Well it’s official. 2020 is the most unpredictable year I have ever seen. The only thing certain is that nobody really knows what is going on…
Of course that can be really unsettling. The feeling of not knowing can cause us grab tightly to things that make us feel safe and grounded. In my own life when things feel out of control, it tends to expose my insecurities, and I tend to minimize my surroundings to things that feel normal and make me feel in control. I find this to be a common human response. We crave reliability and need something to depend on. The problem is that there is nothing born from this world that can fill that desire. If nothing else 2020 has made that abundantly obvious. My prayer is that in a year we can look back and say, “Jesus thank you for revealing all of the false strongholds we call security hidden in our hearts. Thank you for refining us and teaching us how to hold onto and trust in your Kingdom in a deeper and more profound way.” My prayer is that we are overcome with God’s love and submit ourselves even further into His call for us. That what the enemy intended to shake and defeat us with, the Father would use to build and strengthen us with. At the end of the day, no matter who is the president, no matter if our economy is good or bad, no matter if we feel safe or not, Jesus is still King and His Kingdom will have no end.
Then I heard a loud voice shouting across the heavens, “It has come at last— salvation and power and the Kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Christ. For the accuser of our brothers and sisters has been thrown down to earth— the one who accuses them before our God day and night. And they have defeated him by the blood of the Lamb and by their testimony. And they did not love their lives so much that they were afraid to die.
Revelation 12:10-11
For me this is the point. The victory is not gained in this life, it is gained by giving up our lives for the Kingdom come. The Bible is clear about suffering in this world. It’s undeniable, but it loses its power over us when we freely give up our lives for His Kingdom. You can’t beat a dead horse, and you certainly can’t beat a dead to self Christ follower. The joy of knowing that every form of suffering I endure will be flipped by the Father to produce eternal fruit is overwhelming. This is the position I choose. This is the rock I stand on. Do I act like what I believe every day? Ha! Don’t ask my wife. But the days I don’t, if I can humble myself, the Holy Spirit brings correction so I can overcome.
So let’s ask a hard question. What in your life would cause you to fall apart if God took it away? Allow Holy Spirit to examine your heart. When he reveals it, allow Him to bring healing.
Love,
Pastor John
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