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© 2024 Paolo Tesico
All rights reserved. No part of this ebook may be reproduced or
transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical,
including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and
retrieval system, without written permission from the author.
First Edition.
Published by PowerBrands
Sitio Lagundi, Banaba West
Batangas City, Calabarzon
Philippines 4200
www.powerbrands.pro
Jose Paolo Tesico
paolo@powerbrands.pro
www.facebook.com/paolotesico
www.instagram.com/paolotesico
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To JESUS CHRIST, who gave the grace to write this
devotional, LORD, to you be all the glory.
Thank you for giving your Holy Spirit
to guide and lead.
Holy Spirit, I rely on and lean on you.
To Ruthy and Caitlin, I love you both.
You are both God's blessings to me.
To Tatay Danny and Inay Edith, my loving parents,
I love you.
To Bishop Art, Rev. Ito, and Rev. Gio, thank you for
guiding me. Thank you for your prayers throughout
my pastoral journey.
To my Anointed Professionals family,
our AGroup leaders, and members,
thank you for all your support.
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Foreword
Highly recommended!
It is with great joy and anticipation that I
introduce to you this two-day devotional
entitled “Start Anew” by Ps. Paolo Tesico.
In the pages that follow, you will encounter
a treasure chest full of wisdom and spiritual
depth that is sure to infuse your soul with
love, hope, and optimism for this year.
Ps. Paolo’s unwavering commitment to
sharing the message of hope and love shines
through in this work. Through the life of
Gideon, he has crafted a powerful
devotional that will undoubtedly resonate
with readers from all walks of life.
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As you immerse yourself in these pages, may
you be moved to reflect, to seek, and to
draw closer to God’s presence.
It is an honour to present his work to you,
and I am certain that you will find this
devotional to be a blessing and a beacon of
light along your path.
May you be enriched and uplifted by the
insightful words contained within these
pages.
In Christ,
Rev. Gio Husmillo
Senior Pastor, JA1 Church Mussafah
Age-Level Pastor Overseer JA1 Church Main
Assistant Pastor to Bishop Art Gonzales
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Introduction
In 2024, we are called and invited to
intensify our pursuit of JESUS CHRIST,
place greater reliance on Him, trust in His
Holy Spirit more deeply, and find peace in
His profound love.
This year is an opportunity to firmly
anchor ourselves in the steadfast promises
of JESUS CHRIST, shaping the months ahead
with the faith, hope, and divine guidance.
“Your journey through 2024 is not
just a continuation but a significant
breakthrough.”
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When beginning to read this devotional,
I recommend that you start by
praying to the LORD.
Ask Him to speak to you and pray for the
Holy Spirit's guidance, so that He may
communicate with you through the
revelations shared in this eBook.
Additionally, take some pauses to reflect
on significant words and key points
highlighted in the devotional.
Above all, receive hope and strength
from the LORD, allowing Him
to lead you.
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Day 1:
The WORD
Is Truth
C
hrist Jesus is the author of new
beginnings, and 2024 marks a fresh
start for all of us. We leave behind
the disappointments of 2023, along
with the hurts and regrets.
We refuse to carry the flaws of the last
year; instead, we leave the negativity in 2023.
To emphasize, we make it clear: we leave
behind the undesirable aspects—memories,
attitudes, and mindsets of 2023, and we do not
carry them into 2024.
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In 2024, we seek JESUS CHRIST more,
depend on Him more, rely on His Holy Spirit
more, and rest in His amazing love more. 2024
becomes the year in which we anchor
ourselves in the promises of Jesus.
It is a year shaped by faith, hope, and
divine guidance.
“Your 2024 is not just a
continuation
but a breakthrough.”
The Bible provides one great example of a
man who has been given a fresh new start by
the LORD. He has experienced setbacks in his
life and been belittled by people surrounding
him, but the LORD determined his future, and
the LORD has determined his victory.
He is Gideon.
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Who is Gideon?
He is a farmer from the tribe of Manasseh:
Initially, Gideon wasn't a prominent figure. He
came from a small family, threshing wheat in
hiding to avoid the Midianites who were
plundering the land. His entire story is told in
Judges chapters 6-8.
In Judges 6:1-10, Israel's disobedience
leads to oppression by the Midianites, who
plunder them for seven years. Faced with
hardship, the Israelites cry out to God in
repentance, marking a turning point in the
story.
In response, God sends a prophet who
delivers a powerful message, linking their
suffering to disobedience and urging them to
return to Him. The prophet calls for the
dismantling of the altars of the false god Baal.
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Now, the Israelites are confronted with a
crucial choice: persist in disobedience and face
more consequences or repent and turn back to
God.
Judges 6:11-16 NLT
11 Then the angel of the LORD came and sat
beneath the great tree at Ophrah, which
belonged to Joash of the clan of Abiezer. Gideon
son of Joash was threshing wheat at the bottom
of a winepress to hide the grain
from the Midianites.
12 The angel of the LORD appeared to him and
said, “Mighty hero, the LORD is with you!”
13 “Sir,” Gideon replied, “if the LORD is with us,
why has all this happened to us? And where are
all the miracles our ancestors told us about?
Didn’t they say, ‘The LORD brought us up out of
Egypt’? But now the LORD has abandoned us
and handed us over to the Midianites.”
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14 Then the LORD turned to him and said, “Go
with the strength you have, and rescue Israel
from the Midianites. I am sending you!”
15 “But LORD,” Gideon replied, “how can I rescue
Israel? My clan is the weakest in the whole tribe
of Manasseh, and I am the least
in my entire family!”
16 The LORD said to him, “I will be with you.
And you will destroy the Midianites as if you
were fighting against one man.”
In these words of the LORD, the LORD is
giving already Gideon a promise and a
foresight of victory.
“The WORD of the LORD is enough
to give Gideon the victory.”
In verse 13, Gideon was living in a wrong
mindset, he was questioning God yet he knew
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from the start that Israel did wicked things in
the sight of the LORD. Israel is reaping the
consequence of what he did.
In verse 1 of Chapter 6 of Judges, it
mentioned that Israel did evil in the LORD’s
sight.
Judges 6:1 NLT
The Israelites did evil in the LORD’s sight.
So the LORD handed them over to
the Midianites for seven years.
But here is the twist.
God is gracious. When Israel cried out to
the LORD, as stated in verse 7 to 10, the LORD
responded, proclaiming that He is their God
and should be worshipped alone.
Judges 6:7-10 NLT
7 When they cried out to the LORD
because of Midian,
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the LORD sent a prophet to the Israelites.
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He said, “This is what the LORD, the God of
Israel, says: I brought you up out
of slavery in Egypt.
9 I rescued you from the Egyptians and from all
who oppressed you. I drove out your enemies
and gave you their land.
10 I told you, ‘I am the LORD your God. You must
not worship the gods of the Amorites,
in whose land you now live.’
But you have not listened to me.”
In verse 12 of Chapter 6, a significant shift
in events occurred due to the pronouncement
of the LORD's WORD.
“Gideon’s identity undergoes a change
through the words of the LORD.”
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The WORD significantly impacts Gideon's
reality.
Judges 6:12 NLT
The angel of the LORD appeared to him and
said, “Mighty hero, the LORD is with you!”
Gideon faces battles, challenges, and
insecurities. However, the LORD transforms
Gideon's reality through His words by
revealing the truth: Gideon is a mighty hero,
and the LORD is with him.
“In the same way, our reality changes
when we embrace the promises of
JESUS CHRIST found in
His mighty WORD.”
We are who we are based on what he has
said. And yes, our reality is transformed for
good, and so is our 2024.
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“Your year is defined by the words of
Christ Jesus. He sees the truth beyond
the realities that you are facing.
The truth that Christ Jesus has spoken
about you is more than enough to
bring you to victory!”
Gideon went through tough times. He had
a difficult past, felt scared, and stayed in the
background. But when he met the LORD,
everything changed!
Gideon knew he was not strong. He
admitted his weakness. However, by admitting
his weakness, the LORD did something
amazing. Gideon's weakness became a way for
the super-strong God to work. The LORD, who
always wins, gave His strength to Gideon!
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Judges 6:14 NLT
Then the LORD turned to him and said, “Go with
the strength you have, and rescue Israel from the
Midianites. I am sending you!”
Just like Gideon, we too have experienced
a difficult past, felt scared, and stayed in the
background. But the invitation of the LORD is
available right now.
He is meeting us and inviting us to come
to Him because He has the ability.
He is a super-strong God, and His victory
is available for us this year!
I love the promise of the LORD. In Psalm
44:4 (NLT), it says, “You are my King and my
God. You command victories for Israel.”
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In the same way, the LORD commands
victories for us because we remain in the love
of JESUS CHRIST.
At this moment, let us reflect on this
truth: the LORD is with us. Our strength may
be ebbing away, and we may think that we are
the least - the tail. However, in the eyes of the
LORD, we are mighty heroes. He is granting us
the strength to stand and be victorious this
year, as His promise assures us that He is with
us.
Meditate on these verses:
Judges 6:11-16 NLT
11 Then the angel of the LORD came and sat
beneath the great tree at Ophrah, which
belonged to Joash of the clan of Abiezer. Gideon
son of Joash was threshing wheat at the bottom
of a winepress to hide the grain
from the Midianites.
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12 Theangel of the LORD appeared to him and
said, “Mighty hero, the LORD is with you!”
“Sir,” Gideon replied, “if the LORD is with us,
13
why has all this happened to us? And where are
all the miracles our ancestors told us about?
Didn’t they say, ‘The LORD brought us up out of
Egypt’? But now the LORD has abandoned us
and handed us over to the Midianites.”
14 Then
the LORD turned to him and said,
“Go with the strength you have, and rescue
Israel from the Midianites.
I am sending you!”
15 “ButLORD,” Gideon replied, “how can I rescue
Israel? My clan is the weakest in the whole tribe
of Manasseh, and I am the least
in my entire family!”
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16 The
LORD said to him, “I will be with you.
And you will destroy the Midianites as if
you were fighting against one man.”
Guided Prayer:
H
eavenly Father, in the mighty name of
JESUS CHRIST and through the power
of the Holy Spirit, open my eyes and
help me see Your truth that You are with me.
Help me see my strength in You. Help me
know that Your WORDS shape my reality, that
they transform me.
Thank You for the hope and strength that
I receive from Your WORD, and thank You for
the Holy Spirit that guides me each step of the
way.
Thank You, Heavenly Father. This I pray
in Jesus' name. Amen.
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Stay in the LORD’s presence
Continue to abide in the presence of the LORD.
Feel free to engage in prayer, and take time to
meditate on the previous verses,
allowing God to speak to you.
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Guiding Questions
for Reflection
You have completed day one of our
devotional. I pray that you have been
blessed by the truth that His WORD and
promises can transform our reality and
identity.
Now, let's take a moment for reflection.
Please answer the question below, and
spend more time in communion with the
LORD:
“What are the burdens or baggage that the
LORD is prompting you to leave behind
from the previous year?”
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Day 2:
Surrender
Y
our seeking is your encounter, and
every encounter with the LORD is
an opportunity to surrender.
Perhaps last year, there were areas in our
lives that we didn't surrender to the LORD.
This year, we have the invitation to
surrender them all to Him.
Let us surrender our anxieties to God. Let
us surrender our fears. Let us surrender our
doubts. Let us start the year by surrendering
all of these unto the LORD.
What do we need to do? Come to Him.
Draw close to Him. Pray to Him.
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I always imagine that as we take one step
closer to Christ, He takes two steps closer to us.
James 4:8a (NLT) says, "Come close to
God, and God will come close to you."
This is an encouragement for you, know
that every time you draw near to God, Christ
will draw near to you.
“Every time we surrender to Jesus,
that marks a moment of great victory.”
When we say, "LORD, guide me. I need
you. Holy Spirit, lead me. LORD, I surrender to
you the trash in my life," that's when He starts
to move and work in our lives.
What aspects of our lives do we
surrender to God?
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We surrender our bad character, our
habits, our ungodly lifestyle, longing to live
differently.
None of us want to live the way we did
last year; we desire change, and change is
available for us. What do we need to do? Come
to Christ, come to the Holy Spirit, come to the
presence of our Heavenly Father, and
surrender.
Pray to Him
Let prayer to Him in the morning and
spending time in the secret place be our
priority. Prayer kills our pride. Prayer to Christ
Jesus tells the LORD, "I need you."
It is manifested humility.
L et prayer in the evening be an
intentional action.
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“The change in your prayer life today is a
manifested victory for tomorrow.
The actions you take in the
quiet moments now will lead to
visible victories in the days to come.”
“Go to your secret place,
meet with Him, pour out to Him,
and He will pour out to you.”
Receive His WORD
Receive the promise found in the WORD.
The LORD's promise is discovered whenever
we spend time reading and meditating on His
WORD. Let us not miss the opportunity to
receive His amazing promises whenever we
spend time with the WORD.
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Psalm 119:105 NLT
Your word is a lamp to guide my feet
and a light for my path.
The WORD will change your mindset and
demolish strongholds that the enemy has
placed in your mind. It will eliminate wrong
thinking.
“Wrong thinking produces wrong
actions, determining a wrong present
and leading to a wrong future.”
This year, let's return to the WORD.
Let’s develop a thirst for His WORD. Let’s
change our appetite. Let’s ask the Holy Spirit to
help us understand His promises, the beauty,
power, and strength found in the words of
JESUS CHRIST.
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In Luke 24:45 (NLT), it says, "Then He
opened their minds to understand the
Scriptures."
Ask the Holy Spirit to enlighten you with
the WORD and to have an open mind to
understand it.
To understand the scriptures is not just
head knowledge; it is connecting with our
spirit. Our spirit, empowered by the Holy Spirit
through the words of JESUS CHRIST, makes us
bolder in life, allowing us to demolish the lies
of the enemy.
This year is your year with the LORD.
Bring your life to JESUS CHRIST. Seek intimacy
and friendship with the Holy Spirit.
Psalm 37: 4-5 NLT says,
4 Take delight in the LORD, and he will give you
your heart’s desires.
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5 Commit everything you do to the LORD.
Trust Him, and He will help you.
Meditate on these verses:
Isaiah 30:18-19 NLT
18 So the LORD must wait for you to come to him
so he can show you his love and compassion.
For the LORD is a faithful God.
Blessed are those who wait for his help.
19 O people of Zion, who live in Jerusalem,
you will weep no more.
He will be gracious if you ask for help.
He will surely respond to
the sound of your cries.
Micah 7:15 NLT
“Yes,” says the LORD,
“I will do mighty miracles for you,
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like those I did when I rescued you
from slavery in Egypt.”
Guided Prayer:
H
eavenly Father, in the mighty name of
JESUS CHRIST and through the power
of the Holy Spirit, I surrender to You
my fears, anxieties, and worries for this year.
Help me to draw close to You. Help me
encounter You every day as I seek You.
Guide Me in staying in Your presence and
seeking You always this year.
Grant me the grace to stand firm in Your
promises and help me develop a right mindset.
Let Your Holy Spirit guide me every step of the
way. I ask for this in Jesus' name. Amen.
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Stay in the LORD’s presence
Continue to abide in the presence of the LORD.
Feel free to engage in prayer, and take time to
meditate on the previous verses,
allowing God to speak to you.
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Guiding Questions
for Reflection
You have completed day two of our
devotional. I pray that you have been
blessed by the truth that each encounter
with Jesus Christ transforms us.
Now, let's take some time for reflection.
Please answer the questions below and
spend more time in communion with the
LORD:
“What are the things in your life that you
want to surrender to God?
"What are the things for which you are
hopeful unto the LORD this year?"
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The Author's Message
Thank you for downloading and
reading this devotional.
It is my prayer that you have been encouraged by
this two-day devotional and that your perspective
in this new year has changed as you focus on the
promises of JESUS CHRIST.
I encourage you to continue your walk with the
LORD. Your intimacy with Him will lead you to
amazing victories that you may have never
imagined.
Be a blessing to your friends and family by sharing
this devotional with them.
They can download it at
www.powerbrands.pro.
Until our next devotional,
the LORD bless us all.
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About the Author
Paolo Tesico serves as the age-level pastor at
Jesus the Anointed One Church, overseeing the ministry
for young professionals known as the Anointed
Professionals. His passion for empowerment through the
WORD has led him to speak at various seminars for
diverse audiences.
In addition to his pastoral role, Paolo is a multi-
talented professional, excelling as a film director, writer,
editor, and graphic designer. Notably, he directed
TANIKALA specials that aired on GMA 7. He holds the
positions of director, writer, and editor for the film "Ligaw:
Based On A True Story," a Light Cinema presentation that
has been showcased in 20 international destinations by
God's grace. He is also an alumnus of Ricky Lee's Batch 16
Film Script Writing Workshop, led by the National Artist
of the Philippines for Film and Broadcast, Ricky Lee.
With a rich background, Paolo has also worked at
Nas Daily, fulfilling roles as an editor, animator, and
graphics designer. Currently, he serves as the Operations
Manager at PowerBrands, further showcasing his
versatility and commitment to excellence for the glory of
God.
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