“The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn; to grant to those who mourn in Zion— to give them a beautiful headdress instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, the garment of praise instead of a faint spirit; that they may be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he may be glorified.”
God imparts His strength so that we are both great and strong. That we do not bow under disappointment and become cynical and discouraged.
“Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers.”
We are not intimidated by false expectations seemingly being unmet but instead are the remnant who stand fast and firm after catastrophe ever moving from faith to faith.
A remnant chosen and called by Grace to bond tightly together in vulnerability and not to slip into corrupt thinking.
“Do you think that I have come to give peace on earth? No, I tell you, but rather division.”
What has befallen us has in fact made us more ready. Prepared us for what is to be. He addresses the lack of spirituality in His church.
Where He seeks those who can be on fire in their relationship with the Holy Spirit. Those who have a intolerance for anything less than the standard of authority that is God’s image.
The requisite of revelation, wisdom, faith and growth from glory to glory.
“And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.”
God’s image is not just in appearance, substance and character but also in status. We represent Him only when we are fused as one in intimacy with Him.
He is always the superior in any realm or circumstance and we take on that precedent with Him and have stature and confidence in Him.
Therefore never intimidated. We survive opposition. We know His will in any circumstances. We stand apart in all. In no way selective according to worldly or flesh popularity.
Faith comes from the Spiritual realm and stands above the natural. To walk by faith is to walk in the spiritual.
Walk tapped into what God believes and says. In that place we challenge, as He does, the systems of the world.
With our belief in His superior status and our gift of faith we are strengthened to resist all doubt. We resist disconnection and Satan’s lies, “did God really say? “
Our belief and partnership enables His sovereign empowerment.
We have no need to be waiting for revival to empower us. Our own empowerment is released in Him.
Faith must take over and become as infectious as any virus. Each generation must influence greater in the next. Faith must be bigger than any crisis. Then no circumstance can rob us of our faith.
Faith takes the power of God and knows how to use it. God is training us to be faith filled. To talk less and demonstrate more.
“until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ,”
What with age we may have acquired we can combine with the energy of the young and together, inter generationally, we can infuse the world as God infuses us with what God believes.
We grow a measure of faith. We no longer await God’s sovereign move. We are Him moving as one. Connected and encountering His sovereignty.
The illustration shows us rooted firmly in faith like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season. Emanating Light that pushes back the darkness.
Five Scriptures that come to mind:
“The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn; to grant to those who mourn in Zion— to give them a beautiful headdress instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, the garment of praise instead of a faint spirit; that they may be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he may be glorified.”Isaiah 61:1-3 ESV
“Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers.”Psalm 1:1, 3 ESV
“I came to cast fire on the earth, and would that it were already kindled! I have a baptism to be baptized with, and how great is my distress until it is accomplished! Do you think that I have come to give peace on earth? No, I tell you, but rather division.”Luke 12:49-51 ESV
“And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.”2 Corinthians 3:18 ESV
“until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ,”Ephesians 4:13 ESV
The song Falling In Love. Phil Wickham
https://youtu.be/UHunT6S4mOY
Lessisgreater 