2022 is here. So is Omicron. But there’s no need to fear. The God we serve is omniscient (all-knowing), omnipresent (everywhere), and omnipotent (all-powerful).
I sense in my spirit that God will bring RESTORATION to His church this year. While COVID-19 has set back and disrupted businesses, world economies, and various developments, God says in Joel 2:25 “I will repay you for the years the locusts have eaten.”
Don’t allow the ups and downs of battling the pandemic to dull and desensitize your spirit. If we are going to see a restoration of our lives, churches, ministries, and nation, we need to ditch the wait-and-see attitude and posture ourselves to engage with the Spirit of God.
“The years the locusts have eaten” represent loss of time, possessions, opportunities, zeal, purpose, dreams, and even compassion. Today[1] , God will recompense, repay, redeem, and restore what was lost back to you.
God wants to restore your joy, faith, and destiny. God is restoring His church to fulfill His mandate.
Restoration of His Mandate and Our Mission
God is returning soon and souls are to be won. Do not be like the disciples who stared into the sky after Jesus ascended to heaven wondering ‘when’ will Jesus return, ‘when’ will our triumph come, and ‘when’ will the tide turn. They were preoccupied with the ‘when’ rather than the ‘what’ they should have been doing.
A couple of verses before, the angels chided them in Acts 1:11 “why do you stand here looking into the sky?”, Jesus had already given clear instructions. Acts 1:4-8 “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised… you will receive power… and you will be my witnesses…”
They had a mission – to be witnesses of divine power in their world. We too have a mission – to be God’s witnesses in our world. While there seems to be an escalation of troubles, and disasters with no end in sight, it’s time we stop wondering ‘when’ this will end and begin with ‘what’ this means for us as the Church of Jesus Christ.
Your faith may have given way to fear. Your passion may be hidden behind passivity. But Joel 2:25 says “I will repay…” Let God challenge your faith once again! Let us respond to that challenge – to carry His mandate.
Restoration of our mission to preach the Good News. We are reaching the tail-end of time. There will be pandemics. There will be troubles. And there will be people who have to hear the Gospel.
All that we see around us, shouldn’t take us by surprise. It’s written in the Bible. It’s been foretold. Jesus is returning and the Church of Jesus Christ needs to stand tall in the midst of famines, natural disasters, pestilences, pandemics, wars ,and rumors of wars. These are signs of end times and we the Church must shine the hope and life of Christ and not cower in fear.
Restoration of our mission to prepare ourselves as the Bride of Christ. Every bride prepares herself for the day where she walks down the aisle. How are we as the Bride of Christ? Are we spiritually attune to His voice. Are we passionate and deeply in love with Jesus? Have we instead safe-distanced ourselves from Him, His church, and our God-given destiny?
If ever there’s a time to arise as His Bride, it’s now.
If ever there’s a time to do more for His Kingdom, it’s now.
If ever there’s a time to live unashamedly for Christ, it’s now.
For it’s not about the “when”, but the “what” we ought to do as His Bride, His Church.
Today, let every fear that holds you back from becoming a person of destiny be broken. I declare that you will arise with great courage and strength in these end times. As we step into a new year, may you be restored for His mandate!
Let’s be aligned for His assignments in 2022!
盼望神的恢复
我们跨入2022年了！虽然冠病奥密克戎变种毒株染病人数激增，但是我们不需要害怕。我们的神是无所不知、无所不在和无所不能的！
步入新的一年，我在灵里感应到神将修复祂的教会。虽然2019冠病打击了生意、世界的经济，也暂停了许多方面的发展，然而神在约珥书2:25说：“在那些年间吃尽的，我必补给你们。”
不要让对抗冠病所经历的起落使你的灵变得迟钝和麻木。如果我们要看到我们的生活、教会、事工和国家的恢复，我们需要放弃观望的态度，并预备自己与神的灵配合。
“在那些年间吃尽的”，代表时间、财产、机会、热情、目标、梦想，甚至同情心的丧失。今天，神会补偿、偿还、补救，把失去的归还给你！
神要恢复你的喜乐、信心和命定！神正修复祂的教会以实现祂的旨意。
恢复神的旨意和我们的使命
耶稣要回来了，我们还有灵魂要赢取！不要像那些在耶稣升天后凝望天空的门徒一样，想知道耶稣“什么时候”会回来，“什么时候”我们的胜利会到来，“什么时候”时局会逆转。他们专注于“什么时候”，而不是他们应该做“什么”。
在之前的几节经文（使徒行传1:11），天使责备他们：“为什么站着望天呢？” ，耶稣已经给出了明确的指示。使徒行传 1:4-8 “不要离开耶路撒冷……要等候父的应许……你们就必领受能力……作我的见证人。”
他们有一个使命：在他们的世界里作神圣力量的见证人！我们也有一个使命：在我们的世界里作神的见证人。虽然患难和灾祸似乎在升级，看不到尽头，但现在是时候停止发问这一切“什么时候”结束，开始思考这一切对于作为耶稣基督的教会的我们意味着“什么”。
你的信心可能已经被恐惧取代。你的热情可能隐藏在被动背后。然而约珥书 2:25说：“我必补给你们”。让神再次挑战你的信心！让我们应对这一挑战，履行祂的使命。
恢复我们传福音的使命。我们即将到达时间的尽头，会有流行病、会有患难，也有必须听到福音的人。
我们不应该惊讶于周围所看到的一切。它已经写在圣经中，已经预告过我们了。耶稣要回来了，耶稣基督的教会需要在饥荒、天灾、瘟疫、流行病、战争和战争谣言中屹立不倒。这些是末日的征兆，教会必须使盼望和基督的生命照耀世界，而不是因恐惧而退缩！
恢复我们的使命，预备成为基督的新娘。每个新娘都会为她走上红地毯的那一天做准备。身为基督新娘的我们又如何呢？我们的灵是否能辨别神的声音？我们深深地爱耶稣，对耶稣热情吗？我们是否反而与祂、祂的教会和祂所赐的命定保持了安全距离？
没有什么时候比现在更适合让我们兴起成为祂的新娘。
没有什么时候比现在更适合让我们为祂的国度做更多事情。
没有什么时候比现在更适合让我们无愧地为基督而活。
因为这不是关于“什么时候”，而是关于作为祂的新娘的我们 – 祂的教会 – 应该做“什么“。
今天，让每一个阻碍你实现命定的恐惧都被粉碎。我宣告，在这末后的日子，你将带着巨大的勇气和力量兴起。在我们步入新的一年之际，愿你们每个人都为神的使命而复兴！
让我们在 2022 年与神对齐，完成祂的任务！
