Always a New Beginning
2 Kings 23:1-3; Revelation 21:1-6a
Then the king called together all the elders of Judah and Jerusalem. He went up to the temple of the Lord with the people of Judah, the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the priests and the prophets—all the people from the least to the greatest. He read in their hearing all the words of the Book of the Covenant, which had been found in the temple of the Lord . The king stood by the pillar and renewed the covenant in the presence of the Lord —to follow the Lord and keep his commands, statutes and decrees with all his heart and all his soul, thus confirming the words of the covenant written in this book. Then all the people pledged themselves to the covenant.
1Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,” for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. 2I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. 3And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! Godʼs dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. 4‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”5He 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.” 6He said to me: “It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To the thirsty I will give water without cost from the spring of the water of life.
New Year….and everyday….promises from Scripture
Our God is the God of new beginnings.
Our God is the God of ‘do-overs’.
Our God is the God of forgiveness, hope, and promise.
2 Kings: Josiah
God’s people had lost their focus.
Josiah called the people to remember whose they are and to renew their covenant with God.
Revelation: the new Jerusalem
God’s people are again in trouble and need to be recentered.
John calls the church to remember whose we are and the promises God makes to us.
A theme from Isaiah through Paul to Revelation: making all things new:
“Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.” (Isaiah 43:18-19)
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” (2 Corinthians 5:17)
What is the ‘old’ that you need to release in order to make room for the fresh new wind of the Holy Spirit in your life?
Today's Preacher
Debbie Reese is Co-Directing Pastor of Calvary UMC