This year, God has given me what my husband, Mark, and I believe to be five strategic keys for 2009. … Now more than ever, it is imperative that we hear God and follow His word. Never before have we found ourselves at such a crucial stage in history! It seems that everything is changing so fast. Indeed, the overwhelming outcry of our nation has been for change. The recent election certainly can attest to that.
Our newly elected leader, President Barack Obama, stated on his Inauguration Day, “The world has changed, and we must change as well.”
I believe that our nation has made a drastic change. There has been a major shift in both the natural and the spiritual realms. … As we watch the news and listen to celebrities, we see that the spirit of this nation has swung from godliness to unrighteousness.
In 2008, God gave us the option of going through the gate and making our way back to Him. Sadly, as a nation, we continue to slip further and further away from the principles that this nation was founded upon. We have chosen to do what seems right in our own eyes.
Life will never be the same from this point forward! Change has come, and we have entered into a new season.
The number 9 (2009) represents finality, the ending of an era, if you will. God is saying the year 2009 signifies we have crossed over, and what we have always known will never be the same again!
No longer will our nation be known as a “Christian” nation. Those days are behind us. As Dorothy said in the Wizard of Oz, “We’re not in Kansas anymore!”
Through the sins of our nation, there has been a loss of innocence in our nation. We have so blatantly denied holiness and righteousness and have strayed so far from God … that a spirit of anti-Christ has risen in our land.
I am not declaring God’s judgments on America; however, there are consequences to our choices. Our nation cannot continue to murder innocent babies by the thousands, condone and applaud same-sex relationships, and continue to stray further and further from God [without repercussions].
I believe that as time progresses, the days will become darker and more difficult. The Bible confirms that in the last days this will happen.
However, here is the awesome news: Though the world darkens, we, the church, brighten! We are called to be a light on a dark hill! Our best days are ahead of us!
This is our time to show the world what the true love of Christ is all about. We will make an impact, but not by our old ways. The days of protests and picket signs are behind us! That type of behavior only reinforces the world’s opinion that the church is full of radical, judgmental bigots who hate everyone else. If you don’t believe this, just watch CNN!
Yes, it is time for change–not in the church’s message, but in our methods.
It has been documented that the world changes every 3-5 years. I carry around a Blackberry, and I can e-mail, phone, or text anyone in the world. I can watch TV, listen to music, and access my personal computer files. Wow! What happened to eight-tracks and record albums?
The problem is that the world is rapidly evolving, but the church changes only every 30-40 years. What does this say? That we are lagging behind, that we are not keeping up with the ever-changing culture.
Our old way of reaching the world is not making it. News flash! Unbelievers are not knocking our doors down to get into church. We need to learn to “do church” in a new way!
It’s time to reach the world in a relevant way that gives people hope. The Bible says the whole world waits in earnest expectation for the revealing of the sons of God. Another translation says the world is groaning (as in birth pains) for the children of God to arise.
The world is waiting for us to reveal we are God’s children. And how will they recognize us? By our love!
Stephen Strang 
Charisma Media Staff 
Charisma Staff 
