A Message From Anne Graham Lotz

Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord rises upon you. See, darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the peoples, but the Lord rises upon you and his glory appears over you. Isaiah 60:1-2

Terrorist attacks in Paris, Colorado Springs, and San Bernardino have left us ashen-faced and horrified. Polarization within political parties, corruption at the highest levels of government, name-calling of opponents, character assassination of those who disagree, lies spun as truth, brutality covered up, the economy propped-up are just some issues that are contributing to our sense that America is unraveling. We no longer trust our government, our leaders, our bankers, our police officers, our newspapers, our business partners, our investors, our neighbors…even our religious leaders.

As I look ahead into 2016, I believe our national and global situation will get worse. A good friend has focused my attention on Isaiah 60:1-2 as a word from the Lord for the New Year: Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord rises upon you. See, darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the peoples, but the Lord rises upon you and his glory appears over you. I can feel the encroaching darkness of evil that is like a heavy moral and spiritual fog. It’s permeating our nation at every level. At the very same time that our nation is enveloped in thick darkness, God commands us to arise, let our Light shine, and the distinctive glory of our Lord will be obvious to all.

These conflicting thoughts of thick darkness and light, of encroaching evil and glory, are on my mind during these days before Christmas. I have been meditating on 2 Chronicles 20 in which Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, was warned that a vast army was coming against him. As I put myself in his place, I asked myself, what do we do when we are warned of the enemy’s advance? The answer was given in the next verse: Alarmed, Jehoshaphat resolved to inquire of the Lord, and he proclaimed a fast for all Judah. The people of Judah came together to seek help from the Lord…1 Jehoshaphat led God’s people in a prayer that was a desperate heart’s cry for help.

I have been repeatedly warned in my spirit that the enemy is advancing. It’s something that I know. And I feel compelled, like Jehoshaphat, to lead God’s people also in a desperate prayer for help before we plunge past the point of no return into the abyss of God’s judgment.

The glory is that God answered Jehoshaphat’s prayer by reassuring him, Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God’s…You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the Lord will give you…Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged… the Lord will be with you.2

What is the position we are to take up? I believe it’s a position on our knees as we humble ourselves, seek God’s face, repent of our sin, and intercede for our nation. Then having done all, we stand firm in our faith that God has heard and will answer our prayer.

Please join with me for one hour on the first day of the first month…January 1, 2016… as together we fast and PREPRAYER for the New Year.

For more information go to:

http://www.annegrahamlotz.org/category/messages-from-gods-word/latest-from-anne/

 

Are You Blessed?

"Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you." Matthew 5:11-12 (NIV)

Are you blessed? Maybe we need to redefine that word. We use it so casually to mean an abundance of good gifts from God--things like health, wealth, protection, answered prayer. But Jesus is clearly talking about a different kind of blessing in Matthew 5--one that many of us would prefer to avoid. How can we be blessed when we are persecuted, insulted, and falsely accused? We are blessed because we share in the sufferings of Christ--we get to experience the kind of fellowship with Him that can only come through the shared experience of suffering. It means that we are looking more and more like Jesus, that we are experiencing the same treatment He and the prophets received when they walked on the earth. What is wrong with us that we would prefer to blend in with the world rather than be singled out for living like Jesus? Isn't He worth it? We are told to "rejoice and be glad" when these "bad" things happen. There is a world full of lost people that need to know that Jesus is worth it--no matter what the cost. Do we believe that? Until we do, we are not living a life that He considers "blessed".

 

What Next?

Francis Schaeffer once remarked that one day we would wake up and find that the America we once knew was gone. He was right. The key words in that sentence are "wake up". They imply that we have all been asleep while the things we once held dear have vanished into thin air. Our ideals of freedom, leadership, integrity, morality and safety are gone. In their place we have a government that restricts our freedoms and serves special interests above the people. Behavior that was once unthinkable is now revered and the value of a human life is at an appalling low. We live in a violent world where school shootings and beheadings are becoming commonplace. Can God reverse this trend? Of course He can--the question is, "Will He?". That is a question no one can answer. But, now that we are awake, what should we do? One thing we cannot do is just blend in--pretend we are content with "the new normal", adopting the attitudes and ideas that are now commonly accepted. On the other hand, God has not called us fight in the same way the world fights. He gives us directions in 1 Peter 3:8-16:

"Finally, all of you, be like-minded, be sympathetic, love one another, be compassionate and humble. Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult. On the contrary, repay evil with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing. For, "Whoever would love life and see good days must keep their tongue from evil and their lips from deceitful speech. They must turn from evil and do good; they must seek peace and pursue it. For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their prayer, but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil. Who is going to harm you if you are eager to do good? But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. "Do not fear their threats; do not be frightened." But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander." (NIV)