new beginnings - revival · now is the time. we are now in a new day, a new phase of god’s plan,...

HOPEREVIVAL M IN ISTRIES

New

by Pastor Steven L. Shelley

NEW BEGINNINGS

“Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.” Hebrews 13:8

New Hope Revival Ministries Pastor Steven L. Shelley

The vision and purpose of this ministry is to help the Bride step into her

destiny, her calling and commissioning for this generation, to come into

the fullness of Christ and receive revelation to line up with heaven’s

purposes, so we can bring in the harvest of the ages.

Now is the time. We are now in a new day, a new phase of God’s plan,

the most important cycle for the End-Time, to move into the mystery of

God’s last secret.

William Branham was a forerunner, whose ministry launched a most

significant outpouring of revival beginning in May of 1946. Not only

did he bring clarity to great Bible doctrines, but more than anything he

stressed the importance of the Bride becoming just like Jesus, coming

forth in perfect love.

He clearly linked Israel’s destiny with the Bride of Christ, and also her

preparation to become rapture ready.

The vision and mandate of this ministry is to help prepare the Bride. To

awaken this generation, and warn her not to make the same mistakes of

the previous generation, but to have eyes to see and ears to hear.

Preface

In this book, we desire to share with you the messages of hope and

deliverance preached to us by our pastor, Brother Steven L. Shelley, un-

der the inspiration of the Holy Ghost, on August 6, 2000, at Eagles’ Ref-

uge Campground in Smiths, Alabama.

May the Anointing of the Lord be with you as you feast on these won-

derful truths. May He accomplish in your life what we all desire, a new

beginning from the Lord. May God richly bless you as you read. We will

be praying for you.

1 | Ó 2016 New Hope Revival Ministries. All Rights Reserved | Revival.org

New Beginnings Pastor Steven Shelley · New Hope Revival Ministries

So many times when we hear the word new, “God’s going to do some-

thing new, we need something new, or we’re longing for something

new,” people just kind of cringe because they’re not expecting God to

do anything that He hasn’t already done.

But I want to show you that God is not a God of the Old. He is a God of

the New. I want you to know He is not stale. He is not out of date. He

is not out of fashion. But He is current. He’s the same yesterday, today

and forever, and He knows exactly what we each need.

We don’t have to stay as we are. If we’ll just open up our heart and our

spirit, the anointed Word of God will speak to us. I believe change is

coming for those who are ready to receive change from the Lord.

New Beginnings. I want to read something that’s kind of strange for that

text, but the Lord put it on my heart.

Numbers chapter 16 and verse 23:


And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto the congrega-

tion, saying, Get you up from about the tabernacle of Korah, Dathan,

and Abiram.

And Moses rose up and went unto Dathan and Abiram; and the elders

of Israel followed him.

And he spake unto the congregation, saying, Depart, I pray you, from

the tents of these wicked men, and touch nothing of theirs, lest ye be

consumed in all their sins.

So they gat up from the tabernacle of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram,

on every side: and Dathan and Abiram came out, and stood in the

door of their tents, and their wives, and their sons, and their little

children.

And Moses said, Hereby ye shall know that the LORD hath sent me

to do all these works; for I have not done them of mine own mind. If

these men die the common death of all men, or if they be visited after

the visitation of all men; then the LORD hath not sent me.

But if the LORD make a new thing, and the earth open her mouth,

and swallow them up, with all that appertain unto them, and they go

down quick into the pit; then ye shall understand that these men have

provoked the LORD. (Numbers 16:23-30)


We’ve said it so many times, but I believe it would bear repeating. “If

you always do what you’ve always done, you’ll always be what you’ve

always been.” Do you believe that?

I believe that’s more than an old saying. I believe that’s revelation. I

believe the Lord wants you to know if you’re not happy with what you

are, then you’ve got to do something other than what you’re doing right

now. If you’re not happy with your walk with Jesus Christ, then instead

of just sitting on the chair, waiting on the Lord to do something for you,

then you need to change something that you’re doing and see if maybe

the Lord would draw you closer to Him.

If you’re not happy with your prayer life, you’ve got a choice. You can

sit and wait, believing that the Lord will burden you, believing that the

Lord will drive you with a whip to prayer. Or you can set aside some

more time right now. You can make up your mind, “I’m not happy with

my prayer life and I’m going to do something about it. I’m not happy

with my relationship with Jesus Christ, and I’m going to do something

about it.”

The way to bring about a change in your life is to change yourself.

I know that there are some things that I cannot change about myself. I

know there are some things that you’ll never be able to change about


yourself. It’s going to take the Lord to change some of those things in

me, and some of those things in you.

But I believe there is one way to provoke the Lord, and to cause the

Lord, to quicken Him to do something for me, to change that which is

within me that I cannot change myself. I believe there is a way to cause

His hand to move in my direction. That is to set about to change every-

thing in me that I’ve got control over.

There are some things that you and I have control over in our own lives.

And those things, we need to do something about while we’re waiting

on the Lord to change the rest.

I hear people all the time approaching with different ideas of what it’s

going to take, but it’s a whole lot simpler than we realize. Every man,

woman, boy or girl needs to put their shoulder under the burden of the

Lord, and allow the greater Master of Eternity, the Schoolmaster of the

Word, to slip the harness of the Lord about your shoulder, so that you

would not be a horse that moves in his own mind and in his own will.

If you’d be a submissive horse and let the Lord Himself put that yoke

upon your shoulder, that bit in your mouth, and let Him harness you in

to obedience, He could turn you with every whim, with every change

of His will, with every desire that the Lord has for you. He would be

able to move you, and to cause you to go, and to cause you to stop.


The horse learns the commands, what “Whoa” means and what “Giddy-

up” means. He knows when to go and when to stop.

I don’t know about you, but I’ve made myself sick with my own will.

I’ve made myself sick with my own solutions. I’ve made myself sick with

my own ideas. What I desire is a new beginning in the Spirit of the Lord.

Not my ideas, not my solutions, not my way out, but His way, His solu-

tion, His idea, His mind, His will. That’s what we desire.

So if we’re not satisfied with something that we have, then we need to

do something about it. Instead of waiting on the Lord to change our

circumstances, we need to change as many of our circumstances as we

have power to change, and believe our faithful Father to change the

rest.

My wife and I were in Atlanta recently attending a convention at the

Weston Hotel, in the Peachtree Plaza in Atlanta. When we got settled in

our room, there came a flood. I believe God speaks in all kinds of things.

The plumbing of the hotel began to give way, and water began to flood

out of the bathroom, under the bed, and out into the hall. I said, ‘Honey,

we’re walking in a flood.” Oh, my.

They gave us another room.

The meeting that evening was one of the most wonderful experiences of

my life, one of the most beautiful things that I’ve ever seen. A brother


had a little pageant that the Lord had given him, of praise and worship

to God. And although I wasn’t raised in that kind of atmosphere, and I’d

never seen things happen quite that way, it was one of the most beauti-

ful things that I’ve ever seen.

There was lovely praise and worship music playing, and beautiful ban-

ners were brought in. They had a such a beautiful banner that had Jesus

on it. Then someone had made a banner of the Bride, with a veil in the

front, and a train in the back.

You may think I’m crazy for enjoying it, but it’s like someone said. “We

were not raised with any kind of pageantry or demonstration of praise,

but when God sent us to live in Israel, our appreciation for pageantry

came to life, because the Jewish people love to make a pageant.

When they praised God, they do it with all of their heart. They do it

with dancing; they do it with beautiful colors; they do it with banners.”

When God revealed His plan in the Old Testament. He spoke to the tribe

of Judah and said, “I want you to be the praisers. You let all the other

tribes take up their weapons, but I want you to take up instruments. I

want you to be the praise band. And when it’s time to go to war, let

everybody else take their weapons and their swords, but I want you to

take your harps and your trumpets, and I want you to sing a song of

praise unto the Lord.”


Can you imagine what the Philistines thought, hiding over there on the

side of the battlefield, ready to make a massacre of the Israeli people?

They were crouched down, just waiting on the Jews to fire the first

slingshot or throw the first arrow, and all of a sudden here came a little

band of dancing, praising, shouting Jews, singing praises to Jehovah.

I believe there’s a battle that’s won in the Spirit when we lift our hearts

in praising and worshiping the Lord. I don’t know if you realize it or

not, but He is worthy to be praised. He’s worthy of your clap. He’s wor-

thy of lifting your hand. He’s worthy of your shouting. Hallelujah. He’s

worthy of your dancing. He’s worthy of your jumping. He’s worthy of

your running. Whatever you do to praise Him, praise Him with all of

your might!

It was a most glorious thing when they brought that banner that repre-

sented Jesus to the front. Men, representing the elders, came walking

down the aisles with pillows, and on those pillows were beautiful golden

crowns. When they got to the front, they laid their golden crowns down

before the Lord.

For a few moments I thought I was in heaven. Then I looked around,

and men dressed liked priests brought the Ark of the Covenant down

the aisle.


When that praise music and worship and Anointing were flowing, four

brothers came in with a Chuppah that stretched from one aisle of the

middle section all the way to the other. I was so glad I was sitting in the

middle that night; it passed right over our heads.

But to me, one of the most beautiful parts of that little presentation was

that after they brought the banner of Jesus down the aisle, they brought

the banner of the Bride. You ought to have seen that. Somebody was

carrying the banner representing the Bride. And a little woman came

behind, holding the train that came from the banner. Oh, it was a sym-

bol to me of something that’s going to take place.

They brought the banner of Jesus and the banner of the Bride down to

the front, and they just crossed in the front of that auditorium, and I’d

say several thousand people began to worship and shout out to God.

Then they brought those two banners together face to face, and they

just touched them together. I thought about the wedding day, the time

that the Bride and the Bridegroom are going to embrace. Do you believe

you’re the Bride of Christ? I know I am, and I’m looking forward to that

day that I see Him face to face.

You know, there wasn’t any criticism in my heart for all of the pageantry

that was going on, because you see, I’ve been to Heaven.


One night, I was sitting on the platform and I was caught away in the

Spirit, and had a vision of the River. I crossed over into the River and

stood on the shore going into the city. There I saw those angels dancing

in a way that I’ve never seen dancing before, and they were waving

banners and jumping, and shouting, and playing the most wonderful

music. They unfurled a beautiful welcome banner.

I’m looking forward to the day that I step across to that other shore and

the angels unveil their banner that says, “Welcome Home.” That city’s

mine. Hallelujah. It was made for me, and I’m closer there than I’ve ever

been before.

In the middle of that presentation, a brother spoke and said, “God is

going to give new beginnings.”

I looked at my wife and said, “Oh, hallelujah. New beginnings.”

Then we had the opportunity to hear just a little bit of Mr. Bush’s ad-

dress to the Republican National Convention. He said something that

perked up my ears. He said, “What we need is a new beginning.”

Oh, hallelujah. I said, “Praise God, Brother Bush. That’s the truth,

Brother, if I ever heard it.” What we need is a new beginning, and that’s

what the Lord has promised us. Confirmation.


Then the next day my wife and I and the baby went into Columbus to a

little deli where we like to have a sandwich. A little lady that we know

owns the little deli. We went in and sat down, and ordered our sandwich

and started eating. And I looked up toward the door, and hanging on

the wall was a chalkboard. Someone had written on that chalkboard,

“Today is the day of a new beginning.”

Oh, hallelujah.

I said, “New beginnings are following me everywhere I go.” Praise be to

God. And I’m not just using it as a bunch of huff and puff. I believe that’s

exactly what God’s going to do. We’ve made a mess of the first try. We

might have made a mess of the second try, but let’s go back to Calvary

and let a little of that Blood fall on us. Back to Calvary.

The Spirit revealed a unity that comes in the symphony. There is some-

thing about musicians when they get anointed.

I believe there’s an anointing for all musicians; no matter what kind of

music they play, there is an inspiration that comes with music. Even

those people who play pop and rock and some of that get under an

anointing and inspiration, or whatever word you want to use to describe

it, and they really get carried away in their music.

When you’re playing, if you’re not careful, you’ll forget about blending.

You’ll forget about the piece that’s before you and you’ll get carried


away over here with your own “toot, toot”. You’ll make a solo where

there is no solo. You’ll make a crescendo where there is no crescendo.

You’ll put a rest where there is no rest. You’ll rearrange things, caught

up in the inspiration of your own ability, and you’ll forget that setting

before us there is a divine piece of sheet music.

This is not a spontaneous symphony. No, but it’s a symphony that’s al-

ready been designed by God the Father. It’s already in place. His Word

is already written. His mind is already revealed. His will is already

brought down to man.

So what we’re looking for is not our own tune. It’s not spontaneous mu-

sic that we’re looking for in the symphony. But we’re looking for people

who are willing to submit to the order that God has already divinely

instituted.

God has been dealing with me in my spirit that the answer to every

situation is in His Word. And until His people fall in love again with His

Word and use it as a guidebook, an attitude adjuster, and an absolute,

then all the rest is just fluff. It’s just a puff of air. It’s just a tinkling brass

or a sounding cymbal, or an uncertain trumpet, if it doesn’t come back

and line up with this absolute Word of God.

The Spirit of the Lord dealt with us on raising our expectations from the

Lord. And if there has ever been a time that we needed to raise our


expectation it’s right now, because any fool can see that people just

aren’t satisfied with themselves. They’re not satisfied with their walk

with God, their relationship with Jesus.

You know, when God puts a group together, you’ve got all kinds of peo-

ple who see things all kinds of different ways.

If I were an art instructor, and I should set a bowl of fruit on this plat-

form and give you a sketch pad with some colored pencils and tell you

to sketch that bowl of fruit, I would expect that every sketch would be

the same. Because how many bowls of fruit are there? Just one. I would

expect that everybody would sketch that bowl of fruit exactly alike.

But it’ll never be that way, because everybody would sketch it as they

see it, with their skill. They would use their technique, and they would

use their coloring, and their shading. The same bowl of fruit would have

fifty different versions, because everybody would portray it as they saw

it. That is diversity.

Diversity is not evil. Diversity is necessary. But there is a danger with

diversity, and that is, diversity must never be the anointing that holds

the people. The anointing that holds the people must be unity. It must

be unity, oneness. It must be togetherness. That’s what holds a body in

the channel of God’s glory. Oneness.


There are avenues; there are times where diversity, differences of opin-

ion, differences of interpretation, differences of perception, can come in

handy. But that must never be the anointing that holds the people. Be-

cause if that’s the anointing that holds the people, then we will begin to

interpret God’s Word in our own way.

It’s one thing for you to interpret this bowl of fruit. You know, some

people don’t draw as well as others, so it’s not going to look the same.

And that’s O.K. when we’re talking about fruit salad. But when we’re

talking about God’s Word, God’s Word is not open to private interpre-

tation.

God’s Word is revealed in one manner, and one manner only. God’s

Word is revealed by the Holy Spirit. Do you believe that? And we’ve

been taught in this day that the interpretation of the Word comes to one

kind of person. It comes to a prophet.

“You mean you still believe that?”

There are a lot of people who say, “Yes,” and that’s referring only to a

messenger. Well I want you to know, that’s not what the Bible said.

Neither is that what the messenger said. It’s not a man that it comes to.

It is an office that the Word of God comes to.

It doesn’t come to a man. No man or woman has any right to privately

interpret the Word. But the right interpretation of the Word comes to


an office. That’s why we need to understand the offices that God has

given His Bride in these last days: apostles, prophets, pastors, teachers

and evangelists.

They’re still out there.

I prophesy to you, in the Name of the Lord, that which God has been

sowing into my spirit. And that is: I believe there is going to be “an

opening.” I feel, “like a flood,” but I want to say it as I’ve received it

from Him. “An opening” for ministries to flow through this place, and

through the Body of Christ at large, that will open things to us in their

respective offices, that will give us greater balances in this last day.

The prophet has something to offer that no one else can offer. But an

apostle has something to offer that no one else can offer. And a teacher

has something else to offer that no one else can offer. And the Pastor,

and an evangelist. If a man is flowing in the office that God has called

him to, then he has something distinct and unique to bring to the edify-

ing and the perfecting of the Body that no other office can bring.

And God said, “I’m going to bring an opening.”

Out there somewhere, on the backside of the desert, God’s getting an

evangelist ready. God’s getting a teacher ready. God’s getting a prophet

and apostle, a pastor ready. Oh hallelujah. I don’t believe that these


things that divide us now will always divide us. I believe God’s got a

will that’s going to be revealed.

I don’t believe we have the only church that preaches Truth. I believe

God’s got sheep out there that we don’t know anything about, and I

believe it’s time for the Lord to help us to find them, and them to find

us, because the Body has something to offer.

I just want a new beginning.Somebody told me not too long ago, “I’m

not believing God for anything new because,” he said, “if I started ask-

ing God for new, it would be like spitting on God for what He’s done in

the past.”

I said, “Dear brother, it’s been a long time since I’ve rubbed shoulders

with somebody as narrow- minded as you are. You can be satisfied with

what you’ve got if you want to, but as long as there’s a deep calling, I

know there is a deep to respond. I believe if you had all that God had

for you to have, you wouldn’t want any more.”

Well, there’s something wrong with this equation because, I believe the

Bride is calling out for more. “More, Lord. More of Your Glory. More of

Your Word. More of Your Anointing. More of Your healing power. Oh

God, more, more, more.” And if we cry for more, then there must be

more somewhere for us to have.


Now, when the Lord led me to Numbers, chapter 16, I said, “Lord, this

is not the new beginning I had in mind, that the earth would open its

mouth and swallow us. Now that’s definitely something new.

But that’s not the new that I had in mind. So why did you bring me to

these Scriptures?”

And I believe the Lord wanted me to say, and wanted me to understand,

that even though these Scriptures are given in a negative way, meaning

that the new thing that happened was not a positive thing in our under-

standing, in the mind of God it was a positive thing.

What looks to you and me like tragedy, like judgment, like vengeance,

like wrath, in all actuality when God opened up the earth and let these

wicked-hearted men be swallowed up, it was wrath. It was judgment. It

was tragedy. It was the divine vengeance of the Lord. But it was to prove

something glorious, and that is that Moses was not speaking his own

mind, but Moses was speaking the mind of God.

And brother, when God reveals to a people that the Word that they’re

hearing is not the Word of a man, but that it is the anointed Word of

God, then that’s a glorious thing. However, God has to reveal that to us.

Even if it comes by tragic circumstances, it’s still a glorious thing.


God said through Moses, “If they die the way of every earthy man, and

if they’re visited the way of every earthly man, then people will always

doubt and they’ll never believe.”

Moses told the people, “If I be a man of God, then God is going to do a

new thing, and the ground is going to open up and the wicked are going

to be swallowed.” When God wants to get His point across, He does a

new thing.

God wants to reveal His mind to you personally, individually. We can

discuss anything we want to discuss as men, as women, as mere mortals,

and we may come up with an amicable solution that pleases all parties

for a season.

But I want you to know the devil never goes away for too long. He’ll

come again, wearing a new hat, donning a new suit, wearing a new

mask. And he’ll get into your life. He’ll attack you. He’ll jump on your

mind. He’ll play with your head. He’ll manipulate your thoughts. You

won’t even recognize that it’s the devil because, this is not the way he

spoke to you before. He’s got on a new mask now. He’s got on a new

hat now. He’s got a new tone of voice now.

He may have come in a Yankee accent. Now he’s speaking southern

drawl. I want you to know, it’s like the prophet said, “It’s the same old

devil.” It doesn’t matter whether it’s a caterpillar or a cankerworm, a


palmerworm, or a locust, it’s still the same old devil and he still has the

same idea.

Brother Branham said, he has the same motive and he has the same

ambition and that is to destroy the Bride tree. It doesn’t matter what

mask he wears, he’s still out to destroy the Bride and to keep her from

that Spoken Word promise that God desires to reveal to her, and through

her.

God desires to so reveal His mind and His will, to reveal His Spirit and

Word to you, that you’ll be able to recognize what the devil is doing,

even if he comes with a different hat or a different look on his face. God

wants to have a people who move in the discernment of the Lord.

Just because there is a people crying out for new beginnings doesn’t

mean that we are not a grateful people, or a thankful people for what

God has done. We are thankful for what God has done, and we don’t

blame God.

I said, “We.” I’m not sure if you can really say this, but by faith I’m

speaking for you. “We don’t blame God. We don’t blame God for our

condition.” We’re not where we are today because God hasn’t been here

to deliver us. We’re not sick today because God hasn’t been here to heal

us. We’re not confused today because God hasn’t been here to speak His

Word and make it plain to us.


We’re thankful for what God has done, for what He has been and for

what He has said. But we have fought a battle physically, spiritually,

mentally, and emotionally. We’ve fought the battle, and fought the bat-

tle, and fought the battle, and fought the battle. And when we thought

it was through, we fought the battle some more.

Hear the Word of the Lord! Hear the Word of the Lord! Hear the Word

of the Lord! “God sees the weariness of your flesh.” Your mind is a part

of your flesh. It may be the doorway to the inner self, but it is still a part

of the flesh.

God sees the weariness of your mind, and the weariness of your battle.

And God sees how that when you determine to pull out, the devil re-

minds you of things that you’ve heard, things that you’ve faced, gossip

that you have listened to, things that have been said, attacks that have

come.

Sometimes it’s hard to keep the faith, and to keep our confidence where

it should be, when we remember the past.

God is not mad at you, He’s not angry with you because you can’t forget

the past. He’s not going to judge you because when you become weary

you remember the past.

But I’ll tell you what He is going to do. For those of you who are willing

accept it, He said, “I’m going to give you a new beginning in the Spirit.


Past things behind, and nothing to think about but a gloriously white

slate that is wiped clean of all your failures, all your mistakes, and all

of your

shortcomings.” God said, “I desire to cleanse you again and cause you

to come forth like an innocent little naked baby, with no mistakes and

no past.”

Somebody said, “I just can’t see that.” Well, then you’ve never been born

again, because that’s exactly what being born again was, a new begin-

ning . Old things passed away. You became a new creature. You forgot

about who you used to be. When the devil came to remind you what

you’d done, you just said, “Get out of here, you liar devil. The blood of

Jesus has covered that.”

When you went somewhere and you could smell beer and the devil said,

“Hmm, wouldn’t a cold beer be...?”

“Oh, you’re a liar, devil. The blood has delivered me. I’m not a drunk

anymore.”

When you had on your long-tailed dress, and it was so hot outside, and

somebody passed by in those shorts, and the devil said, “Wouldn’t you

be cooler like that?”


You just said, “You’re a liar, devil. I thank God for Holiness that’s been

revealed to me. I’m a new creature, and I don’t want to even be re-

minded. I don’t want to look like I used to look. I’m not ashamed of

what God has called me to.”

Isn’t it sad that we were quicker to put the devil in his place when we

were just spiritual babes than

we are to put the devil in his place when we’re coming to the age of

maturity in Christ? We used to defeat the devil better as babies than we

do as adults.

Now I know it was hard when you first came to God. I know you fought

lots of battles. I understand that. But I know you kept coming back to

the altar, and you kept running back to Christ, and you kept praying till

you got a right spirit again. You made it. You overcame. You pressed

through.

If the preacher made you mad, you just got glad again. When somebody

didn’t speak to you, you just realized it was their loss and kept right on

going. “I’m a new creature. I love everybody, hallelujah. I love those

that love me, and I love those that don’t love me. I love the trees, I love

the birds. I love the grass.”

That’s how you feel when you first get born again. You feel like you

could kiss a frog and swing from the moon when you first get saved.


The birds sound sweeter, the grass is greener, and roses smell better.

You know that’s the truth.

When I got the Holy Ghost as a seven-year-old boy, my whole world

was a new world, and I had only lived in it seven years. But everything

was new. And I had a boldness to witness, I’d never had before.

I remember one day when I wanted to go to my granny’s house. She was

working and couldn’t come and get me, so she asked my other granny

if it was all right if she sent a taxi for me. My granny said that would be

all right. The taxi driver came and picked me up from one granny’s, took

me just a few miles over to my other granny’s.

When I got in that taxi, the driver had his old rock music on, smoking

his cigarette. I was so full of Jesus, so full of what God had done in my

life. I said, “Man, you need Jesus in your life.” (I had just started preach-

ing.)

He said, “Excuse me,” and turned around, and looked at this seven-year-

old boy riding in the back of that cab.

I said, “Fellow, what you need is to be born again. You need to be saved,

sanctified, and filled with the Holy Ghost. Then you won’t look so

mean.”

He said, “Boy, what would you know about Jesus? Tell me.”


I began to tell him everything that I knew. When we got to my granny’s

house, he got out and opened the door for me, and he said, “Son, would

you mind if I went inside with you?”

I said, “No, sir. Come right on in.”

My granny worked out of the front of her house, and no one was there

at the moment, so he came in the office and sat down in front of my

granny’s desk.

He said, “Lady, I want to tell you, I have heard one more sermon. I

hadn’t heard a sermon like that since I was a teen-age boy myself. My

heart is so convicted, and my spirit is so heavy, because I have not raised

my children to serve the Lord.

“I’ve got eighteen and nineteen-year-old children that don’t know as

much about Jesus as your grandson does. I just wanted to tell you what

a wonderful thing it is, and I’d like for you all to pray for me.”

My granny wasn’t like a lot of people that say, “Yes, we’ll be remember-

ing you. We’ll be praying for you, now.”

Oh, she got out from behind that desk and told me, “Come on.” We

walked over and laid hands on the taxi driver, sitting right there in her

office. I don’t have much tact, but my granny had less than I do. She put


both hands right on top of his head and she began to shake him until he

felt Jesus. Big tears began to run down his face.

I went to the donut shop. I began to witness to the waitress about Jesus.

Everywhere I went, I wanted to tell somebody. It was new, and it was

precious, and it was life-changing, and the devil was quickly defeated

in my life, and I quickly overcame any discouragement that came my

way, because it was so new and so precious.

Is your testimony anything like mine? Can you remember how it was

when you first found Jesus? You felt new and fresh and clean. You may

not feel that way, today. I know that I don’t always feel that way myself.

That’s one of the reasons why we say, “Lord, could we have a new be-

ginning in You? Could You wash us again? Could You cleanse us again?

Could You give us a fresh start, oh Lord? We’d just like to start over.

We’ll never forget what You’ve already revealed to us.”

Somebody said, “That sounds like we’re going backwards.” No! God’s

going to give you a new beginning right where you are in Him. You

won’t have to go backward to get this new beginning.

He desires to give it to you right where you are. If you’re saved but not

sanctified, God wants to give you a new beginning where you are. If

you’re sanctified but don’t have the genuine baptism of the Holy Ghost,

God wants to give you a new beginning right where you are. If you


already have the Holy Ghost, but you’re striving to be sealed, God wants

to give you a new beginning right where you are. That’s the word of the

Lord. A new beginning.

I say it to some people and it doesn’t seem to be appealing to all. You

know, you can kind of tell who that appeals to and who it doesn’t. Some

people would rather have a vacation to Acapulco or, you know, some-

thing like that. “If I was going to win a prize, I’d rather it be a new

dishwasher.”

The greatest gift that God could ever give anybody who loves Him, and

trusts Him, and serves Him, would be a new beginning, casting all the

bitter past away.

Forgetting is a part of Godly forgiveness.

The sinner says, “I can forgive, but I can’t forget,” but believers don’t

say that. Let me tell you why they don’t say that. Because that’s not

what our Father said to us. That’s not how Jesus dealt with us.

Can you see Jesus with me a moment? He didn’t say, “I’ll forgive you,

but I’ll never forget what you’ve done.”

That would have devastated us if we’d thrown ourselves before Him

saying, “Forgive me, forgive me!” and then all of a sudden He picked us


up by the nap of the neck and said, “You’re forgiven, but I’ll never for-

get!” That is not the character of Jesus.

Have you ever said, “I can forgive, but I can’t forget,” or maybe you

said, “I can forgive, but it’s sure going to be hard to forget.” Have you

had that attitude? We’re human, and I’m not condemning you, because

I’ve felt that way.

You may not know this about me, but really, forgiveness is an easy con-

cept for me. It’s forgetting that troubles my mind. It seems sometimes

it’s easier for me to forgive, than for people to forgive me. But I’m hu-

man, and forgetting is the problem. So I know that real forgiveness only

comes when we can forget it. The Spirit is speaking to us.

Do you see why we need a new beginning? I’m not saying that these

things may not ever cross your mind again. I’m saying, I believe that

with a new beginning, when we see one another, we would be more

likely to remember the new beginning than we would the old past.

At one time or another, every one of us has had an ax to grind against

somebody else. But God wants to give us a new, fresh beginning, so that

nothing troubles us. The Spirit of God wants to birth (not just pass over

you, not just impart to you) but He wants to birth in you a new begin-

ning.


I don’t understand why some babies just pop out, and others seem to

like the security of the womb more than the new world. I don’t under-

stand why some people are in labor twenty minutes and the job’s over,

and some labor two days. So I can’t tell you it’s going to be an easy

delivery, but I can tell you that we must submit.

Can I ask you a question? Where does a submarine operate? Under the

water. When you submerge something, what do you do with it? You put

it under. Submission means to come under.

God’s looking for a people who will submit themselves to the Lord with

holy submission.

“I’m under here. You’re up there, Lord. I can only see the murkiness of

the water, but from where You are, sitting on top of the flood, You see

it all. So I submit my opinions, because all I see is the murkiness of the

water, and I can’t see clearly where I am. So I submit to You.” This is

too simple, but too true. Birth is coming, a birth of new beginnings.

The prophet said that if God ever does it again, He’s going to do it ex-

actly like He did the last time. Do you know what I say to that? “Amen,

amen, and amen.” I want a new beginning just like the one I had when

I started out to serve the Lord. I want God to do it the same way that

He did it before. That’s what I want. But it’s still a new beginning. God

does it the same way, but it’s still new and


fresh for me.One of the things I found was in the book of Lamentations.

You’ve heard this Scripture before. The

writer said, “His compassions fail not. They are new every morning.”

Just how much mercy does my God have, that when I wake up every

morning, He shows mercy on me? It’s not old mercy, but new mercy.

Oh, just how much compassion does my God have, so that every time

He has compassion on me, it’s not the same old compassion? The writer

said it’s new compassion. That’s the concept of new that we need. That’s

why I’ve got a list of Scriptures and examples.

Can you believe that God has new compassion for me today that He

didn’t have for me yesterday? New compassion, new mercy. Now do

you believe that means that yesterday’s mercy was no good?

Do you believe the compassion that God had for me yesterday was in-

sufficient?

No. It just means that with every new day, and every new circumstance,

and every new situation that I’m going to face, God’s got new mercy to

meet the challenge. He’s got new compassion to meet the challenge.

God’s got a new beginning for you, not saying that your old beginning

was no good. It was good. But it was only good in the respect that it


brought you this far. I’m getting a feeling that it won’t carry you much

farther, because you need a fresh touch.

Somebody said, “I don’t believe there’s any new Anointing.”

I preached some weeks ago on that, and I said, “If you don’t believe for

a new Anointing, you must believe you’ve got all the Anointing there is.

If you don’t believe God for a new touch, you must believe you’ve had

all the touches He’s got.” Do you really believe you have all the touches

that God has, you’ve got them all, had them all, experienced them all,

been there, done that; it’s over? No.

Then what do you believe? Do you believe He’s got a new touch that

you’ve never had before?

How many salvations are there? I don’t want another salvation. I just

want a new touch of the real one. How many Holy Ghosts are there?

I’m not looking for a new Holy Ghost. I’m looking for more of the orig-

inal one. How many understandings are there? I’m just looking for more

of the original understanding that God is pouring out on His Word.

New beginnings. It’s not that we’re not happy over what He has done,

but it’s just that we would like more of the same.

When you ask for more potatoes, you don’t mean, “Have you got an-

other kind?” You mean, “Could I have more of those I’ve already had?”


When they’re passing the biscuits around, and someone says, “Would

you care for another?”

“Oh, yes. Give me another biscuit. I want one more biscuit.”

That doesn’t mean, “Go and find another flavor, another kind, from an-

other bakery, another place.” It just means, “Give me another one like

I’ve already had.”

When you say, “Lord, give me more. Give me a new touch, a new be-

ginning,” you don’t have to feel guilty. There’s a right and a wrong con-

cept, and I believe God wants to reveal the right concept.

In the new beginnings of the Lord, we’ll forget the past, forgetting those

things which are behind, because they’re not behind us anymore.

They’re separated from us. When you have a new beginning, you just

start over. You feel another touch of that justification of the Lord, and

the past is wiped away. Drop it in the Sea of God’s Forgetfulness.

And if you’re waiting for someone to come and make something right,

you’re cheating yourself out of what God has for you. I know it’s hard

to make something right when you don’t even know exactly what you’ve

done.

“Oh, they know. He knows, brother.” Well, that’s how we all feel when

we’re hurt. “Old Joe over there, he knows exactly what he did.”


Can I be honest with you? Can I make it so personal that you would

understand? As a human being, I have been offended. Can I be real per-

sonal, just so that you’ll get the concept? I believe there are people that

owe me an apology. Although that wasn’t really on my mind, I want to

bring it that personal. There are things that have never been made right.

If it’s been made right, it’s right. But there are people who offended, and

I think it would just be only fair that they would come and say, “I’m

sorry.”

Maybe there’s a possibility they don’t even know what they did. And if

I let that be so big in my heart that I couldn’t forgive, couldn’t forget it,

then I wouldn’t go anywhere with Jesus. So it’s just best to give some-

body a certain amount of time, and when they don’t do anything about

it, it’s best just to say, “OK. It’s in Your hands, Lord.”

I didn’t bring it personal to make anyone feel guilty. I made it personal

so you’d catch the point. Are you catching it? I’m willing to throw that

away. If God would give us a new beginning, “It’s forgiven, it’s forgot-

ten, it’s over.”

That’s one of the reasons why we need a new beginning so severely,

because some of these things hinder the unity that God said He wanted

to establish for the Body.


But we need a new beginning for many personal reasons. And I’m one

of those people who believes that if God promises it, He’s going to per-

form it. If God speaks it, it must be on the way. If God says it, that settles

it. Whether I believe it or whether I don’t believe it, God’s Word is still

yea and amen. I believe God.

Remember, a new beginning is going to be a birth. If you really want it,

you can have it. You can possess it. You can attain it. It can be yours.

Come before the Lord with a right spirit and say, “This is it, Lord. I’m

starting that new beginning. I’m forgiving the past, pushing it far be-

hind. I’m not going backwards to seek in my past and remember every-

body else’s past. I’m going to turn loose. I’m going to release my grasp

on the things that I’ve held on to. And I’m going to let You give me a

fresh start. I’m claiming that new touch. I’m claiming that new begin-

ning in my life. I thank You, Lord, for releasing me to start again.

“All my old feelings behind. Every battle, every scar, oh Lord. Every

hard feeling, every wound, every hurt, I leave it all behind and I claim

a new beginning. I claim that new start in Thee.”

Remember, it’s not about feelings, it’s about faith. It means so many

different things in different lives when God should give a new begin-

ning. It could mean so much, but not the same thing to every person.

Now let’s look over at Isaiah chapter forty-two, beginning in verse five.


Thus saith God the LORD, he that created the heavens, and stretched

them out; he that spread forth the earth, and that which cometh out

of it; he that giveth breath unto the people upon it, and spirit to them

that walk therein:

I the LORD have called thee in righteousness, and will hold thine

hand, and will keep thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people,

for a light of the Gentiles; To open the blind eyes, to bring out the

prisoners from the prison, and them that sit in darkness out of the

prison house. I am the LORD: that is my name: and my glory will I

not give to another, neither my praise to graven images.

Behold, the former things are come to pass, and new things do I de-

clare: before they spring forth I tell you of them. Sing unto the LORD

a new song, and his praise from the end of the earth, ye that go down

to the sea, and all that is therein; the isles, and the inhabitants thereof.

Let the wilderness and the cities thereof lift up their voice, the villages

that Kedar doth inhabit: let the inhabitants of the rock sing, let them

shout from the top of the mountains. Let them give glory unto the

LORD, and declare his praise in the islands.

The LORD shall go forth as a mighty man, he shall stir up jealousy

like a man of war: he shall cry, yea, roar; he shall prevail against his

enemies.


I have long time holden my peace; I have been still, and refrained

myself: now will I cry like a travailing woman; I will destroy and

devour at once. I will make waste mountains and hills, and dry up all

their herbs; and I will make the rivers islands, and I will dry up the

pools.

And I will bring the blind by a way that they knew not; I will lead

them in paths that they have not known: I will make darkness light

before them, and crooked things straight. These things will I do unto

them, and not forsake them. They shall be turned back, they shall be

greatly ashamed, that trust in graven images, that say to the molten

images, Ye are our gods. (Isaiah 42:5-17)

In verse 9 there, He said, “Behold, the former things...” He didn’t say,

“They’re done away with.” He didn’t say, “I changed My mind.” He said,

“The former things are come to pass. What I’ve already spoken, I’ve

done.” He has been faithful to fulfil that which He has spoken.

You may have something that hasn’t happened yet. Hold on to it and

don’t worry about it. Just keep believing. Keep speaking, keep praising,

keep shouting, keep dancing, keep giving God glory. It’s on the way.

God is not a man that He should lie, neither the son of man that He

should repent. If God said it, it’s on the way to your house. I hear the

Spirit saying, “There’s a promise coming up the road for you if you’ll

just reach up and claim it.”


They sing a song about Jairus’ daughter, given up, died. People are

weeping. The song says, “There’s a promise coming down that dusty

road.” Because somebody ran ahead and said, “Don’t worry about it. I

just caught a glimpse over the hill of Jesus. And he’s coming, Jairus.

He’s coming to your house. Jairus, Jesus has got a divine appointment

with you. Jairus, don’t worry. There’s a promise coming down the dusty

road.”

When He got there, He drove the unbelievers out and He did His busi-

ness. Are you ready for the Lord to do His business in your life? Then

what you’ve got to do is what Jesus did. You’ve got to drive out all the

spirits of unbelief. Put aside all the doubt. Lay aside all the unbelief and

let God give you a new beginning.

“Former things,” He said, “have come to pass, and new things do I de-

clare.”

Remember that Lanny Wolfe song, “Lord, You know I need a brand new

touch; my strength from yesterday is gone.” The strength that He gave

me yesterday is not enough for today. That’s what I’m trying to say.

What God did for you last time is not going to do you much good this

time. You need a fresh touch, a new touch. You need a new beginning.

In a dream, the Lord told me there was one thing that He wanted me to

bring out to the people about forgiveness. He said, “One of the reasons


why they need the new beginning is because they might be able to for-

give everybody around them, but for some reason or another they’re

struggling with forgiving themselves.

“But if they receive a new beginning, they’ll be able to forget about all

the things of the past that they need to forgive themselves for, and

they’ll get a fresh start in Me.”

Tell the Lord, “The things that I’ve not been able to forgive myself for,

I’ll just take a new beginning and put it all behind me, sweet Jesus.”

In verse 9, He said, “New things do I declare. Before they spring forth I

tell you of them.”

That’s why I believe the prophetic Anointing is so precious. If God wants

to show a vision or speak a heavenly word, put something in our spirit,

show us something, or speak to us, we want to be able to receive it,

because He often reveals these things prophetically before He does

them. That’s what He said right here, “Before they spring forth, I tell

you of them.”

The man who put together the book, The Complete Jewish Bible, did a

beautiful Jewish commentary of the New Testament. God laid on his

heart to put together a Bible that would be easy for people to under-

stand, especially those in the Messianic Jewish Movement, in hopes that


one day it would also be a tool for the Jewish people. No one had ever

done it.

In the Jewish faith, they have all the holy commentaries of the Old Tes-

tament, but of course not receiving Jesus as the Messiah, they don’t use

the New Testament.

I’ve enjoyed this tool immensely. One of the things that I like about it

is, it makes things very plain using the original language. When I read

Isaiah forty-two and nine in the English translation it says, “Before they

spring forth, I tell you of them, ” which means, “Before they come up I

tell you of them.” But in the Jewish original it says, “Before they sprout

.” And that means, when you look at the seed, it’s nothing but a seed.

But God said, “I’ll tell you what’s in that seed before it ever sprouts.”

I was able to make contact with this man, and I was happy to find out

that he’s not only a messianic believer, but he’s baptized with the Holy

Ghost. He was recently in a Pentecostal camp meeting, worshiping the

Lord, and praising God, and enjoying what the Lord is doing in these

last days.

So you may not actually feel like you’re going to get a new beginning,

but God is declaring to you that before it ever sprouts in your life, a new

beginning is still coming your way, if you’re willing to accept it by faith.

God’s got a miracle waiting on you.


You may not see the results of it. You may not see it even sprouting.

You may not see anything changing. You may not see anything happen-

ing. But, “Before they sprout,” He said, “I will declare it to you.” So

consider yourself informed. Consider it declared.

We’re a people who say we don’t look for signs, but we look for signs,

because if we don’t “see it”, we don’t want to believe it.

But when you look at that corn seed, you can’t see the harvest that’s

coming. When you look at that butter bean, all dried and shriveled,

ready to be planted in the ground, you can’t with your natural eyes see

that pot of butter beans on the stove. It’s hard to believe that one little

butter bean can feed the whole house. Can you imagine us with our

knives and forks trying to divide that butter bean and eat it and be full?

But there’s a harvest locked up inside of that one little seed. And when

it’s planted in the right kind of soil, and cared for with love and atten-

tion, there’s a germ on the inside of that seed that comes to germination,

and life begins to spring forth. The old ugly hull dies and falls away,

and that which is on the inside begins to sprout forth, and it brings a

harvest of butter beans.

So don’t wait until you’re picking butter beans to expect butter beans.

If you planted it, expect it. I believe there’s something in the spirit of a

farmer that when he puts it in the ground, he’s already expecting the


harvest. Let’s you and I be spiritual farmers, and take the seed that God

has given us.

Even though it hasn’t sprouted, even though we haven’t seen the results,

He said, “I’ll give you a new beginning.” Let’s plant that in the fertile

soil of faith, and let us watch the Lord. It is not up to the farmer to make

that seed do its job. It’s just up to him to do his job, but he has no control

over the life that’s in that seed.

God’s prophet, Brother Branham, when speaking in the sixties, said that

he read an article on the excavations in Egypt, and they have discovered

one of the granaries that would have been in use during the time of

Joseph. They were able to find, in the corner of that granary, some seed

of wheat that they believed to be thousands of years old. They planted

that seed in the right conditions, and it sprouted.

You could have looked at that old shriveled-up thing and never believed

that it would have produced anything. But it’s not what you see hap-

pening. It’s what you don’t see happening. You believe by faith that it’s

there. So even before this new beginning sprouts in you, I want you to

believe God for it anyway.Isaiah chapter forty-three, verse eighteen

and nineteen.


Remember ye not the former things, neither consider the things of old.

Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth... (Isaiah

43:18-19)

Remember what that meant? Sprout. You see, if you can hold on to God

in Isaiah forty-two, before it sprouts, if you can just hold on by faith

until you get to Isaiah forty-three, it’s already sprouting. When God

spoke about it the first time, He said, “Before it sprouts.” But when He

spoke about it the next time, He said, “Now shall it sprout.”

Then He said something that makes me want to be real serious... He

asks a question, “...shall ye not know it?” He said, “Remember not the

former things, neither consider the things of old. Behold, I will do a new

thing; now it shall spring forth...” It shall sprout. “...shall ye not know

it?”

If it doesn’t come to you in the same old way, will you miss it? If it

doesn’t come to you through the same vessel, will you miss it? If it

doesn’t sound the same, will you miss it? If you don’t feel anything, will

you miss it? “Shall ye not know it?” Shall new beginnings break all

around you, and shall you not know that God has a new beginning for

you?


You can never undo the past. You can never make right every wrong of

yesterday. But He said, “Behold, I shall do a new thing.” Don’t you just

need something new?

There’s something about a new thing. There’s just something about get-

ting something new. I can wear an old suit and old shoes, an old shirt,

or an old tie, but I can put on a new pair of socks that I’ve never worn

before and feel new. There’s just something about a new pair of socks.

They’ve never had dirty feet in them. Just put them on, they just feel

different. You just feel new.

I can put on an old shirt and a new tie and feel new. There’s something

about something new that makes you feel special again.

Your husband may give you something new, and it may not be the color

that you like. It may not be the right size. He may bring the wrong thing

home. But it’s been so long since some of you women have had anything

new from your husbands, it would make you feel good anyway.

There’s just something about something new that makes you feel new.

It’s like taking a good bath. You just get out of the shower with a differ-

ent outlook on life, if you’ll just let yourself.

God wants to give you a new start, a fresh start, leaving behind the pain,

the mistakes, the failures, the heartaches, the bitterness, the hurts, the


envyings, the strifes, all of the troubles, the torments, the trials, the per-

secutions, the confusions, all of that, leaving it behind.

“Behold,” He said, “I do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye

not know it?” He said, “I will even make a way in the wilderness, and

rivers in the desert.”

In the Jewish version of that, He said this: “Stop dwelling on past events

and brooding over times gone by.”

I read a story about a woman who loved a man during the war. They

never married, and they got separated and lost touch with one other.

He went one way helping and working, maybe a medic or something,

and she came home. She met another man, and married, but she didn’t

love him.

She told him, “I’ll marry you on the condition that if he ever comes

looking for me that you’ll let me go.”

He said, “I promise you, if he ever comes looking for you, and you want

to go with him, you can go.” Can you imagine marrying under those

pretenses? Now who’d want to live with a woman like that?

I said when I first read it, “He must have been ugly.” But I saw a picture

of him. He was a distinguished old fellow.


One day, she wanted to take a vacation back to where she was living

during the time of the war. Maybe in France, perhaps. She took a grown

daughter with her, and they went to the very hotel where she had last

seen that man. As she was having coffee with her daughter, thirty or

forty years later, after years of marriage, grown children, grown grand-

children, she looked across the lobby of that hotel and recognized that

man.

He was there on a job in that area, and he also had thought of her all of

those years. And he had said, “I’m going to go and have coffee at the

hotel where I last saw the love of my life.” It just so happened they were

there at the same time. They met and had coffee. Well, her daughter got

very angry with her, very upset that she even sat down and had coffee

with him.

As they were talking, she began to tell him how she had looked for him

and the events that happened trying to get out of the country, and the

years that had gone by, and how she’d longed for him, and loved him,

and wanted him, and missed him, and all of these things. She asked him,

“Why did you never look for me?”

He said, “One day,” (named the year), “I found you, found the house

where you were living, and knocked on the door. Your husband an-

swered the door. I told him who I was, and he asked me kindly to go


away and not to bother you, that you were the love of his life. And I

went away, and I never looked back.”

Her first reaction was to get mad at her husband because he kept it from

her. What did she want him to do, invite the man in for pie and wait

until she got home and say, “Here he is, and you all go and live happy

and I’ll just keep the kids and raise them while you go with the love of

your life”?

She called her husband and bawled him out. She said, “You lied. You

deceived me. You ruined my life.”

And he said, “Honey, I loved you so much that I broke my word because

I couldn’t live without you.”

For three days this woman pondered what to do. She really wanted to

leave her husband, after all of these years, and go with this old love.

Then one day while she was sitting there in the hotel room alone, she

remembered the man that stood by her side when she was ill. She re-

membered the man that cut the umbilical cord when the babies were

born. She remembered the man that burped the grandchildren. She re-

membered the man that had brought the roses home from work.


And sitting there on that bed she said, “I realized that I married a man

that I didn’t love, but now I love him more than I could ever stand, and

I could never leave him for anybody else.”

She called her husband and said, “I’m coming home. If you’ll take me, I

want to turn my back on all of that, and I want us to live happily to-

gether with a new beginning. When we married, I didn’t love you. But

somewhere in the years, I loved you and I didn’t even realize how much

I loved you. And if you can forgive me for being so hurtful, I want to

come home and I want to live with and die with the man that I love so

very much. Can we start again?”

After all the years, they started again. I like that.

Sometimes we don’t realize what we have until it’s too late. We need to

appreciate what God has given us in our lives. We may not have perfect

marriages, but I believe it’s not too late for God to give us new begin-

nings in those marriages. Can you say, “Amen”?

I heard a wife say, “He’ll never change.”

Why don’t you change first? Why don’t you let the Lord give you a new

beginning first? Why don’t you have a change of heart and a change of

attitude? I believe your faith will be renewed if you get a new beginning,

and you’ll be able to believe for that husband of yours.


There are so many things in our lives that we could use a new beginning

in. There are so many things that we could start over in.

Let me read again the Jewish translation of that verse.

“Stop dwelling on past events.” It’s the Word of the Lord. It’s just trans-

lated. “Stop dwelling on past events, and brooding over times gone by.”

And the next verse said,” I’m doing something new.

It is springing up, sprouting forth. “Can’t you see it? I see it. I not only

see it, I see my need of it. God has spoken and said, “Behold, I want to

give you a new beginning,” and He gave me a list of the things that He

wants us to leave behind, and the things He desires for us to receive

from Him:

LEAVING BEHIND:

• Old Boundaries

• Old Limitations

• Old Insecurities

• Old Complexes

• Old Ideas

• Old Opinions

• Old Habits

• Old Attitudes

• Old Thoughts

• Old Criticisms

• The Old Nature

RECEIVING:

• A New & Clearer Vision

• New Goals

• New Purposes


• New Faith

• New Commitment

• New Surrender

• New Dedication

• New Zeal

• A New Burden

• Just Starting Over Anew

Don’t let pride keep you from having a new beginning in Jesus. Be mo-

tivated by a desire to please God. It’s as close as reaching out and telling

the Lord, “I want a new beginning birthed in me, starting over.”

Lord Jesus, we need a new beginning that only You can give. We’re tired

of the old man. We thought we killed him a long time ago, but he still

tries to hang around in our shoes, from time to time. We want a new

beginning in You. Forgive us for yesterday; forgive us for today, and let

us begin afresh. Let it sprout forth today. Let it spring forth speedily. Let

it come in the Name of Jesus.


Prophecy

While we were worshiping the Lord just few moments ago, I looked out

toward the congregation. And instead of seeing the saints of God, I saw

in the same formation as these chairs, in a sort of a half- circular ar-

rangement, I saw chairs.

I didn’t see the congregation, but I saw musical instruments, and those

who were called to play those instruments. I could see the brass section,

and I could see the strings, and I could see in the back the percussion

and all of the different woodwind instruments.

I knew that the Lord was showing me a symphony, and I heard the Voice

of the Lord say, “I’m going to reveal a divine symphony among you. I’m

going to show you each how you can flow in My anointing, in the unity

of the symphony.

“Many of you have desired to play alone. But I have not called you to

play alone,” saith the Lord. “I have not called you to shine alone, but I

have called you to play together,” saith the Lord.

“And yea, you shall not receive glory for yourself, but you shall receive

glory as the glory is given to the Body,” saith the Lord, “for I have called

You to be My divine symphony.


“Yea, I will inspire the music,” saith the Lord. “It will not be music of

this earth. It will not be music of this dimension. But yea, it will be

music from the heavenlies, and you shall play it out, even as a symphony

that’s already written. Ye shall know the changes of the key, and ye

shall change together,” saith the Lord.

For the Lord would say unto thee, “I’m raising the pitch of this sym-

phony, and I’m changing the key, and I shall call you to play a higher

pitch. I shall call you to a higher tune,” saith the Lord.

“I shall reveal Myself to you, and I shall bring you together in the unity

of My Spirit, and I shall play you as a symphony,” saith the Lord, “and

it shall go forth upon the tape. It shall go forth upon the video. And yea,

I shall use many, many ways, to allow the heavenly music that I shall

raise.”

“Yea, I’m not speaking to thee of music in the natural alone, but I’m

speaking spiritually,” saith the Lord.

“For I shall anoint the preaching. I shall anoint you in the gifts,” saith

the Lord. “I shall anoint you in administration. Yea, I shall reveal My

divine order.”

For the Lord would say unto thee, “My symphony shall be revealed, and

you will play together with the unity that you have never played before,


not seeking glory for yourself, but for the Body that I have fitly joined

together.”

For yea, the Lord would say unto thee, “when I have called you bone to

bone, when I have called you place to place and joined you together,

when they look at you, they will not see you as an individual. They’ll

not even say, ‘Look what a glorious unified symphony.’ But when they

look upon you, they shall see Me, for I shall be revealed in this sym-

phony,” saith the Lord.

Prophecy

The Lord would say unto thee this night, “I have called thee here for a

purpose. It is a purpose not of your own coming,” saith God, “but of My

calling.

“And yea, if you will come with an open spirit and an open heart, I shall

fill thee,” saith the Lord. “I shall meet your needs, and you shall not go

home empty. You shall not go home with the needs you came with,”

saith the Lord, “but you shall go home filled with My Spirit, and yea,

My Anointing.

“Ye shall not leave discouraged,” saith the Lord, “but if you will open

up unto Me, I will feed thee,” saith God. “I will feed thee from My Word.

I will feed thee from My Glory. For you are Mine, and I have chosen

thee.


“And I shall do that which you have asked of Me, yea, that which you

expect,” saith the Lord. “Yea, open your windows; open the doors, and

I shall come in, and I shall fill thee,” saith the Lord.

Yea, open up the umbrella,” saith the Lord. “Turn it up, and yea, I shall

fill it. Yea, do not stand under it,” saith God, but turn it up and I shall

fill it.

“Yea, turn up the baskets and all that you’ve come with, and I shall fill

them. Yea, I shall fill them unto overflowing,” saith the Lord.

Prophecy

For yea, the Lord would say unto thee this night, “I have seen thee

searching. I have seen thee looking for something that would be real

and that would set you free,” saith the Lord.

“Yea, I’ve seen all the times that you’ve started out to follow Me, and

yet the circumstances of your life have become so hard that you just did

your own thing.”

But yea, the Lord would say unto thee, “I have seen you looking for

something, something genuine, something real, something that would

set your feet on a firm foundation.”

Yea I, the Lord thy God, would say unto thee, “Even as you have

searched for Me, I am searching for you.


“If you’ll give Me your ear, hear My Words, yea, I will reveal to you the

very Glory that you’ve been searching for in Me. Reach up into My Pres-

ence. I will deliver you and set you free.”

Yea the Lord would say unto thee, “Some have struggled with habits

and with things for years, but I’m here to deliver you from the top of

your head to the soles of your feet, if that is your desire,” saith the Lord.

“I’m here for you, and I’m speaking to you for one reason, and for one

reason alone, and that is to let you know I’m here for you,” saith the

Lord.

Pastor Steven L. Shelley Senior Pastor of New Hope Revival Ministries

Pastor Steven L. Shelley’s life of ministry was prophesied before he was

even born. His grandmother received a word that “the child your daugh-

ter-in-law is carrying right now is chosen. He will carry the Gospel and

many souls will be won to the kingdom of God, and he’ll start at a very

early age.”

Just like it was spoken, Pastor Shelley was filled with Holy Ghost and

began preaching in 1975 at the age of seven years old and was pastoring

full time by the age of seventeen. People were astounded by the revela-

tion and conviction coming from this very young man. But it wasn’t only

the wisdom of the Word that touched them but the evidence of the su-

pernatural power of God that operated in his life.

His first experience with the supernatural was at the age of three when

the Lord appeared in his room one night and told him things that were

to come. He was told that his mother and father would separate (they

divorced less than two years later) and that he would preach the Gospel

and his life would not be ordinary. His life has been marked by the

supernatural since that time and he has had countless visions, dreams,

visitations and revelatory experiences.

Although his childhood was not an easy one God kept him through

every hardship and gave him the grace not to be pulled into a lot of the

traps that young people commonly face. As a result of that he was able

to lead many of his fellow grade school students and even teachers to

the Lord.

His Pentecostal grandmother, Mildred Shelley, who had a great spiritual

impact on him, pastored a church in Columbus Georgia and he would

frequently be invited to preach for her. He also began traveling all over

the United States holding tent revivals where he would preach and pray

for the sick. Tremendous outstanding miracles and deliverances would

take place and revivals would last for weeks on end.

His grandmother passed away in 1990, leaving him in charge of the

church, New Hope Prayer Center. In 1993, God opened the doors for 60

acres of land to be purchased in Smiths Station, Alabama and instructed

him to name the property Eagle’s Refuge Holiness Campground. By di-

vine direction, the church in Columbus Georgia was sold in 2003 and a

new building was constructed and dedicated in 2004. We are currently

worshipping in this building in Alabama.

Pastor Shelley has ministered in 65 countries and seen an outstanding

harvest for the Kingdom in every one. There is one foreign country that

he feels identified with more than any other and that is the nation of

Israel. When he was 11 years old his grandmother took him on tour to

Israel where he met a part of his destiny. While visiting Yad Vashem he

had a vision where he saw himself speaking to dry bones, as the prophet

Ezekiel did and saw them come to life. At that young age he knew that

he would one day return to Israel and see that vision come to pass. He

didn’t visit Israel again until 2002 at which time the Lord opened a door

for ministry in the Land. In 2003 the Lord opened a door for our minis-

try to rent two apartments in Jerusalem where prophetic prayer and

praise ushers daily. (For more information about Jerusalem Revival

Center please visit us at Revival.org)

Serving the Lord with him is his lovely wife, Stacey Ryan, who fre-

quently travels with him in ministry. They have four beautiful children:

Benjamin Judah (1998), Joshua River (2001), Olivia Zion (2003), and

Moriah Destiny (2006). His mother Jane Shelley was radically saved in

1985 and is an active part of his life and ministry.

So many wonderful promises and prophecies have been given to Pastor

Shelley and the New Hope Revival Ministries. We thank God for the

great foundation that has been laid by the prayers and tears of saints

who have gone on before us. We look forward to the future knowing

that the best is yet to come!

New Hope Revival Ministries Pastor Steven L. Shelley

3668 Lee Road 379 Smiths Station, AL 36877 USA

TEL: 334.732.0050 FAX: 844.272.5845

[email protected] REVIVAL.ORG

ã 2016 New Hope Revival Ministries. All Rights Reserved.

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