God Doesn't Change & Neither Does His Standard of Holiness Primary Text: " 6 I the Lord DO NOT CHANGE." Malachi 3:6 Every generation believes it is more enlightened than the ones that came before it and as a result our culture has changed its opinions on almost everything: Marriage Divorce Sexual morality Gender identity Even Truth itself seems to fall victim to change by culture. What was considered immoral fifty years ago is often celebrated today. You can understand then why people might ask: "Has God changed His mind?" For the answer to that question, we only need to turn to His word in Scripture. If we take just a moment to look into that question and seek the answer in the Bible we will find that God's love is everlasting, as is his mercy and holiness. Why then would we (and by ‘we’ I mean society) suddenly decide Jehovah’s moral standards are not everlasting. The issue the world has isn't whether society changes. The issue they have is whe...
The book of Ezra is often overlooked because it contains genealogies, lists of names, the manifest of temple items the Israelites took back to Jerusalem with them and descriptions of rebuilding the temple. Yet beneath those details are some remarkably practical lessons for Christians today. Our text this morning is based on the book of Ezra, specifically chapter 7 and verse 10, where we read: " 10 For Ezra had set his heart to study the Law of the LORD, and to do it, and to teach statutes and rules in Israel." Ezra 7:10 This may very well be the greatest single verse in the book of Ezra. Our scripture in Ezra calls people to action. He doesn’t leave the listener or reader asking “What did Ezra do?” Instead it leaves us asking “Am I preparing my own heart?” Ezra emphasizes respect for God's authority, spiritual renewal, and faithful obedience. Of all the themes in Ezra, one stands above the rest as especially powerful because it is timeless, practical, and d...