Part 10, 2026 The Year of Our Lord

God’s Way Bible Study

Part 10, The Year of Our Lord

March 24, 2026

1st Quarter Review of 2026, The Year Of Our Lord

• The Lord will have His way this year.  

Acts 17:30 NKJV Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent.

• This is not a year of negotiation, but a year of instruction. 

Isaiah 30:21 NKJV Your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, "This is the way, walk in it," Whenever you turn to the right hand Or whenever you turn to the left.

• This is not a year to tell God, but a year to ask God.

This year, the prayers that will receive quick answers will not be those that tell God what we want, but those that ask Him what is on His mind. God is effectively putting us in our place this year. Our doting Father is saying to His pampered children, “Enough! My turn to speak!”

Up until now, our prayers have shown what we want. Now our prayers will reveal who we love. 

Matthew 6:9-10 ESV Pray then like this: "Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. [10] Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.

Romans 8:26-28 ESV, Habakkuk 2:1 ESV

• This is a year to praise and not to complain.

Acts 5:41 ESV Then they left the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the name.

• Great Grace will be released this year. 

Acts 4:32-33 ESV

Now the full number of those who believed were of one heart and soul, and no one said that any of the things that belonged to him was his own, but they had everything in common. [33] And with great power the apostles were giving their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all.

• In the year of Great Grace, we were warned to beware of offence and of 3 kinds of distractions: duty, pleasure and sin.

• This is not a year to take offense. The enemy will try to trigger us this year. A spirit of offence cuts one off from God's grace 

Hebrews 12:15 ESV See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God; that no "root of bitterness" springs up and causes trouble, and by it many become defiled;

• We must refuse to be triggered by what men do or do not do. We must only respond to what God says and does.

It used to be said, “Go where you are celebrated, not where you are tolerated.”

 This year we will go wherever we are instructed, whether we are celebrated, tolerated or even rejected. 

As we deliberately choose to ignore, overlook offense, we will trigger more grace. 

• Great Grace is accessible to those who are thirsty. 

Isaiah 55:1 NKJV Everyone who thirsts, Come to the waters; And you who have no money, Come buy and eat; Yes come buy wine and milk, Without money and without price. 

John 7: 37-38 NKJV On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. [38] He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.”

Revelation 21:6 NKJV And He said to me,”It is finished. I am the Alpha and the Omega,  the Beginning  and the End. and I will give of the fountain of the river of life freely to him who thirsts. 

• Your thirst is what separates you from everybody else. Many are called but few are chosen.

• The thirst must be deep, the hunger like a craving.

Philippians 3:9-10 ESV and be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness that depends on faith—[10] that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and may share His sufferings, becoming like Him in His death. 

“We must go to God with a broken heart or we must go to Him for one.”- Charles Spurgeon

If we are thirsty and craving, we go to God to fill us. If we lack a thirst and an appetite, we must rush to God so He can make us thirsty and hungry. 

Nothing else but God and His grace will satisfy. No cheap substitutes. 

• For those who are seriously thirsty, the rate of our spiritual upgrade this year will be rapid. 

When we speak of spiritual upgrade, we are speaking of maturity. Great Grace will cause you to experience a growth spurt in Christian maturity, especially in the fourth dimension of Grace. The fourth dimension of Grace, Transformation affects all the others.  Your level of transformation, which is actually your sanctification, or in other words, Christlikeness will impact how you handle God’s favor, mercy and spiritual gifts.

Isaiah 55:6 NKJV Seek the Lord while He may be found. Call upon Him while He is near.

Zechariah 10:1 Ask the Lord for rain, In the time of the latter rain. The Lord will make flashing clouds; He will give them showers of rain; Grass in the field for everyone.  

• This is not a year of addition but one of multiplication. 

However quickly you yield to God, that much quickly you will grow in grace.

• Growing in Grace requires a change in our appetite, our palates, desires and ambitions.

Psalm 16:11 ESV

You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

• To grow into maturity, our diet must change. 

Even though 2026 is the year of the Lord, the Lord never wants to act without our involvement. This year God wants us to grow so He can hand over to us the keys of the Kingdom, so we can mind the store on His behalf and do a good job at it.

• When Jesus tried to change their diet, many disciples left Him.

John 6:60-66 NKJV Therefore many of His disciples, when they heard this, said, "This is a hard saying; who can understand it?" [61] When Jesus knew in Himself that His disciples complained about this, He said to them, "Does this offend you? [62] What then if you should see the Son of Man ascend where He was before? [63] It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life. [64] But there are some of you who do not believe." For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were, who did not believe, and who would betray Him. [65] And He said, "Therefore I have said to you that no one can come to Me unless it has been granted to him by My Father." [66] From that time many of His disciples went back and walked with Him no more.

Hebrews 5:13-14 ESV for everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, since he is a child. [14] But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil.

• Grace grows, as we grow in grace.  

 John 1:16 Of His fullness we have all received, grace for grace. 

As we grow in grace, we are positioned to receive even more grace. 

2 Peter 3:18  but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be glory both now and forever. Amen. 

2 Peter 1:2 May grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.

Grace grows as we grow in grace.  This year God wants us to grow so He can hand over to us the keys of the Kingdom, so we can mind the store on His behalf and do a good job at it.

Matthew 16:19 NKJV And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven."

We are all familiar with  translation but better, more accurate translations are found below.  

Matthew 16:19 LSB I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven.”

Matthew 16:19 NET I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth will have been bound in heaven, and whatever you release on earth will have been released in heaven."

Only those who are mature enough to know the mind of God will be given the authority to bind and lose. Only they can be trusted to use God’s power to see that His kingdom comes and that His will is done on earth as it is in heaven. 

New, This Week

• Accessing Great Grace Is Tough By Design

Matthew 7:13-15 NKJV "Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. [14] Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it. [15] "Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves.

Jeremiah 29:13 ESV You will seek Me and and find Me, when you seek Me with all your heart. 

When everything is given to you, you won't learn how to search for yourself. God is more interested in making us than He is in giving us. Whatever you are given can easily be taken away from you . It is only what you become that you get to keep. 

Something happens to us in the process of discovery. We are not merely informed, but we are transformed. 

Jesus, the greatest teacher, made some of His teaching difficult to understand on purpose. Me.”

Jesus said this about difficulties of His pedagogy in Matthew 13. 

Matthew 13:10-19 NLT His disciples came and asked him, "Why do you use parables when you talk to the people?" [11] He replied, "You are permitted to understand the secrets of the Kingdom of Heaven, but others are not. [12] To those who listen to my teaching, more understanding will be given, and they will have an abundance of knowledge. But for those who are not listening, even what little understanding they have will be taken away from them. [13] That is why I use these parables, For they look, but they don't really see. They hear, but they don't really listen or understand. [14] This fulfills the prophecy of Isaiah that says, 'When you hear what I say, you will not understand. When you see what I do, you will not comprehend. [15] For the hearts of these people are hardened, and their ears cannot hear, and they have closed their eyes- so their eyes cannot see, and their ears cannot hear, and their hearts cannot understand, and they cannot turn to me and let me heal them.' [16] "But blessed are your eyes, because they see; and your ears, because they hear. [17] I tell you the truth, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see, but they didn't see it. And they longed to hear what you hear, but they didn't hear it. [18] "Now listen to the explanation of the parable about the farmer planting seeds: [19] The seed that fell on the footpath represents those who hear the message about the Kingdom and don't understand it. Then the evil one comes and snatches away the seed that was planted in their hearts.

 Jesus was not seeker-friendly. He was hungry-friendly, thirsty-friendly, to the hungry, and the thirsty, not to those who just come for a casual taste. Jesus was friendly to the truth-friendly, weary-friendly, those who are desperate rather than casual. Don’t be surprised that those who are most casual about God are often the most disappointed with God. 

• The way the modern church presents Jesus and His message is underwhelming.

Many preach an easy Jesus, easy to find, easy to walk with and easy to hang with, a Jesus who makes no demands, who has no requirements and who in fact considers it a personal favor when people come to church. This is an underwhelming Jesus, no wonder church attendance is dropping. 

The modern church seems to forget that the same Jesus who said “My yoke is easy and My burden is light,” also said, “If any man will be My disciple, let him deny himself, pick up his cross and follow Me.” (Matthew 16:24)

Matthew 11:28-30 NKJV Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. [29] Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. [30] For My yoke is easy and My burden is light."

His yoke is easy and the burden is light only because of His grace. He is not like Pharaoh, who ordered the Israelites to make bricks without straw. His grace is always sufficient for the task. 

If we are to see people come to Christ, we must stop trying to make it easy for them. We must preach the real Jesus, and make people know that they would be missing out seriously if they do not take Him up on His offer. The gospel that saves is not Gospel-lite. Gospel-lite has no power and no appeal. The world can see that the preacher does not believe in his own gospel if the preacher easily edits his gospel to accommodate and 

Islam is rising and churches are closing because the Islamists are preaching a hard lie while Christians are preaching a soft lie. People gravitate toward the hard lie of Islam today for the same reason that people embraced the hard truth of the gospel in the days of the Roman Empire. 

It is in the nature of man to be impressed with the heroic, the aspirational. When they hear and see the conviction of the preacher, whether he is true or false, he is attractive. The soft genteel weak-kneed apologetic preacher is ignored. No wonder all the greatest preachers of bygone tunes were called fire and brimstone preachers. They were men of deep conviction. They believed the gospel they preached. They staked their lives on it. The trembling greedy preacher of today believes only in money and influence and the people are no longer fooled. They can see through the smoke and mirrors. 

• Your biggest battle this year will be to remain  in Grace.

John 15:5-8 I am the vine and you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. [6] If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch, and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire and they are burned. [7] If you abide in Me and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire and it shall be done for you. [8] By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; and so you will be My disciples. 

Why Does God Give Great Grace?

• Grace is given not to make us feel powerful or comfortable or likeable. Grace is given to make us more fruitful for the Lord. 

1 Corinthians 15:10 ESV

But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me.

• Great grace is released when God is ready to do something pivotal, when there is about to be a major shift or a transition in His agenda from one item to the next. 

1 Samuel 3:11 Then the Lord said to Samuel, “Behold I will do something in Israel at which both ears of everyone who hears it will tingle.”

Prior to this time, the  word of God was rare in the land. Now God raised a little boy, and sent him with an era-defining message of judgment to Eli.

• Grace is a converter. It converts our weaknesses into strength.

 2 Corinthians 12:9-10 ESV But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. [10] For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

• Grace affords God more praise.  

2 Corinthians 4:7 ESV

But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us.

21st Century Application

• It used to be said, “Go where you are celebrated, not where you are tolerated.”

 This year we will go wherever we are instructed to go, whether we are celebrated, tolerated or even rejected. 

John 1:11-12 ESV He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. [12] But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.

Thy Will Be Done

Hebrews 11:6 NKJV  Without faith, it is impossible to please God. For he who comes to God must believe that he is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek him.

Setting our minds on the interests of God will inform our prayer life.

 “Thy will be done,” is an impossible prayer unless one first acknowledges that God is, and that He reserves the right to reward, and He reserves that right for those who seek Him. Seeking Him means seeking His honor, glory, agenda, etc. 

• This is a year to stand in the Lord and not react emotionally to men. 

• Your greatest quest this year will be to find out God’s will in every situation, great or small. 

Ephesians 5:17 NKJV Therefore do not be unwise but understand what the will of the Lord is.

Romans 12:2 NKJV And do  not be conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good, acceptable and perfect will of God. 

• The enemy will work doubly hard to trigger us, the body of Christ, this year. 

We must watch out for the spirit of offense. The offense may come from family, friends, colleagues, other believers, and the world in general.

This is not a year to take offense. 

• A spirit of offense cuts one off from God's grace.

Hebrews 12:15 ESV

See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God; that no "root of bitterness" springs up and causes trouble, and by it many become defiled;

Luke 17:1 NKJV Then He said to the disciples, "It is impossible that no offenses should come, but woe to him through whom they do come!

We must see to it that we do not take offense. You can’t stop the devil from being devilish, the world from being worldly, or a tempter from tempting. We are to rely on God’s grace to resist falling. 

• Your biggest battle this year will be to remain in Grace.

A spirit of offense cuts one off from God's grace.

If we allow ourselves to be triggered into offence, we will stop the flow of grace. As we deliberately make the effort to ignore and to overcome offense, we will trigger more grace. 

If you are carnally minded, you will be triggered.

If you stay spiritually minded, you trigger Great Grace.

• Grace is initially given by God’s will, but man’s response triggers more grace.

Grace was given to Adam and Eve at creation. Grace was given immediately after the fall.

2026 The Year To Embrace All  Of the Package of Grace from God.

Everything God has for us is in one package called Grace. We have received some grace, but this year God wants to pour out more grace than we have ever received. 

We have become used to receiving from the Lord in a buffet style, wherein we pick what we like and leave what we don't like, what we don't understand on the table. 

This is a year of rapid growth in grace for those who hunger because they will be satisfied.

We will see baby Christians, mature very quickly this year, while some who have been playing church for decades, will still act like babies.

 The same Grace is available to all. The difference will be how much each person is willing (not able, but willing) to receive.

2 Peter 3:18 NKJV but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and forever. Amen.

Sadly, some will see very slow growth because of their stubbornness, and others still will be stuck and  fail to grow,  which is actually a form of backsliding. 

• In 2026, we must endeavor to access and walk in all the four dimensions of Grace.

The four dimensions of Grace are Mercy, Favor, Spiritual Gifts and Transformation.

Grace has four dimensions: Mercy, Favor, Spiritual Gifts and Transformation. 

Psalm 16:11 ESV You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

We have known some of the joys of the present world, but now He wants to develop in us a taste for the joys of the world to come. In order to access the new things of God, we have to let go of the old familiar, comfortable things. Our old ways will have to be traded for new ways. We will have to learn to pray differently, both in substance and in form; in other words, what we pray for will have to be different. How we pray for them will also have to be different. 

At the beginning of this change, we will be uncomfortable. It will not be pleasant. We will have to love God more than pleasure for us to go along with God this year.

The pleasures of this age are good, but they are not worth comparing with the greater pleasures of the age to come. 

We will find that the pleasures of this world come with pain, sorrow, hangovers and brain freeze, etc.

Job 22:25-30 ESV then the Almighty will be your gold and your precious silver. [26] For then you will delight yourself in the Almighty and lift up your face to God. [27] You will make your prayer to him, and he will hear you, and you will pay your vows. [28] You will decide on a matter, and it will be established for you, and light will shine on your ways. [29] For when they are humbled you say, 'It is because of pride'; but he saves the lowly. [30] He delivers even the one who is not innocent, who will be delivered through the cleanness of your hands."

God is ready to change our appetite, to train our palates, to give us a foretaste of the sweeter and longer lasting pleasures that come from His Presence. 

1 John 2:16-17 ESV For all that is in the world-the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life-is not from the Father but is from the world. [17] And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.

These are pleasures at levels beyond our physical senses of touch, taste, sight, hearing smell. 

When we did not know God, church seemed boring. Bible Study produced yawns. Praise and worship music sounded unfamiliar. As we grew in the Lord, we began to find pleasure in the things of God. We changed.

If the church changes to accommodate the new Christian, there is something wrong with that picture. If Bible Study has to be reduced to the lowest common denominator, it will be unsatisfactory for the hungry faithful and will soon prove to be useless to the babies when they outgrow milk. 

John 4:31-34 ESV Meanwhile the disciples were urging him, saying, "Rabbi, eat." [32] But he said to them, "I have food to eat that you do not know about." [33] So the disciples said to one another, "Has anyone brought him something to eat?" [34] Jesus said to them, "My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to accomplish his work.

• No longer will we be fed bread and fish, but we will be fed with His flesh. 

John 6:26-27 LSB Jesus answered them and said, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you seek Me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate of the loaves and were filled. [27] Do not work for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you, for on Him the Father, God, set His seal.”

John 6:34-35 LSB Then they said to Him, “Lord, always give us this bread.” [35] Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me will never hunger, and he who believes in Me will never thirst.

Hebrews 5:13-14 ESV for everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, since he is a child. [14] But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil.

Prayers

1. Pray for Grace to Desire God’s Will

Philippians 2:12-13 LSB So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling; [13] for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.

2. Pray for Grace to Declare the Will of the Lord over every situation

Isaiah 40:1-5 LSB “Comfort, O comfort My people,” says your God. [2] “Speak to the heart of Jerusalem; And call out to her, that her warfare has been fulfilled, That her iniquity has been removed, That she has received from the hand of Yahweh Double for all her sins.” [3] A voice is calling, “Prepare the way for Yahweh in the wilderness; Make smooth in the desert a highway for our God. [4] “Let every valley be lifted up, And every mountain and hill be made low; And let the rough ground become a plain, And the rugged terrain a broad valley; [5] Then the glory of Yahweh will be revealed, And all flesh will see it together; For the mouth of Yahweh has spoken.”

3. Pray for insight and sensitivity  to use our mouths as God's instrument for prophetic prayers as the Lord commands.

Ezekiel 37:7,10 LSB So I prophesied as I was commanded; and as I prophesied, there was a noise, and behold, a rumbling; and the bones came together, bone to its bone. [10] So I prophesied as He commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they came to life and stood on their feet, an exceedingly great military force.

4. Pray for Pray for Grace to Trust God’s  Wisdom

1 Corinthians 1:25 NKJV Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.

1 Corinthians 1:25 NLT This foolish plan of God is wiser than the wisest of human plans, and God's weakness is stronger than the greatest of human strength.

5. Pray for Grace for quick and joyful obedience.

Isaiah 1:19 LSB “If you are willing and obey, You will eat the best of the land;

Hebrews 10:7 NKJV Then I said, 'Behold, I have come- In the volume of the book it is written of Me- To do Your will, O God.'"