“Provoking Christian Insights” series

Part 34

Change is OK if you don’t change your values

It is important for me to pray before I write this column. Sometimes the topic doesn’t come to me right away. This is why this column is a little late. Saturday I was driving by the Tabernacle of Praise on Leesville Road and saw their sign that heralded; “Change is OK if you don’t change you values.” It said in a contrite sentence the thought I was putting together about change.

When I was growing up we didn’t pray a lot in the home. Someone said grace over the Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter dinners, but aside from that, prayer was pretty much left up to us at bedtime. I think it was that way in a lot of households. I noticed that when we began eating out in restaurants, as we grew older and traveled around, few people said grace before their meal. I even remember little table tents that said it welcomed prayer in this restaurant and even offered a sample prayer. In fact, I see more people saying grace in restaurants today than I did when I was young.

Sometimes we prayed in public school, or had a silent prayer. More often we did the Pledge of Allegiance to the flag of the United States of America. Prayer wasn’t a regular thing anywhere except in church. In those days most people went to church and claimed church affiliation. Funny, I think more people cussed back then they do today. I think we are smarter now. I once heard that cuss words were used in place of other words back then.

When we went to church we followed certain “rituals” that churches followed then and many still do today. Things like the Doxology and the Gloria Patri came at certain times during the service and never left out. The organ played an introit before the service began and a postlude when the service ended. Everyone wore their “Sunday best” clothing and stood when Scripture was read. Over time a lot of this sort of ritual changed. That didn’t make us any less Christian.

Prayer was taken out of schools because we weren’t praying

Back in 1962 when they took prayer out of our schools everyone was shocked. No one gave it a thought that corporate prayer in the home had lessened or disappeared many years earlier. The other day I heard a Christian friend say that the reason that prayer was taken out of public schools was because we weren’t praying together at home and if we were praying at home we would have stopped our government from making a law against prayer in public schools…or did they? I’m sure that many a prayer is still said before tests and times of trial in our public system today.

Prayer, there’s something about it.

I don’t know how prayers are answered, but the Bible says that they are answered. There are mountains of evidence of answered prayer One thing is for certain, those who fervently pray to God on a regular basis seem to hear from Heaven.

Then, why aren’t our desires fulfilled?

Pastor Ray LaSalle preached on unanswered desires quoting the words to a hymn, “O, what needless pain we bear.” The Bible tells us “we have not because we ask not,” (James 4:2) and continues to say that you don’t receive because you ask wrongly. LaSalle added, “Give in to God, Get wise to Satan, and grow closer to God.

Take being Christian seriously

Grace is the power to change. Pray for yourself. LaSalle says the real conflict is inside of you, (Colo. 3:15).

Things

How many people do you know that love things more than they love the people around them?

Some people think that having possessions is everything and they will stop at almost nothing to get what they want … even some people in the church.

Pleasures

For others the pleasure they enjoy is more important than church, duties, even relationships, or keeping their children from hell’s flames. Going to the beach, enjoying their favorite sports, even sex, smokes, drugs, and alcohol, are more important than seeking God.

Pride

Can you name someone who has to be No. 1? Someone who has to get power or fame over on you? Someone who isn’t happy until he, or she, is getting all the credit or has become the star of the show?

Some, even pastors, claim great titles, yet in the end only what is done for God will last. God opposes the proud and gives Grace to the humble, (James 4:6).

Getting closer to God

Have you ever heard; “The more time I spend with God the more time I spend with people?” When you think about the “New Command” that Jesus gave us it all makes sense. Simply “love one another, as I have loved you,” (John 15:12). If you spend more time with Jesus praying to God, the more you will be inclined to seek out and love others.

Change is inevitable

The Bible warns us that there is a lot of change coming. Daniel read the prophecy of the 70 weeks and figured out that the Jews would have to deal with the changes that were ahead of them, even when their place of worship was destroyed (Daniel chapter 9), so it is with us. We must be ready for change, even in our own churches. We must pray for wisdom.

When you look back at the time when we were growing up and the times of today, we see things we couldn’t even imagined watching “The Jetsons.” Today, we have children who need to know Christ and we have to deal with all the “Things, Pride, and Pleasures” of this world while trying to instill the Gospel in their hearts and minds.

I had a high school history teacher, Bess Ward, warn me about acts of terrorism on American shores. I couldn’t even imagine someone flying an airplane full of people into a skyscraper, yet I lived to see it. She also warned of the coming time when being a Christian could cost you your life. Prophecy tells us in the book of Revelation that this is going to happen.

Change is going to happen in many ways. Some things we won’t like and they will challenge our very lives. The Bible promises “You won’t taste death.” Do you believe?

Are you ready to face tomorrow?

INSPIRATION: “God opposes the proud and gives Grace to the humble,” James 4:6.

Write: croneis@embarqmail.com