THE 2020 BLESSING
Pastor Joseph Kelley
Hamptons Church, New York
In reviewing this past year, it is abundantly clear that this year has been a year of unprecedented turmoil and change impacting in a profound way every individual, community, and nation of this earth. Yet in the midst of all of these challenges and trials, God--in His infinite grace and sovereignty--has poured out a tremendous blessing here at Hamptons Church.
As we study the Word of God, it is abundantly clear that God’s intention and desire is to bless humanity. Humanity is the central focus of God’s covenant relationship with all of mankind and all of His creation. A blessing is a public declaration of a favored status with God. The blessings of God empower believers for prosperity and success. The blessing of God is the true motivation enabling us to continue to pursue our lives within His blessing.
Therefore, it is God’s desire that all public and private institutions of society at large--family, government, and the Church--are where these blessings of God are to be received. In the family, the father blesses his wife and children. In government, those in authority are called to bless those who they are sworn to represent and protect. In the Church, leaders are called to hear from God, enabling them to serve the needs of others. As believers, we are blessed with every spiritual blessing in Jesus Christ our Lord.
In December of 2019, God gave me a prophetic vision that the year 2020 would be the year that God would pour out His Spirit and bless us abundantly, a year of increase. He would tighten the knots of our relationships in both the regional and global net, those relationships that He was knitting for a great harvest. This word was proclaimed publicly prior to the emergence of the virus. In hindsight, we can see that God was preparing us as a people to cast vision that would give meaning and understanding to overcoming the effects of the virus which would take our world captive to much fear and uncertainty to come. After the virus, we proclaimed, once again publicly, that although our building may be closed, the church was wide open.
Hamptons Church has experienced the fulfillment of God’s covenantal and prophetic proclamation of the blessing of 2020. There has been enumerable evidence of God’s faithfulness during this time of crisis in our world. Our church has expanded its food pantry ministry by three times, enabling us to help feed our community with much needed food and other supplies. Thousands of people in the Hamptons have been cared for because of the outpouring of His abundance. We have been able to substantially increase our giving to the nations, assisting the local leadership in several key ways to support and to feed the hungry and oppressed. In India, we are taking the final steps in completing the construction of the medical hospital that we have been building there for the past five years. In Venezuela, God has supplied resources for construction of the church building and for feeding hundreds of people weekly.
In the Hamptons, our local church has seen a multitude of unreached people reached for Jesus, receiving new life and hope in our Lord, and being discipled and trained to reach others also. Financially, the church has been the recipient of over $60,000 in donations from people outside our church living in our community who have joined their hearts and hands with ours to serve those in need here and in our world. 2020 has been the greatest year financially for Hamptons Church in my 15-year role as Senior Pastor. Our social media impact has increased exponentially--both here in the Hamptons and across the globe, reaching thousands of people every month. I am both humbled and excited to declare how God has been true to His Word and His magnificent grace toward us. We are overflowing with thankfulness for His prosperity according to His covenantal promise upon us.
There are still many challenges the Church will experience in the coming days, but I firmly believe that the 2020 blessing will be sustained, that God will continue to lead us triumphantly in the days ahead, and we can say with utmost confidence that the God we serve is faithful to fulfill every word and promise over us as individuals, congregations, and upon this great regional and global NRP network. Stay strong, be encouraged. God is for us and will never leave or forsake us; He will always defend us. Our God is a covenant-keeping God.