By Joanie Stahl- January 2nd 2017
First I want to wish everyone a very Happy New Year. Next, the common thing is to examine our previous year through the lens of the Holy Spirit. To me it feels as if I have passed through a year of my sojourning here on earth, and I picture myself standing on a very high precipice I finally climbed up to reaching the end of a journey thus far.
It is as if I am looking over a vast expanse of land looking at all the places I was, taking it in, and can see why I stumbled here and there, and can point to detours, battlegrounds and victories. I scan the topography and see where on one or two occasions I rested beside the still waters, and cast my eyes on fields of green grass where I rested, and it all becomes alive to me in the sense that God himself was with me the whole time like He was with Jacob.
“And Jacob awaked out of his sleep, and he said, Surely the LORD is in this place; and I knew it not. And he was afraid, and said, How dreadful is this place! this is none other but the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.” Genesis 28:16-17 [KJV].
So yes, my looking out over the vast land of my last year’s sojourning brings a striking reality to my soul as I am able to see from greater vantage points that He was with me all the way, even when I was at my lowest. The view from this high point brings me comfort for the looking forward as I begin to venture onward and upward to Immanuel’s Land.
Just towards the end as I was reaching the last leg of the journey of 2016 I realized that earlier this year I had given a word I had misread and it did not come to pass. In light of that reality, a person came out of nowhere to post it everywhere on the internet calling me some pretty bad names. Not only myself, but A Minute to Midnite team members.
My position on making mistakes like this is to own it, and own up to it as fast as possible. However, this person jumped the gun with all the fervor fueled by the enemy. And it was a brutal attack filled with all the ammunition meant to destroy and not to build up. It felt like someone tossed a hand grenade into my bunker.
This person takes the position of a Christian but it was moreover like the wrath of Absalom when he did not get the attention he wanted and lit Joab’s field on fire.
“Therefore he said unto his servants, See, Joab’s field is near mine, and hath barley there; go and set it on fire. And Absalom’s servants set it on fire.” 2 Samuel 14:30 [KJV]. You can read the full account in the entire 14th chapter.
I can tell you with utmost transparency that it felt as if an ambush was set against me, and darkness brooded over me, accusing me to my face. The accusations were enlaced with statements much like Goliath’s to young David son of Jesse when he was just a youth. I knew I had to withstand the enemy to his face to gain my ground back. But not to fight with flesh and blood.
“And the Philistine said unto David, Am I a dog, that thou comest to me with staves? And the Philistine cursed David.” 1 Samuel 17:3 [KJV].
You see, I knew what I had to do. Not because of some duty to save my own face. My prompt response was immediate the last day of this year. On the first day of this new year, I heard the Lord in the very early, quiet part of the morning.
He said, “Stand your ground. Rise up and face the enemy. Go out to meet him in the battle. Meet him face to face and declare openly to the world that you did not get it right. Say it full and robust, and do not do it cowering to the world. Do it with joy set before you and proclaim My righteousness. Do not be chased into the dark shadowy corners! Go out! Meet your opponent in the open day! It will be just like pouring water on fire. Your enemy will have nothing further he can do to you”
Just then I bowed and said, Yes Lord! I will do it right away! As soon as those words left my mouth a powerful joy, and mighty man’s strength entered into my spirit man. I wrote the formal apology and hit send and I felt a dark sinister heaviness depart from me instantly.
Now the only reason I am sharing this with you is because it was then that I felt refreshed in understanding about tactical warfare. No one ever gets everything right or perfect. I do not say this as a justifiable addendum. It is just the truth.
The word that I had gotten in early 2016 was that the borders would be shut down at the end of the year. I do not want to totally throw out the word completely, but recommit it into the hands of the Lord proper.
Perhaps with the way things are going and the martial law that will come, and the flood of refugees coming over the border unvetted will put President elect Donald Trump into a swift decision to shut the borders, at least for a while to bring things under control.
This word could come to pass this year. I do not say that that is from the Lord. Yet it is a very real possibility as we know for absolute fact that terrorists are among them. As well as the fact that as President Obama is preparing to leave office, he has been on maniacal mission to flood the borders with tens of thousands of middle eastern immigrants from well known terrorist nations.
They are being sent by the cover of night by bus loads into towns all over the United States while everyone sleeps. We will see after all one way or another. I look forward to what this next year holds. Not only for myself, but with our team at A Minute to Midnite as this year cause us to grow upwards as we wait for the Lord to return on high.
Let us be careful to love one another and encourage each other as that Day approaches.
“For the night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light.” Romans 13:12 [KJV].