by Calvin C.
Every year we take time to seek the Lord for a special Word for the ministry of Create International. This year we felt the Lord leading us to spend a whole day seeking him at a Jesuit Retreat Center here in Chiang Mai. Carol and I went to different locations reading the Bible and asking God to clear our minds and hearts of any distractions that might keep us from hearing from him. After a couple hours, we felt to go into the chapel. It was unoccupied and dark. Attracted by the light coming through the beautiful stained glass window in front of the altar, we both walked over to where we expected to see the usual crucified Christ nailed to the cross. We turned on the light and what we saw amazed and touched us deeply.
TO RECEIVE A FRESH ANOINTING
Jesus was no longer nailed to the cross; but was free and reaching forward as if to say, “I have defeated death and my heart is reaching out to the lost and dying of this world. Who will go for me—who will share my love with them?”. We were gripped in our hearts to the point of tears, as we felt his Spirit reaching out to us, and in a quiet and gentle voice calling us to ask him for a new and fresh anointing.
“And it is God who establishes us with you in Christ, and has anointed us, and who has also put his seal on us and given us his Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee” (2 Corinthian 1:20-22)
If you are in Christ, you are anointed by God and have his full anointing! The Lord was calling us to deeper level of consecration which would release an even greater power to see supernatural breakthrough in service to others.
“The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me, Because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives
And recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed…” Luke 4:18
TO PROCLAIM THE LIVING HOPE
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has brought us into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, receiving the end of your faith—the salvation of your souls.” 1Peter 1:3-9
We have this hope in us, unshakable, incorruptible, protected by the very power of God! It creates within us a faith which can survive through the greatest of trials, and which brings us unspeakable joy and confidence in Him. We are not only called into this “Living Hope”; but we are commanded to share this living hope with others.
TO ADVANCE THE KINGDOM
We commit to a reinvigorated passion for evangelism, to reach out to the lost both locally and globally, and to continue to seek out unreached people groups that do not yet have access to an indigenous gospel media tool. We want to be close to Jesus and bear fruit for His Kingdom.
Keep Moving Forward is God’s message to us. Continue to do what he has instructed us to do. It is much easier for the Lord to direct us if we are already in motion.
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. once said, “If you can’t fly, then run. If you can’t run, then walk. If you can’t walk, then crawl. But whatever you do, you have to keep moving forward.”
God is preparing that road for us, and if we move toward him in radical obedience, God can position us where we need to be in the future for more fruitfulness.
