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INTRODUCTION
Year of the LORD’s Favour
By God’s grace, we have come to the final minutes of the year 2009. I was glancing through the world events, events in the church, and events in many of your lives in 2009.
The world went through a recession. Many of us lost our jobs, our salaries were cut, shifts increased, prices of items doubled, no increase in income. Swine flu hit the world.
Last year was a year of suffering for many of you.
But I thank God, He brought us safely to this moment. We had difficulties but God was with us. When I was meditating on the events of 2009 and asked God for a promise of prophesy for 2010 and the Holy Spirit led me to Isaiah.
Isaiah 61:7
Instead of their shame my people will receive a double portion, and instead of disgrace they will rejoice in their inheritance, and so they will inherit a double portion in their land, and everlasting joy will be theirs.
The title is from verse 2 Isaiah 61:2; claim the year of the LORD’s favor.
BACKGROUND
Isaiah means God saves.
The writings of Isaiah are comfort and hope for God’s chosen people in Babylonian captivity.
Isaiah comes with a message of restoration.
God is promising a new beginning for Jerusalem and its people.
God is speaking to us that amid our troubles and difficulties, God’s favor is with us and God is giving us a new beginning. We have hope and comfort in the Lord.
What is a New Beginning?
A New Beginning is a New Creation. It is something new. The old system changes and the new system starts.
2 Corinthians 5:17
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!
When we accept Christ, we become a new creation in the spirit. This new creation marks the start of a new beginning in our spiritual life. Now new beginning starts with a creation. When God does something new in your life, he starts to create something new.
HOW DOES NEW CREATION HAPPEN?
Creation is the work of the Holy Spirit.
In Psalm 104:24-30 the psalmist is speaking about the providence of God’s creation and see what he says.
Psalm 104:30
When you send your Spirit, they are created, and you renew the face of the earth. God’s spirit (Holy Spirit) is a spirit of creation.
Genesis 1:2-3
2 Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. 3 And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. It was the Holy Spirit which did the creation in the beginning.
How are you and I created in the womb of our mother?
Job 33:4
The Spirit of God has made me; the breath of the Almighty gives me life.
John 6:63
The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing.
This same Holy Spirit is going to give us a new beginning and a new creation in 2010.
Isaiah 61:1
1 The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me.
The Spirit of the Lord is on you, it is on me. The Holy Spirit of the Lord will do a new creation. Let’s see what the Holy Spirit will do for you in 2010.
1. KINGDOM OF GOD WILL GROW – YEAR OF THE LORD’S FAVOUR
Isaiah 61:1
The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to preach good news to the poor.
This is why God is saying that the church will grow worldwide. Bangalore will see a revival. City Harvest AG will see great growth and revival. God will use everyone here to preach the good news to the people.
Isaiah 61:1
to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners.
Many who are captive by the devil will be freed this year. The Holy Spirit is going to set the captives free. There will be deliverance for people with satanic forces, curses, bondage, etc. The Holy Spirit will cast out evil spirits. The kingdom will enlarge.
2. BIND BROKEN HEARTS – YEAR OF THE LORD’S FAVOUR
Isaiah 61:1
He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted.
When the Holy Spirit comes, He heals the brokenhearted. If you are sitting with a broken heart this year-end. If you feel you have:
Not achieving anything, you’ve lost peace in your family, no job, no finances, death of loved ones, depressed and lonely, and maybe you feel like your life is a failure.
God is going to provide for you in 2010 to bind your broken heart. He will restore what is lost. In the next year, you will find peace.
3. CHANGE -YEAR OF THE LORD’S FAVOUR
Isaiah 61:3
and provide for those who grieve in Zion to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair.
When the Holy Spirit comes upon a person Change happens. It will make things new. It will never be the same. Let us see the CHANGE promised by GOD.
‘Beauty for Ashes’ In the Bible time people in the times of mourning and difficulty lay in ashes. You become dirty. There is nothing beautiful about ashes. See what God says: God will take your difficult, disgusting, depressed, and horrible situations and give you, His beauty. The Holy Spirit is going to take the ash out of you and make something beautiful out of you.
‘Joy for Mourning’ It says oil of joy for mourning. In Bible times when a person is mourning, he never puts oil/cream on his face. The face looks disfigured and rough. But when a person is happy, he puts oil in his face and it shines. God is telling this year He is going to give you joy.
THE OIL OF JOY IS THE HOLY SPIRIT
Hebrews 1:9
You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness; therefore God, your God, has set you above your companions by anointing you with the oil of joy.
The garment of Praise, the garment is what covers people. What are you covered emotionally today? Many of you are clothed with disappointment. Heaviness in your heart. God is telling you He will take out that garment and fill you with a new one, the garment of Praise. Garment changes your looks. Your outlook will change in 2010.
In 2010 God is promising you that he will fill you with beauty instead of ashes, joy for mourning, and cover you with a garment of praise.
4. DOUBLE BLESSINGS
Isaiah 61:7
Instead of their shame my people will receive a double portion, and instead of disgrace they will rejoice in their inheritance, and so they will inherit a double portion in their land, and everlasting joy will be theirs.
When the Holy Spirit comes upon a person, he receives blessings. This year God’s promise is you will experience a double portion of blessings for the struggles you went through in 2009. Tell it, “I am going to be blessed.” Yes, the Holy Spirit is going to bless every one of you.
Understand all this is the work of the Holy Spirit and 2010 is ‘The year of the Lord’s Favour.’
CONCLUSION
As we stop, I want you to take back these 4 promises for 2010.
i. The Kingdom will grow
ii. Bind Broken Hearts
iii. Change
iv. Double Blessings
This is the result of the Holy Spirit. Let us worship and receive these blessings from God Almighty.
