Fresh Beginnings | August 2021 Monthly Newsletter
Written by Ps. Nicholas Hung | Senior Pastor of Antioch Gospel Church
Hello Church!
We hope that you’re fully well and standing in faith, grace and His goodness during this season.
There’s no doubt that we are living in a time of great uncertainty. Nevertheless, as Christians we can rest assured that our God is the same as He has always been and always will be (Hebrews 13:8) – He is the God Who walks with us on the waters; stands with us in the fire; sits with us in the lions den and who is our greatest friend in the loneliest depths of our darkest isolations. Praise the Lord!
I truly get the impression in my heart that in spite of all the unknown uncertainties that have wreaked havoc on our sense of normality, the pain of loss and the fear of the unknown, that our God is raring and ready to do something great. Are you ready?
Consider the children of Israel, caught up in a life of slavery and perpetual oppression. Of course God had already seen their pains and struggles and was already preparing a way out for them, just as He sees all that we are currently facing and has already prepared and is planning our redemption!
Before the tenth and final plague and before Pharaoh had released the Israelites, after four hundred years of slavery, the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, before the tenth and final plague and while they were still in Israel, saying:
“… "This month shall be your beginning of months; it shall be the first month of the year to you.” (Exodus 12:1-2)
What a powerful declaration of deliverance and fresh beginnings!
To put it simply, God was saying to the children of Israel, “In this season I want you to hit the reset button. In fact, we’re going to hit the reset button together. We’re going to start writing a brand new story together, starting with a brand new calendar and we’re going to write a most awesome story that’s going to be read and studied for generations to come!”
Are you ready to hit the reset button and start writing the next chapter of your life story with God? I believe there are several great lessons we can learn from this monumental moment in Israel’s history:
1. The past doesn’t have to be a limiting factor for what God can do in our future
Our God never has been, and never will be limited by the past. Our past mistakes aren’t a limitation for God. Our current situation does not faze God. He simply causes a new thing to spring forth. It’s certainly easy for us to get caught up in the struggles and problems of our present, but what we really need to learn to do is to speak to the mountains, make a declaration into our future, hit that reset button and start writing our new story starting at day one of month one of year one of our new God ordained calendar! Don’t stop. Be unstoppable!
2. Entering into the new things that God has in store for us requires leaving old things behind
Making large changes in our lives, such as starting out with a new calendar, require major shifts in our mentality and a willingness to let go of the old. In 1966 Australia shifted from using Pounds to a decimal currency, the Australian Dollar. It was a major shift that required a major mindset transformation. Nowadays we are beneficiaries of the willingness of the generation before us that was willing to embrace the new.
Hitting the reset button means more than just establishing a new calendar – it requires leaving the old behind. And that’s an action!
3. To really experience the best future requires a full mental, attitude, perspectives reset
Over the next few chapters of the book of Exodus it becomes evident that even though the children of Israel had adopted a new calendar, they obviously did not adopt the new mindset that’s required to get the full results of God’s promise. We know that their perpetual doubt and complaining kept them out of the promise and ensured their wandering around the wilderness for forty years. If we’re going to experience fresh beginnings, we must fully embrace brand new God ordained mentalities.
So let’s do it church. Hit that reset button with God and start this season with a fresh outlook on what’s ahead as we walk together with God! As a church our best days are definitely ahead of us! Don’t look back. Look forward and determine to be UNSTOPPABLE in your purpose and pursuit of His kingdom!
God bless you church,
Pastor Nicholas and Grace