01.21.09

When I shut up heaven and there is no rain, or command the locusts to devour the land, or send pestilence among My people, if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land. Now My eyes will be open and My ears attentive to prayer made in this place. - 2 Chronicles 7:13-15.

President Obama has promised to bring change to our country, and we do hope and pray that it will be the kind of change that will mend some of the divides in our country and not make those divisions greater. We all hope and pray that for so many who are hurting from the economic crisis that there will be a change that will bring jobs and relief from the financial pain. We know about the changes that the United States needs but what about the changes that we need in our personal lives, or the changes that are sometimes needed in our churches?

I have reached the point several times in my life when I said to myself, "I have to change." I talk to people and receive emails and messages almost daily that say they are going to change, or they want to change, or that they need to change - change the way they are living. However, we must be careful how we actually change and how the change is brought about. There is an old saying, "Don’t throw the baby out with the bath water." I am not sure of the origin of the saying, but it is one that I have heard many times. The meaning appears to be clear when applied to our lives, our churches, our nation, and to the changes we need to make. When we are cleaning the house of our lives make sure that you do not throw out that which is of the most value. The apostle Paul writes in 2 Thessalonians 2:13-15, "But we are bound to give thanks to God always for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God from the beginning chose you for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth, to which He called you by our gospel, for the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, brethren, stand fast and hold the traditions which you were taught, whether by word or our epistle."

Whether it is our nation, our church, or our own personal lives we must hold onto our Christian values. Yes, we may desperately need change in all three of those areas but let us not "throw the baby out with the bath water." Our nation was founded upon Christian values and principles. It was not founded upon the values of any other religion. To remove all things Christian from our nation will result in removing what has made our nation great. Our churches may need change, but we must still preach Christ and Him crucified. We may need to change personally but that change should draw us nearer to our Lord Jesus and not farther away.

Here is the formula for change that we can really believe in: "If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land (2 Chronicles 7:14)."