A FRESH START

INTRODUCTION

• It is wonderful to know that you and I can make a fresh start.
• A fresh start is the opportunity to start all over again.
• It is a new beginning.
• With God in our lives we have the privilege and the opportunity to make a fresh start each day of our lives.

Lamentations 3:22-23 Because of the LORD’s great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness.

• Every morning of our lives His mercies are available to us afresh and everyday His faithfulness is within our grasp.
• We cannot exhaust His compassion and His great love for us.
• Look at that same scripture from the NLT (New Living Translation).
• NLT – ‘The faithful love of the LORD never ends! His mercies never cease. Great is His faithfulness; His mercies begin afresh each morning.’
• I declare that a new period of time has arrived for you.
• Embrace it as you step into your new season.

1. WE ALL NEED A FRESH START

• How true it is that we all need a new start.
• Somehow life forces us into a rut.
• Somehow the rut eventually dictates the direction of our lives.
• The only difference between a rut and a grave is the depth.
• God has more for each of us!
• God has got more for you, not just more of the same but more of His favour, more of His loving-kindness and more of His abundant life.
• Perhaps you feel like you need a fresh start?
• Recently we enjoyed some time on the beach. As we arrived there the beach looked like a million people had walked across it. There were just footprints as far as the eye could see. We enjoyed several hours on the beach during which time high tide came and went and as we walked back to the car I noticed that the tide had come up and transformed the beach. All the footprints were gone and the beach was smooth and clear. As we walked back making new, fresh footprints I realized that this is how it is with God. He wants to come and clear away and melt away the past ruts and give us a fresh start.
• In your mind’s eye, see Him coming and washing away all the past hurts, disappointments and despair and see Him preparing a new, vast, clear beach for you to explore, enjoy and discover.
• “Isn’t it nice to think that tomorrow is a new day with no mistakes in it yet?” ― L.M. Montgomery
•  The future begins today.

2. LET THE BURDENS FALL OFF

• One thing I have discovered is that we can’t drag the baggage of the old season into the new.
• Often we can’t let go and move forward and we end up so consumed with the baggage of the past while trying to accommodate it in our future.
• We need to start with a clean slate – if you are given a clean slate, you can start something again.
• Recently I stayed at a property that had a large London Plain Tree at the one end. On one of the branches a parasite had taken over and this large parasite had taken root on this branch and the branch was laboring under the weight of this foreign, invasive plant and the very life seemed to be drained out of this majestic tree. One evening as we were walking around, we heard a strange sound. It sounded like an acorn falling on a tin roof. My daughter and I stopped and we wondered what it was, but it was silent again, so we strolled on further. We heard the sound again, and again we wondered what it could be as there was no wind and everything was still. As we walked further, suddenly this branch, with the large parasite, came crashing down from the tree. The noise we had heard was the branch breaking and the whole branch came away and the parasite was removed in one moment. Fortunately we were a safe distance away, but as this happened it was as if the Lord spoke to me and said that He wants to cause those things that have taken root, those things that have sapped the life out of us, to fall off us.
• Today, let it be a day when you let those things that are holding you back drop off of you.
• Let your Heavenly Father come and let Him remove the burdens and the baggage.
• Let Him come now and remove the weight of the burdens, the weaknesses, the life-sapping foreign invasions in your life.
• Let us walk free, unhindered and untethered into the freedom He has for us.

3. MAKE A DECISION TO ENGAGE

• This is not a time to disengage.
• It is time to make a decision to engage.
• I was recently standing in the waves on the beach, enjoying the cool refreshing water, when I noticed a helicopter flying down the beach, just above the surf in my direction. I stopped and stood in the waves watching and imagining what it would be like to fly low-level over the beach. As it approached I could see into the cockpit and I could clearly see the pilots looking down at me. Then, the one pilot raised his hand and waved at me. Instantaneously I waved back as we acknowledged each other and they passed over my head. I thought to myself, the people on the beach must think I am crazy, a grown man waving at a helicopter? But I did not care, because even through this God was speaking to me. God wants us to engage with Him.
• There is an old song with the following words: Reach out and touch the Lord as He passes by. You’ll find He’s not too busy to hear your heart’s cry. He is passing by this moment, your needs to supply. Reach out and touch the Lord as He passes by!
• Sometimes we are so worried about what others will say. Perhaps some will say that we are fanatics.
• But don’t let that influence you.
• It is time to engage with God.
• It is time to engage with the work of the Lord.
• It is time to engage with His chosen vehicle, the church.
• It’s time to get involved.
• It’s time to get committed.
• It’s time to start making a difference and doing something different.
• Like the gears in an engine that come together and interlink or interlock and produce results, it is time for you and me to engage and interlock our lives with God, His people and His church.

4. GREEN PASTURES IS WHAT GOD HAS PLANNED

Psalm 23:2 ‘He makes me lie down in green pastures.’

• God wants to do something fresh and give us a fresh start.
• 3 ASPECTS TO TAKE NOTE OF:

1. ‘Green pastures.’ This speaks of something fresh, rich, nourishing and definitely something to thrive on.
2. ‘HE’ You don’t have to rely on your nourishment to come from anyone else. The Lord says I, Myself will be your Shepherd.
3. ‘Lie Down.’ (A place of rest) 2013 may have felt quite harsh, a bit barren and difficult and although we have seen and experienced His goodness we look forward to a fresh start in green pastures.

• God is the God of the fresh start.

2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.

1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Acts 3:19-20 Repent therefore, and turn again, that your sins may be blotted out, that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord.

5. LET THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD COME UPON YOU

• Samson was one of the unusual characters of the Bible.
• He seemed to make lots of mistakes.
• But God used him in many ways.
• Even though he may have made his fair share of mistakes, when the Spirit of the Lord came upon him, awesome things happened.

Judges 15:14 The Spirit of the LORD came powerfully upon him. The ropes on his arms became like charred flax, and the bindings dropped from his hands.

• The New Living Translation says it like this: ‘But the Spirit of the LORD came powerfully upon Samson, and he snapped the ropes on his arms as if they were burnt strands of flax, and they fell from his wrists.’
• In the Holman Christian Standard Bible it says: ‘The Spirit of the LORD took control of him.’
• The touch of the Spirit of the Lord on our lives makes all the difference.
• In fact, the touch of the Spirit of the Lord on Samson’s life led to great victory!

Judges 15:15 Finding a fresh jawbone of a donkey, he grabbed it and struck down a thousand men.

• God has victory in store for you.
• Let His Spirit come upon you today.
• Receive a fresh infilling right now.
• Lord, I pray that You, by Your Holy Spirit will come upon us now. How we need Your Spirit. Give us strength to help us stand. Living water come and flow to us, shower down Your mercy and shower down Your grace on our lives. Amen.

A PROMISE

Psalm 65:11 You crown the year with a bountiful harvest; even the hard pathways overflow with abundance.

• How gracious is the Lord that He affords us the opportunity to make a fresh start, not only once a year, but each and every day.

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‘n NUWE BEGIN

INLEIDING

• Dit is wonderlik om te weet dat ons kan oor begin.
• ‘n Nuwe begin is die geleentheid om oor te begin.
• Dit is ‘n nuwe begin.
• Met God in ons lewens het ons die voorreg en die geleentheid om elke dag van ons lewens oor te begin.

Klaagliedere 3:22-23 dit is die goedertierenhede van die HERE dat ons nie omgekom het nie, want sy barmhartighede het geen einde nie; hulle is elke môre nuut; u trou is groot.

• Sy genade is elke oggend van ons lewens opnuut vir ons beskikbaar en elke dag is Sy getrouheid binne ons bereik.
• Ons kan nooit sy barmhartigheid en Sy groot liefde vir ons uitput nie.
• Kyk ook na dieselfde skrif in die Engelse NTL (New Living Translation).
• NLT – ‘The faithful love of the LORD never ends! His mercies never cease.
• Great is His faithfulness; His mercies begin afresh each morning.’
• Ek verklaar dat ‘n nuwe periode of tyd het vir jou aangebreek.
• Omhels dit terwyl jy jou nuwe seisoen toetree.

1. ONS HET ALMAL ‘N NUWE BEGIN NODIG

• Dit is so waar dat ons almal ‘n nuwe begin nodig het.
• Die lewe dwing ons in ’n groef.
• Op een of ander manier sal hierdie groef die rigting van ons lewens voorskryf.
• Die enigste verskil tussen ‘n groef en ‘n graf is die diepte daarvan.
• God het meer vir elkeen van ons!
• God het meer vir jou, nie net meer van dieselfde nie maar meer van Sy guns, meer van Sy liefdevolle barmhartigheid en meer van sy oorvloedige lewe.
• Miskien voel jy dat jy nodig het om oor te begin?
• Ons het onlangs ‘n tydjie op die strand deurgebring. Toe ons daar aankom het dit gelyk of ‘n miljoen mense daar langs geloop het. Daar was voetspore so ver as wat die oog kon sien. Ons het ‘n paar uur op die stand geniet terwyl die gety hoog geword het en weer teruggetrek het en toe ons na die motor terug gestap het, het ons agtergekom dat die gety die strand intussen totaal verander het. Al die voetspore is skoon gevee en die strand was mooi glad. Terwyl ons so terugloop en nuwe spore nalaat het ek besef dat dit is hoe dit met God is. Hy wil kom en die groewe van die verlede wegvee en vir ons ‘n nuwe begin gee.
• In my gedagtes sien ek hoe Hy kom en al ons seerkry, teleurstellings en wanhoop van die verlede uitvee en dan hoe Hy ‘n nuwe, wye, skoon strand skep wat jy kan, ondersoek, geniet en ontdek.
• “Isn’t it nice to think that tomorrow is a new day with no mistakes in it yet?”- L.M. Montgomery
• Die toekoms begin vandag.

2. LAAT DIE SORGE NEER STORT

• Een ding wat ek agtergekom het is dat ons nie die bagasie van die ou seisoen in die nuwe seisoen kan in dra nie.
• Dikwels kan ons nie laat los en vorentoe beweeg nie en dan raak ons totaal verstrengel met die bagasie van die verlede terwyl ons dit in ons toekoms probeer akkommodeer.
• Ons het ’n nuwe begin nodig met ‘n skoon bladsy – As jy ‘n nuwe bladsy ontvang kan jy weer met iets begin.
• Ek het onlangs op ‘n eiendom gewoon waar daar ‘n groot ‘London Plain Tree’ op die een kant gestaan het. ‘n Parasiet het op een van die takke wortel geskiet en dit totaal oorgeneem en die tak het baie swaargekry onder die gewig van hierdie vreemde, indringende plant en dit het gelyk of die lewe uit hierdie majestieuse boom gedreineer is. Een aand toe ons buite stap het ons’n vreemde geluid gehoor. Dit het geklink soos’n akker wat op ‘n sinkdak val. Ek en my dogter het gaan staan en luister maar dit was weer stil en ons het verder geloop. Ons het die geluid weer gehoor en ons het gewonder wat dit kon wees aangesien daar geen wind gewaai het en dit orals doodstil was. Ons stap toe verder en skielik stort die tak wat deur die parasiet oorgeneem is neer. Die geluid wat ons gehoor het was soos wat die tak gebreek het en die hele tak het neergestort en die parasiet was oombliklik uit die boom verwyder. Gelukkig was ons nie reg onder die vallende tak nie en ek het gevoel die Here praat met my en sê dat Hy al die dinge wat in ons lewens wortel geskiet het en wat ons lewens vergal het, wil verwyder.
• Laat vandag die dag wees wanneer jy daardie dinge wat jou terughou van jou laat af val.
• Laat jou Hemelse Vader kom en laat Hom toe om jou laste en bagasie te verwyder.
• Laat Hom nou kom en die gewig van jou laste, jou swakhede en die vreemde lewens-dreinerende indringers uit jou lewe verwyder.
• Kom ons loop vry, ongehinderd en ongebind die vryheid wat Hy vir ons het, binne.

3. NEEM ‘N BESLUIT OM TE VERBIND

• Hierdie is nie ‘n tyd om te ontbind nie.
• Dit is tyd om te besluit om te verbind.
• Ek het onlangs in die golwe op die strand gestaan en die koel lawende water geniet toe ek ‘n helikopter opgemerk het wat al langs die strand reg op my af gevlieg het. Ek het in die golwe gestaan en dit dopgehou terwyl ek gewonder het hoe dit sou voel om so laag oor die strand te vlieg. Toe dit nader kom kon ek die loods sien waar hy na my afgekyk het. Hy het toe vir my gewaai, Sonder om te weifel het ek vir hom terug gewaai. Terwyl ons mekaar erken het, het ek gewonder of die ander mense om my gedink het dat ek mal is, ‘n grootmens wat vir helikopters waai. Maar ek het nie omgegee nie want selfs hierdeur was God besig om my my te praat. God wil hê dat ons, ons met Hom moet verbind.
• Daar is ‘n ou lied met die volgende woorde: Reach out and touch the Lord as He passes by. You’ll find He’s not too busy to hear your heart’s cry. He is passing by this moment, your needs to supply. Reach out and touch the Lord as He passes by!
• Soms is ons so bekommerd oor wat ander mense sal sê. Miskien sal sommiges sê dat ons fanaties is.
• Moenie toelaat dat dit jou afsit nie.
• Dit is tyd om met God te verbind.
• Dit is tyd om met die werk van die Here verbind te word.
• Dit is tyd om met Sy gekose instrument, die kerk, verbind te wees.
• Dit is tyd om betrokke te raak.
• Dit is tyd om verbind te raak.
• Dit is tyd om te begin om ‘n verskil te maak en om iets nuuts aan te pak.
• Soos die ratte in ‘n enjin wat bymekaar kom en inmekaar pas en resultate oplewer, is dit tyd vir ons om ons te verbind en ons lewens inmekaar te pas met God, Sy mense en Sy kerk.

4. GROEN WEIVELD IS WAT GOD BEPLAN HET

Psalm 23:2 Hy laat my neerlê in groen weivelde;

• God wil iets nuuts doen en vir ons ‘n nuwe begin gee.
• 3 ASPEKTE OM KENNIS VAN TE NEEM

1. ‘Groen weivelde.’ Dit spreek van iets vars, ryk, voedend en definitief iets om ons te laat groei.
2. ‘HY’ Jy hoef nie op enigiemand anders staat te maak vir jou voeding nie.  Die Here sê Ek, Myself sal jou Herder wees.
3. ‘Neerlê.’ (‘n Plek van rus) miskien was 2013 swaar, ‘n bietjie leeg en moeilik en al het ons Sy goedheid ondervind sien ons daarna uit om nuut te begin in groen weivelde.

• God is die God van die nuwe begin.

2 Korinthiërs 5:17 Daarom, as iemand in Christus is, is hy ‘n nuwe skepsel; die ou dinge het verbygegaan,kyk, dit het alles nuutgeword.

1 Johannes 1:9 As ons ons sondes bely, Hy is getrou en regverdig om ons die sondes te vergewe en ons van alle ongeregtigheid te reinig.

Handelinge 3:19 Kom dan tot inkeer en bekeer julle, sodat julle sondes uitgewis kan word en tye van vekwikking van die aangesig van die Here mag kom.

5. LAAT DIE GEES VAN DIE HERE OP JOU KOM

• Simson was een van die ongewone karakters van die Bybel.
• Dit lyk of hy baie foute gemaak het.
• Maar God het hom op baie maniere gebruik.
• Ongeag die foute wat hy gemaak het, wanneer die Gees van die Here oor hom gekom het, het wonderlike dinge gebeur.

Rigters 15:14 …..maar die Gees van die HERE het oor hom vaardig geword, en die toue wat aan sy arms was, het geword soos linnedrade wat in die vuur brand, en sy bande het versmelt van sy hande af.

• Die “New Living Translation” sê: ‘But the Spirit of the LORD  came powerfully upon Samson, and he snapped the ropes on his arms as if they  were burnt strands of flax, and they fell from his wrists.’
• Die “Holman Christian Standard Bible” sê: ‘The Spirit of the LORD took control of him.’
• Die aanraking van die Gees van die Here op ons lewens maak al die verskil.
• Feit is dat die aanraking van die Gees van die Here op Simson se lewe het vir hom groot oorwinnings gebring!

Rigters 15:15 En hy het ‘n vars eselskakebeen gevind en sy hand uitgesteek en dit geneem en daar duisend man mee verslaan.

• God beplan oorwinning vir jou.
• Laat sy Gees vandag op jou kom.
• Ontvang ‘n vars aanvulling nou.
• Vader, ek bid dat U deur U Heilige Gees nou op ons sal kom. Ons het U Gees so nodig. Gee ons die krag om staande te bly. Lewende water vloei na ons toe, stort U genade oor ons lewens. Amen.

‘n BELOFTE

Psalm 65:12 U kroon die jaar van U goedheid, en U voetspore drup van vettigheid.

• Hoe genadig is die Here dat Hy ons die geleentheid skenk om oor te begin, nie net een keer ‘n jaar nie, maar elke nuwe dag.