The kingdom of God is like a building constructed by God stone upon stone, revelation by revelation. But with all the great teachers we have had through history down to the present day, it's easy to get caught up in the excitement of discovery. Too many people run from one new revelation to another, thinking that each new one will be our miracle cure. While we should be thankful for revelations and grateful that God is speaking a fresh word to his people, we must not come to believe that the new makes the old obsolete. If the new cannot be built upon the old, the new should be discarded -- that is, if the old thing we have learned is really truth.

If you've ever had a yard sale, you've probably been surprised (as I have been) to see the stuff that people will buy. Things that you have found no use for are often treasures to other people. Here in prosperous America, we're always buying the latest gadget or tool and discarding the old ones, only to wish later that we still had that good ol' Shop Vac or camera or exercise bike. We discover too late that new isn't necessarily better.

Even when new enlightenment and knowledge thrill and inspire us, the power is still where it has always been. As God reveals himself to us and we stand amazed, the new revelation should point us, in some way, to the bedrock of our faith. The blood of the Cross, the name of Jesus, the Resurrection, his grace to us and our faith in him -- these are the things that must remain central. In embracing new methods of devotion, new ideas that inspire, we must not forget the tried-and-true power of prayer and study in the Word.

Go ahead and redecorate your spiritual house with new pictures on the walls. But if you're adding a new room, be careful not to chip away at the foundation. "For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ" (I Cor. 3:11).

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