September 2009
(Note: Pastor's Pen is published on a monthly basis)
“Jesus Christ, the same yesterday,
and today, and forever” (Hebrews 13:8, KJV).
This is one of my favorite scriptures because I can count on Jesus Christ to never change! He is our Rock, our Stabilizer, our Compass, our Sure Foundation, our Road Map, our GPS, our Shelter in the storms of life, our Healer, and our Redeemer; He is our past, our present and our future! He will never, never change! That is Gospel! What an exciting path we walk when we walk hand in hand with Him through this life.
Here it is September! Summer has swiftly come to a close; soon the grass will not have to be watered or mowed as often, and warmer clothing will appear in the malls because the very elements will be changing. Change is in the air. Children have started back to school and families are back from summer vacation. This is the beginning of Northwest’s fiscal year. Sunday School students and Kids Clubs have had their promotions, high school graduates have started college or jobs, college graduates are discovering a whole new way of living. It is so exciting for each of them to move up to the next level of teaching and learning. Making new friends and relationships, they are changing right before our eyes! Change is going to happen—we cannot stop it!
Change is good! It is not a bad thing, but it is almost always stressful, especially if we are fearful of the unknown. Some people think, “Change is good most of the time as long as it doesn’t happen to me!” Women are great proponents of change; men most of the time rebel until they have a chance to slip into it slowly, feel it, see that it really works, and get accustomed to it. We often resist change; it is our nature because all change requires a certain “death” on our part if we are to embrace the future, and give up our comforts of the past. We are naturally creatures of habit. Change is the only thing we can be sure of except for Jesus Christ; He will never change (Heb 13:8).
I believe God instigates change; He especially likes it when we change. As we change for the better we become like Him in action, word and deeds. If we are to be like Him someone is going to have to change. Guess who that will be? That’s correct, you and me! If Christ is to live within us we are to conform to His image and that means daily change!
I believe change is exciting and adventurous! I feel change in the air for Northwest! The Spirit is moving in every service and people are changing! There have been at least six teens filled with the Holy Spirit this past summer, and countless saved in NW’s outreach ministries and around our altars. I am looking forward to new ministries being birthed every week as we conform to Christlikeness. Are you changing? Are you conforming to this world or to Christ’s image? Nothing is for sure in this life except Jesus Christ and our continual change. That we can count on. “Mold me and make me” is a strong encouragement of change. I want to change continually for His glory. Expect something wonderful to happen and it will!
Love and prayers,
~ Pastor Roberts
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