"The Winds of Change"

David Bowie wrote a song in 1972, about changes in our lives and how every time he thought he had things figured out, things changed. The wind is like change in our lives. Constantly moving, blowing from one direction and another we cannot stop it, we can feel it, but we cannot see it.

We are continually growing and changing from one moment to the next. From the beginning in our mother’s womb till the day we are birthed, each day brings change. We grow in intelligence, we grow in size into toddlers, young children, adolescents, and then adulthood. Our minds change from immature thinking to mature thinking. At first, our world is wrapped around our parents and siblings. Then as we get older our world changes into mature adults just as God planned. We then find a mate and get married and become one flesh, and we reproduce just as God planned in Genesis 1:26-27 New American Standard Bible 1995 “26 Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and the cattle and all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” 27 God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.”

We see and feel change as we get older and our bodies start to fail. This is one change we do not want to happen. But this is a fact of life. You know that in the beginning when Adam and Eve were placed in the Garden of Eden they were immortal until they ate from the from the tree of life. That is when change took place. Our immortal bodies were exchanged for mortal one. God gave us an expiration date because of Adam and Eve’s disobedience.

One major change that we go through as humans is when our time on earth is over, our soul departs our bodies and we either go to heaven or hell. This was the conversation that Nicodemus and Jesus had in the third chapter of the Gospel of John. Jesus told Nicodemus in order to have eternal life he (Nicodemus) had to be born again. This is not a physical change to our bodies but a spiritual change to our souls. Nicodemus’s questions are pointed in the direction of not going Hell.

John 3:1-9 New American Standard Bible 1995

The New Birth 3 Now there was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews; 2 this man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, “Rabbi, we know that You have come from God as a teacher; for no one can do these] signs that You do unless God is with him.” 3 Jesus answered and said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” 4 Nicodemus *said to Him, “How can a man be born when he is old? He cannot enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born, can he?” 5 Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. 6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 Do not be amazed that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ 8 The wind blows where it wishes and you hear the sound of it, but do not know where it comes from and where it is going; so is everyone who is born of the Spirit.”

We ask ourselves, “How can these things be?” I don’t understand. When we don’t understand something we then fail to accept it. But let me ask you a question, Most of us do not know how the internet works, but we still use it. Can you tell me how Bluetooth works, probably not, but we still use it. How is it that when they seed the clouds to make more snow, most of us don’t understand that concept, but it works. These things I have mentioned just take some thoughtful study and we can understand them.

Why then do we discard the things of God when we don’t understand them? We don’t even try, we just say that cannot be.

If I tell you there is no such thing as luck, karma, chance, evolution, I can already hear your answer. “How can that be?” Because the Sovereign God has foreordained everything in His universe.

God has planned all of this before the beginning of time. King David explained all of this in his Psalm. Listen to what he writes. Psalm 139: 1, 13-16New American Standard Bible 1995 1. O Lord, You have searched me and known me. 13 For You formed my inward parts; You wove me in my mother’s womb. 14. I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Wonderful are Your works, and my soul knows it very well. 15. My frame was not hidden from You,

When I was made in secret, And skillfully wrought in the depths of the earth; 16. Your eyes have seen my unformed substance; And in Your book were all written The days that were ordained for me, When as yet there was not one of them.

Not only did God know us, but He planned our lives I know this is hard to grasp, but this is where we have to have faith in what God says and does.

Hebrews 11:1-3 New American Standard Bible 1995

(The Triumphs of Faith) Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. 2 For by it the men of old gained approval.3 By faith we understand that the worlds were prepared by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things which are visible.

What I am saying is that God can reverse the winds of change in your life. He can fix the brokenness of sin and worldly desires; all you have to do trust and believe in the God of the universe. Don’t discard this as rubbish; sit down and research it.

Romans 11:36 New American Standard Bible 1995

36 For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen.

David P. Cole CRE,

Encampment Presbyterian Church.