CH, CH, CH,CH, CHANGES

Hey friends...any changes in your life lately? Did ya like it...or did you hate it?
It has been said that the only thing that is constant is change. Who said that? Was it Ben Cartwright, Jesus, or Bob Dylan? I was on a blog site the other day and someone was blogging about the TOP CHANGE SONGS. The top contenders were Buddy Miles, David Bowie, (Ziggy Stardust/The Thin White Duke) Sam Cooke, Bob Dylan, Lynard Skynard and Neil Young.

Have you ever heard people say..."You've changed." "Your not the same man/woman that I married." "I retain the right to change my mind." "This ain't the same church that it use to be." Personally...I hope that I AM NOT THE SAME man that I was when I first accepted Jesus in 1970. I hope I have grown, matured, shifted, CHANGED. If you have not CHANGED...then most likely you have grown complacent and STAGNANT. The candidates...mantra...is CHANGE. They are they candidates for CHANGE...while their opponent is for the same old, same old, POLITICS AS USUAL.


Buddy Mile's mind is goin' through dem changes...while David Bowie encourages us to turn and face the strain of ch, ch, ch, ch, changes. Those southern rockers Lynard Skynard lets us know that this bird (freebird) you cannot change. Sam Cooke sang a hopeful song about being born down by the river and his life had been running like that river ever since...but he knew...a change is gonna come.

Neil Young (a favorite of my friend Parke Parham...electrician...who owns Par-Com for your electrical needs)...sings in his song Change of Mind:

When you're confused and the world has got you down
When you feel used and you just can't play the clown
Protecting you from this must be the one you love
Must be the one whose magic touch can change your mind
Don't let another day go by without that magic touch
Protecting you (change your mind),
Restoring you (change your mind)
Revealing you (change your mind)
Soothing you (change your mind)

Mr. Dylan...Bob that is...informs us that the Times They Are A-Changing:

The line is drawn...the curse it is cast
The slow one now...will later be fast
As the present now...will later be past
The order is rapidly fading
And the first one now...will later be last
For the times they are a-changing.

I DON'T LIKE CHANGE. I like my COMFORT ZONE...and CHANGE shakes that zone up. Jimmy Stewart in the movie REAR WINDOW...was trying to avoid the concept of marriage to Grace Kelly...and wanted to know...it they could keep things as they were... STATUS QUO? People and things are in constant flux...and again...some is good...some is bad. Loose change...changing dirty diapers... change your world...change your mind...change your perspective. In the words of Aretha Franklin...CHANGE CHANGE CHANGE... CHANGE OF FOOLS. Oh...sorry...that would be CHAIN CHAIN CHAIN...CHAINS OF FOOLS. Oh well...same difference.

Jesus was an AGENT OF CHANGE. He rolled into town and began to shake up the STATUS QUO. People who had grown comfortable in "THEIR" religion...did not like things to be different. Jesus addressed this in reference to the Pharisees began to complain about Jesus' M.O. (modus operandi...aka...the way He rolled). In Matthew chapter nine (9)...verses 1-17 (one through seventeen)...we see Jesus rolling in to His own city. He was met with a paralytic lying on a bed. Jesus SAW their faith (as the brought him physically to Him)...and told the paralytic..."Take courage, My son...your SINS ARE FORGIVEN." Uh Oh...Jesus was shaking up the STATUS QUO.

Some of the scribes said to themselves..."This fellow blasphemes." Jesus read their mail...and responded to them..."Why are you thinking evil in your hearts?" Jesus then ask which was easier...(1) Say your sins are forgiven...or...(2) Say Rise and Walk? The bottom line is... no matter what Jesus said..."And he rose...and went to his home."

The multitudes saw if and were filled with awe and glorified God who had given such authority to men.

Jesus next went on to shake things up...by enlisting a TAX MAN (shades of George Harrison)...Matthew. Jesus...the Messiah...the Christ.. the Holy One...the Only Begotten of the Son of God...RECLINED AT THE TABLE IN THE TAXMAN'S HOUSE WITH MANY TAX-GATHERERS AND SINNERS. Jesus' disciples...also joined Jesus at the table.

The Pharisees saws this and began to question Jesus' disciples (not Jesus at this time)...about WHY did he eat with tax-gatherers and sinners? Jesus heard this and let them know in no uncertain terms that it was the sick who needed a physician...not those healthy. He then gives them chapter and verse.."But go and learn what this means...I desire compassion and not sacrifice (Hosea 6:6). He then told them that he did NOT come to call the righteous...but sinners. NOTE: This did not mean that he would not save Pharisees...but you have to come to the point of realizing your sick before you will let the doctor do his thing.

So far the scribes saw the change...the Pharisees saw the change...and now...the disciples of John came to Jesus. They wanted to know WHY do His disciples not fast like the Pharisees and John's disciples fasted. (That is the OLD WAY...and Jesus was doing it the NEW WAY). There was a CHANGE-A COMING.

Jesus explained the WHY..."The attendants of the bridegroom cannot mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them can they? But the days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them...and then they will fast." NOTE: Jesus let them via D.B (Death, Burial)... and there was a time for fasting...but then He came back with the R. (Resurrection)...and then He left again...but sent back ANOTHER COMFORTER...one of the SAME KIND).

After Jesus told the WHY...He then proceeded to give then REASON for the WHY..."But no one puts a patch of UNSHRUNK CLOTH on an OLD GARMENT...for the patch PULLS AWAY from the garment and a WORSE TEAR RESULTS. Nor do men put NEW WINE into OLD WINESKINS...otherwise the WINESKINS BURST and the wine pours out...and the WINESKINS are RUINED; but they put NEW WINE...into... FRESH WINESKINS...and both are preserved."

FINAL THOUGHTS...FINALLY!!!!!

Change for just change sake...is not good....BUT change...is good. Change is necessary. Resistance to change is self destruction.

God, Jesus, The Holy Spirit, the Word of God...does not CHANGE.

"For I, the Lord, DO NOT CHANGE...therefore you, O sons of Jacob...are NOT CONSUMED." (Malachi 3:6)

"Let your way of life be free from the love of money, being content with what you have; for He Himself has said...I WILL NEVER DESERT YOU, NOR WILL NEVER DESERT YOU...NO WILL I EVER FORSAKE YOU...so that we confidently say...THE LORD IS MY HELPER...I WILL NOT BE AFRAID...WHAT SHALL MAN DO TO ME?" (Hebrews 13:5,6/Deuteronomy 31:6/Joshua 1:5/Psalm 118:6)

"And I will ask the Father, and He will give you ANOTHER (allos...one of the same kind) HELPER...that He (the Father) MAY BE WITH YOUR FOREVER." (John 14:16)

"Jesus Christ is THE SAME...yesterday and today...yes...and FOREVER." (Hebrews 12:8)

The ULTIMATE CHANGE in our lives...the REPENTANCE. Repentance is CHANGE...it is change of heart, mind, change of attitude, change of direction. Change is a choice.

The only thing CONSTANT...is not CHANGE...but God. Denominations change...theology changes...methods of presentation of the gospel changes...people change...congregations change like a snake changing skin...BUT GOD IS ROCK SOLID.

Love and Changing/Non-Changing Kisses
Rodney "Ch, Ch, Ch, Changes" Boyd