New Beginnings Covenant Brethren Church
Wednesday Thoughts
Wednesday Thoughts
September 30, 2026
Joel 3:9 Proclaim this among the nations: Consecrate for war; stir up the mighty men. Let all the men of war draw near; let them come up. Beat your plowshares into swords, and your pruning hooks into spears; let the weak say, " I am a warrior!"
How often have believers buried their heads in the sand?? How often do we hear about things happening in other places and are thankful it's not happening in our little world?? How has sin abounded in the world, in the church and in our families??
As we look back in time, we see that many battles were won by the element of surprise! When we let down our guard, when we get comfortable...that is when we become weak! I believe our Lord is calling us to battle!! He is telling us to draw near to Him, prepare ourselves, that the days of being comfortable and apathetic are over!!
Our Lord will train us for war...He will teach us how to fight the spiritual battles in our lives, in our church and in our nation. In Ephesians we are told that we are to take the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God and use it to take back the territory the enemy has stolen. Our children, our families, our churches and our land...this great land...One Nation Under God!!
Dear church!! We must wake up!! When we are feeling weak, the Lord is strong in us and through us!! We can say to ourselves, I AM A WARRIOR!!! Yes! We are warriors for Christ...or have we forgotten??
We follow a warrior God! Just read Revelation and see how Christ is returning!! He is no longer a babe in a manger!! He is King and when he tells us to get ready, we had better get ready!!
My prayer today is for us all to realize who we are in Jesus and see what we are fighting for!! The least, the lost, the forgotten, the hopeless, those who have been wounded by the evil one, all those that have been told they will never measure up, all those who have listened to and believed the father of lies, satan. Consecrate yourselves for war church and know that when we proclaim the Name of Jesus, the enemy MUST FLEE!!
Preach this, Know this and Live this and Know that you are no longer weak.... YOU ARE A WARRIOR!!
To those who have ears to hear.
Blessings, Pastor Karen
September 23, 2026
2 Peter 3:9 The Lord does not delay and is not tardy or slow about what He promises, according to some people's conception of slowness, but He is long suffering toward you, not desiring that any should perish, but that all should turn to repentance.
Sometimes I wonder why the Lord does not come and end all the evil that is going on in the world. When I watch what is happening all over our nation my heart aches. We truly live in the days where evil is called good and good is called evil. When we have to worry about boys in girls locker rooms, the trafficking of our children, the abortion pill, the abuse of our elderly, the drugs that are flooding our streets, why wouldn't a merciful God just call it quits?? Why wouldn't He just say it is enough, things have gone too far and I Am going to put an end to it.
And then I think of all those I know that are not saved, that don't understand the love of Jesus. Those who have been hurt and wounded and don't know where to turn. Those who are lost just waiting to be found!!
The long suffering of our Lord is just that...I believe He does suffer waiting and wanting His children to turn to Him!!
When Jesus walked the earth, His mission was among other things, to set the captive free! He has commissioned the church to be the hands and feet of bringing in the lost, the hopeless, those who are like walking dead on the streets.
Where, Oh where is the church?? Could it be that the delay is because the people of God have forgotten their mission?? Could we have forgotten why we are here??
Matthew 28:19. Jesus tells His disciples that all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Him. He says, " Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you."
My prayer today is for an awakening of God's people!! For the power of the Holy Spirit to convict the body of Christ to rise up and tell all we know about the saving grace of Jesus, about the wonder working power of the blood of the Lamb!! That we can be set free, we can be made new and we can be saved by Jesus, the One Who died for you and for me!!
Yes, the Lord waits, He watches, He yearns for the lost to come home to Him...and we are His messengers!! We are His disciples!! We are the ones who know the key and that is Jesus...to all our cares, all our troubles, all our sorrows.
The challenge for today.... think on one person who you know who does not know Jesus and pray for them, reach out to them, however the Lord leads you and watch and see what the Lord will do...remember He does not want any to perish and if we have His heart, neither should we.
Blessings, Pastor Karen
September 16, 2026
Lord, today my thoughts turn to prayer...Proverbs 6:19 tells us that one of the things the Lord hates are hands that shed innocent blood.
We have had such a wishy washy teaching in the body of Christ that our Lord is love, just love...anything goes, do whatever you want to do...there are no consequences!
This scripture shows another side of our Lord and His righteousness...HE DOES HATE EVIL!!
My heart aches for all the innocent blood that has been shed in the United Stated of America...where we used to be one nation under God...where the killing and trafficking of innocent children was unheard of...now we live in a land where over 60 million and counting unborn human beings have been slaughtered. We live in a nation where men and women are deceived by the Father of lies...Satan. He not only wants to destroy the babies, he wants to destroy the lives of the ones who made the decision to end their babies lives. In this way he has tried to destroy many more millions of lives!!
My prayer today is for eyes to be opened, hearts to be convicted and for those who have experienced this loss to use it to tell others about the lie they fell into...for now therefore there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus!! ( Romans 8:1)
My prayer is for those who have lived with the shame, the grief and the guilt to be set free!! For you see, our Lord has delivered us...He forgives us and in that forgiveness HE CALLS US!!
For the dear ones who are still in the darkness...seek your Saviors light and life!! Be an overcomer and help others overcome!!
As long as satan can keep us in the pit of sin and shame we will be of no help to others! What an evil and diabolical plan he has...but WE CAN OVERCOME THROUGH CHRIST!!!
My prayer is that we will see the tide turning and that we will see abortion clinics put out of business for lack of clients!!
Dear Lord, we ask that You heal our land, we ask that You give us boldness and courage to stand against the evil one and we thank You for Your powerful healing of all our sin, for once we KNOW we are truly forgiven we become a force to be reckoned with through the power of the HOLY SPIRIT!!
My prayer is for all of us to know the power of the Holy Spirit in our lives and LIVE in that power!! For only through this power will we be able to be more than conquerors...yes, only then can we OVERCOME!!!
May the POWER OF THE HOLY SPIRIT BE WITH YOU ALL TODAY AND IN THE DAYS AHEAD!
Blessings, Pastor Karen
September 9, 2026
Romans 14: 7-8 For none of us lives to himself. For if we live we live to the Lord and if we die we die to the Lord. So then whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord's
Joseph sent me this scripture to use at his mother's service, our dear sister Peggy. It caught my attention as never before. As believers we are not to live for ourselves! If we are true followers of Jesus we are to become transformed so that the urge to live selfishly goes away. Soooo, I believe that a little self-examination might be called for in light of this little scripture in Romans.
Do we live for ourselves?? What or who is the first thing you think about when you get up in the morning? If we are living for ourselves it is a pretty good possibility that we think of what we are going to do, of what is on our agenda for the day. If we are living for the Lord, our thinking is different. We wake up and say "Good Morning Lord!" what are the plans today?? Where should I go and what should I be doing?? Who should I call, who should I visit, who should I send a card to?? Who should I be praying for?? When we think like this all our attention is on the Lord and His plans, not on our plans.
It's very hard not to think of ourselves first, it's very hard to lay down our lives for another...but this is what Jesus is calling us to do.
John 15:13 tells us "Greater love has no one than this; to lay down one's life for one's friends."
Selfishness is very prevalent in today's society, everyone wants their own way, and what is worse people begin to hate others who don't allow them to have their own way.
I guess it all comes down to who you decide to serve...yourself and your own interests or the Lord and His plans and purposes. It is a choice!! Deuteronomy tells us that the Lord sets before us life and death and then He tells us to choose life!! Yes, He tells us to choose life...how sad the King of the universe has to tell us that choosing life is better!!
Dear church, if we choose not to live for ourselves, if we choose to lay our lives down for the sake of others, for the sake of our Lord, then this scripture has great meaning and promise...for if we live we live to the Lord and if we die, we die to the Lord. So then, whether we live or whether we die...WE ARE THE LORDS!!!
What a promise! What a blessing!! BUT....we have a choice everyday....CHOOSE THIS DAY WHOM YOU WILL SERVE!!
My prayer is that we all find that living for the Lord has such a greater purpose than anything this life can hold or give. That the things of this world will grow strangely dim in the light of our Lords glory and grace!!
Oh yes church!! How wonderful to LIVE in the glory and grace of God!!
Blessings, Pastor Karen
September 2, 2026
Matthew 5:9 Blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called the children of God.
This past week we said goodbye to one of our beloved sisters in Christ, Peggy. We had prayed with her and for her, we spent time with her and we loved her. She came into our midst years ago and I am sure she really did not know what to expect. She took a chance on this group of believer's, and I know she loved us and we loved her.
How precious is the death of one of the Lords saints...for that is what Peggy was...she served her Lord and her church with a commitment that is rare. How precious she was to us and to our Lord.
Peggy was someone who I knew I could count on to help in any way she could. She was someone who was willing to take on a challenge in her sweet and calm way. We got to know her very well as she served on Leadership team and helped in so many ways with the Good News Club...oh how many funny times we had with her and those children, to watch her with them always made me laugh! The crazy questions they would ask, the funny things they would do truly amused her. She was always buying things for them and was always so thoughtful in her giving. The picture that stands out in my mind is her meeting us at the school and lugging her rolling box of snacks and goodies, I can still see her! She was our organization queen and she kept us straight, two days before she entered the hospital with her first stroke Cathy and I had met her for breakfast...she was talking about Good News Club and how she still wanted to help, she was buying a laptop so she could help us with registration and anything else that was needed! We were so excited to have her back with us.
When I go the call that she was back in the hospital my heart broke...I didn't know where this was going to lead but I had to trust the Lord with my dear sister Peggy.
We never know when our days here will end, we never know when will be the last time here on earth we will see each other, we never know when God will call us Home. I am thankful for the time I had with Peggy, I know we all are...but we will miss her, truly we will. But I trust my Lord and He knows best and I know the reward for Peggy in heaven was great! I hope our Lord gives her a golden rolling box to pull full of delicious snacks for the children in heaven...wouldn't that be something!!
So, I say dear Peggy, we will see you again in a place where there is no more sorrow, no more pain, no more tears, just a joy like we have never known on this earth. We will think of you every time we enter Middletown Primary School, every Sunday morning, every LT meeting, we will think of your kindness and your generosity whenever something was needed for the church.
We are thankful to our Lord for the time we had with you, and we are thankful for a Lord Who is faithful and true to His promises. And in those promises we have the hope of eternal life with Him.
So let us live our lives honoring our Lord and serving others as Peggy did, so that when we are called Home we will be remembered as one of Gods precious ones.
In sweet remembrance, Pastor Karen
August 19, 2026
Revelation 3:15-16 To the church in Laodicea....I know your works, you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot! So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of My mouth!
Lukewarm...who of us likes a lukewarm cup of coffee or a lukewarm glass of water?? If you are like me, I like my coffee steaming hot and my water ice cold...I like to know there is a difference!
The Lord is the same...He likes His church to be hot...on fire for Him and His gospel and if it's not hot it is better to be cold, for at least you know the difference between a believer and a non-believer! The Lord says if we are only lukewarm, He will spit us out of His mouth!! Wow!!
What does it mean to be lukewarm?? To lack zeal, fire, to be okay with the status quo. How much of the church is lukewarm?? How many of us are lukewarm? How many of us are perfectly fine with being where we are?? We do our duty, we go to church, we do the work of the church, serve on committees, feed the hungry, clothe the poor and that is all we need to do!?
We have enough money, we have need of nothing, we are very comfortable...and that is good enough we tell the Lord.
Revelation 3:17 says ...."For you say I am rich. I have prospered and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind and naked!"
Dear church...the riches of this earth cannot compare to the riches of heaven! We cannot take anything with us but our salvation...that is all that matters! When we meet Jesus the things of this earth will matter no more.
May our perspective be on heavenly matters...the things that matter the most! Our relationship with Jesus is the greatest thing we could ever have. Jesus says He stands at the door and knocks, if anyone hears His voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him and he with me. Jesus waits on us to put Him first...to seek Him with urgency, so that He can ignite a fire in our hearts for Him and His people!! He wants us to be on fire for Him!! Living, breathing examples of Himself so that others will know without a shadow of a doubt that we belong to Jesus!! No longer lukewarm, no longer compromising with the world and its ways, no longer being content with where we are...but always hungering and thirsting for more of Jesus!
Wake us up Lord!! Call us out Lord!! Lead us to the cross dear Lord and light us on fire!!
Blessings, Pastor Karen
August 12, 2026
Psalm 37: 5 Commit your way unto the Lord, trust also in Him, and He shall bring it to pass.
Trust...a word we use lightly in the world we live in. We are supposed to trust the government, we are supposed to trust the church, we are supposed to trust our family, our friends. How often we are let down when one or all of these betrays our trust. How many of us have trusted in something or someone and had that trust broken?? How many of us have a hard time trusting after we have been betrayed?
Is it any wonder that we have a hard time trusting our Lord? We almost become used to being lied to or let down by others, so why would God be any different?
How do we know that when we commit our way to the Lord and trust Him that He wants to bring good things into our lives, that He will be with us through the tests and trials, that His love is above all we can think or imagine. How do we know?
Numbers 23:19 says, " God is not a man, that He should lie, or a son of man, that He should change His mind. Has He said it, and will He not do it? Or has He spoken it, and will He not fulfill it?
There comes a time in our lives where we have to make a choice...to believe God or not...to realize that we cannot look to man for what we need...we cannot trust man because we are all only human and we will make mistakes along the way, we will hurt others intentionally or unintentionally...it's bound to happen BUT our God does not lie. He does not change and we CAN ALWAYS TRUST HIM!!
So I pray that we give our broken hearts to a Lord that can heal them. I pray that we learn to know the One who we can trust, the One who calls us by name, the One who never lies...the One who is perfect in all of His ways. I pray we learn to TRUST Him completely.
Commit your way unto the Lord and do not be afraid for our God is faithful and trustworthy and He shall bring everything He has promised to pass.
Blessings, Pastor Karen
July 29, 2026
Mark 1:4-5 And so John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. The whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem went out to him. Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River.
This Saturday we will be having another baptism in Middle Creek. What a reverent time it has been over the years to gather along the creek bank and go into the waters of baptism.
How does baptism change us? How has baptism made a difference in our lives??
Is it an insurance policy?? Is it one more box checked on the form on how to get to heaven??
Scripture says that the WHOLE Judean countryside and ALL the people of Jerusalem went out to John the Baptist to be baptized! What was the stipulation of being baptized? Confessing their sins!! Then they were baptized!
Then when we come up out of the waters, we are clean, we are new, we are delivered from the sin in our lives that has held us captive.
Before we are baptized, we need to reflect on the why. We need to ask ourselves are we ready to lay down our lives and follow Jesus!
Are we ready, truly ready to lay down the sin we will confess at baptism...are we ready to grab hold of Jesus and never let go!!!
Or will we go back to our old way of life?? Figuring we have done what we need to do to be saved. Never changing, never allowing the Lord to change us into His image bearers!!
Baptism is serious business...it should be a life changing experience; it should not be taken lightly!!
So, when the decision is made...remember to count the cost, think on the vows you take and get it in your minds and hearts that this will change your life if it is truly real!!
So dear church get ready for the greatest adventure of your life when you come up out of the waters of baptism... IF it is truly a clean slate you are looking for, IF you are looking for life abundant in Christ, IF you want to change, IF you want to make a difference for the kingdom of God, IF you are ready to follow Jesus with all your strength, all your mind and all your heart!!
My prayer for Saturday is that all those who come to be baptized will know why they are there, they will know why it is so important to be baptized, and they have the desire so strong in their hearts to make the Lord...Lord of their lives!!
I pray wisdom and discernment for all who read these words and may our Lord bless you and keep you and give you peace.
Blessings, Pastor Karen
July 16, 2026
John 2: 13-17 The Passover of the Jews was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. In the temple He found those who were selling oxen and sheep and pigeons, and the money changers sitting there. And making a whip of cords, He drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and oxen. And He poured out the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables. And He told those who sold the pigeons, "It is written, My house shall be called a house of prayer, but you make it a den of robbers!" His disciples remembered that it was written, "Zeal for Your house will consume Me."
Have you ever been passionate about something?? Have you ever stood for what you believed against all odds??
Jesus was passionate about His Father's house! The world had moved in, and they had desecrated the temple of the Lord!! They were buying and selling and who knows what else was going on!! The temple had become like a marketplace and when Jesus walked in and saw what was happening, He was angry!! He made a whip of cords and started to swing it around...can you imagine the scene??
Jesus was consumed with zeal, passion, fervor for the wrongs that were being committed in His Father's house!
Wow!! This was a righteous anger we did not see often in our Savior!!
This was sin, this was injustice, those who belonged to Him were being taken advantage of and He did not like it!!
I want you to think about this for a moment...when you feel you have been taken advantage of, unjustly accused, made fun of, ridiculed, made to feel ashamed, guilty, less than...Jesus takes your part!! He rises up and fights for you!! He sees and knows what satan is trying to do to you and I believe He gets out His whip and lets the enemy of our souls have it!!
We do not serve a wishy-washy God; we serve the KING!! He cares for us, He is mighty and He is Holy!! He is Righteous!! He is Just!!
Dear church, remember who you are to Jesus, remember He fights for you, remember you are precious to Him!!
Jesus is passionate about His Father's house, and He is passionate for YOU! Do not be worried or afraid when things seem to be going against you...God is on your side, and He has conquered all the evil in the world; we just have to believe it!
We thank You Lord for guarding and protecting us, for loving us so strongly that we never have to be worried again! Thank You for keeping us safe, for watching over us and for lighting our path...thank You for not only being our Savior but for being our Mighty Warrior King!!
We give glory to Your Name Oh Lord and we humbly bow in Your presence tonight.
In Jesus Holy Name, Amen
Blessings, Pastor Karen