And they took him [Paul] and brought him to the Areopagus, saying, "May we know what this new doctrine is of which you speak? For you are bringing some strange things to our ears. Therefore we want to know what these things mean." For all the Athenians and the foreigners who were there spent their time in nothing else but either to tell or to hear some
new thing.
Acts 17:19-21 NKJV
This time of year always brings very tangible illustrations of "new" things. What looked like a bunch of dead brush begins to offer up beautiful flowers; trees begin to be tinged with color where leaves will soon unfurl to embrace the sunshine; warm breezes stir up all manner of life that busies itself to gather and grow.
Starkly contrasted with these reminders of the faithfulness in nature are scenes of unimaginable terror and destruction from all over the world offered up on our televisions as a reminder of the incredible cost of Sin. When confronted with such dire circumstances our hearts necessarily long for some remedy— something "new" to try to take away all our woes so that we are only left with beauty and peace.
In the above scripture, we see the Athenians described as being "new" junkies. This phenomenon is often described as a "thirst for knowledge." I would say that it is more often a symptom of a different kind of hunger—a hunger for satisfaction.
Jesus answered and said to her, "If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you,
'Give Me a drink,' you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water."
John 4:10 NKJV
It is not some new remedy that we need. We need newness of life through Jesus Christ. We need the peace that He gives and the joy that only He imparts to the struggling soul.
Ministries everywhere are striving to find some new "hook" to bring people into the church. In so doing we have forsaken that which only can satisfy and that which only can save.
Jesus answered and said, "This voice did not come because of Me, but for your sake. Now is the judgment of this world; now the ruler of this world will be cast out. And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all peoples to
Myself."
John 12:30-32 NKJV
In this scripture, Jesus was referencing His imminent crucifixion. And, it is in our faithfulness to lift up the crucified Savior in our lives that we find strength for ourselves, and a standard that shows the world where help can be found. Jesus must be at the forefront of all that we do. There is no new program, seminar, meeting-format, or motivational speech that can take the place of the newness of life that only Jesus brings.
Jesus answered and said to her, "Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life."
John 4: 13-14 NKJV
Are YOU desperate for something new that will change your life? Well, save yourself some time—and possibly some great hurt—and run into the arms of Jesus. Only He can change you and only He can bring you through the perilous times that are staring you in the face.
Don't be lured here and there by offers of some new remedy for your distress and trouble. There is only one thing that can bring light into darkness; a way where there was no way; and streams in the desert. Only the
Author and Finisher of your faith knows the way out from where you are to where you were born to be!
The purpose of our WOH meetings is to prepare and provoke you to be all that you can be through Jesus Christ; so that you can do all that you can do to bring more souls into the
Kingdom in these last days. We need all hands on deck. The battle is great. The time is short.
Our next meeting is this Saturday, March 26.
We will begin our meeting with refreshments and fellowship at 9:45 a.m., followed by spiritual preparation at 10:15 a.m., and the regular service at 10:30 a.m. Please make every effort attend. We need you!
With You in His Harvest,
Pastor Janet Mushegan Watson