Transition

Happy Sunday!

Every new move begins in the womb of the old. - Dr. Matthew L. Stevenson III.

Change.  This word can bring fear and trepidation to most of us!  My employer says, "Change energizes us".   We may not agree about it energizing us, but we know that change is inevitable.  Personally, I haven't always responded well to change.  The old way gets comfortable, and I like comfort.  Don't you?

Ecclesiastes 3:1 says, "To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:"(KJV).  Don't miss this!  There are more seasons than Winter, Spring, Summer, and Fall!  There are seasons, and purposes, and changes we must endure in this life.  Dr. Matthew L. Stevenson continued his "Under Cover" series with a sermon about, "Transition".  Transition is scary, and sometimes uncomfortable because we don't know every detail about what the future holds.  But as the saints say, "We know WHO holds the future".  

As we move toward the future, and the changes that are necessary, we must Honor the seasons and places we have already experienced.  Jesus didn't start his earthly ministry until after he was baptized by John the Baptist in the Jordan River.  John the Baptist realized that change was coming.  He said, "I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance. But he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire: (Matthew 3:11, KJV).  He understood that his purpose was to prepare the way for the Messiah as prophesied in Isaiah 40:3.  Later after Jesus' ministry was in full bloom, and John the Baptist was in prison for speaking the truth, John sent his disciples to ask Jesus a few questions.  "The disciples of John the Baptist soon heard of all that Jesus was doing. When they told John about it, he sent two of his disciples to Jesus to ask him, “Are you really the Messiah? Or shall we keep on looking for him?”(Luke 7:18-19, Living Bible).  

Jesus didn't immediately answer their question.  Luke 7:21 tells what he did, "And in that same hour he cured many of their infirmities and plagues, and of evil spirits; and unto many that were blind he gave sight."(KJV).  Then he turned to John's Disciples and said, "Go your way, and tell John what things ye have seen and heard; how that the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, to the poor the gospel is preached."(Luke 7:22, KJV).   Jesus didn't go into trying to justify who he was.  He let his actions speak for him.  He waited until John's Disciples were gone, then he Honored the one that had gone before him.  John's ministry was different, and Jesus' ministry brought about change.  But Jesus honored John.  In Luke 7:28 he said, "For I say unto you, Among those that are born of women there is not a greater prophet than John the Baptist: but he that is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he."(KJV).  

As we face our future, where change is certain and unavoidable, we must not forget where we've been, and those that have helped us along the journey.  Even the hard times, and the seemingly bad events have brought us to this place.  We love Romans 8:28, "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose."(KJV).   But don't miss this!  The scripture did not say all things that happen to us are good.  It says God can make all things work together for our good.  

Love and prayers, Cynthia