NEW LIFE !
SEPT/OCT 2014
GOT LIFE A Priceless Gift By Pastor Mel
A few weeks ago I went to a funeral in Port Elizabeth, South Africa. I didn’t know the deceased as long as I knew of him (there is a big difference between knowing and knowing of someone). During my early college years, several pastors from South Africa came to the States at the invitation of my father. While I had some interaction with all of them, I can’t say that I really got to know any of them, with the exception of Bishop Haines, until more recent years. It would be about 15 years later before I would get to know Bishop Louis Barends Sr. I remembered him as the cool Pastor from South Africa, who was very upbeat and engaged with everyone when he came to Houston.
I remember him saying something later in the conversation like, “You didn’t make a mistake in calling me, because God wanted us to connect again.” I didn’t know how true that was. From that moment a relationship begin to grow. Through social media we stayed in contact. Over the months of planning the trip and updating he and Lady Barends, it soon became a friendship. I remember that first meeting, after so many years, at the airport. It was like seeing long time friends. There was an instant connection. The following year I fly down from Kenya for a few days to attend the Easter Conference that was being held in P.E. (as the city is called by South Africans). Unexpectedly, I ended up preaching 2 of the 3 days.
I would say our relationship begin due to a mistake. My mum had tasked me with planning our trip to South Africa several years ago. So it was my job to contact all During that conference two the pastors, lay out the itinerary things happened. First, a Moses to and plan our travel route. Joshua relationship call went Thinking I was calling Bishop forth. Secondly, I gained a father, Haines, because the office who first was friend. supposedly gave me his number, I Both of these events were and instead called Bishop Barends. My are very vital for me. In fact, it has whole intro was knocked out of become my whole mandate for my the water, and I was a bit present purpose of going to that embarrassed when I heard, “No Continue on page 2 this is Bishop Barends...”
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Dinning Together I’m a fan of dinner parties. There is something beautiful about those small gatherings of people enjoying each others company. I don’t know if I fell in love with these intimate parties from my early years of watching so many black and white movies, or if I subconsciously was aware that small gatherings reveal things about people that you won’t discover in those noisy over crowded parties. However, I have noticed that dinning together, or even just enjoying coffee with a group of people, tend to lead to some type of relationship. For 8 weeks, many of us had sort of a spiritual dinner party, as we studied the Word of God together and talked about faith. Hopefully, those weeks of dinning together will bring about relationships with your church family that will continue to grow. And as God bring new members to our family, let us invite them to dine, spiritually and naturally. -Pastor Mel
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NEW LIFE ! part of the world. I didn’t know it at the time, but it soon became apparent to me, as I listened to each Moses (the fathers in the Gospel there at the conference) speak to me following the first night of the conference. As I sat on the pulpit with several senior leaders at the funeral service of Bishop Barends, and listening to what they had to say, my mind began to reflect on what I had 15 plus hours of flight time to think about...LEGACY. Why had this man’s death struck me so hard? I’ve had several people I loved pass away. Their death sadden me. But this time it was like something was taken away. It wasn’t just a father figure who had transitioned from this life. No, what made it different for me is that one of my Moses was now gone. I think every Christian, my personal opinion, need at least one Moses in their life. When I think of the relationship between Moses and Joshua, I see one of the greatest examples of leadership, mentorship and legacy. I’ll do my best to not write out my book on the subject here. But I do want to give you something to think about. A legacy can be one of the greatest gifts given to a person, or it can be a destructive hurdle that you spend the rest of your !
SEPT/OCT 2014 life trying to detach yourself from. Often we think of legacy as a grand gift of wealth left behind by a very influential person. Someone has left each of us a legacy, whether it was good or bad. Each of us will leave a legacy. Will it be good or bad? Sometimes the endowment of great wealth is left to the person who had the deepest relationship with the deceased. Moses had sons and nephews, yet it was the son of Nun who we see clinging to Moses. Joshua watched Moses closely, and I believe deep in his heart he wanted what Moses had. I don’t think being the next leader was Joshua’s goal. But to be the one who knew and talked with God intimately as Moses did. On one occasion in the Bible, Exodus 33:11, shows us Moses and God having a “face to face” friendship conversation in the tent. Some how Joshua found his way into the tabernacle as well. Moses leaves and goes back home after the conversation was ended. But Joshua stayed there long after. In my mind I believe he cherished the opportunity to witness, no matter how far away he was, the relationship he knew was happening at that moment. He was experiencing
something no one else had. And he lingered in its aroma. There was no birthright that could compare to the legacy that Joshua had claimed as his. As I sat there listening to all the words being spoken about Bishop Barends, I thought how easy it is to say them now. But how many Joshuas did he really have? How many sons did he have who valued his wisdom, guidance, instructions, corrections and love while he was alive. How many lingered around him just to allow what flowed from heaven to flow on to them? One of the things my relationship with my African Moses has taught me, is that when a leader respects you he (I use he in the general term) will pour into you because he knows you respect him, and what he is leaving with you. It should concern us if there is no Moses in our life who respects us enough to take the time to pour wisdom, correction, and guidance into our life. It’s even more disturbing if we don’t allow our set Moses (church leadership), who desires to pour into us, the opportunity to give us a legacy. I wrap up with this, a godly legacy is priceless. Don’t throw it away, but treasure it and pass it on to the next generation.
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NEW LIFE !
SEPT/OCT 2014
Looking Ahead
Birthdays & Anniversaries
Please mark your calendars for the upcoming events for September & October
SEPTEMBER 1 Labor Day (Office Closed) 13 Leadership Prayer 14 Evening Service 27 Leadership Prayer & Meeting 28 Evening Service
OCTOBER Sterling Homecoming Parade 5 Harvest Festival Offering $25 11 Leadership Prayer 12 Domestic Abuse Sunday 19 Bishop’s 16th Anniversary 25 Leadership Prayer & Meeting 26 Cancer Awareness Service 26t Evening Service
Sept. 4! !
Elmer Powell
Sept. 6! !
Angela Warrior
Sept. 9! !
Jermany Coney
Sept. 9! !
Ethan Robinson
Sept. 11!!
Marcie Colemon
Sept. 12!!
Denise Dalcoe
Sept. 16!!
Teresa Hill
Sept. 19!!
Trinetia Boyd
Sept. 21!!
Sharon Clay
Oct. 5! !
Elisha Christian
Oct. 7! !
Agnes Williams
Oct. 11! !
Nancy Atkins
Oct. 17! !
Beverly Comeaux
Oct. 19! !
Paul Dalcoe
Oct. 21! !
Tray Pendland
Oct. 22! !
Nickolett Daniels
Oct. 22! !
Christina Rector
Oct. 25! !
Paula Bowden
Anniversaries Roy & Pam Clark Sept. 19 Ronnie & Nancy Atkins Sept. 25 Roy & Veronica Seivwright Sept. 26
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NEW LIFE !
SEPT/OCT 2014
New Life Ministries Words from our ministries
THE SO-CALLED “CHRISTIAN”
Christ. I believe this is what we find in Matthew 7:21-23. 21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does Elder Edna Johnson, the will of my Father who is in Outreach Director heaven. 22 On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ 23 And OK, some of you might be then will I declare to them, thinking, wait a minute — all ‘I never knew you; depart Christians get to heaven. Let from me, you workers of me clarify this one: There are lawlessness.’ many people in the church today who call themselves Matthew 7:21-23 is a “Christians” by name, but, as humbling reminder that there’s the Bible points out, they don’t more to the Christian life than really “know” Christ. words and motions, and it’s The so-called “Christian” is easy to deceive ourselves. Calling ourselves “Christians” one who thinks they’re in because of the ministry they’re isn’t enough — it’s accepting, involved in, or the good works truly believing, the incredible truth of the Gospel and letting they do (or even their family it transform us now. Our heritage), but they’ve never fully believed in the Gospel and mission is to be a light in this darkened world, and to be salt there’s no fruit to show. They know their way around church, in this earth. We can only accomplish this by allowing the but they’re still living for themselves and, in the back of Holy Spirit to “change” our old nature and our old ways. their minds, they know that Remember, we are a new they don't have an intimate relationship with God through creation in our Lord Jesus !
Christ. The fruit of His Spirit will come forth when we are submissive to His will. When we believe, there should be evidence pointing in a Godward direction. Not that our works earn our way — it’s only the grace of God — but when we really say yes to Jesus, the evidence is always fruitful.
SHARE YOUR MINISTRY.... Whether you are a ministry leader or a member, if you have something you would like to share with the readers of Got Life, we would love to hear from you. This is a great opportunity to minister and encourage other believers in their Christian walk. To submit your article or inquire about articles, please email
melanne@me.com
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The purpose of New Life is to instill the faith of Jesus Christ into the lives of all people, bringing them into spiritual perfection with a spirit of excellence.
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Intercessory Prayer!
Elder Roy & Min Pam Clark, Perfecting Light Ministry pamlarclark@yahoo.com Elder Edna Johnson, Outreach ednajohn1945@att.net Sis. Sharon Clay, Singles Ministry sgsclay@gmail.com
We believe this one true God, who revealed Himself as Father in Creation, as Son in redemption, and as Holy Ghost in regeneration. We believe that - in Him (Jesus) dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily. For it pleased the Father that in Him should all fullness dwell. We believe in the death, burial and resurrection.
Thursday
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We believe in one eternal God; infinite in power, holy in nature, attributes and purpose, as well as omniscient and omnipresent.
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7:30pm
9:00am
*NLEC Senior Connection Monday - Friday 10:00am - 2:00pm for all seniors 60+
We believe in being born again of waterby immersion in the name of the Lord “Jesus� Christ for the remission of sins, and in Spirit baptism of the Holy Ghost speaking in other tongues as the Spirit gives utterance. We believe in divine healing, communion and foot washing. We believe in presenting our bodies a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable unto God. We believe in expressions of praise with lifted hands, hand clapping, playing of musical instruments, voice of praise and dancing.