Yesterday things were different
Yesterday things were different
Today they're different again
Jesus will never change
Jesus is always the same
By George Younce
Throughout history, people have come accustom to living a certain way, with certain values and certain people in their lives.
Things weren’t always that way, they once were quite different. There was a starting point, then learning, then adaption, then implementation.
New levels of life came along and were readily accepted. Growing periods were just that, they were growing periods. Times in which you grew and became better because of them!
Each one came with a new set of circumstances, each one came with the factor of trust and each one came with the sense they could be conquered. The results of the learning experience would benefit everyone!
And then something happened, someone wasn’t there anymore. Familiar faces disappeared and change took place without enough notice.
Yesterday things were different
Today they're different again
Jesus will never change
Jesus is always the same
By George Younce
The same sensation felt as the good old days, has been felt by everyone at some point in their lives. The one constant that has never changed is Jesus and The fathers amazing love for each of us!
Russ Taft sang these words;
Time is filled with swift transition, mm, mm
None, none on earth unmoved can stand
Build your hopes on things eternal
And then hold, hold onto God's unchanging hand
Everyone who has walked through this thing we call life, has felt swift transition! Instead of dwelling on what we don’t have, or what we may think sometimes has been taken from us, we should be so thankful in the times we are living in, for what we do have!
Illus.
I know God is God, and God don't ever change,
I know God is God and He always will be God.
He's God on the platform, He's God back at the door,
He's God in the amen corner, He's God all over the floor.
He's God when the lightning flashes, He's God when the thunder roll,
He's God way up in heaven, He's God way down in my soul.
The Bible talks about change in depth and promises there will be change!
Ecclesiastes 3:1-8
(New King James Version)
To everything there is a season,
A time for every purpose under heaven:
A time to be born, And a time to die;
A time to plant, And a time to pluck what is planted;
A time to kill, And a time to heal;
A time to break down, And a time to build up;
A time to weep, And a time to laugh;
A time to mourn, And a time to dance;
A time to cast away stones, And a time to gather stones;
A time to embrace, And a time to refrain from embracing;
A time to gain, And a time to lose;
A time to keep, And a time to throw away;
A time to tear, And a time to sew;
A time to keep silence, And a time to speak;
A time to love, And a time to hate;
A time of war, And a time of peace.
And through and for each one of those events of life, God sent his son Jesus who stands there for us, with His arms wide open!
To Help us, to stand with us, to comfort us, to lead guide and protect us! Even though physically we may not have seen the miracle, so many times Jesus has even carried us over the finish line to victory, without ever saying so much as a word!
The Bible is full of many examples of were change occurred while God was busy working His plans for all of us! We read of an event of change and swift transition similar to what we’re talking about in Acts chapter nine.
Acts 9:1-9 MSG
1-2 All this time Saul was breathing down the necks of the Master’s disciples, out for the kill. He went to the Chief Priest and got arrest warrants to take to the meeting places in Damascus so that if he found anyone there belonging to the Way, whether men or women, he could arrest them and bring them to Jerusalem.
3-4 He set off. When he got to the outskirts of Damascus, he was suddenly dazed by a blinding flash of light. As he fell to the ground, he heard a voice: “Saul, Saul, why are you out to get me?”
5-6 He said, “Who are you, Master?”
“I am Jesus, the One you’re hunting down. I want you to get up and enter the city. In the city you’ll be told what to do next.”
7-9 His companions stood there dumbstruck—they could hear the sound, but couldn’t see anyone—while Saul, picking himself up off the ground, found himself stone-blind. They had to take him by the hand and lead him into Damascus. He continued blind for three days. He ate nothing, drank nothing.
While most would consider Paul’s prior life appalling. Paul was living the life as we all could say, he was brought up in.
Paul was a Pharisee, he knew biblical law and was well studied in Jewish religion!
As far as Paul was concerned, he was just going through life pulling the apple cart he had been given. And then suddenly his whole world was turned upside down.
A transition was taking place in Paul’s life and i would imagine his walk to Damascus was anything but swift.
How many of you know, when God changes a life it usually involves changing someone else’s life as well?
Acts 9:10-19 MSG
10 There was a disciple in Damascus by the name of Ananias. The Master spoke to him in a vision: “Ananias.”
“Yes, Master?” he answered.
11-12 “Get up and go over to Straight Avenue. Ask at the house of Judas for a man from Tarsus. His name is Saul. He’s there praying. He has just had a dream in which he saw a man named Ananias enter the house and lay hands on him so he could see again.”
13-14 Ananias protested, “Master, you can’t be serious. Everybody’s talking about this man and the terrible things he’s been doing, his reign of terror against your people in Jerusalem! And now he’s shown up here with papers from the Chief Priest that give him license to do the same to us.”
15-16 But the Master said, “Don’t argue. Go! I have picked him as my personal representative to non-Jews and kings and Jews. And now I’m about to show him what he’s in for—the hard suffering that goes with this job.”
17-19 So Ananias went and found the house, placed his hands on blind Saul, and said, “Brother Saul, the Master sent me, the same Jesus you saw on your way here. He sent me so you could see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” No sooner were the words out of his mouth than something like scales fell from Saul’s eyes—he could see again! He got to his feet, was baptized, and sat down with them to a hearty meal.
Both men’s lives were forever changed because they did one thing! They said yes and trusted completely in what was taking place in their lives!
They didn’t expect God to change everyone else! They accepted the fact God was working in their life and bringing about a change in them! They trusted God wholeheartedly and embraced what was about to happen!
We who are hearing this word today are part, along with countless millions of others, of the results of the change which occurred the day Saul was blinded by the light.
As a result of Paul’s willingness to change and accept what God did, was doing and was going to and is still doing! Paul changed not just his world, but the entire World!
I’m sure neither Paul, nor those around him sensed the far reaching effects God was doing! Gods ways aren’t confusing, there Gods ways, capable of unlimited impact and unlimited results!
Isaiah 55:8-11 MSG
“I don’t think the way you think.
The way you work isn’t the way I work.”
God’s Decree.
“For as the sky soars high above earth,
so the way I work surpasses the way you work,
and the way I think is beyond the way you think.
Just as rain and snow descend from the skies
and don’t go back until they’ve watered the earth,
Doing their work of making things grow and blossom,
producing seed for farmers and food for the hungry,
So will the words that come out of my mouth
not come back empty-handed.
They’ll do the work I sent them to do,
they’ll complete the assignment I gave them.
At this juncture in life, as at every time in our lives. As long as we have Jesus in our heart, we don’t have to worry about the circumstances around us. Because Jesus is part of the plans God has had since the beginning of time for all of His children!
Plans to proper us!
Plans for our well being and welfare!
Plans for our best life now and forever!
Does this mean we are not to be concerned with what appears to be a relentless attack of the accuser? No...
But rather than be distracted by circumstances, we are to take those concerns to the Lord and leave them there! Trust in His never ending unlimited capabilities and believe in our God given faith, He is working all things for our good!
Yesterday things were different
Today they're different again
Jesus will never change
Jesus is always the same
By George Younce
Illus. By sermon central
"Life is lived in the present. Yesterday has gone, tomorrow is yet to be. Today is the miracle."
Don’t be so consumed and distracted by what you think may happen tomorrow, that you forget to look for what God is willing and is doing today!
And if God ask or impresses you to do something, be willing to say yes, embrace the needed change in your life and enjoy the journey!
Fellow Contributors,
If you have found this teaching helpful, I invite you to check other resources and books I have authored available at all online bookstores! Or you can follow me on Facebook at my Charlie Roberts Author page.
Available now:
I AM, I CAN, I WILL “all about exploring God’s Grace”
MY SCANDALOUS RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD “all about exposing God’s Grace”
PARKING LOT FAITH “the realization you already have enough faith to move your Mountains”
