Join John and Brandi Belt as they share about shining for Jesus in the midst of great shaking.
The Transcription
We know that it feels like we have entered a crazy time of crazy season in history, but I am so excited about what God has been doing in this season, you know, I know that it can feel overwhelming at times. And it can feel like everything that can be shaken is being shaken. But the reality is, is that Jesus is still on the throne. God is still in control. And he is not only covering you during this time, and drawing you closer to himself during this time, but he is going to use you as salt and light to the world, we are entering an amazing time and season of harvest. So John, do you just want to share you send out an article just today? And you want to just take just a minute kind of share what God put on your heart for that?
Yeah, sure. Yes, I did send out an article today. And it’s about, you know, how much hope we actually have, you know, God is put us in this world to be light. And you know, when it gets dark, that just means we’re gonna shine all that much brighter, and there’s nothing to worry about. There’s nothing to fear. You know, God is for us. He’s not against us, you know, and so he’s not surprised by what’s happening in the earth. He’s not shocked by it. So we don’t need to be afraid. We don’t need to be fearful about anything, we just need to understand that. This is part of his plan, and he’s going to work all this for our good, and he’s gonna work it for his purposes. And he’s creating a desperation in people. Yeah, sometimes it takes hard times, difficult situations to create a desperation. And I think that’s what God is doing right now as he’s, he’s removing the props, all the things that people lean on it in order so that they might lean on him.
Yeah, it’s so true. You know, when you think about it, we have the entertainment that so many people depend on as a crutch, the economy, the government system, the healthcare system, it seems as though even the spirit of religion, you know, we are in a place where we are having new, almost catastrophes for lack of a better word, almost daily, you know, we’re having earthquakes around the world. There’s severe famine all over Africa, North Korea is letting off bomb tests, you know, I mean, it’s just like, there’s a constant shaking in every area. And so we’re, we’re really excited, though, I want to read for just a minute, Isaiah 60. And it’s funny because I wrote an article a couple days ago, and I titled it, it’s your time to shine. And then John, he wrote an article today and he said, Hey, would you read this. And so I’m reading it, I’m like, wait a minute, this the same title, I stole your title. And I wasn’t trying to I didn’t know we got the same title for the article on the same weekend.
But I just want to take just a minute and read this because I think it’s so profound, and where we are right now. It says, Arise, shine, for your light has come. And the glory of the Lord has risen upon you. For the darkness shall cover the earth and deep darkness the peoples, but the Lord shall rise upon you. And his glory will be seen upon you, you know, it’s so easy to want to almost detach from the world right now. And in many ways we are we’re very isolated. Right now, we’re lacking community in many ways, because most of us are in places where we’re stuck at home and, and trying to do our part and not infect other people and all that kind of stuff. But in reality, it doesn’t matter what’s going on out there. What matters is your relationship with God, and letting him take you to such a place that he can not only fill you, but then shine through you to really interact and touch the people around you. You know, we have tried our best to do some practical things we’ve tried to reach out to to people, prayer partners, financial partners, just people on our team, but we really believe it’s time for harvest. It is right here in our own neighborhood. You know, we’re stuck at home like all of our neighbors. And so we have taken it upon ourselves to say you don’t we’re gonna be responsible for our street.
We’ve got 40 families on our street. And so we’re going in prayer walk here, we’re believing no one on our streets can read toilet paper, Praise Jesus, or believing that you know that we’re not gonna have a tornado sweep through. We’ve been having tornado, you know, warnings here at Oklahoma. We’re believing that no one on our streets can get the Coronavirus and we’re just really pressing in and then we went ahead and did some practical steps we made some fliers right and we gave them to all all the all the neighbors and just pretty much said hey, if you need something we’re here on the practical side but then we also put in there that if you need something where you’re just looking for someone to talk to to pray with to process we’re here and we have heard from I would say a good, maybe 30%, give or take of our neighbors, which we’re kind of surprised by. But people just reaching out and saying, Hey, I’ve never met you, I don’t know anything about you. But just the fact you’re willing to do this, I’m open to talking to you. And so I just am sharing that. It’s a small, small, practical way to just reach people around you, that you yourself, you might not be able to get out. You might not feel comfortable, you know, adopting your street or your neighborhood. But I would really encourage you pick a coworker, pick a schoolmate, pick somebody that you know, that you can say, you know, God, I’m going to just spend part of this season really trying to practically be salt and light to that person.
I think sometimes we underestimate the light that we have, and people are watching, they’re looking at us, are we going to respond the same way that the world does? Are you going to be different? Are you going to emanate peace, because if if you’re the temple of the Holy Spirit, and He lives in you, he’s going to manifest the kingdom of God, which is righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit, no matter what happens around you, it doesn’t matter what’s going on. And so this is your prime opportunity to really be a light and not in the deep things, sometimes we’re looking for a tornado of revival or something huge. But don’t underestimate the small things that you do. And just the simple response that you have in these times, because people are looking for the peace of God, that’s the one thing that we have in Christ that a lot of people just don’t understand, the people in this world don’t have is the peace of God. And so be that light and share that love and that peace during these times.
Definitely. And I wouldn’t really even challenge you, you know, most of us are getting to spend extended periods of time at home, maybe without a whole lot to do. Even if you’re working still from home, you know, you have more free time probably than you normally would. And I would just really encourage you to use this as a season of preparation. You know, we believe that we’re entering a great time of harvest and outpouring of the supernatural power of God, like we’ve never seen. And we really, really believe that God is preparing people right now. It’s almost like resetting people, hey, get reacquainted with me spend more time pressing into me really spend time seeking my face. Because the more we’re pressing into him, the more we’re spending time with him. Not only is he able to then use this in a greater way, but he’s able to conform us into His image. He’s able to change us and mold us, which really is what it’s all about. Absolutely. I agree. So we would love to just pray for you. If you have anything specific. If you just leave a comment, we will make sure we’re praying for it. We’re going to do our best to be on and stream every night at eight o’clock central time. It might be both of us. It might just be one of us. But we’re going to do our best until this thing is over. Because we really believe that it’s time for us to be encouraged and really rise to the occasion, and walk in the fullness.
So let’s just go ahead and pray for you the Lord we just right now in the name of Jesus, Lord, we just lift up every person, God within the sound of our voices. Lord, we thank you for supernatural hedges of protection, of health, of emotional well being Lord, I thank You, Father, that no spirit of depression is getting on anyone got that there’s no one that’s going into a place of hopelessness and despair. But Lord, people are pressing into you like never before God that you are creating a passionate hunger, even reawakening hunger and people during the season where it’s easy to get caught up in Netflix or sports, but God even in this time, and in this season, God that you are awakening people to seek your face like never before God that we are entering a time and a season of desperation, not just in the natural but God desperation spiritually where people are just desperately hungry for you. And there be thank you that even as people seek your face, God that you would exponentially multiply back and increase and fill, greater hunger, greater desperation to continue seeking, you got to grace to keep going in the journey. And Father, we just thank you, for economically, Lord, that You would begin to, to bring in supernatural provision. Lord, we know there are people watching this that have, you know, lost jobs they’ve lost, what would seem to be everything, you know, we were hearing testimony or prayer requests, and people say, you know, I know I’m not gonna make my rent. And so there’s a chance I’m going to be homeless in the midst of walls. We just want you to know that God is bigger than everything we’re facing right now. And so Father, we thank you for just supernatural provision to your people right now, Lord, that you are working every thing going on for our good and to bring glory and honor to your name, in fact that we just thank you that you’re not surprised by anything that’s going on right now. You’re not shocked by it. You You knew it was going to happen. And so we thank you for the grace of God that you give to your people. Right now, Father, we just thank you for a flood of Your grace, a flood of your peace by now some of you out there saying, I just don’t feel the peace. Well, we just released that he’s right now. His peace is his gift to you. He said, the piece that I give you is not like what the world gives it. He says, I give it to you. All you have to do is receive it. Yeah. Just say, Lord, I receive your piece. Right now. In my heart, I receive that peace of God, that passes all understanding. So Father, we release that peace. We agree with your people right now. Father, we thank You, Father, that you are working on their behalf right now you’re working inside of them. You’re working around them, you’re breaking through for them, this is still a time of breakthrough. Breakthrough, hey, don’t you dare be swayed by what’s going on around you. Because breakthrough is a lifestyle. And God breaks through by the power of the sphere, Jesus would not be moved by any of this stuff, he would still be walking in that same realm. And so we just released the reality of the Kingdom of God in your life. We don’t live by the kingdoms of this world. We live by the kingdom of God right now. And his reality is truth. And the truth is, he’s your source. No man is your source. And he is your provider and he will provide us Jehovah Jireh, our provider and he will provide for all of your knees and do far above all that you can ask or think according to his power and the richness of His glory, working inside of the Father. So we just released an intimacy with your presence right now a great knowing of your Spirit indwelling your people right now or because the Holy Spirit is the helper that we need. He is the helper. So we thank You for Your Holy Spirit helping your people. Today. Father, in the name of Jesus, we thank you for the blessings of your promises and the faithfulness that you demonstrate toward us every moment of every day.