Change!

            An old hillbilly took his family to the big city for the very first time.  They had never seen buildings so tall or sights so impressive.  The man dropped his wife off at a fancy department store and took his son with him to one of the high rise buildings.  As they walked into the lobby, they saw something they had never seen before.  Two steel doors opened.  A rather large and elderly woman walked in and the big doors closed behind her.  The dial over the doors swept to the right, stopped, then back to the left.  The doors opened and a beautiful young lady came walking out.  The hillbilly was amazed.  He turned to his son and said, "You wait right here.  I'm going to get your mother and run her through that thing." 
            Wouldn't it be wonderful if there was such a machine that could instantly change us just by stepping into it?  What a moneymaker that would be!  But, it's not that easy and never will be.  It takes work to change.  It takes will-power; it takes passion!  We must want to change.  We must hate our present condition and strive for a better way of life.  We are inundated with people who are bound with bad habits and addictions which keep them struggling and miserable.  They appear to hate their bondage while at the same time love it.  It's a love-hate experience.  They are bummed-out with the habit, but wretched without it.  They are stuck in the quagmire of their own doing.  What must they do? If only there was that machine! 
            I have been to several A.A. meetings in my life and all the participants have sounded the same: stuck in hopelessness.  I'm sure they would love to have a magical machine, but we know that it only happens in science-fiction.  But wait, true change can come when we accept the fact that it will only happen God's way.  Yes, we can be transformed by the renewing of our mind.  Our mind has been programmed which means we need to have it reprogrammed to a new and better version.  The new program is called, "Faith in God."  
            The story is told of two blind men who were stuck in their condition.  When they heard that Jesus was passing by they cried out, "Have mercy on us, Lord, son of David."  The people rebuked them, but they with one mouth cried out more.  Jesus stood still and called to them saying, "What do you want me to do to you?"  They in unison cried, "We want to see!  Open our eyes!"  Jesus had compassion on them and touched their eyes and immediately they saw and followed Him.  A change took place immediately.  Their old way of life was transformed into a new way.  They were never the same.  Denote, they followed Him. They had a passion for Christ. 
            Yes, Christ is still changing lives today. If we put our faith in Him then call upon His name, a new thing will take place.  But to keep that change we must be willing to follow Him with vigilance.  God can do anything if we will trust and obey His Word. His will to change is real.  For more info you can visit us online at www.JoyChristianMinistries.com.

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