In the early morning, just after Easter, I was awakened at exactly 4:44 AM and clearly heard the words, "Behold, I make all things new." As I heard these words, I immediately was reminded of a scene from the movie The Passion of the Christ, where Jesus is carrying the Cross through the crowded streets after being beaten almost beyond recognition. In this scene, Jesus' mother, Mary, sees Him pass by, and she is absolutely devastated. Just then Jesus falls down under the weight of the Cross and as He does, her thoughts go back to a time when He was a small child. In this memory He falls down, and she runs to Him and picks Him up, holds Him and comforts Him. As the memory ends, she is on her feet, running to Jesus as He lays beneath the Cross, and she grabs hold of Him. Jesus looks at her through His blood and pain and says, "See Mother, I make all things new."
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For the next couple of hours as I lay in bed, these words resonated in my mind and spirit. It was as if the Holy Spirit was not going to allow me to forget them. Throughout that day I pondered these words, and the scene from the movie. It is almost haunting how, in this movie, Jesus took the most hopeless and devastating moment to speak these words of hope and renewal.
Although there is no Biblical account for this happening, I believe that Mel Gibson and his co-writer, Benedict Fitzgerald, were inspired by the Holy Spirit to write this scene and to include these words. He is giving us a message to encourage us even when many are experiencing times that challenge their hope.
Hope Renewed
As I have connected with people from all over the world in the past months, there is a consistent theme that I have heard from the Body of Christ--HOPE! In the midst of great trials, shakings that leave men and women falling to their knees, seemingly hopeless circumstances, and desperation, Jesus is stopping once again to speak His words of truth and renewal, "Behold, I make all things new."
What kindness Jesus continually brings to His beloved people! It is His kindness that allows the things that have encumbered us to fall away. Just as Jesus' earthly body had to die for new life to come forth for mankind, we too must face the death of the old to move into the new. This can be very frightening and disorienting, because we are a people who long for familiarity and security. It can cause us to come face to face with issues of fear and control as we try to let go of what we have known, and embrace the passage from the old to the "unknown" new.
I cannot, and would not, try to unfold what the new will look like for the Body of Christ or for you individually, but it is quite apparent that something new is happening. There is always a time between the old and the new where we are not able to do much except stand in the midst of death and life (or old and new), like the disciples during the days between Jesus' death and His resurrection. But remember--this is where the victory is obtained. Do not lose hope. He is making all things new. Just let go and let God!
God's Perspective
My oldest daughter, Desiree', has been struggling with "church life" recently. Last week she was sitting on the floor in the back of the youth room trying to fade into the background. She was frustrated with feeling like she never experienced anything new at church. As the worship band played, she began to vent her frustration to the Lord saying, "God, aren't You bored with the same old songs in the same old ways?"
Then the youth leader called all the teens to come forward to receive prayer and she once again vented her frustrations to the Lord saying, "Aren't You sick of the same old prayers and the same old things we do?"
To Desiree's surprise, the Lord quickly and clearly answered her. He said, "Do you want to know what I think of the songs and the prayers?" She responded,"Yes!" Then the Lord asked her to go forward and He would show her what He sees. As she stood up she said it was as if she broke out of a box that limited her ability to see and move forward. Then she walked toward the stage. As she did, she began to see colors that she had never seen before. Then she began to see flowers that she had never seen before, and movement that she had never experienced before. She asked the Lord, "What is this?"
He answered her and said, "Though the song, prayer or movement is the same to you, it is brand new to Me each and every time. This is how I see every song, every prayer and every movement that My people take toward Me."
The Holy Spirit then began to give her understanding that the translation of what we do on earth is always made new in Heaven. Every song, even if it has been sung a thousand times before, is releasing and creating something new in the Heavenly realm. Every prayer, no matter how many times it has been prayed, creates something new. And every movement of His people, no matter how insignificant it seems here on earth, moves things forward in Heaven.
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Desiree', who is quite shy, asked the youth leader if she could share this with the rest of the group and as she did, people (especially the adults) in the room were astounded by this pure revelation. She came home and shared it with me, and I just sat in silent awe. Though I believe that there are always new expressions, songs, prayers and movements, the fresh revelation that "God makes all things new" was like water over my soul.
I believe that we are moving into new, creative things. To know that what we have done in the past was not wasted, breaks any sense of regret that the enemy would try to put upon us. Like the alabaster jar and precious perfume that was poured over the feet of our Lord, so has our offering been received!
Four: The Number of Creation
If you remember, it was at 4:44 AM that I was awakened to hear the words, "Behold, I make all things new." The number four often represents "creation." It is interesting that these words spoken to me at 4:44 AM--declaring something new--were spoken at a time that represents creation (to create is to make something new).
Margaret Minnicks, a Biblical number researcher, writes these words about the Biblical meaning of the number four: "Four is the creation number and it has special significance to the earth. Four is symbolic of earthly completeness. On the fourth day, all materials for the earth were created. Four is the number of the great elements: earth, air, fire, and water. There are four regions or directions: north, south, east, and west. There are four seasons of the year: fall, winter, spring, and summer. There are four phases of the moon: first, half, full, and last. There are four divisions of the day: morning, noon, evening, and night.
Then people will come from east and west, from north and south, and will eat in the Kingdom of God. (Luke 13:29)
The Bible also has ten references to the four winds. The number four indicates universality. This means that from one point to the next point, everything is included such as in the Scripture above--universal participation. People will come from all four corners of the earth to enjoy the Kingdom of God as illustrated in the four Gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.
"Four" in Scripture portrays universal observation, worship and adoration as in Revelation 4:6-8,
"Around the throne, and on each side of the throne, are four living creatures, full of eyes in front and behind: the first living creature like a lion, the second living creature like an ox, the third living creature with a face like a human face, and the fourth living creature like a flying eagle."
Let's conclude our study of the number four on a note of hope for those who might be in a fiery furnace today. Don't give up. Jesus appeared as the fourth man to save the three Hebrew boys (Daniel 3:25). He will do the same for you.
As I meditated on the words that the Lord had spoken to me and the specific time that He spoke it, I knew that this was not a coincidence but a confirmation of what I was hearing. I believe that we are about to see creative miracles happen more than at any time before. Just as God created all the elements of the earth to work together, I also believe that we are about to experience all the parts of the Body working together in a new way that gives place to all people and all gifts.
A New Thing
For months now, I have been meditating on Isaiah 43:18-21 which says,
"Do not remember the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold, I will do a new thing, now it shall spring forth; shall you not know it? I will even make a road in the wilderness and rivers in the desert. The beast of the field will honor Me, the jackals and the ostriches, because I give waters in the wilderness and rivers in the desert, to give drink to My people, My chosen. This people I have formed for Myself; they shall declare My praise."
Remember in our brief study of the number four, it said that one of the Biblical references for the number four was to portray a universal observation of worship and adoration as we read in Revelation 4:6-7?
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Verses 8-11 go on to declare:
The four living creatures, each having six wings, were full of eyes around and within. And they do not rest day or night, saying: "Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, Who was and is and is to come!" Whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to Him who sits on the throne, who lives forever and ever, the twenty-four elders fall down before Him who sits on the throne and worship Him who lives forever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying: "You are worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, and by Your will they exist and were created."
I believe that we are entering a new time and season of adoration, where Jesus alone will be given the glory and honor for all creative things. We will begin to not only understand and appreciate the profoundly extravagant creative expressions that are released, but we will also have our eyes opened to what appears to be simple and childlike expressions that are actually extravagant expressions in Heaven of God's creative ways. We will begin to give Him the honor for all these things, both great and small. We will begin to notice how God takes care of His creation. How He feeds the birds of the air, how He assists the deer when she is giving birth, how He raises up simple men and women to care for the poor and needy.
There will be a new expression of worship that will take notice of all of God's creation and creative works. We will become a new expression throughout the earth of God's amazing ability to use the small and weak to do great things.
Will you perceive it? He makes all things new!
Kathi Pelton
Choose Life
jkpelton@sbcglobal.net
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