I shared the scripture last week and I went to a little bit of
review to bring you to where God wants us to be today.
It says an Angel answered and said to Mary, The Holy Spirit
will come upon you and the power of the highest will over shadow
you. Therefore also that one who is
to be born will be called the Son of God.
Now indeed, Elizabeth, your relative has conceived a cent in
her old age. This is now the 6th month for
her who was called Baron. For with God, nothing will be
impossible as the Christmas season is upon us.
Of course, often we will review the stories about the Christmas
season, but for me, I always like to, when I read a story,
make it relevant to where I am today because I know that the
Word of God always comes to speak to us and give life to
each and everyone of us. And so as I've been thinking
about this story, I've been thinking about how Mary, when
the Holy Spirit comes upon her, that she would conceive and bear
a child. I think, wow, that's an amazing
thing to happen to someone. An Angel had interrupted her
life, so to speak, and said she was going to have this child.
And her response was, well, how can that be, since I've never
been with a man? And that's when the word of the
Lord was. But the Holy Spirit will come
upon you, and that which is born of you is called or shall come
forth by the power of God. It will be the Son of God.
And I love that story. And I also love the fact that
when each and every one of us as Christians, we also have the
opportunity to hear word from God who comes to us.
He may come like I am today preaching a message to you.
And God will come to you and speak something personal to you.
Or perhaps he will come to you when you're in a time of prayer.
And sometimes you'll be just talking to somebody and you just
know in your heart there's something God's trying to direct
you to how many you know? We need to believe that God
still speaks today. Amen.
Jesus said my sheep know my voice and other they will not
follow and so we need to know His voice.
We need to as the prophet Isaiah said incline our ear in here.
And we also need to do what John the Revelator said, let him who
hath an ear to hear, let him hear what the Spirit is speaking
to the church. Because when the word of the
Lord comes to us by the power of the Holy Spirit, it causes
something to be conceived in US. Now in this case, of course,
what's being conceived is the Word of God.
She receives a word from heaven, and the child that is in her is
actually the word of God. And Speaking of him, the apostle
John said in the beginning was the Word, the Word was with God,
the Word was God, and we beheld His glory speaking about His
personal communion with Jesus Christ as His disciple.
But that's exactly what happened to Mary when she received this
word from the angels. Lord, a child was conceived in
her. But all of us need to recognize
that we, having heard the voice of God, have something that
we've received from God, and it's growing inside of us.
Somebody might even think, well, I don't know that I hear from
God. Well, if you're a Christian,
help me know. That means you're heard from
God. The Bible says you've been
called of God. So however you would define it
or define the situation or look at the circumstance, the voice
of the Lord has come to you and he has planted his seed inside
of you. The apostle Paul in the book of
Galatians speaks about it in the sense that he says, I'm in
travail for you till Christ be formed in you.
So just like Mary, we've received the seed of God.
It is the word of God. It's conceived in us, it's
growing in US. God wants each and every one of
us to know there's something that he's trying to produce in
US, something to come forth from us that we might be a blessing
not just to our own family, but really to others as well.
And so we have to understand the very pressing moment that we
live in right now. In the last couple weeks, I've
had some intensities from a sensing of the work of the Holy
Spirit and just making me to know, wow, as we're moving into
the next year, we need to be prepared.
Prepared to know how to handle what's happening in the world.
But more important than that, to be prepared for this outpouring
of God that he's working in the earth.
When you hear from God, you should know this much just like
the Angel Lord told Mary, how do you know?
With God, nothing is impossible. Can I hear an Amen on that?
We serve the God of the impossible, and I love that.
And from the very beginning, He has spoken to us as a church
challenging us. In the very beginning, He said,
go the way of Spirit and you'll possess things that others have
not possessed before. That means listen to the voice
of God. Let Him speak.
Let him give you an expectation that's above yourself so you can
see what God is going to do. And that's what the Christmas
story is about. It isn't what just Mary did for
sure. It's what God did through Mary
and also through Joseph. And that's what it takes us to
this next reference of Scripture that I emphasized more last
week. It says concerning Mary, who was
his betrothed wife, It says, and she shall bring forth the Son,
and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his
people from their sins. All this was done that it might
be fulfilled, which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet
saying, behold, the Virgin shall be with child and bear a son,
and they should call his name Emmanuel, which is translated
God with us. And of course the setting of
this story is he's found out Mary's going to have a child.
He knows he's not the Father, so he's decided he's going to put
her away privately because he was a nice guy and he was a just
man doing that, which he felt he was supposed to do in the
circumstance and situation. But that's when the Lord came to
him again in a dream. And this is important because he
heard a word from heaven that that child inside of her is also
conceived of the Holy Ghost. You got to believe the story.
I'm sure Mary had told him the story, but now he gets a
confirmation. Wow, this is the word of God and
just like with Mary, he says you shall call his name Jesus and I
think it's so important to note what he says for he will save
his people from their sins. So often times people bought
think about Jesus Christ as their savior who died for their
sins in order that they might have forgiveness.
But we have to understand it meant much more than that.
Remember, Joseph and Mary were Jews and the Son that was born
according to the flesh was also a Jew.
And so it's important for for us to put ourselves in the context
of the story because when God is speaking something to them, we
got a large upon it sometimes because often times we have
mindsets and thought processes that really hinder us and
believe in everything that God has for us.
Now, of course we know the name Jesus because we talk about a
lot in church. But for Joseph and Mary, his
name was actually Joshua. Jesus is the Greek form of that.
I preached a whole series on that early in the year.
So it's important for us to understand how important it is
for us to recognize that when they were told his name would be
called Joshua, or Jesus as we would say it, it meant something
very powerful to him. They had an expectation because
they were looking for the Messiah.
They were of the seed and lineage of David, and a prophecy
had been given to David, a word that through his seed would come
a Messiah. He would be the son of David.
He would be of his lineage. And the expectation is this one
who was born would be a deliverer for the people of God,
and they would have known the stories about the children of
Israel being in slavery for 400 years and how that the Lord had
raised up Moses to go and bring them out.
The children of Israel had a very long history of going
through some situations. Sometimes it was their fault,
you could say, and other times it wasn't.
But in the case of being in Egypt, they went there for a
good reason, found themselves in bondage over time, and so God
brought them forth with a mighty hand.
Now God, through Moses, took them to the wilderness, to the
Promised Land. When it came time to go into the
Promised Land, they refused to hear what God had to say.
They were afraid. They didn't have faith to
believe. And so the Bible says that God
told Moses, well, we're going to wait 40 years.
This generation is going to pass.
I'm going to have a new generation rise up.
And Joshua is going to be the one who takes them into the
promised land and gives them lamb.
And that's the record that was in the Scriptures.
So for the Jews, their expectation was a Messiah who
wouldn't just take us out of something, that would also take
us into something. And so this is what God is
speaking to Joseph, and this is something He wants us to know as
never before. It's time to know that God wants
us to take His word, believe His promises, and go in and take
possession of the lands that He has promised to us.
Amen. Church so powerful, but there
was something else added to this because in quoting the scripture
from the Old Testament concerning the Christ that was
going to be born who would be born of a version.
It also said through the prophet and his name shall be called
Emmanuel, which being translated means God is with us.
So Jesus Christ, when he came into the world, he was truly a
man, but he was also God come in the flesh.
That's so important for us to know.
And I believe it's also important for us to look at that
as an analogy that works in us, that when the word the Lord
comes in US, how many know that's what God saying.
My words going to become flesh because I'm going to do
something in you. I'm going to do something
through you, says the Lord. And we have to know when we're
in every situation that we're going through in life, God is
with us. Somebody glad God is with you,
say Amen to that. Cherish, give him a praise.
I think it's, it's exciting in the Christmas season to think
about the traditions and go through all the family
gatherings and the shopping and getting the presents.
But don't forget, the essence of this story is that God is with
us. He came in the form of a child
way back when. But now we have to understand
how important it is to note that He comes to each and everyone
one of us. And that's why I want to review
this next verse of Scripture in John's Gospel.
Jesus is speaking here as he's getting ready to leave his
disciples, and he says these things I have spoken to you
while being present with you. But the Helper, the Holy Spirit,
whom the Father will send to my name, He will teach all things
and bring to you remembers all things that I said to you, Peace
I leave with you, My peace I give to you.
Not as the world gives to you do I give to you.
Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.
You have heard me say I'm going away and coming back.
Now some people think of that in terms of Jesus Christ went to
heaven and one day he's coming back.
But if you read the context of that particular chapter, he's
talking to them about the fact that he's going to be coming
back very soon. The context of that throws a lot
of people off because that's John Chapter 14 that opens
within my father's house are many mansions.
Or if you read it in some translations, abiding places.
And he says, if it were not so, I would have told you I go to
prepare a place for you that where I am you may be also Now
sometimes people look at that as often over the years heard that
quoted at funerals that basically Jesus is up in heaven
making some mansions for us. And I've even sang the songs
about going to heaven and the mansions he has for us and the
good things that we can look forward to in heaven.
And that is a reality for sure. But as you read that old whole
chapter, you'll understand what Jesus was actually saying is I
died on the cross. I'm going to rise from the dead
and then I'm going to come back to you as the Holy Spirit,
Christ in us. The Bible says the hope of
glory. And so the Holy Spirit is not
just distinct from the Father and the Son, they all come
together. And so we understand that.
That's why it says in that same chapter, if we are willing,
Jesus said we will come and make our bold with him because he's
talking about the fact that God our Father, God the Son, God the
Holy Spirit dwells inside of us. And so when we think about the
Holy Spirit in this context, we can see, wow, He is our helper.
He is our guide. He will remind me of things that
Jesus Christ said. That's the power of the Holy
Spirit. And growing up in church and
believing in the baptism of the Holy Spirit, over time I've
heard people say, well, you know, I'm saved.
I don't know that I have to have the Holy Spirit.
And some people will say, well, I know that you can speak in
tongues, but why would I have to speak in tongues?
I don't think you have to speak in tongues.
And that was always an amazement to me because I've never had the
attitude what I have to do. I've always had the attitude,
What does God get for me? What does God got for me?
Amen. Church.
That's what we should have an understanding of and that should
be our heart. Attitude is how can I get
something God has for me? Because if I hear it's in the
Bible, I don't want to say, oh, that's just for him.
I want the whole thing. I said I want the whole thing.
How many believe that same thing?
Amen. I want the fullness of God
coming inside of me, and I'm glad the Holy Spirit reminds me
of things because I need that more now than at any other time
in my life. Amen.
And so there's always some present tense reality that we
can have, but it's through the power of the Holy Spirit coming
to us so that we can walk with Jesus in our everyday life.
It must have been an amazing thing for the disciples to walk
with Jesus Christ and have him, after he had preached a message,
sit down with them so they could ask questions.
How amazing is that? But you know, the same thing can
happen to every one of us. If you hear a message and you're
thinking, well, what exactly that means, we'll say, Jesus,
could you give me an explanation of this or could you show me in
your word? That's the kind of relationship
He wants us to have with Him, where we're always inquisitive
and always saying, I want to understand.
What does it take for me to have that experience?
What does it take for me to have that understanding?
Why? Because I want to go all the way
with God. Now, as I was sharing with you
last week, I want to also review this particular scripture.
Because as Mary was going through all of her experiences
detailed in Luke chapters one and two, there came this point
where it says, and all those who heard it marveled at those
things, which we're told them by the shepherds.
But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart.
Then the shepherd's return, glorifying, praising God for all
the things that they had heard and seen as it was told them.
And basically, we know the story, of course, first of all,
how the Angel comes here, she conceives the child.
And then chapter 2 unfolds and we find out that, well, if
you're told that you're going to have the very son of the most
high God, how many know you're going to have a certain level of
expectation with that? And that would not include
traveling as you're getting ready to have the child on a
donkey, having the baby in a barn.
Amen. That wouldn't even enter your
mind because whenever God speaks to us or whenever we hear some,
you know, we kind of attach our own expectations.
And This is why it's so important for us to stay in the
presence of God so that he can always explain things to us and
give us greater amplification. And that's exactly what Mary had
to do at this point in time. And then when the shepherds come
and say how heaven, the heavens opened and they heard angelic
choirs and the Angel Lord had come to them, looking at the two
situations, she had to think about it.
But more than that, she really had to what I called last week,
meditate upon it. Because the Bible talks about
meditating upon His Word, and that when we meditate upon the
Word, we'll be like trees of righteousness live planted next
to rivers of living water, and our leaves will not wither, nor
will our fruit fade, but we'll give life to other people.
And so she contemplated those things, not again, just thinking
about them, but making sure they were in her heart because
church, the Bible says that with the heart man believes, and with
the mouth, confession is made into salvation.
So whenever we're walking the walk of faith, which all of us
are doing just simply as Christians, or when we're taking
a step higher than that to believe God for something else
in our life, we have to always keep our heart open, always let
the Lord continue to speak to us.
And then in the process of that, it should be a part of our
conversation because as we talk about things, the Bible says the
power of life and death is in the tongue, and so we have to
keep those things alive. Now I think it's important to
understand how that after Mary and Joseph had all these
supernatural experiences, then it goes into this part of the
story. And when 8 days were completed
for the circumcision of the child, his name was called
Jesus, the name given by the Angel before he was conceived in
the womb. Now when the days of her
purification according to the Law of Moses were completed,
they brought Jesus to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord.
As this is written of the law of the Lord, every male who opens
the womb shall be called holy to the Lord, and to offer a
sacrifice according to what is said in the law of the Lord, A
pair of turtle doves or two young pigeons.
Now in this I put the next step because even though they had
these supernatural encounters with angels, others have the
same thing. Even though there was this great
supernatural life, they didn't look at it and think well
they're exempted from everyday life.
It was according to the Word of God that before a child was 8
days old it would be circumcised because that was the covenant
that God had made with their father Abraham.
And then through Moses there was something additional given and
that was they had to present the child before the Lord in the
temple and then because he was a first born, they had to offer an
offering to the Lord. Now our first one emphasizes how
they were a people of the Word because God wants us to be
filled with the Spirit. He wants us to walk in this
spirit, but how we know it has to be balanced by the Word of
God. And so with the Scriptures and
with the power of the Holy Spirit, we can obtain all that
God has for us. But I think it's interesting
here that this child that was promised to them, this hope that
was placed within them, they had to take it to the temple and
then offer an offering because they're actually belong to God.
This was an important thing to understand.
That's why I put they were paying rent, so to speak,
because they need to understand something.
You're chosen to have this child, but it's not just your
child. When we have baby dedications
here, from time to time I'll mention it because when you
dedicate your baby to the Lord, you're acknowledging, well, this
child is not just mine. I'm giving it back to the Lord.
The reason that's so important to understand is when we have
children, it's not our children, it's the Lord's children.
They're on loan. And I heard him in on that.
Now that should help you in understanding that when things
aren't going the way you would hope that well, because of they
belong to God, God's going to be with them.
God's going to do his work. But as Christians also, whether
it's our children or whether it's something that God has
worked in our life, we should never have the sense that we own
things and try to make it go our way.
But we should look at things that, well, it actually belongs
to God. And so I'm going to walk
according to his word. But it really was a supernatural
event, even as they went to fulfill the duties of the law
and to walk in the fullness that the Scripture had for them
because of the Bible says, and I read the whole story about
Simeon and Anna. It says, so He came by the
Spirit in the temple, and when the parents brought in the child
Jesus to do for him according to the custom of the law, he took
him up in his arms and blessed God and said, Lord, now you are
letting your servant depart in peace according to your Word.
For my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have
prepared for the face of all people, a light to bring
revelation to the Gentiles and the glory of your people Israel.
What Simeon is saying here is really the whole some of the old
covenant God called Abraham, sent Moses to establish the
people of God. And then came the prophets who
always foretold of the day when Jesus Christ would come and God
would establish a whole new order.
And it wouldn't be just about the Jews being the people of
God, but that God would cause Jesus Christ to be a light also
to the Gentiles and Simeon incoming the House of God.
He knew that. And what he says as a part of
this story is, wow, now I can basically die in peace because
I've seen what I've been praying for.
Because when he saw it in the Scriptures, he was also praying
for that. That explains it should to you
as over the years I've talked about what God has spoken to me
and how I'm ever talking about it and confessing it and
believing it. Because when you really have
something that God speaks to you, again, it's not yours, it's
his. And you have to take that as if
it's a child and you have to feed it, you have to nurture it,
you have to protect it. Anything that you would think as
a parent you're responsible for a child, we need to do with the
word of God. And as you nurture that thing,
it's going to continue to grow in you.
Few of us were talking about this the other night.
My daughter Ashley's been teaching out about Father's
house, and she was saying how, you know, there's a lot of these
principles that you were talking about.
I wrote that book in 1991, and it was a book God told me to
write, to review what he had already spoken because that
would be the foundation of everything that I would expect
God to do over the years. So people say, yeah, Pastor
Lawrence been speaking about those things from the very
beginning. Well, I'm not speaking the same
thing, but I am talking about the same principles because just
like it is with the child, you hold it, you nurture it, and you
watch it grow. Now, as it grows, it's still is
the same kid, but how many know? Sometimes you don't recognize it
because as your children begin to grow, they change through all
the issues of life, through our moral changes, whatever it is.
And so you have to kind of adjust yourself to that child
that you're raising. And so it is concerning our walk
with God, concerning what God wants to do in our lives
individually. And so it takes on greater form,
it takes on a greater measure, but you never get rid of the
child and you get something else because you don't like the way
they're turning out. And that's the same way it
should be in our walk with God. We should understand that it
doesn't always go the way you expect.
Sometimes it seems unexpected, as a matter of fact.
But we always have to keep on believing what God has spoken.
And that's why I love these stories about Anna and Simeon.
Simeon was not a priest. As far as we know from the
story. He didn't have any special place
in the economy of the religious order, but he was a man of the
Word because he was a man of the Word.
He knew there would come a day when God would raise up a
Messiah that would be the light to the Gentiles, and he took the
responsibility of that. He nurtured it, He prayed over
it. He believed for it.
And then one day living an old long life, because he's saying
now I can basically die and see, say that I've seen what God has
said after all these years. God had spoken to him.
You're gonna actually see what you're looking for.
And this particular day it says and the Holy Spirit led him to
the temple and he went in there and looked and saw Jesus and
something inside of him said, this is what you've been looking
for. Can you imagine how amazing that
would be? Church, to see and believe and
actually hold something. Now I know what it is to be a
father. And when the children come into
the world, it's such an amazing thing to have.
And it's such an amazing thing to be a grandpa, too.
And when we receive something from the Lord, it's such an
awesome thing. The Simeon wasn't just holding
the baby. He was receiving and holding the
promise, his long held expectation.
He was literally seeing the word of God.
Now I put up there in part because he was believing for the
salvation of God and he's holding the baby now.
How many know if God says that's my salvation, your grandma say,
oh thank you God. And all of a sudden you might
have thought for a minute and thought, wait a minute, how is
this the year salvation? But it was what God was doing.
And so he was able to see that which was in part because he
walked the walk of faith. And the same thing is true
concerning Anna. The Bible says she was 84 years
old. She had been married for a long
time, but then she became a widow.
So what she did is she committed herself to the House of God and
she went there, minister to the Lord with prayers and fastings
because all she knew is one day God's going to make a ransom for
his people. And when he does, it's going to
be such an awesome day. And so she simply gave her life
to fasting and prayer. How many know that would be a
tremendous sacrifice? And that's why I love the fact
that God put them into this story.
Now it's important for us to understand that as we walk with
the Holy Spirit, there's different ways that God
communicates to us and it's a process that happens and one of
the ways it's a process for me is God will speak something to
me and that we're what kind of work through me and sometimes in
prayer just began to come forth. I remember in the late 70's the
Star Wars movies came out not I really like those movies. 11 I
guess you would call it phrase comes out to me more than all
the others because it tells the story about Obi Wan Kenobi.
He goes something to happen, I feel a disturbance in the force.
And as I thought about that, I, I, I thought about that and I've
always held that to me because, because I have the Holy Spirit,
sometimes I'll feel things are happening, Sometimes things will
be going on and I just know in my spirit, God's doing
something. So I start praying, I start
looking for God to do something. And about 10 days ago, I started
feeling that burden. And so usually it comes in a
word. So I, I thought it would come
out of my sermon on last Sunday. It didn't come out my sermon
last Sunday. And so again I thought, well,
it's going to come out of my sermon.
But I kept just feeling this burden, something I was carrying
in the Lord. And of course I thought it would
come out Wednesday and it did come out Wednesday.
Well, in the night time on Wednesday night, this scripture
came to me. And this is where Moses is
talking to the children of Israel right before they're
going into the Promised Land. And he said, take this book of
the law and put it beside the ark of the coming of the Lord
your God, that it may be there as a witness against you.
For I know your rebellion and your stiff neck.
If today, while I'm yet alive with you, you have been
rebellious against the Lord, then how much more after my
death? How many know in this particular
reference here, Moses doesn't seem to be real happy.
So when that word came to me in the night, I I've just praying
again. I'm like, Lord, that's not an
exciting word to have when I get a burden and I'm praying.
I wouldn't want you to say like Moses.
Oh, you guys, I've seen like what you're like and you're
never going to change. So I wasn't really encouraged by
that, but I knew it was something God was working with
me and in the morning and come in on Thursday, I meet with
Billy Foster on Thursday mornings at 9:00 and I mentioned
that scripture. He says I just read that and I'm
like, I don't want a confirmation on a scripture like
that. You know, tell him I got it
wrong. Tell me there's a few verses
later that I miss. But that's why I put up here the
disturbance because of the disturbance is still disturbing
me. If you would.
But as I was in prayer and continue to think about these
things yesterday, I felt this burden.
I was praying for it. And the fact of the matter is I
got a whole great sermon yesterday that I had on my
computer when I got up this morning, thought I was going to
preach it. And the Lord said no, That's for
the history class you're writing.
I want you to talk about the burden because I want you to
tell the people that this is a day when my salvation is going
to be made known to them. And I believe that with all my
heart. And I was finally excited about
what I was going to say. Although I didn't like changing
my sermon. I kind of like the one I was
given before. But anyway, I'm very, very
excited about this time, and the scripture the Lord brought to me
is one that many of you have familiar with me sharing over
the years. Isaiah 49, it says an acceptable
time. I've heard you in the day of
salvation. I have helped you.
I will preserve you and give you as a covenant to the people to
restore the earth, to cause them to inherit the desolate
heritages. You may say to the prisoners, go
forth to those who are in darkness, show yourselves and
they shall feed along the roads, and their pastors shall all be
at desolate heights. And as I have shared over the
years, in 1993 I had a very special time in the presence of
the Lord and I have been so aware of God's blessing in my
life. He had done so many amazing
things and like I've said, He had speaketh to me.
I believe the Lord. I see it come to pass and this
particular day I was like, Lord, I want to concentrate myself
more fully to you. And so I made a covenant
commitment to God and actually bought her cross as a part of my
sign of this covenant I made with God.
And it wasn't going to be one that I would let people see.
It was going to be one that would hide if you would.
And so I was very excited and seeking the Lord.
Well, the very next year I started having a seizure
disorder. I was at a Benny Hinn conference
and I was out in the foyer. Before we went out in the foyer,
I said to my wife, because at Benny Hinn conferences,
everybody's falling out when he prays for them.
I said if I fall out, it's not the Holy Ghost.
Something weird is happening to me and went in the foyer and I
did fall on the ground with a grand Mal seizure and started a
journey that lasted nine months. And it took a while for them to
adjust my medicine. And even then I was on so much
medicine. I was like in a brain fog and
still were some things that I couldn't do and especially look
at a computer or read the Bible. So I was able to find something
very supernatural for the Lord for those nine months to just
continue doing everything. I just was believing the Lord
he'd helped me through. But that's when one day I was in
prayer and the Lord spoke that word to me in acceptable time.
I've heard you in the day of salvation.
I've helped you. And that day I knew God had
healed me. So I talked to the doctors and
went off the medicine and God had performed a miracle for me,
but he actually told me, Now remember with me there are
acceptable times. So you always have to remind
people there are acceptable times and there are days of
salvation when Lord moves in a very special way.
And He actually gave me the whole chapter that I've been
watching since that time come to pass.
And I can say God has been bringing that word to pass.
That's why that Bible over there is always open to Isaiah chapter
49, because when I'm in here praying, I'll go to that chapter
and say, OK, what's next? And the latter part of this
chapter talks about God's deliverance.
And I really believe that when God gave me that and remind me
of that verse, he said now it's time to announce to the people,
expect this to be a time of salvation.
Like Simeon waited all those years and finally saw my
salvation as Anna waited all those years and finally saw the
ransom of God. Tell the people it's a day of
salvation that is coming. Don't matter how long you've
been waiting, lift your vision higher because this is a new day
in God. Amen Church and I really believe
today that as I pray over you that I'm going to believe for
you and I'm going to believe for your children because I know
that God has given me a special faith for today, an expectation.
But I also want to say how that it is something that we need to
be looking for as a part of the season we're moving into in the
coming year to expect us never before to see God's great
salvation, which is deliverance. It's freedom, it's setting the
captives free. It's God saying you kidnap my
kid, but here's the ransom, I'm buying them back, says the Lord.
Amen, church, Amen. And this is one of those
scriptures in Isaiah 49. I want to close with this, but
Zion said the Lord has forsaken me.
The Lord has forgotten me. Can a woman forget a nursing
child and not have compassion on the son of her womb?
Surely they may forget, yet I will not forget.
You see, I have inscribed you on the palms of my hands.
Your walls are continually before me.
Can we all bow our heads and close our eyes for just a
moment? Hallelujah, Jesus.
I truly believe for something from God, for everybody who's
here today. Maybe you've been waiting a long
time and maybe you're in that place like Moses where you've
been called to lead the people and you've been so discouraged.
You're like, I know what you're like.
It's not going to change. No, God says it'll change.
Joshua's coming. Jesus is coming and he'll take
him into the land, says the mighty God.
For God is faithful because see, what is impossible for man is
always possible for God. So with every head bowed and
ever I close, I want you to, if there's something even in your
life that's kind of a lingering on, if you would, I see
anxieties being taken away. I see bondages being taken away.
I see sicknesses being healed. This is a day of great and
awesome things for the power of God.
And as we prepare ourselves for the next year, which is part of
what we do, as we even celebrate Christmas and something coming
to birth, to have a great expectation of that which is to
come. Father, give us a revelation of
your great salvation, your great deliverance.
Let us know that you were wounded for our transgressions,
but also bruised for our iniquities or weakness, that you
were chastised so that we could have peace.
And the Father, by your stripes we have been made healed.
Father, let the faith begin to rise up in Mount Zion as never
before, that we can indeed arise and shine, that the glory of the
Lord can be seen upon us. Father, put that within each and
every one of our hearts. I pray in Jesus name, Amen.
This is Pastor Lauren Coverbius from Mount Zion Church.
We thank you for joining us today and invite you to connect
with our church family by visiting mountzion.org and
following us on social media. God bless you.