A NEW YEAR, A NEW DAY,
A NEW BEGINNING, A NEW WAY
Thus says the LORD, who makes a way in the sea
And a path through the mighty waters,
Who brings forth the chariot and the horse,
The army and the power
(They shall lie down together, they shall not rise;
They are extinguished, they are quenched like a wick);
Do not remember the former things,
Nor consider the things of old.
Behold, I will do a new thing,
Now it shall spring forth;
Shall you not know it?
I will even make a road in the wilderness
And rivers in the desert.
The beast of the field will honor Me,
The jackals and the ostriches,
Because I give waters in the wilderness
And rivers in the desert,
To give drink to My people, My chosen.
This people I have formed for Myself,
They shall declare My praise. ISAIAH 43:16-21 NKJV
Another year has passed us by, and we begin the year 2023, with a sense of expectation that we are going to see breakthroughs, and brighter days ahead, even amidst the testings and challenges we all face.
The last three years have been probably the most challenging years in my lifetime for the nations of the world, with government responses at times seeming to be gross overreach - in response to the COVID pandemic and its consequences. To be fair, for many governments of the world, the pandemic has led them into unchartered territory, so the responses were at times made on the hop, no doubt, in many cases, with a genuine desire to take measures that would protect as many people as possible. But there have also been apparent power posturing by some governments, taking advantage of the pandemic to impose draconian oppressive measures to control the populus, the ugly side seeing police exercising powers usually reserved for hardened criminals against decent upstanding citizens.
As is the case every year, many, no doubt, made New Year's resolutions, with some eventually being discarded and dispatched to either the too-hard basket, or the "Whatever" realm of non-resolve.
Like all of us, I have had "good intentions" in the past concerning things in my world that I know need to change. Someone has said: "The road to hell is paved with good intentions."
As Christians who have been "born again" by the Spirit of God, the Bible makes it clear that we should be changing year by year to become more like Christ. Proverbs 4:18 tells us: The path of the just is like the shining sun,
that shines ever brighter unto the perfect day."
2 Corinthians 3:18 says: But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.
I long for the day when, with the apostle Paul I am able to confidently say:
I have been crucified with Christ; It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. Galatians 2:20
Thank God that every day can be a new day with new opportunities to grow closer to Jesus, to break off and shake off the shackles of the past, and to begin to walk in new freedom and purpose. The Lord's ways for His people are ALWAYS onwards and upwards. We are admonished by the apostle Paul to "redeem the time, because the days are evil." I have just had another birthday, and being in my early seventies, I am realising more than ever that we are only here for a short time, and I don't want to waste the opportunities God has given me to serve Him, anointed by the Holy Spirit, and bearing much fruit for His Kingdom.
Isaiah 40:3-8 says:
The voice of one crying in the wilderness:
"Prepare the way of the LORD;
Make straight in the desert a highway for our God.
Every valley shall be exalted
And every mountain and hill brought low;
The crooked places shall be made straight
And the rough places smooth;
The glory of the LORD shall be revealed,
And all flesh shall see it together;
For the mouth of the LORD has spoken."
The voice said, "Cry out!"
And he said, "What shall I cry?"
"All flesh is grass;
And all its loveliness is like the flower of the field.
The grass withers, the flower fades,
because the breath of the LORD blows upon it;
Surely the people are grass.
The grass withers, the flower fades,
But the word of our God stands forever."
About three years ago, a lady at our church fellowship came to me one Sunday morning and said prophetically: "No retirement for you, Peter." I was encouraged because sometimes, ministry-wise, I have felt that my life could have been more fruitful for the Lord than it has been. GOD IS GOOD ALL THE TIME!
The past with its highs and lows, victories and defeats, seasons of growth and those of stagnation - is gone, and gone forever! TODAY IS A NEW DAY!
With the Lord's help we want to make this the best year of our lives - so far!
I believe the Lord is calling my wife, Tessa and I to a new level of trust in Him this year, but with a greater sense of expectancy for what He is going to do in and through us to bring greater glory to His name. The same sense that we believe God is saying this to us, is the same that we believe He is speaking to all who would truly want to follow Him in the journey of life!
In the early chapters of the Book of Joshua, after forty years of wandering in the wilderness, because of their disobedience - under the leadership of Moses, Joshua led the children of Israel over the Jordan River into the land of Canaan, the Promise Land. Joshua, who had been known as the servant of Moses, now became the servant of the LORD to lead the people forth into the land of promise.
Then Joshua commanded the officers of the people, saying,
"Pass through the camp and command the people, saying, 'Prepare provisions for yourselves, for within three days you will cross over this Jordan, to go in to possess the land which the LORD your God is giving you to possess."
So it was, after three days, the officers went through the camp;
and they commanded the people, saying, "When you see the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God, and the priests, the Levites, bearing it, then you shall set out from your place and go after it.
"Yet there shall be a space between you and it, about two thousand cubits by measure. Do not come near it, that you may know the way by which you must go, for you have not passed this way before." Joshua 1:10,11; 3:2-4 NKJV
In essence, the children of Israel were told to POSITION THEMSELVES so that the LORD could lead them in a new way! He is saying the same to each of us who would follow Him into this new year. There is much land to be taken spiritually for the kingdom of God, as we position ourselves to be led forth as an army with banners proclaiming JESUS IS LORD! The Word of God is the unchanging Truth which must not be allowed to be compromised in the name of Political Correctness.
A NEW YEAR, A NEW DAY, A NEW BEGINNING, A NEW WAY!
Keep your eyes on the prize! Look to Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of our faith. Hebrews 12:1,2
This year, we are blazing a trail for Jesus. Where I have allowed compromise in my life, I am saying NO MORE! Compromise is the language of the devil. We are in a spiritual battle for the future of our families, our nation and the nations of the world. The darkness is increasing all around us!
BUT, while the world is getting darker, the Holy Spirit is calling the church of Jesus Christ, our Saviour, Lord and King - to ARISE and SHINE with all the brilliance of the glory of God reflected from lives that are fully surrendered and consecrated to honouring and serving the Lord of all glory.
Go online to jesusencounterministries.com to watch some amazing healing and deliverance testimonies who encountered the power of Jesus Christ to heal, deliver and set free the captives, in Jesus' name through the ministry of Mark Hemans. He clearly states that he can heal no one. It is all about Jesus and the power of the Holy Spirit.
