Malachi 3:6 For I am the Lord, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.
Ah my Friends, it seems that our short, sweet summer weather is over, for the nightly temperatures now hover in the low to mid teens on the Celsius scale. That’s sort of cool for this time of year, but then, the entire season that’s passed for summer was uncommonly cool and rainy. I don’t think that bodes well for the future, since we’ve also seen a lot of strange, unusual weather patterns in various parts of the world. Is climate change occurring because of global warming, caused or accelerated by all the pollutants we’re spewing into the atmosphere, in conjunction with the sad, slow destruction of the protective ozone layer? Whatever it is, if it continues, it will surely bring serious and probably catastrophic changes to the earth, its weather system and our lives. As somebody once said; the only sure thing in this world is change. But then too, today I read an interesting quote by India’s first Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru that led me to write on change. He says, ‘The basic fact of today is the tremendous pace of change in human life.’ And he was quite right for back when he said that, some three or four decades ago, a lot of new stuff was happening. But can you imagine his amazement, and possible consternation, if he was alive today to see the horrific pace of change in the last twenty, or even ten years. The seemingly overnight growth in science and technology, but also the immensely faster pace of life in all societies, which has led to stress, that ever-stalking silent killer being the chief assistant to the grim reaper. And dare we add to the list the heightened state of ‘war-readiness’ of the whole world; the numerous inter and intra nation conflicts? What about the escalating crime, violence and greed, the haunting prospect of terrorism, and the constant blanket of fear that we all now live under? Ah my Friends, I believe that people like Nehru, Ghandi, and even Mother Theresa, who only died a few years ago would be amazed at the great strides we’ve made in science, technology and the art of war, but very disappointed at the way we’ve used those tools; either for personal aggrandizement or national superiority, while the plight of man himself has become even more inhumane and degrading. All the wonderful advances we’ve made certainly have not been transferred to the betterment of mankind. We all know it, see it, and feel it. But thankfully my people, there is one redeeming factor in it all. What’s that, you eagerly ask? It’s simple and so obvious Friends…Sorry, it couldn’t be, else the world would not be in the sad state of flux and unrest in which it is now enveloped. For those who don’t know, that one and only redeeming factor is our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, who does not change, but stands steadfast, strong, faithful and true for all time. Yes my brethren, in all the changes, the uncertainty, the disillusionment and disappointment, the Lord God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob is unchangeable; steady like a rock on which to take refuge from the rising tide; like a lighthouse shining through a dark and foggy night; a shoulder to cry on when you’re sad, lonely and hurting; a helping hand when you’re stumbling; and a strong back to carry you when you’re too weary to walk anymore. Oh my Friends, what a safe and secure institution He is! And He said it Himself, many many moons ago. ‘For I am the Lord, I change not: therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.’ And all God’s people shouted in ecstatic thanksgiving: ‘We praise and bless your Holy Name O thou Most High God Jehovah!’ Yes my people, if He wasn’t such an unchangeable, faithful and LOVING God, we’d have been wiped off the earth long ago for our continual evil deeds. But over the years some of the sons of men recognized this constancy and faithfulness of the One True God and paid Him respectful homage. Jeremiah declared in his Lamentations: ‘This I recall to my mind, therefore I have hope. It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness. The Lord is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him.’ (Lam.3:21-25) Bruh David also noted His unchanging compassion. ‘But he, being full of compassion, forgave their iniquity, and destroyed them not: yea, many a time turned he his anger away, and did not stir up all his wrath.’ (Ps.78:38) As to His basic unchanging nature, Isaiah stated it loud and clear: ‘Who hath wrought and done it, calling the generations from the beginning? I the Lord, the first, and with the last; I am he.’ (Isa.41:4) And so did Bruh David: ‘Of old hast thou laid the foundation of the earth: and the heavens are the work of thy hands. They shall perish but thou shalt endure; yea, all of them shall wax old like a garment…But thou art the same, and thy years shall have no end.’ (Ps.102:25-27) Obviously Bruh Paul had his say on the subject; ‘Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and for ever.’ (Heb.13: 8). And let’s end with someone who personally walked with the Saviour; James. ‘Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, (variation) neither shadow of turning.’ (James 1:17) So you see my Friends, because of the lightning fast pace at which our world is changing, we all need something constant to hold on to, to guide our ever quickening, unfathomable and confusing lives, and the only real constant in this world is the Trinity: the Father, with His Son our Saviour, Lord and Advocate sitting at His right hand, and His Holy Spirit that dwells within us when we believe in Him. That’s the unmoveable Rock of our Faith! So let’s not be frightened or dismayed by all the many changes happening around us. Let’s look to the Rock and we’ll be safe. Much LOVE!…in this desert of a world, there’s only one oasis…Jesus Christ…
Ah my Friends, it seems that our short, sweet summer weather is over, for the nightly temperatures now hover in the low to mid teens on the Celsius scale. That’s sort of cool for this time of year, but then, the entire season that’s passed for summer was uncommonly cool and rainy. I don’t think that bodes well for the future, since we’ve also seen a lot of strange, unusual weather patterns in various parts of the world. Is climate change occurring because of global warming, caused or accelerated by all the pollutants we’re spewing into the atmosphere, in conjunction with the sad, slow destruction of the protective ozone layer? Whatever it is, if it continues, it will surely bring serious and probably catastrophic changes to the earth, its weather system and our lives. As somebody once said; the only sure thing in this world is change. But then too, today I read an interesting quote by India’s first Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru that led me to write on change. He says, ‘The basic fact of today is the tremendous pace of change in human life.’ And he was quite right for back when he said that, some three or four decades ago, a lot of new stuff was happening. But can you imagine his amazement, and possible consternation, if he was alive today to see the horrific pace of change in the last twenty, or even ten years. The seemingly overnight growth in science and technology, but also the immensely faster pace of life in all societies, which has led to stress, that ever-stalking silent killer being the chief assistant to the grim reaper. And dare we add to the list the heightened state of ‘war-readiness’ of the whole world; the numerous inter and intra nation conflicts? What about the escalating crime, violence and greed, the haunting prospect of terrorism, and the constant blanket of fear that we all now live under? Ah my Friends, I believe that people like Nehru, Ghandi, and even Mother Theresa, who only died a few years ago would be amazed at the great strides we’ve made in science, technology and the art of war, but very disappointed at the way we’ve used those tools; either for personal aggrandizement or national superiority, while the plight of man himself has become even more inhumane and degrading. All the wonderful advances we’ve made certainly have not been transferred to the betterment of mankind. We all know it, see it, and feel it. But thankfully my people, there is one redeeming factor in it all. What’s that, you eagerly ask? It’s simple and so obvious Friends…Sorry, it couldn’t be, else the world would not be in the sad state of flux and unrest in which it is now enveloped. For those who don’t know, that one and only redeeming factor is our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, who does not change, but stands steadfast, strong, faithful and true for all time. Yes my brethren, in all the changes, the uncertainty, the disillusionment and disappointment, the Lord God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob is unchangeable; steady like a rock on which to take refuge from the rising tide; like a lighthouse shining through a dark and foggy night; a shoulder to cry on when you’re sad, lonely and hurting; a helping hand when you’re stumbling; and a strong back to carry you when you’re too weary to walk anymore. Oh my Friends, what a safe and secure institution He is! And He said it Himself, many many moons ago. ‘For I am the Lord, I change not: therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.’ And all God’s people shouted in ecstatic thanksgiving: ‘We praise and bless your Holy Name O thou Most High God Jehovah!’ Yes my people, if He wasn’t such an unchangeable, faithful and LOVING God, we’d have been wiped off the earth long ago for our continual evil deeds. But over the years some of the sons of men recognized this constancy and faithfulness of the One True God and paid Him respectful homage. Jeremiah declared in his Lamentations: ‘This I recall to my mind, therefore I have hope. It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness. The Lord is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him.’ (Lam.3:21-25) Bruh David also noted His unchanging compassion. ‘But he, being full of compassion, forgave their iniquity, and destroyed them not: yea, many a time turned he his anger away, and did not stir up all his wrath.’ (Ps.78:38) As to His basic unchanging nature, Isaiah stated it loud and clear: ‘Who hath wrought and done it, calling the generations from the beginning? I the Lord, the first, and with the last; I am he.’ (Isa.41:4) And so did Bruh David: ‘Of old hast thou laid the foundation of the earth: and the heavens are the work of thy hands. They shall perish but thou shalt endure; yea, all of them shall wax old like a garment…But thou art the same, and thy years shall have no end.’ (Ps.102:25-27) Obviously Bruh Paul had his say on the subject; ‘Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and for ever.’ (Heb.13: 8). And let’s end with someone who personally walked with the Saviour; James. ‘Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, (variation) neither shadow of turning.’ (James 1:17) So you see my Friends, because of the lightning fast pace at which our world is changing, we all need something constant to hold on to, to guide our ever quickening, unfathomable and confusing lives, and the only real constant in this world is the Trinity: the Father, with His Son our Saviour, Lord and Advocate sitting at His right hand, and His Holy Spirit that dwells within us when we believe in Him. That’s the unmoveable Rock of our Faith! So let’s not be frightened or dismayed by all the many changes happening around us. Let’s look to the Rock and we’ll be safe. Much LOVE!…in this desert of a world, there’s only one oasis…Jesus Christ…
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