Refine yourself in 2009

“It is time to refine ourselves in 2009”
“Study to show yourself approved to God a workman that needs not be ashamed, rightly dividing the Word of God” 2nd Timothy 2:15

While I was seeking what the Lord had to say about the direction we should take in 2009, I promise that I was not looking for a catchy slogan. It just came out that way.
2008 was truly a year of completion and new beginnings. As almost everyone in the prophetic community saw at the start of last year. But many missed that with new beginnings there is also change. Change is never easy and is also very often a painful process. But through change old things die away and make room for new growth.
There is no doubt that 2008 was a painful year in the Body of Christ. The chaff was torn away and many long hidden layers of sin were exposed. Greed, racism, arrogance, and hard heartedness were the characteristics often associated with Christians. We are to be the lights of the world and yet this is how we are viewed by the world.
The Lord wants us to refine ourselves this year, so that His light shines through us brighter than ever. So many of us look down on the “Intellectual Elite “. We as Christians should be the “Intellectual Elite”. If we truly want the world to look to God, we must be prepared to address the problems that we as a global community face. There is a very long history of the Holy Priests of the Lord advising rulers down through the ages. The Jews hold the pursuit of knowledge and the study of scripture in high esteem. If we as disciples of the Lord truly want to have an authoritative voice in our country as well as in the world, then we must prove ourselves approved by God to be able to handle the task. We can no longer be arrogant in our ignorance.

Christians took the results of 2008’s election as a sign that the country is turning away from God. The Body of Christ needs to look at this as a learning opportunity as to why the election played out the way it did. God is trying to tell you something.
People voted for change. They voted for a person they perceived was more intelligent than themselves. They voted for a person they felt would listen to them. They voted for someone they believed would take care of their problems, whether or not this was actually true. This is what people perceive about our new president. Sounds a lot like people are looking for a savior.
As Christians we know that the only one who can truly answer all our needs is Jesus. We have a wonderful opportunity in front of us to be shining lights of Christ’s love, compassion, and mercy. We must refine ourselves through study in order to supply the world with biblical solutions for the issues that face all of us.
“Study to show yourself approved to God a workman that needs not be ashamed, rightly dividing the Word of God” 2nd Timothy 2:15
I pray that all of us may shine like brilliant diamonds for the Lord.
Be blessed and be a blessing,

Helen Retana