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| Sunset from Pinget. ISO 200, 1/1700sec, f5.6, 48mm (Not sure if that's in APS-C or FF) |
"Happy New Year! According to the ancient Hebrew calendar, this is the year 5775. I believe this number is speaking very prophetically into where God is leading us as the body of Christ. The Hebrew number "5" symbolizes God's grace, goodness and favor towards humanity and is mentioned some 318 times in scripture. This number at the beginning of the year, speaks about a grace going in, and this same number at the end of the year, speaks about a grace going out. These two "fives" also represent a double portion of God's goodness and favor that will hold us throughout the year. It's actually connected with the wisdom of God (wisdom and favor are always connected according to Proverbs 8:35)... that's why it's time to get into the Word and allow it to flow through you with an expression of favor.
God is giving us a grace to move into some new endeavors, businesses, transactions and even relationships where there has seemed to be a blockage in the past. He's also giving us a grace to move out of unfruitful seasons. This is a season where old doors will close, old ties may be cut, you may even feel a grace to leave the "old ways of doing things."
Be blessed and may 2015 be a fruitful year of possessing YOUR promised land!"
Dr. Richard West
Liberty Church, Fairfield, CA
Solid. Thank God for confirmation. I started this year pretty messed up in some aspects but as it was mentioned above, 'old doors will close' - indeed, old doors have been closed this early on, and praise God for making all things new.
I was led to fast, and this time it was in the mindset totally free of thinking, 'fast to get God's favor' - no, man, this time it was more about fasting to free more of my being to fully understand God's goodness. Man, did our faithful God deliver! I've been waking up so much earlier in the recent days to spend some time in the word, before reading where it said above, 'it's time to get into Word and allow it to flow through you in an expression of favor.'
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| I'd crop this, but I'm scared Photoshop would 'misunderstand' Fuji's wonderful X-Trans colors. ISO 200, 1/80sec, f5.6, 55mm (OK this is APS-C) |
"For whoever finds me finds life and obtains favor from the LORD,"
Wisdom, Proverbs 8:35
Where wisdom is, there life and favor are also. And we are sure to be in wisdom - not because of our goodness or our endeavors, but solely on Christ and His finished work.
I'm going to preach to the youth later this evening, and this is where I'm going to start: John 15:5.
"I am the Vine, and you are the branches. He who abides in Me produces much fruit. Apart from Me, you can do nothing."
That's the great love of God for you. It's not just something you feel, or something you experience. More than that, the Lord loves you in spite of all that you are and all that you've done - He loves you so much that He took your nothing to give His everything - and that literally means Him in you, and you in Him. A perfect union that that Lord elaborates by saying 'Apart from Me, you can do nothing.'
What does this mean? This means that everything that you do, He is with you. Don't ever think that you are going away from His presence, or don't ever think He goes away from your presence because you sin. His perfect love is greater than your sin. If you do stumble and fall, remember that God is still there! God loves you that much, brother! God loves you that much, sister! His grace is greater than your sin, and His love actually casts out your sin!
Yes, I used to believe in my heart that this was a license for me to sin. I won't deny that. But now - not because of any effort on my part but all because of Christ and His love and His finished work - Now, I can say that yes, you can and you will sin at one or many times in the future, but in the end, it is God's love that will overpower any desire you have to sin, replacing it with sheer power for you to do what the Lord made you to do!
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| Dusk from Quezon Hill. ISO 1000, 1/80sec, f5.6, 18mm |
The sin that limits you breaks and literally dies because of God's unlimited love, known and demonstrated through Jesus Christ! And what's more, it's God's love that would really get you going, doing everything set before you, everything others need you to do, every need before you, in perfect love free from all fear!
There is no more reason to complain. There is only reason to praise God!
jb.redeemed
email me at jibee@rocketmail.com.
May the Lord bless you and keep you. May the Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you. May the Lord lift His countenance upon you and give you His Shalom. - Numbers 6:24-26