The JOY of Your Salvation | a prophetic word
Prophecy is a privileged gift that Jesus gives to His Church.
Speaking on behalf of God is a weight of responsibility that must be shouldered with humility and a sense of privilege. Still, there is a boldness that arises in my spirit as the Holy Spirit reveals words of edification, exhortation, and comfort to His church.
In mid-September I sensed the Holy Spirit speaking the following prophetic word. I declared it to our church, New Hope Worship Center, in the introductory message of our current series, entitled “JOY!” (All messages are available online at www.newhopewc.org.)
I believe this is a word that also has application beyond our church, into the larger body of Christ.
Your season of sorrow is coming to an end. You have stood at the place of ruins. You have felt the sting of regret. Yet you have reawakened to My Word and to My voice.
No longer must you wallow in the shame of the past, for I have brought you out of the shadows of your shame into the promise of a new day.
I will rebuild your walls of protection -your soul. Your mind will be renewed, your will will be strengthened and resolved, and your emotions will reflect the fruit of the Spirit.
I will reinstate My presence in the midst of your praise. My voice you will once again hear and recognize. I will restore what the enemy has stolen, what the locusts have devoured.
Only seek Me with your whole heart and I will restore you and bring back to you the joy of your salvation.
God is a Sun and Shield
For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord bestows favor and honor. No good thing does he withhold from those who walk uprightly. (Psalm 84:11 ESV)
The theme of Psalm 84 is the blessing of being in the house of The Lord. There is something about the gathering of believers for the express purpose of worshipping God. Faith arises, perspective changes, healing manifests, and God’s glory rests among His people.
The Psalmist describes God as a “sun and shield” – two accurate descriptions, but ones that typically aren’t paired.
Some things are meant to go together – Batman and Robin, Starsky and Hutch, Spongebob and Patrick. But “sun and shield?”
I looked up the original words, wondering if there were any hidden gems to be discovered in their meanings. Pretty straightforward – “sun” means sun, or sunrise, a brilliant light; and “shield” means shield and defense.
And certainly God is both a sun and a shield! But my mind still wanted to somehow marry these terms into one picture.
As a pondered, meditating on this verse, I began to envision a picture that seems to bring this truth to life.
Imagine a fierce, courageous, but battle-weary warrior. The fight has been long. The casualties have been significant. The battle has intensified to the point when he realizes that his fate will be determined in the next fight.
As he lay awake in the darkness of the night, preparing for the ultimate battle, he reaches over to his shield. He wonders if he will live through another day.
At that moment a ray of light appears over the eastern horizon. His unshaven, dirty face feels the warmth of dawn. He closes his eyes, breathes deeply, and exhales these words:
For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord bestows favor and honor. No good thing does he withhold from those who walk uprightly.
Battle-weary warrior – your God is there. He will arise like the sun, with promise of victory. His name is a strong tower in which the righteous find sanctuary. He has declared you “more than a conqueror.”
Having done all that you can do…stand up and engage this battle with the shield of faith. Let the high praises of God be in your mouth, and a two-edged sword in your hand. Declare God’s word with authority.
Fight the good fight of faith, knowing that your reward is certain, and eternal.
The Lord your God is your sun and your shield.
Jesus is Coming Again
The Spirit and the bride say, “Come.” Let anyone who hears this say, “Come.” Let anyone who is thirsty come. Let anyone who desires drink freely from the water of life.
He who is the faithful witness to all these things says, “Yes, I am coming soon!” Amen! Come, Lord Jesus! (Revelation 22:17, 20 NLT)
The book of Revelation was never intended to be viewed as a mystical book of hidden codes only interpreted through complex charts and secret decoder rings.
As is the case in most books of the New Testament, the book of Revelation is a letter. John, the Apostolic Elder, wrote this letter to the seven churches/cities which he oversaw.
Simply put, John’s letter is both “A Revelation OF Jesus Christ” and “A Revelation FROM Jesus Christ.”
Although the letter is complex and filled with prophetic nuances, we must not miss the main point(s) of the letter:
1. God has a plan to redeem mankind, through Jesus Christ.
2. In this world we will have tribulation, but we need not be afraid, because Jesus has overcome the world.
3. Satan is the source of all evil, and will ultimately be defeated and eternally punished. Justice will prevail.
4. Believers in Jesus always have hope – we will forever be with The Lord, reigning with Him in victory.
Another foundational truth revealed in Revelation (and many other places in Scripture) is that Jesus is coming again!
Jesus came as the Son of Man, lived on a sinless life, redeemed mankind from sin and satan, and re-established God’s kingdom here on earth.
Very soon, Jesus is coming again. This time to fully restore His Church to perfection – spirit, soul, and body; and to entirely defeat the enemy and his demonic armies.
His return is only delayed by His mercy. He desires for all people to be saved.
John’s words express the hearts of believers all over the world:
The Spirit and the bride say, “Come.” Let anyone who hears this say, “Come.”
John’s words give hope to all people:
Let anyone who is thirsty come. Let anyone who desires drink freely from the water of life.
John’s words reveal the faithful promise of our Savior:
He who is the faithful witness to all these things says, “Yes, I am coming soon!”
John’s words express my own prayer today:
Amen! Come, Lord Jesus!
An Anchor for the Soul
The faithful love of the Lord never ends! His mercies never cease. Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning. (Lamentations 3:22, 23 NLT)
At face value these words hold tremendous truth and encouragement for any believer; but when you understand the story behind them, Jeremiah’s words become an anchor for the soul.
Jeremiah is often referred to as “the weeping prophet,” a fitting description of a man whose responsibility was to warn of the impending judgment of God, but whose heart grieved for the people to whom he prophesied.
In the book that bears his name, Jeremiah prophesied God’s judgment. And it came. But Jeremiah authored another book – the book of Lamentations, which is a prayerful, heartfelt, and candid lamentation (grieving) of the suffering of God’s people.
Did God’s people deserve this judgment? Sure. But, just because someone experiences justice for their sin doesn’t mean that others shouldn’t grieve with them and for them.
It is in the midst of the intensity of their suffering that Jeremiah declares these words. From deepest darkness comes a beacon of light and hope, as he declares:
The faithful love of the Lord never ends!
His mercies never cease.
Great is his faithfulness;
His mercies begin afresh each morning.
Each of those statements carries tremendous weight. These are not the casual, cute poetic statements of someone whose life is pristine and polished.
These are the words of a man who had been thrown into a pit, who had suffered alongside of his people, who had tried to quit the ministry, but couldn’t, who loved people so much that it hurt.
These words are hope to the oppressed.
Healing to the hurt.
Salvation to the wayward sons and daughters of God.
These are words of life.
Father,
Today I choose to meditate on these four statements. Let them be for me an anchor for my soul.
In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Pastor Dale Jenkins 