Category Archives: Change

Bible, Change, Conformity, Heaven, Jesus, Scripture, Transformation

WHAT A CHANGE!

PHILIPPIANS 3:21

“who will transform the body of our lowly condition into conformity with His glorious body, by the exertion of the power that He has even to subject all things to Himself.”

When I come in from working in the yard, I am usually pretty dirty. I have grass stains on my shoes, dirt on my shirt and pants and fairly dirty hands even though I normally wear gloves. I have to strip off in the garage (with the door closed, of course) before coming inside. Then I go directly to the bathroom and get cleaned up. Afterwards, I put on clean clothes. There is quite the transformation in appearance and smell. But I am still in that same old body.

Paul tells us that will all change one day for the follower of Christ. Jesus will “transform the body of our lowly condition into conformity with His glorious body.” That’s a mouthful! What Paul is saying is this old, broken down, sin-filled body of ours which is prone to illness and disease will be changed one day. And we will become like Him. The word “conformity” means we will share the same inner essence and identity as Christ. Now, we won’t become God. That’s reserved for Him. But we will be God-like in our makeup. Pretty cool, huh?

APPLICATION

This Greek word for “conformity” is also used by Paul in Romans 8:29. “For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters;” It has been the Father’s original intention, since the foundation of the world, to conform us into the image of His Son. Once we accept His free gift of salvation, the transformation begins. Step by step it occurs until that glorious day when we are completely transformed in glory.

If you could model any attribute of God right now, what would it be? Gentleness? You can do that. How about compassion? You can show that. Maybe you would like to just be more loving. You can do that too. God’s transforming power isn’t limited to heaven. He can begin that process here, if you are willing to submit.

You’ve seen those 5 Minute Oil Change stores, haven’t you? I don’t really trust that to be honest. I have changed oil in a car a few times and I guarantee it takes longer than five minutes. But let’s apply that to our transformation in heaven for a second. If we are already working on our transformation down here, won’t that save God a little time (I know time has no relevance for Him)? Let the conformity begin today. Be more like Jesus.

I want to be more and more like Your Son, Lord. Help me shed the dirty, worn out way of living and cling to the new life I have in Him. 

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Abiding, Bible, Change, Creation, Deliverance, God's Will, Scripture, Transformation

BOY, HOW I’VE CHANGED

GALATIANS 1:13

“For you have heard of my former way of life in Judaism, how I used to persecute the church of God beyond measure and tried to destroy it;”

Most of us before Christ aren’t worth spit. That sounds kind of harsh, huh? But it’s true. Before Christ, we are self-centered, self-absorbed, belittling, snobbish, etc. All we care about is our self or some other issue that has no redeeming value. Before I came to Christ, all I cared about was fulfilling my own pleasures. I won’t go into details. They aren’t necessary. You can fill in your own details from your own life before Jesus. But, wow, what a change after coming to Him.

Paul was exclaiming the same thing. He recounted briefly how he had persecuted believers before that faithful day on the road to Damascus when Christ struck him blind and called him to Himself. (Read Acts 9 for the full story.) Paul’s reputation had spread quickly, but he was now a changed man. Christ had recreated him into an apostle of Christ. Now, Paul belonged to Jesus.

APPLICATION

I am reminded of Colossians 3:10 which says, “and have put on the new self, which is being renewed to a true knowledge according to the image of the One who created it.” All throughout the New Testament we are told of the “new man” replacing the “old man.” Out with the old and in with the new. A change takes place, and this change should be noticeable. People should notice.

Jesus takes us right where we are, but He changes us into a new person. 2 Corinthians 5:17 tells us so, “Therefore if anyone is in Christ, this person is a new creation; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.” We have a fresh start, a fresh clean slate. Just as Paul changed from persecutor to believer, you also are changed from your former state to a child of God.

My own transformation began in 1977. I say “began” because I am still being made into the image of Christ. I still have a lot of things I need to give over to Him. Every time I think I have given it all, He shows me another box of stuff I have kept from Him. I want Him to have it all. I want to be that totally willing vessel ready to be used at any time. Are you changed? Are you ready?

I praise You, O Lord, for my changed life in Christ.

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Bible, Change, Dependence, Faithfulness, God's Will, Immutable, Scripture, Security

I DO NOT CHANGE

MALACHI 3:6

“‘For I, the LORD, do not change; therefore you, the sons of Jacob, have not come to an end.’”

Immutability – that’s a big word. What does it mean? The Miriam-Webster dictionary says it is something that is incapable of change. What do you know that is like that? I bet nothing. Weather changes. Nature changes. Economies change. Everything changes – except one thing. We see that today in our text.

God says very clearly, “For I, the Lord, do not change.” Period! Exclamation mark! Why is that important? Because if God could change, He would not be God. His whole character rests on His unchangeableness. Listen to what MacLauren says about this. “But the unchangeableness of God is the negation of all imperfection, it is the negation of all dependence on circumstances, it is the negation of all possibility of decay or exhaustion, it is the negation of all caprice.” And because God does not change, Jacob will not be consumed, according to our verse today.

APPLICATION

God loves you and will forever love you. That will not change. His decision to bring you to heaven based on your decision to follow Christ will not change. Salvation is sure and unchangeable. His covenant with us will never cease, just as His with Jacob did not. Psalm 102:27 says, “But You are the same, And Your years will not come to an end.”

I love what James says in his letter. In James 1:17 we read, “Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow.” No variation! No shifting shadow! God is the one constant you can depend on. When He says He will do something, He does it.

You may be thinking, “But Carl, aren’t there some verses about God changing His mind?” Yes, you are right. But those verses are conditional on man’s response, not God’s. God is consistent in season and out. You can depend on His faithfulness and steadfastness. When all else fails you, God will not. Lean on Him.

Lord, I know I can depend on You when everything around me is falling apart. Thank You, Jesus.

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Abiding, Bible, Change, Confession, Dependence, God's Will, Goodness, Relationships, Scripture

I HAVE NOT CHANGED

ZECHARIAH 8:14

“‘For this is what the LORD of armies says: “Just as I determined to do harm to you when your fathers provoked Me to anger,” says the LORD of armies, “and I have not relented,”’”

Boy, things sure change in life, don’t they? I am in my hometown of Pelham, Ga this week teaching at a Children’s Camp. This camp is at the same location of a former club my parents were members of. We used to fish and water ski out there. But wow! This place has changed so much. New buildings. New pool. New roads on the property. It is so different. I am just glad I haven’t changed that much. Lol

God does not change. One of His attributes is immutability, which means unchanging. God tells the people in Zechariah 8:14 that He has “not relented.” That means He is not sorry for His actions. He would not change them. His actions are true and right. Now, before you feel sorry for the Israelites, God goes on in the next verses and tells them how He is now going to bless them because they have repented. That will change God’s response to us.

APPLICATION

How does this attribute of God affect us? I’m glad you asked. God’s unchangeability (I made that word up) is so key to our theology. Malachi 3:6 says, “‘For I, the LORD, do not change;…” What a promise! Our God does not change. He is not wishy washy. He doesn’t react to us and shift His thinking. He says He is the same yesterday, today and forever. We may change our minds. We may try to adapt our faith to situations. Not God! We can always depend on Him to be the same.

So, we know if we are walking in His promises, He will bless. If we are walking in sin, He will rebuke us. That’s just the facts. We can rely on that. How many people do you know who are always the same? They never change. Not many, if any. I want to live that way. My prayer is this, as found in Hebrews 13:18. “Pray for us, for we are sure that we have a good conscience, desiring to conduct ourselves honorably in all things.” Man, if I could always live that way!

If you are like me, you struggle sometimes to live that way. But it is not up to us. We have a Savior Who is unwavering. He does not change. Amen? That is something to hold on to. You can always come to Him. He will always be there. He is always ready to hear you when you pray. He is there! Call on Him. Lean on Him. Hallelujah, what a Savior!

Father, I praise You because You are unchanging. I will turn to You.

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Abiding, Abundance, Battles, Bible, Change, Deliverance, Direction, God's Will, Maturity, Scripture

BUT NOW

ZECHARIAH 8:11

“‘“But now I will not treat the remnant of this people as in the former days,”’” declares the LORD of armies.

Don’t you just love the part of a suspense movie or book when everything changes? The bad guys are about to get what is coming to them, and the good guys are wining. It’s that “but” moment. All this has happened, BUT NOW this is about to happen. A change of fortune has taken place. A cosmic shift just occurred.

Our God says in verse 11 that He will not treat the people as He had treated them before. The literal Hebrew reads, “But now not as in the former days, I, the remnant…” The verb in today’s verse, “will…treat,” is not in the text. The action is implied, based on the previous action of God. I like that because God’s ultimate good treatment of His people is always implied. His good intentions are always there.

APPLICATION

What are the “but now” moments in your life? I could name dozens of them in my life, beginning with the change in my life at salvation. And there was the moment He called me to full-time ministry. There were the seasons of ministry that shifted from one place to another. I could go on, but you get the picture.

Write down those moments you can think of and let me encourage you to keep doing that as they occur. I promise you there will be times ahead when you will need to reflect on your “but now” moments. Those moments shift you from one phase of your Christian journey to another. God is doing something. He is saying, “But now, see what I am going to do in your life.”

I am thankful for those “but now” moments in my life because I know each of those moments brought me closer to God. Colossians 1:22 (CSB) says it perfectly. “But now he has reconciled you by his physical body through his death, to present you holy, faultless, and blameless before him —” Isn’t that a great “but now”?

But now, Lord, I am Yours to do with as You see fit. Use me, Lord, according to Your will.

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Asking, Bible, Blessing, Change, Courage, Direction, Following, Future, God's Will, Scripture

FROM NOW ON

HAGGAI 2:19

“‘Is the seed still in the barn? Even including the vine, the fig tree, the pomegranate, and the olive tree, it has not produced fruit. Yet from this day on I will bless you.’”

“From now on” hints at a change. Something is about to happen that will change your circumstance or maybe even your life. When my children left home, they faced some “from now ons.” They no longer were protected under my roof. They were either married with a new family or in a new city with a career. Some “from now ons” are scary while others are exciting. Let’s look at the one described in verse 19 today.

What starts out as a continuation of the description of their suffering due to their disobedience ends with a “from now on.” Look at it. The last sentence says, “Yet from this day on I will bless you.” The literal translation is “From this day I will bless.” Things were changing. God was returning His blessing on His children. Don’t you know a shout went up when they heard that news? After years of suffering, God was going to rain down His blessings on them again.

APPLICATION

Have you been in a period of suffering? Take heart, friends. God has not forgotten you. His “from now ons” still happen today. He can change the trajectory of your life with one flick of His little finger. He has certainly done that in my life on a number of occasions. Moving to a new ministry or meeting that certain person can make a new “from now on” happen.

Are you praying for a “from now on” moment? Stop and pray for God’s perfect will in your life. I am reminded of the passage in James. James 4:13-15 says, “13 Come now, you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, and spend a year there and engage in business and make a profit.’ 14 Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. For you are just a vapor that appears for a little while, and then vanishes away. 15 Instead, you ought to say, ‘If the Lord wills, we will live and also do this or that.’” 

“From now on” in the life of the believer can mean many different things. But one thing is for sure – from now on the Lord will be with us. From now on His mercies are new. From now on Jesus is interceding for us. From now on…

From now on, Lord, I will pray that Your will be done in my life so that I can learn to trust You more.

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Bible, Change, Following, God's Will, Judgment, Obedience, Restoration, Scripture

A CHANGING LANDSCAPE

ZEPHANIAH 2:6

“So the seacoast will become grazing places, with pastures for shepherds and folds for flocks.”

Going back to visit a location you haven’t been to in a while can be eye opening. The landscape changes. What used to be a cotton field is now a shopping mall. What used to be a shopping mall is now luxury condominiums. Things force change. Sometimes that is for the good of the community. Other times it is not.

Zephaniah continues his message of doom to the neighboring nations. Verse 6 is a continuation of the message to the Philistines. Their seacoast will change from dwellings of warriors to pastures for the shepherds to use to graze their sheep. A nation of war will become a place for peaceful men to dwell. Quite a change. Quite a promise for Judah as well.

APPLICATION

Are there areas of your life that need to be changed? Do you have a rebellious spirit that argues about everything? God wants to transform your life into a place of peace. Philippians 4:6-7 says, “6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and pleading with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.”

A transformed landscape can involve many little changes over time. God may choose to use sandpaper to smooth off your rough surfaces. Or He may choose to take more drastic measures and bring out the jackhammer and sledgehammer. That’s usually how God works on me, lol. He gets one area of my life’s landscape shaped up and then starts demolition on another.

Now, the difference between our transformed landscape and the Philistines is they were being judged for their idolatry and rebellion against God. We are not being judged by God as He transforms us. We are safe under the blood of Christ. He just wants to make us look more like Him, to reflect the image of His Son. That is transformation that is welcomed. Right?

O Lord my God, shape me into whatever image You feel is right. I trust the work of Your hands on my life.

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