It’s my prayer that you are as excited and hopeful about 2023 as I am. 2022 was a busy year; God was closing some doors and opening others in many peoples’ lives, hence the myriad of ups and downs. As I look into the future and behold what the Lord has in store for you, I am filled with joy for there hasn’t been a time where the light of God has shone as bright as it will shine in your life here shortly.
As history has shown, the things that God desires to do in our lives depend more on our ability to believe, declare and to receive them. In this issue of impact magazine, we will try and prime you for a move of God in your personal life. It is of paramount importance for you to internalize this fact; the expectation of the righteous will never be cut short, but the hope of the wicked will come to nothing (Proverbs 10:24). God is for you and not against you. He has made a way for you to walk in victory and reign in this life as kings (Romans 5:17). Therefore, as we read, digest, and apply the word of God for today, I pray that there arises within you an expectation that cannot be quenched by anything other than the full delivery of whatever you have placed before Him.
The first recorded conversation between God and Adam and consequently Adam’s family reveals God’s mind as to how we can ensure that we do not miss our moment of visitation in 2023. In Genesis chapter three, after Adam and Eve had sinned, God asked them a series of questions to help them refocus and regain their purpose. He wasn’t asking them because He didn’t know but rather to catalyze their free willed response, to give Him the opportunity to help them.
- Where are you? (Genesis3:9)
- Who told you? (Genesis3:11)
- What have you done? (Genesis3:13)
- Where is your brother? (Genesis4:9)
Where are you?
In our time, almost everyone uses a GPS for navigation to destinations known and unknown. To effectively get the right direction, you are required to know your current location and the destination you would like to go. Without proper and accurate current location, you will be lost. In the same manner, to navigate your spiritual journey accurately in 2023, you will need to have an accurate assessment of your current position spiritually
- Where are you spiritually?
- Where is your prayer life and where would you like it to go?
- What is the current condition of your faith; weak, wavering, dead or strong?
- What fruits would you like to see your faith bear in 2023?
Over and over again in the Scriptures, the Lord tells us to examine, judge or determine our ways, to see when the status quo becomes our reality. Only self- examination can help you determine if you have fallen short of God’s grace, or you have gone around the same mountain for too long. If by grace you have walked in faith and rightness, this is a reminder that we are to grow from faith to faith and from glory to glory, hence giving us another destination for our faith to advance towards.
Who told you?
In evaluating your position in God or in life, there are different voices that will try to give you an assessment of your current condition. The voice of God through His word, the enemy’s voice, and your voice. The book of James 1:25 tells us that He that looks into the perfect law of liberty and perseveres, being not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the Word, that person will be blessed by the Lord. In other words, if you listen to the voice of God’s word concerning your life, 2023 will be blessed by God.
If our assessment is based on a voice other than God’s words, the destination is always shame and guilt and consequently hiding from His presence. The enemy’s assessment brings condemnation, your voice brings discouragement and apathy while the voice of God brings strengths and clarity. Remember that the enemy is the father of lies and when he lies, he is speaking his native language (John 8:44). His lies have made many a people to settle way beneath the provisions of God. For Adam, God had clothed him with His glory but because of shame and guilt, he settled for a skirt made of fig leaves.
Have you believed the enemy in any area of your life? In finances, health, marriage, prayer life or even salvation itself? God is asking, “Who told you?” His word over your life in 2023 is to prosper you (3John 1:1-2), to heal your body (Isaiah 53), to bless your prayer life with His presence (John 14:21-23); there’s so much more that He wants you to discover! The antidote to the voice of the enemy is speaking the Word. Jesus demonstrated it in Mathew 4 during the temptation by speaking only what the word of God says, purpose in your heart that in 2023, only the voice of God will influence your belief.
What have you done?
This question applies both positively and negatively. For some, it’s a call to repentance from dead works whilst for others it is a clarion call to go higher in God, by doing more of the things He has enabled them to do in the previous season.
I believe for most of us, it cuts both ways since we are being changed daily, from faith to faith and from glory to glory. Hebrews 6:1 tells us to leave the discussion of the elementary principles of Christ and
move onto perfection. Sober evaluation of the things that you did or got involved with in 2022, will give you a clear picture of where you need to lay off dead works, or to not be weary of doing good for in due season you reap if you faint not. The choices that we have made in the past have led us to where we are now; making the same choices and executing the same responses will guarantee that we will be in the same position at the end of 2023. But God forbid you would be in that boat, I speak to your spirit in the name of Jesus, that you would evaluate your choices and actions in the past soberly, repent where repentance is needed and strengthen where you did well so that the blessings of God will flow unhindered in 2023.
It’s not unusual for deeds we did in the past to dominate and control our lives year. After the fact, Adam and Eve’s actions ruled the human race for thousands of years and you can say, they still dominate today. Thank God for Jesus, for we do not have to carry on with defeatism just because we failed once. By the blood of Jesus, we have gained an uninterrupted audience with the Father. He says to us in 1 John 5:14, “Now this is the confidence we have in God, that if we ask anything according to His will He hears us, and since we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.” Whatever you did in 2022 and repented, God has forgiven you. Leave that behind and embrace the newness of His mercy and grace in 2023.
Where is your brother?
The scope of a Christian’s calling is not only centered in their relationship with God only but also with each other. If there is a ministry, a gift, calling or even a passion for God in you, it will involve touching other people’s lives. It’s not uncommon to isolate our passions and pursuit to only us and our families and leave out the most important facet of touching humanity for God. We demonstrate our spiritual maturity when other people can partake of the fruit of the spirit from our lives (see Galatians 5:22).
I believe Cain and Abel represents two kinds of Christians; one that is God centered and the other self-centered. Abel is mentioned in Hebrews 11:4 as having faith while Cain is mentioned in Jude among Balaam and Kora; the rebellious ones. For there to be a faith response or a rebellious response, there had to have been divine instructions on how to bring offerings to God. Therefore, we can make the inference that the way of Abel is a way of faith whilst the way of Cain is the way of rebellion.
In John 15:7 Jesus says, “If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.” To “abide by” here means using the word of God as the standard to live by, in every area of our lives. As you set your goals and write your vision for 2023, ask God to give you a part to play in His vision for humanity. Seek that you may be a brother’s keeper. There are many who feel rejected and are hurting, sick, incarcerated etc., that could feel a touch of the kingdom through your obedience. Jesus speaking in Mathew 6:33 gave us the blueprint for having all our earthly desires met effortlessly; seeking first the kingdom of God and its righteousness. His kingdom is summed up by the ministry of reconciliation, i.e., willing subjects acting in obedience to the commands of the King; to extend His dominion of peace to the rest of humanity.
This is the year where your obedience to divine revelation will yield a supernatural harvest. For 2023, I speak:
>The clarity of God in your mind as you set sail, that all the distractions of the enemy will be silenced in Jesus’ name.
>That you will be slow to speak, slow to anger and swift to obey divine revelation.
>That the Holy Spirit will give you eyes to see and ears to hear His voice as He releases His intent over your life.
>That you will be moved with compassion to be your brother’s keeper and will lay your life down so that others may see the light of His kingdom.
>As you abide by His Word, all the spheres of your life will line up with the original intent, where Satan and his antics have no dominion over you.
>That cycles of pain, suffering and defeat will be broken as you hearken to the Word of God and apply it to your life.
>That as you meditate on His Word day and night, every unfruitful labor and toil in your life will be broken, and you will experience Psalms 1’s anointing where whatever you will touch will prosper.
