Change

angeMalachi 3:6,7. Hebrews 13:8

God is unchanging in His nature and character. God is not fickle. God is not moody. James1:17

1.Changes in the church. Avoid traditionalism (not traditions). Worshipping tradition. On the other hand, avoid thinking the only way to worship is the contemporary way. The important thing is that our hearts are right before God.

2. We need to hold things with a loose hand. We can sometimes give objects a permanence, so that we are devastated if something happens to them. But our possessions may get spoiled or damaged or stolen. Hebrews 10:34

Hold people with a loose hand.  Family and friends may shift location. Nothing can separate them from God’s love. Romans 8:38

A huge change that we all must face is getting older (eyesight and hearing etc are not so good), and even face the possibility of shifting into a rest home. Even though outwardly our bodies are failing, our spirits are being renewed each day (2 Corinthians 4:16).

We are inevitably separated from our loved ones by death. Have an attitude of releasing, not losing (John 14:2)

3. Learn to sway with the winds of change. Be flexible. That is the secret of the huge, strong trees. When the wind blows, they sway. They don’t fall over because their roots are firmly planted deep down in the soil. Is your life rooted in the Word of God, so that when the winds of change blow, you can move with it? Psalm 1:3
4. We need to keep changing in character to be more like Jesus. 1 John 2:6. Are the fruits of the Holy Spirit more and more evident in my life? Am I more patient and tolerant? We desperately need the power of Christ to change our lives, because if there is one thing that doesn’t change, it is basic human nature. Here is a quote about society: “Children no longer respect their parents. They contradict them, and they tyrannise their teachers.” You may think that someone said it about society last week. No, it was said by Socrates, nearly 2 ½ thousand years ago! There is a desperate need for the changing power of conversion. Deciding to follow Jesus is the greatest decision in your life. We need to follow Jesus because nothing we can do ourselves can bring us peace with God. It’s only what Jesus has done for us on the cross; He took our sin so that we can take His righteousness, and no longer is there a division between us and God. And then it’s a whole life-changing process until we meet Him in glory face to face. That’s why we sing with Charles Wesley: “Changed from glory into glory, till in heaven we take our place. Till we cast our crowns in glory, lost in wonder, love and praise.”