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Change
Sr. Pastor Johnnie Foster • Jan 05, 2016
Have you ever heard the expression, see I knew you would never change, wasting your time going to church for nothing. Maybe you were the one making the statement. They say change is not a change until you change. I tend to believe this to be true. I always wondered why people are so critical of others when they don’t meet their expectations when it comes to change. Why do we evaluate the people in our lives under such unfair scrutiny. We see them attending church and standby awaiting the moment when they fall or sin to justify our reasons for not going to church or fellowshiping with brethren. I feel there are two problems with this attitude.
One we are too focused at looking at people through our tainted eyes instead of seeing them as God would. We never give them a chance because we are already looking for them to go back to their old ways. It is known that recovering alcoholics and addicts may relapse. In some cases, multiple times but that does not mean they have not changed. It’s part of the process. Oh, but we expect change to be something instantaneous and lasting. When we act in such a manner, brother Matthew calls us hypocrites and tells us to first get the plank out of our own eyes so we can see clearly to remove the speck out our brothers eye. We need to stop waiting and watching to call them out when they are doing wrong and encourage them to do right.
Secondly, we never see change in them because we fail to see the need to change in ourselves. The easiest way to affect change is to embrace change ourselves. If we show that we also can change it could help the other person to see the need for change as they are going through their process. We have to do things out of a spirit of love. Understanding that love covers a multitude of sin. If we see people as God sees them we will stop making such unrealistic demands and learn to love and appreciate them for who they are in God.
I believe the Bible tells us that iron sharpens iron. We need to be encouraging, supporting, and building others up. Not using people’s relapse moments as a means to disassociate ourselves from them and fellowshipping. Love on them and let them see the change in you and watch God move.
The word live means to remain alive, to make one’s home in a particular place or with a particular person. John 10:10 KJV -The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. Having the abundantly life means you are living in the overflow. Somebody needs to know you are living in the overflow. Overflow means you are marked by great plenty, bountiful, plentiful, and over sufficient. When you live in the overflow, the blessings of God are running over you. Why? Because of El Shaddai “The Almighty All-sufficient God”. Also, because you’ve been walking a disciplined and obedient life of submission to our heavenly Father. Discipline means the practice of training people to obey rules or a code of behavior. Obedience means to comply to an order, request or law or submission to another’s authority. Obedience is commanded by God. I dare you who haven’t experienced this life to speak on today that lack will no longer have rule over you. For I decree and declare a life of abundance in every area of your life. I decree and declare Psalm 118 That you shall not die but live to declare the works of the Lord. You are blessed! I decree and declare commanded blessings to manifest in your life this day forward. In Jesus name. Live AMEN…..Now walk in it.