A Year of Multiplied Grace

On January 16^th, 2009 I awoke abruptly at 5:55 AM. I did not think much about this unusual awaking time, until the next morning, January 17^th, when I awoke at the exact same time, 5:55 AM. Knowing that the number five represents grace, I felt that the Lord was giving me through this prophetic sign an essential message for the Body of Christ. As I sought the Lord for greater insight, the Holy Spirit spoke to me these words, “2009 will be a year of multiplied grace.” As I continued to ponder what the Holy Spirit was revealing, the following scripture came to me.

Hebrews 4:16 “Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”

By definition, grace is receiving from God what we do not deserve, namely His favor. On the other hand, mercy is not receiving from God what we do deserve, namely His judgment. Multiplied grace and mercy are available in times of multiplied need. In 2009, America is facing a year of multiplied need economically, environmentally, governmentally, socially, and spiritually. Because of this multiplied need, it is essential that Christians boldly approach God’s throne to receive the grace and mercy necessary to not only survive, but thrive in the midst of economic famine and divine judgment.

The Goodness and Severity of God

The year 2009 is also the Hebrew year 5769. The number nine is linked with judgment. The word of the Lord regarding 2009 can be found in Psalm 9, where the word “judge” or “judgment” is used six times.

Psalm 9:7, 8 “He has prepared His throne for judgment. He shall judge the world in righteousness, and He shall administer judgment for the peoples in uprightness.”

In a year of judgment, we need to understand the judgments of God. Paul’s first letter to the Corinthian church outlines the stages of judgment.

I Corinthians 11:31, 32 “For if we would judge ourselves, we would not be judged. But when we are judged, we are chastened by the Lord, that we may not be condemned with the world.”

The first stage of divine judgment is self judgment. Self judgment is wrought when we surrender to the conviction of the Holy Spirit regarding our sin, and subsequently confess and forsake our sin. The second stage of divine judgment is the chastening of the Lord. When we neglect to judge ourselves, the Lord may use various people and circumstances to address and convict us of our sin. If we harden our hearts repeatedly to the chastening of the Lord, we become subject to the condemnation with the world, which is the third form of divine judgment.

As a nation, we have neither judged ourselves nor responded to the chastening hand of the Lord. In our rebellion, we have sown sin for years and are now drawing judgment and reaping death in many forms. Nevertheless, a righteous remnant will find refuge in the Lord during this turbulent time (Romans 8:2).

Psalm 9:9, 10 “The Lord also will be a refuge for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble. And those who know Your name will put their trust in You; For You, Lord, have not forsaken those who seek You.”

Truly the year 2009 will be one of refuge for the righteous and one of judgment of the unjust, revealing both the goodness and severity of God (Romans 11:22).

Grace to the Humble

In a year of multiplied need, it is imperative that we know how to secure the grace of God. Once again Psalm 9 gives us an indication on how we can garner the grace of God for our lives.

Psalm 9:11, 12 “Sing praises to the Lord, who dwells in Zion! Declare His deeds among the people. When He avenges blood, He remembers them; He does not forget the cry of the humble.”

Indeed, the Bible in the Old Testament and New Testament, clearly states in three places that humility is the key to securing the grace of God (Proverbs 3:34, James 4:6, I Peter 5:5).

James 4:6 “But He gives more grace. Therefore He says: God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”

Unfortunately, many Christians do not fully understand how to humble themselves before the Lord. Humility is not walking around with a sad face, remaining in the shadows, belittling oneself or dressing shabbily. Interestingly enough, James clearly instructs the Church on how to humble ourselves before the Lord in the following verses (James 4:7-16). Additionally, Apostle Peter’s first epistle to the church also instructs them to humble themselves “under the mighty hand of God” by “casting all your care upon Him” (I Peter 5:6, 7).

1. Submit to God - “Therefore, submit to God.” (4:7).

2. Draw Near to God - “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.” (4:8)

3. Repent to God - “Cleanse your hands . . . purify your hearts.” (4:8,9)

4. Judge Not - “Who are you to judge another?” (4:11,12)

5. Boast Not - “All such boasting is evil.” (4:13-17)

6. Cast Your Cares - “Casting all of your care upon Him.” (I Peter 5:6,7)

Indeed, if we will humble ourselves before the Lord we will secure the multiplied grace we need to thrive in a year of multiplied need.

Draw Near to God

Out of the all of the instructions that the apostles offer to humble oneself before the Lord to secure His grace and favor, I believe the most crucial in this hour is “Draw Near to God”. God’s promises of protection and provision in times of need and trouble are conditional. Surely, we can only humble ourselves under the mighty hand of God by drawing near to Him and dwelling in the secret place of the Most High. Under the shadow of His wings we find refuge and deliverance in times of trouble (Psalm 91).

Psalm 91:1, 2 “He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, “He is My refuge and my fortress; My God, in Him I will trust.”

Psalm 91:9, 10 “Because you have made the Lord, who is my refuge, even the Most High, your habitation, no evil shall befall you, nor shall any plague come near your dwelling.”

Psalm 91:14 “Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore I will deliver him.”

In other words, if we will set our love upon Him and make “the secret place” our “dwelling place”, the Lord will:

- Deliver us from the snare of the fowler (Psalm 91:3).

- Deliver us from the perilous pestilence (Psalm 91:3).

- Give His angels charge over us and keep us in all our ways (Psalm 91:11).

- Answer us and be with us in times of trouble (Psalm 91:15).

- Deliver us and satisfy us with long life (Psalm 91:15, 16).

- Show us His salvation (Psalm 91:16).

Casting All of Your Cares Upon Him

Apostle Peter offers us the second most crucial directive towards humbling ourselves and securing the grace of God in these turbulent times, namely “Casting All of Your Care Upon Him” (I Peter 5:6,7). Fear paralyzes us and robs us of our faith in God. Fear causes us to faint in the day of adversity and our hearts to fail (Proverbs 24:10, Luke 21:26).

Franklin D. Roosevelt’s was elected president of the United States in 1932, during the darkest days of the “Great Depression”. During his inaugural speech he made a profound statement that has since become a historic quotation: “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.” Today, we are facing similar circumstances in America. Many have placed their trust in riches instead of the living God, and are panicking and floundering in a quagmire of fear and despair (I Timothy 6:17).

In Psalm 91, a key scripture for 2009, the psalmist instructs us not to be afraid of the terrors that are to come upon the wicked (Psalm 91:5-8).

Psalm 91:5, 6 “You shall not be afraid of . . .

“the terror by night” TERRORIST ATTACKS

“nor of the arrow that flies by day” WARS AND RUMORS OF WAR

“nor of the pestilence that walks in darkness” PLAGUES and EPIDEMICS

“nor of the destruction that lays waste at noonday.” ECONOMIC COLLAPSE

Despite terrorist attacks, wars and rumors of war, plagues and epidemics, and economic collapse, no evil will befall us nor any plague come near our dwelling (Psalm 91:7-11).

God does nothing unless He reveals His secret to His servants the prophets. He graciously warns us so that we can be prepared – emotionally, economically, and spiritually to help those in darkness see the light of the glory of Christ upon us in the midst of calamity (Amos 3:7).

In late March 23, 2009, David Wilkerson, a prophet to America, shared a solemn prophetic warning indicating that “an earth-shattering calamity is about to happen. It is going to be so frightening, we are all going to tremble – even the godliest among us.” Five days after this prophetic warning was published, the Holy Spirit directed me to the following scripture:

Jeremiah 1:14, 16 “Out of the north calamity shall break forth on all the inhabitants of the land . . . I will utter My judgments against them concerning all their wickedness, because they have forsaken Me, burned incense to other gods, and worshipped the works of their own hands.”

Once again, these warnings are not given to us by God to frighten us, but instead to prepare the Church to be a bright light in the midst of gross darkness (Isaiah 60:1, 2).

Arise and Shine in 2009

Humbling ourselves under the mighty hand of God not only secures for us His grace, but also His exaltation “in due time”. Surely we must first descend before we can arise, and humble ourselves before He can lift us up (James 4:10, I Peter 5:5).

Psalm 91:14, 15 “Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore I will deliver him; I will exalt him on high, because he has known My name. He shall call upon Me, and I will answer Him; I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver Him and honor Him.”

In other words, humbling ourselves before God will in due season bring not only the exaltation of God, but also honor from God (Proverbs 18:12).

The Church has failed to realize that seasons of deep darkness are our greatest opportunities to shine the brightest for the King. We must see these times of tribulation and need as the Church’s finest hour, not our final hour. It is “due time” that the Church arise in the midst of the darkness and shine bright for the King. Only then will the devastated come in desperation to the light of the glory of Christ that is rising upon a righteous remnant in America. If the Church will awaken to the season we are entering into, we could witness the greatest revival America has ever experienced.

Isaiah 60:1-3 “ARISE, shine; for your light has come! And the glory of the Lord is RISEN upon you. For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and deep darkness the people; but the Lord will ARISE over you, and His glory will be seen upon you. The Gentiles shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your RISING.”

In a night vision before I preached this message, the Lord told me to remind the church in America, “Don’t forget 7:14!” I immediately knew He meant II Chronicles 7:14. He said, “Without humility, America will not pray. If they don’t pray, they will neither seek nor see My face. Without seeing My face, America will never be convicted of and turn from their wicked ways. Without repentance, I cannot heal their land.” The Lord also said, “After years of sending prophets to preach II Chronicles 7:14 to America, they are not even to first base, which is humbling themselves before Me.” The next morning I awoke at precisely 7:14 AM. Surely, the time has come for judgment to begin in the house of God. Let it begin with you and me.