Change
There has been a lot of change in our church this past year, and I as an individual do not like change. My son says that the only constant in life is change. And I began to pray and ask God about change. Why am I so sad when change comes? Is it a weakness in me or is it part of the human nature?
The Lord showed me some things that I will pass on to you this morning. In this world, on this earth, change is inevitable because this whole system is temporal, subject to change. BUT, in the Lord Jesus Christ, God Almighty, everything is eternal, not subject to change, stable, constant, consistent. In Malachi 3:6 we are told: I am the Lord, I change not. In Hebrews 13:8 we are told that Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever. In 1 Peter 1:23 we are told that the Word of God lives and abides forever.
When we are involved in change in this world and it bothers us, we must go to the Word of God, which is eternal, wrap ourselves in the scriptures, and immerse ourselves in the Lord Jesus Christ. Take on the unchanging, never-ending eternal One and allow Him to move you through the change gracefully and without harm.
We all encounter changes as we live on this earth—loved ones and friends graduate to heaven, people whom we grow to love and appreciate and enjoy in our lives move on, jobs change, even our human body changes as we get older. Change, as I see it, is a consequence of the fall of man. The good news is that when we are born again and accept Jesus as the One in charge of our lives, He comes with His unchangeableness and wraps us in His eternal arms of love. He stands with us and shows us how to go through anything with grace and dignity and come through without being all torn up emotionally. We have to watch our emotions or they will rule us when change comes. We are not to be ruled by our emotions. Rather we are to be guided and directed by the Holy Spirit of God, even in the midst of change.
In the Lord Jesus Christ, here on this earth there is some change which is good. We get born again and leave our old sinful life behind. We become knowledgeable of the Word of God and He conforms us to His image. And the best change I like to talk about is found in 2 Corinthians 3:18
But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord. (KJV) And all of us, as with unveiled face, [because we] continued to behold [in the Word of God] as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are constantly being transfigured into His very own image in ever increasing splendor and from one degree of glory to another; [for this comes] from the Lord [Who is] the Spirit. (Amplified Bible)
We see in this scripture that as we continue to look into the Word of God, we will be constantly changed into His very own image from one degree of glory to another. In other words, we will become more like Him every day as we continue to look in His Word. That is the challenge for all of us. When change comes that we don’t like, we tend to become very involved emotionally instead of turning to the Lord and His Word and thanking Him for watching over us during that time. Sometimes our greatest enemy here on this earth is our emotions, which are part of our soul. If we are controlled by our emotions, then we will be in satan’s domain and he will whip us around all over the place.
I can be a very emotional person because I am very intense. But the Lord Jesus Christ tells all of us to stand steady in Him, to yield to the Holy Spirit and not allow our emotional natures to be the dominant force in our lives. When we yield to the Holy Spirit, He calms us and makes us stable, even in the most difficult situations or circumstances.
We must be determined this year to stay close to Him and His Word. If we are used to doing that, when change comes; when challenges arise; when situations get out of hand, we will have already been used to responding with the Word of God and surrounding ourselves with His presence to absorb the shock of whatever we are facing. I hope this doesn’t sound too earthly, but Jesus and His Word is our shock absorber in life. Let Him take care of it.
The Lord showed me some things that I will pass on to you this morning. In this world, on this earth, change is inevitable because this whole system is temporal, subject to change. BUT, in the Lord Jesus Christ, God Almighty, everything is eternal, not subject to change, stable, constant, consistent. In Malachi 3:6 we are told: I am the Lord, I change not. In Hebrews 13:8 we are told that Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever. In 1 Peter 1:23 we are told that the Word of God lives and abides forever.
When we are involved in change in this world and it bothers us, we must go to the Word of God, which is eternal, wrap ourselves in the scriptures, and immerse ourselves in the Lord Jesus Christ. Take on the unchanging, never-ending eternal One and allow Him to move you through the change gracefully and without harm.
We all encounter changes as we live on this earth—loved ones and friends graduate to heaven, people whom we grow to love and appreciate and enjoy in our lives move on, jobs change, even our human body changes as we get older. Change, as I see it, is a consequence of the fall of man. The good news is that when we are born again and accept Jesus as the One in charge of our lives, He comes with His unchangeableness and wraps us in His eternal arms of love. He stands with us and shows us how to go through anything with grace and dignity and come through without being all torn up emotionally. We have to watch our emotions or they will rule us when change comes. We are not to be ruled by our emotions. Rather we are to be guided and directed by the Holy Spirit of God, even in the midst of change.
In the Lord Jesus Christ, here on this earth there is some change which is good. We get born again and leave our old sinful life behind. We become knowledgeable of the Word of God and He conforms us to His image. And the best change I like to talk about is found in 2 Corinthians 3:18
But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord. (KJV) And all of us, as with unveiled face, [because we] continued to behold [in the Word of God] as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are constantly being transfigured into His very own image in ever increasing splendor and from one degree of glory to another; [for this comes] from the Lord [Who is] the Spirit. (Amplified Bible)
We see in this scripture that as we continue to look into the Word of God, we will be constantly changed into His very own image from one degree of glory to another. In other words, we will become more like Him every day as we continue to look in His Word. That is the challenge for all of us. When change comes that we don’t like, we tend to become very involved emotionally instead of turning to the Lord and His Word and thanking Him for watching over us during that time. Sometimes our greatest enemy here on this earth is our emotions, which are part of our soul. If we are controlled by our emotions, then we will be in satan’s domain and he will whip us around all over the place.
I can be a very emotional person because I am very intense. But the Lord Jesus Christ tells all of us to stand steady in Him, to yield to the Holy Spirit and not allow our emotional natures to be the dominant force in our lives. When we yield to the Holy Spirit, He calms us and makes us stable, even in the most difficult situations or circumstances.
We must be determined this year to stay close to Him and His Word. If we are used to doing that, when change comes; when challenges arise; when situations get out of hand, we will have already been used to responding with the Word of God and surrounding ourselves with His presence to absorb the shock of whatever we are facing. I hope this doesn’t sound too earthly, but Jesus and His Word is our shock absorber in life. Let Him take care of it.
posted by Rev. Kialeen Potterton @ 8:09 AM
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