Q: As we kick off 2021, many people want to know God’s plan for the year. How do we know that we can hear God speak concerning the calendar?
A: You know I’m a numbers in scripture guy. Not only does my team do a ton of prophetic research on the numbers, times and seasons, I unplug and go into the wilderness for 10 days and cry out to the Lord for His word concerning the year to come. The Lord is really speaking through the number 21, which is about Light of Truth, Light being made manifest, God’s open hands in times of distress and blessings at the end of distress. Sounds ripped from the headlines, but let me tell you, we did this research months ago. Now we have to see how it all plays out.
We also have to look at the math. Three times seven is 21. That is God saying, “When the Spirit (7) has perfectly completed (3) His word, everything will be see for what it really is.” It’s about light revealing darkness and exposing things. In 2 Timothy 3:2-5, there are 21 hidden sins brought into the open for the last days. I think that’s well worth noting.
Q: How important is it to be in sync with God’s timing?
A: It’s very important to be in sync with God’s timing because the Bible makes it clear that to be out of timing is a curse (Deuteronomy 28:66-670. You want it to be day when it’s night and summer when it’s winter. You act like a teenager when you’re in your 40’s. That’s a curse. Nothing will work right—relationships, finances, family, ministry—it’s all a mess if you’re out of timing with God’s will. If you have a lot of anxiety and drama in your life, it’s likely a timing thing. Look at the sons of Issachar in 1 Chronicles 12:32. They were “men that had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do.” You cannot have a successful plan of action without syncing up to God’s timing.
Q: What is the Issachar anointing, and do you believe it’s available to us today?
A: The Issachar anointing of understanding the times and seasons is especially important in this day and this hour. We’re talking about a tribe of people having such next-level wisdom and insight that even kings don’t make a move without consulting them. I always say the best things about God are not taught, they’re “caught.” You can catch onto the Issachar anointing of perfect timing. It takes a lot of seeking the Lord and spending time in relationship with Him. It also takes seeking through the Word for those timing words like the Ecclesiastes 3 list of times and seasons that starts with a time to be born and a time to die, and it ends with a time for war and a time for peace. If you know where you are on that timeline, you know the next season coming up and you can prepare for it. What does Psalms 37:37 say? “Mark the perfect and upright man for his end shall be peace.”
Q: From COVID-19 to racial tensions to political unrest and more, we faced many challenges in 2020 that seemed to come out of the blue. Looking back, do you believe that God was speaking to us about these things in advance?
A: A lot of people thought the prophets got it wrong on 2020 because nobody stood up and said, “A plague is coming out of China and it will cause mass lock-downs of society. The economy will dry up and race riots will start over a man unjustly killed so stock up on toilet paper, buy gallons of hand sanitizer and board up your windows now.” They don’t understand prophecy. Prophecy is NOT foretelling the future. That’s not what the Old Testament prophets did. They relayed messages from God to the people, and often those messages came with a choice—repent or suffer the consequences. Because the people usually chose consequences, it looks like the prophets foretold the future, so that’s what this generation expects.
What I saw and experienced is that each of the prophets had a piece of the picture—a piece of the puzzle. Chuck Pierce said a plague-like fear was going to descend on America. He also said we were going to have to meet in new ways. Patricia King said 2020 would be a time of great exposure of evil as well as a time of great warfare for the church. There were so many more great words, but the bottom line is this: for we know in part and we prophesy in part (1 Corinthians 13:9). Putting our words together, we see the whole, and often we only see it in hindsight.
What’s real is we’re all called to prophesy. All of us! If you don’t like the word of the prophets, build your own relationship with God so He can speak to you. You don’t need me. Prophecy is speaking the heart of the Father to His kids. 1 Corinthians 14:2 says, “But he who prophesies speaks edification and exhortation and comfort to men.” That’s the heart of the Father—to encourage, strengthen and comfort. I’m not the prophet of hell. I’m going to give you the word of the Lord, but I’m going to see God’s goodness in it.
Q: After the uncertainty of 2020, many people are anxious about what is to come. How would you encourage them?
A: Jesus promised us that in this world we would have trouble. Jesus did. He had lots of trouble and if God almighty in human form had trouble, so will we. The Good News is that Jesus, through the Holy Spirit, is with us to encourage, strengthen, and comfort us through it – just like He walked with Meshach, Shadrach and Abednego in the fiery furnace. He is with us and He is for us. The biggest thing I can say is we’ve been in a war for a very long time and the American church is just now waking up to it. The church has been an exclusive cruise ship for too long. Bible studies, potlucks, basketball leagues and conferences are nice, but they’re not God. We’re supposed to be a battleship going behind enemy lines to rescue the lost, hurting, and rebellious from the camp of the enemy. God is in the search and rescue business and business is good. It’s time to armor up and realize we’re not fighting against flesh and blood. I would encourage you to get out there and help somebody. Serve somebody and love somebody. That’s what I would tell you to do whether the world around us is in chaos or not.
Q: As we continue in the decade of 20’s, what should we understand about this “decade of declaration?”
A: Yes, it is the Decade to Declare and just as Jesus’ words were powerful for creation, so are ours. What you speak will become your reality. Deuteronomy 30:19 says, “I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life…” God Himself tells us to choose life and how do we do that? Through our words! We have to get away from the negative narrative in our words and speak life over our children, our businesses, finances—every part of our lives. It is no mistake that the Hebrew word for “word” is “millah” which is also the Hebrew word for “matter” or “thing.” We literally have the authority to speak this that are not as if they are (Romans 4:17). If we complain or get offended, we’ll reap that rotten fruit. If we curse our enemies, more rotten fruit. God is looking for the fruit of the Spirit and that’s only possible by speaking blessings and prophesying God’s goodness.
Q: We’ve now entered the Jewish year 5781. What is the prophetic significance of this year?
A: I like to call 5781 the “Year to Reverse the Curse.” We know the number nine has a dual meaning: fruit bearing in the positive and judgment over death in the negative. The number 81 is nine times nine. For those of us living life based on redemption, it’s a time for the fruit of the Spirit to bust out in your life and redeem the death that is there – whether it’s dead dreams, dead relationships, or dead faith. For those not redeemed, the picture isn’t as pretty. The number 81 is also about seeing what’s hidden in the darkness. The 81st element is thallium. It’s a mineral used for two things: infrared equipment or being able to see in the dark; and rat poison. This year is a year of decision, of transition, and people are going to have a choice of life or death, blessings or curses. That goes back to Deuteronomy 30:19 and speaking blessings instead of curses. As you can see, the two calendars are lining up!
Q: What is God speaking to you about 2021?
A: What God is saying to me for 2021 is it’s going to be a time of great trial but it’s also going to be a time of a great awakening. It’s going to be a great year of exposure and things that have been hidden in the darkness of our hearts, of the church, of our government and society. These things are going to be brought out into the light so people can be restored. Our God loves restoration over punishment because Jesus is a redemption freak. What God is saying to me about this year to come is His hands are strong enough to hold me, you, and all that is going on. His hands are open to us especially in times of distress; and He wants to make Himself manifest in our dark places to redeem us in every way He can.
Q: God spoke to you about the difference between receiving a word and carrying it out. Why is this important?
A: It’s important to carry out the word you’ve received because as brother James said, “faith without works is dead.” We can’t know a thing and not act on it. We can’t see a brother in need and walk past like the godly people did in the account of the Good Samaritan. That’s called taking the Lord’s name in vain. Taking the Lord’s name in vain is not using it as a cuss word. That’s blasphemy. Taking His name in vain is saying, “I’m a Christian” then living a live that doesn’t demonstrate Him. Feed the hungry. Clothe the naked. Help the widow and give a home to the orphan. It’s that simple. “But Pastor Troy, what if they rip me off? What if they use what I give them for a bad purpose?” My friend, that’s between the and Jesus. Your willingness to help somebody and live up to the family name of Christ is on you. Give them the good word of the Lord. That He loves them and He’s not mad at them.
Q: What does it look like to carry out this word for 2021?
A: It looks like food outreaches. It looks like setting people free from slavery. It looks like giving orphans families and widows homes. It looks like paying somebody’s rent or power bill. That is a word on justice. God’s justice is all wrongs being made right. In 2021, bring justice to people. Help make their wrongs right and bring the light of Jesus into the mess. He actually loves that mess. He’s a redeemer and He can make all things new. We have got to bring Jesus into people’s lives in this season. Get up off your blessed assurance and get into that ditch. The year 2021 is a year of action. It’s also about warfare. It took the angel 21 days to get to Daniel because the demonic territorial spirit over Persia delayed him. We are in a battle with powers and principalities in this year but take heart. That angel made it through. It strengthened Daniel and set him back on his feet. He can do that for us too. Remember, in this year, we’re in God’s hands.
Q: How would you encourage people to pray and prepare for this New Year?
A: Prepare for 2021 by being intentional—more intentional than you’ve ever been. Decide right now you’re going to pray and fast no matter what. Purpose that you’re going to help others no matter what. Declare and decree you’re going to bless and not curse no matter what kind of hell is unleashed against you. In this hour, you “gird up your loins” as it says in Job, which means pull up your big boy pants. You stand against the evil of the day by standing on the prophetic words and promises from the Lord. You purpose to practice the goodness of God even if the people around you don’t deserve it because you didn’t deserve it when Jesus came and saved you. Prepare by laying down your life in the secret place and saying, “I’m Yours, Jesus. Your will be done in my life whatever the cost.”