Greetings Beloved!

We are blessed greatly in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory, honor, and praise.

It is rare for me to release a prophecy that previews a whole year. I have done this in the past, but it is not my usual mode of operation. In general, I remain a skeptic when I see articles or videos that emphasize “The prophetic word of 2014”, or “This year’s prophecy”… etc. While I certainly believe in prophecy, which often has a foretelling nature, I try to steer clear of prophetic messages that have a fortune telling or horoscope feel to them. I say this because I want to be as honest and transparent with you as I can be in this context. As a prophetic voice I still wrestle with the prophetic, and I am always testing it.

With this in mind, I give you a preview of some things I believe that the Lord is highlighting as the new year approaches. Let us partner in the word of the Lord by testing these prophecies according to the Scriptures so that we might grow together and build up one another in Christ.

The Lord is highlighting the power of His resurrection. Over the past few weeks, the Lord has been highlighting His resurrection. In the Christmas season, when we usually focus on the birth of Christ, the Lord continually set my heart upon His resurrection. Through Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection, we see the great testimony of Jesus Christ during His first advent. Jesus’ first advent speaks to a marvelous spiritual progression that God has called all Christians to follow. In Jesus’ life we see God highlighting humility. In His death we see God highlighting faithfulness. In His resurrection, we see God highlighting grace. While the ultimate goal is to walk out all three of these attributes at the same time, we will at many times notice an overarching progression. For instance, while I am continually learning faithfulness and see clear evidence of God’s grace in my life, the Lord is personally cultivating a more sincere humility in my life at the present. Through humility, I see new areas where God has called me to be faithful, and as I say ‘yes’ and live out faithfulness, God pours grace upon my ‘yes’ by giving me more than adequate power and freedom to live faithfully.

Humility is the key to resurrection power (grace). In 2014, we will see the exaltation of individuals and ministries that have chosen to take the humble path. Specifically, this will be most evident in ministries that emphasize healing prayer. The Lord desires to release physical and emotional healing. There are many ministries who have been taking the humble road and faithfully devoting their energy to praying for the healing of others without seeing much breakthrough. You are praying but are barely seeing any healing. I exhort you to not grow weary in doing good. God does not measure your ministry by the number of people that are healed. He measures your ministry by the amount of humility and faithfulness it takes to continue praying for others. Hear the word of the Lord, “You will see the grace of Jesus Christ exalted in your midst. A slow trickle of healing will become stream. Don’t stop there. Contend for a river and a waterfall.”

Remember that the Lord heals us as a first fruits of the resurrection. He heals the decaying body today so that we might experience His love and power, but do not neglect the testimony of Jesus. He will one day, at the resurrection, give us bodies that will never decay, grow sick or weary. It does not matter how miraculous today’s healing is, because today’s miraculous healing is a testimony of the power of Jesus and the greater healing that is to come.

The Lord longs to put on display the power of His resurrection and draw all people unto Himself.

The great challenge this year will be to rest in God’s sovereignty. The culture war is in full force and the battle lines have been drawn. We are in the midst of a cultural civil war right now in America, and we must understand the vast implications that it has on our future. Let us break the media driven perspective that pits conservative versus liberal and realize that the real cultural battle belongs to the Lord. According to the Holy Spirit, the real battle line that is drawn is between those who obey versus those who do not obey the truth. Let us then heed the mind of Christ, which is to love our enemies and respect our authorities. Beloved, I am an activist for both pro-life causes and a conservative culture. As one who is clearly standing on the media perceived side of conservative America, I endeavor to faithfully contend for justice in a culture of injustice with my words, actions, and votes.

If my contending for justice does not involve the active and continual extending of forgiveness and mercy to those on the opposite side of the debate, we are not acting in Christ’s love. I am not against the battle, but I am against waging it with a calloused heart that has already decided our enemies fate. Beloved, that belongs to Christ alone.

For this reason, we need to pursue a renewed vision for resting in God’s sovereignty. He is Lord in America, and He will use her for His purposes. As we contend on the lines of truth, justice, and righteousness, let us do so without offense. We are called to endure injustices and hardships with patience. When the unrighteous prosper in their ways, we are not to envy or curse them. This present tide of lawlessness in our nation will not be turned back by winning arguments, but rather through prayer and transformation of heart. Let us honestly know and acknowledge who our enemy is, and then let us show love by freely giving them the gospel of Christ, which is fit to tear down the dividing walls.

The battle will intensify in the coming year. I hardly need to speak prophetically to declare this. Get used to the battle and fight it faithfully. The Lord is watching and eager to reward those who are faithful in love.

Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul, having your conduct honorable among the Gentiles, that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may, by your good works which they observe, glorify God in the day of visitation.

Therefore submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake, whether to the king as supreme, or to governors, as to those who are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and for the praise of those who do good. For this is the will of God, that by doing good you may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men— as free, yet not using liberty as a cloak for vice, but as bondservants of God. Honor all people. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the king.

Servants, be submissive to your masters with all fear, not only to the good and gentle, but also to the harsh. For this is commendable, if because of conscience toward God one endures grief, suffering wrongfully. For what credit is it if, when you are beaten for your faults, you take it patiently? But when you do good and suffer, if you take it patiently, this iscommendable before God. For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us,leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps:

“Who committed no sin,
Nor was deceit found in His mouth”;

who, when He was reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously; who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness—by whose stripes you were healed. For you were like sheep going astray, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls. (1 Peter 2:13-25)

Let mercy and faithfulness rest upon your hearts in this coming year,

-J. S. Marek

*If you would like deeper prophetic insight, read my free e-book, Remember Mercy.