EPISODE EXPANSION
Our relationship with the Lord is always prophetic, which means that we can expect Him to speak about our future and reveal His wisdom for our process of development.
Everything with God is about possibilities.
Back in late October 2009, I was in the Olive Garden in Vacaville having lunch with a couple of friends. During lunch, I suddenly felt really unwell. I couldn’t taste anything, and then I couldn’t focus on the conversation; and suddenly, all the energy drained out of my body. The next day, I felt worse. Then on Sunday, it was worse still. So in the end, we make the decision to go to the hospital.
I have this whole battery of tests done. I have no strength, everything hurts, no concentration, no focus — and here’s the thing: Just out of nowhere, I am plunged into this scary world where literally everything I depend on is taken away.
So I made a decision that I didn’t want to reach my end and have any regrets. I didn’t want to reach my end not having discovered the fullness of my potential in Christ. I didn’t want to die never thoroughly having enjoyed the majesty of Jesus and, therefore, live a more mediocre life as a result. I didn’t want to live with meager possibilities.
We understand who we are in the present by the plans that God has for our future.
So I sat down and I read through every prophetic word I’ve got and every promise God has ever given me in Scripture. I filled my mind with that stuff because I wanted to know, “What is God saying about me in the future?” and I began realizing in a stronger way that I still have a future. So I am wanting to live in the present according to that outcome.
To really understand your identity, you have to actually put it in the same place with your destiny — because sometimes we understand who we are here in the present, in the context of who God says we are becoming in the future. Present-future, to me, is the anointing to determine your life in the present by the prophecies, promises, and plans that God has for your future.
God lives in the gap between our present identity and our future destiny.
You are a paradox of identity and destiny. You are knowing who you are now (your identity), and you are knowing who you are becoming (your destiny). Then you are living in a way that makes that future more readily accessible. That means we are never stuck now. The future allows us to make the present different. We can aim at something beyond our current circumstances and bring that into the present to help us with the fight.
When your identity right here is under threat, then you go into the future of all the promises that God has ever made to you, and you grab the identity that is out there. Then you bring it here so that your identity and your destiny form a partnership that enables you to overcome here in the present. When your identity is under threat, it is your destiny that is going to ride to the rescue. Your destiny says, “Hey! I am you in the future, and I am going to join you in the present so that you can overcome this thing!”
Want to learn more? Tune in to today’s podcast as we explore how God sees our future.
As always, thanks for listening!

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