A Brand New Start
II Corinthians 5:17
Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
Matthew 9:14-17
Then came to him the disciples of John, saying, Why do we and the Pharisees fast oft, but thy disciples fast not?
15 And Jesus said unto them, Can the children of the bridechamber mourn, as long as the bridegroom is with them? but the days will come, when the bridegroom shall be taken from them, and then shall they fast.
16 No man putteth a piece of new cloth unto an old garment, for that which is put in to fill it up taketh from the garment, and the rent is made worse.
17 Neither do men put new wine into old bottles: else the bottles break, and the wine runneth out, and the bottles perish: but they put new wine into new bottles, and both are preserved.
One of the best things I enjoy about the new year is a “break” from the hustle and bustle of Christmas. Don’t misunderstand me, Christmas is absolutely my most favorite time of year. However, between family time and Church activities, when December 26th rolls around, I’m ready for a break: physically and mentally.
Each year our local church sets aside the first three weeks of the New Year with a time we call consecration. It’s our way of giving God our “first fruits” of the new year. We fast and pray daily, and we have special services in the evenings. When those three weeks conclude, I always find myself refreshed and charged up spiritually.
This year our local church has settled upon the theme, “A Brand-New Start.” As I read the scriptures (noted above), there was something that continued to impress upon me. God delights in giving us new things. I considered the value of an eraser. If you’re writing and make a mistake, the eraser allows you to rub out the error, and start over again. However, you can always detect a small trace of the previous markings. But this is not so with God! He has a way of starting fresh from scratch. Note some of the Biblical heroes: King David, an adulterer, murderer who exposed innocent people causing more than 70,000 deaths. Yet God restored him. Abraham not once but twice put his wife in jeopardy, but God referred to him as the father of faith. Peter denied Jesus and cut off a man’s ear, but Jesus restored him and anointed him to preach the first message after Pentecost and converted 3,000 souls.
Maybe last year for you was outstanding. Maybe you accomplished everything you wanted and you have no needs. Or maybe you’re like me and a whole lot of others who want a “do-over.” Occasionally I play golf and admittedly I’m bad at it. Quite often I’ll hit the ball out of play, or I’ll lose it in the rough or water. If I were playing professionally I’d have to either find the ball and hit it from that spot, or be penalized. However, we amateurs invoke something called a “mulligan.” That means we get to discard the previous bad shot and start over with a brand-new ball.
For 2017, I encourage you to ask God to give you a new start. Could it be He wants to accomplish something great in you? But you’re holding on to old stuff, old relationships, old feelings, or old failures? Do like we’re doing at Holiness Tabernacle! We’ve asked for and we’re off to a brand-new start!
I bless you in the name of the Lord.
Pastor Eddie B Pruitte, Jr.
Holiness Tabernacle COGIC, Pastor and Founder