Change

Especially when circumstances are challenging and there is a strong desire for provision, deliverance, significance, and healing, this is seen as a need for change, for a transition into a life where those things are reality. With a focus on that desired change, it can often seem that winning the lottery, getting a lucky break, or happening upon a great deal are all that is needed to experience that change. If things were only altered, then life could change for the better. If only there was a better heritage, environment, position, or social status, then everything would be enhanced. However, if there is only an adjustment in these things alone, they can quickly come and go with no evidence they were ever there as far as lasting change goes. For real change to transform a life it must begin with a change of identity. Change from poverty to wealth begins with seeing oneself as no longer that person that must do without, but the one who has more than enough. This is because there are several changes in lifestyle, attitude, and habits that will enable the transformation. Until self is seen as someone who possesses riches, one will never take the necessary steps to rise in financial worth. Even the influx of a large amount of money will be lost to the one who hasn’t acquired the identity and understanding of the wealthy. Lottery winners consistently return to whatever level of financial status they had before the lucky break. While identity is the first step in knowing change, though, it must also be followed with the diligence, work ethic, understanding, and faithfulness of someone who possesses that identity. Identity without accompanying actions will only produce unresolved ambition.

At New Life Church there is a phrase we like to proclaim that describes what happens when we come together. “This is the place where everything changes!” We believe that where the glory of the Lord is, there is provision that will affect every part of life with our heavenly relationships. It’s necessary to understand what this phrase is fully describing, though. While there is power to supernaturally provide, heal, and deliver, these demonstrations of God’s goodness are not all that will bring a true change in life. Just acquiring some thing from God without also identifying as someone who is united with Him in all of life disables any ongoing life change. Until it is no longer “I” that lives, but Christ that is living, the ways for His provision and goodness to be experienced are abandoned for that old way that has no hope of change. When we become a new creation in Christ, the old passes away, making way for the new patterns, attitudes, and passions that actually produce the real change. For the one identifying with Him, every aspect of life will be affected by consistent and progressive adjustments as every thought and movement begin to yield the desired change of someone identified with Him.

Notes

Change – the transformation of circumstances with desired improvements and betterment.

New Life Church – WHERE EVERYTHING CHANGES!

How is the change made to everything?

Revelation

Demonstrations of power/ability
Information
Accepted identity
Actions that produce the change

A breakthrough of power with a breakto of identity yields a life that’s new in change.

For some previous lottery winners, snagging the jackpot didn't change their lives for the better.

Before they won a $2.76 million lottery jackpot in 2005, Lara and Roger Griffiths, of England, reportedly never argued. Then they won and bought a million-dollar barn-converted house and a Porsche, not to mention luxurious trips to Dubai, Monaco, and New York City. Media stories say their fortune ended in 2010 when a freak fire gutted their house, which was underinsured, forcing them to shell out for repairs and seven months of temporary accommodations. Shortly after, there were claims that Roger drove away in the Porsche after Lara confronted him over emails suggesting that he was interested in another woman. That ended their 14-year marriage.

William “Bud” Post won $16.2 million in the Pennsylvania lottery in 1988, but he was $1 million in debt within a year. "I wish it never happened," Post said. “It was totally a nightmare.” A former girlfriend successfully sued him for a third of his winnings, and his brother was arrested for allegedly hiring a hit man to kill him in the hopes he'd inherit a share of the winnings. After sinking money into family businesses, Post sank into debt and spent time in jail for firing a gun over the head of a bill collector. "I was much happier when I was broke," he said, The Washington Post reported. Bud lived quietly on $450 a month and food stamps until his death in 2006.

Outward change is a destination, not an event. It comes from the developed response to an inward change brought on at the moment of revelation.

Without identity change there could be no movements of change.

Exodus 6:1-9 (NLT) 1 Then the LORD told Moses, “Now you will see what I will do to Pharaoh. When he feels the force of my strong hand, he will let the people go. In fact, he will force them to leave his land!” 2 And God said to Moses, “I am Yahweh—‘the LORD.’ 3 I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob as El-Shaddai—‘God Almighty’—but I did not reveal my name, Yahweh, to them. 4 And I reaffirmed my covenant with them. Under its terms, I promised to give them the land of Canaan, where they were living as foreigners. 5 You can be sure that I have heard the groans of the people of Israel, who are now slaves to the Egyptians. And I am well aware of my covenant with them. 6 “Therefore, say to the people of Israel: ‘I am the LORD. I will free you from your oppression and will rescue you from your slavery in Egypt. I will redeem you with a powerful arm and great acts of judgment. 7 I will claim you as my own people, and I will be your God. Then you will know that I am the LORD your God who has freed you from your oppression in Egypt. 8 I will bring you into the land I swore to give to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. I will give it to you as your very own possession. I am the LORD!’” 9 So Moses told the people of Israel what the LORD had said, but they refused to listen anymore. They had become too discouraged by the brutality of their slavery.

With identity revelation comes necessary movements towards change.

Exodus 12:35-42 (NLT) 35 And the people of Israel did as Moses had instructed; they asked the Egyptians for clothing and articles of silver and gold. 36 The LORD caused the Egyptians to look favorably on the Israelites, and they gave the Israelites whatever they asked for. So they stripped the Egyptians of their wealth! 37 That night the people of Israel left Rameses and started for Succoth. There were about 600,000 men, plus all the women and children. 38 A rabble of non-Israelites went with them, along with great flocks and herds of livestock. 39 For bread they baked flat cakes from the dough without yeast they had brought from Egypt. It was made without yeast because the people were driven out of Egypt in such a hurry that they had no time to prepare the bread or other food. 40 The people of Israel had lived in Egypt for 430 years. 41 In fact, it was on the last day of the 430th year that all the LORD’s forces left the land. 42 On this night the LORD kept his promise to bring his people out of the land of Egypt. So this night belongs to him, and it must be commemorated every year by all the Israelites, from generation to generation.

For everything to change, every pattern and way must be affected with identity and Spirit steps.

What we have in Christ starts off with the change of identity that will produce a change of circumstances when it learns to be what is characteristic of the identity.

John 3:6-7 (NLT) 6 Humans can reproduce only human life, but the Holy Spirit gives birth to spiritual life. 7 So don’t be surprised when I say, ‘You must be born again.’

It’s in the steps that change is attained.

Psalms 37:23 (NLT) 23 The LORD directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives.

It’s in the “things” that the “new” is attained.

2 Corinthians 5:17 (NKJV) 17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.

With revelation of identity comes Spirit driven steps of change.

2 Corinthians 3:12-18 (NKJV) 12 Therefore, since we have such hope, we use great boldness of speech— 13 unlike Moses, who put a veil over his face so that the children of Israel could not look steadily at the end of what was passing away. 14 But their minds were blinded. For until this day the same veil remains unlifted in the reading of the Old Testament, because the veil is taken away in Christ. 15 But even to this day, when Moses is read, a veil lies on their heart. 16 Nevertheless when one turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. 17 Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. 18 But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.