A New Beginning

Isaiah 43:19 KJV Behold, I will do a new thing; Now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, And rivers in the desert.

2 Corinthians 5:17 NRSV - So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new!

Today we’re talking about, A New Beginning.

I must first speak about the obvious history making moment we experienced yesterday in the victory of President Elect Joseph Biden and the first ever Black Indian American female Vice President Elect Kamala Harris of the United States of America. The graduate of an HBCU, Howard University and an AKA.

In the end, love won out over hate, but now is not the time to relax, this is not the time to let down our guard, this is not the time to stop praying. In fact we need to pray all the more. We need to pray for a peaceful transfer of power and the safety of the American people as we navigate through this transition.

We have an incoming leader who has already pledged to reunite our country, who is already taking steps to stop COVID, so we can get back to some semblance of normalcy in this country and a leader who has empathy for the families of the over 208,000 people who have died from the corona virus.

We certainly want to keep President Elect Biden and Vice President Elect Harris in our prayers. We pray their health and strength.

So as I prepared this message entitled A New Beginning, I did not have the events of yesterday on my mind, what was on my mind was this eighth day of November marks the beginning of the 8th year of ministry for Love Christian Center. As we go into this 8th year, what can we expect? Should it be more of the same? Well there’s a saying, doing the same thing and expecting a different outcome is the definition of insanity, and I can assure you we are not insane.

As we look at the number eight and it’s significance in Scripture we can see many things.

The number 8 in the Bible represents a new beginning, meaning a new order or creation, and man's true 'born again' event when he is resurrected from the dead into eternal life.

Boys were to be circumcised on the 8th day.

God saved eight people on the ark in order to have a new beginning for mankind after the flood.

The most joyous Feast period of the year in the Old Testament was the eight day period of the Fall Feast of Tabernacles.

The New Testament was penned by only eight men (Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, James, Peter, Jude, and Paul).

Jesus showed himself alive eight times after his resurrection from the dead.

The number 8 symbolizes circumcision of the heart through Christ and the receiving of the Holy Spirit.

And if you research it further you’ll find numerous other instances of eight in the Bible.

Those in Christ are becoming a new creation, with godly character being created by the power of God's Spirit.

In the 43rd chapter of Isaiah, he’s prophesying to the Israelites, letting the people know that

despite their actions,

despite them worshipping other gods,

despite their failure to follow the God who had delivered them from captivity

despite their faithfulness to God

God was still their deliverer and He would deliver them, even now. Isn’t it comforting to know that God’s grace and mercy are not contingent upon our faithfulness?

God is always good, his mercies are everlasting and his truth endures to all generations—no matter what those generations do.

In this chapter, not only did God remind the people of who He was, he told them who they were. Sometimes we need someone to remind us of who we are. We get lost in doing, we get lost in circumstances, we get lost in situations and we forget that we are the called out people of God. This is what they are told and what I’m telling you today.

You are God’s witness and His servant whom He has chosen. You have been chosen by God to do great and marvelous things.

You have been chosen to know, to believe and to understand that God is God, that there was no other god before him and there will be no other God after him

You have been chosen to understand that Jesus is Lord and there is no other Savior besides Him.

You have been chosen to understand and proclaim that our God is the God who makes a way out of no way.

When your back is up against a wall and you can’t see your way out, take his hand and he will guide you.

Sometimes you may have to climb over the wall,

sometimes you may have to go under the wall,

sometimes you may have to go around the wall and

sometimes you may have to knock the wall down.

It won’t always be easy, you may get muddy, you may even get a little bloody, you may get tired, you may get weary, but be not weary in well doing for in due season you shall reap a harvest if you faint not. Trust God to get you to the other side. And when you get to the other side of through you can look back and you won’t have to wonder how you got over, you will know it was nobody but Jesus who carried you through, who delivered you and who blessed you to be where you are today in the condition you’re in.

For God to do a new thing, for you to have a new beginning there are some things you are going to have to let go of. There are some things you don’t need to remember, there are things of old you no longer need to consider, God says, Behold, look, I will do a new thing.

Tradition is good, it can be the foundation on which something is built, but sometimes it can be the weight that’s holding us down, the thing that’s holding us back, keeping us from going to the next level, keeping us from moving forward. It’s time for a new beginning.

When God is about to do something new, get ready to see and experience things you’ve never dreamed of because when God is in it there is no limit. We serve a limitless God;

a God who is infinite,

a God who is without a beginning and who has no end.

a God who always keeps his promises

a God who will never leave us nor forsake us

a God who not only knows our future, but holds it in His hands

a God who has a plan for our lives to prosper us and not to harm us, a plan with a bright future and a hope—a hope that is built on Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of the Father

When God says he will do a new thing, get ready for overflow. Get ready for the first Black female vice president of the United States.

“Now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it?” Do you not perceive it, don’t you feel it? Can you get excited about the prospect of what God is getting ready to do, even if you can’t see it? That’s called faith. Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

Do you have the faith to believe that God is about to do something great in the ministry of Love Christian Center, even if you can’t see it? Even though we are literally a church without walls at the moment. But it’s not the walls that make the church, it’s each and every one of you who are a part of this ministry who make the church.

It’s you who are members of Love Christian Center

It’s you who are believers

It’s you who are our ministry partners

It’s you who financially support this ministry

It’s you who pray for this ministry

It’s you who will walk through the doors of our new building when the time comes and God provides

It’s you who watch, like, and share the messages on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

It’s all of you who make this ministry what it is and when it’s safe, at the appointed time we will see you face to face, we will celebrate together, but for right now, we need to heed the warning in Isa 26, “Go home, my people, and lock your doors! Hide yourselves for a little while until the Lord’s anger has passed.” Hide yourselves for a little while until the new corona virus task force can complete their task and get the virus under control, find a safe and effective vaccine and come up with a plan to distribute it to the people.

While we may be separated physically, we are together spiritually and that’s what’s important.

And since God is doing a new thing he needs a new creation; He can’t use the old, fleshly you because

the flesh is in constant conflict with the Spirit.

The flesh can’t comprehend spiritual things.

The flesh is continually evil and there is no good thing in it.

The flesh acts contrary to the will of God.

The flesh is lost in its trespasses and sin

The flesh will attempt to reason why it should be allowed to stay in sin

The flesh will try to convince you it’s to hard to live saved, it’s too hard to live holy, it’s no fun to be a Christian—.

So since God is doing a new thing he needs a new creation; you don’t put new wine in old skins because they will burst and spill the wine.

“So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation; everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new!”

When you’re a new creation there will be changes.

You won’t walk like you used to walk.

You won’t talk like you used to talk.

You won’t go where you used to go.

You won’t think like you used to think.

You won’t do what you used to do.

What used to make you mad, won’t phase you any more.

You’ll begin to pray for the people who used to irritate you instead of cursing them out.

And here’s what’s really interesting, when God gives you a new mind, not only will you not do those old things, you won’t want to. He’ll change your desires and your thoughts will be on pleasing God and not your flesh. Your focus will change from me centered to God centered.

And what does eight mean for Love Christian Center? It means the members of this body of Christ will be functioning members and as

Functioning members they will

Give as God has set forth in His word, 10% of all thine increase. We have set up numerous ways for you to give, go to our website www.lovechristianctr.org and click on the “Giving” tab to see how you can give.

Functioning members will serve wherever God is calling them to serve.

Functioning members will minister whenever the opportunity arises.

Functioning members will evangelize, we have been called to spread the Good News of the Gospel wherever we go.

Functioning members will study, attend Sunday School, Bible study and Worship service on a regular basis even while we’re on Zoom.

Functioning members will be a blessing to others.

Then members will be a source of unity, not gossip or dissension.

Members will pray everyday, for the pastors, the church, their family, yourselves and whatever else God places on your heart to pray about. Prayer changes things and God hears you when you pray, whether you write them down in a journal or say them out loud or pray silently. However you pray, just pray.

Members will not only be good members themselves, they will encourage their family to be good members of this church as well.

Members will recognize that this ministry is a gift and we’re not to take it for granted, nor are we to take our salvation for granted.

What Christ did wasn’t easy—but he did it. To place himself in the confines of a human body, experiencing all the things we do, and walk the earth for 33 years wasn’t easy—but he did it.

To deal with the disciples and their questions and doubts and impetuousness and bickering was not easy—but he did it.

To contend with the religious leaders of the time was not easy—but he did it.

To pray in the garden all night long until his sweat was like drops of blood, as he contemplated the ordeal he was about to endure wasn’t easy—but he did it.

To allow himself to be taken into custody and stand before a mockery of a court with its fake witnesses and false accusations wasn’t easy—but he did it.

To let them beat him, slap him in the face, spit on him, and tear out his beard, and never say a mumbling word, wasn’t easy—but he did it.

To allow them to put nails in his hands and feet as they nailed him to that old rugged cross wasn’t easy—but he did it.

To hang on that cross from the sixth to the ninth hour wasn’t easy—but he did it.

Jesus did what needed to be done to save us. He bore all our sins and grief, and sickness and pain to save us. Now will you accept him as your Lord and Savior.

Will you accept his free gift of eternal life? It’s time for a new beginning and there is no better day than today to begin. All you need to do is pray, Lord I admit I am a sinner and I need you, please forgive me for my sins, come into my heart and be Lord of my life. In Jesus name I pray, amen.

If you prayed that prayer for the first time, welcome to the family. Send us an email at [e-mail], we’d love to pray with you. Also, if you’d like to join this branch of Zion send an email to that same address and we’ll connect with you.

Yesterday marked a new beginning for our nation, but that beginning doesn’t officially start until Jan 20, 2021; there are still 71 days for the current administration to wreak havoc. Saints we still need to pray, it’s not over yet.

Pray for those who are not happy with the outcome and for the safety of those they may potentially target. Stay safe, wear your mask, wash your hands and watch your distance.