Pastor Wayne Cordeiro
January 12, 2003 - W0302

Celebrating new beginnings is exciting, whether it be for a newborn, a new job, a new home or newlyweds who just got married! Ah, the exhilarating thrill of something brand new. But have you ever wondered how new beginnings started? As we begin this New Year, letís see how new beginnings started in the book of Genesis. There weíll find Godís advice and assurance in order to navigate the times ahead of us in this upcoming year:

ìIn the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. And the earth was formless and void, and darkness was over the surface of the deep; and the Spirit of God was moving over the surface of the waters. Then God said, ëLet there be lightí; and there was lightî (Gen. 1:1‑3).

Notice that it says everything in the beginning was formless, void, and dark chaos. The same happens with inventions that fail in its early stages or a foundation of a house before itís builtóitís always messy. We see that here at New Hope: our new television station, K38, needed a lot of tweaking of its signals, variables, transmitters, dials, satellites, and color correction. And thatís just for starters! This new TV station is still messy in its early stages.

Another messy beginning is the birth of a baby. While attending Lamaze classes, they warned me that my children would be born messy, and they were right. When my children were born they looked like prunes and their heads were out of shape. I would rather have bought them from Safeway where they would have been cleaner, nicer looking and on sale!

But the worst of new beginnings must have been when God created the heavens and the earth. It says it was formless, void and darkness was over the surface. It must have been a pretty ghastly sight. This isnít only true with the beginning of the world, but in our lives as well. There are times when we feel formless, void and in the dark in our lives. And we wonder how long itíll be until things will work out and start to go smoothly. Thatís a hard place to be in!

I remember when we had been in Hilo for about 10 years. We had just settled in when suddenly something wasnít right. There was a stir in my heart and a restlessness in my spirit. It was a dark night of my soul. I felt as if I didnít belong and I actually went to the Board and asked for time off. I couldnít figure out what was going on and thought I was having an emotional breakdown. At the same time my marriage was going a little rocky and so, in my darkness, I cried out and prayed to God for His help.

As I look back on that time, I see that God took what was dark and turned it into a new beginning. It was following that time that He moved us here to Oëahu. I see the wonderful grace of God. If there werenít times of darkness and chaos, there may have not been a new beginning for us. Every single one of us will go through birth pangs when we feel like everything is formless, void and in the midst of it all we feel so far from God. It can start with an illness, an accident, a setback, financial collapse, wayward kids or a marriage thatís gone bad. And in the midst of that darkness, the Spirit of God may just be hovering above, ready to work His good will for your life.

Q1: What was your last new beginning like? Are you able to see a formless void prior to this fresh, new beginning? Briefly share with your group or journal on it.

While reading Genesis, I read the most exciting news: In the midst of darkness void, God was doing something new. This is our sure promise and the first key point in our worst moments...      

1.     GOD IS ALWAYS PRESENT.

God is thereÖ even when you donít think so or you canít see Him. The Spirit of God is always present and ready to do Godís bidding. When God said, ìLet there be lightî it was the Spirit of God that sprang into action and brought forth light. Even in the darkest of hours, though everything might seem formless, hopeless and void, always remember that the Spirit of God is hovering just above the waters. The Psalmist David knew this, for he wrote, ìEven though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me...î (Ps. 23:4).

When you feel that you have been outnumbered in your circumstance, and are discouraged and  disorganized, wondering how long it will be before things get better, remember that God gave us this next promise: ìWhen you go out to battle against your enemies and see horses and chariots and people more numerous than you, do not be afraid of them; for the Lord your God, who brought you up from the land of Egypt, is with youî (Deu. 20:1). The Spirit is always ready to do Godís bidding, always ready to spring into action. Just as soon as God speaks, with a blink of an eye, everything changes.

Q2: Looking at this last promise from the book of Deuteronomy, what are some of the ìenemiesî you face in your lifeóthings that obstruct you from fulfilling Godís plan and living in His abundance? How can you stand against them knowing God is with you?

I was once talking with an astronomer, he mentioned that light is very present in the darkest of space, even in the midst of the a black hole. I replied ìNo, thatís why itís called ëdarkí because thereís no light!î He then explained that there was as much light there as any where else, however, the only reason we canít see light is because of whatís not present: reflective surfaces. You see, without a reflective surface to reflect the sunís light, it will just look dark. In essence, when you put a reflective surface in its beam then, suddenly, light is there!

This law of nature applies to the moon and the stars which give off no light of their own; theyíre theyíre burnt out planets. Yet they seem to emit light because theyíre simply reflecting the light of the sun. Essentially, the light is out there, but if you remove the reflective surfaces in the sky, then it will be dark.

When I heard this, my brain went on tilt! And I thought, Thatís exactly what Genesis 1 is talking about! The Spirit of God was hovering just above the waters and light was there, Godís presence was there, yet the only reason we couldnít see Him is because there was no reflective surface! Eureka! I got it!

What God is saying through all of this is athat in order for us to dispell darkness, He needs a reflective surface to cooperate and move in tandem with Him. That reflective surface in a dark world, is us! The power will be from Him, we just need to radiate His glory to dispell the darkness: ìI looked for a man among them who would build up the wall and stand before me in the gap on behalf of the land so I would not have to destroy it, but I found noneî (Ez. 22:30). God is saying thereís darkness over the land and though His light is present, He needs someone to stand in the gap and be a reflection of His light.

When thereís chaos in our livesówhether it be in our marriages, friendships, workplaces or ministry(ies)ówhat we usually do is bail out then wonder why it gets darker and darker. But God is looking for someone to reflect His light, someone who will stand in the gap. God talks about people who are willing stand in the gap, to intercede, pray and cry out to Him, because when God speaks a word the Spirit of God takes action. This applies to our lives: God is ready to speak, Heís just waiting for us to cry out. So if the going gets tough, stand in the gap, pray, cry out and work together to dispell the darkness.

Group activity: List a few pros of being a reflector of His light vs. the cons of bailing out.

Godís Spirit is just waiting for Him to say the word to be able to spring into action. That word is often dependent on our partnering with Him in prayer. And so a second key point in a new beginning is this...

2.     UNDERSTAND THE POWER OF PRAYER.

Our prayers are tremendously dear to God. They are not just wasted words we spout to try and convince ourselves. Did you know God actually keeps and collects our prayers? God knows every prayer that youíve prayed. Look at what He says about the placement of our prayers in heaven: ì...the twenty‑four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp and they were holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saintsî (Rev 5:8).

ï     GOD KEEPS TRACK OF OUR PRAYERS !

God uses our prayers and mixes something of His involvement as we cry out to Him. He then takes it and speaks a response of action in response to the prayer. Thatís amazing! Thatís miraculous!

Daniel talks about crying out to God and God responds and takes action by dispensing angels. Often, weíre not waiting on God, Heís waiting on us to cry out to the point where we are truly committed and sure that we will not bail out. Often we just cry enough to get His attention and if He doesnít answer, we bail. God is saying He needs someone to stand in the gap and then stay standing in that gap. This refines our hearts. Weíre transformed as we stay in the gap. When the Lord knows your heart is committed, thatís when He moves. It is then, when your commitment is known to you as well as to Him, that He is able to move.

You see, God is not just going to be a fire escape, used only in times of emergency as a last resort; however, He will work in tandem with you to daily draw on His power.

Q3: Has God answered a prayer youíve been praying for a while? Please share a praise report.

God is truly awesome and powerful, look what He does with our prayers: ìAnd the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, went up before God out of the angelís hand. And the angel took the censer; and he filled it with the fire of the altar and threw it to the earth; and there followed peals of thunder and sounds and flashes of lightning and an earthquakeî (Rev. 8:4‑5). Notice that the incense (the prayers) ascended to God and although we donít know what it was, God took something of the fire off His altar. There is holy action that takes place! God partners with your prayers to bring about His good pleasure!

It says that the prayers of the saints arose before God stirring Godís involvement. And the combination of those two created peals of thunder, earthquake, lightening. Itís as though God says, ìWith your involvement alongside of Me, I will dispell the enemy and push back the darkness.î That shows us a potent spiritual truth:

ï     OUR PRAYERS ARE POWERFUL!

The Spirit of God is God, however, it is God in potential form. It is His full strength, ability and power on ìpauseî until He speaks. And as soon as He speaks, bang! the Spirit of God moves into action and brings order to chaos.

Yet it is not until my heart is completely convinced knowing the Spirit of God is hovering just above the waters, itís not until I cry out to Him and my heart is involved with His that the Spirit of God moves into action. Thatís the Spirit of Godóitís the power and person of God on ìpauseî just waiting for us to cry out. Then God says, ìNow we can work together to dispell the darkness and turn birth pangs into birthdaysÖ

3. GOD TURNS BIRTH PANGS INTO BIRTHDAYS!

When I look back at the times in my life when I thought was at a dead end, I see how God used it for a new beginning. One dead end was when I got kicked out of a Catholic seminary. The person directing the seminary told me that he had written my name down and I would never be able to return to the seminary. But what seemed to be a dark moment in my life lead me to a chain of events where, just a year and a half later, I received Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. I look back on it now and think, Hallelujah! I would have made a terrible priest!

After becoming a Christian I wanted to attend a big college because I was thinking of becoming a broker who could buy and sell corporations to make millions of dollars. Yet the Lord said, ìNo, I want you to go to Eugene Bible College in Eugene, Oregon.î It had all of 275 students. Again I thought, Oh no, this is the end of my life! But I went and met a little Caucasian girl, Anna, (my sweet wife) who stalked me for three years. So I married her! Looking back on it now I think, Oh God, I wouldnít have it any other way!

How often weíll hear stories and testimonies of people (even people in this church) who end up in prison and think theyíre world is crashing in, but itís there that they find the Lord and are set free. Ironic but true, you can be on this side of the bars and still be in prison, and be on the other side of the bars and be free.

Q4: In the ministry(ies) where you serve, are you still in the birth pang stages?

Group activity: Please pray over those who are in this stage or for others in ministry.

God is the beginning and the end: ìI am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the endî (Rev. 22:13). He has the power to turn death into life, mourning into dancing and singing, and an end into a new beginning.

When we think weíre in the darkest hour, the Spirit of God is present hovering just above the waters and ìon pause,î waiting for us to cry out. Then He will be able to radiate off of us as a reflective surface and shet His light and power into our dark situation. Heís just looking for people whose hearts are sure theyíre going to stay and not bail out.  

When we understand the power of our prayers and how precious they are to Him and not bail out on our faith or out of relationshipsÖ When you understand what it means to call on His nameÖ Then that which we thought was an end, He can turn into a new beginning. When I caught this, my faith doubled! What a wonderful promise from God and what good news for us to hear!

Q5: What impacted you most & how will you be different today by what youíve learned?

Summarized by Doreen Rabaino. MANY MAHALOS, LADY! YOUíRE IMPROVING BY LEAPS & BOUNDS!J