Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea. 2 Then I, [a]John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. 4 And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.”
5 Then He who sat on the throne said, “Behold, I make all things new.” And He said [b]to me, “Write, for these words are true and faithful.”- Revelation 21:1-5
We like new stuff, new handphones, new house. How about a new self? Are there areas in your life right now you wish to change but has not?
More peace? More joy? Better relationships or friendships? What is stopping us? We dislike change, we dislike the comfort of change. The inconveniences of changing ourselves. Like a person being lonely yet tell ourselves that we don’t need friends anyway. When things are familiar, its hard to change. We all wants a new life but if there are inconveniences or discomfort to change, we will resist it. We all want to be in control. Today it is either the environment changes us, or we change ourselves regardless of the environment. We must be persistent in the change process and the good news is that the Holy Spirit will make things all things new.
- New Life
Luke 5:1-39
What are things that we do when we grow old? A person becomes old despite of age when he/she is set in his/her way; such a person is already old figuratively. When a person is set in her ways, he/she is already old. No worries, the bible tells us that God can make things new. Do you know that the Jews just celebrated their Jewish New year “Rosh Hashanah” on 6th September to 8th September? The 7 feasts of the Lord. According to the Gregorian Calendar and comparing with the Jewish calendar, March to June is the Spring feasts. Prophetically, Spring feast announces the coming of Jesus which has been fulfilled. Next we have the summer feast (June to Sept)which prophetically announces the church age. Now we have the fall which is prophetically talks about the 2nd coming.
Jewish New Year: Rosh Hashnanah (Year 5782/2021)
1 thessalonians 4:14-18, Matthew 24:31, 1 Corinthians 15:50-52, Revelation 20:4-6
Feast of Trumpet or Yom Teruah.
Rosh Hashnanah means the “Head of the year”. It is to remember God’s creation of the Earth. It means the “Day of Shofar Blast”, the “Day of judgement” which all followers of Christ will undergo. That’s why we must repent and the feast of trumpets remind us to renew our commitment and our relationship with God. What does the feast has to do with the topic of “New life?” Its related as we must know the will of God especially prophetically. In the Shmita year(2021) (Sabbath year-Leviticus 25:3-5) has a few meanings. It is a year of letting go, releasing and it is also a year of faith-debts to be cancelled, slaves to be released.
Do you know that many in the Shmita year, there are a lot of world significant events like the US stock market crashing which lasted 3 shmita cycles, twin tower attack. We are entering into a Shmita year and it is time for us to let go and release whatever that is stopping you from changing and growing.
“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; 20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.-Matthew 6:19-21
The year 5782, we will mainly focus on 80-Pey and 2 Bet
In Hebrew language the number has a pictorial meaning too. The number 80 symbolizes a mouth, word, speech and use our words wisely-to use our words to edify.
2-Bet (means tent, House) In the bible, tent means our bodies, our homes, our families. Putting 80+2 together, we can ask ourselves what are we speaking to our families and love ones.
Isaiah 54:17
No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their righteousness is of me, saith the LORD.
We must speak God’s word to build others up, to be courageous to declare and speak His word.
Luke 5:36-39
Then He spoke a parable to them: “No one [a]puts a piece from a new garment on an old one; otherwise the new makes a tear, and also the piece that was taken out of the new does not match the old. 37 And no one puts new wine into old wineskins; or else the new wine will burst the wineskins and be spilled, and the wineskins will be ruined. 38 But new wine must be put into new wineskins, [b]and both are preserved. 39 And no one, having drunk old wine, [c]immediately desires new; for he says, ‘The old is [d]better.’ ”
Unless we choose to be the new wine skin, the Holy Spirit cannot fill us and the Wine represent the Holy Spirit. The first miracle that Jesus performed is that He changed water into wine. Jesus is the new wine. In order for us to have new life, we need to be the new garment and new wine skin.
“No one, having drunk old wine, immediately desire new; for he says, ‘the old is better.” It is to say that those who do not want to change and wants to stick to their old familiar ways.
How can we have a new life? Firstly, 1) The call 2) The cost 3) The custom
The call:
So it was, as the multitude pressed about Him to hear the word of God, that He stood by the Lake of Gennesaret, 2 and saw two boats standing by the lake; but the fishermen had gone from them and were washing their nets. 3 Then He got into one of the boats, which was Simon’s, and asked him to put out a little from the land. And He sat down and taught the multitudes from the boat.
4 When He had stopped speaking, He said to Simon, “Launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.”
5 But Simon answered and said to Him, “Master, we have toiled all night and caught nothing; nevertheless at Your word I will let down the net.” 6 And when they had done this, they caught a great number of fish, and their net was breaking. 7 So they signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink. 8 When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!”
9 For he and all who were with him were astonished at the catch of fish which they had taken; 10 and so also were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid. From now on you will catch men.” 11 So when they had brought their boats to land, they [a]forsook all and followed Him.-Luke 5:1-11
Simon did not argued Jesus about his old ways of fishing but was open to what Jesus said to him. After that, he caught a lot of fish and encountered God. After that Jesus said that they will be fisher of men. If we truly want to have a new life, respond to His Call to be fisher of men .
The cost: Luke 5:27-32
27 After these things He went out and saw a tax collector named Levi, sitting at the tax office. And He said to him, “Follow Me.” 28 So he left all, rose up, and followed Him.
29 Then Levi gave Him a great feast in his own house. And there were a great number of tax collectors and others who sat down with them. 30 [a]And their scribes and the Pharisees [b]complained against His disciples, saying, “Why do You eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?”
31 Jesus answered and said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. 32 I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.”
Levi (Matthew) is a tax collector and when he choose to follow Jesus, he forsook his career and can never return again. When we want to follow Jesus, we need to forsake our past hurts to have a new life.
2 Corinthians 5:17
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things are made new.
The customs:
Luke 5:33-35
33 Then they said to Him, “Why[a] do the disciples of John fast often and make prayers, and likewise those of the Pharisees, but Yours eat and drink?”
34 And He said to them, “Can you make the friends of the bridegroom fast while the bridegroom is with them? 35 But the days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them; then they will fast in those days.”
Fasting and prayer is very important as it is something we can do to seek God. The pharisees fast and pray to seek glory for themselves. God commanded us to fast and pray as well. If we want a new life, make fasting and praying a new routine in our life, seeking God.
Lets examine our life: Do we speak words that encourages? Do respond to God’s call and be fisher of men. Do we seek God by fasting and praying?
Application:
For every negative word spoken about self or someone, we will pay a fine of a dollar. If you forget to do this exercise, for each day, put in $10.00 At the end of the week, see how much you have? Use whatever amount you have to accumulate to bless someone.