This week is the last week of “Today’s Word” for 2015. After Friday’s message we will pause until January 4, 2016. So the messages this week are centered on finishing out the year strong. There is nothing special about calendar years, per se, other than our ability to use them as markers to measure progress. Ultimate success in life can only come when you find, follow and finish your divine purpose. But the a sense of success is attained when you feel as though you are making progress. The beginning and end of calendar years give us an opportunity to measure our progress.
We started off 2015 believing God that this would be a year of GREAT GRACE! Looking back I can say that it has been for me. I pray you can say the same. We serve a God of progression and not regression; a God who wants us looking forward and not backward. That being the case, I can say with a clear conscience that 2015 has been the best year of my life. I enter every year believing God that it will be my best year and I pray that looking back you can also say this has been your best year thus far.
This morning I went back to some of the messages from the beginning of the year. As we begin our closeout, let’s go back to a few of the things we started the year with. Basically, I feel led to look back as we look forward.
So what does this mean to you today? A few things.
1. You have already experienced God’s grace. You should be able to acknowledge the fact that He has been better to you than you deserve. During this season you will see the grace of God manifested on another level. You are more aware of God’s grace now, your heart is more open to it, and you will more readily receive what He wants to do IN, WITH and THROUGH you.
2. When dealing with God it is often hard to receive what you cannot perceive. Since your perception of God’s goodness and grace has increased, you are now in a position to receive from Him on a greater level.
3. God made plans for you before the world began. He made those plans based solely on His unearned grace. God is also tirelessly committed to seeing His plans for your life come to pass.
4. Doubt and unbelief hinder God from operating freely in your life. There was a time when you could not receive God’s best because you quickly equated His desired blessing to your performance, resulting in a sense of unworthiness which led to doubt and unbelief. But in this season you will no longer tie God’s desire to bless you to your performance. You now know you could never earn what God wants to give you. So you simply open your heart to receive everything God says He wants to do IN you, WITH you, FOR you, and THROUGH you. Living this way you will experience the Greater Grace!
5. Our mind attempts to REDUCE Christ to what we are. But God’s grace raises us UP to what He is!
6. Grace is unmerited, unearned, unexpected, and seemingly unbelievable at times, that’s why it’s AMAZING!
7. In January I said, “I speak into your life. I declare 2015 to be the best year of your life. Not because of your goodness or performance, but only because of God’s great grace. This year you will experience God’s best and it will not come with more trying… it will come with more dying. As you die to self, yield to God, and surrender to Him in every area of your life, you will experience God’s Greater Grace and everyone you come in contact will be able to see it!” Now in December I say, “The grace of God is on you to close out the year strong. God has given you the spirit of a finisher. You will look back to identify unfinished business and close it out. You will identify things you simply need to let go of and you will release them before you cross over into 2016. This is a time of refined focus for you. The old is about to be released. The new is about to come. Your heart and mind are ready to make the transition, to finish strong, to accurately prepare for 2016. You will maximize this season of your life by God’s grace!” I pray you receive that.
We will close out this message with the very first confession I shared with you in 2015. Let’s speak this over our lives again!
Closing Confession: Father, I thank You for Your Great Grace towards me. You love me with an everlasting love. You care for me more than I can fathom. You are committed to me and the plans You made for me before the world began. You have been teaching me about Your grace. You have been pouring out Your favor over my life. I thank You for it. I declare that this year shall be even greater. I am more open now to Your grace than I ever have been. My heart is open to receive. My soul is quick to believe. Fear, doubt and unbelief are no longer an issue for me. As You reveal to me what You want to do in my life this year, I am quick to believe it, receive it, declare it, and pursue it by faith. I refuse to factor-in what You have already factored-out. This year I will not allow fear, doubt or unbelief to cause me to put a “No” where You have put a “Yes”. Your “Yes” is my “Yes”! Your “amen” is my “amen”! I declare that I have no hindrance, no barrier, no issue, and no blessing-blocker in the way. This year Your grace will flow in and through me like never before. This year is a year of Great Grace for me and it shall be the BEST YEAR OF MY LIFE! Not because of my goodness or performance, but only because of Your unearned grace! I declare this by faith! In Jesus’ name. Amen.
This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper.
