The Power to Change
Every year at New Springs there is always a theme that we follow. Our 2016 theme is simply entitled, THE POWER TO CHANGE.
It is a theme inspired by such texts as 2 Corinthians 3 v 18 which talks about each believer going through a constant process of change as a result of the Holy Spirit’s work. The expression used here in some translations of the bible is ‘being changed from one degree of glory to another’, or as the King James Version says ‘being changed from glory unto glory!’
The Living Translation puts the verse like this,
‘So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord – who is the Spirit – makes us more and more like Him as we are changed into His glorious image!’
Charles Wesley wrote about it in the last verse of his magnificent hymn ‘Love Divine all loves excelling’
‘Finish, then, thy new creation;
pure and spotless let us be; let us see thy great salvation perfectly restored in thee: changed from GLORY INTO GLORY
till in heaven we take our place,
till we cast our crowns before thee, lost in wonder, love and praise.’
As you know millions and millions of people every January make New Year resolutions. But did you know that according to statistics 97% of all resolutions are broken in the first ten days of January. Gyms and Leisure Centres must love new year, thousands of people enrolling and paying upfront costly fees for three, six and even twelve months ahead. They say Fitness Centre owners spell New Year
‘O P P O R T U N I T Y.’ They see it as their big opportunity in the year to cash in on people’s ‘good intentions’ knowing that most people’s so called ‘good intentions’ never last!
When it comes to change ‘will power’ on its own never seems to get the job done. The truth is most of us desire some kind of change in some area of our lives – some more than others! In fact, for many of us we know that we have got to change, we battle with certain areas of our lives that need urgent reform or refinement and areas that are anything but God honouring. You know areas we constantly beat ourselves up about.
As we minister into on our theme, ‘The Power to Change’, throughout the year we will discover and explore the resources that are already yours in Christ by which you can break free from those gripping patterns that have a hold on you.
God’s people should always be looking to improve, to change for the better, to become more like Jesus, the one whom we follow, live for, move in and have our being.
Throughout this coming year we are going to look at the power and purpose we can experience as God’s people as He changes us into the people He wants us to be. So there we have it ‘The Power to Change!’ the New Springs ministry theme for 2016 – enabling us to be changed from glory unto glory.