16 May 10
· Transition = a period of time between two seasons or phases in your life
· Natural Transitions – seasons of weather, seasons of life
· Walking with God involves transitions – processes and times of change
· God is concerned about the process –it brings about His purpose in our life – maturity, repositioning
· When God brings us through transitions:
i. He informs us of an season of change (listen)
ii. He requires we change old mindsets, paradigms and ways of doing things
iii. He calls us to be strong and courageous to journey
Courage - No fear, strength of God to face fears ad change
· Transitions bring pressures, uncertainties, fears, and surface what is in your heart
· Key things we must recognize and overcome during transitions (Giants)
(i) Bitterness, resentment, offense, judging
(ii) Fear that paralyses and seeks control
(iii) Murmuring and complaining – what w do with our voice
(iv) Giving birth to an Ishmael – plan of own making
· Israel was an example 1 Cor 10:6,11 – transition from Welfare to Warfare
· Change the way you think, an inside change. Other people get affected by the way we handle our transitions
· Se things from God’s perspective: He’s got blessing in mind
· You have the power over how you respond in a situation; you don’t have power over the situation.
· Have a mentality of faith, courage and perseverance
Ex 6:1-11 Israel came to the wilderness of sin = Thorny, a thorny place
God is a God who provides. Complaining has been mentioned four times. What comes out of the mouth reveals our heart attitude = the heart responds to a difficult situation. This doesn’t come out in good times but in bad/difficult times.
· They had experienced lack of water – bitter waters
Revelation God is a healer – abundant waters
· Now they experience lack of food – transition pressure and uncertainty
· Responses of Israel vs 2-3 Heart Attitude
(i) Bitter judging – “You have bought us to this wilderness to kill us”. Deep bitterness of heart
(ii) Complaining = “The whole congregation of Israel complained against Moses. A heart attitude expresses against people.
· 3885 = to stop overnight, to lodge, to stay permanently, to complain
· Dictionary = to find fault, to protest against something, judged wrong, to make accusation
· Against = in opposition to, hostile to, resistant to
· They positioned themselves in opposition to and critical of Moses
(iii) Accusation/critical spirit - “You have brought us here into this wilderness to kill us”
(iv) Bitter resentment and despair – “Oh that we had died by the land of the Lord in Egypt”
· They judged God – and expressed the bitter judgments against God and against self
· Death wishes are rooted in bitter judgments against God and against self
· Their words were full of emotional manipulation and attempts to control
3. Your Heart determines how you see people and circumstances:
Prov 17:20
“He that has a deceitful heart finds no good”
· Deceitful = 6141 =distorted, twisted, crooked, perverted
· The way we see and interpret life is strength to the filters and beliefs of the heart
· If we have a heart that is bitter and judgmental we will have a critical eye
Matt 7:1-5
“Remove the plank from your own eye and you will see clearly”
· Judge = 2919 == to make a judicial decision, to call into question the motives, to be of an opinion, to pronounce judgment and sentence
· Judging opens the door to much suffering and pain
· It is not just what we experience, it is how we see and interpret that experience that impacts
· Let the issues come up and God will help you deal with it.
· Luke 6 What goes around comes around
· A judge set himself higher that other people and also higher than God
· Why? = enter into judgment, question God’s motives, then come to conclusions
· Not ‘why?’ but ask ‘How?’ can I handle this.
· Stones and rocks surface when pressure comes up
· Your heart determines how you see and interpret life = how you respond
· People with a low esteem or value are full of judgments – they want to know why
· Judge = You know why someone did something
· Identifying what someone did, is not judging, it is just an observation. Concluding why someone did something is judging them
Jam 4:11
“Do not speak evil one of another, he who speaks evil of a brother and judging his brother...”
Rom 14:10
“Why do you judge your brother?”
Matt 7:1-5 Insights:
· When we decide why someone did something we are judging them
· When we judge others we set ourselves above them as God (pride)
· When we judge other we cannot see clearly – our view of life is changed
· When we judge others we become focused on what is wrong with them
· When we judge others we cannot see or deal with the issue of our own heart
· When we judge others we reap increasing judgment in our own life
· Judging leads to:
Faultfinding Torment Self-righteous Criticism
Justifying self Manipulate Controlling Offence
Religious Pharisaical behavior Bitterness
John 12:47
“I did not come into the world to judge the world but to save the world”
· We cannot fix people or change them, we must love and serve them so the Spirit and life of Christ is manifested through us
· Times of transition/pressure will surface what is in our hearts
Example of Jesus:
Mk 6:41
“When He had taken the five loaves and two fish He looked up to heaven”
· Jesus had every right to feel resentful, pressured by the needs of people and their demands
How did He respond?
(i) He opened His eyes to God’s perspective:
· “Looked up” = to recover sight that was lost Lk 4:18
· Heaven is full of abundance, there is not lack and pressure in heaven
· We are called to bring heavens resources into earths lacks by faith
· Open your eyes to God’s perspective for that person or situation. Look up to God and open your eyes to the bigger picture.
(ii) He focused on God’s Goodness and Love - Jn :19
· Whatever you focus upon grows greater in your life
· If focused on negatives then they captive your heart
· We are changed as we focus on the Glorious Person of God – who He is!
· See heavens provision. Speak blessing. Bring heaven to earth. It’s a choice
(iii) Resolve bitter judgments /offenses by forgiveness and repentance:
Mk 1:15
“The Kingdom of heaven is at hand repent and believe”
· Repent of patterns of judgment and harboring offences, resentment and anger
(iv) Speak blessing over people and circumstances:
Mk 6:41
“He blessed, broke and gave”
· Blessed = 2127 = to praise, celebrate with praise, speak well of, release grace
(v) Expect the Spirit of God to move on the people and situations
Jesus didn’t come to judge anyone
We are called to represent Him not judge others
We are not called to fix people, we are called to love them.