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The book of Revelation, the last book of the Bible, ends with a promise.
The Bible ends with a promise.
A promise that God, will return soon.
A promise that God, from the throne of heaven, will come down and dwell with men and women.
A promise that God will call us his people, and we will call him our God.
A promise that God will himself be with us.
A promise that God will wipe every tear from our eyes.
A promise that death will be no more.
A promise that pain will be no more.
A promise that mourning, suffering will be no more.
A promise that crying will be no more.
A promise that God is making all things new.
It’s important to note that the promise is that God is making all things new-not making all new things.
If indeed God were making all new things-we and all that is in the earth would have no hope of redemption.
But the promise is that God loves his creation so much-that he is making all things-you and I, new again.
A promise that God is coming soon, and the Holy City, the New Jerusalem in glory and splendor is coming down from heaven while the choirs of angels sing their praises.
The Bible ends with the promise that God will dwell with us, in the Holy City, and make all things new.
Now, while we wait in hope and in expectation-
There exists a lot of tears-a lot of crying.
There exists still death, morning, suffering, and pain.
But, while we wait for that promise to be fulfilled in it’s completion-
-we get to every now and again see little glimpses, little signs, of that promise coming true.
-everyday at Roseland Christian Ministries when our vision is right, we see little glimpses of that promise coming true.
-a mother and her three children are put out of the last public housing project remaining, they move from apartment, to a friends place, and then to the street. All of their belongings packed into two garbage backs they hit the streets with no shelter no home no center. Eventually they walk to the police station pleading for help-the police then bring them to the City of Chicago department of human services. From the department of human services this mother and her three children come to Roseland Christian Ministries. At Roseland Christian Ministries, they have a sense of peace and security, a little place that is their own. Their situation is not perfect, but for the time being, the tears of a mother and her three children have been wiped away.
A little glimpse of God’s promise is fulfilled before our eyes.
A group of 20 teenagers from the Roseland community, half male and half female, decide to spend their summer working at Roseland Christian Reformed Church with our summer day camp. They share the good news of Jesus Christ with 100 children and help those 100 young people develop gifts and talents.
A little glimpse of God’s promise is fulfilled before our eyes.
A group of 4 teenagers from the Roseland community-all of them African American and male face the statistic that 2 of them will end up in prison. But they choose not to believe in the statistic. They choose instead to believe in the promise. This summer these young men will work rehabilitating houses and working on the homes and yards of elderly people in Roseland. All things are being made new.
A little glimpse of God’s promise is fulfilled before our eyes.
10 years ago the 102nd place block, between State and Michigan was known as skid row. There over 10 boarded up houses on the block.
Drugs were and are sold all day and night.
But in those 10 years, something interesting happened. The people of God, believed in the promise that all things are being made new.
A homeless man, a member of Roseland Christian Reformed Church, and a certified electrician, donated time and energy to get the electrical work done on four of these houses.
Member of Roseland Christian Reformed Church prayed for that block and invited people to church.
Kids from that block came to day camp.
God’s people from all around the country from Michigan, Iowa, Lousiana, Pennsylvania, Indiana, the Suburbs of Chicago, and Chicago came to that block.
They came from near and far, they worked, they sang, they prayed.
Since that time:
Five boarded up houses have been transformed into homes for families.
The main drug house, we purchased a few months ago, and will have a tenant living in it within a month. We will find out tomorrow if we were able to buy houses number 6 & 7.
The block is being transformed from a place of despair to a place where you can see God’s promise coming true. All things, are indeed being made new.
For over 30 years-you here tonight believed in God’s promise and we are witnesses that God’s promise, the promise of the Holy City and all things new is coming true in Roseland.
Thousands of men, women, and children have received food and shelter in no small part because you believed in the promise that all things are being made new.
Crack addicts and prostitutes have given up crack and prostituting, come to the Lord, and been able to get jobs and give to the community-because you believed in the promise that all things are being made new.
Nearly 60 abandoned houses have been transformed into homes for God’s people-because you believed in God’s promise that all things are being made new.
Because you believed in the promise that God is making all things new.
Lives have been changed, families have become home owners, kids have gone to college, homeless men have been give diginity. And people have gone on to share that promise with others.
We cannot express our gratitude and humility enough for you standing walking alongside of us-to believe and see God’s promise come true in Roseland.
We are in the midst of exciting times at Roseland Christian Ministries.
We have a great history to build onto.
And we believe God is continuing to be make all things new on the South Side of Chicago.
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