Things Change

Things are always changing. Some for better some for worse: the Gulf oil spill is still not cleaned up – affecting jobs, energy, food and wildlife; more people have been killed in the midst of war or terrorist activity. The Lakers and Celtics are at it again; coaching legend John Wooden died; and a Major League Baseball umpire admitted he blew a call that would have resulted in a perfectly pitched game – no hits, no walks, no errors.

God’s Word may seem at first glance to have little or no bearing or impact on the rest of the world – but it actually has everything to do with our part in it. Time is going by so quickly we can barely keep track – it seems only yesterday we were bringing Alexandra home from the hospital and now she is on the verge of high school graduation – time waits for no one - and if we are to navigate life fruitfully and for the glory of God we must have a solid grasp not on what is going on out there in the world, but on what is going on inside our souls, so that we might engage appropriately and not waste our life and be ready for our part in the world.

We have one objective rule for faith and practice and it is the Word of God, applied by the Spirit of God, amongst His people, for the glory of God. Matthew 9:14-17 shows us that Jesus initiates true change and inspires genuine devotion. We are so used to false claims of newness that is seems almost too good to be true. “New and improved” is often just “repackaged and slightly reformulated”; a new color or shape and a bit more sugar or other nutrient. “All New” is often just “re-branded version of old product”; the same insides with a new look on the outside. Jesus truly changes hearts and lives and brings about genuine transformation such that others see and experience the effects. He makes all things new (Rev. 21:5).