Change

As I think of this word, change, I think of the different way I think about some things today than I did  thirty years ago. I remember a time when my Father-in-law, Papa Johns would ask me to preach at his church. I think Papa Johns wanted me to be a preacher. I would try to do my best that I knew at that time. I don't think the same way any more. I was a member of the same denomination that Papa was a minister in. I will say Papa took his calling as a Minister of the Gospel seriously. I respect the man and minister that he was. I remember at that time as I would prepare to speak at Papa's church I would pray. I would read my Bible and as I was preparing for what I was going to say.  I would read every sermon I could find on that subject I was thinking on. When I say every sermon, I mean from that denominations publication. I thought that was smart at that time, being an uneducated student of the word. The word of God needs to be interpreted by the word of God. Perhaps these individuals who wrote the sermons I was reading also did that, I mean interpret the Word by the Word. Or perhaps they did what I did. I see how my way of thinking at that time could perpetuate an error and while I was correct per my denomination, I could have been incorrect per God's word. If they made in error in their thinking, I was copying that error by my interpreting the word by their sermons. I have since learned that that is not a safe way to interpret the Word of God. Perhaps that is why there are denominational differences. I also remember people talking about a vision of the church. I prayed for a vision of the church but I didn't see it the way they spoke about it in that denomination. I believe God answered that prayer even before I realized it. But I was still looking for a vision that matched that denominations thinking. I now realize that was not scriptural, and I have changed my thinking. As I look back on that time, I believe I was sincere, but sincerely wrong in my thinking. That is what we have to do, to change as God corrects our thinking. I often wonder how I made this change, I was pretty indoctrinated in that denomination. But I also know that that denomination has made some of the same changes in their thinking and what they teach over the same years. I probably could not belong to that denomination as a member because I have been married 5 times. I thank God for revising some of my thinking, before I met some situations in life. I would have gotten discouraged with the turmoil in my personal life and I believe I would have quit as I did once before. I don't think I could be a preacher as Papa wanted me to be, but I do need to feed myself from the word. I feel like I am still correcting some of my thinking from time to time. Perhaps that is the way it is for even Ministers of the Gospel. As they mature and keep studying, perhaps they too change as did the denomination I grew up in. As for being married 5 times, I believe God's perfect plan is one man, one woman for life, until death do part. We are imperfect people at best and we fail in different areas of our lives. I do not believe that divorce is an unforgivable sin.   I do believe I need to work at this marriage I am in and make it work, until death do part. There are other denominations that have some of the same beliefs and think they are the true church as did my denomination. Perhaps they too interpret by denomination. I am still working at this and do note that my thinking is often influenced by my upbringing, both good and bad. That is why we need to daily feed ourselves from the word and allow God to change us.  God bless, LVZ.