to whom He also presented Himself alive after His suffering by many infallible proofs, being seen by them during forty days and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God.
Acts 1:3 NKJV
And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.
1 Corinthians 2:4-5 NKJV
Happy New Year! It’s going to be a good one. In case you haven’t noticed, the world around us is going quite mad. The restraints on evil seem to be slipping away. What used to be done in darkness with a sense of shame is now boldly proclaimed and glorified. As expected, the difference between those who live in the light and those who love the darkness is getting clearer every day. Those who have chosen darkness are impervious to truth. They exert undue influence in cultures around the world, intentionally spreading darkness to others. In this pagan environment, we are called to intentionally spread light. To do this effectively, we need to emphasize three things:
- Pray. In October, the Lord started showing me things about His prayer life when He was on earth. Now we are in the role of being God’s physical representation in the earth. If He prayed, then we must pray also. As the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ, we have direct access to the throne of God. We have the covenant promises and the power of the Name. We have the Holy Spirit to help us when we don’t know how to pray. It’s time to press in.
- Power. Earlier this month, I heard the Spirit say, “It’s miracle time!” Neither Jesus nor Paul simply talked about the Kingdom of God. Instead, they gave proof, a demonstration of reality by the Spirit’s power. We live in a time when people need to see something real, not just hear our pious opinions. This will require us to be people of prayer who know the leading of the Spirit, then have the courage to obey. You received power when the Holy Spirit came upon you (Acts 1:8). Now use it. It’s miracle time.
- Love. Jesus gave us one simple commandment: love one another. In spite of this, we spend much time and energy arguing among ourselves. Some even pull away from fellowship. They live behind their fence of offence, kidding themselves into believing they don’t need anyone else: “Just me and Jesus.” For the miracle power to flow the way God wants, we need to follow the recipe from Acts Chapter 2: “When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting.” (Acts 2:1-2 NKJV). One accord, one place, and suddenly!
This last Sunday of 2024, let’s get prayed up. Start now. Find some extra time to pray in the New Year. Open your heart to the move of the Spirit. Paul said to desire the things of the Spirit. Start today! Ask God to use you. Get your relationships right. Jesus said forgive if you have anything against anybody. He will help you. It’s miracle time. One accord, one place, suddenly!
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