On the Threshold of a New Year and Decade

As I’ve prayed and pondered what God has for us as a community in the months ahead, I’ve consistently been aware of several thoughts and impressions. Here are a few of them

2020 is a significant year. It’s possible to look back through history and see that certain years represent “hinges” on which big historical and Kingdom events swing. These are pivotal years. In recent history, the years 1999-2000, 1989, 1968-1969, 1944, 1929, and 1917-1918 all fit this pattern to varying degrees. I think 2020-2021 will be such a “hinge” year on a global scale.

Such years can be chaotic and more than a little unnerving. But often what is taking place is “creative destruction.” The tearing down of existing structures so something better can rise in it’s place. In these seasons it is vital for believers to take the long view and rest in the knowledge that God is faithful to His people and that He is guiding History to the ends that He decreed.

In such seasons, it’s wise to pay less attention to the news and social media and greater attention to what the voice of the Spirit is saying to us. In times of upheaval, God will be looking for earthly (prayer) partners in carrying out His will. We need to be sensitive to the voice of the Spirit in order to declare and proclaim what God wants declared and proclaimed. (Seeing & Decreeing!)

Spiritual Security. The coming year will be one in which we need the skill of speaking the truth in tender love. We’ll need to be able to react with compassion and gentleness in the face of rejection or criticism. We’ll need, to paraphrase Rudyard Kipling, to be able “to keep our heads when all those around us are losing theirs and blaming it on us.”

The single key to all of these things is “spiritual security.” By that I mean having our identities grounded firmly in our sonship or daughtership in God. I’m talking about knowing, down to our very bone marrow, that we are accepted, loved, approved, and (in Christ) qualify for every blessing, protection, provision and favor.

My past series called “Honeycomb Lying on the Ground” is all about cultivating this sort of “spiritual security.”

Hope, Change, and Yoga. We’re all wired differently. Some people find change exhilarating. (I do.) Others find it painful. That’s not a character flaw. It’s just part of the varying temperaments that make us all unique and equipped to carry out God’s good plans.

I mention this because in the months ahead we are likely to find ourselves stretched out of our comfort zones in some areas of life. And, by definition, to be out of your comfort zone is to be uncomfortable. And we all LOVE comfort! This discomfort is not the devil. It is God. It is not a problem to be solved. It is opportunity to receive grace and enablement.

As you may have heard me say in the past, being pulled out of your comfort zone is a clear sign that God is not finished with you.

The Roaring Twenties. Finally, a word about the decade ahead. The next ten years are going to be exciting, tumultuous, and filled with breathtaking changes.

The spiritual reality at the center of these changes is the fact that the idols of this age are tottering, crumbling, and preparing to fall. (cf. Dagon in 1 Samual 5) In seasons such as this, the enemy always overplays his hand. Goes too far. Looks like he’s winning. And in the process, ultimately ends up blowing himself up, much like Wiley Coyote on the old Road Runner cartoons.

I’ll have much more to say about this in the weeks ahead. But for now, just know that we’re an ekklesia. That means we’re far stronger together than we are individually. We’ll walk through the months ahead together—supporting, encouraging, and helping each other. And collectively yeilding ourselves to God’s wonderful plans and purposes.

Be expectant of good. Be hopeful. Here’s my 2020 prayer for you:

I pray that God would unveil within you the unlimited riches of his glory and favor until supernatural strength floods your innermost being with his divine might and explosive power.

Then, by constantly using your faith, the life of Christ will be released deep inside you, and the resting place of his love will become the very source and root of your life.

Then you will be empowered to discover what every holy one experiences—the great magnitude of the astonishing love of Christ in all its dimensions. How deeply intimate and far-reaching is his love! How enduring and inclusive it is! Endless love beyond measurement that transcends our understanding—this extravagant love pours into you until you are filled to overflowing with the fullness of God!

Never doubt God’s mighty power to work in you and accomplish all this. He will achieve infinitely more than your greatest request, your most unbelievable dream, and exceed your wildest imagination! He will outdo them all, for his miraculous power constantly energizes you.

Ephesians 3:16-20 TPT