Changing Times- Unchanging God

MESSAGE BY PASTOR RATAN

Snack for the Soul

Pastor Ratan Babu Baipa

January 4, 2023

A New Year, A New Season Begins today!

While people all over the world party, celebrate, and welcome the new year in the tune of the world, we as Christians should welcome in the tune of God who has granted us another year. In the new year, people look forward to new things. For many think days and season will change their lives and destiny. They expect all good and great to happen. Once Days and seasons are gone, we are back to the old. Now everything seems normal again. Bible says, there is a time for everything under heaven.

A Time for Everything | Ecclesiastes 3:1-8

1. For everything there is a season and a time for every matter under heaven:
2. A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted;
3. A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;
4. A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
5. A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
6. A time to seek, and a time to close; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;
7. A time to tear, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
8. A time to love, and a time to hate; a time for war and peace.

Seeing trends before they start

We are living in uncertain times!

Things can change overnight. People desperately looking for change and new things. This generation with all the technology is the most unhappy and unsatisfied generation of all ages. People are trying new things. We don’t like the old and the normal, the abnormal is the new normal and the normal and the good seem weird.

A man in Japan spends $16000 to turn himself into a dog, and now he feels insecure and unhappy. German-born Jessica, A 21-year-old girl, who spent more than $70,000 on cosmetic surgery in order to turn herself into a ‘human Barbie’, says she has been cut off by her entire family over the dramatic transformation. She spends the money her parents gave her to take driving lessons and uses for her surgery and feels very happy.

Living in relationships, couple swapping and all kinds of unhealthy relationships are approved, celebrated, and affirmed by the world. Because deep within man is not satisfied, empty, and rotten. There is an unending deep hole in the heart of man, and nothing seems to fill that void, because it’s a God-sized hole, which only God can fill it.

People are looking at what the world can offer them.

1 John 2:16 says, “For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world.”

While we look forward to this New Year, we are not certain about what it holds. Ralph Abernathy said, “I don’t know what my future holds, but I know who holds my future.”

As we enter the new year, let’s be assured that, no matter what God is Unchanging! While people change, governments collapse, inflation in the economy, wars, and death
Floods and drought, are unexpected events that take place in your life. God is unchanging.

1. GOD OF ALL AGES

Mal. 3:6 says, “For I am the LORD, I do not change;
Therefore you are not consumed, O sons of Jacob.

All through the Bible, God says, “do not fear-I am with You”. The God who was with Noah was the same God who was with Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and the next generations.

He comes to their time and again and reminds them of His covenant and assures them that He is with them. When my father passed away- God said, “I am your father, I am with You.” Isaiah. 41:10

Daniel was serving in the Babylonian kingdom, four powerful kings come and go away, but Daniel remains there still. It’s not Daniels’s greatness, but we see God’s unchanging nature, and that He is in control. Kings and rulers come and go, but God remains.

Paul says, in 1 Timothy 1:17
“To the King of the ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.”(ESV)

Hebrews 13:8 says,
“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.”

2. GOD OF ALL TIMES AND SEASONS

Our God is God who is in control of times and seasons. Joseph- went through different seasons in life. He was put in the pit by his own brothers, then Sold to Ishmaelites. The Ishmaelites sold Joseph to Potiphar in Egypt and went to Prison for a wrong he did not commit. But raised him from the prison to the palace.

Knowing our God is in control of times and seasons, we got to be patient and let God lead and drive us to our destiny.

Your time and season of promotion and prosperity will come. God will give you a breakthrough at the right time. He will restore to you all that you have lost and are supposed to have for your life. Joel 2:25 Says, “I will repay you for the years eaten by locusts—the swarming locust, the young locust, the destroying locust, and the devouring locust—My great army that I sent against you.” God will restore, repay, payback, recompensate, and make up for all that the enemy has destroyed and stolen. God says, “Be still and know that I am God”- (Psalm 46:10)

God promises in His word, “Yet God has made everything beautiful for its own time. He has planted eternity in the human heart, but even so, people cannot see the whole scope of God’s work from beginning to end.” (Ecclesiastes. 3:11)

You will experience God’s beauty in your life in this new year, but you got to trust in Him and let Him lead you to your destiny.

3.GOD OF THE EXTRA-ORDINARY THINGS

Our God is a God who does extraordinary things at the right time.

Isaiah 43:18,19 says,
“Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past.
Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.

Lamentations 3:22-23says,
The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.

We often look for fresh and new things, extraordinary things to happen in our life. God promises in His word that He gives fresh things to His children. The Israelites enjoyed Fresh Manna for forty years. He gave water from the rock. He made a way into the sea and they walked on dry ground. The same unchanging, God of all ages will do extraordinary things in your life.

God is with You, God is with me, God is with Us

Is.41: 10 fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. Do not be afraid, dismayed, fearful, anxious, terrified, do not wander, do not turn aside, do not look around

God will accomplish the His plans and purposes for your life.
Philippians 1:16 says,
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.

Get rid of every sin and look to Jesus!

Hebrews 12:1, 2 says,
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us.

We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne.

I leave you with this powerful and affirming scripture about the God who does extraordinary things.

Ephesians 3:20-21 (NKJV)

Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.