More change....

This morning I am still thinking about change...

I read a posting on my friend Sheila's blog (www.grac4me.blogspot.com) about change...and how it's not always good.

We (the Church and the world) are constantly trying to change God and His Word to match our sinful desires.

We are constantly trying to change other people to match our wants and our needs.

We are trying to become God instead of being His followers.

Here's some facts:

1. God's Word is God's Word - and it does not change. I get so tired of hearing that the Bible was written so long ago that it can't be meant to use for today's problems. A very wise man, King Solomon, said that there is nothing new under the sun (Ecclesiastes 1:9). The world was just as corrupt then as it is now...we fool ourselves into thinking we are so smart that we have different problems than "back then"...sorry, but the same perversions existed then as now, and they are all centered around the same sin...man thinking he knows more than God. God does not change, and neither does His Word. And no matter how much we try and fool ourselves, we will have to answer for all of it when we stand face to face with the Almighty God.

Now I'm not one of those KJV only folks, but I do believe that we need to be careful about how far "down" we translate the Bible. There are some versions out there today that take the meaning right out of the Scripture by "simplifying" it...we need to be very careful with God's Word.

2. We can't change other people...only God can. Our responsibility is to allow God to change us, and in those changes, others can see Him. When others see His work and Word in us, then they will see how He moves in each of our lives. But let's not be bad witnesses for our Saviour!

I had a discussion yesterday with someone about music. They asked me if I listened to country music and I told them no. When they asked why, I told them that I tried to surround myself with music that glorifies God. They told me that they had a CD of hymns by a particular country artist that they loved, and I told them I have a hard time listening to some of those folks singing hymns when I know that the meat of their living comes from singing about things that God hates. And not just country artists, but music in general...the lyrics are about everything that is against what God teaches us about good and holy living, and when they win an award for singing these songs, the first person they thank is God. That just doesn't make sense to me. But at the end of the conversation, they made the statement, "Wow...I never thought about it like that before". By God changing my heart, I could show someone else what He has done in me.


Please don't think I'm sitting here being judgemental about all of this...I'm not...I just want to challenge each one of us, including myself, that call ourselves children of the Most High God, to look at the things we spend our time and money on, and recognize those things that are against what God teaches us is holy, and right, and pure. God calls us to live holy lives and to belong completely to Him...I have found that getting as far away from the world as I can with music, and books, and television, and movies, and replacing those things with prayer, and Bible study, has given my heart a new look at what God has called me to be.

It's just what's on my mind this morning.