Tag Archives: New Thing

A New Thing

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plant_new_life-1920x1200Yesterday we talked about getting out of a rut, how God is in the midst of doing a new thing. In this season of Advent, we have to ask ourselves, do we really believe that God is, doing something new?

Sunday, at Asbury, I said this – don’t give me your Christian answer; give me your real answer. Your Christian answer is what you think we have to give as good people. Your real answer is what you really think and believe.

And here’s the thing. God knows what you are thinking. God knows what you believe. God knows what’s on your heart.

So, let me ask you, do we really believe that God is going to do something new in our lives? Or do we think that things are going to always remain the same, remain as they are now? Or could God possibly do something new in our lives?

Listen to what it says today in Revelation 21: 2-5:

And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.”

God is making all things new. All things. Me. You. All things.

You know what the new work God wants to do is? You. Me. He wants to make us new. He wants to restore us. Remake us. Change us.

Remove the dirt of the past. Remove the shame and sin of the past. Remove the brokenness of the past. Make us new.

That’s what He wants to do for you and in you today. Not just forgive you. Make you new.

Today, you can be new. You can be different. You can start over. You can begin again. You can leave the past and the old behind. You can be new.

That’s where all this is headed. That’s what God wants to do. That’s what God will do. He will make all things new.

And He wants to start today with me and with you. Today, through grace, mercy, and love, God wants to make us new.

Today, will we let Him? Will let us, through His Holy Spirit, make us new?

Don’t forget, you can click here to download Asbury’s mobile app and read these devotionals, as well as listen to my sermons on your smart phones, and you thought our app, you can now watch our worship services from Asbury too!

Stuck in a Rut

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Ruts are dangerous. Ruts leave us feel like we are doing the same thing, over and over again, each day. Nothing new. Nothing different. Nothing exciting. Nothing to be hopeful about.

Nothing. Every day, its same thing, over and over again.

It’s a sad thing, a bad thing, when we don’t expect anything different. Is that how you feel today? Do you enter this day, this new week, this season thinking, oh things will never change.

It is what it is. Nothing different. Nothing new. Same thing, different day. Lather, risen, repeat. Every day.

We feel like that a lot, don’t week. If that’s you, listen to what Isaiah 43: 18-19 says:

“Remember not the former things,
nor consider the things of old.
Behold, I am doing a new thing;
now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?
I will make a way in the wilderness
and rivers in the desert.

God-of-New-ThingsGod says – I’m doing a new thing. Just because it’s always been the same, doesn’t mean that it will stay the same. Just because you feel stuck in a rut doesn’t mean that you will stay there. Just because things haven’t changed don’t mean that they won’t change yet.

This is the season of Advent.  In this season, that leads us to Christmas, we remember God’s promises like this one.  He is doing a new thing.  He is bringing new life.  He has great things in store.  Great new things.

Do you believe that?  Do you believe that God can still do new things?  Do you expect new things?  Do you hope in new things?  Or are we at the point in life; in faith, where we really don’t hope for those type of things any more.  We are just stuck in our rut.

God is not done with you yet. God is not done with the world yet. God is not finished with us yet. He isn’t.

A new thing is coming.

Do you believe that? Do you believe that God is in the midst of doing a new thing? He is. We stop believing that sometimes. We lose hope. We give up. We don’t think that it will happen.

Don’t lose hope. Don’t give up. Don’t quit. God is in the midst of a new thing. He is.

He is going to make all things new. Do you believe? Keep believe. Have you forgotten? Remember what we read. Are you exhausted? Hold tight to God. A new thing is coming. It is.

God is going to do a new work in your life. Keep believing. Keep hoping. Keep knowing. He is.

No matter how strong the rut you’re stuck in is, God is stronger.

He is going to do a new thing.

Don’t forget, you can click here to download Asbury’s mobile app and read these devotionals, as well as listen to my sermons on your smart phones, and you thought our app, you can now watch our worship services from Asbury too!

A Made Up Mind

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There’s an old saying, never judge a book by it’s cover.

Don’t think you know everything about a situation too quickly. There’s always more to know, more to understand, things you don’t see.

Don’t make judgements too quickly, before you know what’s going on.

I thought of that as I read this morning from the first chapter of John

43 The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. He found Philip and said to him, “Follow me.” 44 Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. 45 Philip found Nathanael and said to him, “We have found him about whom Moses in the law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus son of Joseph from Nazareth.” 46 Nathanael said to him, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.”

Nathanael almost missed Jesus this morning. He always missed his salvation, he almost missed the great thing God wanted to do, he almost missed the very hope for his life.

Why?

Because he had his mind made up already.  He just knew that nothing good come from Nazareth.  Nothing worth anything could come from there.

He knew it.

And, because of that, he almost missed what God wanted to do.

Thankfully, he had a friend that was willing to love him and take him to Jesus.

Today, let’s not be too hasty to have our minds made up about everything.  Let’s be open to new potential and new dreams.  Let’s see what new thing God may be  up to.

Let’s see what could happen in ways that we don’t understand.  Let’s not make up our mind too fast.

Let’s be willing to follow Jesus in new ways. Let’s try new things.  Let’s not be too quick to judge.

Even if we think nothing good can come from Nazareth.  Let’s not make up our minds too quickly.

God may be trying to do something new. Let’s see what He is up to.