Nothing has Changed?: Everything has Changed

By David Ryser

“We don’t allow coffee in the sanctuary.”  This was my introduction to Jim, a member of a church in Mobile, Alabama.  Later in the day, I realized that meeting Jim was the reason God had sent me to Mobile.

In fact, meeting Jim is one of the best things that has ever happened to me in my entire life.

I thought I’d gone to Mobile to be with my friend, Bill, who is powerfully gifted with an apostolic anointing.  (He is also quite gifted prophetically, so you don’t want any hidden sin in your life if you are going to be around him.)  Bill was ministering at the church over the weekend and had invited me to come and hang out with him.

It seemed like an innocent enough invitation at the time.

I was going through a particularly difficult time in my life.  God had slammed the door shut on my previous life and ministry.  He was working (very diligently, it seemed to me) to transform me into the image of Christ.  (No, He’s not finished…He’s never finished.)  God had showed me that except for the Jesus in me, there wasn’t anything about me He particularly liked.  And He showed me that there wasn’t much of Jesus being manifested in me.  So while He loved me passionately, He didn’t like me very much.

I’ve discovered that I appreciate some revelations more than others.  (I’ve also decided that I would be able to hear God more often and more clearly if He would just flatter me more.)

The transformation process is painful.  And it doesn’t always go smoothly.  Jesus said that the godly path is narrow (Matthew 7:13, 14).  He neglected to mention it is also bumpy.  During this part of my faith journey, I was particularly discouraged.  I had embraced the pain of God’s correction.  I really had no choice if I loved Him.  I also accepted God’s discipline because there was a hope of a new life afterward.  At times I could see some change in me, but then my behavior and attitude at other times would cause me to wonder if there had been any change at all.

There were times when I was so brokenhearted and disappointed in myself that I pleaded with God just to give up on me.

But I kept coming back to Him for further transformation.  Where else could I go?  It had hurt me when He told me He didn’t like me very much.  It had hurt me when He took my ministry away from me.  It had hurt me as He revealed me to myself.  But what choice did I have?

Where do you go when the only One who can heal you is the One who wounded you?

Did I mention that transformation is painful?  Self-improvement is so much easier. Perhaps this is why there are so many self-improvement books in our Christian bookstores.  And there are a bunch of them.  If they removed all of the self-improvement books from the shelves, Christian bookstores would be nearly empty.

They could always continue to sell artwork and relics, I suppose.

Anyway, back to Mobile.  On the way to church on Sunday morning, Bill and I had stopped off at a coffee shop and picked up large cups of coffee.  I was nearly finished with my coffee when we arrived at the church.  Finding no trash receptacle outside of the church, I carried my cup inside.

Big mistake.  Or was it?

The outer doors of the church led directly into the back of the sanctuary.  I was standing about one-third of the way deep into the room talking with one of the church elders.  It was then that Jim came by to say hello.

“We don’t allow coffee in the sanctuary.”

I didn’t notice that the elder’s mouth was hanging agape in stunned disbelief.  I smiled at Jim and said, “I’m sorry, brother.  Where can I throw this away?”  He pointed to the back of the sanctuary in response.  I made my way to the back of the room, found a trash can, and disposed of my coffee cup.  I returned back to where I’d been.  Jim smiled, said “Thank you,” shook my hand, and walked away.  I continued my visit with the elder.

I promptly forgot about the episode…until God brought it up again.

A few minutes later, God reminded me of my encounter with Jim.  Then He spoke to me.  “So nothing has changed, huh?”  Suddenly I realized everything had changed.  I had not been offended by Jim.  I had not been tempted to be offended and then fought with everything that was in me to exhibit the love of Christ toward Jim.  It had not even occurred to me to be offended by Jim.  I was not offended because, at that instant at least, there was nothing in me to offend.  For those few moments, I was manifesting (in my words and actions) the life and love of Jesus in me.  Everything had changed.

By the way, I’ve discovered along the journey that every time I’m offended, I am in the wrong.

Jesus lives in me and expresses Himself through me!  Wow!  Do I still make mistakes?  Of course I make mistakes.  I make lots of mistakes.  Plenty of times I display my old nature.  Don’t you?

The only place I know of on earth where people are always decent, in order, and mistake-free is the cemetery.

After God spoke to me, even over such a simple thing, I was filled with His peace and joy.  I was encouraged to continue with the process of transformation.  This determination has carried me through some dark days since then.  I’m still disappointed with myself from time to time; but since that day, I’ve never again been tempted to quit.

Thanks, Jim.

Responses to this article are welcomed.  You may contact the author at drdave1545@yahoo.com