Matthew 24:29-31 The Rapture

"But immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from the sky, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. “And then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky with power and great glory. “And He will send forth His angels with a great trumpet and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of the sky to the other." [Matthew 24:29-31 NASB]

There are a couple of things to keep in mind when reading this passage. First, it is intended to prepare Jesus' disciples (which includes us) for the end times. Jesus isn't giving us any information that doesn't pertain to us. Second, everything that happens in this passage happens after the Tribulation.

He said, "they will gather together His elect from the four winds," which is an apt description of the rapture.

I know there are some churches that don't teach about the rapture, or deny that it is in the Bible. Lets look at a couple of verses. 

"For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words." [1 Thessalonians 4:15-18 NASB]

"Behold, I tell you a mystery; we will not all sleep, but we will all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed." [1 Corinthians 15:51-52 NASB]

So the concept of being changed in a moment, and caught up to meet the Lord in the air is a scriptural teaching. As for the word "rapture", it is not found in most English translations. It is a theological term derived from the Latin "raptura", and means, "to be caught up" (see 1 Thessalonians 4:17).

One of the big questions regarding the rapture is, "when will it happen?" The three main schools of thought are pre-trib, mid-trib, and post-trib. Meaning we will be caught up to meet Jesus either before, during, or after the tribulation.

Paul wrote:

"Now we request you, brethren, with regard to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, that you not be quickly shaken from your composure or be disturbed either by a spirit or a message or a letter as if from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come. Let no one in any way deceive you, for it will not come unless the apostasy comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, who opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, displaying himself as being God." [2 Thessalonians 2:1-4 NASB]

This is a description of the abomination of desolation that Jesus mentioned earlier in the chapter. The man of lawlessness is the Antichrist. We know from Daniel's prophecies that this event takes place in the middle of the seven years, and that the rapture will take place after this event.

I think one of the stumbling blocks to understanding is the definition of "the great tribulation". Many, if not most, evangelical preachers define the tribulation as encompassing the entire seven year period of Daniel's prophecy. I disagree.

The seven years will begin with a treaty that will bring unprecedented peace to the Middle East. In the middle of the seven years, the man of lawlessness will be revealed, "then" Jesus says, "there will be a great tribulation, such as has not occurred since the beginning of the world until now, nor ever will." [Matthew 24:21 NASB]

How long will the tribulation last? I don't know. Long enough for many Christians to be martyred. There is a passage in Revelation that mirrors Jesus' words. 

"I looked when He broke the sixth seal, and there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth made of hair, and the whole moon became like blood; and the stars of the sky fell to the earth, as a fig tree casts its unripe figs when shaken by a great wind. The sky was split apart like a scroll when it is rolled up, and every mountain and island were moved out of their places. Then the kings of the earth and the great men and the commanders and the rich and the strong and every slave and free man hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains; and they said to the mountains and to the rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the presence of Him who sits on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb; for the great day of their wrath has come, and who is able to stand?”" [Revelation 6:12-17 NASB]

1 Thessalonians says that the Lord will appear to catch us up to be with Him. In this Revelation passage people are hiding in caves and under rocks (bad idea during an earthquake) to hide themselves from the the presence of the Lord. 

Immediately after, in chapter seven, we are told, "After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could count, from every nation and all tribes and peoples and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, and palm branches were in their hands;" [Revelation 7:9 NASB] Then, "These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb." [Revelation 7:14 NASB]

While the rapture event is not described in Revelation, the tribulation saints appear in Heaven immediately after the events that mirror Jesus' description.

Revelation goes on to describe the wrath of God poured out on the earth, until Jesus comes again. The tribulation has ended, and the wrath of God has begun.

To summarize, the rapture is an event prophesied in the Bible. I believe it will take place after the tribulation, at some unknown time after the mid-point of Daniels's 70th week of years, and before the wrath of God is poured out on the earth.

A Christians, we need to be prepared for the Lord's return. We also need to be prepared to endure tribulation and die for His sake. Even now, there are many Christians in the world who are being persecuted for their faith, to the point of death. They are choosing to die, rather than give up their faith in Jesus. Would we do the same? Let us ask ourselves, seeking the Lord, "Is my faith strong enough to face persecution and death?"

Matthew 24:15-28 Great Tribulation

"“Therefore when you see the ABOMINATION OF DESOLATION which was spoken of through Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand), then those who are in Judea must flee to the mountains. “Whoever is on the housetop must not go down to get the things out that are in his house. “Whoever is in the field must not turn back to get his cloak. “But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days! “But pray that your flight will not be in the winter, or on a Sabbath. “For then there will be a great tribulation, such as has not occurred since the beginning of the world until now, nor ever will. “Unless those days had been cut short, no life would have been saved; but for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short. “Then if anyone says to you, ‘Behold, here is the Christ,’ or ‘There He is,’ do not believe him. “For false Christs and false prophets will arise and will show great signs and wonders, so as to mislead, if possible, even the elect. “Behold, I have told you in advance. “So if they say to you, ‘Behold, He is in the wilderness,’ do not go out, or, ‘Behold, He is in the inner rooms,’ do not believe them. “For just as the lightning comes from the east and flashes even to the west, so will the coming of the Son of Man be. “Wherever the corpse is, there the vultures will gather." [Matthew 24:15-28 NASB]

Jesus is talking about the time that we call the Great Tribulation.

He refers to the prophecy of Daniel, "Forces from him will arise, desecrate the sanctuary fortress, and do away with the regular sacrifice. And they will set up the abomination of desolation." [Daniel 11:31 NASB] Daniel had prophesied about seventy weeks of years to fulfill all things. He prophesied 69 weeks of years from the issuing of a decree to rebuild Jerusalem to the coming of Messiah. That is 483 years from the time Artaxerxes issued the decree for Nehemiah to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem to the time of Jesus.

At the end of the 69th week, Messiah would be killed for others, and not for Himself, and Israel would be destroyed. This was fulfilled when Jesus was crucified (thank God He rose again from the dead!) and Rome destroyed Israel and burned the temple.

We can see Daniel's prophecies fulfilled through historical events. We therefore know that there is a pause between the 69th and 70th week of years (because the 70th week hasn't yet been fulfilled.) Daniel describes the 70th week, "And he will make a firm covenant with the many for one week, but in the middle of the week he will put a stop to sacrifice and grain offering; and on the wing of abominations will come one who makes desolate, even until a complete destruction, one that is decreed, is poured out on the one who makes desolate." [Daniel 9:27 NASB]

So, in the middle of this seven year period (generally referred to as "the day of the Lord") the abomination of desolation will stand in the holy place. After this will come a time tribulation for Israel and the church such as has never been seen. False prophets and false messiahs will be able to show great signs and miracles. Jesus has said, "At that time many will fall away and will betray one another and hate one another." [Matthew 24:10 NASB]

Why is this important to us? Because Jesus is addressing His disciples (us) to be prepared for that time. Paul said, 

"Now we request you, brethren, with regard to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, that you not be quickly shaken from your composure or be disturbed either by a spirit or a message or a letter as if from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come. Let no one in any way deceive you, for it will not come unless the apostasy comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, who opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, displaying himself as being God." [2 Thessalonians 2:1-4 NASB]

In other words the rapture will not happen until after these events take place. Those believers who are alive at the coming of the Lord will be witness to the abomination of desolation, and will see the identity of the Antichrist revealed.

The teaching that the rapture will take place before all of this happens makes for warm and happy feelings. But Jesus never promised that we would avoid tribulation (just the opposite). It is no wonder that "many will fall away". If they believe they will be raptured before the tribulation, then find themselves in the midst of it, their faith will be shaken.

I don't know if the Lord will return in your lifetime or not, but either way, be prepared.

Matthew 24:3-14 Don't Be Misled

As He was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things happen, and what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?” And Jesus answered and said to them, “See to it that no one misleads you. “For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will mislead many. “You will be hearing of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not frightened, for those things must take place, but that is not yet the end. “For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and in various places there will be famines and earthquakes. “But all these things are merely the beginning of birth pangs. “Then they will deliver you to tribulation, and will kill you, and you will be hated by all nations because of My name. “At that time many will fall away and will betray one another and hate one another. “Many false prophets will arise and will mislead many. “Because lawlessness is increased, most people’s love will grow cold. “But the one who endures to the end, he will be saved. “This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come." [Matthew 24:3-14 NASB]

Jesus' public ministry is over. From now on His teaching is reserved only for His disciples. It is worth keeping in mind that everything Jesus teaches from this point on is reserved for His disciples and not for the crowds. His goal is not to convict them of sin, nor to convince them of the reality of the Kingdom, but to prepare His followers. He is speaking to His disciples in front of Him, and to us, and to any who are alive at the time of His coming.

After Jesus predicted the destruction of the temple, the disciples asked about the end of the age. Being Jews in that age, the temple was the centerpiece in their lives, as much as anyone else. In their minds, the destruction of the temple must coincide with the end of all things. We know from history that they were mistaken. Jesus doesn't correct this misapprehension, but rather, he directly answers their question.

Before saying anything else, Jesus warns us to not be misled. Over the centuries there have been many false prophets arise, perverting the scriptures, and opposing Christ.

The most prominent false prophet was Mohammed. As a young boy he heard the Jews relate stories from the Bible. Because of his hatred for the Jews and Christians, Mohammed twisted the scriptures to suit himself. For example, he retold the story of Abraham taking his to Mount Moriah to sacrifice him. Only instead of Isaac, Mohammed said he took Ishmael. The quran repeatedly says that Allah has no son.

A more recent voice was that of Joseph Smith who, through his "visions" rewrote Christianity. The Mormon views are more subtle that Islam. Most Mormons will say that they are a Christian denomination, and believe in the Bible, salvation, and in the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. However, they believe the Bible is imperfect, and can be improved upon by subsequent revelation (i.e. Joseph Smith's "visions".) They believe God is not a triune God (or Trinity), but three distinct people. The Father was once a man who ascended to perfection, and each one of us can also become perfect and ascend to godhood. Salvation is not by grace, but by a combination of Jesus' atonement and legalistic good works.

A common theme among most any false religion is to attack the Trinity. The last thing Satan wants is for you to know who God is, so he strikes at God's identity. Some of the deceptions are blatant, while others are more subtle. They may deny God altogether, or teach that the Father, Son and Holy Spirit are three separate gods.

It is so important to study the scriptures and know for yourself who God is, and what the Bible teaches about Him. Don't let yourself be misled.

False prophets, wars, rumors of wars, famines and natural disasters. These have been around since the time that Jesus walked the earth, and will continue. But no matter how bad things seem, these things are not the end.

Take heart and pray for strength. Things are going to get much worse before the end.

Matthew 24:1-2 Destruction of the Temple

"Jesus came out from the temple and was going away when His disciples came up to point out the temple buildings to Him. And He said to them, “Do you not see all these things? Truly I say to you, not one stone here will be left upon another, which will not be torn down.”" [Matthew 24:1-2 NASB]

The Jerusalem temple was one of the wonders of the world. By the time it was finished, it was about 500 yards long and 400 yards wide. 

After the fall of Solomon's temple, the second temple was built by Zerubbabel and Ezra. Herod the Great expanded upon and improved the temple. He began construction in 19 BC, using a work force of 10,000 men for eight years to complete the basic structure. Actual construction continued after his death, and was finished in 63 AD. That's 82 years of construction.

The stones were enormous; fifty feet long, twenty-four broad, and sixteen thick, and so heavy that modern cranes and construction equipment would not be able to lift them. An engineering marvel, it is not known how they were lifted into place. The details are lost to history. They were cut so precisely that they fit together without mortar, and so tight that a knife could not be slipped between them. The stones were a gleaming white marble, and much of it was plated with gold.

About 70 AD, only seven years after the temple was completed, the Jews rebelled against Rome. The emperor, Titus, sent soldiers to quash the rebellion. The last holdout of rebellious Jews, hid themselves in the temple, since it was the strongest and most fortified building in Israel.

Titus had given orders that the temple was not to be harmed, as he admired the architecture and beauty of the building. But it is said that a drunken soldier shot a flaming arrow that ignited in the temple. The fire spread, burning to death all of those who had fled there for safety. The fire was so hot that the gold plating melted and seeped between the stones. In order to get to the gold, the Romans tore down the temple stone by stone, so that not one was left standing.

For over 1,000 years the temple was the center of Jewish society. What was to be a place sanctified and reserved for the worship of God, became a marketplace, and a refuge for corrupt leaders. That which was designed to bring people together for the worship of God, took Gods' place in the minds and hearts of many.

When Solomon built the first temple, the glory of God filled the temple. Ezekiel saw, in a vision, the glory of God depart the first temple before its destruction. When Jesus left the second temple for the last time, he was - in a sense - the glory of God leaving the temple, and predicting its destruction.

In the Christian world, we can find cathedrals - both ancient and modern - that are wondrous to behold. Marvels of architecture and beauty, often ornamented with stained glass, jewels and gold. The example of the temple should remind us that a building is just a building. There is nothing inherently holy about a church, cathedral, or Vatican.

God doesn't live inside a building. He lives in the hearts of those who enter the building. If the hearts of the people are pure, holy and seeking after God, then God will be there in their midst. If the hearts of the people are corrupt, then God will not be present, regardless of location.

It is okay for God's people to have a nice place to come together and worship, but let us never forget that it is Jesus who brings us together and is worthy of our worship. A building is just a building.

Matthew 23:37-39 Sorrowful Wrath

"Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, the way a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were unwilling. “Behold, your house is being left to you desolate! “For I say to you, from now on you will not see Me until you say, ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!’" [Matthew 23:37-39 NASB]

Jesus told them, "From now on you will not see Me until you say, ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!" In fact, this was Jesus' last visit to the temple. He continued His teaching on the mount of Olives, and in the upper room where he held Passover. The next time Jesus steps on the temple mount, it will be at His return when He will be hailed by all as King.

Jesus has just pronounced His scathing eight woes against the scribes and Pharisees. Throughout His ministry, when dealing with all manner of sinners, Jesus has shown Himself to be loving and compassionate. With the hypocrites, Jesus shows Himself to be a God of judgment and wrath. Yet even in His wrath, He is sorrowful, wanting them all to be saved, though He knows that they are not willing to be.

Of all things, I believe it saddens God whenever anyone refuses the salvation that He so freely offers, but choose instead to mock the gospel, and the righteous standards contained within the scriptures.

"Know this first of all, that in the last days mockers will come with their mocking, following after their own lusts, and saying, “Where is the promise of His coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all continues just as it was from the beginning of creation.” ...But by His word the present heavens and earth are being reserved for fire, kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men. But do not let this one fact escape your notice, beloved, that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years like one day. The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance." [2 Peter 3:3-9 NASB]

Whenever I read the news, I realize that the America I grew up in is not the same America I live in today. We are generally moving from valuing godliness to valuing perversion and licentiousness. Not only do men and women openly sin, but they take pride in their sin, and encourage others to join with them.

God is openly opposed and mocked in all levels of government. We used to start each day of public school with a prayer. Now teachers are forbidden by law to pray with a student, and even students are opposed if they gather to pray for themselves.

There is a growing animosity towards the gospel. Businesses are being targeted by local governments because the owner is a Christian. Atheists choose to go to a Christian owned business and insist that the owner perform a service that will violate his conscience. If he complies, the atheists win by forcing the Christian to violate his principles. If he doesn't comply, they take him to court to destroy his business.

Of course there are a number of churches that meet no opposition of any kind. They preach a social message that ignores the gospel of salvation and instead teach that men are noble and full of potential. They use terms like "self-realization" or "self-actualization". Emphasis on "self". They ignore scriptures that say, "for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God," [Romans 3:23 NASB] Or Jesus' words, "If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me." [Matthew 16:24 NASB]

Instead of putting our self first, we should be considering others first. "Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves;" [Philippians 2:3 NASB]

We need to pray for our nation. We need to repent on its behalf.

Heavenly Father, we have strayed far from You. We are traveling down a road that leads to destruction. We have become a sinful and rebellious nation. Lord, please have mercy on us. Forgive us of our sinful ways, and lead us into righteousness. Turn us around, so that we become a people dedicated to You. I pray that Your Spirit will move among the people, and also through our leaders in government, drawing them to You. We give you thanks and praise. In Jesus name.

Matthew 23:29-36 Self-righteousness

"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you build the tombs of the prophets and adorn the monuments of the righteous, and say, ‘If we had been living in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partners with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.’ “So you testify against yourselves, that you are sons of those who murdered the prophets. “Fill up, then, the measure of the guilt of your fathers. “You serpents, you brood of vipers, how will you escape the sentence of hell? “Therefore, behold, I am sending you prophets and wise men and scribes; some of them you will kill and crucify, and some of them you will scourge in your synagogues, and persecute from city to city, so that upon you may fall the guilt of all the righteous blood shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah, the son of Berechiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar. “Truly I say to you, all these things will come upon this generation." [Matthew 23:29-36 NASB]

The self righteous don't see their own sin. They said, "we would never have persecuted the prophets." But they persecuted John the Baptist. They persecuted Jesus, and had Him crucified. They continued to persecute the apostles, disciples and followers of Jesus, going from town to town all over the world.

Notice Jesus said, "I am sending you prophets and wise men and scribes." In speaking to the Jewish leaders, He is using familiar terms to refer to His disciples.

Jesus worded it in the form of a question, but the meaning was emphatically clear. "You are going to hell, and you will not escape. Their sentence has already been passed.

It's easy for us to look back and say, "I would never have done that." I think about Peter on the night Jesus was betrayed. Peter had said, "Even though all may fall away because of You, I will never fall away." [Matthew 26:33 NASB] But just a few hours later, Peter denied Him. Could I have denied Jesus if I were in Peter's place? Yes. It is within my nature to give in to fear, and to deny Jesus. My only hope is that, if faced with that choice, the Holy Spirit would empower and embolden me to stand up and confess my Lord. Without the Holy Spirit, I would surely fail. I cannot judge Peter.

I think it's that way whenever we are judgmental. In our self-righteousness, we can see sin in others, but overlook the sin in ourselves. Paul said, "Therefore you have no excuse, everyone of you who passes judgment, for in that which you judge another, you condemn yourself; for you who judge practice the same things." [Romans 2:1 NASB]

We need to examine our hearts, and ask the Lord to reveal them to us.

Ask yourself, "Is there anything in which I judge others?" Do you make snide, sarcastic remarks about others? Do you think or say "What an idiot" (or something similar)? Do you shake your head in annoyance?

The poor man who says of the rich, "What a snob" is actually acting as a snob in reverse by rejecting a rich person on account of his money. The rich man who looks down on the poor as "low class" is projecting a "low class" attitude, condemning him for has lack of opportunity instead of being gracious.

I get annoyed when people step in front of me in a line, or when a driver pulls out in front of me. I want to be first. I want preferred treatment. And that's the problem. Instead of wanting to be preferred, I should prefer others before myself - not grudgingly, but gladly. We have been taught, "Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves;" [Philippians 2:3 NASB]

The thing that annoys us the most in others may well be the thing that we have hidden in our own hearts. Ask God to reveal it to you. Seek His forgiveness for whatever it is that you have been holding back, and for the hypocrisy. And trust God to take it away.

Matthew 23:27-28 Whitewashed Tombs

"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which on the outside appear beautiful, but inside they are full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness. So you, too, outwardly appear righteous to men, but inwardly you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness." [Matthew 23:27-28 NASB]

Jesus was referring to the practice of whitewashing the tombs before the feast of Passover, so that the city would look good for all of the people who were visiting Jerusalem for the celebration.

A Pharisee would never touch a dead body, or its bones because that would make them ceremonially unclean. A Pharisee could boast that he had gone his entire life without being unclean.

For Jesus to compare them to whitewashed tombs is to say that they, the Pharisees, were full of dead men's bones, so that they exist in a perpetual state of uncleanness. He could not have devised a more cutting comparison.

Jesus is telling them that all of their ceremonial cleanings, sacrifices, and abstinence are worthless because they give the appearance of righteousness, but don't change the impure heart.

I have known men with great willpower. If they want something in life, they find a way and get it. If they see something in themselves that they don't like, they squash it. Yet they continue to deny God. So no matter how much they appear to be in command of themselves, it is only an illusion.

There is a principle in the Bible found in Ephesians:

"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. Therefore, laying aside falsehood, speak truth each one of you with his neighbor, for we are members of one another. Be angry, and yet do not sin, do not let the sun go down on your anger, and do not give the devil an opportunity. He who steals must steal no longer; but rather he must labor, performing with his own hands what is good, so that he will have something to share with one who has need." [Ephesians 4:22-28 NASB]

The principle is to replace undesirable behavior with desirable behavior. I have heard this preached in churches, and repeated by secular psychologists. But there is a problem with the way this is generally taught. We are told to exercise our own will to replace bad habits with good habits. Put this way it is just another form of trying to work for your own sanctification. 

The use of willpower to control your behavior is an attempt to follow the Law, and is an act of the flesh. The more your flesh tries to make you holy, the stronger your flesh becomes, and less holy. Even if you manage to change your behavior, you haven't change who you are on the inside.

We become more holy in the same way that we were saved. By the grace of God, and faith in Him. 

The principle is sound, "put off the old and put on the new", but only within the context of faith and grace. If I were an habitual liar, I could tell myself, "don't lie, but tell the truth". Even if I exert a great deal of willpower to tell the truth, my nature will still be that of a liar. But if I stop trying to change myself, and pray to God to change me into His image, the Spirit of Truth that lives within me will change my nature from "liar" to "truth teller".

God doesn't want you to change yourself. He wants to be the One to change you. He wants to renew your mind and make you to be like Him.

"And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect." [Romans 12:2 NASB]