CHANGE
Someone once said, “There is nothing permanent in life but change, but the only one who likes change is a wet baby”. Two hundred years ago doctors did surgery without anesthesia and ministers preached that the pain was a God ordained part of life. Freedom from pain would come only in heaven, and it would be immoral to devise dangerous ways of avoiding it on earth. A Christian surgeon named James Simpson was determined to change this so in 1847 he used chloroform to render patients unconscious before surgery. When challenged in Church he quoted “and the Lord caused a deep sleep to fall on Adam and he slept and God took one of his ribs and closed up the flesh in its place” Gen.2:21. Thus the birth of anesthesia—thank goodness for that change.
The guy on the TV show Monk said, “I have no problem with change, I just don’t want to be there when it happens”. Tolstoy said, “everyone wants to change the world, but no one wants to change themselves”. If you did change, people would be suspicious. The story goes that a husband decided to change his ways so he left the office early to buy flowers and candy then went home and rang the front door bell. When his wife came to the door, he said, “Honey I love you so much”. She burst into tears and said, “First Junior broke his leg, then your mother called to say she is coming to stay with us for 2 weeks, then the washing machine broke down, and now you have to come home drunk”.
Even our language is changing, I saw an article that said if Shakespeare came back today he would understand only five of every nine words spoken. Listening to my son’s rap music, I can’t understand near that many. Webster’s publishes an addendum every 5 years with about 6000 new entries.
Wednesday I was amazed at a change I never would have believed. I went to Dallas Seminary to do some research and lo and behold, they have a Starbucks at DTS—shocking.
Nevertheless, there is one thing that never changes. It is timeless, eternal, and immutable-the inspired Word of God. Somebody told me that Congress has passed thousands of laws trying to improve on the Ten Commandments but they never will. Even though the Word of God never changes, it will change you in at least two ways:
- The Spirit of God uses the Word of God to change you from the inside out. “As Christ was raised from the dead…so we too might walk in newness of life” Rom. 6:4 and “if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation, the old has gone, the new has come” 2Cor.5:17
Every day presents its challenges, but the Spirit is always working in us to guide us, teach us, and convict us. We want to grow spiritually and God has promised “to conform us to the image of His Son”.
- From the Old Testament to the New, the Bible is pointing toward a particular day of immense changes. People go about their business from day to day complacently expecting more of the same. It escapes their notice that God has appointed a time in which He will right all wrongs, straighten out all that is crooked, and put an end to this violent, corrupt world. Even now, the heavenly host patiently waits for that day when Jesus will come back. At that time they will sing, “Hallelujah, salvation and glory and power belong to our God because His judgments are true and righteous”. Jesus taught many parables about looking forward to that day and being faithful.
The book of Revelation is an important guide to these changes. John wrote the last book in our Bible to an audience that was being persecuted. They needed hope and John’s message gave it to them. Appearances were deceiving, the worldly powers appeared to be winning and having their way with God’s people. Jesus wanted them and us to know there will be a day of reckoning, so be patient, be faithful and look forward to that day when Jesus and His teachings will be vindicated. Therefore the faithful will live today based on that day—the “day of the Lord”
CHARLIE TAYLOR
