Our congregation Our nation, leaders, and military

Various friends, relatives and co-workers David and Leon in the Navy

The Stolte’s in Germany The Henderson’s are traveling

Anita will have surgery on the 22^nd

June 14^th - SYS at West Houston

June 21^st - SYS at Sugargrove

June 28^th - SYS at Garden Oaks

"He who was seated on the throne said, ‘I am making everything new!’ Then he said, ‘Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true’" (Revelation 21:5).

"I am making everything new!" Doesn’t that sound good? These words were spoken to seven churches in Asia Minor who were either facing immanent persecution or were being persecuted for their faith in Jesus Christ. When the final battle scene is finished, and God is victorious, He clearly states that everything will be new. Since we haven’t faced such persecution, it is difficult for us to grasped this idea. What would be new? There would be a new relationship with God because one’s faith has been tested and refined in the furnace of affliction. There would renewed joy that one can now worship God in peace. There would be a new relationship with one another because of shared experiences. God is making everything new.

Jeremiah spoke of God’s blessings being new every morning while he lamented the fall of Jerusalem and the darkness of Babylonian captivity (Lamentations 3:22-24). Every day we have new blessings from God, blessings that refresh and encourage us to walk with Him for another day. Paul tells us that there is rejoicing in suffering (Romans 5:3). :This is a reminder that God is with us in the suffering and persecution.

Then we think of being new in Christ. We are new creatures, the old being done away with (2 Corinthians 5:17). We are being made new in the image of our Creator (Ephesians 4:23). The old, sinful man has been put away and we are new in Christ. No longer do we walk in sinful ways but now in the ways of God. Through baptism, we died to sin and are raised to a new life (see Romans 6). This is the beginning of a humble relationship with our Father in heaven. We come together with like-minded people who also share in this relationship. As has often been stated, we love, pray for, serve, encourage, etc. one another as we walk together through this world. And this too is a new relationship. We are a church, a fellowship, a community of believers walking together, sometimes carrying others, sometimes being carried, to that new heavens and new earth spoken of in scripture.

All of this is based on Jesus Christ, who came to make everything new. His purpose was to redeem and recognized a lost humanity to our Creator. For us it would be a new relationship, intended by God from before the creation of the world. It would be based on Jesus’ willing, sacrificial death on the cross and proved in His resurrection from the dead. Once again, this theme is seen throughout the New Testament, in such things as baptism (Romans 6), the Lord’s Supper, and our new life (Colossians 3:1-4).

Why do this? Love! "In the Gibson movie The Passion, the Messiah has fallen under the weight of the cross. The beating, the loss of blood, the burden, the rough road and the breaking heat are all taking their toll. Down he goes. A woman kneels beside him and when the exhausted Christ looks up he sees it is Mary who has come to help him. ‘Look, mother,’ he says, ‘I’m making everything new.’ A marvelous insight and use of scripture. In the whole killing sequence, no, more than that, through this whole killing sequence he who sat on the throne (Revelation 21:5) said, …"I am making everything new." (Jim McGuiggan, Look, I am making everything new, JimMcGuiggan.com).

He came to make us new. His suffering makes us new. Our sharing in His suffering makes us new (Philippians 3:10-11). We see God’s blessings new every morning. "I am making everything new!" What a life!

George B. Mearns