Are you listening?
God still speaks today! Are you listening? What are you hearing?
Deuteronomy 8:3 states, "He humbled you and let you suffer hunger, and fed you with manna, which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that He might make you know that man does not live by bread alone; but man lives by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of the Lord."
Matthew 4:4 states, "But He (Jesus) answered, 'It is written, "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God."'"
7 things we must focus on during the coming year:
1. God’s Word made alive + active
“For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12).
There is life in the Bible. It is the only book that when you read it—it reads you! Meditate on the Word. Love the Scriptures. God's plan, purposes and ways are taught in this precious book. There will be a revival of the Word of God! This will only happen when we proclaim the whole counsel of God just as it is in its purest form. If we take anything away from it or add to it, we are accursed.
2. The Apostolic Move
Romans 1:1 “Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called as an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God,”
There are new things for these seasoned leaders graduate into and thus there is the necessity to empower the next generation to lead. It is truly a time of the joining of the generations. Where are the hidden apostles who are willing to pay the price? Together we are starting another movement. A movement that will lead the church into the Promised Land that God has. A time and place where every believer is walking in His power and shining as a beacon on the hill.
3. Operating the Gifts in faith @ a higher level
Paul encourage Timothy saying, “Do not neglect your gift, which was given you through a prophetic message when the body of elders laid their hands on you” (1 Timothy 4:14). “… All of these things must be done for the strengthening of the church” (1 Corinthians 14:26).
A spirit of fear has been cultivated by well-meaning leaders and many believers have stopped to step into that place of being supernaturally used as a tool for God. Out of necessity and calling, a higher level of discernment and wisdom for times that we are in. It is time to step into a higher calling like Joseph did (Genesis 37:18-19 to 46:27-28).
4. Move from the Great Reformation to A Great Transformation (the church just completed 500 years of reformation)
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” (2 Corinthians 5:17)
It is the sinner's response to the regeneration which God works in him. Regeneration is God's work. It is by God's power, by God's will and we do not participate. Conversion is God's work by His power and His will and we do participate. Regeneration gives us life so that we can respond to God and turn from sin from the old self to the new life in Christ.
5. Exercise Divine Wisdom and Understanding of solutions to Issues and problems
“For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding;” (Colossians 1:9)
“For I will give you a mouth and wisdom which all your adversaries will not be able to contradict or resist.” (Luke 21:15) [Ref: 1 Corinthians 2:1-7; James 3:15-18]
For this we need the mind of Christ. Therefore, I believe it is a release of the seven attributes of the Spirit of God as recorded in Isaiah 11:1-3 and twice in the book of Revelation. It would be the Spirit of wisdom, understanding and counsel. Hope solutions are being released in this hour and in the coming years to bring heaven's solutions to difficult problems in the earth realm. It is time for hope solutions!
6. Extreme Evangelism
“And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.” “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, "teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Amen. (Matthew 28:18-20)
In an effort to make the gospel more palatable, some of us have avoided topics such as sin, hell and the second coming, downplaying the controversial and mysterious nature of the God we serve.
You on the frontlines of ministry are in our prayers - which God will strengthen and empower you for another year of Spirit-led service in His kingdom. When you're tempted to adopt a safer, domesticated Christianity, may you choose a more extreme - and biblical - version of the gospel. And may you always experience a little healthy discomfort as you keep sight of a fiery hell, a bloody cross and the One "who was, and is and is coming" (Revelation 4:8).
The Elim Arrival is our outreach evangelical arm of The Well in the public arena and we must use it profoundly in order to impact souls for Christ NOT for ourselves.
7. Monumental Harvest of Souls
“But others (seed) fell on good ground and yielded a crop: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty” (Matthew 13:8). “Then He said to His disciples, "The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest" (Matthew 9:37-38).
This is the godly desire of millions of Christians — to produce a crop, to bring forth a great harvest of souls for God. It is the beginning of a great harvest. Yes, we are crossing the threshold unto a fresh release of laborers empowered by the Holy Spirit for such a time as this. Believers will be "sent ones" into the fields of the harvest.
Seer-prophet Bob Jones declared in 1983 that three signs would occur to let us know that the beginning of the great 1 billion-soul harvest had begun. Bob declared:
• Abortion would be perfected by a pill. (No one thought Bob knew what he was talking about at the time. But for years now, we have had the "day-after" pill.)
• The U.S. government and other governments of the world would embrace the gay agenda in their court systems. (This was confirmed by the recent U.S. Supreme ruling embracing same-sex marriage.);
• Laborers in the rice fields of China would watch 24/7 worship on unplugged television sets on their wrists.
I will not hesitate to declare with the turn of 2016: "These are the beginning of the days of a great harvest!" It is time for us to grab it and run.
Application: God still speaks today! Are you listening? Are you willing to take action for 2016 and steer your focus on:
1. God’s Word made alive + active
2. The Apostolic Move
3. Operating the Gifts in faith @ a higher level
4. Move from the Great Reformation to A Great Transformation
5. Exercise Divine Wisdom and Understanding of solutions to Issues and problems
6. Extreme Evangelism
7. Monumental Harvest of Souls
