God determines the times and seasons

“It is God who alters the times and seasons, and he removes kings and promotes kings. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the discerning. “Daniel 2:21ISV

The sun and moon were created to give light to the earth, to separate day from night, and serve as signs to mark seasons, days and years. Time, is a temporary interruption in eternity. It is a commodity that can neither be bought nor sold. The only thing you can do with time is use it. If you don’t use it, you lose it. If time doesn’t work in your favour, it will work against you. Time and seasons are instruments of measurement, assessment, planning and perfection. Time is an effective tool in the hands of God in planning and executing his plans. In time, everything that has a beginning must have an end. If God did not create time and seasons, there will be no end to terror, sickness, disease, misfortune, misunderstanding, quarrels, poverty and illiteracy, failure and disappointment, corruption and wickedness. In fact, there will be no end to evil.

If the earth was designed to be like heaven – a timeless realm, then, there will be no end to evil and unpleasant circumstances, poverty, sorrow and sickness will never end. Nothing will change. Change is impossible in eternity. Anything in eternity stays on. Time is a temporary interruption in eternity. It is an instrument in measuring, assessing, planning and perfecting the inhabitants of the earth. In time, change is possible. Anything you don’t want, can be eliminated. In time, nothing is permanent – no condition is permanent. In time, a failure can become a success. In time, a child can become an adult. In time, the sick can become healed. In time, the imprisoned oppressed, afflicted can become delivered and reign in life. In time, what you cannot see in your today can be seen in your tomorrow. You can take advantage of time and seasons to change your circumstance and put in place what you long to see that is not in existence. Use time, don’t waste it. Redeem the time and don’t let it slip through your hands. Make most of every opportunity and don’t let your God given opportunities slip through your hands. Eph 5:16

Change is inevitable
Therefore the most powerful realities on earth are time and seasons. The most predictable truth on Earth is Change. Change is inevitable. Everything in Creation will change, nothing remains the same. Change is the greatest challenge of our time. One thing is certain, the scriptures make a distinction between the “temporal” and the “eternal.” Paul says that the things that are seen are “temporal” but the things not seen are “eternal” (2 Cor. 4:18). “Time” clearly does not relate to God and man in the same way. In describing God, the psalmist declares: “. . . from everlasting to everlasting, you are God . . .” (Psa. 90:2). Eternity is endless, but time is measured by a “beginning” and an “end.” The Bible commences with these words: “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth” (Gen. 1:1).

Over the last 3-4 years Christian Fellowship for Disabled Auckland has had a strong solid committee with Ges, Geoff, Jean, Ian, Mitchell, Vanessa and Viv. During that time we have had some amazing events and activities that may not have been the same as in previous years and with previous committees. This was due largely to the creative input of Vanessa Creamer who was on our committee for 11 years. That season of CFFD Auckland has now come to an end and we now are at the crossroads of change and a new season ahead for CFFD Auckland. So where to from here?

We now have 2 new committee members joining us: Blair Wooley and Bonnie Pascoe. This will obviously bring about a new dynamic to our committee and new creative ideas, input and events in the future.

There will inevitably be more changes to come with our committee and CFFD Auckland in the future. While we have run some amazing events in the past like Picnics, Pancake breakfasts and dances, one I remember where we had over 100 people come to a dance at Greyfriers, we cannot continue to be the same as a committee or as CFFD Auckland to be what we have always been and do what we have always done.

Philippians 3:13-14 New International Version (NIV)
Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

We need to look to the future of CFFD Auckland and seek God’s will for this ministry and the new things He has store for us.

For me personally God started speaking to me last year at a Church I visited in Wellington and a couple of times since then about 2015 being a new season and making some changes in my life. One of the changes in recent months has been leaving a large Church I was involved in for nearly 11 years and moving to a brand new smaller Church where I’m still involved in doing audio-visual like I was in my previous church. I have also moved to a new longer term more stable living situation at the beginning of this year.

Change is not always easy and I know some people don’t like change or find change to be different and scary. They would rather keep status quo and not rock the boat and keep things the same because “that’s the way we’ve always done it and we want to keep it that way”. Here’s the hard truth: If we don’t change, WE DIE. We need to change because if we don’t change, we don’t grow personally or in God or in God’s plan and will for our lives or for this ministry.

One example of this I read recently was Churches that are shrinking that keep some ministries in their Church going past their end date that have been going for 50 years but the ministries themselves have been pretty much dead and ended for the last 15 – 20 years, even if there is now only 2 or 3 people there to try and keep something going because it’s someone’s pet ministry instead of changing and letting that ministry die a natural death. An example here in New Zealand was the long running Parachute Music Festival which finished last year and now that it has died something new called Festival One run by another group has taken it’s place.

John 12:24 New International Version (NIV)
Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds.

What are we prepared to let lay down and die? What new seeds does God have in store for CFFD Auckland this next year and the next season ahead? God is doing a new thing and he has new things in store for us.

As CFFD Auckland and a committee as we look to the future and changes ahead we need to make sure that we keep Jesus at the centre of everything that we do and keep our eyes focused on Him and remember that although we change Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever. He has great and amazing things in store for CFFD Auckland. The best is yet to come.