A New Dawn - A New Hope

[mukk_in]

Dear saints, I trust that the Lord Jesus has been protecting and preserving you. I’m indeed blessed to be back with all of you and hope that we are all being transformed into His likeness with every passing day . We all have had some bitter experiences in life and tend to be shackled by them. A failed business venture, a painful bankruptcy, a broken marriage, a departed loved one or similar experiences can leave us disheartened and make us overly cautious while heeding God’s call. Sometimes it’s not receiving God’s forgiveness as much as forgiving ourselves that matters.


Please turn with me to Isaiah 43:16-21. God Almighty spoke these words to the children of Israel through the Prophet Isaiah. The verses indicate the depth of God’s mercy in the face of Israel’s continuing unfaithfulness. Verse 18 literally commands us to forget the former things as God is doing something new right now. As saints, we’ve all been chastened by the Lord in the past and tend to sulk and not heed the new direction that our Heavenly Father is preparing for us. A failed business may make us reluctant to start a new one just as a failed marriage could cause us to close our hearts to new love. When God calls us to follow Him down a new path, we withdraw in panic and fear because we’re afraid of getting hurt again (Please understand saints that I’m not advising throwing caution to the wind).



Let’s go back to the narrative of the encounter between the Prophet Elijah and Queen Jezebel (1 Kings 19:1-18). The Prophet Elijah was full of the Holy Spirit and vanquished God’s enemies and the false prophets of Baal (1 Kings 19:1). This mighty man of God was rattled by the threat of a woman and ran from her for his dear life (1 Kings 19:3)! Exhausted, demoralized and dispirited the Prophet slept and had to be awakened by the Lord (1 Kings 19:9). The brave man of God now began to sulk and complain to the Lord as to why he was no longer fit for service (1 Kings 19:14). Ironically, the Prophet Elijah thought he was the only godly man left in all of Israel and had to be gently rebuked by the Lord for his impudence (1 Kings 19:18). What happened next is even more fascinating. The Lord commanded the Prophet to go back the way he came (1 Kings 19:15)! The Lord also empowered Elijah to overcome his doubts and fears.


Let’s look at another example. Acts 9:1-19 describes the conversion of Saul to the Apostle Paul. The brothers in Damascus, Syria had heard of Saul’s murderous ways and were deathly scared of him. Then the Lord spoke to Ananias in a vision (Acts 9:10-11) and instructed him to reach out to Saul in love and forgiveness. However, Ananias was reluctant because of Saul’s history and background and expressed his reservations to the Lord (Acts 9:13-14). What followed should be a stark reminder to all of us. The Lord rebukes Ananias sharply (”Go!”)…and sent him to Saul (Acts 9:15-16).




So you see friends the Lord is a God of new beginnings. Our past failures and mistakes shouldn’t prevent us from following the promptings of the Holy Spirit now. The Lord is doing something new. Before it springs up, he announces it to us. He is making a way in the desert. But it’s still up to us to step out in faith. What’s holding you back now friends? Do you feel that you can never succeed in that business, never find a new lover or spouse, or never get that college diploma or job? Then despair not for your Heavenly Father is encouraging you to shed the baggage from the past and move into a new dawn filled with new hope! Amen.


[FONT=&quot]Dear friends, I’m quite certain that all of you are sanctified, Holy Ghost baptized saints. Should there be any amongst you that don’t know the Lord yet, I pray that the Lord of the Universe will set you free from sin and disobedience into His glorious light and freedom. Amen.[/FONT]
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[FONT=&quot]Finally friends, my intention in this writing was only to illustrate some concepts and not incriminate anybody in anyway. I apologize if some or all of this content offended you in anyway, as my intention was quite the opposite.[/FONT]
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[FONT=&quot]PS: Thanks for taking the time to read my scribble saints. If you find a lot of similarities between this writing and those of Rev. Oswald Chambers, that’s because the late Rev. Chambers is my mentor. Dear friends, please forgive me if I don’t respond to your mails and debates. I’m a full time college professor and haven’t the time to debate (that and I’m not very good at it.) “..do not dwell on the past..….. (Isaiah 43:18)…” Amen.[/FONT]

 

[retlaw]

Thank you for the encouraging words. I am indeed deep in the woods of destruction due to my own failures but God allowed me to fall face down to open my eyes to what he needed me to see. Sometimes I just need a slap to the head and I surely got one. I am truly changed by the experience. I can't imagine ever going back even though I daily suffer the wrath of my sin. Not once in this have I felt alone. I smile knowing that no matter what, no matter when, God is with me and will never hold my mistakes against me, instead trading me righteousness for my failures through faith. I can't answer about tomorrow but I can answer for eternity. I can't control what others do but I can control what I do.

 

[mukk_in]

Amen brother. We aren't perfect, only forgiven. Life is mean, even when we are nice to others. Sometimes we could dot all the i's and cross all the t's and still end up on the losing side. Don't let that discourage you. I'd be blessed indeed to meet you in heaven.

Your brother in Christ,
Yagna Mukkamala.

 

[Bramwell]

It's good to keep encouraging each other, which is a significant element of Christian fellowship. (Hebrews 10:25) The more we encourage each other, the more courage we get to face the challenges which confront each of us along our spiritual journeys.

It's helpful to remember that, no matter what happens in life, God will always be there. It's a thought I had recently while sitting by a lake in the midst of some trying circumstances. Despite the turbulence of issues we may be facing, God is calm, peaceful, and consistent through it all. We just need to take the time to be still and know this. (Psalm 46:10)

 

[retlaw]

The hardest thing is to deal with something bad every day, to pray every day for help, and to have it still be there every day. My faith in the end game is not shaken. The word of God is settled in heaven and I will get through this, but I don't know how long I will remain in this place. May God strengthen me and help my patience and endurance.

 

[mukk_in]

My prayers with you brothers.

Yours in Christ,
Yagna Mukkamala.