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Moving Forward

‘Tis The Season For Moving Forward

by Sarah Crockett December 14, 2022

With just a few days left of 2022, it’s often a time to reflect and then focus on your goals moving forward into the new year. We ask ourselves questions like…What do I want to accomplish in 2023? What is the Lord saying prophetically over my next year. Thus, as the calendar page flips dreams of promises fulfilled are at the forefront of our minds.

The Great Exchange

Every time Jesus asks us to give something up, He always gives us something better in return. I like to think of it as a divine exchange. He knows us and wants the best for us. Jesus even spent three years traveling and teaching the ways of the Kingdom so that we could live the abundant life.

Isaiah 61;1-3 NIV – “The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, 2 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, 3 and provide for those who grieve in Zion— to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of his splendor.”

When He invites us into moving forward in our lives that often requires letting go. However, you don’t have to worry because you’re about to get an upgrade!

Reflect on Moving Forward

What are your goals for 2023?
How would you like to move forward relationally, spiritually, financially, or in your career?
Is there anyone or anything in your life that you need to let go of to move forward?
Are there any boundaries that you need to put in place to move forward at – work, relationships, etc.?
What is your next step forward?

_______

Moving Forward From The Difficult Season

by Rhoda Gayle January 28, 2022

written by Rhoda Gayle

Moving forward from the difficult season we’ve been through.

Difficult Season

In an episode of The Cry host Betty King and guest Rachel Hickson talks about getting out of the difficult season. Betty shared what the Lord told her about the pandemic. The Lord promised her that moment that His words and promises will still be fulfilled despite the difficult season.

“The Lord asked me a question, ‘What are My word and My promise?’ I said, ‘Your word and your promise is to be fulfilled,’ and some is fulfilled. So, then He says, ‘Then, do not let coronavirus get you to change My word but let it change you,’” Betty recalled.

Moving Forward

When the pandemic hit and placed almost the entire world on lockdown, the Lord is doing something in our hearts. During that seemingly difficult season, the Lord stirred up our hearts and redirected our focus to what matters the most.

“Jesus Himself said, ‘New wine goes into new wineskins.’ So, I think part of the lockdown period has been a new wine development. What do I mean by that? It means it’s been stirring passion, He’s been stirring the fire, He’s been correcting focus, He’s been decluttering our lives. He’s been the God of alpha omega,” Rachel said.

But despite the difficult season we’ve been through and the uncertainties we’ve faced, the word of the Lord still remained the same. Let us use that as our foundation as we come out of this situation. Let us use the word of the Lord to move forward.

“We’re in a very interesting season because we’re leaders in uncertainty… but you’re absolutely founded on the Word. We’re not moving from this foundation, but we are changing the way we have our momentum, the way we move forward.”

Understanding Why New Wine Goes Into New Wineskin | The Cry with Betty King and Rachel Hickson

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January 28, 2022 0 comment

Articles

Are You Carrying Keys to the Past God Long-Ago Locked?

by Jennifer LeClaire December 12, 2019

written by Jennifer LeClaire

key-necklace

The past is in the past.

I wear a key around my neck. In fact, I have several different key necklaces. One says “faith”. And one says “dream wild”. One says “create”. Some are silver. And some are black. Some are copper.

Call it a prophetic thing … I started wearing necklaces when I got the Isaiah 22:22 revelation: “The key of the house of David I will lay on his shoulder. Then he shall open, and no one shall shut. And he shall shut, and no one shall open.” (Isaiah 22:22)

In the realm of prayer, we use the Isaiah 22:22 key with governmental authority to unlock doors God prophetically shows us to open for His glory and to lock doors He wants locked to the enemy. As ambassadors for Christ, this is one strategy for waging prophetic warfare and legislating in the spirit.

Carrying Too Many Keys

Last week, I received a new revelation while relocating to a new home. As part of taking possession of the property, I got three new keys for my ring and used one of them to turn the lock on a 7-foot door. When I opened this God-given door, I walked into my dream loft in an urban city with artists, photographers, and organic coffee surrounding my abode.

As I worked diligently to unpack boxes, I noticed my friend had a key ring with no more than three keys. That struck me, as my keyring had no less than 18 keys on it. Beyond the three new keys to my home, I have post office box keys, car keys, church keys, and a slew of other keys. This keyring was so heavy it l literally weighed down my bags.

I declared in that moment I would winnow down my key chain. I ended up with six keys. Honestly, I couldn’t even remember what most of the other keys were for. If I had been on a game show and the host asked which key went in which door, I would have surely lost the competition.

Putting Away Old Keys of The Past

Here’s the lesson: Many of us are holding on to keys from doors of the past that are not only closed, but the locks have been changed. We’re toting around a ring with keys to doors we long forgot about. Somehow, we closed the door and kept the keys—and those keys are weighing us down.

Hebrews 12:1b admonishes us, “Let us also lay aside every weight and the sin that so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.”

We can’t run our race with endurance if we don’t forget what lies behind—the closed doors, the failed relationships, the trials of life. We can’t sprint around the track God has laid out without wearing ourselves out if we don’t let go of the heavy-weights the enemy wants us to carry.

Stripping my key chain of these superfluous keys to doors of the past was like letting go of a heavy load—and not just out of my bag, but off my mind. It was a prophetic act that parallels Philippians 3:13-14.

“Brothers, I do not count myself to have attained, but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal to the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.”

December 12, 2019 0 comment

Articles Faith

Five Lies We Tell Ourselves When Off-Course

by Theresa Harvard Johnson October 16, 2019

written by Theresa Harvard Johnson

Self-sabotage takes on many forms in our lives. It is often drenched in chronic procrastination, extreme excuse-making, a flurry of unfruitful activity and a host of other behaviors that can turn dreams into dust.

Everyone faces self-sabotage at points in their lives and finds themselves off-course. To overcome it, however, requires acknowledging the problem, interrupting those self-defeating behaviors and thoughts; and determining to move forward at all costs.

Facing Truth

Ecclesiastes 11:4 AMPC describes it this way: “He who observes the wind [and waits for all conditions to be favorable] will not sow, and he who regards the clouds will not reap.”

This passage presents a difficult truth when a person is off-course. We are pressed to ask the question: Am I observing the wind? Am I regarding clouds?

In other words, we are being challenged to consider our thought lives – what we are meditating on, establishing as beliefs and allowing to guide our decisions. Are those thoughts productive or are they leading to self-sabotaging behavior?

For some of us, those thoughts are not directly negative at first glance. Yet, over time, become lies that can stagnate or even destroy our destiny.

The Five Lies

Here are five lies that often lead us off-course:

It was not the Lord’s timing. This statement can be used to justify quitting when we start projects but never finish. A big clue that is a lie could be when you look around the cluttered closet and see multiple unfinished projects, not just one.
I did not have enough time to complete that project. Psychologists say self-sabotage has nothing to do with time management. Rather, it is rooted in a combination of learned behaviors and bad habits. Most people who are off-course are dealing with chronic patterns not a one-time occurrence. All the calendar start dates and accountability partners in the world will not break this without breaking the cycle.
This project is under such spiritual attack. Really Theresa? I actually said this to myself one day. I followed up with this question: “Exactly who is attacking every single one of your projects – not just that one on top of the box in the corner?” Sometimes, we must be willing to recognize that the enemy is inward not outward.
The lack of motivation indicates that God does not want this done right now. For some reason, it is easy look at our own motivation as a pre-requisite for completing something. Whether it is a sewing project or completing an advanced degree. The truth is: Feelings lie to us. Maturity challenges us to not respond to life based on our emotional state or energy level. Great deception rests here.
I am waiting for more confirmation in prayer. Often, people do not need more time in prayer to complete “what God has already said do.” They need to put a hand to plow. It is always okay to obey the Lord with the intention to finish or going as far as you can toward completion as possible.

Getting Back On Course

Philippians 3:13-14 NIV says, “Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”

The Apostle Paul reminds us that we are on a perpetual journey of learning and growing. No one has arrived. As such, course correction is inevitable. We are also reminded that the key tool in our arsenal is our “press” toward the goal. Inward change comes with sensible, inward choices and decisions — not just spiritual postures.

When off course, face the situation head-on. Accept it for what it is: An opportunity to overcome and finish.

To do this, take all defeating thoughts captive (2 Cor 10:5), force discipline over those areas of weakness (1 Cor 9:27), live in truth (2 Tim 2:15), and decide not to default into excuse-making (John 4:34). Practice and consistency in these areas will bear the fruit of completion and harvest reaping in our lives.

October 16, 2019 0 comment

Articles

Intentionally Move Away From The Unintentional

by Corine Channell October 1, 2019

written by Corine Channell

I wonder if I have any fellow sojourners out there on a well traveled road I have walked (and crawled) upon. It’s the least favorite road I have ever traveled; the one where I fall into many dark pot holes and I get stuck on the side of the road wondering if I really can finish this race. I call it ‘the broken road of guilt’.

I cannot forgive myself for things I know Jesus has forgiven me for.

Maybe that sounds like an oxymoron, but it is the truth. So the topic at hand is – how do I or maybe WE learn to forgive ourselves for things we feel are unforgivable. How do we really not forever walk on the broken road of guilt?

What I have first come up with is to search out God’s words on self guilt and on self forgiveness. I have lived long enough to know that how I FEEL is not necessarily a truth. If God has forgiven my failures, what then is His thoughts to me on how to forgive myself? I sincerely have tried, and I can not.

We all fail.

Wow. Psalms 103:10 says – “He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear Him.” If He dealt with me as harshly as I judge myself, well – He doesn’t.

As I have said before, God knew we needed a Savior, so He sent us Jesus. Regardless our sin, He will forgive us because of His love for us. Psalm 32:10 says, “I acknowledged my mistakes to You, and You forgave them.” Romans 3:23 says, “We ALL fall short of the glory of God.” Quite honestly, I get that and I believe that. I just have a hard time letting go of my failures, especially when I realize they touched others. I think that is the guilt part for me – that in my mistakes, I caused the pain of others. As a spouse or parent or friend or sibling or any part of any relationship, none of us want to be the reason for another’s pain.

So let’s explore the wrong that has been done – it was given to God and forgiven, however we stored it in our own mind and heart and it is forever attached to guilt or shame or sadness. If your mind and heart feels so strongly about what you uploaded into them, you will always feel exactly the same way when brought back to the doorway of the failure.

Unintentional failures.

First of all IF we hurt or failed someone, most probably it was NOT intentional or we wouldn’t have done it to begin with – not to someone we genuinely loved. Maybe we made decisions based on those current situations and thought processes at the time, and maybe not born out of real truth or real knowledge or intention.

If we are at the point to actually admit we DID fail, that really is a good thing. It is? It is. Not fun, but essentially good – because ultimately it is only in facing the painful truth that we are free from its tight, suffocating grasp of guilt. In owning our failure, it is the foundation for moving past it. If it hurt someone else, that feels tougher. There lies the relentless guilt that gets a firm grip on us. I think it really IS all about whether or not we can truly believe we are forgiven.

Time to move on.

After Jesus forgave the adulterous woman He said, “GO and sin no more.” There is seemingly nothing profound in those 5 words; no long sermon or theological thesis. However, it truly holds the key to forgiving ourselves! Two parts in 5 words – GO. First He told her to GO. We could interpret that as telling her to get up off the ground (groveling in the dirt in her guilt and reproach), and then – AND SIN NO MORE. “Go, and sin no more.” Whatever she did before (sin, failures, regrets etc.) – stop doing it! WOW. I asked God to forgive my failure, but I remained face down in the dirt in my shame and reproach when what I NEEDED to do was simply move on from it, and change whatever it was I failed at.

I think I got this!

“Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief.” (I Timothy 1:15) Sometimes we feel like the chief sinner, the chief failure, the one who knocked the earth off its orbit by our mistake. For THIS reason, Jesus came. For my sin, Jesus came. For my failure, Jesus came. For my shame, Jesus came. For my redemption, Jesus came.

“No one who believes in the Lord will be put to shame.” (Romans 10:11)

Time to get up – dust ourselves off – move on and be better and do better.

Time for making intentional successes out of unintentional failures. Time to see our Savior make a message out of our messes. It is time to see the weight of our sin become the weight of His glory. Trade it in. It is time.

#MovingOnWithIntention

October 1, 2019 0 comment

Articles

Let Go and Step Out

by Paula R. Bryant March 29, 2019

written by Paula R. Bryant

When God gives you a new vision, and then leads you through a mind-boggling process to embrace and prepare for it, your time of release will come! No question about it. The next step is up to you. Are you ready to believe God and enter a new day? Are you poised to let go and step out on the path that leads to your future?

Looking back on when the Lord shifted me out of an administrative career into full-time writing, He made certain I could clearly see my new path was unfolding by His hand. Because after getting the eye-opening call at work from my prospective employer (see my last blog)—it was my turn to make a move. That challenged me, because for several reasons the thought of leaving Houston had become bittersweet. After hanging up, hands shaking, I quickly called my husband and broke the news. There was a long silence on the other end (during which, I’m sure, he was regaining his composure). Numbed yet exhilarated, we agreed to talk more that evening.

I am thankful that my husband and I were walking in agreement. I wanted to pinch myself to make sure this was really happening. We both realized: our next step was to give notice to our employers. Whew! Beyond giving up our positions, my boss’ wife worked with my husband and had been instrumental in getting him an interview with their organization, and we had become good friends. At times, the world can feel like a tiny place.

God’s Word of Release

Days passed as I anticipated giving notice to the best boss I had ever worked for. It felt like I was walking a tightrope. This was real. God was requiring me to trust Him, let go of my “perfect arrangement,” and choose to step out on His path back to Dallas. I prayed and prayed. At times, it was grueling, heartbreaking. Then one day while I was seeking the Lord, He gave me a promise from Mark 10:29–30:

“…there is no one who has given up and left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands for My sake and for the Gospel’s who will not receive a hundred times as much now in this time—houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions—and in the age to come, eternal life.”

I broke down in tears as a divine light bulb illuminated my spirit and peace flooded my entire being. And I received the promise. A greater future was ahead. We both gave notice at work, and despite our initial concerns, my boss and his wife handled the news spectacularly. He even gave me a special going-away gift, a beautiful Montblanc pen, to commemorate my new writing career.

My husband and I were off to the races, thanking God, packing to return to Dallas, and making a flurry of preparations until the unthinkable happened. Bear with me, there’s too much to share to go into this now. Just hang on till next week—because there are times when our decision to follow the Lord is tested.

The Next Step

Entering a new day sounds wonderful but the process can be unsettling. It impacts us spiritually, physically, emotionally, and financially. At times, we must put our mind in check to do something that defies logic. What vision has God shown you? Has He ever required you to let go everything you’ve known and step into the future? If so, how did you respond? Did you come all the way through the process, or did something hinder you? Here’s the bottom line. God is impartial (see Acts 10:34–35). What He did for me, He’ll do for you. And if you missed taking a step, He may give you another opportunity to shift onto a new path of destiny. I know because He’s done it for me a time or two. God’s gifts and His calling are “irrevocable” (see Romans 11:29).

Now, let’s pray: Heavenly Father, we come to You in the Name of Jesus, thanking You for Your love, wisdom, and goodness. Thank You for teaching us and for guiding us on our path, so that when You release us, we walk into the new. If, for some reason, my friend has missed taking that step, thank You for extending mercy and grace. Draw us to You, Lord. Give us a heart that is willing to trust You, let go, and step onto the path of our greatest potential. Amen.

“I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you [who are willing to learn] with My eye upon you.” (Psalm 32:8)

March 29, 2019 1 comment