Making Right Choices in Transition
Written by Brigitta Tedja
Watch full sermon here
Our Senior Pastor, Paul Tan, moved powerfully in the giftings of the Holy Spirit throughout his sermon, giving prophetic words to several people, ministered to many during an altar call after his sermon, and blessed many of those who were present.
God has an appointment for each one of us. Those appointments for us will erase all our past disappointments. God will synchronize your wisdom, experience, gifts, talents and show you that you have a purpose in this life. He will show you the destiny for your life. This is the time and season in knowing why you were born for such a time as this. It is time for you to make the right choices. Pastor Paul shared Ps. Jim Kilmartin’s background and how he made the right choices and he is now being used in miracles, signs, and wonders. Ps. Kilmartins’s Church also share the theme of “Arise and Shine” and is currently discussing transition in his Church as well. He will be ministering to CBC LA next weekend.
We continue with the series of “Advancing Through Transition” with Pastor Paul’s sermon entitled, “Making Right Choices in Transition.” When God makes an appointment with you, do not miss that appointment and do not miss your transition moments. Sometimes transition is disguised in the words, “work” and “process.” You will see that God is bringing you through the journey. You will get to see the end result, but in the meantime, you allow the process to take place.
1 Kings 19:19-21, NKJV
“So, he departed from there, and found Elisha the son of Shaphat, who was plowing withtwelve yokes of oxen before him, and he was with the twelfth. Then Elijah passed by him and threw his mantle on him.
20 And he left the oxen and ran after Elijah, and said, "Please let me kiss my father and my mother, and then I will follow you." And he said to him, ‘Go back again, for what have I done to you?’
21 So Elisha turned back from him, and took a yoke of oxen and slaughtered them and boiled their flesh, using the oxen's equipment, and gave it to the people, and they ate. Then he arose and followed Elijah, and became his servant.”
In this story, you can see the transition of ministry between the older to the younger generation. We know how Elijah and Elisha met, we know their beginning, and we know the genesis of their relationship. Elijah was a powerful prophet who performed eight miracles and was often quoted by others, and the result was that Elisha received a double-anointing. During his life, Elisha performed fifteen miracles and after he passed, a deceased individual was thrown on Elisha’s grave and was raised to life, completing the miracles to sixteen in number, double what Elijah performed.
It is nice to read Elisha receiving a double-portion anointing, but the process took him ten years. All of our destiny moments are direct results of our choices. Delay is not denial. Delay is God’s process. He wants to mold us and we must make the right decisions during our transitions in life. We need to respond to the moments, even in the small things, we must remain faithful. The decisions made in the opportunities determines what the outcome is. Make the right choice during times of transitions. Pastor Paul shared about the story of a man wanting to learn from an older successful and influential man. The young man learned that the secret of his success is to be wise. To be wise, you must make the right choices and to make the right decisions. The older, successful man responded that he learned to make the right choices because he made wrong decisions but learned from them.
Joel 3:14 “Multitudes, multitudes, in the valley of decision! For the day of the LORD is near in the valley of decision.”
Pastor Paul saw many who are in the valley of decision, in the crossroads, but in the crossroads, God will lead us. We need to make the right choices. Pastor can preach, but it is up to us to make the right choices. We need to make the choice to be joyful, to not be angry, and choose to receive and believe in the peace of God. There are those who do not have the peace of God and they have been unbearable at times. You will go through the tough seasons, but Pastor Paul saw many who are smiling and giggling. When you pass the storm, the joy of the Lord is already prepared for you. Make a choice to receive and believe.
1. What You Choose Reveals What You Prioritize
The reason God provided us with a choice is because our choices reveal our priorities. God wanted Adam and Eve to make a choice, that is why He put two trees in the Garden; The tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. You can determine your priority. If you do not have a choice, then you only have “an only” and if you only have “an only”, you cannot have a first. God can never be the first if you do not have a choice.
Elisha’s father was a very rich man. Elisha plowed with twenty-four oxen which described him coming from a wealthy family, that Elisha was physically strong, and he was plowing (active) and faithfully doing what his father asked him to do. If you want a successful transition in your life, you not only need to understand the beginning, but be faithful in the process, and you will receive the outcome you desire. Make the right choice. Elisha was actively serving, working, and ministering. When an individual plows with oxen, residue from the oxen can easily cover the individual. Elisha served Elijah as his servant for ten years, he stayed true to his choice and allowed the process to take place.
Everybody desires certain outcomes but not everybody gets there. You need to make the right decisions along the way so that you can receive the outcome you want. To desire to become a successful person, prior to retirement, you must embrace the process and do the work.
Potential can never be revealed until process is embraced. The word “potential” can be a positive or negative word, it depends on where you are. As a twenty-year-old, having potential is positive but if you are forty-years-old, the word “potential” can bring you to tears. As you reflect, you ask yourself, “What have I done? Have I made the right choices during the transitions in my life?” What would happen in your life if you quit asking God for what you want and start asking God what He wants for you? At times, we just copy dreams from others, but we each have our own portion, our own purpose. Since God has a great plan for you, ask God to show you what He wants you to become instead of dictating Him to fulfill your dreams and desires.
Deuteronomy 1:6-7a
“… You have dwelt long enough at this mountain. Turn and take your journey …” NKJV
“… You have stayed long enough at this mountain. Break camp and advance … “ NIV
“… You have been going around in circles in these hills long enough; go north.” MSG
“… You have stayed long enough at this mountain. Turn and set your journey and go!” NASB
The word “stay” in Hebrews is “yashab” which means that you have sat down, dwelt, remained, and settled long enough. Another word is “married”, you have been married to your stagnancy and passivity. This word is strongly for you, Church!
There was a word from an intercessor regarding a large net capturing unproductive and ensnaring thoughts as the congregation worshiped Jesus deeper and making Him Lord over all. He is Lord over all hesitations, regrets, failures, unrealized dreams, and disappointments. This word is for you, Church. Some of you have dwelt long enough, stayed long enough, going in circles long enough, sat down long enough, and you have become frustrated. Because of that, you can live today and can still think of your past OR you live today and focus on things of the future. It is a choice that you have to make. You can live today but still think of the past disappointments, hurt, boredom, failures, and low self-esteem. You hide in that because you are comfortable because thinking of the future makes you uncomfortable. God is going to bring you into a new season so you need to break it. Make a choice to live today and think about the future.
God has a great plan for you. He is in the business of redeeming you and He will restore you to what He intended you to be. The enemy is trying to deceive you because you have dwelt long enough in that condition and you think that it is normal, but it is NOT of God and it is NOT normal. You need to humble yourself. Some of you pray unbiblical prayers asking God to humble you. God does not humble you, if He does, that would mean He would humiliate you. He is not in the business of humiliating anyone. You make the choice of humbling yourselves. Do not dwell in the past, do not entertain failure, fear, and doubt. God restores, lifts you up, and promotes you. Make the right choices through the seasons of transition.
>> There was a mighty and anointed time of ministry at the end of this sermon. <<
Prayer Points:
Pray to allow the process to happen
Delays are not denials; they are God’s way of processing us
Embrace the process
Pray to identify God’s appointments
Do not miss His appointments or transition moments
Pray to have the Holy Spirit journey with you
Pray to make the right choice/decision during times of transition
Our destiny moments directly correlate to our choices
Pray to choose and make God first—your priority
Pray to break the negative cycle, break the circular movements of your life, become “unstuck”
Pray and ask God what He wants of you instead of dictating what you want Him to do
Pray to live today and focus on the future
For those at a crossroads:
Worship Him, engage with Him, be quiet, listen to the voice of the Holy Spirit (still small voice)