2024 It's Time!

The other night I had an usual dream. I won't give the details, but I actually woke up terrified! In past dreams, when faced with terror, I would worship and quickly receive and maintain my peace. This was so horrific and real that I had a physical reaction. As I awakened, I began praying for those in Israel who have and are still facing such atrocities.

The truth is, these things can happen anywhere. Our borders are opened and even the vilest criminals have access into our communities. 

I know this sounds like a downer of a devotion, especially when we are beginning a new year. I'm not writing this to inflict fear but it's a wakeup call for all of us. I'm sure many of you, like me, have felt that we are stable in our walk with Christ, and we are prepared for whatever the enemy throws our way... but are we? 

I know many of you have gone through some horrific things in your life and hopefully you've built your spiritual muscles up during those trials. If not, now's the time! 

You all know my heart is the Secret place. Falling madly and passionately in love with Christ until our greatest desire is His presence, Word and fulfilling His Will. That dream has challenged me to push forward with greater tenacity than ever before! Psalm 91 must become our lifestyle! In these times we must remain hidden in Christ and permeated with His glory! 

I don't want to face my trials in fear, even in the face of death. I want to to do it as Stephen did... as he was facing a horrific death, surrounded by his accusers, prepared to stone him and gnashing at him with their teeth... he was not distracted from his first love! The horrific circumstances did not move him!!! I'm not there yet and my shadow has not yet healed the sick... there's so much more!

2024... let's commit to chase harder after Jesus than we ever have before!! Surrender ALL, repent and turn from your sins and focus on pleasing Him with every word, action, dead and our time. Pray, fast, worship, seek and study His Word like never before! We can't wait until the thief enters our home to work out and build our physical muscles and we certainly can't wait until the trial comes to build our spiritual muscles to defeat the enemy and face opposition with strength, power, authority and total peace!

It's time folks! It's not just about facing the trials fearlessly but also reflecting His glory in the earth by walking in faith, doing all that Christ paid for and all that He did by His Spirit. He said we would do even greater things! We can't stay so occupied by the constant prodding of the enemy that we don't have time or energy to grow in our walk with Christ! There's no more time to waste! There's a world out there that needs to see just how big our God really is, how much He loves them and what He's capable of doing through His Bride! IT'S TIME!

John 4:12 (KJV) Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.

Colossians 3:3-6 (KJV) For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory. Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry: For which things' sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience:

Psalm 91:1-9 (KJV) He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust. Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence. He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler. Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day; Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday. A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee. Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold and see the reward of the wicked. Because thou hast made the Lord, which is my refuge, even the most High, thy habitation;

Acts 7:54-59 (KJV) When they heard these things, they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed on him with their teeth. But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up stedfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God, And said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God. Then they cried out with a loud voice, and stopped their ears, and ran upon him with one accord, And cast him out of the city, and stoned him: and the witnesses laid down their clothes at a young man's feet, whose name was Saul. And they stoned Stephen, calling upon God, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.