Friday, October 28, 2011

“CHANGE IS IN THE AIR”


Good morning everyone. Well, fall has set in, and, as much as I don’t want to admit it, so has cooler weather. The other change that I don’t particularly like is the time change. But, I do love the colors that accompany the change of seasons.

What do you think of this time of year? For some, the excitement of the coming holiday season comes to mind. For some, this time of year begins the most difficult time of the year to fight depression. These two examples cover the differences like night and day. For most of us, we probably fall somewhere in between the two. We could never cover all the thoughts that come up in the limited space we have here, so I will focus on one area. When I think of “fall”, I think of a cleansing period. A time to let “old things” go.

Romans 6:6 says, “knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin.” Ephesians 4:22 says, “ that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts,” Colossians 3:8-9 says, “8 But now you yourselves are to put off all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth. 9 Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds,” 2 Corinthians 5:17 says, “ Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” MalachI 3:6 says, “For I am the Lord, I do not change; Therefore you are not consumed, O sons of Jacob.”

When I think of fall, I think of the old flower gardens that must be cleaned out. I think of vegetable gardens that must be cut down and tilled under. Leaves that must be raked and done away with. When I think of this kind of change, I think about salvation and what a change that makes, (or should make) in us. All of the “old” sin and ways of life that lead to destruction should be done away with to make way for a new prepared ground that will grow good fruit in due time.

Think of how God regenerates the earth every year. In the spring everything new pops up everywhere, then fall comes and things die off and God kind of washes everything old away to make way for the coming new. Our lives are just like that. The Bible tells us that His mercies are new everyday. God gives us good and plenty all the time, then we start going down our own roads and grow weeds that we need a fall change to come along and kill off to make way for the good. For us there will always be change, either by our doing or by God stepping in to take care of what we wouldn’t or couldn’t.

The only constant that we can depend on year after year after year, is God. His word proclaims to us, that He always has been, is and always will be and He never changes. This world has changed and grown and become a Godless place, but God is still God. While “Change Is In The Air”, leaves are changing colors, old things are dying off, the days are shorter and life seems to slow up just a bit, God is in control and nothing is going to happen that He cannot handle for us.

Remember: While there is a “change” in the air, eternity is ever the same. Under the same management for thousands of years and still growing.

Until next time, please pray for each other and me, as I continue to pray for each of you. Love in CHRIST,


Brian Hanvey
Associate Pastor
Bethel Baptist Church

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