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# Life, Light, and Pressure
- URL: https://www.belonging.house/life-light-and-pressure/
- Published: 2024-12-27T11:00:15.000Z
- Updated: 2026-07-24T23:51:34.000Z
- Author: Christ John Otto
- Tags: Newsletter, #Migrated-1784937001272, #Import 2026-07-24 23:50

Thanks for your prayers.

This year  
the twelve days of Christmas  
symbolic of the Kingdom of God coming into the earth;  
and the eight days of Hanukkah,  
the feast of the Dedication of the Temple:  
a repeat of Sukkot, **the feast of God dwelling with us**,  
are happening at the same time.

*The Lord whom you seek* 
*will suddenly come to his temple* 
*and he will purify the Sons of Levi.* 
*God is with us.* 
*The Word became flesh,* 
*the true light has come into the world.* 
*The light shines in the darkness,* 
*and the darkness cannot overcome it.*

**This is also the last Friday of 2024.**  
Normally I write an email to recap the year,  
recount how much growth  
and increase has happened  
and share some of my hopes and dreams for Belonging House.

2024 was a year of intense pressure,  
challenges  
and changes in me.

And as a great writer has said,  
**Your inner life determines your creative output.**  
[I wrote a book that is getting impressive reviews on Amazon](https://a.co/d/hELdcSJ?ref=belonginghouse.org).

In 2006 God said "leave the old ministry model behind."  
And he would show us a new way to do ministry.  
Part of the new way is going **open source**.  
And some of the new way is finding a way to fund Belonging House  
that is not the old non-profit model  
and not commercial Christianity.

**I have been on my knees** 
**crying out for wisdom.**

Pressure changes you,  
and that change produces  
a new anointing,  
a new focus,  
and new fruit.  
**The fruit of the Spirit** 
**never goes bad.**

One thing is really clear:  
**our culture has no leaders**.  
Recent events have revealed all the folks with  
"cred" in the Christian arts world  
aren't leading,  
but following.

Once upon a time  
Christians did not respond to the culture,  
**they made it.**  
This year  
I am focusing  
my efforts on raising up  
forerunning tough artists  
who can go into crumbling  
institutions and systems  
and begin rebuilding.  
We are promised  
that the Kingdoms of this world  
will become the Kingdom of our Lord  
and of his Christ.

**We are called to build a throne for Jesus**  
in the earth,  
a place where he sits  
where he rests,  
and where he rules and reigns.

Merry Christmas,  
Happy Hanukkah,  
and a Blessed New Year.

![Life, Light, and Pressure](https://storage.ghost.io/c/ed/59/ed590bfa-368b-4bcf-b1f2-6ba9ca9abcdb/content/images/2026/07/dd5d80db-c2f2-45f6-9292-cebf449c5588_125x92-jpeg.jpg)

#### Join us for prayer and worship.

We pray daily in tongues at 7 am ET/12 noon UK for 15 minutes Monday-Friday. Join us on [Zoom](https://us02web.zoom.us/j/8766320130?ref=belonginghouse.org).

We gather as a community for worship and holy communion on Sundays 1 pm ET/6 pm UK time. Join us on [Zoom.](https://us02web.zoom.us/j/8766320130?ref=belonginghouse.org)

[![Life, Light, and Pressure](https://storage.ghost.io/c/ed/59/ed590bfa-368b-4bcf-b1f2-6ba9ca9abcdb/content/images/2026/07/bec1b1f9-d3fe-4222-bcdd-3d9f8ebdd7fe_214x60.png)](buymeacoffee.com/christjohnotto)

[You can invest in Belonging House here.](#/portal/support)