10 BOCNEWS.com JANUARY 2018 Everything is speeding up. I declare that this is your season of restoration. Elisha was stuck in a rut plowing the fields. He didn’t know what he was going to do with the rest of his life. When he connected with Elijah, he found his destiny. The man of God unlocked God’s plan inside Elisha. That’s why you have to get back into church. The right pastor will unlock your destiny. Elisha heard the Word of the Lord. He took his plow and burned it, then kissed his family members good-bye. You see, when you hear the Word of the Lord, you have to say good-bye to your past and kiss it all good-bye. God knows about all of my failures, and He loves me any way. God wants to bless me in spite of my past. God wants to do a new thing in all our lives. I declare that this is the season to see your children and grandchildren come to the Lord. You know the story about blind Bartemeus. He heard that Jesus was coming his way. So he began to cry out, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me." As he cried out, the people around him told him to be quiet. But the more they tried to shut him up, the louder he got. You see, you can't let anything stop you from getting to Jesus. That’s why you need to be in church every time the doors open. You have to press through all the depres- sion, the nay-sayers and all the dis- couragement. Blind Bartemeus saw his chance, and he wasn't going to let it go. He was ready for a new thing. It is the nature of God to pour out His mercy on us. When you fall down, His mercy is there to pick you up. When you turn the corner, His mercy is there to pick you up. The only reason your marriage has made it, is because of God's mercy. Even when all of hell came against you, it was goodness and mercy that pulled you through. It is time for you to open your mouth and thank God for a new thing. If it wasn’t for His mercy, you would be in your grave right now. The only reason you are not homeless today is because of His mercy. When you make a mistake, God's mercy will pick you up and prepare you for a new thing. If it weren’t for His mercy, you never would have made it. Society was against you. You were born on the wrong side of the tracks. Your track record was not very good. But you have goodness and mercy following you all the days of your life. Get ready for a new thing. God is looking for people that will praise Him, when the odds are impos- sible. He is looking for people that will praise Him, when everything looks the worst. When we praise Him, we build a throne for Him to sit on. When we praise Him, God shows up. You are never too cute to praise the Lord. You are never too educated to praise Him. Start praising the Lord and get ready for a new thing. The Lord is my shepherd I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul. Surely goodness and mercy will fol- low me all the days of my life. Are you ready for a new thing? Dennis Leonard is the Senior Pastor of Heritage Christian Center. For more information about Dennis Leonard or Heritage Christian Center, go online to: www.HeritageChristianCenter.com GET READY ... continued from page 7