The Unchanging Changes Everything

“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.”
Hebrews 13:8

The time and space continuum was disrupted and it changed everything. The infinite creator of the universe and everything in it took on the form of one of His creatures and entered into a world limited by time and understanding. His only purpose in doing so was to change everything. That change continues to this very day.

In this week’s passage from the book of Hebrews is nestled among a series of exhortations as the book comes to a close. Jesus’s arrival into the world disrupted how everything had been done up to that point. Shepherds though considered outcasts by society, were lifted up and honored by getting the first birth announcement in a spectacular way. Jesus as the fulfillment of the law changed how the law should be viewed and followed. No longer what it a strict letter of the law kind of thing rather He focused people on the spirit of the law which at its simplest is to love God and love other. He changed what it looked like to go to the temple, he disrupted what everyone expected when they arrived there. Jesus changed the relationship be Creator and Creature. He changed how leaders where picked. He changed how people on the fringe – the tax collectors and a sinners were related to. Jesus changed hearts with love, compassion and grace. He changed the sacrificial system of the old covenant by laying down His own life for a new and everlasting covenant.

The ripples caused by Jesus’ entrance into the world millennia ago continue – His body on this planet – the people who have surrendered their lives to Him and make up what is collectively called the church – is always changing, growing, seeking to be more like Jesus every day.

Like the people of long ago we get set in our ways, we get comfortable in our skins and in our lives – sometimes we fail to continue to change. Jesus shook things up the entire time he was on the planet – that’s part of the reason the religious leaders of His day didn’t like Him – He was messing with the way things have always been done. Personally, I am glad that Jesus messed with the way things were always done, if he hadn’t I might not have had the opportunity to know Him, to call Him Lord – after all I am a gentile and a woman. But Jesus opened the way for all people who believe in Him, who have allowed Him to heal their souls and take away their sins to approach the very throne of God, as a child of the King.

I know change is hard, it means leaving things behind that are comfortable and seem safe. But that comfort and sense of security stunts the growth of our faith. It diminishes our need to rely on God to be with us always, being our strength when we are weak, our rest when we are weary, our comfort when we are overwhelmed with pain, our peace in the midst of life’s raging storms. We need change.

Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever – His sameness changes everything around Him, especially us and that my friends is a reason to worship God with all our hearts, minds and souls.

A Prayer
Father – Thank you for being unchanging in who You are. Thank you for changing everything else through the life of Your Son Jesus. Thank you that we do not have to stay stuck in the muck and mire of life. Thank you that above all else You want us to be constantly changing until we fully reflect Jesus. Help us to walk with others that need the amazing changes that Jesus and the Holy Spirit have for them. When it is time for us to change more be with us and send someone to walk with us. May we worship You every day for changing everything. In the name of Jesus, the unchanging One who changes everything – Amen.

We Belong to God

“But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.”
1 Peter 2:9

Pat Benatar’s old song We Belong has kind of been rolling around in my head lately. I say kind of because it’s really just a bit of it – mostly part of the chorus has been running through my head. Perhaps you are familiar with it “We belong to the light, we belong to the thunder, we belong together.” Doesn’t that sound like the relationship we should have with God?

In this week’s passage Peter reminds us that we have been chosen, that we are a people who belong to God and that our job is to praise the One who called us into His wonderful light. Personally, I love that I belong to God, it gives me peace to know that I belong in His kingdom especially during times when I might feel like I don’t belong anywhere else. Do you ever feel like you don’t belong, that you are alone and maybe wandering in the dark?

Jesus’ life, death, resurrection and ascension makes the way clear for us to belong to God, when we acknowledge the sin sickness of our souls and our need for the saving grace offered to us by Jesus. Once the decision has been made to turn from our worldly ways in favor of Kingdom living – God’s wonderful promises surround us, supporting us even in the midst of some of the terrible storms that life on this planet throws at us. In the opening verses of John’s Gospel, John tells us that Jesus who is God had brought His light into the world and it is a light so bright, so pure and so powerful that the growing darkness of this world will not snuff it out. So when dark situations descend on our lives, as we stand on His promises and rely on Him – His light will prevail bringing us peace, comfort and a profound sense of belonging.

With this sense of belonging comes purpose and responsibility. Peter says we are members of a royal priesthood, that means we are called to care for one another and for those around us who are on the fringe of the community – people who need a place to belong.

All of this leads us to a place where the praise of God, His light, His Kingdom and His saving grace should just flow freely from the very center of who we are and who we are becoming.

I belong to the light, I belong to the thunder, I belong to God. Do you belong to God? Let him choose you so we can belong to God together.

A Prayer
Father – Thank you for sending Your Son into the world as the Light of the world. Thank you that His life, death, resurrection and ascension opens the way for us to belong to You. Show us the places in our lives that need to be healed of sin sickness. Healed may we be counted worthy to be part of Your royal priesthood. Help us to love one another and the people around us the same way You have loved us. May our praises for you ever be on our lips. In the name of Jesus, who paid the price so we can belong to God – Amen.

Another Life

“I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”
Galatians 2:20

I do not hide the fact that I enjoy playing computer games. Generally speaking, I prefer Hidden Object games – because of the art, the story, the music and the exercise they give my brain. But there isn’t always time to play that sort of game so I frequently play Match 3 games on Facebook. I like these because they can be played fairly quickly and usually I have a friend or two playing as well. These games can be played quickly in part because you have a limited amount of “lives” to play with. Once you have used up the standard five lives, you either have to wait for them to recharge or you can ask friends to give you one. As I was playing one of these games it reminded me of a Bible verse – well because it just works that way in my head.

In Genesis God created man and woman and all the other creatures. That first man and woman were meant to live eternally in pure relationship with God. The world that God had created was peaceful and perfect. Then a talking snake convinced the woman that she could be like God – that was all it took for selfishness to enter the world. The one incredible life in the amazing world that God had made was destroyed. The snake said they wouldn’t die – but he didn’t specify what that meant. No they didn’t die physically. They died spiritually and relationally. In making that one selfish choice the whole world was thrown into chaos – it was no longer peaceful and perfect.

A bit later God made His first attempt at restoring His creation – destroy it all except one family and a ship load of animals. It helped but unfortunately that seed of selfishness was even in the hearts of that one saved family. Plan A didn’t work. It would take generations for Plan B to be set in motion and there will be no Plan C.

Between Plan A and Plan B many lives would be lost, some came to violent ends, some lived to be very old. One prophet got a go directly to paradise card and skipped the whole dying part. Plan B presented mankind with an option to get a new life and a restored relationship with the Creator of everything. A life that can have peace in the midst of the chaos, a life that can live eternally in relationship with God. That new life, given as a gift that we can each chose to accept or deny. That is what Paul is talking about in this week’s passage.

Christ died that we might live. When we accept by faith the gift of new life that the crucified and resurrected Christ offers, we grant permission for Him to remove from our hearts and souls those seeds of selfishness that separate us from God. We get another life even as we continue to live in the bodies we have. It’s a new, eternal life where Christ lives in us and we live in Him.

If you are a follower of Jesus and still struggle with selfishness that is keeping you from abundant kingdom living here and now – let His Spirit work in you in new way, surrender those areas of your life you are still holding onto. If you are not a follower of Jesus and weighed down by the choices you have made in your life – call out to Him, ask Him to make Himself known to you in a way that your faith will explode and He’ll give you another life – one that will never run out and will give you the strength you need to be an overcomer.

Computer games are fun but they can’t change your life. Following Jesus is amazing because He’ll give you another life – one that won’t end.

A Prayer
Father – help us to live the words of your servant Paul, to say with assurance We have been crucified with Christ, we no longer live our selfish lives but that Christ lives in us. Thank you for giving us another life, one that takes us back to the beginning, back to the way we were supposed to live – eternally in relationship with You. Give us the strength, courage and wisdom to invite others to let Jesus give them another life. In the name of Jesus, who laid down His life so we could truly live another life – Amen.