HAPPY NEW YEAR
What was the year 2008 like for you? Considering the current economic crisis, for some people it is one year they will live to remember for a long time, unfortunately not in a good light. But if we all take a close look at both sides of the coin, I mean the big picture, I am sure we will be able to find more victories in this year than we are giving it credit – for one, we still have the breathe of life in our nostrils.
There is no year that will not have its ups and downs. Jesus already warned us that as this age draws to a close, perilous times will increase (Matthew 24:7-12). In the world, things are not going to get better as some think. Things will never go back to the “good old days”. Jesus warned us that in this world there will be tribulation, but despite this we are to be of good cheer because He has overcome the world (John16:33). How can one be of good cheer when you’ve lost all your savings in the stock market? How can one lift up holy hands in worship after loosing all your life savings to a natural disaster? How can one continue to keep a joyful spirit when you’ve been waiting for years for a soul mate and another year is rolled by and nothing has happened yet? How does one continue to have faith when prayers seem to take much longer to be answered?
The answer is in one of the hymns many of us are familiar with – trust and obey, for there’s no other way, to be happy in Jesus but to trust and obey.
In times like this, we need to continuously pray Paul’s prayer over the Ephesians for ourselves and loved one – that the Lord may grant you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation that you may know Him better and that He may enlighten the eyes of your understanding that you may know the hope to which H e has called you (Ephesians 1:17-18). It is only in knowing God better that we can trust Him and it is in knowing the hope to which we have been called that we can obey Him. This ingredient is going to be a key determinant of how we fare in the years to come.
As we enter a new year, let’s not forget there will be battles to be won and victories to be celebrated. Our confidence should be the fact that we have the Ancient of days, the ruler of the universe on our side. You and I can not see into tomorrow or the year 2009 to fully prepare for it and God is never going to give us more than one day at a time. Therefore fretting over tomorrow isn’t going to help us one bit, but rejoicing in the fact that the One whose has your back sees the end from the beginning, will be the source of faith, hope and strength.
You will need to enter this New Year with the right focus and confidence. The focus is going to be on things above not the things below (Colossians 3:1-2), you will need to view every challenge and success from an eternity point of view. You will also need to constantly remember that in the kingdom of God to which we belong, solutions always exist before any problem shows up. Before mankind had need for a redeemer, God already prepared the Lamb of God. Before Israel faced the Red sea, there was already a rod in Moses’ hand. Before Jesus needed to feed the five thousand there was already a boy in the crowd with the five loaves of bread and few fishes.
The year 2009 is going to be a year of fruitfulness, the year of birthing visions that you have been carrying in the womb of intercession for sometime now. It is going to be a year of walking in another dimension of God’s anointing and glory. But this also means be prepared to enlarge your tent because bountiful harvest is on its way. Be prepared to work as well and overcome challenges. When the challenges come, do not focus on them otherwise you will magnify them, rather focus on the fact that the presence of a challenge is an indication that the solution already exist!
HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!
With much love
Angela
There is no year that will not have its ups and downs. Jesus already warned us that as this age draws to a close, perilous times will increase (Matthew 24:7-12). In the world, things are not going to get better as some think. Things will never go back to the “good old days”. Jesus warned us that in this world there will be tribulation, but despite this we are to be of good cheer because He has overcome the world (John16:33). How can one be of good cheer when you’ve lost all your savings in the stock market? How can one lift up holy hands in worship after loosing all your life savings to a natural disaster? How can one continue to keep a joyful spirit when you’ve been waiting for years for a soul mate and another year is rolled by and nothing has happened yet? How does one continue to have faith when prayers seem to take much longer to be answered?
The answer is in one of the hymns many of us are familiar with – trust and obey, for there’s no other way, to be happy in Jesus but to trust and obey.
In times like this, we need to continuously pray Paul’s prayer over the Ephesians for ourselves and loved one – that the Lord may grant you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation that you may know Him better and that He may enlighten the eyes of your understanding that you may know the hope to which H e has called you (Ephesians 1:17-18). It is only in knowing God better that we can trust Him and it is in knowing the hope to which we have been called that we can obey Him. This ingredient is going to be a key determinant of how we fare in the years to come.
As we enter a new year, let’s not forget there will be battles to be won and victories to be celebrated. Our confidence should be the fact that we have the Ancient of days, the ruler of the universe on our side. You and I can not see into tomorrow or the year 2009 to fully prepare for it and God is never going to give us more than one day at a time. Therefore fretting over tomorrow isn’t going to help us one bit, but rejoicing in the fact that the One whose has your back sees the end from the beginning, will be the source of faith, hope and strength.
You will need to enter this New Year with the right focus and confidence. The focus is going to be on things above not the things below (Colossians 3:1-2), you will need to view every challenge and success from an eternity point of view. You will also need to constantly remember that in the kingdom of God to which we belong, solutions always exist before any problem shows up. Before mankind had need for a redeemer, God already prepared the Lamb of God. Before Israel faced the Red sea, there was already a rod in Moses’ hand. Before Jesus needed to feed the five thousand there was already a boy in the crowd with the five loaves of bread and few fishes.
The year 2009 is going to be a year of fruitfulness, the year of birthing visions that you have been carrying in the womb of intercession for sometime now. It is going to be a year of walking in another dimension of God’s anointing and glory. But this also means be prepared to enlarge your tent because bountiful harvest is on its way. Be prepared to work as well and overcome challenges. When the challenges come, do not focus on them otherwise you will magnify them, rather focus on the fact that the presence of a challenge is an indication that the solution already exist!
HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!
With much love
Angela
posted by Angela Lougee | 5:20 PM
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