“Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.” 3 John.1:2.
We wish you all a happy and prosperous New Year!

New things in the new creation:
“Therefore, if any man be in Messiah, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold all things are become new.” - 2Cor.5:17.
One more year has passed and we enter a new year-2015. As we reflect on what we have achieved the past year, let us also pause and consider how we have used the time that Elohim had given us, how much time we have spent on ourselves and how much for the Lord. This year, let’s do new things for the Lord, because He is going to ‘do a new thing’ for us (Isa.43:19).

A new aim-to please the Lord—. In everything that we do we should please Him, so that He may say, ‘well done’. Remember, Peter and the apostles were ordered by the high priest not to teach in His name (Acts.5:17-29). Peter said, ’we ought to obey Elohim rather than men’. Self should be the last thing on our minds when we are in this world. Our duty to Elohim should be our priority. 2Ti 2:15, ‘Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.’ To please Elohim we must live holy lives, we must ‘set your affection on things above’, because they that are in the flesh cannot please Elohim (Rom.8:8).

A new association-oneness with the Lord—1Co 6:17,’ But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit. This means that we are in Him and He is in us. He is the vine and we are the branches. Just as the branches absorb all the nutrients from the vine and bring fruit, we also absorb His nature. When we are baptized, the Holy Spirit dwells in us and we start to live holy lives. It is no longer I that live but Messiah liveth in me. The love of Messiah holds us together. In Gethsemane, Messiah also prayed for the same oneness,’ that they may be one even as we are one’. We, as believers together, should be fused by the love of Christ. We should be joined with the Lord in a permanent covenant (Jer.50:5), joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment (I Cor.1:10), because he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit (I Cor.6:17).

A new attitude-to live to Him— Jer.17: says that the heart is deceitful above all and desperately wicked. Our heart is not right before Elohim. We are like the Israelites in the wilderness, always self centered and going away from Elohim. In Ezek.11:19, the Lord says He will remove our stony heart and give us a heart of flesh that we may walk in His ways. If Christ died for us and was raised for us, we should live to His glory, and make Him our goal in all our actions and the whole course of our lives. To live to ourselves is to make self the ruler, and selfishness the motive of our existence. Therefore we must take off our self as our goal and make Him our goal.

A new activity-to walk by faith—From now on we walk in the newness of life. In the scriptures walk often means the way we live. Our life is a journey and we are pilgrims on earth, journeying to a heavenly place. Living by faith means we believe in things that are invisible. We live in expectation of things to come. Worldly minded people live for wealth, honor, splendor, praise, all things which this world can provide.  The Christian, however, believes in the reality of the glories of heaven. It is faith that controls us, not sight. We should, therefore, not walk in darkness but walk humbly, in the light of the Lord. ‘For the ways of the LORD are right, and the just shall walk in them: but the transgressors shall fall therein’ (Hos.14:9).

A new job—ambassadors to deliver the message of reconciliation--20 .Reconciliation is not in the sense of reconciliation between two people but reconciliation between man and Yahweh. We are now
ambassadors of Messiah, to preach and deliver the message of reconciliation of sinners with Messiah, to deliver the message of salvation. Paul was an ambassador for Messiah. An ambassador is one who represented the interests of his or her nation abroad. Paul was used by Elohim to administer the gospel behalf of Messiah. Messiah has already reconciled us to the Father when He was crucified. We as ambassadors of Messiah, have to proclaim what has been accomplished. Messiah has given us a new job-to preach the gospel (Matt.28:19-20).
Rom 10:13. ‘ For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!’

A new assurance-about the future.— The day of judgment is coming soon, it is at hand. Act 17:31 says  ‘He hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead’. He has given us the assurance of pardon of our sins, our heart is purified from all unrighteousness and of eternal life. We should be always eager to show how strong and lasting our hope really is. (Heb.6:11).

This year, let us therefore realize that as Yahweh is going to do a new thing for us, let us also do new things for Him.

You are free to use this material without charge for your edification. "Freely you have recieved, freely give". All we ask is that you mention that you have taken this from www.aoyhyd.org.

Maranatha Prayer Fellowship. # 311, Agarwal Chambers, King Koti, Hyderabad-500 001, A.P.India.
91-040-23241885; 8801463260. E-mail: rkbenhur@aoyhyd.org
Worship with us at Maranatha Prayer Fellowship, 63 Spl ‘C’, Old Malakpet, Hyderabad,500036, India.
Fridays: 6 pm-8 pm; Saturdays: 3 pm-5 pm.