2014: Year of New Beginnings

Pastor Mary Mugo

2 Kings 8:5-6

Now it happened, as he was telling the king how he had restored the dead to life, that there was the woman whose son he had restored to life, appealing to the king for her house and for her land. And Gehazi said, “My lord, O king, this is the woman, and this is her son whom Elisha restored to life.” ⁶ And when the king asked the woman, she told him.

The woman, upon coming back, found that God had sent an emissary before her, who was telling the king about her. God, her Defender, had gone before her, and was giving her a new beginning, thus redefining her life. It had all started with obedience, when she obeyed the servant of the Lord and went away to the foreign land.

The Lord is doing a new thing, in the year we are getting in. God is sending an emissary before us to speak for us, as He is our Defender and the One who fights for us. God is giving us a new beginning, this New Year 2014.

In this year there will be a rekindled hope. There is going to be hope in the country, and I pray that it starts with us. If you had lost hope in ministry, relationships, work etc., hope again. It does not matter what was said about your name that seemed like it was lost; hope again, as God is giving you a new name.

In the entire year, we will not reach a level of losing hope or hopelessness. The Lord wants us to wake up to a new hope, this year.

In this year there will be a renewal of the mind.

Romans 12:2

And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

We are not going to think as we used to. In the New Year we are in, God is making us walk with the mind of Christ reigning in us. It’s not just the papers that we have acquired in school; it’s the mind of Christ that we will walk with.

In this year of new beginnings, God is giving us new relationships, new networks. God gave the woman a renewed relationship with Gehazi, whom she had stayed for 7 years without seeing. She got a restored and renewed relationship, a fruitful relationship. In 2014, we will get fruitful relationships. We will experience the love of the Father like never before. There will be such a reconnection with the Father, enjoying being lovers of God and being loved of God. Once we were off and outside, but now we are in a relationship with our God.

In the year 2014, we will have refocused lives, never returning to the famine land.

In the year 2014, there will be a renewed desire to follow the Good Shepherd. There will be clear direction from the voice of the Shepherd, and won’t follow the voice of strangers.

John 10:14, 27

I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep, and am known by My own.

My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.

We will have such a desire to hear the voice of the Shepherd and to follow it. Foreign voices shall be there, but in 2014 we will desire to follow the voice of the Shepherd. The days of drama in the churches because of following foreign voices are gone. Getting in love with the word of God will help us to ensure that we are following the Good Shepherd, obeying His voice. Keep the focus to where we are going.

We will not find ourselves doing what everyone else out there is doing. It’s a year where the Good Shepherd is giving us refocused lives, of knowing His voice and following it.

In the New Year, there will be a new name in our lives. It does not matter what name you had, that used to shame you. Just like the prodigal son received a new name after coming back home, we will receive a new name.

Isaiah 54:1

“Sing, O barren, you who have not borne! Break forth into singing, and cry aloud, you who have not labored with child! For more are the children of the desolate than the children of the married woman,” says the Lord.

Psalm 1:1-3

Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful; ² But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night. ³ He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf also shall not wither; and whatever he does shall prosper.

When it comes to worship, ministry, workplace, business, home, relatives, there will be fruitfulness. In the year 2014, open your eyes and see fruitfulness.

In this year, obedience is what God is demanding from us. Do not argue with God in this year 2014. In obedience we will eat the good of the land (Isaiah 1:19). God wants that obedience to set us to a higher height (Deuteronomy 28:1). I’m sure everyone knew about the Shunammite woman, having been set above, as a result of obedience.

Disobedience this year is going to cost someone so much. Disobedience will be too costly to bear. Disobedience from what God is leading will in this country and our lives cost lives. Whether it is death in business etc., it will be brought about by obedience. When we choose to obey, we will be on the path of life. Whatever it will cost you to stay in tune with God, is worth it.

Pastor Kaugi Karani

Isaiah 43:18-19

Do not remember the former things, nor consider the things of old, ¹⁹ Behold, I will do a new thing, now it shall spring forth; I will even make a road in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.

As we get in to the new dispensation and new things God has prepared for us, the word of God is challenging us not to dwell in the former things, in the things of past. The things of the past will not help us. The anointing of the past will not help us; we need a new anointing to move forward.

Let us not be chained to the things of 2013, as we move on to the year 2014. Forget the hurts, the pains, promises of men etc. of 2013. To behold what God is doing, we must let go of the things of the past.

It is not about the time to come, it is about NOW. The Lord has a lot in store for us, but we have to see it and receive it NOW. God is doing something new, for you as a person, family unit, and church. Let’s trust God, and keep looking up to Him.

Pastor Jim Mugo

As we enter this year, we need to constantly remember that there is no recession in heaven; you can dare to dream. You can think big, you can pray. God is calling us to trust Him.

Psalm 115:1-2 (AMP)

Not to us, O Lord, not to us but to Your name give glory, for Your mercy and loving-kindness and for the sake of Your truth and faithfulness! ² Why should the nations say, Where is now their God?

In a situation where recession is common, it may seem like Christians are not where they seem to be. We may not have been at our optimum. When we are talking about a new beginning, and God is calling us to enter in, we need to trust Him.

Verse 9 (AMP)

O Israel, trust and take refuge in the Lord! [Lean on, rely on, and be confident in Him!] He is their Help and their Shield.

We need to lean on God, no matter what is happening. Our confidence needs to be in Him, and in that way we will run through the year.

The wind will be blowing, telling us bad news. Teach yourself to lean, rely and have confidence in God. That way this year we will be more than conquerors. When you trust in God, you will enter the new beginning.

Verse 12-14

The Lord has been mindful of us; He will bless us; He will bless the house of Israel; He will bless the house of Aaron. ¹³ He will bless those who fear the LORD, both small and great. ¹⁴ May the LORD give you increase more and more, you and your children.

We need to trust in God, and as we do so He will increase us, day by day.

Brother Sam Gitonga

It is hard to trust in a God you do not know. This year, God is calling us to a deeper knowledge of Him.

Isaiah 43:7, 10

Everyone who is called by My name, whom I have created for My glory; I have formed him, yes, I have made him.”

“You are My witnesses,” says the Lord, “and My servant whom I have chosen, that you may know and believe Me, and understand that I am He. Before Me there was no God formed, nor shall there be after Me.

This is a year that we all recognized the reason why God chose and called us, and lived to honor the calling. God created us for His glory, and chose us so that we may know and believe Him, and thus be His witnesses. We need to witness about our God more than ever before, and we cannot do this if we do not believe Him, if we do not know Him.

Everything that’s made is made with a purpose, and if it’s not used for the purpose we say it’s being misused. Our sole purpose is to glorify God, and He saved us through His Son so that we may be reconnected with our purpose, and thus glorify Him as His witnesses who know and believe Him. This year we are being called back to our purpose, and it all starts with knowing our God.

When we know our God, we will align ourselves to what He is doing, a new thing. By knowing our God, we will allow ourselves to be a part of the new thing that God is doing, and see it done in our lives.

Isaiah 43:18-21

“Do not remember the former things, nor consider the things of old. ¹⁹ Behold, I will do a new thing,
now it shall spring forth; shall you not know it? I will even make a road in the wilderness
and rivers in the desert. ²⁰ The beast of the field will honor Me, the jackals and the ostriches, because I give waters in the wilderness and rivers in the desert, to give drink to My people, My chosen. ²¹ This people I have formed for Myself; they shall declare My praise.  

This is the year of knowing our God, and thus declaring His praises.

Daniel 11:32

Those who do wickedly against the covenant he shall corrupt with flattery; but the people who know their God shall be strong, and carry out great exploits.

This is the year of carrying out great exploits, and being strong. The word of God is God Himself. The more we interact with the word of God this year, the stronger He will make us, and enable us to carry out great exploits. Desire to know God more this year, and make it your goal to be a great witness to Him.

Brother Dominique Mwata

2 Chronicles 12:14

And he (Jeroboam) did evil, because he did not prepare his heart to seek the Lord.

The Bible states that God saw the failure of Jeroboam to prepare His heart to seek the Lord as evil or sin. We should avoid getting in the same trap He did.

This year need to prepare our hearts, to receive from God, since He has so much for us as His children. The Lord is doing a new thing, but we have a part to play as His children, which is in preparing our hearts.

Preparation of our hearts involves walking in holiness and righteousness, which causes our hearts to be in the same frequency with God.

Prepare your heart for what God is about to do.

Amen. 

31/12/13 Kesha service messages. 

Pastor Mary Mugo is the Senior Pastor at Teaching Transformation Ministry.

Pastor Kaugi Karani is a pastor at Teaching Transformation Ministry, Nairobi. 

Pastor Jim Mugo is the pastor of Teaching Transformation Ministry, Joska. 

Brother Sam Gitonga is the youth leader of Teaching Transformation Ministry, Nairobi. 

Brother Dominique Mwata is a zealous member of Teaching Transformation Ministry, Nairobi.  

We are located along the Thika-Ruai Flyover Junction (at the Thika Rd./ Bypass intersection), Next to Eastgate Restaurant.