8 ways to look

Mahesh and Bonnie Chavda:

The Eyes of Our Hearts Are Wide Open—Eight Ways to Look for the Lord in 2010

With full hearts and open eyes we will wait for the Lord to fulfill His good pleasure and get Himself greater glory in 2010. As we look for Him, let us begin the New Year with a look back with thankful hearts. Let us remember the good things He has done in 2009—both great and small.

Good leaders, like true kings, possess a noble mindset. The greatest King is the Lord Jesus who gave His life to create a people for Himself. As priests and kings of Christ it is the "noblesse oblige" or our duty, obligation, responsibility to be honorable and generous and true. In simple language, the term refers to the obligation of noble ones to act nobly. "We must instill a sense of duty in our children, every right implies a responsibility; every opportunity, an obligation; every possession, a duty" (John D. Rockefeller, Jr. on the life, liberty and pursuit of happiness afforded Americans). Our nation needs a spiritual revival of traditional values that made us great in former times. We begin the New Year thankful for His grace in pastimes.

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. Philippians 4:8

Eight Ways to Look for the Lord in 2010

As we look to 2010 let us:

1. Look up to the Throne of Christ. The supreme governing authority of the whole world and its population is Jesus. The Church is His embassy and Christians are His ambassadors. We are under Christ's rule and grace. We are certain He will finish the good thing He has begun. In every generation God unfolds His ongoing purpose. It will culminate in the return of His Son to take possession of all. While we wait for Him, we are the salt and light of His presence in the world.

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the Cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. Hebrews 12:1-2

As we look to 2010 let us:

2. Look into our hearts to prepare and maintain the resting place for King Jesus. Let us daily receive the cleansing, renewing power of His Blood. Let us order our priorities. Make eternal values the plumbline for every plan and purpose in the New Year. Set your affections on things above. Where your treasure is your heart will be also.

Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting! Psalm 139:23-24

As we look to 2010 let us:

3. Look ahead in expectation of answered prayers and greater visitation. For his homily on Christmas Eve, Pope Benedict took the theme of Christian vigilance from the example of the shepherds who were watching over their flocks as the angels brought the announcement of the Savior's birth.

Take heed, watch and pray; for you do not know when the time is. Mark 13:33

From the shepherds' fields to the Temple Mount, kings and ordinary persons with the eyes of their hearts wide open and spirits awakened in expectation, participated in His Advent.

My eyes have seen Your salvation that You have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to Your people Israel. Luke 2:30-32

Those who eagerly awaited God's salvation prioritized their lives accordingly and encountered Him when He came. The word wait, kawah, used by the psalmist King David implies the extension of a straight line from one point to another. The first point is our heart. The line extends from our heart toward God in earnest desire. Those who wait on God in expectation, keeping His way, are sure to have the blessing they seek. In Him our desire is fulfilled. Expect the Lord and keep His way and He will exalt you to inherit the land.

Trust in the LORD, and do good; so shall you dwell in the land, and truly you shall be fed...Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for Him; do not fret when men succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes. For evil men will be cut off, but those who hope in the LORD will inherit the land... Wait on the LORD, and keep His way, and He shall exalt you to inherit the land; when the wicked are cut off, you shall see it. Psalm 37:3, 7, 9 & 34

As we look to 2010 let us:

4. Look for new opportunities to present themselves during times of change. Change is not always welcome if we seek comfort over fulfillment of destiny. The 1965 sci-fi novel Dune is a story about a war between two empires seeking to control the most valuable substance in the universe, a substance on which life itself depends. Facing the challenges of the new era, a nobleman, Duke Leto Atreides, is charged with finding and capturing that resource. He looks ahead to his journey into the unknown and says, "I'll miss the sea, but a person needs new experiences. They jar something deep inside, allowing him to grow. Without change something sleeps inside us, and seldom awakens. The sleeper must awaken."

The whole world is in a time of awakening. The Church leads the way.

Wake up, O sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you. Ephesians 5:14

The Bible never promises comfort except in the presence of the Lord who is with us. Scripture exhorts us to not despise the day of small beginnings. In challenging times great opportunities present themselves through small beginnings. Know that God has in mind to both bless and use His servants in every circumstance. His economy creates win/win scenarios whereby He glorifies Himself through us while using our most difficult circumstances to conform us to the image of Christ.

But as for me, I will watch expectantly for the LORD; I will wait for the God of my salvation. My God will hear me. Micah 7:7

As we look to 2010 let us:

5. Look for angelic intervention and answered prayers. The unique wisdom of God is that holy angels are assigned to His people, and while angels have limited authority, God's people do not. And though we are limited in our bodies, God's angels are not. Thus God's people and His angels work together to perform His will in Heaven and earth through vigilant prayer and faithful obedience. There are more that are with us than there are against us.

Bless the LORD, ye His angels, that excel in strength, that do His commandments, hearkening unto the voice of His word. Bless ye the LORD, all ye His hosts; ye ministers of His, that do His pleasure. Psalm 103:20, 21

Bless the LORD...who makes the clouds His chariot: who walks upon the wings of the wind: who makes His angels spirits: His ministers a flaming fire. Psalm 104:1-4

On Christmas Eve, more Christians of all denominations attended midnight vigils to celebrate the birth of Christ than in previous years. On Christmas day an Islamic terrorist attempted to kill 300 innocent airline passengers on a flight from Amsterdam to Detroit. The man's father had warned the US State Department of the danger his son presented because of the young man's commitment to jihadist religious ideas. Government agencies ignored regular safety precautions. The bomb went undetected but failed to explode during the flight. The passengers were saved and the terrorist captured.

Let us continue to keep the watch in prayerful spiritual vigilance in 2010. We can trust that, in the keeping of His word, the Lord is keeping vigil with us around the world, including sending His angels to deliver innocents from the plots of wicked men.

The angel of the Lord encamps round about them that fear Him, and delivers them. Psalm 34:7

The chariots of God are twenty thousand, even thousands of angels: the Lord is among them, as in Sinai, in the holy place. Psalm 68:17

As we look to 2010 let us:

6. Look to the Holy Spirit. Every person who has received Christ as Savior and Lord has been given the gift of the Holy Spirit. The finished work of Calvary worked a work of acceptance, adoption, reconciliation and communion between God and man. That work makes you the home address of God's indwelling, miracle-working presence. The Holy Spirit indwelling God's people holds unlimited authority in every realm. We will hear His voice more clearly as we seek and find Him in 2010.

And your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, "This is the way, walk in it," when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left. Isaiah 30:21

The anointing of God With Us breaks every yoke, undoes every heavy burden and breaks through every obstacle in order that God's kids may lay hold of His blessing and victory.

The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, because the LORD has anointed me to bring good news to the poor; He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; to proclaim the year of the LORD's favor, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn...but you shall be called the priests of the LORD; they shall speak of you as the ministers of our God; you shall eat the wealth of the nations, and in their glory you shall boast. Isaiah 61:1, 2, 6

As we look to 2010 let us:

7. Look for harvest to fill the Lord's barns with richness through every seed we sow in word, deed and resource. Let every Christian share the testimony of our faith more vigorously than ever before. This is our key to living in personal revival. The Lord of the harvest is seeking laborers. Let us partner with Him in expectation of a good return for our labors.

Do you not say, "There are yet four months, then comes the harvest?" Look, I tell you, lift up your eyes, and see that the fields are white for harvest. John 4:35

As we look to 2010 let us:

8. Look for God's Promises to be Yes and Amen in 2010. In Scripture, eight signifies a new beginning. With these eight ways let us look for the Lord to bring us into 2010 and beyond in glory and success. Remember that challenge brings opportunity. Our expectation this coming year is that family yokes will be broken and families will be restored; that nations will experience spiritual awakening and God will be glorified; it will be a year of His presence and of singing; and the year will end in rejoicing in all that God has done for His people.

For He is the yes to all the undertakings of God: and by Him all the words of God are made certain and put into effect, to the glory of God through us. 2 Corinthians 1:20

Our prayer for you and yours is for a blessed and prosperous New Year.

Drs. Mahesh and Bonnie Chavda

Mahesh Chavda Ministries

Email: info@maheshchavda.com

Website: www.maheshchavda.com