Jesus said - I am making everything new - You must be Born Again
To listen to the Audio version of this study go to –
www.bridge-of-life.co.uk/I am making everything new.mp3 (bridge-of-life.co.uk)
I spent the first forty years of my life living on our family farm which lies in beautiful countryside in the heart of England. I spent long arduous hours seven days a week working out in all types of weather during most of my teenage years. I found it particularly hard, living and working in wellington boots, in ankle deep mud, during those dull foggy cold damp late autumn days. But what did lift my spirit and brighten my days were the joys of Christmas on the arisen. Yet above all that, I could not wait for the New Year to arrive.
I knew that January and February would bring brighter sunny days although many would be very cold, I knew that soon the sun’s warmth will once again begin to penetrate my back. Soon the snowdrops would be pushing their heads through the soil followed by the daffodils and Primroses. While working on the farm, in spring every couple of days I would take a very pleasurable walk through a lovely long woodland, alongside a small bubbling steam to a petrol engine sat against the wall of a small pond used to pump water up to a reservoir on a hill close by for the cattle to drink. The sun could still shine through the canopy as no leaves were as yet on the tree and as I walked through the woodland, I would listen to the bird’s spring chorus as they sat on the budding tree branches. Under my feet the bluebells and wood anemone’s would be breaking through the bare dark soil creating a deep green carpet topped with purple and white flowers, it was an exhilarating and glorious experience. How true are Gods promises, for in Noah’s day after he has flooded the world and the waters had abated, He promised in Genesis 8:22 - 22 “As long as the earth endures, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night will never cease.”
We find ourselves again at the start of a new year, the year 2021; we can look back together with the whole world to a very turbulent year just past. We have all experienced times of being locked down with the danger of an unseen virus all around us, without freedom to travel and enjoy friendship, and for many deep sadness as folk grieve over the loss of loved ones. We can now look forwards into the New Year with hope yet still asking the question, will it bring new beginnings, will we see a return to life the way it used to be. For the Christian although we will have to tread a path of difficulty to get there, there is a very bright future. Jesus said in John 16:33 - 33 “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
As the result of the Covid vaccine becoming available for everyone we can look forward to the New Year with the hope that soon we can regain our freedom and enjoy new beginnings.
Reading in the magazine “Prophecy for Today” the founder Clifford Hill says - My wife and I have spent a lot of time before the Lord seeking to understand what we should do when we are offered a vaccine against Covid 19. We believe that it is the Lord who has revealed the knowledge of developing this vaccine. We heard last week of a Christian who is working on this research (in Oxford University) who said that she and a few of her colleagues often stop and pray for a breakthrough when they hit a problem, and she believes this vaccine has been revealed by God. It is interesting that the first vaccines were said to have been discovered by Christian doctors. We pray this vaccine will be effective in halting this devastating virus.
For many while in lockdown and seeking to come to terms with a new way of living, often having suffered Corovirus first hand, many are now taking a more serious look at life and wondering, is there a better way.
For nearly a year while this pandemic raged on, doctors and nurses have been tirelessly and diligently attending patients suffering with the virus, with the hope that all will recover, but sadly many have not. While the hospitals have been working round the clock to treat the many patients with the virus, scientists have also been working round the clock seeking to produce a vaccine that would prevent the disease spreading.
The difference with these two situations is that in the hospitals the doctors and nurses have been working from the outside attending their patients, while the scientist have been seeking to develop a vaccine that works from the inside.
It took only one person to become infected with the virus which spread across the whole world that is just what happened in the Garden of Eden, it only took one person to disobey God and sin, resulting in the whole world falling into sin. As we are reminded in Romans 5:12 - 12 Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all people, because all sinned.
Some years later God put in place the laws including the Ten Commandments for the Israelite people to adhere to in order for them to please God. But over the centuries they constantly fell away and rejected God. Just like those Israelites seeking to keep the law by carrying out the various sacrifices, this was only a sticking plaster on the outside; it did not deal with the real issues inside mankind, God needed to change mankind from the inside which in turn would affect the whole way we live but more important build a loving relationship with God.
Trying to keep Gods laws was not going to be the final solution to sin, right from the beginning of time God had a solution for sin, it needed Jesus to come down from heaven and pay the price of our sins. It was then the responsibility of mankind once he realised he needed to change, to approaching God, asking His forgiveness, and invite Jesus into their lives, who would help them to live a righteous life and to secure an eternity with Him. We read in Romans 5:7-8 - 7 Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. 8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
The Israelites had to regularly bring sacrifices to the priest as an offering for their sins, and each year the High Priest had to make a special entry into Gods presence into the Holy of Holies to ask God’s forgiveness for the people. But when Jesus came to earth He made one final sacrifice for sin of mankind by offering himself on the cross, paying the ultimate price. He then returned to his father in heaven and has from the time he entered heaven been acting as our High Priest pleading on behalf of all God’s people. We read in Romans 9:11–14 - 11 But when Christ came as high priest of the good things that are now already here, he went through the greater and more perfect tabernacle that is not made with human hands, that is to say, is not a part of this creation. 12 He did not enter by means of the blood of goats and calves; but he entered the Most Holy Place once for all by his own blood, thus obtaining eternal redemption. 13 The blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkled on those who are ceremonially unclean sanctify them so that they are outwardly clean. 14 How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God!
Although there is now a Coronavirus vaccine available, which has been tested and proved to prevent the disease from spreading, a number of folk are sceptical of it, many have said the Covid infection is a hoax, some think it is just flu. But at the same time a number of folk, some while still in hospital have admitted they once thought it was not a serious virus, realising they nearly died with it, have pleaded with folk to take the virus seriously and take all the precautions to save themselves and others from getting the virus.
The morals of this world are declining at an ever increasing pace, it is no different within the spiritual side of this world, the majority of folk totally dismiss the truth of the bible, they think they are alright, just live as we please, and there is nothing after we die. But Jesus made it very clear to one of the Jewish leaders which we read about in John 3:1-18 - Now there was a Pharisee, a man named Nicodemus who was a member of the Jewish ruling council. 2 He came to Jesus at night and said, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the signs you are doing if God were not with him.”
3 Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.”
4 “How can someone be born when they are old?” Nicodemus asked. “Surely they cannot enter a second time into their mother’s womb to be born!”
5 Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. 6 Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. 7 You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again.’ 8 The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”]
9 “How can this be?” Nicodemus asked.
10 “You are Israel’s teacher,” said Jesus, “and do you not understand these things? 11 Very truly I tell you, we speak of what we know, and we testify to what we have seen, but still you people do not accept our testimony. 12 I have spoken to you of earthly things and you do not believe; how then will you believe if I speak of heavenly things? 13 No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven—the Son of Man. 14 Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up 15 that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him.”
16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.
The song writer has penned these words of what Jesus did for us–
He Paid A Debt He Did Not Owe, I Owed A Debt I Could Not Pay,
I Needed Someone To Wash My Sins Away;
And Now I Sing A Brand New Song, Amazing Grace All Day Long,
Christ Jesus Paid A Debt. That I Could Never Pay.
Jesus said while here on earth in Matthew 7:7-14 - 7 “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.
9 “Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? 11 If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him! 12 So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.
13 “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. 14 But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.
Sadly for the vast majority of mankind they are like sheep heading for the wide gate, drifting into a lost eternity, yet Jesus has the answer.
It is also recorded what Jesus said in Luke 13:23-25 - 23 Someone asked him, “Lord, are only a few people going to be saved?” He said to them, 24 “Make every effort to enter through the narrow door, because many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able to. 25 Once the owner of the house gets up and closes the door, you will stand outside knocking and pleading, ‘Sir, open the door for us.’ “But he will answer, ‘I don’t know you or where you come from.’
We read in Proverbs 16:25 - There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death. We also read in Psalm 14:1 - 1 The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, their deeds are vile; there is no one who does good. But we are compelled in Isaiah 55:6 - Seek the Lord while he may be found; call on him while he is near.
There were a number of times when Israel forsook God and went its own way. But God was merciful to them and often pleaded with them to return back to Him. God is still calling mankind to turn back and to follow him. One time when Israel turned its back on God, and due to its evil ways, God allowed them to be captured and exiled into Babylon. Then God said to the prophet Jeremiah in Jeremiah 29:10-12 - 10 This is what the Lord says: “When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will come to you and fulfil my good promise to bring you back to this place. 11 For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. 12 Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you.
When the Holy Spirit touches a person’s heart and draws them to the Saviour Jesus Christ, and when that person asks God’s forgiveness and acknowledges Jesus died for them, and believe He is the true Saviour of the world, we can be assured of what the apostles tells us in Romans 10:9 - 9 If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
Something wonderful then happens in our heart as the Apostle Paul reminds us in 2 Corinthians 5:17 - Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!
Although we have the old nature within us which we have to keep in submission, we now have the Holy Spirit living in our heart. So as you begin that new life with Jesus, each time you pray, each time you read the bible, each time you think of him or talk about him, the Holy Spirit living in you will illuminate your heart, you will feel a glow in your spirit, you will have that desire to know more of Jesus, you will get a passion to read the bible and want to follow Him, to discover for yourself the very special role you can play while here on earth. As the famous evangelist and teacher D. L. Moody quoted –Give your life to God, He can do far more with it than you can.
We are all looking forwards to the New Year, hoping for better things. For the Christian we all should be looking forwards to better things. The apostle Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 2:6-10 - 6 We do, however, speak a message of wisdom among the mature, but not the wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing. 7 No, we declare God’s wisdom, a mystery that has been hidden and that God destined for our glory before time began. 8 None of the rulers of this age understood it, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. 9 However, as it is written:
“What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived”]—the things God has prepared for those who love him—10 these are the things God has revealed to us by his Spirit.
Jesus seated on his throne in heaven revealed to John in a vision in Revelation 21:5 - “I am making everything new!” Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.”
In John 14:1-3 Jesus said - “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. 2 My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. Jesus reassured the disciples and still is reminding his followers today that He is coming back, are we ready?
What a wonderful way of starting the New Year to take Jesus as your Lord and Saviour, you can then look forward to a wonderful bright new future. The apostle Paul reminds us that if we do not die first and go up into heaven, he says in 1 Corinthians 15:51-53 - 51 Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed— 52 in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. 53 For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality.
For a short period of time we will be with Jesus in heaven celebrating, and then return to earth with Him for a thousand years to live and reign with Him. God reveals to John in Revelation 1:5-7 - 5 Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood, 6 and has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve his God and Father—to him be glory and power for ever and ever! Amen. 7 “Look, he is coming with the clouds,” and “every eye will see him, even those who pierced him”; and all peoples on earth “will mourn because of him.” So shall it be! Amen.
The thousand years that we will experience in reigning with Christ is prophesied in Isaiah 11:1-9 - A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit.(That is Jesus) 2 The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him—the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of might, the Spirit of the knowledge and fear of the Lord—3 and he will delight in the fear of the Lord. He will not judge by what he sees with his eyes, or decide by what he hears with his ears; 4 but with righteousness he will judge the needy, with justice he will give decisions for the poor of the earth. He will strike the earth with the rod of his mouth; with the breath of his lips he will slay the wicked. 5 Righteousness will be his belt and faithfulness the sash around his waist. 6 The wolf will live with the lamb, the leopard will lie down with the goat, the calf and the lion and the yearling together; and a little child will lead them. 7 The cow will feed with the bear, their young will lie down together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox. 8 The infant will play near the cobra’s den, and the young child will put its hand into the viper’s nest. 9 They will neither harm nor destroy on all my holy mountain, for the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea. We continue to read in Revelation 20:6 - Blessed and holy are those who share in the first resurrection. The second death has no power over them, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with him for a thousand years. What a wonderful future awaits God’s people, I cannot wait.
After the thousand years we will return to a new Heaven to live with Jesus for eternity, what a bright future awaits us. Will you be there; this closing song is my testimony. As you listen to it make it your prayer to follow Jesus.
I have decided to follow Jesus; I have decided to follow Jesus;
I have decided to follow Jesus; No turning back, no turning back.
The world behind me, the cross before me; The world behind me, the cross before me;
The world behind me, the cross before me; No turning back, no turning back.
Though none go with me, still I will follow; Though none go with me, still I will follow;
Though none go with me, still I will follow; No turning back, no turning back.
My cross I’ll carry, till I see Jesus; My cross I’ll carry, till I see Jesus;
My cross I’ll carry, till I see Jesus; No turning back, no turning back.
Will you decide now to follow Jesus? Will you decide now to follow Jesus?
Will you decide now to follow Jesus? No turning back, no turning back.
Click here to listen - Bill Gaither - I Have Decided to Follow Jesus (Live) - Bing video
