Thursday, January 22, 2009

Blessings found..............

Isaiah 54

1 "Sing, O barren woman, 
       you who never bore a child; 
       burst into song, shout for joy, 
       you who were never in labor; 
       because more are the children of the desolate woman 
       than of her who has a husband," 
       says the LORD.

 2 "Enlarge the place of your tent, 
       stretch your tent curtains wide, 
       do not hold back; 
       lengthen your cords, 
       strengthen your stakes.

 3 For you will spread out to the right and to the left; 
       your descendants will dispossess nations 
       and settle in their desolate cities.

 4 "Do not be afraid; you will not suffer shame. 
       Do not fear disgrace; you will not be humiliated. 
       You will forget the shame of your youth 
       and remember no more the reproach of your widowhood.

 5 For your Maker is your husband— 
       the LORD Almighty is his name— 
       the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer; 
       he is called the God of all the earth.

 6 The LORD will call you back 
       as if you were a wife deserted and distressed in spirit— 
       a wife who married young, 
       only to be rejected," says your God.

 7 "For a brief moment I abandoned you, 
       but with deep compassion I will bring you back.

 8 In a surge of anger 
       I hid my face from you for a moment, 
       but with everlasting kindness 
       I will have compassion on you," 
       says the LORD your Redeemer.

 9 "To me this is like the days of Noah, 
       when I swore that the waters of Noah would never again cover the earth. 
       So now I have sworn not to be angry with you, 
       never to rebuke you again.

 10 Though the mountains be shaken 
       and the hills be removed, 
       yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken 
       nor my covenant of peace be removed," 
       says the LORD, who has compassion on you.

 11 "O afflicted city, lashed by storms and not comforted, 
       I will build you with stones of turquoise, 

       your foundations with sapphires. 

 12 I will make your battlements of rubies, 
       your gates of sparkling jewels, 
       and all your walls of precious stones.

 13 All your sons will be taught by the LORD, 
       and great will be your children's peace.

 14 In righteousness you will be established: 
       Tyranny will be far from you; 
       you will have nothing to fear. 
       Terror will be far removed; 
       it will not come near you.

 15 If anyone does attack you, it will not be my doing; 
       whoever attacks you will surrender to you.

 16 "See, it is I who created the blacksmith 
       who fans the coals into flame 
       and forges a weapon fit for its work. 
       And it is I who have created the destroyer to work havoc;

 17 no weapon forged against you will prevail, 
       and you will refute every tongue that accuses you. 
       This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, 
       and this is their vindication from me," 
       declares the LORD.

This is an exciting passage! Here are our blessings as New Covenant believers! 

5 comments:

Dan Bowen said...

YEREEEE!!!

I love this!!

""Enlarge the place of your tent,
stretch your tent curtains wide,
do not hold back;
lengthen your cords,
strengthen your stakes.

3 For you will spread out to the right and to the left;
your descendants will dispossess nations
and settle in their desolate cities".

Doesn't this smack right against the typical evangelical church thing that we are going to go out with a wimper and that the world is going to get nastier and nastier and badder and badder and we are going to have to retreat inside our safe theological strongholds and hold it out looking to the skies desperately until Jesus returns again?!?!

Here the blessing of the New Covenant is actually a command! Get out there!! Strengthen your tent poles yes (in other words get ESTABLISHED in grace!!!) but in the strength of that take the good word out to the streets!!

Do what Jesus did! The Spirit of the Lord is upon you - because He has anointed you to preach the GOOD NEWS that you are the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus - and because of that, He will empower you to heal the sick, bind up the broken-hearted, bring liberty to the captives!! Unlock prison doors!!

Why are you waiting for power to fall upon you church of God? It's here already - the Spirit is poured out ready and waiting, you just have to get those dark spectacles off and rise up and see the truth, and tear off those demons of fear that are keeping you stagnant and doing nothing!!

There are cities to dispossess!! Hong Kong!!! London!!! Birmingham UK!!! Philadelphia!!! Gaithersburg, Maryland (!!!!) - entire communities are waiting to see the Gospel of Glory and Grace revealed!!!!

Wowwww ..... I think I did a little more drinking and a little less thinking there for a minute!! :)

lydia said...

YES! YES! YES! Dan you are shouting for joy! Isn't this the response we should have as we drink deeply of these awesome powerful truths and truly see the blessings poured out for us!! And the power available to us!!!

silent wings said...

Thankyou Lydia! Thankyou Dan! I need to hear this stuff OFTEN.

lydia said...

Me too Cirra, me too!! You are most welcome!!

Ursula Kuba said...

You guys inspire me....just wanted to tell you!!!!!