Pastor James Anson (Faithpointe church) shared some personal prophetic thoughts for 2022:
“I try to seek God every year on the last day of the year – seeking to know any insights or glimpses into what God may be saying for the coming year.
I’d like to share a few prophetic thoughts regarding the upcoming year of 2022. Some of these are general, some are more specific. I feel personally challenged by what I share with you today. There is certainly a ring of truth to that saying, “No guts, no glory!”
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1. 2021 was challenging and 2022 will be no different.
I know some of you didn’t want to hear this but somehow, we have crossed over a line in history where things are ramping up in terms of the turmoil at work in our world. 2022 will be equally challenging for you and me.
We are living in a COVID stricken world that is filled with fear and so much uncertainty. We are unable to live as we used to back in 2019 and it is FRUSTRATING to say the least!!
However, God is wanting to do a much DEEPER work within our hearts. Biblical history and church history both tell us that when things get dark in our world – the light shines brighter.
God is at work powerfully in our dark world today. Jesus said He is the light of the world and those that follow him do not walk in darkness but rather have the opportunity to demonstrate His light!
There is no doubt the world will get darker in 2022. We have entered a timeline of which there is no retreat as we come to that ultimate collision of the power of God and the powers of darkness.
Allow God to do an even deeper work within our hearts as we face the challenges that 2022 will bring our way.
“Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life, which the LORD has promised to those who love Him” – James 1:12
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2. I hear the LORD saying, “Come up higher”.
Only Moses was invited into the glory cloud on Mt Sinai where he encountered the living God for 40 days and nights living off pure glory.
Only Peter, James and John were invited onto the Mount of Transfiguration where Jesus radiated his Father’s glory and had a conversation with Elijah and Moses.
God is issuing his bride – the church of Jesus – YOU and I, an invitation to ‘come up higher’ and experience a greater degree of glory in our lives.
What might this look like?
- your internal desires for worldly affections like – possessions, entertainment, lust for the world – become weaker as your desire for Him and His presence grows stronger.
- you desire for more moments of intimacy and encounter with God in prayer and worship. Not just in the congregating of God’s people but being called to spend time alone with Him.
- your passion to help others find Christ increases dramatically as you look for ways and means to help lead others to Christ.
the ‘overflow’ begins to spill over as you start seeing the supernatural of the Holy Spirit in fresh and invigorating ways. You long to lay hands on others and see God working in their spirit, soul and body.
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3. Church Structures are going to start changing
God has new wine available for the body of Christ, but we have been so focused on preserving the old wineskin that we have been unable to contain the new wine of God’s Spirit. The new wine is of course ‘God at work’ in His many and diverse ways.
Our church structures which have been built around being ‘contemporary’ and ‘hip’ have sucked in the churches’ resources – both financial and human – to the point we have become almost irrelevant to our communities which are filled with pain ridden lives that have been totally hijacked by COVID 19.
The church volunteers which make up the 20% who are doing 80% of the work are tired and worn out, following this model that has promised much but left many disillusioned.
This ever-increasing demand on ‘volunteers to run the machine’ has left a large chasm between the church and the people who really need our help. We have been so busy conducting our ‘worship services’ that we have no time to truly investigate our own neighbourhoods and communities to find the men and women of peace who will open doors to help us find those who are ripe for the Gospel of Jesus.
These new structures will be built around SIMPLICITY.
Simplicity of worship – no longer requiring thousands of dollars to help God’s people simply meet with Jesus and worship Him in Spirit and Truth. I’m reminded of the early morning daily meetings in our first church where every six weeks we prayed and fasted for a week. These meetings were explosive and often consisted of a simple guitar or melody with no instruments that brought us onto the mountain top with Jesus.
Simplicity of Multiplication – complexity is the enemy of multiplication. Jesus has a plan to rule the world and radiate His kingdom into every corner of our globe. BUT we have made this so difficult with our WHIZZ, BANG, POP mentality – which has often come with a high price tag of high-tech facilities, plant, all costing lots of money. Jesus is going to show us a SIMPLER way of multiplying His Kingdom so that ALL can hear the gospel in a personal and meaningful way.
We will be called to rise to a new stature in Christ where we sense and feel the risen Christ working through us, sharing the gospel without an altar call or follow up cards as every member becomes a minister and disciple of Jesus, just as He intended.
Simplicity of Fellowship – where two or three gather together in my name – Jesus promised to be present. The church is not a building but rather redeemed human lives (living stones) who carry the treasure of the Holy Spirit deep within, who love to imbibe of the company of other Jesus followers. There will be a great return to simple gatherings around the WORD of GOD with food, friendship and loving one another with a devotion to the LORD that is so irresistible that people are drawn to these gatherings to ‘taste and see that the LORD is good’.
Acts 2 tells us what this can be like:
42 And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers. 43 Then fear came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles. 44 Now all who believed were together, and had all things in common, 45 and sold their possessions and goods, and divided them among all, as anyone had need.
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4. Your Faith will be demonstrated by your actions not your words
James 2:18 But someone will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works.
A greater scrutiny on our ‘words’ will make some uncomfortable. We all love to ‘talk a great game’ but it is ‘on the field’ that our words do the real talking.
I have felt for some time now that the HOLY SPIRIT is bringing to bear a greater sense of personal accountability to the way we are actually conducting our life of faith in God.
The time for talking only is coming to an abrupt end. We will feel the barrenness of soul if all we do is simply ‘talk’. It is now time to ‘walk the walk’ and demonstrate our faith by our works.
Those who begin to step up to the challenge of walking in step to the beat of God’s drum and not our own comfortable settings and safe ‘play pens’ will feel the surge of Holy Spirit power like never before.
True signs and wonders will be done at our own hands – and most of them under the audience of ONE, not on the stage in front of hundreds or thousands. But simple obedience to the prompting of fresh faith in your heart as you step out on the whisper of heaven in your ears and your heart to move with God and see the outcome of simple obedience to heaven’s prompts.
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5. Lastly – “Let go and let God!”
It is very hard if not impossible to experience God in a new way when we are holding on with ‘white knuckles’ – not wanting to feel like we are no longer in control.
Follower of Jesus – full surrender means you are willing to trust God in every and any circumstance, especially when you are tempted to take back control and ‘tie everything down’.
Church member – it’s time to give up trying to control your pastor or church leadership and entrust them to God and be willing to join in where God wants to take His church.
Pastors and leaders – it’s time to stop controlling the people and allow the Holy Spirit room to move in their lives. You will see so much more fruit when you help them connect with God in such a way they are hearing Him for themselves.
This is the place of ‘spiritual combustion’ – the place of ‘greater works than these shall you do in my name’, the place of bearing ‘fruit, more fruit and much fruit’.
It’s time for us all to ‘let go and let God’ do what He knows is best for all of us.
I finish with a heartfelt prayer for us all in 2022 which is best reflected in St Paul’s prayer for the church found in
Ephesians 1:
15 Therefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, 16 do not cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers: 17 that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, 18 the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, 19 and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power 20 which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places.”
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Pastor James Anson – 31.12.21 (New Year’s eve)