“Behold, I am going to do something new, Now it will spring up; Will you not be aware of it? Isaiah 43:19

New Beginnings Require Breaking Old (Bad) Habits

Break with your past

“There were those who dwelt in darkness and in the shadow of death, prisoners in misery and chains, because they had rebelled against the words of God and spurned the counsel of the Most High.” Psalm 107: 10-11

Are the chains and prisons of your past holding you back or down? Why? For some it is a matter of strength of will, i.e., you refuse to admit you have problems or lack courage to break free and move forward.  Get on your knees and in the Word and you will find your way of escape as the Apostle Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 10:13.

“No temptation has overtaken you except something common to mankind; and God is faithful, so He will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it.” 1 Corinthians 10:13

For others, this is a harder, more serious challenge that can require professional help. My counsel is to find good professional, biblical counseling or medical help. Pride fights that. Humility jumps at the chance to receive help.

Redneck Wisdom: “If you always do what you always done, you’ll always git what you always got.”

Stop Looking Back

“Do not call to mind the former things or consider things of the past.” Isaiah 43:18

Jesus said to one who was considering following Him:  “Another also said, “I will follow You, Lord; but first permit me to say goodbye to those at my home.” But Jesus said to him, “No one, after putting his hand to the plow and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.”” Luke 9: 61-62

The Apostle Paul told us how he learned to live with all the beatings and persecution:  “Brothers and sisters, I do not regard myself as having taken hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Therefore, let those of us who are mature think this way;”  Philippians 3: 13-15a

Every new thing God has for you lies ahead of you—not behind!

FOUR Questions for those who want a new start:

1) Do you want what God has for you or what you want for yourself? Even many Christians want what they want and think they know what is best. Lost people absolutely do. Many have a hard time separating out needs from wants.

2) Do you know how to discover what it is? God is not hiding from you. He reveals Himself primarily in two ways. A third can come from others:

1. 1. 1. His Word (the Bible)
      2. Prayer (the Holy Spirit is our Guide)
      3. Unique ways that are never in conflict with the first two

Personally, I have learned or experienced another way: confirmation of others. I encourage you to look for confirmation from other Christians who are known to follow Christ closely and stay engaged with Him. Many will tell you what you want to hear like some prosperity preachers today.  Much of what they teach has zero foundation in the Bible, but it does “tickle ears” as the Apostle Paul warned.  And there are times the Holy Spirit wants us to trust Him alone. Discernment is the key to understanding which way to go.

3)  Are you willing to believe God and trust that He has your best in mind even when it does not look or feel like it?  This is the key to “success” as God defines it. Those who learn to do this and submit our agenda to His will find He reveals His plans like a scroll, not a map.

 4) Can God trust you with what He has for you?  This is all about stewardship—what you do with what God has already given you helps determine this answer.

Promises of God You Can Stand on in 2022

CONTEXT. CONTEXT. CONTEXT.  God is sovereign over all His creation and creatures. God is not a vending machine from which we pick and choose; neither is He an overly generous grandfather who loves to spoil His grands. Some things that people consider harsh, even cruel; God deems just what we need at times. Here are three promises you can stand on in 2022:

• But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. “The LORD is my portion,” says my soul, “therefore I will hope in him.” The LORD is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks Him. Lamentations 3: 21-25

• “For I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart. I will be found by you,’ declares the Lord…” Jeremiah 29: 11-14a

• “And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God to those who are called according to His purpose.” Romans 8: 28
  • This promise is to Christians.
  • The order of the wording is critical to its understanding and application. It does not say “all good things”. It reads God uses all things – good and bad – in our lives for our good and His purpose.  Very different from what some teach.

My final words on finding and receiving all that God has for you in 2022 are again those spoken by the Apostle Paul to encourage struggling Christians:

“We walk by faith, not by sight.” 2 Corinthians 5: 7

Finally in 2022, those born-again in Christ can stand firmly on Jesus’ promise near the end of His revelation to John, “Behold, I am making all things new.”  Revelation 21:5

For us it only gets better at the end of these days. The best is ahead.  Be courageous and as Him what He has new for you in ’22!

Closing Invitation. For those watching, listening, or reading who find yourselves in the same distant place from God you occupied last year, I have Good News that offers hope for you. Jesus Christ. He is your only hope for salvation, now and for eternity. Satan, demonic forces, or perhaps your own stubborn pride have kept you from falling to your knees to repent of your sins and ask Jesus’ for forgiveness and the salvation He alone offers.

No other person, god, or religion can do that. Jesus alone is God and all other religious leaders throughout human history are dead. Jesus died and rose from the grave for you and me – our sins.  He conquered death so that we will as well.  That is the greatest promise in His-story that you can receive. So I am praying that as I have been teaching this message, and you received it in whatever format, the Holy Spirit has wrought conviction in your heart to bow the knee and receive Jesus as Savior today.

For Christ’s sake,