During 2009 the pace at which things are going to take place is going to increase drastically. We are going to be tested on new levels and we will only be successful in Christ Jesus.

Oom Jan shared a scripture with me and I was blessed beyond belief!

Ecclesiastics 10:4  If the spirit of the ruler rises up against you, leave not your post; for yielding pacifies great offences.

There is a time of testing ahead of us and we will only succeed if we know the Word of God and if our relationship with the Living God is well founded.

The saying goes: When the going gets tough  the tough gets going. With the Church this coming year the reality is: When the going gets tough, the Christians dig deeper into the Word of God the learn the finer details of God's plan of victory for us.

We will not be able to survive on our own!

We have to understand God's plan for:
  • The Individual
  • The Church
  • The Leaders
  • VICTORY

We must realise that understanding is to be received each one for himself from the Holy Spirit.  The Holy Spirit must be so close to us that we  are conscious of Him every moment of the day.

The Amplified puts it like this:

Ecclesiastes 10:4 If the temper of the ruler rises up against you, do not leave your place [or show a resisting spirit]; for gentleness and calmness prevent or put a stop to great offences. Amplified - e-Sword collection

Mathew Henry comments so beautifully on this statement: "If the spirit of the ruler rise up against thee, if upon some misinformation given him, or some mismanagement of thine, he is displeased at thee, and threaten thee, yet leave not thy place, forget not the duty of a subject, revolt not from thy allegiance, do not, in a passion, quit thy post in his service and throw up thy commission, as despairing ever to regain his favour. No, wait awhile, and thou wilt find he is not implacable, but that yielding pacifies great offences." Solomon speaks for himself and for every wise and good man that is a master or a magistrate, that he could easily forgive those, upon their submission, whom yet, upon their provocation, he had been very angry with. It is safer and better to yield to an angry prince than to contend with him.  Mathew Henry's Commentary on the whole Bible - e-Sword collection

We must remain ready to act for the greater good of the Body of Christ when any kind of attack comes.  We must remain active and sensitive to the Holy Spirit; ready to move with Him.

It is so easy to begin to accuse, to shift the blame, to slander or to panic and run away; that is exactly what the enemy wants us to do.  When that happens we leave our post unguarded and abandon our responsabilities. We expose someone else's back.

Realise your position in the Body of Christ is a mandate from the Lord. Every Christian has a mandate from God to preach the gospel.

This is our mandate:

Mat 28:19-20 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

Let us live it day by day.