You’ve Come This Far! There is New Grace to Go Forward ~ Ray Horton

God’s great plan for the ages is the salvation of His people – all who will receive, and the building of His Glorious Church to feed the laborers sent out to bring in the harvest.  God’s heart is for all people, but His priority is to strengthen the Body of Christ, whom He will use for His eternal purpose of reaching the lost.

We are near the end of the age, and His plan for Kingdom Advance is accelerating as new grace is poured out via Holy Spirit revelation of His Word as it applies to the times and our role; not more intellectual knowledge, but revelation to our hearts, which will over flow to understand His ways and means for accomplishing His goals through us.

As I was praying on my drive home from Pittsburgh recently, I sensed this in the spirit for the new year, for me and for the Body of Christ.  It will be a year where more and more believers will experience God as Father, a transforming experience that will activate them as they draw close to Him in the security of His love: activation motivated and empowered in intimate communion with Him.

The Lord seems to have been focusing on drawing believers out of complacency to consecration for several years, but now, more than ever before, as the end approaches, it is essential for that work to be completed in the lives of those who want to be used in the advance of the Kingdom, their end-times destiny.  I am hearing that the Fear of the Lord – a deep awe and respect for Him Who loves us and supplied the grace for salvation and victorious living (through the cross of Jesus) – will be restored like never before.

You’ve come this far.  There have been obstacles.  God’s grace is with you to overcome every obstacle as you do His will.  Particularly in this new year like never before, I sense opportunity for our faith to receive great victory for ourselves and God’s mission, as we draw on all the spiritual resources He has provided to build us up and be vessels for His outreach to the world.

“Go all the way,”  says the Lord

I sense a warning for all those who have come part way and are satisfied, that the Lord isn’t satisfied with a partial commitment, which still relies on self and the ways that seem right to us.  Trust Him to help you stop vacillating, to not waver, but to stand strong in Him.  I believe this is a word not just for individuals, but for churches, ministries and businesses.  There has been positive change, but many have still not experienced victory.  “Go all the way,”  says the Lord, “and see what happens.  You will be amazed.”

As we go all the way with Him, He will keep us and mature us and bless us.  “There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death” (Prov. 14:12 and Prov. 16:25).  “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct your paths” (Prov. 3:5-6).  Stagnation is death of the vision. Complacency is a killer.  And it is easy to become complacent in our progress.  But God’s grace is sufficient to continue running the race.

If we trust Him in all of our ways, and rely on His grace, He will lead us in the ways we should go, leading to prosperous businesses, fruitful ministries, full churches, overflowing hearts, empowering us to be strong, in order for Him to work through us and to make major changes in our world this year, driving back darkness, and winning victories for the Kingdom.

This year, God wants us, I sense, to cooperate with Him in these areas in particular:

• Tune into the Father and receive His love. He wants your presence/attention.
• Allow Him, by His grace, to make your consecration complete.
• As you awaken to the awesome “fear of the Lord,” let your heart be undivided.
• Be on guard for complacent attitudes concerning self-trust and worldly ways.
• Allow His grace to completely free you from legalistic ways and habits of thought.
• As you step out in these areas, pray for and have faith for great success in life, leadership, church, ministry and business in the new year.  It is God’s desire so He can use you for His glory.