As I look ahead into 2021 and the rest of the decade, I see that it is going to be both challenging and exhilarating. The shaking and sifting the Lord has begun will continue. The attacks of the enemy will intensify. Those are the challenging parts. At the same time, the Church is going to arise like it hasn’t been seen since the days of its birth. The same fire that birthed the Church is coming back to the Church. The glory of the Lord will be displayed in the lives of ordinary Christians. As I wrote that, the Holy Spirit spoke to me, “Syandra, there are no ‘ordinary’ Christians, just as there are no ‘natural’ Christians.”
THERE ARE NO ORIDINARY OR NATURAL CHRISTIANS
I asked Him for more understanding, and here is what I received. In the first place, Christians have been born again. They are not part of the natural world anymore; they are supernatural beings, new creations. They have been translated out of the natural kingdom of darkness into the supernatural Kingdom of Light, the Kingdom of Heaven.
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new” (2 Cor. 5:17, NKJV).
“He has rescued us completely from the tyrannical rule of darkness and has translated us into the kingdom realm of his beloved Son” (Col. 1:13, TPT).
Secondly, the Holy Spirit Himself, the same Spirit that brooded over the chaos in Genesis 1:1; the same Spirit that guided the Hebrews by cloud in the day and by fire in the night (Ex. 13:21-22); the same Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead (Rom. 8:11); the same Spirit that wrought signs, miracles and wonders in the early Church (Heb. 2:4), has come to dwell within each believer, empowering, teach, guiding, leading us. How can one be “ordinary” who has become the temple of God? How can one be “natural” when the Spirit of I AM dwells within him?
“Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?” (1 Cor. 3:16).
GOD'S HEART IS SORROWFUL
For the last several days, Holy Spirit has been speaking to me about something that is grieving the heart of God. So many of God’s people, supernatural, born-again, Spirit-indwelt Christians, are content to settle for milk rather than meat. When trouble comes, they seek natural, carnal help, rather than go first to God. Here is the sorrowful message I am hearing from the Spirit of God, “I am their last resort, rather than their first choice.”
God’s heart is sorrowful, because He knows that unprepared Christians who are failing to discern the times will be easy prey for the enemy in these tumultuous times.
Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour” (1 Peter 5:8).
sober: “nepho” Strong’s #3525: watch, be calm and collected in spirit;
vigilant: “gregoreuo” Strong’s #1127: keep awake, watch, give strict attention to, be active
It is imperative in this hour for the Church, for all Christians all over the world, to be awake, to pay attention, to be alert to discern the strategies and wiles of the devil, so that he will be the one devoured, not us!
And note, Peter was saying, “Be vigilant, be alert; not afraid. ACTIVELY watch from a position of calmness, “collected in spirit.”
START LOOKING TO GOD FIRST
When we start looking to GOD FIRST for the solutions, answers, and strategies to use, we will experience victory much sooner! It is not we Christians who should be afraid; it is the devil who should be trembling in fear. And I believe he is! I believe he knows he has very little time left, and he sees that all of his carefully laid plans, the plans he has been working on for hundreds and thousands of years are going to be upended by the mighty Spirit of God in an instant. I believe he sees the Church is waking and starting to understand its mission to enforce the victory of Jesus upon the earth, and that terrifies him. Esthers are interceding, and Eleazars, swords glued to their hands, are striking down strongholds (see Esther 4, 2 Sam. 23:10).
God’s heart is rejoicing over the Esthers and the Eleazars, for He knows they will experience glorious victory. But His heart is grieved over those who prefer to sleep, for He knows they are in grave danger. Just as Sampson discovered he had no strength to fight when he awakened from his slumber with his head in the lap of Delilah, those who have slept in the lap of the enemy will discover they have no strength to fight when they realize the danger that has come upon them. Yet, even for them, there is hope, because, like Sampson, they can turn to God, and He will avenge them. But they are going to endure unnecessary suffering that God did not desire for them.
CALLING ALL SPIRITUAL MOTHERS AND FATHERS
Mothers and Fathers in the Church, God is calling us to care of our spiritual babies whatever their chronological age or number of years they have been a Christian. We must not let them remain babies, feeding them only milk and comforting words. We must get them prepared for meat. They must learn to wield their sword. They must come to the understanding that to live an overcoming, victorious, abundant life, God must be their first choice, not their last resort.
In 2021, we are going to begin seeing the glory of the Lord displayed in all the earth like it has never been seen before. We are going to see the glory of the Lord displayed in and by His Church in new, profound, and powerful ways. There will be great challenges to overcome and great battles to win, and overcome and win is what the Church and we will do; not by our might nor by our power, but by the Spirit of GOD!
Decree: GOD is my first choice, not my last resort!
Love, Hugs, and Blessings,
Syandra