Day 178: Standing At The 'Cross' roads Of Change
Read: Acts 17:23 - 27
It is odd to me how we continue to stand at the crossroads of change
trying to hold onto the ever familiar and assuring ideas of the past,
all the while finding ourselves slowly being pushed forward into a new
world that challenges everything we all hold dear. That old radio of our
grandparents that is still able to tune in to your 1 favorite station,
now being replaced by go anywhere satellite radio. Then there are those
cell phones we bought last year or two years ago that we refuse to let
go of because we have found some minor thing we like about it so we take
forever to get an upgrade. Oldies but goodies traditions, our precious
memories, at the crossroads of our today challenged by our future tomorrows.
I suppose there are
some ideas that we need to let go of that we might move on in life,
after all, time waits for no man. But our faith in Jesus Christ is not
one of them. In this passage it is not Paul who is being pushed but
rather it is he who is doing the pushing. (Verse 23) 'For as I was
passing through and observing the objects of your worship, I even found
there an altar on which was inscribed: TO AN UNKNOWN GOD. Therefore,
what you worship in ignorance, this I proclaim to you.' But in this
case he was not preaching a new doctrine but rather at the complete
fulfillment of an old story. To bring his message home God literally
starts at the beginning—of humanity, created in His image not of stone.
There is an important
truth that Paul is revealing to us. The true God was not given life by
man to be placed in the middle of the city square or the center of your
very own living room, but rather God gave life to man (v. 24-25). God is
not in the least bit an impersonal being that He would prefer to remain
hidden in the background or stuck in a piece of solitary marble. God is
100% relational 100% of the time, 24 hours a day 7 days a week 365 days of the year and 366 days for leap years. For man this
is a difficult concept for him to wrap his whole life around because he changes every minute of every day. When you realize the rapidity of that change, it makes one dizzy in their search for God's reality.
Additionally, Paul wants us to realize that the true God is the eternal Architect and the Father of all things created (26-27). There's a living, breathing, vibrant “community” to God’s creation (v. 26). There is a living, breathing, vibrant,
"community" that is at a crossroad waiting for the next new thing to
move us, and draw us ever forward into a future God has promised is always filled with hope and prosperity (Jeremiah 29:11). Man has never been one to be satisfied with standing in one place to
long. God's one plan for each of us is for us to be in such an intimate
1:1 relationship with Him and His Son that any 'cross' road we will ever find
find ourselves standing at is known to God. He is already waiting.
Let Us Pray:
Heavenly Father, I look up to you in this time of change. As I stand at
this one 'cross' road of the many I will encounter on my journey into
the future You have already planned out for me, allow me to have the
courage to change my life for the better always acknowledging you as my
Guide and Your Son as the only Way, the only Truth, the only Way to
a life lived from everlasting to everlasting. Allow all of my burdens
to be risen up to You through Your Holy Spirit as I know that You will
see me through Jesus Christ who died for me. '(27) He did this so they
might seek God, and perhaps they might reach out and find Him, though He
is not far from each one of us.'
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Read: Acts 17:23 - 27
It is odd to me how we continue to stand at the crossroads of change trying to hold onto the ever familiar and assuring ideas of the past, all the while finding ourselves slowly being pushed forward into a new world that challenges everything we all hold dear. That old radio of our grandparents that is still able to tune in to your 1 favorite station, now being replaced by go anywhere satellite radio. Then there are those cell phones we bought last year or two years ago that we refuse to let go of because we have found some minor thing we like about it so we take forever to get an upgrade. Oldies but goodies traditions, our precious memories, at the crossroads of our today challenged by our future tomorrows.
I suppose there are some ideas that we need to let go of that we might move on in life, after all, time waits for no man. But our faith in Jesus Christ is not one of them. In this passage it is not Paul who is being pushed but rather it is he who is doing the pushing. (Verse 23) 'For as I was passing through and observing the objects of your worship, I even found there an altar on which was inscribed: TO AN UNKNOWN GOD. Therefore, what you worship in ignorance, this I proclaim to you.' But in this case he was not preaching a new doctrine but rather at the complete fulfillment of an old story. To bring his message home God literally starts at the beginning—of humanity, created in His image not of stone.
There is an important truth that Paul is revealing to us. The true God was not given life by man to be placed in the middle of the city square or the center of your very own living room, but rather God gave life to man (v. 24-25). God is not in the least bit an impersonal being that He would prefer to remain hidden in the background or stuck in a piece of solitary marble. God is 100% relational 100% of the time, 24 hours a day 7 days a week 365 days of the year and 366 days for leap years. For man this
is a difficult concept for him to wrap his whole life around because he changes every minute of every day. When you realize the rapidity of that change, it makes one dizzy in their search for God's reality.
Additionally, Paul wants us to realize that the true God is the eternal Architect and the Father of all things created (26-27). There's a living, breathing, vibrant “community” to God’s creation (v. 26). There is a living, breathing, vibrant, "community" that is at a crossroad waiting for the next new thing to move us, and draw us ever forward into a future God has promised is always filled with hope and prosperity (Jeremiah 29:11). Man has never been one to be satisfied with standing in one place to long. God's one plan for each of us is for us to be in such an intimate 1:1 relationship with Him and His Son that any 'cross' road we will ever find find ourselves standing at is known to God. He is already waiting.
Let Us Pray: Heavenly Father, I look up to you in this time of change. As I stand at this one 'cross' road of the many I will encounter on my journey into the future You have already planned out for me, allow me to have the courage to change my life for the better always acknowledging you as my Guide and Your Son as the only Way, the only Truth, the only Way to a life lived from everlasting to everlasting. Allow all of my burdens to be risen up to You through Your Holy Spirit as I know that You will see me through Jesus Christ who died for me. '(27) He did this so they might seek God, and perhaps they might reach out and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us.'
http://www.youtube.com/
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