Saved & Set Free | Pastor Loren Covarrubias

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

John 14 · chapter mention

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

Isaiah 49 · chapter mention

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.