Yesterday during worship, I saw Jesus take a clock off the wall and set the time. He said, "THIS IS THE HOUR OF MY HOLINESS." He is recalibrating the time for we have entered a unique and holy hour. It is an uncomfortable time of exposures and confrontations, not only in our nation, but among the brethren. And yet the Lord is determined that His standard of righteousness is no longer compromised or defamed.
There are a lot of things about getting older that I don't like. I don't like that I have to wear glasses in order to see. I don't like the fact that some of my hair has given up on me. I also don't like that when I stand up, my bones sound like the percussion line of a marching band. I could go on with a list of things that I do not like about getting older. However, all of the negatives about getting older are outweighed by just one wonderful thing: grandchildren.
We've got the Spirit of the Living God who teaches us all things! Have you ever heard the voice of God? Not the audible voice of God, but a thought, feeling, or knowing that you knew you were hearing from the Lord? In my recent webinar with Joshua, we shared teaching, stories, and testimonies about discerning the voice of God and discerning spirits in everyday life.
The anointing you received from Him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. But as His anointing teaches you about all things and as that anointing is real, not counterfeit – just as it has taught you, remain in Him. (1 John 2:27 NIV) The School of Christ; that is, the School where Christ is the great Lesson and the Spirit the great Teacher; in the School where the teaching is not objective, but subjective; where the teaching is not of things, but an inward making of Christ a part of us by experience – that is the nature of this School.
As the year 2024 is coming to a close, we could look back and reflect on the triumphs and the challenges we've faced. We've experienced our share of happiness and heartaches, but through it all, we've grown and learned. Many people are looking forward to 2025 with anticipation, and great expectation. As we ring out the old, and bring in the new, we wonder what the Lord has in store for us this upcoming year. Will there be wars, rumors of wars, feast or famine, or will we experience the greatest revival that the world has ever experienced?
In early December I hosted a men's retreat at a camp near my home in Georgia. We hiked four miles, enjoyed great Southern food, enjoyed fellowship around an outdoor fireplace, slept in bunkhouses, worshipped and prayed together, and listened to several of the younger guys share short sermons. Because of the relaxed atmosphere, many of the guys opened up and shared that they were feeling battle-weary.
A Word of Comfort to those who might have entered a place of stagnant waters to bring you into the refreshing streams of God's Grace. "There comes a time in one's life where they become determined to cast all their cares upon Me and trust fully resting in My faithfulness to preserve their life. Casting all cares upon Me gives the strength needed to go on no matter what they face in their way.
In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace. Ephesians 1:7 The moment you invited Jesus into your heart as your Lord and Savior, all your sins were forgiven—your past sins, your present sins, and your future sins. Once you are born again, you are in Christ. You do not have to try to get forgiveness. You have the forgiveness of sins through His blood, and this forgiveness of sins that you have is not according to what you have done, but according to the riches of God's grace—His unmerited, unearned, and undeserved favor!
Loving your enemies isn't a concept that comes easily. In fact, it feels counterintuitive. The natural response to someone who has hurt or betrayed us is to distance ourselves or, at worst, to seek revenge. But what if I told you that loving your enemies can lead to a sense of inner peace and freedom that you never thought possible? The idea of loving your enemies has deep roots in many spiritual and philosophical traditions. In Christianity, for example, Jesus calls his followers to "love your enemies, do good to those who hate you" (Luke 6:27).
"Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow, the Lord will do amazing things among you." Joshua 3:5 In 2 Samuel 23:20, there is an extraordinary story. The passage says, "One snowy day, a man named Benaiah chased a lion." Normal people don't chase lions. Lions chase normal people. But God wants you to have a bold and courageous mentality that will allow you to chase after what has intimidated you in the past.
