Notes used to present a Zoom lesson during the summer of 2020.
We live in a world that is constantly changing. Some changes happen overnight. Some take centuries to develop. War, famine, disease, greed, and power all contribute to changes that have made us who we are. One day we are going about our business trying to feed our family, serve our customers, educate our children and the next day it is all shut down.
History is filled with moments like these. Most of these historic events are caused or exacerbated by governments who are hungry for power or even by governments trying to do the right thing. Regardless of the cause, the result is the same: Change.
Wall Street Market Crash 1929
After World War I, the economy was booming, the 20’s were roaring. Life was good. Then, in a single day, October 29, 1929 (now referred to as Black Tuesday), it all came crashing down as millions of shares were traded and billions of dollars were lost. This triggered the Great Depression that lasted 10 years devastating most people in our country as well as other industrialized countries. One day all seems grand and the next day there are no jobs, little food, everything is gone.
This picture is of a bank run in 1932. If you have ever seen It’s A Wonderful Life, you know what that is. Desperate people trying to save what money they have left attempt to withdraw all they have at the same time.
Pearl Harbor 1941
While World War II was brewing in Europe, the US felt safe and secure keeping an arms’ distance from the conflict, vowing to stay out of it. December 7, 1941 changed all that. On a quiet Sunday morning, Japanese planes appeared seemingly out of nowhere and destroyed the USS Arizona, USS Oklahoma as well as 12 other ships and many planes. Over 2000 lives were lost in just 2 hours.
That day was like any other day. Some were working. Some were sleeping in. Some were attending worship services. It was truly “A day that will live in infamy”. My father-in-law learned about it on a news reel at the movie theater. He promptly, at 18 years of age, joined the Air Force as did many, many other young men. One day, he was just a high school kid on a farm in East Texas. The next, he was headed to school to learn to navigate a bomber.
Partition of India 1947
Once under British rule, in an effort to control the outcome of the newly created government, India was divided into India as we know it now and Pakistan (Pakistan to the East of India and Pakistan to the West of India). The division happened quickly and largely to protect (or to divide and control) religious groups such as Muslims, Hindus, and Sikhs. The partition caused mass migration as people attempted to move near those of the same beliefs. The chaos resulted in untold number of deaths from both killings and disease.
Having lived under the protection of the British government, the people of India were left without a strong government and all the benefits that go with it. They were left alone to fend for their families, packing up all they had and looking for people of their own kind to live among. Uprooted and devastated. The picture shows an old woman being carried by family members in a makeshift carrier.
Berlin Wall 1961-1989
Another event that followed the World Wars and brought devastation and change to the people involved was the building of the Berlin wall. Germany had lost 2 wars in less than 50 years. The people were devastated. The world was furious at the horrors they had afflicted on those they deemed unfit. The country was divided politically. The wall was built by the East German government to “keep capitalism out” but in actuality their goal was to keep their people in. This picture demonstrates the stark difference in life on one side of the wall versus the other. The government controlled who could come in, who could go out. The punishment for disobeying? Death.
While life had been extremely hard for the Germans throughout the World Wars, the fact that someone felt the need to build a wall to keep their people in shows just how bad it had gotten. Just imagine a wall going up through Sinton along the train tracks. One day, we are able to move about freely, the next, you are forced to stay on the side of the tracks that you found yourself when the wall goes up. Families separated, unable to be together again. Businesses destroyed. Once again, devastating changes.
Changes happen in the religious world as well
Old Law / New Law Acts 2
What a change the Jews found themselves in. They had been warned of this very thing for centuries. Some heeded the warnings. Others were totally shocked to find that not only had their status as God’s chosen people been taken away but now the Roman government had completely obliterated the very city and temple they held dear.
The picture is of a relief found on the Arch of Titus. It depicts the Romans carrying away articles of value that were found in the temple. Most obvious is the lampstand, trumpets, and table of showbread. This arch not only gives us historical proof of what happened but was a humiliating insult to the Jews who were left and still held on to their old ways.
Constantine the Great 316 AD
Rome changed from the official religion of paganism (multiple gods) to a form of Christianity in 316 AD. Constantine the Great is given credit for this complete turnaround. Previously Christians were abused economically and physically to the point of torturous death. Now just a couple of centuries later, Christianity is the official religion of Rome. Some question Constantine’s motive. Was it for political reason or did he have a true conviction?
The picture is Rafael’s painting of Constantine’s baptism. History tells us, though, that Constantine was baptized on his death bed. This painting does not show a baptism at all, just a pouring on of water. As the caption of the picture read: Rafael’s imagination of the baptism of Constantine.
Church of England 1534
Henry VIII did not like the Catholic Church’s view on marriage (he wanted an annulment), so he started his own version of the Catholic Church which required citizens of England to adjust their beliefs to align with his.
The picture depicts an Anglican church from 1500. The basic form of the cathedral as well as the basic form of the Church of England are similar to Catholicism which only proves that Henry VIII was not as concerned with the errors of the Catholicism as he was with changing the traditions to suit his fancy.
Instrumental Music in Worship 670
Not only did governments change their religion but within different religious groups the rules changed. This is one example that caused great controversy and still is a problem today. “The first recorded example of a musical instrument in Roman Catholic worship was a pipe organ introduced by Pope Vitalian into a cathedral in Rome around 670”
This picture is of a beautiful pipe organ in a medieval cathedral that dates back to the 7th century although this pipe organ was not built until 1679.
Modern day changes 2006
And religious organizations continue to change at a fast rate. Women taking leadership roles and the acceptance of various lifestyles that are against the teachings of God are examples of two modern day changes. This picture is of the first female priest in the Episcopal Church.
Change Happens Today
Covid-19 2020
In the state of Texas:
- State of Emergency Declared March 13
- Stay at Home Ordered April 2 – April 30
One day, we are hearing rumors of a disease across the ocean. The next it is right at our doorstep. We know the story because we are living it right now. We are in the midst of changes that most likely will have lasting effects on ourselves and future generations. Everything from the way we view hygiene to the way we view our government’s power to control our actions. Just like the rest of the events that have changed peoples’ lives, we were all going about comfortably living our lives. We knew that bad things could happen, and we have even been involved catastrophic events on a smaller scale, but we never really thought it would happen on this large of a scale to us.
God Never Changes
Some things never change. The sun rises and sets. The rain falls and droughts come. The seasons follow one another. Babies are born. Couples fall in love. People die.
More importantly God never changes. He is the same. His desire for us to love Him is the same. His desire for us to love each other is the same. As the world changes around us we can count on these things to remain.
Numbers 23:19 God is not human, that he should lie, not a human being, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill?
Malachi 3:6-7 “For I am the Lord, I do not change; Therefore you are not consumed, O sons of Jacob. Yet from the days of your fathers you have gone away from My ordinances And have not kept them. Return to Me, and I will return to you,” Says the Lord of hosts.
Hebrews 13:8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.
James 1:17 Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.
- In the stock market crash of 1929, the economy changed but God remained the same.
- When Pearl Harbor was bombed, what we thought was a safe nation to live in was found to be as vulnerable as all the rest but God, on that very day, still offered protection to those who followed Him as He does today.
- When India was partitioned, and all those people realized their government was not going to protect them, God wanted them to know Him, to love Him, to let Him lead them.
- When East Germany built the wall to keep control of its people God was there wanting everyone one on the East side of the wall and on the West side of the wall to love one another and to follow Him.
- Now that the world is absorbed in, God wants to be #1 in our lives. He wants everyone to be saved from eternal damnation. He wants us to look to Him for our salvation and not to the government or to medical science. Those avenues are given to us by God to help us, but they are not what will ultimately save us in the end.
So how should we respond to our Creator who has always been and will always be the same?
1 Peter 1:22 – 2:3 Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit in sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart, having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever, because “All flesh is as grass, And all the glory of man as the flower of the grass. The grass withers, And its flower falls away, But the word of the Lord endures forever.” Now this is the word which by the gospel was preached to you. Therefore, laying aside all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all evil speaking, as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby, if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is gracious.
- Lay aside all malice (desire to do evil)
- Lay aside all deceit (misrepresenting the truth)
- Lay aside hypocrisy (claiming to believe one thing but acting the opposite)
- Lay aside envy (desiring what someone else has)
- Lay aside evil speaking (talking bad about others)
- Be like newborn babies wanting the pure milk of the word.
- God wants to grow, to draw nearer to Him, to be like Him.
God always has and always will love each and every one of us. His desire was and always will be that we will love Him and that we will allow Him to lead and protect us.
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