Psalm 30:1-12, 2 Corinthians 3:18

After being away on business, a man thought it would be nice to bring his wife a little gift. “How about some perfume?” he asked the cosmetics clerk.

She showed him a bottle costing $50. “That’s a bit much,” he said, so she returned with a smaller bottle for $30. “That’s still quite a bit,” he complained. Growing annoyed, the clerk brought out a tiny $15 bottle. “You know, he said, what I mean is that I’d like to see something really cheap,” and with that…the clerk handed him a mirror.

Mirror, mirror on the wall who is the fairest of them all? We all remember the children’s story about Snow White…and how the mirror would tell the evil queen whatever she wanted to hear.

When we look in the mirror this morning who do we see? Do we see more of Jesus, or more of us? Do we see the old self or do we see the new self?

2 Corinthians 3:18: But we all with unveiled face, beholding as 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.

When we think about transformations…God doesn’t want us to see what we see with our natural eyes. Because what we see with our natural is limited to our surroundings and to our understanding.

But God wants you to see beyond the natural, God wants you to see yourself the way he sees you…

* Victorious and not as victims

* Healed and not sick

* Strong and not weak

When you look at yourself, because of the relationship that you have with Jesus, God wants you to see what he sees…the righteousness of Jesus!

He doesn’t see the imperfections…He sees all the possibilities that are waiting for you! The plans and blessings…that you won’t have to work to discover.

Because he has already placed them in your path for you to walk into…

As you do this, his word says that you are being transformed from glory to glory — from down and out to joyful, from sick to healed, from losing to winning!

But the Devil and the world will tell you, “Oh it’s not that easy! If it was easy, everyone would be doing it.

Nothing is impossible…when you put your faith and trust in God!

How many of you believe this true? This scripture eliminates all the possibilities of failure.

The world will never understand that as you are beholding the glory of the Lord…

* He is the successful one in you

* He is the one who is changing you

* He is the one deserving the credit

And by believing and acknowledging these things…you are being transformed from the inside out…in the process.

God’s precious Holy Spirit…He is the one responsible for your success! He is the one who deserves all the glory!

Zechariah 4:6 says to us, ‘Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord of hosts.

By your might, by your power, how much is possible…nothing!

Is there anything that’s not possible? No! Everything is possible.

Everything is possible with God! His word declares it. Phil. 4:13, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”

Not by my ability. But His amazing, unlimited, never-ending GRACE!

My study guide says it this way; Whatever I have, whatever I am, I can make it through anything in the One who makes me who I am.

And you can, you really can do anything…because god’s word says you can!

Forget about all the unbelief and replace it with trust and belief…Just rest in what he can do instead of what you can do! Amen!

When you start to think this way…casting away the unbelief and resting on HIS ability instead of your own… this will change your life and allow him to work in your life like never before.

So, stop focusing on yourself and your efforts…look away from these things and begin to behold the glory of Jesus

Mirror, mirror on the wall, who is responsible for me having anything at all?

No, it’s not you…God deserves the credit for the question.

But it starts with the man in the mirror making the decision to BELIEVE and quickly it becomes about Jesus, who lives in the heart of the man or woman in the mirror.

It shifts the focus of right doing and self-effort…to right believing and complete dependence on His efforts and His endless capabilities alone.

He thought of everything we would ever need of and included it with His amazing grace and love, because of Calvary.

Every promise he ever made to us has been guaranteed by it!

Are you resting in his reflection in the mirror today, instead of your own? Start to see what God sees, believe that he wants his very best for you in your life.

Set aside any unbelief and rest in his amazing ability to deliver the abundant life he has already prepared and waiting for you!

Dan Pacheco is pastor of the College Heights Baptist Church.