HIGH TIME TO MAKE CHANGES? PARADIGM SHIFT.
By Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com (YouTube: Wade Hughes)
*THERE ARE TWO WORDS FOR TIME IN GREEK: CHRONOS --- CLOCK TIME; CHAIROS--- THE RIGHT TIME, GOD’S TIME.
*HIGH TIME: something that should have been done a long time ago, time to wake up and take action, now, almost too late, stay ready-prepared.
Romans 13:11 And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed. 12 The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light.
*PARARDIGM: (paer-e-daim, parr-e dyme) break the habits? The way you do things, the pattern, the model, method, standard, example, view point,
*PARADIGM SHIFT: a fundamental change in the approach or underlying assumptions, a new way of thinking, major change in how people think and do things.
I OFTEN HEAR, I PLAN ON GETTING IN CHURCH WHEN I GET EVERYTHING STRAIGHTEN UP. NOT SO, YOU GET INTO CHURCH THEN YOU HAVE A PARADIGM SHIFT. WHEN EVIL LIVES IN THE HEART, THE MOUTH WILL TELL… TO CHANGE THE MOUTH WE MUST CHANGE THE HEART.
Matthew 12:34 O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.
WHY DO I NEED TO CHANGE? I WANT A LIFE OF EASE?
As the farmer was leaving the barn, he forgot to put the lid on a gallon jar of sweet feed and grain. When the farmer turned out the lights and left there was a little mouse that could smell the sweet feed. The mouse searched and searched until he found the open jar. The mouse climbed on the shelf above the feed jar. Then the mouse jumped and landed in the top of the full jar. “Heaven” he thought. Many days the mouse lay in the jar. The life of ease was now his. No more hunting and searching for food. He would eat and sleep and sleep and eat. The little mouse was filled with joy and got very lazy, eating and napping. He was thankful his searching days were over. This life of ease is what he dreamed. The mouse got fatter and fatter and did not have to exercise any more. Slowly with time, the mouse could not see what was ahead. The gallon jar of sweet feed got lower and lower. Finally after many days, the mouse was at the bottom of the jar. There was no more food. The jar was empty. The mouse woke up to see this life of ease had become a trap. The free food was gone. No matter how high the fat mouse jumped, he was trapped in the bottom of the jar. He yelled and screamed for help, all he heard was an echo. There was no way out of this trap. He prayed the farmer would come and refill the jar. The farmer did not come. Now the fat mouse was totally dependent on external sources, he had lost his freedom. There was no way of escape. His life of ease came to the point he had no choices and his freedom to roam the barn was gone.
THE LESSON. 1. Short term pleasure can be very costly and become a death trap. 2. Seems what at first was a blessing became a terrible curse. 3. No effort exerted can make one fat and lazy. 3. Our comfort zone can become a trap and we don’t even realize it until we are doomed. 4. Life can so trap us that we become dependent. 5. Another lesson is if you don’t use your skills, you will lose them. 6. Real freedom can be expensive and cost us effort and exercise. 7. Easy life could become your death trap.
HOW EASY IS IT TO FOREVER STAY THE SAME? DO WE ACCEPT THE NORM OF IT IS EASIER TO STAY THE SAME? DO WE NEED TO SHIFT THE GEARS? WHAT WOULD WE CHANGE ONE MINUTE AFTER YOUR DEATH. SATAN SHIFTS GEARS: SHORTEN FOR GOD’S ELECT’S SAKE.
Matthew 24:22 And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened.
Time as we know it is temporary. The Bible warns us as we see the LAST DAYS or the END OF TIME we need to BE READY. Jesus warns us: HE WILL COME AS A THIEF IN THE NIGHT, when we least expect.
*I WILL TELL YOU WHEN YOU WILL CHANGE: YOU WILL CHANGE WHEN THE PAIN OF STAYING THE SAME BECOMES GREAT THAN THE PAIN OF CHANGE.
5 MINUTES AFTER DEATH, WE WILL WE CHANGE OUR PRIORITY SYSTEM? BODY? SOUL? SPIRIT? DO WE NEED TO HAVE A PARADIGM SHIFT IN OUR PRIORY SYSTEM?
3 John 1:2 Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.
Matthew 6:33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
MAN SAYS BODY, SOUL AND SPIRIT… GOD SAYS HIS PRIORTY SYSTEM IS SPIRIT, SOUL AND BODY.
1 Thessalonians 5:23 And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
THE PROBLEM OF THE HEART IS THE HEART OF THE PROBLEM. SOMETIMES BEING IN THE PIG PEN IS THE ONLY WAY YOU CAN SEEM TO LOOK UP. THE LESSON OF THE PRODIGAL SON SEES HE NEEDS A CHANGE OF HEART.
GIVE ME… I WANT IT ALL --- SELFISHNESS, SELF WILLED… GIVE ME!
Luke 15:12 And the younger of them said to his father, Father, give me the portion of goods that falleth to me. And he divided unto them his living.
PERHAPS SMELLING THE PIGS AND WAKING UP EMPTY SHOULD MAKE US TO DESIRE TO CHANGE. THERE COULD BE A SAD STORY IF WE LEARN TO LOVE THE STINK OF THE PIG PEN, FOREVER TRAPPED?
Luke 15:16 And he would fain have filled his belly with the husks that the swine did eat: and no man gave unto him.
17 And when he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my father's have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger!
CHANGE THE PATTERN --- SHIFT THE GEARS--- MAKE ME… NOT GIVE ME. I KNOW I NEED CHANGE.
Luke 15:19 And am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants.
I AM THE KING, CHANGE THE WHOLE WORLD BUT ME. HOW EXPENSIVE CAN A LESSON BE?
2 Samuel 11:1 And it came to pass, after the year was expired, at the time when kings go forth to battle, that David sent Joab, and his servants with him, and all Israel; and they destroyed the children of Ammon, and besieged Rabbah. But David tarried still at Jerusalem.
A VERY BOLD PREACHER CONFRONTS THE KING. DAVID’S HIDDEN, SECRET SINS ARE EXPOSED… CHANGE DAVID! CHANGE YOU WORDS, YOUR ATTITUDES AND YOUR DEEDS…
2 Samuel 12:7 And Nathan said to David, Thou art the man. Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, I anointed thee king over Israel, and I delivered thee out of the hand of Saul; 8 And I gave thee thy master's house, and thy master's wives into thy bosom, and gave thee the house of Israel and of Judah; and if that had been too little, I would moreover have given unto thee such and such things. 9 Wherefore hast thou despised the commandment of the LORD, to do evil in his sight? thou hast killed Uriah the Hittite with the sword, and hast taken his wife to be thy wife, and hast slain him with the sword of the children of Ammon. 10 Now therefore the sword shall never depart from thine house; because thou hast despised me, and hast taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be thy wife. 11 Thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will raise up evil against thee out of thine own house, and I will take thy wives before thine eyes, and give them unto thy neighbour, and he shall lie with thy wives in the sight of this sun. 12 For thou didst it secretly: but I will do this thing before all Israel, and before the sun.
DAVID TAKES OWNERSHIP OF HIS SIN AND KNOWS HE HAS TO HAVE A CHANGE OF HEART.
2 Samuel 12:13 And David said unto Nathan, I have sinned against the LORD. And Nathan said unto David, The LORD also hath put away thy sin; thou shalt not die.
DAVID HAS HIS BACK AGAINST THE WALL. DAVID SEES I CAN NOT CHANGE THE FACT OF DEATH, BUT I CAN CHANGE ME… BY CHANGING HIS WORDS, ATTITUDES AND DEEDS.
2 Samuel 12:16 David therefore besought God for the child; and David fasted, and went in, and lay all night upon the earth. 17 And the elders of his house arose, and went to him, to raise him up from the earth: but he would not, neither did he eat bread with them. 18 And it came to pass on the seventh day, that the child died. And the servants of David feared to tell him that the child was dead: for they said, Behold, while the child was yet alive, we spake unto him, and he would not hearken unto our voice: how will he then vex himself, if we tell him that the child is dead? 19 But when David saw that his servants whispered, David perceived that the child was dead: therefore David said unto his servants, Is the child dead? And they said, He is dead. 20 Then David arose from the earth, and washed, and anointed himself, and changed his apparel, and came into the house of the LORD, and worshipped: then he came to his own house; and when he required, they set bread before him, and he did eat. 21 Then said his servants unto him, What thing is this that thou hast done? thou didst fast and weep for the child, while it was alive; but when the child was dead, thou didst rise and eat bread. 22 And he said, While the child was yet alive, I fasted and wept: for I said, Who can tell whether GOD will be gracious to me, that the child may live? 23 But now he is dead, wherefore should I fast? can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he shall not return to me.
DAVID’S PARADIGM CHANGES. DAVID BECOMES A GOOD EXAMPLE OR PATTERN TO FOLLOW. DAVID PROVED HE HAD A SHIFTING OF THE GEARS IN LIFE, A PARADIGM SHIFT. DAVID WAS CORRECTABLE.
Psalm 109:4 For my love they are my adversaries: but I give myself unto prayer.
Acts 13:22 And when he had removed him, he raised up unto them David to be their king; to whom also he gave testimony, and said, I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after mine own heart, which shall fulfil all my will.
CONCLUSION: DO WE SEEK SELF-APPROVAL, MAN’S APPROVAL OR GOD’S APPROVAL. WE MUST DIG DEEP WELLS TO SUSTAIN US THROUGH THE SEASONS OF LIFE. The dry times and drought are part of life. To learn is a great tool in God’s tool box. Work hard, be ready and prepared. David learned God’s plan was better than his own plan. The trail of tears is very costly. Avoid the traps and pitfalls that can destroy your best plan. It is high time to focus on good, better and best. You can if you want to…
2 Timothy 2:15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
Matthew 22:29 Jesus answered and said unto them, Ye do err, not knowing the scriptures, nor the power of God.
His servant, Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com (YouTube: Wade Hughes)
