At the beginning of the year, I always desire to have a fresh word from the Lord to hear what He is saying and where we are going. It was interesting that I tuned into a Christian television program last night. As I listened to the speaker, I found what he was saying to be very thought provoking – we are in God’s waiting room.

Exposure, Expectation, Elevation

As I pondered the thought of being in God’s waiting room, three words began to form within my Spirit.

The first is exposure. Things will be exposed this year. In His mercy, He has waited on people to choose to do what is right. My sense is that He gives us time, and time, and more time, as a parent would with their child. Yet, as we refuse to allow His dealings to bring us to a place of repentance, as a merciful Father, He has no choice but to expose what is hidden. He does it so that we will begin to make other choices that align with the purposes of Heaven.

Expectation is the second word. We might not be giddy like a kid before Christmas, but there is a deep sense of expectation that God is at work and something is going to emerge. I particularly feel this in relation to where we are in the Third Day Awakening.

It seems that it has begun and it is unfolding around us. It brings a sense of expectation in many areas of our lives. Hope for a fresh outpouring. Hope for a harvest of souls. Hope for promises fulfilled.

And the third word is elevation. I believe that as He exposes and cleanses us, and adjusts our expectations, there is coming an elevation. I believe it has begun. He is gracious and there are not thousands of people waiting ahead of you. This word of elevation primarily includes our walk with Him. He is bringing us all higher.

Watch as Jane shares about the exchanged life.

Toward the end of the holidays, I did something I love to do--go back into some of my old books. I can hardly read some of the treasures without crying. I love one by Hudson Taylor, who with his wife was a missionary in China in the 1800s. His heart was for God. As they were laboring in the mission field, he felt this sense of expectation and a desire and realization that he needed more.

In his book The Exchanged Life, he talks about his experience of “the inward seeing of the more.” Seeing it set him free to walk in it. Here are his words:

Wonderful was the experience that had come in prayer. Yet so simple as almost to baffle description. It was just as it was long ago. Whereas I was blind. Now I see. The glory of a great sunrise was upon me. The inward light whose dawning makes all things new.

Hudson was aware of how his mind had been occupied with many thoughts….

…it was not from anything I have read as much as from a consciousness inwardly of failure, a constant falling short of that which I felt I aimed at, that I should aim at. An unreal, a perpetual striving to find some way by which one might continually enjoy the communion, the fellowship at times so real, but more often, so visionary, so far off. I thought the striving, longing, hoping for better days to come was the true way to holiness, happiness, usefulness.

I have been struck with this passage from a 19th century Christian writer, Stephen Higginson Tyng, that became a beloved life concept for Hudson Taylor. 

The Lord Jesus revealed is holiness begun. The Lord Jesus cherished is holiness advancing. The Lord Jesus counted upon as never absent would be holiness complete.

He went on to say:

…what I was seeing was the abiding, not striving or struggling, looking off unto Him, but now a trusting Him for present power. Resting in the love of an almighty savior, in the joy of complete salvation from all sin. Not just now, forever. I feel as though the dawning of a glorious day had risen upon me.

I hail it with trembling yet with trust. I seem to have gotten to the edge only but of a boundless sea. To have sipped only but of that which fully satisfies. Christ literally seems to me now to be the power, the only power for service. The only ground for unchanging joy because Christ is all.

I’ve read this book many times, because it's a truth we know.

As I sense this coming year, I feel He is going deeper with foundational truths; not just a new word or truth we are caught up with. He is saying, “I am going to take you deeper into what you might call old or foundational truths.” Because it is only as the foundation is built strong and unshakable, as the days ahead come to us, that we will stand on a firm foundation that cannot be moved.

We Know

As I have read, I found myself drawn to 1 John 5:18. The words WE KNOW jumped off the page. That says a lot right there. There is a knowing deep within us that has grown and flourished and flowered. It is unshakable and immovable.

“WE KNOW that whoever is born of God does not sin; but he who has been born of God, keeps himself.” Keeps himself! “And the wicked one does not touch him.” (NKJV)

Verse 19: “We know that we are of God. And the whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one.” (NKJV)

The next verse (20) starts off, “And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us an understanding…” And here is that phrase again, “…that we may know Him who is true; and we are in Him who is true, in His Son, Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life.” (NKJV)

Think of Hudson Taylor’s life concept, “The Lord Jesus revealed is holiness begun. The Lord Jesus cherished is holiness advancing. The Lord Jesus counted upon as never absent is holiness complete.” Just that short paragraph alone fits in with, “We know!”  There are some things we know that make us immovable.

No matter what comes in the days ahead, We Know! We Know! What treasures. That really is the Christian life. It is Christ in me! Christ in us! Who is our Hope! Who is our Strength! Who is our Power! He is our Patience! He is our Joy! He is our Everything! 

We Are in God’s Waiting Room

We are in God's waiting room now. That is comforting to me. That is why the 1 John scriptures about “we know” struck me. We need to know some things with a surety so we are not swayed by the situations taking place on earth. We are upon solid ground as we live out of Christ. 

A New Level of Faith

I read in Dutch Sheets’ Orlando 2021 Sunday morning message notes (link to message), where he speaks about a supernatural, mystical atmosphere around us. We are living in a supernatural time where God is calling us to a new level of faith because Calvary is all about faith!

The other night I was listening to an old hymn, “At the cross, at the cross, where I first saw the light. And the burden of my heart rolled away. It was there by faith I received my sight. Now, I am happy all the day.” The words of those old hymns are like singing the Gospel message.  As I listen and sing along, my spirit begins to rise – elevate – in worship.  There is a lifting up over the things of the world.

He is calling us to a new level of faith. Having your soul cleansed from sin is about faith. Exposure! Expectation! Elevation! All about faith. Faith goes with 1 John 5. Some things we know are unshakable. That knowing IS faith!

Prophetic Promises that We Know

These words spoken over the ministry are powerful treasures. Expect wisdom and revelation to take you to places of deeper understanding of these truths. I want to remind you of a few spoken to us since our 50th anniversary celebration.

• Aglow does not take cues from the world, we take our cues from the Kingdom within us.
• Aglow has been re-mantled and recommissioned with Kingdom Authority gaining air supremacy.
• Aglow has remained a fresh wineskin that moves in wisdom and revelation.
• Aglow is a giant-killing organization.
• Aglow is coming into a greater anointing to birth the purposes of God in the earth.
• Aglow is made up of teams who know how to respond rapidly to developing situations.

Those are a few of the hundreds of prophetic promises spoken to us. Expect Holy Spirit to give you insights that cause you to see a deeper meaning in each promise. We know some things!

Closing Prayer

Lord, we anticipate this New Year not knowing fully what it will bring, but knowing that You are with us in the midst of it. WE KNOW!

We know who You are. We know how You love us, how You cover us, and supply all that we need. Thank You for the dependence that You keep us in. This year we will glorify You in all that we do and say. Thank You that You will help us do that, because that desire comes from Your heart.

We are in Your waiting room. In due time, we will know what is next. You have spoken to us about our future. A Third Day Awakening is coming and we are part of it. We are waiting and will follow Holy Spirit as He leads us.

In faith,

Jane Hansen Hoyt
President/CEO
Aglow International
facebook.com/jane.hansen.hoyt

P.S., We know we are celebrating our 55th anniversary in 2022. Please celebrate with us by donating $55, or multiples of $55, as Aglow stretches our tent pegs to reach all 222 nations.