As I entered the last day of 2008 I petitioned God for my focus in the New Year. At the beginning of 2008 my focus was to find God; that He would become personal to me like never before. Looking back over the year I can truly say that I have a personal relationship with my heavenly Father that cannot be shaken. Seeing how He answered that prayer gave me a desire for more of Him. God I want more of you. His response was, “you will find more of me through extreme obedience”.
We were created to be the image of Christ, walking as Christ did. The greatest summary can be found in Philippians 2:5-11. Verse 8-9 says, “he humbled himself and became obedient to death- even death on a cross! Therefore God exalted him…” In between humbling yourself and God exalting you is obedience, extreme obedience. Christ’s last words as he hung from the cross were, “it is finished”. He did everything that God commanded Him and created Him to do. When we think extreme, we usually think radical, crazy, or some word like that. God’s definition of extreme is complete, total, fully. When God says extreme obedience, its not that he wants me to go and bum-rush the main office and tell every to repent or go to hell. Extreme in the sense that a majority of those who call themselves followers of Christ only obey what is convenient but he wants someone who will obey all that he commands. Someone who will obey unto death (Phil 2:8), obey in opposition (Acts 5:29), obey in love (1 John 5:3), obey in faith (Heb 11:8), become a slave to righteousness through obedience (Rom 6:16-18).
Extreme obedience does not question what Abba Father wants me to do. He speaks, I act. This is the year to show if we really believe what we confess, the wheat and tear will be separated. The lukewarm will be exposed because everyone else will move forward (or back) but no more standing still. Faith is moving when you can’t see what’s in front of you. Because we have the God who is the creator of the universe and a big brother, Jesus, who overcame the world, what do we have to worry about if they want to do something through us?
We are not given obedience, it must be learned. Even Christ “learned obedience from what he suffered” (Hebrews 5:8). Daily self sacrifice and denial is required. We must partner with the Holy Spirit daily to lead and guide us in all righteousness and truth. The Spirit cannot flow where flesh lives, so it’s apparent that this cannot be the “year of flesh or self”. It is impossible to walk in extreme obedience and walk in the flesh simultaneously. Galatians 2:20 “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live” Romans 6:6 “For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin”
This year, if there is no manifestation and fruit in our lives then we have no one to blame but ourselves. The only way we’ll see fruit is if we do it his way, extreme obedience. As I enter this New Year I enter with a level of expectation as well as humility, believing God for great things but knowing it will take my participation.
Heavenly Father, I thank you for your grace and mercy in allowing your people to see a new year. I pray that in this new year, we will walk as your children, obedient to your voice. I believe that if we seek you and obey you will our whole heart that you would give us the desires of our heart, so I pray for a new boldness in our prayers to you. Father, reveal yourself to us in a most intimate way, that we would know without a doubt that your hand is upon us. We walk in extreme obedience to your word, grounded in love and faith. We commit our cause to you and desire no glory for ourselves. Father, you know those who are yours, protect us and we take our light into the darkness of this world and we’ll be careful to give you all honor, glory, and praise, in Jesus’ name, Amen!
Have a great year of Finality, Fullness, and Fruitfulness!! God Bless
-Christ’s Ambassador
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