The New Under Ground Church-THE TRUTH MUST BE TOLD: Time For Renewal!

Saturday, January 31, 2015

Time For Renewal!

Posted on January 31, 2015 by nhiemstra

I have been discussing our need for renewal — continual renewal! I told you before that there must be a constant newness in our relationship to our Father. For those of us who are married — or intend to marry, go ahead and compare it to your relationship with our spouse. We should be seeking a constant, never-deviating renewal with our spouse. We should never allow our covenant relationship with them to become stale and boring.
Romans 6:4 says that just as our God raised Christ to Eternal renewal, so he wants you and me to live in constant renewal. I don’t remember who wrote this, but several years I found a quote, and I love the imagery. See what you think:

Life is shaped like a funnel. But everything depends on which way you go into it.
The worldling goes into at the big end, where everything looks grandiose and inviting and limitless in possibilities and freedom. Then life for him narrows down into boring smallness.
The Christian goes in at the other end: “narrow is the gate” that leads to his life. But then he finds that it broadens out into beautiful freedom, into glorious newness. It keeps opening and opening and opening into God’s vast will and righteousness and pleasures. There is no boredom! There is no smallness when you walk with God.
Within that life in him there is continual newness and expansion. You can begin again and again and again!

How is that for a perfect description of our walk with our Father? “. . . be a new and different person with a fresh newness in all you do and think . . .” (Romans 12:2); “So whatever it takes, I will be one who lives in the fresh newness of life of those who are alive from the dead . . .” (Philippians 3:11).
I freely admit that Renewal is both a crisis and a process. Once the crisis comes, if you are growing in your faith and relationship with the Author of Life, you will discover the renewal — continual revival!
The politician love to ask us if we are better after the last guy’s oversight, so let me ask how you are doing spiritually, compared with say, six months ago? Are you experiencing a renewal in your faith? How about in your relationship with your Lord? You see, once you have your personal life wrapped up in what your Heavenly Father is doing, you will discover His strategies for the whole universe!
According to Revelations 21:5, His is making “all things new.” In fact, He wanted to emphasise this when He continued, “Write this: ‘These words are faithful and true!’” He said through the Psalmist that the earth and the heavens will “perish . . . they will grow old like worn-out clothing, and [Yahweh] will change them like a man putting on a new shirt and throwing away the old one!”
Through the prophet Isaiah, Yahweh also declared, “I will create a new heaven and a new earth. Past things will no longer be remembered. They will not come to mind. Be glad, and rejoice forever in what I’m going to create . . .” (Isaiah 65:17-18).
Everything our Glorious Father has planned ends in renewal! In something NEW!
Friends, you should be experiencing this renewal! This re-creation, this refreshing and rejuvenating life should be lived out in your faith, as well! Don’t be satisfied with the ‘ho-hum’ condition you have known. In your affections, in your mind, in your heart, this world’s things should grow old to you, and become unworthy, uninteresting, outdated used up. I am serious. I am pleading with you. As the desire of the world’s ‘goods’ fall away, our Father should become more and more real to you, more and more valuable, more and more splendid — by miracle, constantly new!
Do you remember what the angel announced when Jesus was born? “I bring you good new of great joy!” Have you been experiencing this ‘good news,’ and this ‘great joy’? If not, why? Because our Father’s eternal principle is for us to experience His wonder with great joy! Stay close to Him so your whole life will be continually fresh and renewed! Continually breaking into ‘newness.’ Proverbs 4:18 promises that “the path of righteous people is like the light of dawn that becomes brighter and brighter until it reaches midday!”
If you are stuck in a rut, living the same ole, same ole’, then you need to recognize that you have fallen away from the love and affection of your Lord. You need to repent and return to Him. And He is ALWAYS ready to bring us back to ‘newness.’ I know that, from personal experience!

Nickolas

(I send out messages like this each morning in emails, and if you are interested in receiving them, send me your email address and I will add you to the list: Mail List)

With these Morning Messages, I take you on guided tours to, as Bunyan described, the Celestial City. At times we linger at corners familiar and unseen. And explore the depths of our faith along the way.

The trail is long, but there’s no hurry. Though we do need to stock up on supplies for the way, and that’s where I need your help. If you enjoy these messages, please consider becoming a contributing member of this tour group. It will be very much appreciated.