Good Morning to my Nazarene Family,

I seem to start out every Monday by saying, "It was a great day in the Lord yesterday." The truth of the matter is, it really was a wonderful day! We had great attendance. 100 people in Sunday School is something to brag on God about. God just keeps blessing and blessing. We started our new membership class with 7 in attendance. We will probably take in around 30 new members this year. Praise the Lord!!! If you didn't get to hear my Sunday morning message, "5 THINGS IN HELL I WANT IN MY CHURCH." you can send a check for $3 made out to South Flint Nazarene, 4075 E. Atherton Rd., Burton, MI 48519 and we will mail a copy out to you. It is a message definitely given to me by God and you need to hear it.

I want to thank Pastor Sarah, our Youth Pastor for the wonderful message, "Waiting On God," that she shared on Sunday night. It was her first time to preach at South Flint and she did an excellent job. Different people told me how blessed they were to hear her preach. Thank you, Pastor Sarah.

For a thought this morning, let's talk about blind Bartimaeus. He was a blind beggar who lived in Jericho. When he heard that Jesus of Nazareth was coming his way, he began to shout and cry out, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me." The crowd tried to silence him, but he wouldn't hear of it. This was his one chance and opportunity for a miracle. When Jesus finally called to him, this is what the scripture says, "And he, casting away his garment, rose, and came to Jesus." In Biblical times, a person had to wear clothes that depicted their station in life. It was called the caste system. Bartimaeus was poor and was wearing beggar's clothes. He wasn't wearing a Roman soldier's beautiful uniform. He was dressed in smelly, dirty, poverty clothes. The Bible says, he cast away his garment. In other words, he started taking off his clothes even before he got to Jesus. His attitude was, "I'm taking off these poor people's clothes. I'm taking off these blind people's clothes. I'm taking off these nobody clothes, for I am about to meet the miracle man."

Now, for us this is a mental thing. We're going to have to take off what Satan has told us in our minds. Take off your poor clothes, your sick clothes, your failed marriage clothes, your failure clothes, your lonely clothes. Take off those old clothes and come to the One who will give you a new beginning. Then Jesus asked Bartimaeus what he wanted. Jesus could see the Bartimaeus was blind. Jesus knew what Bartimaeus wanted, but Bartimaeus had to open up his mouth and declare his deliverance. God is waiting for you to agree with His Word. He is waiting on you to open up your mouth and begin to say, "This will be my year of new beginning." When you confess that, you're going to have what Jesus said.

Jesus told Bartimaeus, "Go your way, your faith has made you whole," and immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus. When you get your new beginning, don't forget about God. When God blesses some folks, you don't see them in church anymore. But Bartimaeus didn't go his own way; he followed Jesus.

Now, blind Bartimaeus got a new beginning because he believed Jesus was his answer. He went from being blind to having his sight. He went from getting no respect to everybody beholding how God had blessed him. He went from wearing poor beggar clothes to saying, "Give me some new clothes, because I am not going to be poor any more." That's what you have to do, take off your old clothes because God is calling you to a new beginning.

That's the kind of God we serve, Church. God's got new clothes for us this morning. Throw off the old ones and come seek the One who gives out robes of righteousness. God's in the clothing business. Let's put on the new stuff this week.

Till next time, Pastor Don

P.S. Keep praying for Ruth Schultz who is in Hurley Hospital. I know she appreciates your prayers. Also, we have over 50 signed up for the trip to Detroit this coming Sunday night. Sister Vera Davis and her church family are excited about having us. God is going to give us a time of spiritual blessing that night. Our church bus and vans will leave the parking lot about 4:30pm.

CARTOON OF THE WEEK:

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