It’s God’s heart for each of us that we always allow our dreams, visions, and hopes to be governed and inspired by His will for us so that so we grow into new levels of success and prosperity. By success I mean being fruitful in extending God’s love, grace and Kingdom. By prosperity I mean abounding in God’s peace, joy, healing, provision, and wisdom, to the point that we can enable others to experience the same.

Part of the route God ordains for our lives is, from time to time, walking with Him into new territories (arenas) and challenges. That may mean developing talents and abilites you didn't think you had, or it may be pushing past self imposed limits into new levels of fruitfulness. This can be daunting due to the fact that since the fall our fallen nature craves being in control of our lives and situations. To pioneer means, essentially, that one is intentionally moving into realms where we're aware that we have neither the experience nor foreknowledge to feel in control.

I beleive the Lord enjoys a good fight- He is after all the Lion of the Tribe of Judah. The problem is, it's just very hard for Him to find a good fight- He is after all El Shaddai, God Almighty. So, He does the next best thing- He throws you and I into the ring on His behalf!

One of the few NT verses that really exhort us to fight reads: "Fight the good fight of faith". (1 Tim. 6.12) The first generation of Hebrews, out of Egypt, came out of slavery into freedom but failed to enter into the promises of God for their lives. “The word (promises of God) they heard did not profit them, because it was not united by faith in those who heard” (Hebrews 4.2). Some how, despite the many miracles God had done on their behalf, they had lost the backbone to fight the good fight of faith they now faced.

The power of Christ and the cross grants us a freedom to come out of spiritual death and into life in the Spirit. We now have the freedom to walk with God into the promises He has for our lives. Do we consciously and intentionally choose to unite faith (obedience) with the words and dreams God gives us? Are we even posturing our hearts to be in a place where ‘the young men and women prophesy, and the older one’s dream dreams’? Or, does our faith merely consist of believing God to maintain the past victories and breakthroughs?

Fear of the fight can cause us to lose the very victories God has ordained for us before we've even drawn our swords! The danger is that as God offers us new talents and opportunities we fall into the trap of the steward who out of fear buried his talent and so lost it. (Matthew 25.24-29) In life the subtle choice is to change, or to be changed. What we don’t use we can easily lose! Either we’re moving forward into greater fruitfulness, or were falling back into stagnation. In the depth of our relationship with God He is continually calling us to ‘listen to His son’ rather than make monuments to yesterday's breakthroughs. A primary focus on yesterday’s successes can render them into the maggoty, moldy manna of today.

On the first day of this New Year I would like to challenge the friends of Marc Dupont Ministries to intentionally believe and pray that this year God has more for you ‘than eye has seen, ear has heard, or more than you can imagine’. Let’s begin this year by giving glory to the One who can do far more that we can think, or ask! This will mean being aware that God may lead us into situations and arenas where we feel totally inept due to either past failures or a current lack of experience.

Keep front and center as you pray for the New Year these two truths; 1) It is God’s heart that you bear much fruit and so prove to be disciples of Christ (John 15.8), and 2) It is God’s heart for you, as you walk with Him, that you journey from strength to strength, and from glory to glory. This does not mean that we don’t encounter difficulties, setbacks, and adversity. It does mean, however, that we lean not to our own understanding. Rather, we trust God to be God Almighty (El Shaddai) who can do for us what we cannot do for ourselves as we walk in obedience with Him.

Twelve months from now I believe many of are going to look back and have a fresh sense of wonder and awe regarding the goodness of God in our lives and through our lives to others. As John Eldredge so aptly put it: ‘Life is not an ordeal to be survived, but an adventure to be lived’.

‘He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me.”’ 2 Corinthians 12.9

Marc A. Dupont
January 1, 2014
marc@mopm.org