This year has begun with “Raising the Standard” how we have done things in the past isn’t how we are going to get them done in the new year. Are you willing to adopt God’s Principles to bring about a different outcome in your life. Join us this Wednesday @ 7:00pm at New Beginnings Church (431 N. Semoran Blvd. Orlando, FL 32807) or online http://www.nborlando.org to learn about these new principles.
During these summer summer months, New Beginnings Church has changed the Wednesday Service into Bible Study. We have discussed several topics including what is faith, what it means to be a new creation in Christ, and recently what it means to be in a covenant relationship with God. Today we began discussing forgiveness. Do you know if you have been forgiven by God? We began with the parable in Luke 7:36-50 where a sinful woman washes Jesus’s feet with her tears, her hair, and perfume. Jesus asks Simon who loves the moneylender more the one who has been for given for the bigger debt or the smaller debt and Simon replies the one with the bigger debt. He was right. Then Jesus says ” Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven — as her great love has shown. But whoever has been forgiven little loves little.” (Luke 7:47). This story was so moving because many of us have reached a point in our lives where we don’t want to live a certain life anymore. We want things to be different. We go to God. Do you know what God will say would confess your sins to him? Do you know what awesome gift Jesus has given us through is death? FORGIVENESS. Forgiveness of all your sins. God says that he forgives us of all our sins and will remember our sins no more. He forgives and forgets.
This series will have a lot about this topic and how to apply it to our everyday. This topic is for babes in Christ as well as mature believer. Don’t miss it next week Wednesday at 7:00pm. We respect everyone’s schedules and promise that you will be done by 8:00pm.
Draw me close to You
Never let me go
I lay it all down again
To hear You say that I’m your friend
You are my desire
No one else will do
Cause nothing else could take Your place
To feel the warmth of Your embrace
Help me find the way bring me back to YouYou’re all I want
You’re all I ever needed
You’re all want
Help me know You are near.
How badly do you want to get close to God? Are you willing to lay it all down before God and allow him to work in your life? Are you striving to develop that friendship with God? Sing these lyrics if you know this song. If you don’t know the song just speak these words. Search for the meaning in your heart.
The praise team led by Shydonna Tossie was truly anointed today. They sung songs today of worship and praise that had you questioning the closeness your relationship with God. Had many people in the congregation just praising and wanting to be closer. The spirit of God filled the sanctuary and you just knew that a soul was saved this day.
The message from Pastor Howard was powerful. How many times do we look to God and say “Why Not Me?” How many times do we look at the lives of others and wished for what they have. Then you turn around to ask God why you don’t have those same things. Before the points are broken down, there are some things we need to understand in order to be able to address this question of Why Not Me?
Firstly, we have to understand that when we ask God answers first in the spiritual realm. As believers we operate in both the spiritual and the natural realm. After it is done in the spiritual realm then it manifests itself in the natural realm. So it takes a little time sometimes.
Secondly, Jesus came to establish the kingdom of heaven on earth that was lost back in the Garden. He called all of us to repent. To repent is to change your mind and adopt the kingdom mindset. You recognize it’s a privilege to serve the kingdom. Once you become saved you become a citizen in God’s kingdom, but that’s not just enough. We have to adopt the mindset of the kingdom as we strive towards righteousness. Righteousness is when you are in right standing with God guided by the Holy Spirit.
Thirdly, Pastor began giving the example of when a person dies there are people who are able to communicate what that person’s will, in other words, their mind and hearts desire. What they wanted to do with the house, who gets the care, etc. When a lawyer comes into the mix the lawyer will ask for what is call the will and testament. The testament is that persons will on paper. It’s a legal binding document. God’s will and testament is the bible. The will being God’s mind and hearts desires. The testament being the Old and New Testament is his will on paper. God is bound by his word. He can’t help you unless you back to his will and testament.
Fourthly, Pastor Howard speaks of your garden. Everything you say and do is planted in your garden as seed whether good or bad. You determine what stays planted in your garden and what gets uprooted. He told a story of him visiting a woman who lived in the projects and one day looked out the window and saw a garden with tomatoes, and other vegetables. In the projects! The environment makes no difference to a believer. All you have to do is open your mouth and speak to that situation. Speak and watch your garden flourish.
Fifthly, there are doors in our lives. Some doors are blessings from God and some doors are things that we have never been able to work through. They are left open and you can’t understand why when you are standing in your blessing, things aren’t going right. It’s not going right because we have left those doors open. You can’t walk through a door of your blessing without closing that other door first. It won’t go the way that it should. As long as those doors remain open the devil has an area that he can tempt you in. You are angry about your childhood, things that happened to you and you don’t deal with it. Now you are in a wonderful relationship and you keep snapping at your mate, having uncontrollable rages. You don’t understand why. It’s because you never dealt with what happened to you. Learn how to close those doors and keep them close because they can swing right back open.
This now leads us to the three points of Why Not Me? The first point was the only one addressed this week and here it is:
Point #1 : If you’re not willing to work, that’s Why Not You!
Mathew 25:24-30 (NIV)
Then the man who had received one bag of gold came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed. So I was afraid and went out and hid your gold in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.’
“His master replied, ‘You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed? 27Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest.
“‘So take the bag of gold from him and give it to the one who has ten bags. For whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them. And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’
God has given us talents. The few that we have is truly a whole lot. Whatever you have you have to work it…it’s the kingdom concept. Faith without works is dead.
The next two points are coming next week. The best place for you to be to receive that word is at New Beginnings Church either during the 10am or 12 noon service. Where you can feel the anointing of the praise team and God’w word through Pastor Howard Harrison.
The praise team today was outstanding. Led by LaRue Howard the atmosphere was so charged. In the second service Chasing After You brought about a shift that everyone could feel in their soul. LaRue took a moment to mention Matthew 7:9-11
Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him! (NIV)
Think about it, if an evil man will give their child what they ask what will God do for you? If you would ask more of Him, to be closer to Him…He will give you everything else. In singing this verse, you understand what she is saying:
“I’m chasing after You,
No matter what I have to do
Cause I need you more and more”
Praise the Lord through your situation, through all of your mess and you will get closer to God so he can fix everything.
This anointing carried over into the Baby Dedication. At New Beginnings, Baptism are for people old enough to understand the decision that they are making in choosing to be renewed in Christ. As a child, he or she doesn’t understand, but what we can do is dedicate our kids to God. Pray that a hedge of protection will stay with them all the days of their life. Pray that the child’s parents, god parents, grandparents and church family will help to raise that child in the way they should go so that when that child is of age he or she will not stray from it. Pastor Shauna gave a prayer that resonated through the sanctuary.
With the atmosphere charged, Pastor Howard came in with a sermon that had people shouting in agreement. To do it justice we need to recap from Part 1. He began with a narrative about Durk Nowitski of the Dallas Mavericks during the NBA Finals. Durk after every game went straight into the locker room. When people were celebrating he wouldn’t do it he remained focused on his vision to finally get that ring. Proverbs 29:18:
Where there is no vision,
the people perish:
but he that keepeth the law,
happy is he. (KJV)If people can’t see what God is doing,
they stumble all over themselves;
But when they attend to what he reveals,
they are most blessed. (MSG)
Vision drives those that are hungry. Vision determines how hard you run and practice determines how much they understand the vision before them. Matthew 21:10-17 tells us how Jesus entered the temple courts of Jerusalem and drove the people out who were buying and selling there, saying:
“It is written, My house will be called a house of prayer, but you are making it a den of robbers”
Point #1: Have to Drive it Out
God had a vision for his house. There are some things you have to clean out of your life so that you stay focused on your vision. There are people, TV shows, and music in your life that put negative things on you to pull you away from your vision.
Mark 5:35-36
While Jesus was still speaking, some people came from the house of Jairus, the synagogue leader. “Your daughter is dead,” they said. “Why bother the teacher anymore?”
Overhearing what they said, Jesus told him, ” Don’t be afraid; just believe”
Point #2: Find what God is Saying is saying about you
If you know this story, you know that Jairus received a vision that Jesus was going to cure his daughter and he went to find Jesus. After Jesus decides to come with him a woman comes along and touches Jesus’s robe to be cured and slows Jesus down from getting to his daughter on time.
There are times when we have to get desperate for our situation and for the things of God. Jairus searched out to find Jesus. There are times when the process is impeded but we have to remember the vision. The woman touching Jesus’ robe. Then there are times when you have to ignore what people are saying and what people are speaking to your situation. At these times we may lose sight of the vision God has given us, don’t let it happen. Jesus kept to the vision and told Jairus ” Don’t be afraid; Just believe.”
We have to stay hungry by feeding off our vision. How do we do that? Write it down. When the enemy tries to bring you down and stop you from seeking your vision you can go back to read and feed off your vision.
When we were children our parents would say that we couldn’t eat junk before dinner because it would spoil our appetite. We can’t eat what isn’t good for us right now because it will kill the appetite for the good things God has foy you. If you do you will no longer hunger for the things of God and will settle for anything. You forget about the calling on your life.
What is the enemy having you settle for?
Point#3: Speak Life to your situation
It is written that you are the head and not the tail…above not beneath. When the devil comes in and tries to steal your vision remember the word of God, read your vision and never put yourself in a position of doubt.
When Jesus heard their words he came back with his words (Mark 5:35-36). When people try to put you in a position of doubt you have to open up your mouth and speak life into the situation. Change the atmosphere.
Hebrews 12:1:
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us (NIV)
Children crying because they always hear their parents arguing…Open your mouth…Women in relationships that don’t seem to be going anywhere…Open your mouth. Pray and speak life.
Part 2. Vision keeps you hungry and thirsty. Vision has a tendency to grow faster in adversity. It attracts opposition which in turn fuels the vision. A vision from God will even outlive death. If you look at the vision of Gandhi and that of Martin Luther King, they are still going on today. Never tolerate those who oppose your vision. Even though your vision protects itself, you have to also protect yourself so that won’t stifle your vision.
Some definitions to understand:
Vision is a daydream inspired by God and planted in your heart.
Inspire is to fill something with your own resources and expect something in return
Bible is the inspired word of God
God has given you a word, a vision, and is looking for a return on his word.
Isaiah 55:11
so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it
Inspiration means to breath into.
When you blow into a balloon it is inspiration and it is filled with whatever is in you and when you suck the air out it is expiration.
When someone is speaking into you you they are filling you with all that’s in them. So if you have nasty people around you, you will be filled with nasty. You will be full of what you are connected to.
Just like people we are connected to, those who are connected to God are filled with what God breaths into us.
Whatever you blow into the balloon determines the shape of the balloon but when that balloon is squeezed the atmosphere will be affected by what comes out of that balloon. When you are squeezed what is coming out of you? When the pressures of this world squeeze on you, what will come out of you?
If you are a worshipper we hope that when you are squeezed praises will come out of you like never before. If you are filled with giving we pray that the pressures of the world bring for giving likes of which we have never seen.
How do you stay hungry for the righteousness of God? By keeping your vision.
Now if you hold on to the earthly perspective you would ask how do you stay hungry if you eat something, aren’t you satisfied once you eat? So how do you stay hungry? If you look at the spiritual perspective when you feed of a vision you get a glimpse of the greatness God has for you and you want more. The more you feed off of your vision the hungrier and thirsty you get. You stay hungry and thirsty for the things of the Lord.
If you don’t you’ll find yourself in situations of panic and doubt.
Are you still hungry?
How many can relate to the teaches of this sermon? How many of you receive visions from God and allow people and circumstance to hinder you from seeking your vision? God wants you to succeed in achieving your vision. He wants you to succeed. He wants you hungry for him and his word. That is the only way you will receive blessing beyond anything you could ever imagine. Give God a chance to show off in your life. Bring to him all your problems, your hurts, your junk and watch him turn it around.
There is such an anointing in New Beginnings. You don’t want to miss out on the word God is giving you through Pastor Howard and through the people who come into the house of the Lord to share His word. Don’t miss the next service…Next Sunday at 10am & 12pm.
There is nothing like it, women coming together in the presence of God. No one can charge the atmosphere like the New Beginnings’ Women of God.
The santuary was truly anointed with God’s presence through the praises and prayers of these women. The prayer wrapped up with a scripture Romans 8:12-13:
Therefore, brothers and sisters, we have an obligation — but it is not to the flesh, to live according to it. For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body you will live. (NIV)
Another translation for Romans 8:12 reads:
So, brothers and sisters, we have no obligation to live the way our corrupt nature wants us to live. (GWT)
To say that because we were born a certain way with wants and desires of our natural sinful self doesn’t mean that we are to succumb to those desires. It doesn’t mean that it is the way we should be. Get into the word and learn what God says we should be like. JUST SAY NO!
At the breakfast, before praying over the meal, the women rallied for three Hallelujahs that set off the blessed women of God into a prayer that charged the atmosphere of the fellowship hall. The women carried the anointing and prayer into another area, making it as awesome as it was in the sanctuary. A woman, by the name of Cena Soloman gave a testimony that brought women to tears. She showed the awesome power of true forgiveness in the midst of some of the greatest hurt a lot of women know about. She let us know that no matter what situations we find ourself, stay in it and pray because God will deliver you from it.
New Beginnings Women’s Ministry, Girlfriend 2 Girlfriend has this event every 3rd Saturday of every month. This event supports women in their businesses, their life, and their walk with God. If I were you I wouldn’t miss the next one.
Understanding the Satanic Trap of “The Offense”
nborlando.org
Proverbs 18:19 (KJV)
A brother offended is harder to be won than a strong city: and their contentions are like he bars of a castle.
Definition – Trap – a strategy or an instrument designed to ensnare and victimize the unsuspecting!
Definition – Offense – a perceived violation or attack of wrongdoing, which causes hurt, anger, bitterness and resentment!
If you are ignorant about offenses then you are a prime target for the devil to trap you. Offenses will increase in the last days: Matthew 24: 10
Jesus talks about in the last days offenses will run rampant in the body of Christ.
A lot of people are offended at their mates.
Offense comes to those who are not grounded in the word
Mark 4:16-17
Offense does not escape the judgmental radar of God. Remember if a person intentionally harm you that God is your vindicator! Matthew 18:6-7
Offense torments; it torments its carrier.
If you don’t forgive the bible says in Matthew 18 in the parable that you are turned over to the tormentor. Hebrews 12:14-15
Four kinds of relationships that occur after offense takes place
*Mousetrap Illustration – the spring is the most important part of the trap. The spring holds the victim in place until all the life is chocked out of it! Proverbs 16:18
The string on the trap of offense is personal pride:
When the seven basic emotional needs are violated, transgressed or threatened the opportunity for offense is present!
The seven basic emotional needs include:
Your response to offensive situations is critical to your future. The situation will be either a stepping-stone or a tombstone!
Daily we must reaffirm that pleasing God is the object of our affection
We must know that the flesh must be denied, Romans 8:12-13
*Remember, flesh left unchecked will always take you back to what you were delivered from!
The Vaccine against offense is spiritual maturity. Four things we must learn:
Isaiah 54:17, Five traits to inherent:
The antidote for offense is forgiveness and repentance
Whenever an offense takes place and is internalized there is a sense of payback needed to rectify the hurt! Forgiveness cancels that outstanding debt!!
Lesson Taught by Pastor Howard | Summarization by Tarmale Daniel
Come out for Wednesdays in the word at New Beginnings Church every Wednesday at 7pm .
NBORLANDO MEDIA 