BRIDGE FELLOWSHIP: AN MARBC MINISTRY
  • About Us
    • Our Executive Director
    • Church Directory
    • Join Us
  • Resources
    • Bridge Fellowship Church News
    • Bridge Fellowship Blog
    • The Messenger
    • Pastoral Resources
    • Protect Young Eyes
    • CPR Ministry
    • For Sale or Giveaway Items
  • Events
    • Regional Associations
    • Annual State Conference
  • Revitalize
  • Plant

 The Messenger Newsletter

Organization News & Updates

“CHANGE!” Adopting a Biblical Approach in the New Year

12/31/2019

0 Comments

 
PictureAllow God to change your attitude as you change the page of the Calendar!
As a new year approaches, it is typically accompanied by a review and analysis of what transpired in the closing year and the anticipated challenges, opportunities, and outcomes of the approaching year.  It is amazing how changing one page of the calendar can produce such an intellectual and emotional exercise of contemplation and anticipation.

​Keeping this in mind, perhaps there is no more appropriate word for us to begin this new year and decade with than the word “change.”  The type of change that I am referencing is that which King Solomon notes in Ecclesiastes 3:1, “For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven.”  Solomon then illustrates his observation through a series of comparative examples that demonstrate life’s ebb and flow and give and take (Ecclesiastes 3:2-8).


“Change” is not a static word.  It evokes unique responses, depending upon the circumstances in which it is applied.  Some change is life shaking.  Change can come packaged as an unwelcome diagnosis. Or, it may be defined by a job transfer or plant closing. It may be the severing of a special relationship or the loss of a loved one through death. It might simply be a change in what has been routine or what has become mundane.  However it may be packaged, change can be unsettling and may result in an unrealized dream or a great disappointment.
​
This past year was certainly one of significant change for my family.  After a five-year, faith sustaining battle with cancer, my father entered the presence of His glorious Lord and Savior early in the year.  I have imagined many times what my dad’s experiences “living by sight” with Christ must be like as the rest of our family marks the special events that each day of the calendar may bring in our earthly existence of “walking by faith.”  The past year has also given us the privilege to walk with family members, friends, and churches as they have faced tremendous challenges and/or rejoiced in wonderful blessings from our gracious Heavenly Father.

The new year will once again illustrate this.  Significant changes may be a part of God’s sovereign plan for us as the new year unfolds.  And the impact of those changes will bring with them the potential of spiritual opportunities. God will sovereignly allow special situations to stretch our faith and produce new levels of endurance in our spiritual walk.  In fact, the changes that God will allow in our lives will not only impact us as individuals but also produce ripple effects that have the potential to impact many people around us (cf. 1 Peter 3:8-17).  This will no doubt be true for the precious servants and churches who partner together in our association of churches.

While the word “change” has its standard definition in the dictionary, may I suggest that a Biblical definition or synonym for it is the word “growth?”  Indeed, each of us will be led by God to face unique scenarios that are designed to stretch us and produce new growth.  As Hebrews 11 recounts, the biblical story of Israel’s 40-year pilgrimage from Egypt through desert territory to the Promised Land becomes a metaphor for all of God’s followers. We are all caught up in the story. We are all on a journey by faith that is designed by God to produce spiritual growth.There are times when we prefer a life with minimal change. We don’t like to be disturbed, so we carve out routines.  We would prefer to move back to the familiar, even if it takes us to Egypt (I.e., Exodus 14:10-14)!  Sadly, we approach the new life that is ours in Christ as a threatening hinderance rather than a joyful experience. What should produce spiritual growth and excitement comes to be seen as normal and mundane. And the spiritual life that should produce fruit for God’s glory becomes dreary.

The Christian with the renewed mind is replaced by the dull man or woman who hasn’t entertained a new spiritual thought for an extended season of time. Instead of demonstrating critical thinking as defined by God’s Word, a person is just plain critical and tends to complain that things are not the way they would like or as they used to be.

The mind that has been divinely designed to think on the “excellent and praiseworthy things of God” (Philippians 4:8-9) is content to merely reminisce about the “good old days” and harbor resentment regarding that which has been lost.  Individuals, families, or churches that set their feet (or minds) in concrete are hiding from Biblical reality.

Change will most likely present its share of challenges; but it will also offer many opportunities. Change offers the potential to learn new things. It introduces us to new people. It forces us to make decisions and choices based upon the wisdom principles of Scripture.  And it directs us to prayerfully seek the counsel of an all-wise God and allow Him to wrap us in His compassionate, all-powerful embrace.  The Apostle Paul wisely admonishes, “Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil” (Ephesians 5:15-16).

God calls us to live actively in confident faith and hope, not fear. Like our Biblical forerunners, He asks us to trust in the fact that He is already present in the places that are new and untested for us.  God is faithful to His people.  We can walk daily in the coming year with the joyful confidence that God is already where we are going, no matter what changes may come.

You have His Word on it! (KEF)
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Archives

    September 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    July 2018
    May 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    August 2017
    April 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    November 2016
    August 2016
    November 2015
    June 2015
    November 2014
    July 2014
    January 2014
    October 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    November 2012
    September 2012
    July 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    December 2011
    November 2011
    October 2011
    September 2011
    May 2011
    March 2011
    February 2011
    January 2011
    November 2010
    October 2010
    September 2010
    April 2010
    March 2010
    February 2010
    December 2009
    November 2009
    September 2009
    August 2009
    June 2009
    April 2009
    February 2009
    January 2009
    December 2008
    November 2008
    October 2008
    September 2008
    August 2008
    July 2008
    June 2008
    May 2008
    April 2008
    March 2008
    February 2008
    January 2008
    December 2007
    November 2007
    October 2007
    September 2007
    August 2007
    June 2007
    May 2007
    April 2007
    March 2007
    February 2007
    January 2007
    December 2006
    November 2006
    September 2006
    August 2006
    July 2006
    June 2006
    May 2006
    March 2006
    February 2006
    January 2006
    December 2005
    November 2005
    October 2005
    September 2005
    August 2005
    July 2005
    June 2005
    May 2005
    April 2005
    March 2005
    February 2005
    January 2005
    December 2004
    November 2004
    October 2004
    September 2004
    August 2004
    July 2004
    August 2003

    Categories

    All
    Annual Conference
    Annual Conference 2012
    Annual Conference 2013
    Annual Conference Audio 2014
    Annual Report
    Articles
    Audio
    Baptist Testimony
    Book Browsing
    Calendar
    Church Ministries Conference
    Church Partnering Relationships
    Church Strengthining Seminar
    Day Of Prayer
    Events
    Feature
    From Where I Stand
    Ken's Road Report
    Links
    MARBC Churches
    MARBC News And Notes
    Men Modeling The Master
    News
    Ordination
    Pastoral Meditation
    Practical Ideas For Growth
    Resources
    Retreats
    Talents For Christ
    The Barnabas File
    The Word Has It
    Video
    Welcome

    Subscribe



    RSS Feed

The Bridge Fellowship is a regional partner with the General Association of Regular Baptist Churches.
5760 Cannonsburg Road NE
Belmont, MI  49306-9089
​(616) 364-5688

Site powered by design.faith
© 2022 The Bridge Fellowship, a ministry of the Michigan Association of Regular Baptist Churches. ​
  • About Us
    • Our Executive Director
    • Church Directory
    • Join Us
  • Resources
    • Bridge Fellowship Church News
    • Bridge Fellowship Blog
    • The Messenger
    • Pastoral Resources
    • Protect Young Eyes
    • CPR Ministry
    • For Sale or Giveaway Items
  • Events
    • Regional Associations
    • Annual State Conference
  • Revitalize
  • Plant