"2008--A NEW and ACCEPTABLE YEAR of the Lord and A Year to GO FOR IT!"

"You crown the year with Your goodness, and Your paths drip with abundance." Psalm 65:11

"The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to preach the Gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed; to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord." Luke 4:18-19

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Happy New Year! It's a pivotal year: an "acceptable" year! It's a time of NEW BEGINNINGS with a door of hope. It's a time to PROCLAIM the acceptable (welcome, pleasing) year of the Lord and set the captives free! New means: different from one of the same category that has existed previously; of greater/superior quality; has not been known or experienced; novel--not only new but strange or unprecedented; original--applies to what is the first of its kind to exist; fresh--applies to what has not lost its qualities of newness such as liveliness, energy, brightness--such as a fresh start.

If you want to experience the new, don't look for or do the same thing. Remember the old saying, "Doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results is the definition of insanity."
The Word says it like this, "Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead." Philippians 3:13

Doors can open right and left, but if we are not willing to leave the old behind and go forward through new, open doors, we cannot experience what God has for us on the other side of them. I'm reminded of what Alexander Graham Bell once said, "When one door closes, another door opens; but we often look so long and so regretfully upon the closed door, that we do not see the ones which open for us."

We must let go of the old in order to take hold of the new.

Time to Take the Land

This is a year of confrontation because it is a year of taking the land. Did this year begin with warfare? Don't worry, the results are and will be good. It is time to take the land, and that means confronting some giants and/or things that think they are, even those things within ourselves that have held us back. Who the Lord loves, He chastens so we can be better equipped to go forward into the "more" and the "better" in the promised lands He has for us to take. It's time to shift gears and make the necessary changes in order to go up to the top of the mountain and experience those "Mountaintop Experiences!"

I'd like to make a literal point in this phrase, "Time to take the land." There are areas of the country where the price of land has gone down and it has become a "buyer's market." If you are able to take advantage of this and the Lord speaks to you to do it, this could be a good time to invest in the opportunity to literally "take the land" which the Lord would present to you.

First Things First

As I sat before the Lord seeking Him about this new year, I realized that going forward into the new, individually, we would experience the new -- to the degree we each would be willing to go forward in the newness He offers. Exponential results will occur as a direct result of our obedience to Him. However, there is also a warning that we could allow ourselves to be hindered by letting the enemy overthrow those plans by overwhelming us with emotions and feelings. This is truly a time when we need to FOCUS ON THE LORD, so that He can and will keep us in perfect peace no matter what opposing voices or circumstances may arise. This covers all areas God wants to move us in -- personally, spiritually, in business, ministry, relationally, nationally or internationally.

"You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You." Isaiah 26:3

Seek Wisdom and Discernment

"My son, if you receive My words, and treasure My commands within you, so that you incline your ear to wisdom, and apply your heart to understanding; yes, if you cry out for discernment, and lift up your voice for understanding, if you seek her as silver, and search for her as for hidden treasures; then you will understand the fear of the LORD, and find the knowledge of God. For the LORD gives wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding; He stores up sound wisdom for the upright; He is a shield to those who walk uprightly; He guards the paths of justice, and preserves the way of His saints. Then you will understand righteousness and justice, equity and every good path." Proverbs 2:1-9

We are in a time when there are many distractions and deceptions. It's very important to be in communication with the Lord at all times, seeking His advice on how to handle every aspect of our life and to operate in the Spirit of Truth. The enemy is a liar and the father of lies, so we also need to be in the Word, using it as our ultimate plumb line. The Word challenges us to NOT "believe every spirit," but to TEST the spirits, "Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God." 1 John 4:1

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Is there something about a situation that makes you feel unsure or uncomfortable? Even if it is a ministry situation, is there something about it that does not line up with the Word? The antichrist spirit is a religious spirit, a spirit of religious deception, meant to turn people from seeing Jesus Christ as Lord. It was already in the world back when Jesus walked the earth as a man.

"Little children, it is the last hour; and as you have heard that the antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come, by which we know that it is the last hour." 1 John 2:18

Bottom line--stop second guessing yourself and your ability to hear from the Lord. Be willing to take the time to engage and communicate with the Lord and ask Him about situations that put a "check" in your spirit, so that you and your loved ones are protected.

Don't Bow to Controlling Spirits

The battle lines have been drawn and we must stand strong, even when being battered upon by the enemy. The only way we can do this is to submit to God and resist the devil. When we do that, it says in James 4:7 that the enemy will then flee from us. This year will also be a time to define and redefine our relationships because the Lord desires to protect us. Part of this is our responsibility, "Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life." Proverbs 4:23

If you are a peace lover and don't like confrontation, you often put up with issues from people for a long time. But when the Lord lifts off the grace to do that, know that it is time to confront and not back down. It may cost a relationship to do that, but any relationship that puts you in a constant situation of bowing to someone else's temper tantrums, control, manipulation, disrespect, or hard-headed attitude is not a good one. This is going to be a year of confrontation with a release from these situations and relationships of control, manipulation and bondage.

For those of us who truly do want to "do what is right," we often prolong the inevitable by operating in unsanctified mercy (having mercy on people who are really not doing what is right in the first place, but are manipulating your emotions or being co-dependent upon you). We end up wasting our time on situations, being taken advantage of, robbing us of time, emotions and even money. A religious spirit can hover over us and condemn us if we try to release ourselves from the situation that make us feel "bad" or "mean" when we try to move on.

So what do we do? Well, the enemy continues to engage us as long as we refuse to confront situations that need to be handled. By allowing that to happen, we are merely prolonging our misery. While it may not be comfortable to confront these situations, we need to do so. People pleasing puts us in a position of being controlled and manipulated. It's time to fear God more than to fear man and put the axe to the root. The more we try to minimize situations that need to be confronted, the worse it becomes. It's better to handle it in the beginning than to allow the situation to grow bigger, prolonging the pain.

Plainly put, we are all learning to recognize and refuse submitting to witchcraft via controlling and manipulative powers. The best way to do that is by simply saying, "No" and refusing to allow anyone to control and manipulate us. Control is rebellion, and "Rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft" 1 Samuel 15:23. We must not allow anyone else to be "God" or "Holy Spirit" in our lives by submitting to them above God if we want to walk in the fullness of our purpose, calling and destiny. Additionally, others need to trust in God, not us, as their source. By making healthy boundaries, we are helping to send others on a more healthy path in the Lord as well.

New Understanding of God's Love and Visitations

In this day and time, there are many who do not have the understanding of the love of God because they came from homes where they were not shown love. Therefore when people refer to God as Father, they immediately judge God by improper parental examples. I saw God sovereignly pouring out His Love into people and releasing to them--a radical revelation of His Love in this time. This is a time of RESTORATION! Be restored to the heart of God in which you came from! In doing so, you will have surefootedness where there are doubts. You will have the strength to confront situations, and you will find where you "fit" in the Body of Christ.

I often come across people who say they have never had a visitation from the Lord. Expect to experience visitations because of a new understanding of His Love that He is pouring out. You may have had visitations before, but you may not have recognized or understood them. A visitation from the Lord doesn't have to be some dramatic type of experience. Often, His Presence comes like a blanket or soft comforter, because the Holy Spirit is the COMFORTER! And His Words often come as the "small still voice."

House to House Meetings and Highways and Byways

While it is good to not forsake assembling together in the local church, the Body of Christ needs closer and deeper fellowship than can occur just on Sundays alone. Therefore, the number of house to house fellowships will experiencing a dramatic rate of growth. In these more intimate settings, it is easier to invite unsaved coworkers or neighbors and for them to see and experience Christianity and the love of God on a more personal level.

"Now all who believed were together, and had all things in common, and sold their possessions and goods, and divided them among all, as anyone had need. So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the Church daily those who were being saved." Acts 2:44-47

The Harvest is ripe. It's time to "GO and get them!" They are waiting for you to do so! "Therefore go into the highways, and as many as you find, invite to the wedding." Matthew 22:9

A "Go For It" Year

Restoration often "comes to us" only to the degree that we are willing to "go for" it! For instance:

If we don't work, we won't have a paycheck!
We have to WRITE a book if we want to have one PUBLISHED!
We have to learn to play an instrument before we can be good at it!
We have to go to the party if we want to attend it!
It's time to get off the shelf and be a part of what God is doing.

"But someone will say, 'You have faith, and I have works.' Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works." James 2:18

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I continue to hear that there are some powerful new songs and even some powerful new singers coming onto the scene. The songs that are coming have the anointing to bring in the harvest and to bring forth healing and deliverance, even across the airways in secular radio.

"Sing to Him a new song; play skillfully with a shout of joy." Psalm 33:3

Communion and Praying in the Spirit

I sense a very precious longing from the heart of the Lord to gather us closely to His chest to hear His Heartbeat through private, personal, individual times of literal communion. I sense that it would be a time of greater understanding of the power of His shed Blood as well as His Love.

In the same manner He also took the cup after supper, saying, 'This cup is the new covenant in My Blood. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.'" 1 Corinthians 11:25

This is a time to seriously take prayer to a new level by using our prayer language as often as we can. We can do this while driving down the street, typing an email, doing dishes, or even walking the dog. Why? Because the Spirit is wooing us to do so.

"Oh my soul, my soul! I am pained in my very heart! My heart makes a noise in me, that I cannot hold my peace, because you have heard, O my soul, the sound of the trumpet, the alarm of war." Jeremiah 4:19

The enemy of our soul is out to kill, steal and destroy, but the Holy Spirit within us wants us to properly do battle against the enemy. However, we must remember, "The weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty THROUGH GOD for pulling down of strongholds" 2 Corinthians 10:4

We must allow the Holy Spirit the "right of way" to take over and to direct us. We must not be ashamed even of the weeping that He desires to cry out through us! We need to allow the Holy Spirit to cry and to pray through us and not "shut it down."

Romans 8:26-27 says, "Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God."

As we allow the unction of the Holy Spirit to pray through us, we will be praying how the Spirit within us desires, and in the will of the Lord for the outcome. Be led by the Holy Spirit. Understand that even if you don't have your prayer language, you are still His Sheep and you can still hear and obey the voice of the Lord and be directed to pray according to the will of God in whatever way He desires for you to pray! Pray it through until you have a "release" or a sensing of peace that it has been taken care of.

Business People

There will be opportunities for exponential increase for those who are in or are called to business in this time. God is Jehovah-Jireh, our Provider, and it is He Who does it. God may speak to you about opportunities that will be contrary to what is popular. Therefore, it is very key to be in communication and obedience with Him, so that you do not miss any kairos moments of opportunity.

I also saw that God may be moving many people from their geographical location to another one where they will flourish to a greater degree. This is a time when being in proper geographical alignment is of uttermost importance. Seek God about your designated geographical positioning for such a time as this, and be willing to make the changes to go where He tells you to.

It is very key to be in relationship with the right people per the business God has called you to. Don't entangle yourself nor continue to stay in relationships that are stagnant or are pulling you downhill, financially. Remember what happened when Jonah was onboard a ship that he was not supposed to be on? If there is someone onboard causing your ship to sink, be willing to release them. Keeping them onboard isn't helping them or you. It is keeping them from their purpose and causing your ship to sink. To everything there is a time, season and purpose. By the same token, if you are the one trying to stay onboard when God has told you to move on, then move on. Don't be like Jonah and wait until you are thrown overboard and land in the belly of a whale before you finally listen! (see Jonah 1:4-10).

Jubilee Restoration

Last fall, we entered into a jubilee year on Israel's calendar. On January 1st, we entered into the year 2008 on our Gregorian calendars. Eight is the number for new beginnings and additionally, we will have an extra day in 2008--because it's a leap year.

Joel 2:25 promises us that God will restore the years the locust and cankerworm have eaten. Truly, this is a year of great promise for exactly that. God knew all those many years ago that His jubilee year would fall in this time period of "new beginnings" and "leap year" on our calendar. Since "a day with the Lord is as a thousand years, and a thousand years is as a day" 2 Peter 3:8, I believe this leap year of jubilee restoration will be exponential.

We can call for, proclaim, and declare for jubilee generational restoration for 1,000 years back. It is time for restoration of lands, homes, finances, relationships, family, jobs, giftings, ministries and much more spiritually, naturally and materially. In a time of serious financial crisis throughout the earth, those who trust in the Lord as Jehovah-Jireh will experience breakthrough (see Isaiah 60:1-2).

Let's Pray: Lord, we love You and thank You for all that You are to us. We ask that You would give us wisdom, discernment, greater courage to go forward and not look back, and to accomplish great things in Your Kingdom! These are exciting times, and we ask that our lives would count and accomplish all that You put us here for! In Jesus' name, Amen.

Joni Ames
A.C.T.S. Ministries
Email: joniames@aol.com

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