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Changes
July 28, 2012

So I'm starting a new school year and for the first time many years, have a new boss, and when you are the boss, you get to make changes. I want everyone to know that I'm fine with the changes my boss wants to make, because years ago when I took over my job with many people answering to me, I had to make changes so that things would be better for the children we serve in public education. As a person I have changed through the years. But, what about God? Does God change? We will find out that God does not change and what was important to him since the time of Adam is still important today and will be tomorrow.

Malachi 3:1-6
Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the LORD of hosts. But who may abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand when he appeareth? for he is like a refiner's fire, and like fullers' soap: And he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and he shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the LORD an offering in righteousness. Then shall the offering of Judah and Jerusalem be pleasant unto the LORD, as in the days of old, and as in former years. And I will come near to you to judgment; and I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, and against the adulterers, and against false swearers, and against those that oppress the hireling in his wages, the widow, and the fatherless, and that turn aside the stranger from his right, and fear not me, saith the LORD of hosts. For I am the LORD, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.

What Malachi was writing about is that before the return of Jesus, God will send a messenger to prepare his way, much like John the Baptist prepared the way for Jesus when he first came to earth. And When Jesus returns, it will be to purify humanity. Because God and Jesus are concerned with spiritual rather than physical matters, we know that this purifying has nothing to do with race or skin color. God and Jesus will purify that which is spiritual, and much that we see on planet earth is a result of lack of purity in spiritual matters. When all is purified, what is wrong in the world will go away and everyone will live in peace. The people will be happy and God and Jesus will be happy. And we know from these verses that some of what makes God and Jesus angry is when people practice sorcery, or witchcraft. But we know that there are issues with those that are married and cheat on their spouse, those that do not tell the truth, those who opress workers, the elderly, and orphans, and those who mistreat foreigners. And with all of this we are told that the Lord does not change. God and Jesus have very high standards of right and wrong and they always do right. They never change.

Hebrews 13:1-8
Let brotherly love continue. Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares. Remember them that are in bonds, as bound with them; and them which suffer adversity, as being yourselves also in the body. Marriage is honourable in all, and the bed undefiled: but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge. Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me. Remember them which have the rule over you, who have spoken unto you the word of God: whose faith follow, considering the end of their conversation. Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and forever.

The author of the Book of Hebrews ends this selection showing that Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. We know that this means Jesus does not change, and we can tell from the preceding verses some of what is important for us to consider. We need to have concern for each other like brothers and sisters would have for each other. While all brothers and sisters will fight from time to time, nobody challenges a brother or sister without dragging the other brothers and sisters into the fight. We have to remember to be kind to those we don't know. We shouldn't trust a stranger because that can be very dangerous. But in the course of a day if we happen to meet a new person, we can be nice to them even when we might not trust them. For instance, we would not leave and go anywhere with a stranger. We would not show or give a stranger the money we might have. But we can be polite to all people, including those who are strangers. I recently was walking my pet dog when a car pulled up to me with an out-of-state license and the people inside were strangers. I wasn't rude to them. But I did not trust them. They were lost and asked me if I could help them find an address of a friend they were visiting. I kept a safe distance from the car,and used my smart phone to find the street on an app. I would never have gotten in the car with them because even though they looked nice and polite, they could have been criminals. I was still able to be polite, and had they asked me to get in the car with them to show them, all I would have had to say was, "No, thank you," and this would have been a polite answer. We know that we can remember those in prison. If we are married, we need to remain faithful to our spouse. We need to be content with what we have. This doesn't mean from time to time we can't want something new. This just means we can't let this desire for something new make us jealous for it. We need to remember those who preach God's word who live a life that makes it plain to see they are committed to God and Jesus. Faithfulness is very important to God and Jesus in good times and bad times, and this does not change. The funny thing about the Bible is that while God and Jesus do not change, we must change, if we want eternal life.

Hebrews 12:1-3
Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.

As people, we are born and come to be as we experience life. Some of us have great lives, and others not so great and all of us make mistakes along the way. We take advantage of opportunities that might come our way, sometimes for good and sometimes not for good. There is a time when faith begins to develop in us, and that process will continue until we are spirit, when Jesus has returned. So although we need to change to become like God and Jesus spiritually, God and Jesus have no need to change because they are already spirit.

All verses are from the King James Version.
This site provided by Tom Laign. To all who may believe differently, I also extend peace and love.
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