Renew

One of the important points of 2025 yearly scripture is in the word “renew”. When wehear that old ruins will be rebuilt, we tend to think that it will be restored to their previousstate. As people do not like change, returning to the previous state is liked. We desire to goback and do as we have known. However, this scripture says to “renew”, not return. Itmeans needs to be made new.

If we read the Bible carefully, the abandoned and ruined cities were places where itflourished, but as a result of turning away from God and repetitively disobeying Him evenHe warned them many times and told them to repent, we know that is the reason it was ruined. Ruins did not just become ruins.

If we consider these abandoned and ruined cities within and without our daily lives, thereason why the relationships are lost or broken is because there was a problem orhappening that became the cause. If we try to return to “the way it was before” even theLord restores them, yet we may just bump into the same problems. That is why we need tobe renewed and made new. So then, how is that going to be?

Creation starts from where nothing is. For Christians, that is repentance. To lay

everything before God, abandon doing things with our own strength, and change ourdirection to go then live in obeying and following the Word of God. That is the new creationin Christ and a city that is to be renewed!

This year, let’s become His witnesses by testifying the restoration and rebuilding of liveswho are lost and abandoned by receiving the love, life and power of Christ.

Pastor Takeshi