What Does "god Is The Same Yesterday, Today And Forever" Mean?
Tuesday, September 17, 2019 20:25
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by Rev. Joda Collins.
The comment “God is the same yesterday, today and forever” is not a Bible quote, although often stated. It is, however, a Bible truth. It is a statement drawn from two verses. First, Hebrews 13:8 states, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.” KJV. Since Jesus is God, it is logical and accurate to say, ”God is the same yesterday, today and forever.”
Second, “God is the same yesterday, today and forever” is an accurate commentary on Malachi 3:6 which reads, “For I, the Lord, do not change….”
Let us start with what “God is the same yesterday, today and forever” does NOT mean. First, that Bible truth has nothing directly to do with me, you or us. To state that God does not change means that God deals with me, you or us in the same way no matter what, is an errant statement. When a person is a child his father will hold his child’s hand to cross the street. However, as the child matures the father stops holding the child’s hand to cross the street and tells the child to stop and look both ways before crossing the road. When the child does that as a habit, the father neither holds his child’s hand to cross the road nor does the child need a reminder to stop and look both ways before crossing the road. The father has not changed. The father still loves his child. However, the way the father relates to his son has changed and the direction to his son changes from “hold my hand” to “stop and look both ways first” to silence on the subject about safe road crossing.
Just because God said something to me, you or us in the past does not mean the same words apply today. Just because God did certain things to, for, with or through me, you or us in the past does not mean he says the same things or does the same things to, for, with or through me, you or us in the present (or future). The nature of God never changes, but his methods do.
God called for the death of practicing homosexuals in Leviticus. Not so today. Methods for dealing with homosexuality in culture is not the nature of God. God hates homosexuality. That is his nature. His methods change. God directed the early church with tongues, signs and wonders but that does not mean God directs the current church with tongues, signs and wonders. God wants the church directed by him. That is his nature. His methods change. God’s method for justice was once an “eye for any eye.” God’s method for justice is no longer an eye for an eye. God’s nature is justice. His methods change. In times past, God spoke through Prophets and Apostles. There are no Prophets or Apostles today.
The exact moment we add humanity in any way to the statement that God never changes, — whatever follows is automatically suspect unless there is proof in the Bible that whatever follows is true. The fact that God never changes is not proof that God never changes anything.
What does God never changes mean? It means we can trust God to keep his Word as it rightly applies to us. It means we can trust God’s nature to never change.
When we know God’s Word (the Bible) and his nature we know what God never changes means and how to apply that truth to our lives. We come to know God’s nature by spending time with him and giving an honest, long-term effort to honoring his Word in our lives (obeying him). The only gateway to spending time with God is the Lord Jesus Christ. “…no man comes to the Father, except by (through) me.” John 14:6, KJV. Parenthesis mine.
In some ways all of this is very complicated. The intricacies of all of the components of God, the Bible, humanity, the angelic world, spirituality, unseen forces that direct our lives, the role and person of the Holy Spirit, the Cross of Christ and on and on are the things that multi-millions of sermons are built on. I do not know much, but this much I do know — every venture and every progress with God starts with his voice saying, “hold my hand” as we walk in the direction and at the speed he determines. That is the beginning of knowing his nature. When we pick up the Bible and study it with a heart to obey, that is the process of getting to know his Word. Like flying in an airplane, the components of an airplane and how it moves from ground to air and back to ground have some complicated realities; however, all we have to do to fly is get on board and trust the pilot. All of the complicated things are taken care of by others. For the passenger, it is simple.
Likewise, the intricacies of spirituality are taken care of by God who never changes. It is simple for us. We just get on board and trust the pilot. That is what “God never changes” means.
During a flight, you will be told when you can stand, when you must sit, when you can and when you cannot use the restroom, when you can and cannot or if you can or cannot use your cell phone, when you can unbuckle your seat belt and more. Things will change during the flight, but the nature of the pilot and the plane stays the same. One of the devil’s tricks is to tell you that just because God did such and such in the past means God will ALWAYS do the same thing in the present and the future and that if you are not doing it such and such a way, you are wrong. Not so. Do not fall for that lie.
God’s nature never changes. He will always hate homosexuality. He always desires that he lead the church. He will always desire justice. His methods are subject to change. When someone quotes a verse and states, “God is the same yesterday, today and forever, so what he did in the past he will do in the present” that is NOT a true statement because it implies “always.” God does not always deliver people from the mouth of the lion like he delivered Daniel. God does not always deliver people from fire like he did Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. God sometimes does what he has always done but God never always does what he has sometimes done! ”What God did for others he will always do for you,” is not a true statement. “What God never did for anyone else, he might do for you,” is a true statement!
Rev . Joda Collins
www.jodacollins/spotlight/lulu.com
I make no claim that anyone else agrees with me.
Source: http://ppsimmons.blogspot.com/2019/09/what-does-god-is-same-yesterday-today.html
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"Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the Lord of hosts." Zechariah 4:6
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Joel 2:28 – “It will come about after this That I will pour out My Spirit on all mankind; And your sons and daughters will prophesy, Your old men will dream dreams, Your young men will see visions.”
Acts 2:17 – ‘AND IT SHALL BE IN THE LAST DAYS,’ God says, ‘THAT I WILL POUR FORTH OF MY SPIRIT ON ALL MANKIND; AND YOUR SONS AND YOUR DAUGHTERS SHALL PROPHESY, AND YOUR YOUNG MEN SHALL SEE VISIONS, AND YOUR OLD MEN SHALL DREAM DREAMS;
God’s laws are the same today as they were then as well. Those under grace will be judged in terms of rewards. Everyone else will be judged according to the Law and condemned for breaking it, even in one point.
And if you think you’re an atheist, you’re not. You know God exists and, in fact, you fight against Him by denying Him. Do you “fight” against the Easter bunny or Santa Claus? No, because you don’t believe in them. And if you say, “God never did anything for me; therefore, I don’t believe He exists.” Answer this then – Why should God do anything for you when you don’t even acknowedge He exists?
It’s time for us all to stop listening to the evil voices who are at war with God and repent and fight for your faith. Work out your salvation with fear and trembling. Philippians 2:12
There is an equal amount of evidence for your god and santa claus and the easter bunny.
Many of us had imaginary friends when we were children. Sadly, people like you still have not grown out of some of them.
And to threaten people with eternal damnation if they don’t delude themselves like you do says much about your moral standpoint.
No replies then…?
No great surprise. You are all cowards,hiding behind your imaginary man in the sky.
Always a man isn’t it. Wonder why…
Maybe all these deities were invented when man was superior to women.Can’t imagine a female monotheistic god can you?
How dumb are you people…..
Dear Rev. Collins, I agree with many things you offered in your article… Homosexuality is an unnatural condition for human existence… I can plainly see it can be displeasing to GOD, as a terrible sin… That condition does not offer reproduction, normal mental stability or any way for humanity to thrive… It does not promote good, wholesome values… Where would we all be today if, all our parents, were all queers?… So, we do owe our lives to that which is normal… We owe our very existence by keeping up with Natural Laws… With what has been an acceptable way of living since time began… Where positive and negative energies unit to compliment each other… Both male and female of their kinds… If GOD himself does not teach us this simple truth then Mother Nature will offer us the correct actions… Or, we will become extinct…
There are a few things that I might disagree with, as the general theme of your article… I do not think any of us can truly know GOD’s motives or plans… It would be arragent for us to say, “We have all the right answers.”… We usually claim that GOD is perfect… I personally believe that to be true… There has to be an intelligence that is all loving, all seeing, all knowing and all wise… A source of intelligence that has knowledge of the past, the present and can predict the future… It is the same Yesterday, Today and Forever… I’ve been taught that and that much, I do believe… He, She, It does not need to change his mind or his methods of operations… Because GOD is perfect and a wonderful Father… Mortal men are guilty of changing attitudes and personality traits… The Sun, the Moon and the Stars remain perfect in their circles… If GOD can hold my hand to cross the street as a child, he can still hold my hand to navigate this world… Just because someone develops a few Earthly years of experience does not mean we are not still his children… Still needing guidance, love and compassion… I mean, the GOD you believe in also created Devils and allowed them to have authority over his Earth… To be followed, worshiped and served… So, we still need protection and guidance from those dangers and our hands should still be held tightly… If what you propose is all true… In times past, the GOD of our biblical scriptures was present with mankind.. He made his presence known… Both to the adults and the smaller children… It wasn’t a blind act of faith either… As all mankind was his children… He walked with man in his garden… He appeared to Moses… Either he himself or his Angels were known to Abraham… He personally discussed things with Noah… He used to send his Angels down on a regularly basis to minister to mankind… Why would he leave us here and allow the Devils take over?.. I mean, when he used to have a more personal interest and a more personal stake in his creation… Now, all we have are some written scriptures with rules to follow… We call it our Bible… A Bible that has been written and rewritten by the hands of man… Yes, with a lot of editing taking place… Did you know there are other Bibles and other scriptures that have been found in various locations, all other the world?… Some yet to be discovered… With many historical Biblical teachings disregarded and or left out?.. A good example of this is, The Book Of Enoch… The Dead Sea Scrolls were not discovered until 1946… We still have not deciphered all of them yet… Much less, come to a cohesive understanding what exactly they contain… How can we know any of our interpretations about GOD’s plans are correct?… We just go with what we got and hope for the best?… I mean, do we just rely only on the KJV Bible and think that men did not monkey around with any of the scriptures over eons of time?… Why do you only trust the interpretations of this written work?… How do you know you have comprehended correctly everything that you’ve have been reading?… I mean, some reverend or preacher taught you… So, you could go forward and teach others… I really hope you do not accidentally teach false doctrines or take some things out of context… Whether your information is lacking or totally incorrect… Because you may be misleading others who may look to you for guidance… It may be possible that your Bible is incomplete or has been changed in some ways… To reflect the traits of the men, who conceived of it… The Christian and Jewish Religions can offer many good ideas, good values and good morals… Yet, some things have to be reasonably interpreted, to arrive at the real truth… It is very unlikely that Jonah was really swallowed by a whale for 3 days without being digested… Might have been a submarine instead… Like, some older technology that we just rediscovered and use in our more modern times… Like submarines, tanks and helicopters that were later misrepresented…. Ancient Stone Aged People may have been more advanced than we give them credit… See here, if you think Ancient Advanced Technology was not possible… https://www.booksfact.com/technology/ancient-technology/abydos-helicopter-in-egypt.
https://www.booksfact.com/technology/ancient-technology/abydos-helicopter-in-egypt.htm
So you presumably mean that when your deity endorses slavery in the old testement in exodus 21, he still means its okay today?
Thats just one example of the appalling sense of morality that comes from your ‘god’s word’, along with genocide,mysogeny,discrimination and many more.
How you can pedal this stuff is beyond me.
Mr. plsnogod, I agree with some of your opinions and sentiments… Although, I am not a total atheist… Not believing in a Superior GOD Intelligence at all… For me, the fact that life exists at all, is proof of some intelligent designs… With water, sunlight, soil and air offering just the perfect conditions for life to exist offers some proof… Strictly, my personal opinion… The Sun, the Earth, The Moon and the Stars rotate perfectly in their circles…
The GOD of the Old Testament seems to have a total different personality than the GOD worshiped by New Testament followers… It is almost as if they were 2 different GODS represented in the scriptures… One being cruel, full of wrath, vengeance and loves sacrifices… The second personality of The New Testament, is all about love, peace, joy and compassion for mankind… Turn the other cheek, sort of thing… So, the GOD in the scriptures is not the same Today, Yesterday and forever… Did he change his mind?… Maybe, it was not just One True GOD at all… Maybe, there was more than one to be represented… One of them even admitted, he was a Jealous GOD… Did not want anyone worshiping any other lessor gods…
All this leads me to believe, either our scriptures were a man made invention or we can not interpret properly (with truth) what was really going on… As most of this information was passed down from thousands of years… Much less, have the ability to preach what is GODS Will is, for all of us now… I think it would be very arrogant for anyone to claim they have all the answers based solely, on one book… I mean, this GOD of the scriptures has been given man made traits that do not appear to come from a vastly, Superior Intelligence… Just a controlling mechanism… Wanting to be worshiped, served and controlling man’s behaviors… Seems like man made story telling with a whole lot of mistakes written into it… I do not claim to offer any sure fire answers or conclusions… I just doubt, anyone today has all the right answers either…
Well put sentiments. I do not claim to ‘know’,in fact I claim otherwise.
The problem is the world is full of people who do claim they know,with all of the problems,death,predujice and destruction that organised religion brings. it’s a huge problem for mankind on this planet.
I would just take a little issue when you say that because there is air,sunlight,soil etc that perhaps indicates a designer. However just think of all the trillions of planets in the universe. I would guess,from what we know about our own tiny backyard,there are trillions of planets without any life on them,so they are presumably designerless.But there must surely be many many different forms of life on many different forms of planets.
The problem with the religious,is they are so full of their own self-importance,and believe we are the centre of the universe,and they are so worthy of having a creator. They tend not to comprehend the size of the universe and the tiny speck in the backside of a tiny galaxy the earth is,our own galaxy itself having millions of stars and planets.
They are so certain they have their god creator,despite absolutely any evidence at all,it is almost comical. I think many of them are afraid to say that they just do not know. We should never be afraid to admit we don’t know,rather than just plump for a deity(normally the one their parents and peers indoctrinated them with).
We need to grow as a species,and not be held back by these medieval man invented myths.
I do think there is a Supreme Intelligence… An Intelligent Designer… That we can call GOD but it appears to operate in a Natural Form Of Order… Operating in a framework of various spacial times…
It can also operate dispassionately at times… A tornado does not save the Christians and take out only the evil doers… If you are in its path, it will take out everything!!… Whether you are a sinner or a saint… With no respecter of persons… It is also not wise to stand in a lake during a lightning storm!!… This natural creative force I am speaking of, is the same Today, Yesterday and Forever… It can create and also destroy… Like taking a positive and a negative to make an electric spark to create a new form of energy… Like when a male unites with a female to create a new life… This Natural Order has a way of working within the human kingdom, the plant kingdom, the animal kingdom along with the creatures of the air and seas… Positive plus negative can create a new spark of life… More to carry on with this journey we all call, Life…
However, the GOD worshiped and recorded in most of our relied scriptures appears to be a different entity…. Having more human qualities… His written words offers many contradictions… Displaying that he is not the same Today, Yesterday and Forever… This GOD can change his mind, change his attitudes, his personality, his designs and his methods of operation… Even when he changes his methods, he still desires to be served and worshiped… I think, most of these testimonies were written down by the hands of men… Men who were imperfect and made mistakes during the editing processes… Men who wanted to control the behaviors of other men… Before we had laws to govern our lands, we had religions… It is better to be a King or a High Priest that has a direct connection to GOD than to be a lowly, serving peasant… These jobs of governing offer plenty of perks, wealth and special privileges over any society of peoples… It is good to be the King!!… Good for the King, that is… Also good to be a Religious Director who has direct, unquestionable knowledge of what GOD demands… I mean, it is all written down for him so he can not make mistakes while leading the rest of us to do what is right… Reward or Punishment are the two contrasting, Control Mechanisms used… If you are good you might get rewarded… You might get to join with GOD at the Pearly Gates… If you break any of his rules, you’ll be damned for Hell forever… When our time is up is when we get to see what or if anything comes next… No one can do it for me and no one can do it for you… Death is a personal experience for each of us… Even a Preacher Man does not know what will actually happen… He is just a man, like any of the rest of us… He only has his opinions, beliefs and his scriptures…
Yes, I agree and I do not think our true, Supreme Creator stopped creating after the Earth was formed… I personally think, he, she or it created many vast Universes… Universes full of planets… Many planets filled with various forms of life… Our whole planet is like a tiny grain of sand on a huge piece of beachfront property… Very tiny compared to the grander vision of what is available… Humanity is even a smaller portion of that… For me, The Creator is always creating something new and different… So this beachfront property is always growing and ever expanding… Some destinations may have higher and sometimes lower iforms of intelligent life… For me, that is what our Supreme Creator always does… That is his real and natural job… To create… GOD does not pass out judgement against the planet we call, Uranus… Mars is not at war with Venus because GOD demands bloodshed… Jupiter will not be damned to Hell for operating the ways it does… Instead, the planets move perfectly within their own circles… Like it was all intelligently designed to do… I do not have all the right answers but I do have strong opinions… I do think some good things can be learned by studying religions… Not all of it is total bologna… Some laws and forms of moral conduct do seem to be needed… Some messages of these rules do need to be passed around… So we can have a cohesive agreement about how to operate together just in our little world… Humanity as a whole does need a moral compass that should be honored… Not to be of slaves to some ambitious masters who have a thirst for power and control… Not to be of service only to the Kings and the High Priests… Just to be neighborly, to love, and to be of service to one another… My two cents for what they are worth…
A decent two cents! You are a humanist and secularist,who firmly believes in the golden rule.
Do unto others as you would have done to you. We all need to live cooperatively and in harmony. We do not need to kill each other for anything,least of all a ridiculous deity.
I and increasingly many more in the western world do not need an outdated book purportedly the word of some moth eaten deity to tell me how to be moral.It is inate in us as thinking,sentient primates(insert the religious here…who would say that ‘god put that there’haha).
You may be correct about there being a supreme creator,though there is absolutely no evidence of one. Personally, I’ll keep an open mind.