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| Featured Message By Bishop Dr. Jackie L. Green Senior Pastor/Overseer |
| I'M A WORK IN PROGRESS |
| Psalm 138:8 King James Version (KJV) 8 The Lord will perfect that which concerneth me: thy mercy, O Lord, endureth for ever: forsake not the works of thine own hands. Philippians 1:6 King James Version (KJV) 6 Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ: Philippians 1:6 New Living Translation (NLT) 6 And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns. WE ARE ALL IN TRANSITION TO BE POSITIONED, SAYS THE LORD! The Lord says to you today, accept the changes that are coming in your life. The changes, the transformation, the transition is necessary to get you into position for what I have planned for you. Without change, without transition, you will not come into your purpose. Stop complaining and resisting My changes in your life. It is one thing that will be constant until Christ’ return. So, why all the transition and change in our lives? We are being changed into the image of Christ…. We are much like a Butterfly in their Life Cycle The butterfly and moth develop through a process called metamorphosis. This is a Greek word that means transformation or change in shape. Insects have two common types of metamorphosis. Grasshoppers, crickets, dragonflies, and cockroaches have incomplete metamorphosis. The young (called a nymph) usually look like small adults but without the wings. Stage ONE- THE EGG Eggs are laid on plants by the adult female butterfly. These plants will then become the food for the hatching caterpillars. Eggs can be laid from spring, summer or fall. Stage TWO - Caterpillar The Feeding Stage The next stage is the larva. This is also called a caterpillar if the insect is a butterfly or a moth. The job of the caterpillar is to eat and eat and eat. As the caterpillar grows it splits its skin and sheds it about 4 or 5 times. Food eaten at this time is stored and used later as an adult. Caterpillars can grow 100 times their size during this stage Stage THREE-The Transition Stage When the caterpillar is full grown and stops eating, it becomes a pupa. The pupa of butterflies is also called a chrysalis. The pupa of many moths is protected inside a cocoon of silk. This stage can last from a few weeks, a month or even longer. Some species have a pupal stage that lasts for two years. It may look like nothing is going on but big changes are happening inside. Special cells that were present in the larva are now growing rapidly. They will become the legs, wings, eyes and other parts of the adult butterfly. Stage Four- Adult: The Reproductive Stage The adult stage is what most people think of when they think of butterflies. They look very different from the larva. The caterpillar has a few tiny eyes, stubby legs and very short antennae. The adults have long legs, long antennae, and compound eyes. They can also fly by using their large and colorful wings. Remember: You and I are a piece of work. Please be patient with me. God is not through with me yet! I am a work in progress. Read: Genesis 12 12 Levels of Transition to Position for Abraham
8 Common Ways we Transition Today 1. Relocation to get us to a new source of provision and a new stream of resources 2. Financial changes and transitions –Matt.6:33 3. Health Challenges 4. Family issues 5. Spiritual warfare 6. Hard times (barrenness) miracles come 7. Visions and Dreams- struggles/challenges 8. Death (grief) in our lives (eternal perspective) What is the point of constant transition and change in our lives? It is found in the text: The Holy Spirit's Goal and work is That Christ BE Formed in Us! The apostle Paul described his work in this way: "My dear children, for whom I am again in the pains of childbirth until Christ is formed in you..." (Gal. 4:19). Paul’s work in the church at Galatia was to help Christ be formed in them. He worked so that Christ would live in them (Gal. 2:20), so that they would be more like Christ. Our goal, as a church, is to help Christ be formed in our congregations, in our brothers and sisters. It begins with the leaders, so people can imitate them, just as they imitate Christ (1 Cor. 11:1). They lead not just in words, but also in the example they set. We are all to be transformed by the renewing of our minds — conformed not to this world, but to the pattern of Jesus Christ (Rom. 12:2). This is spiritual formation — being shaped by the Spirit of Christ into what he wants us to be, using the gifts he has given each of us, doing the work he has given us, being instruments of righteousness as we submit our lives to him. Are you looking and acting like Christ everyday? Do YOU see the image of Christ in your life when you look into the mirror? Do others see Christ in you? Some of you have attitudes that need to have Christ' attitudes formed in your life. Some of you have tempers and you need Christ' temperament formed in you. Some of you never finish anything. Some of you are slow to obey. Some of you are very slow to change. Some of you have trust issues with God. Some of you have character flaws for sure. Some of you are undisciplined. Some of you are lazy and selfish. Some of you blame others for your issues. Some of you are fleshly and carnal. Some of you do not want to suffer or sacrifice for the sake of Christ. Some are bound to unforgiveness. Some are stuck in the past and can't move to the future. THIS ARE AREAS OF CHANGE AND TRANSFORMATION that are necessary in order to have Christ formed in us. "16 Ways We Are To Be Like Jesus Christ"
WE ARE YET A WORK IN PROGRESS UNTIL CHRIST RETURNS! BUT WHEN HE IS DONE WITH US WE SHALL BE HIS MASTERPIECE AND COMPLETE IN CHRIST JESUS! Let God have His Way in your Life! We were created to be conformed to the Image of God’s Son! |
As we enter 2013, one thing for sure
that will be consistent in our nation
and in every Christian's life is change
and transition.
Yes, we are constantly changing. Any
Christian that is resistant to change
and transition in their lives, will really
struggle until they learn to trust and
obey or surrender to God's Holy Spirit
and the work that He is called to do in
their lives. WE ARE A WORK IN
PROGRESS ALL OF OUR LIVES.
that will be consistent in our nation
and in every Christian's life is change
and transition.
Yes, we are constantly changing. Any
Christian that is resistant to change
and transition in their lives, will really
struggle until they learn to trust and
obey or surrender to God's Holy Spirit
and the work that He is called to do in
their lives. WE ARE A WORK IN
PROGRESS ALL OF OUR LIVES.
| 1. Watch for the signs. Just like there are road signs to warn us and direct us, there are signs in the lives of Christians as well. When a Christian is a "hot mess" and everybody knows it, this is the sign you will see on the road of life. So many believers are messy in word and deed. For sure they are a work in progress. Some of you are a hot mess! Nasty attitudes, negativity, always needy. 2. God has to totally strip us and demolish some things to get us where we need to be. This is a tough place to be, on the potters wheel, but it is necessary to allow God to smash us down to a lump of clay again and start again. This is what demolition looks like and feels like. 3.Some of us will go through multiple layers of change. God may be doing a work in one area of our lives and a totally different reconstruction in another. The Holy Spirit can work on our attitudes and mouths putting them under construction while redoing or reshaping or reconstructing another area in our lives. 4.God is going to allow delay and detour in order to get your attention. Sometimes things don't go smooth or as we planned. We can run into circumstances and situations that cause us to detour or delay. But we must learn that Christ can work within our detours and delays. Sometimes detours save your life. We must be sure that we are in line with God's detours and not following Satan's detours. 5.Sometimes we just have to go through by ourselves, and there is nothing to be said about it. God is at work. Stop complaining about what God is doing in your life. There will be times that there is no need to discuss what God is doing, but just yield to the work of the Spirit. We want to tell others, but sometimes God will have those around us to be quiet and let us go through the process. 6. Forgive me for the way I look and act. We need to repent to others for our behavior and even our hypocritical ways. We sometimes look a mess and sound off not as a Christian, but out of fleshy moods. We must be accountable for our actions, appearance and words. We must let the Holy Spirit perfect those things that concern us. |
