As the Hebrew calendar turns to 5787, Pastor Troy Brewer says God’s people must do more than recognize that a new year has arrived. We must discern what God is doing and prepare to respond.
Brewer grounded his message in Daniel 2:20-22, which declares that God changes times and seasons, removes and establishes kings, and reveals deep and hidden things.
“When the calendar changes, so do authorities,” Brewer said. “There is a different grace upon your life for the performance of different things in different seasons in your life.”
That shift may involve receiving greater responsibility or leaving an assignment that belonged to a previous season. Brewer said some believers who remained faithful are now prepared to step into places where they once lacked authority.
“This is the time to grab hold of those things,” he said.
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Understanding the Times
Brewer pointed to the tribe of Issachar in 1 Chronicles 12:32. Its members understood the times and knew what Israel should do.
“We have to know the when and we have to know the what,” Brewer said.
Recognizing God’s activity requires more than observing current events. Brewer said we must remain devoted to Scripture, listen to the Holy Spirit and refuse to become consumed by the same distractions gripping the world.
“You have to be a watcher,” he said. “You have to be collecting the dots and connecting the dots.”
Brewer also emphasized the importance of Christian community. Because believers receive only part of the prophetic picture, we need one another’s insight and discernment to understand what God is revealing.
“We step up to our watch. We step up to our post, and we remain faithful,” he said.
Expectancy Requires Preparation
Brewer distinguished biblical expectancy from imposing our personal expectations upon God. True expectancy trusts God’s character and prepares for His activity.
“Expectancy is an internal orientation that treats God’s future as worthy of present preparation and participation,” he said.
Drawing from Habakkuk 2, Brewer urged believers to take their positions as watchmen, listen for God’s voice and write down the vision they receive. Although its fulfillment may appear slow, the vision still has an appointed time.
“God wants to give you the plan,” Brewer said. “He wants to give you strategies.”
James Lasher, a seasoned writer and editor at Charisma Media, combines faith and storytelling with a journalism background from Otterbein University and ministry experience in Guatemala and at the LA Dream Center. A Marine Corps and Air Force veteran, he is the author of The Revelation of Jesus: A Common Man’s Commentary and a contributor to Charisma magazine. For interviews and media inquiries, please contact [email protected].
