Shalom! Dear NCTC partners, it is December, the last month of 2024.

December is not only a month to wrap up the year but also an important time to prepare ourselves for the coming year. The Lord cares about our lives and has prepared glorious plans for us. Therefore, if we are curious about the Lord’s plans for us in 2025 and seek to know them, He will surely provide us with prophetic words. In this letter, I’d like to share the message the Lord has given us for December, as revealed in Isaiah 54:2-4:

(Isaiah 54:2-4)

2 “Enlarge the place of your tent, And let them stretch out the curtains of your dwellings; Do not spare; Lengthen your cords, And strengthen your stakes. 3 For you shall expand to the right and to the left, And your descendants will inherit the nations, And make the desolate cities inhabited. 4 “Do not fear, for you will not be ashamed; Neither be disgraced, for you will not be put to shame; For you will forget the shame of your youth, And will not remember the reproach of your widowhood anymore.”

Looking at the prophetic message God gave through the prophet Isaiah, verse 2 instructs us to enlarge the place of our tent, lengthen the cords, and strengthen the stakes. This is because, as stated in verse 3, we will expand to the right and to the left. The expansion will lead our descendants to inherit the nations and make desolate cities habitable again. This implies that God is calling us to prepare ourselves because He will expand His kingdom through us to the nations.

While praying for December, the Lord gave me a message alongside this passage: to enlarge the place of your tent and strengthen your stakes throughout this month in preparation for the amazing expansion that will happen in 2025. If we prepare ourselves and expand our tents (increasing our capacity) in obedience to the Lord's direction, He will bring about expansion through us, and His kingdom will grow through us in 2025!

What does it mean to enlarge the place of your tent and strengthen your stakes? How can we do this? It can be understood as preparing a vessel capable of containing the new works that God will accomplish in our lives. Let’s explore two simple ways to prepare and expand our vessel:

1. Expand Your Vision.

The first step in enlarging your tent is to see what God sees—this is vision. When God called individuals for His purposes, He consistently gave them visions. To see expansion in our lives through God, we must see what He sees. This is an expansion of vision.

For example, God told Abraham to lift his eyes and look to the north, south, east, and west, promising to give all that he saw to him and his descendants. Similarly, God gave Joseph His vision through dreams and expanded his life as Joseph embraced that vision. God also showed Joshua that He had already given Jericho into his hands, along with its king and warriors.

What do you see when you think of 2025? It’s time to stop seeing from your perspective and start seeing from God’s perspective. Often, the inability to expand our vision is because we operate within the realm of possibility. When we base our thoughts only on our experiences and current capabilities, we fail to consider a higher level and miss God’s calling. God’s vision is not something achievable through our strength alone. By embracing His vision, the impossible becomes possible. This is the power of vision. As we train ourselves to see our lives from God’s perspective, our vision will inevitably expand.

2. Become Strong Through Intentional and Focused Meditation on the Word.

Once our vision expands, the next challenge arises: we might feel overwhelmed or doubtful, knowing that our current abilities fall short of achieving the vision. Let’s look at God’s instruction to Joshua, who was in a similar situation.

Joshua 1:8 (NKJV)

"This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.”

God appointed Joshua as Israel’s new leader after Moses. From Joshua’s perspective, stepping into Moses’ shoes to lead the Israelites into the Promised Land was likely a daunting task. Joshua needed immense personal growth and expansion. Reflecting on Joshua's inner concerns, God repeatedly told him three times in chapter 1 to “be strong and courageous.”

How can one strengthen their heart and muster courage? Verse 8 reveals the secret: meditating on the Word of God day and night. This requires intentional and focused effort.

When we intentionally and intensely meditate on the Word (by declaring it aloud repeatedly), amazing things happen. Whenever I face difficult situations or feel inadequate, I quickly return to a time of meditating on the Word. I declare certain Scriptures aloud for hours. After doing so, I no longer feel weak or lacking but instead experience an overwhelming sense of confidence, strength, and assurance that I can do all things through Christ. This is faith!

Dear NCTC Partners

As we seek the Lord regarding His plans for 2025, let’s ask Him what He sees and what vision we should hold onto. By embracing God’s Word and dedicating time to intentional and focused meditation (Joshua 1:8), we can enlarge our tent and strengthen our stakes. I believe this will lead to amazing expansion in our lives in 2025.

God has given NCTC the vision of leading believers worldwide, who have yet to understand their inheritance in the Gospel, into the fullness of their heritage in Christ. We train them as new creations and win many souls to Christ. I trust that the Lord will expand us together in 2025 for His kingdom and righteousness.

I pray that the anointing of expansion will overflow in your sowing, harvest, and fruits of righteousness!

Pastor John Kyusong Cho and Paula Kim
on December 6, 2024