Now when these things begin to take place, straighten up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near. Luke 21:28
“You stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears, you always resist the Holy Spirit. As your fathers did, so do you. Which of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? And they killed those who announced beforehand the coming of the Righteous One, whom you have now betrayed and murdered, you who received the law as delivered by angels and did not keep it.”
Now when they heard these things they were enraged, and they ground their teeth at him. But he, full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. And he said, “Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.” Acts 7:51-56
Where does your hope exist within you? Is it in your current comfort and that it will continue? Is it in the plans you’ve made for your future, your retirement? Is it in your dreams of more things, bigger home, more successes, businesses, money? The American Church has become not only complacent… but in many ways .. dead. It now exists somewhere between Laodicea and Smyrna. The American Church is about to be refined like never before. Where are you personally in your relationship with the Holy Spirit? What is He saying to you? What is He asking you to do? What areas in your life is He working on? Is the Holy Spirit walking you into a more holy life? Is He asking you to ‘give up’ certain things in your life? Is He asking you to repent of certain specific things? Are you checking with Him BEFORE putting more pharmakeia (pharmaceuticals / witchcraft) into your body which is HIS Temple? Or are you blindly trusting what someone else says? Is God your doctor or are you trusting the current medical establishment or the government?
STOP! Stop being religious and trusting your ‘old steps’ of routine and normalcy. Press hard into prayer (two way communication) with the Holy Spirit. Make His instructions to you …your MOST and highest importance in your day. LEARN! Learn to put Him first in ALL things, bringing EVERY thought captive to Christ. Learn how to walk with Him throughout your entire day. Learn how to pray unceasingly (having a two-way conversation with the Holy Spirit during all your waking hours).
How did the disciples have such courage? The majority weren’t ‘learned men’ or great academics. They were mostly from the common ranks of society … but I’m pretty sure their hearts were attuned to God in ways most weren’t. What is your heart tuned to? With the coming year what is your goal? What is the Holy Spirit telling you to do to be ready for this next year? Or is everything on you ‘list’ from your ‘desires’? Are you walking in what He wants for you? Are your following His personal instructions for you? Have your even asked Him?
What prepared Steven for his address / speech before his people’s religious leaders where he called out their generational sins? Do you think the Holy Spirit prepared Him? Making him ready to actually receive a standing ovation from Jesus Himself?
This year determine in your heart to follow Him like you never have before in your life. Set yourself before Him at the beginning of each and every day and ask Him to instruct you as to what He wants you to do … that day. Put Him first in every aspect of your life. Be prepared to ‘meet Him” just like Steven did. Be determined to be terminally committed to Christ.