“When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord shall lift up a standard against him” Isaiah 59:19.
On this page-turning day I, like you, look back at the year finished and forward to the year before me. A few things stand out to me that maybe you can relate to:
AGING. My body reminds me at times that I am getting old! My back gave me troubles and led to an extensive x-ray event. I laid there on the table in my backless hospital gown and thought; “and so it begins!” My cataracts will be gone in a month, and it will be nice to see clearly again. But the general trajectory is down rather than up. My son Chris performed a wedding this summer for a firefighter, and during the course of their time discovered that I had performed the wedding for his parents 30 years ago. What a great reminder that this life is fleeting, and eternity is long!
CHANGING. I guess the older we get, the more people we know that are in heaven. And no different this past year as I said goodbye to some great people: Butch, Dave, Chuck, Henry, Coby and another Henry. You may know some of these people, but there were also other of my friends lost like Marla Lee and Loretta. All of these people remind me that we are changing.
Not all was sad, however, as we witnessed some health turnarounds for which we are thankful. Also, I had many wonderful times with kids and grandkids – you can tell the passage of time by how quickly the grandkids sprout up!
PRAYING. I have been praying much against the anti-God sentiment among misguided Western leaders. World politics is in turmoil – this is what happens when we say NO to God. The verse at the top of this blog has been one of my guiding lights this past year in this area. The Lord is not surprised nor is he afraid of the shaken fists of little mortals.
The rampant anti-Semitism that is prevalent in the West is from the great enemy of God’s people. I have prayed for Satan’s public debasement as per Colossians 2:15.
The Lord has also wakened me a number of times in the night to pray for people. Often I don’t know what I am praying for, so I just pray. Somehow the Holy Spirit can use these prayers.
ENCOUNTERING. The Encounter team has endeavored to ‘set the table’ for you to experience God afresh – to live a life of expectation. In addition to the weekly blogs you get, we have hosted podcasts with tuned in Christians and focused on Advent and Lent in preparation for Easter. I was able to present the case for living in the Spirit to a number of small groups this past year. This is not the extraordinary Christian life – living in the Spirit is to be the experience of EVERY Christian!
This fall Carol and I were able to visit a number of sites in Turkey and Greece from the book of Acts and New Testament letters. It was so impactful to think about the dedication and drive of people like Paul and John!
LOOKING AHEAD. I continue to hold out hope that the Holy Spirit will visit revival on our directionless besotted nation – that the ennui we feel as a people will be found in Christ. If this doesn’t happen, at least each of us individually can seek – and find renewal!
Pastor Matt has encouraged us to read through the bible in 2025. The Encounter team plans to hold a few update discussion times through the year around this challenge. Take note of what the Lord is saying to you in preparation for these times.
Many of you have expressed interest in joining me in Turkey and Greece in June 2026 to follow the growth of the early church. We will be holding an informational evening with Bronwyn Spilsbury at the church on February 23rd. Plan to take that in.
I had a dream three months ago. I was in a railroad station terminus – like - an old railroad station. Everyone got off the train of life here (we all knew it was the end) and waited in the terminal for their call to enter eternity. Everyone was carrying a bag and as I watched, the bags of many slowly shrank until they contained nothing. When their name was called, they simply walked out of the terminal into eternity. Others looked in their bag and pulled out a crown. When their name was called, they walked through the door holding the symbol of nobility they could lay at the feet of the Master. I realized that whatever this year holds, this picture will be true of me (and you) – I will walk through the door with a crown!
As you enter the new year, I want to wish you a year marked by joy – not because of circumstance, but because you have encountered the One who entered our world, lived, died, and rose again so that you could live with Him forever! In the truest sense of the word – Happy New Year!
Pastor Leon Throness
