I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.
ROMANS 12 : 1-2
3 considerations
about the priority of timeless truth.
1. God's word doesn't change but brings fresh vitality and fruitfulness to each day. So live each day knowing it could be your last, and what you would say to God about how you used your time in it as you stand before Him.
Psalm 1
Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked,
nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers;
2 but his delight is in the law of the Lord,
and on his law he meditates day and night.
3 He is like a tree
planted by streams of water
that yields its fruit in its season,
and its leaf does not wither.
In all that he does, he prospers.
4 The wicked are not so,
but are like chaff that the wind drives away.
In our personal lives, our greatest relevance and usefulness to this world depends on how close we are to our God. No doubt the habbits of those around encouraging us to waste and fritter life searching for the "new" can eat up our finite and very limited time before eternity, but it will offer no-one anything of value if we grow old without growing in Him.
The fruitfulness of God is an eternal law. It will never change.
The tree of life grows for ever. You can build your life and eternity on it, on Him. The garden was fruitful because God was there, and walked with His people. Heaven is heaven because of Jesus being there. We have Christ in this life, and in Him we have enough. Christian growth is realising each day that we need more of Him not less of Him.
Yes the narrative says you are a freak if you are not interested in the latest whatever, but what is worse ...being a trend junky with nothing to offer anyone, empty inside with a search for a new bubble your constant hunger, or being satisfied in Christ and overflowing with Joy in Him? I would prefer to be known as a freak for Jesus than a fool who wasted this life.
2. Some prayers are not new but bring fresh vitality and fruitfulness each day. Old (lifelong) prayers can be effectual.
Pray with passion for the things which matter for eternity.
Often our issue in our walk with God is not that we don't have enough new prayers, but that we still have to ask each day the same thing for new strength and help as we grow day by day.
Prayers like, "please make me more like Jesus", or "please make me an encouragement to others today" or "Please help me to serve others not myself" are prayers which do not change but yield increasing results. In such things our passion must be for patience, endurance and bringing increasing pleasure to the one we want to give our lives to.
Don't look to be distracted by new trends in religion, be so fascinated in new discoveries, look for integrity and vitality in what you already know to be true. The one who has revealed himself reveals everything that is glorious, and will be eternally satisfying.
Matthew 11: 26-30
At that time Jesus declared, “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children; yes, Father, for such was your gracious will. All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him. Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
3. The message we share doesn't need to be new, it needs to be faithful.
We are not the story, Jesus is. The world is not in desperate need of another selfie from us, or to know what we are eating for lunch / wearing today. Some things are not vital to be updated on.
Trying to Impress others with constant media postings or representations of ourselves is not only tiresome, but self worshipping. The mega church and mega pastor might use all the tactics their bulging purses offer, but it will only titivate for a short time and offer no deep solution to the lives of listeners. Ultimate self worship changes no one in any good way.
Only Christ transforms, He is the message, we are not. We are totally unimpressive, but He is everything that makes sense of us, our lives and in Him we live, move and have our being. Don't dress up the truth trying to impress others, humbly serve the one in whom we have true worth and purpose.
The gospel is timeless, and yet today remains absolutely the only vitally and critically relevant thing for our neighbours, family, friends, and our own souls.The gospel is the only hope in all seasons for all peoples.
Even if we are just preaching to ourselves, to not be taken in or synchronise with rogue thinking of the age we need to be saying to ourselves... tell me the old, old, story of Jesus and His love.
If I get to being very old, can't move and am stuck in my bed as a poor, washed out, body spent pastor missionary with nothing left to give you, please preach Jesus to me, however you can.
There is no greater need, and no greater transformational endeavour than deep diving into the grace of Christ and the rescuing plan of a faithful God. This is life to the full. (2 Cor 4:16)
The constant appetite for the new is nothing new, it is though on hyperdrive in our age.
Let's be wise about how we live, the time is short and this world is "passing away", it will not trend or be current. (Eph 5:15, 1 Cor 7:31)
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