MAKE SURE YOU PUT CUSTOMERSERVICE@IDENTITYNETWORK.NET INTO YOUR ADDRESSES IN YOUR EMAIL SERVER. IF NOT, YOUR EMAILS FROM US WILL GO TO YOUR SPAM FOLDER.
History has been marred by wars, rioting, despotic leadership, geopolitical challenges, ethnic cleansing, environmental erosion, and diseases that threatened to wipe out all of humanity. Yet in spite of these threats to our very existence, we are able to look through the pages of history books to identify individuals who kept hope alive and pointed us to the possibility of a better and brighter future by the power of their vision. Proverbs tells us that, "where there is no vision, the people perish"(Prov. 29:18), they stumble in the darkness of despair.
God has destined us for victory. He has created us to be overcomers in this life. He who is born of God overcomes the world and our victory is intimately connected with our faith. (1 John 5:4) We realize that God has already given every man the measure of faith. (Rom. 12:3) As well, we also know that faith "comes" by hearing and that our faith needs to be in God's words coming alive in our hearts. (Rom. 10:17) Do we need more faith? Most likely not. Luke 17:5-6 "And the apostles said to the Lord, "Increase our faith." So the Lord said, "If you have faith as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, 'Be pulled up by the roots and be planted in the sea,' and it would obey you."
As we begin this New Year, I was praying and asking God what He wanted to focus on. He showed me a rollercoaster, and as the cars began the ride, they started up the steep incline. For many 2018 was like the beginning of a rollercoaster. It was a slow process. It felt uphill or like you were having to really push through. As you get closer to the top where the rollercoaster releases, a few things happen. First, you hear click, click, click of the track with each inch closer you get. These, spiritually, have been moments of 2018 that were moments it "clicked." They were moments of revelation where God spoke something or taught something to your heart and it took you one notch higher.
Did you know that you have a Book of Life in Heaven? It contains a record of the plans and destiny God has for you! The Book of Life is actually mentioned several times in the Bible. For example: "… all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be." Psalm 139:16 NIV Learning how to understand your Book of Life will help you understand and navigate life's times and seasons. Here are a few ways you can start aligning with God's purpose and calling for your life and understand the fresh assignments from Heaven for 2019.
Heading into this busy time of year, I woke up and asked the Lord to direct my thoughts. With so many options before me, I knew I needed to focus my energies carefully. That's when I heard, "For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven"(Eccl. 3:1, ESV). I quickly realized that I could slip into automatic gear this time of year and begin to expect certain things, anticipate needs and priorities, and miss what God is doing this time. I felt the Lord's caution and reminder to carefully look and watch for what He is doing in this season, rather than assuming.
"And the Lord said to Joshua, 'This day I will begin to exalt you in the sight of all Israel, that they may know that, as I was with Moses, so I will be with you.'"(Josh 3:7-8). Joshua had been a faithful number two man under Moses for 40 years. Can you imagine serving one man for 40 years? Now that is faithfulness! Even so, when the time came to pass the mantel to Joshua, God knew he needed to be elevated in the eyes of the people in order for Joshua to accomplish his purpose. That is the purpose for elevation - so that you and I can fulfill our purpose and our mission.
Where do we go as a Church? Today, we hear the Spirit of the Lord clearly say, "The future is in your hands!" On this New Year, let's consider what are some things that must be done to revitalize the Church? Where do we go from here? We must build out koinonia – our togetherness. Our connectivity must cross all pre-defined boundaries – past theological differences, past polarized partisan dogma, and beyond gender and racial divides. Probably none of us agree on very much on doctrine!! Could we be straining at the gnats?
Broken voices hold their secrets in the recess of their pieces. Listen. They call out to wake us from our slumber and illusion. Reality. These voices express truthfulness and candor that sting the heart and mind. Burden. Within the shadows and the silence lie their real and raw stories. Injustice. It is time for the revealing of these truths. Exposure. It is time for these wrongs to be made right. Justice. Oh, precious voices once broken, you will now speak and sing a brand new song. Freedom.
I had a natural father who encouraged me to pursue my dream. I never realized what a gift my dad was until hearing the stories of broken families and the shipwreck it leaves in personal identity. God can reverse all that, but it's not magic, and it often takes a spiritual father. The second motive for touching this topic is reformation. We are in the early stages of another reformation. The first one changed minds and gave access to the presence of God. The fruit was a renaissance that revolutionized the arts and an industrial revolution that changed cultures and living standards around the world. This reformation will be even bigger because it targets hearts with an invitation to work with God. It targets what God can do through you. The brilliance of this reformation is that it includes you. People don't need to be convinced that they are invited into this move. Something is already stirring in their hearts, and they want to know how.
Recently I had a powerful encounter with the Lord where I heard His voice thundering over His people, "Make up your mind!" It wasn't an angry "make up your mind," it was a strong decree and invitation to partner with faith and to move away from being double-minded. The Lord showed me that there was an "entry point" for the enemy to come in with his torment, fear and oppression that was in the hearts and minds of God's people and that "entry point" was called "DOUBLE-MINDEDNESS." "When you are half-hearted and wavering it leaves you unstable. Can you really expect to receive anything from the Lord when you're in that condition?" James 1:7-8 (The Passion Translation)
This page does not exist.