No matter how long we have been born from above we all need to come back to where it all began. The yearly celebrations can be a great reminder. Each year we add to our collection of experiences and the building of the work of Holy Spirit in our lives. 

And this, so that I may know Him [experientially, becoming more thoroughly acquainted with Him, understanding the remarkable wonders of His Person more completely] and [in that same way experience] the power of His resurrection [which overflows and is active in believers], and [that I may share] the fellowship of His sufferings, by being continually conformed [inwardly into His likeness even] to His death [dying as He did]; so that I may attain to the resurrection [that will raise me] from the dead. ~ Philippians 3.10-11 AMP

An annual reminder

I used to go each year, with my grandfather, during Lent for the Stations of the Cross. It was a time of deep reflection, repentance, and surrendering our fleshly nature to the Lord for sanctification. Lingering over each step, brought the reality of the final week of Jesus’ earthly life to the forefront of my mind. It was profoundly inspiring. It drew me closer to God and reminded me of what Jesus did on my behalf. 

I recently stumbled on a similar observation introduced in 1988, known as the Stations of the Resurrection. Like the stations of the cross, it is a meditation on the Resurrection of Jesus Christ and some of the subsequent appearances and other encounters recorded in the New Testament, through the Holy Spirit descending on Pentecost, and His appearance to Saul of Tarsus. 

Another powerful thing that I love to do during this time of year is to read Max Lucado’s The Angels were Silent or Six Hours One Friday. They are a compelling read, especially during this season. 

I love the story of the cross. It’s the main reason I started looking at the Feasts of the Lord, now over thirty five years ago. I was fascinated with Passover. Each year since my initial introduction, I celebrate Passover with a seder meal. Sometimes we do a traditional seder. Other times we do a Messianic version. 

Resurrection Sunday is March 31, 2021

Passover begins at sundown on Monday, April 22, 2024, and ends after nightfall on April 30, 2024

What is meaningful for you this time of year? Tell us in the comments below. 

Blessings

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