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May 4, 2008
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=========================== TODAY'S ARTICLE ==========================
Jesus Is the Same, by Tom Norvell
Have you ever noticed that nothing seems to stay the same very long?
Take a walk through an appliance store sometime and notice the new
technology since you purchased your refrigerator or stove or
dishwasher. After our fire last year, we discovered that Microwaves now
have buttons on them, instead of just one dial.
Have purchased a television lately? Prepare yourself. Get ready to hear
things like HDTV and Blu-ray. (Don't ask me, but I know a guy who can
help you.) I wonder what my Dad would think if he could watch Bonanza
in HD? He just wanted to see it in color.
What about your telephone? Can you remember a rotary dial? What about a
party line? The cell phone I now own can be held in my palm and it can
do more and hold more information that the first two or three computers
I owned. Can you remember what it was like not to have a cell phone?
Did you know there was such a time?
Some of you drive automobiles that talk to you. Someone thousands of
miles away can tell you your location, when and where to make your next
turn, how much fuel is in your tank, and should you have an accident
they can tell what kind of accident it was. Do you remember when most
cars had no seat belts in them?
People change too. Have you noticed? While sorting through some old
photographs my children had a good time kidding me about some of the
clothes that I wore during my college days. I explained to them that
that really was the style. That did not change their opinion. Before
you make fun of me, dig out your box of old photos and see what your
hair looked like twenty years ago ... or five years ago.
The more you resist it, the more difficult it is.
Life is full of change. Most are good. Most are for the better. Most
are enjoyable once we get used to them. I do not know anyone who wants
to go back to the days of black and white TVs, no remote, test patterns
at midnight, and only three channels to choose from. I have not heard
anyone say, "I wish my car still had that clear plastic cover over the
seats that got so hot and stuck to you in the summer."
Our bodies change -- don't worry, I'm not going any further with that
thought. Our families change. Our health conditions change.
Organizations change, or they disappear. We change mentally. We change
spiritually. We change intellectually. Our governments change.
Change is inevitable. Most of us would not want our spiritual life to
be where it was when we first came to an understanding of God's story.
Still, change can be difficult. The more we resist it, the more
difficult it is, and the faster things seem to change. Even those of us
who like change can only take so much before it begins to overwhelm us.
In a world that is constantly changing it is good to know that one
thing does not change. "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and
today and forever" (Hebrews 13:8 NIV).
As you are faced with changes coming at you faster than you can
comprehend, focus on Jesus. Before you lose your bearings and feel
overwhelmed, focus on Jesus. When you long for something that is
stable, solid, and unchanging, focus on Jesus. If you find yourself
paralyzed by fear and overwhelmed by change, focus on Jesus. He does
not change. He is the same yesterday and today and forever.
---------
(c) 2008 Tom Norvell <tomnorvell@mac.com>. Used by permission. A
Norvell Note <http://www.anorvellnote.com> is a weekly email
message from Tom Norvell. Check it out!
RELATED LINKS:
* Controlling Change or Changing Control
http://www.heartlight.org/articles/200607/20060719_controllingchange.html
* Change is Constant
http://www.heartlight.org/articles/200607/20060718_constantchange.html
* Change and Growth
http://www.heartlight.org/articles/200602/20060210_changegrowth.html
* A Norvell Note
This article can be found on the web at:
http://www.heartlight.org/articles/200805/20080504_samejesus.html
=========================== FEATURED PRODUCT =========================
SIMPLY CHRISTIAN: WHY CHRISTIANITY MAKES SENSE, by N. T. Wright
Destined to become a classic alongside Lewis's Mere Christianity - a
fascinating and accessible apologetic for modern seekers.
http://shopping.heartlight.org/cgi-shl/link?255
Find more great books, CDs and videos at the Heartlight store! With
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