The Holy Bible quotes Almighty God as promising, "Behold; I make all things new!" At first glance, it would seem that we are in accord with him, as we plan, once again, to welcome in a "New Year." However, if we take the time and make the effort to examine our planned celebration, we may be forced to question whether our proposed program is in accord with The Almighty�s description of what is to be achieved. There is nothing new about the same old drunken orgies with which we have been trained to welcome in a new year.

Why would God make all things new, rather than just a select few? Because, as the scriptures point out, everything has a time and a season, and then must give way to something else. Also, sometimes the old is not what it should be, or has served its purpose and outlived its usefulness. For this, it should not be condemned- for it was not necessarily bad, but time brings about a change. When the scripture foretells the coming of "A New Heaven and a New Earth," it is not a condemnation of the Old Heaven and the Old Earth- God does not create that which is not good- but an announcement that the older creation has completed its mission and is now to be replaced.

That which is "new" either did not exist before, or is no longer in its original condition, and therefore must be "renewed". If I am going to be the same fool I was last year, then a new year is no good to me. In Nature, no matter how lovely the blossoms or how sweet the fruit, it dies and is replaced by another yield the following year. The new fruit, appearing on the same branch as the former fruit, may lead you to believe in reincarnation � but it is a different fruit, prepared for a different season.

We are thus taught and trained to be wary of falling in love with the "status quo", no matter how enticing, for "A wise man changes many times � fools never change!" Time brings about a change. A split second after one day ends, a new day is coming into existence.

All creatures become new periodically; with Man, it is approximately every seven years. This is why it is ridiculous for us, as sinners, to try and convince ourselves that, upon hearing the Truth, we become "instant Saints". We are taught that every physical law has a spiritual counterpart. So, just as a baby that is physically newborn cannot speak two or three languages and run 100 yards in ten seconds flat, so we who are experiencing spiritual rebirth must recognize that we do not reach our goal overnight.

Scientific study has proven that after you eat your LAST piece of pig, it will take you at least seven years to get all the poison out of your system. So, we don�t become "Instant Saints". It takes a while just to physically get over eating that swine, drinking that wine and smoking that vine! That having been accomplished, we then must concentrate on completing our spiritual development. And there is a definite connection between our physical and spiritual progress � YOU CAN�T HAVE ONE WITHOUT THE OTHER!