The Words Change - The Story Never Does



Today the phrase "cutting red tape" implies that a person is blasting through needless regulations to get things done. It's pretty amazing how the phrase has changed in a pretty short period of time.



Thomas Edison's laboratory in Menlo Park, New Jersey was the world's first great R&D facility. In six years, the invention factory at Menlo Park secured more than 400 patents. The U.S. Patent Office watched and waited for

packages that were wrapped in a certain kind of red tape. They knew these came from Edison's lab, and they cut these first.



So red tape was a good thing, and cutting it was something you did out of eagerness to see something new and of value. Not any more. Think of the words "bad," "gay," "issues," "awesome," "cool" and "hip." In my lifetime, the meaning of these words in general usage has changed drastically.



And what of those words that are tied to particular culture? Try explaining what "lilies of the field" means to natives of Somalia, a land where no lilies grow.



But the story doesn't change.



I stood in front of some kids in VBS last year and told the story of Christ's crucifixion. Using nails and a crown of thorns from Israel, I did my best to make it understood. One child asked to touch the thorns and when he did, he looked directly at me and said, "He must have really loved us."



Yes He did.



1 John 5:11 (Msg)

This is the testimony in essence: God gave us eternal life; the life is in His Son.



That friends hasn't changed. We can haggle over translations, denominations, signs and wonders, and the like, but through Jesus, God's Son, born of a virgin, crucified under Pontius Pilate, laid dead in a tomb, risen on the

third day - through placing our faith in Him - we have life.



Words change - the story never will. Tell somebody!



Grace!



David Wilson



This devotional is written by David Wilson, pastor of New Hope Baptist church in Valparaiso, FL. If you find you have received this via a forward and would like to receive it regularly, or find you no longer wish to receive it, drop me an email at dwilsonfl@earthlink.net and I'll make the change to the list. If you'd like to know more about New Hope, visit our website at www.newhopevalp.org . May God bless you.