God’s Favor! The Choice Is Yours

https://vimeo.com/171138142

God’s Favor! The Choice Is Yours

A continuation of CIHEM’s Isaiah 61 Series: The Anointing Of God: 

A Three Part Video Mini Series, Isaiah 61:2: God’s Favor, Vengeance and Comfort All Who Mourn

1. Isaiah 61:1 recap, “The spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me; he has sent me to bring good news to the oppressed, to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and release to the prisoners;” 

Isaiah 61:2 

a) To proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor,

b) To proclaim the day of vengeance of our God;

c) And, to comfort all who mourn;

Video I. What is and what does it mean to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor?

Video II. What is the day of vengeance of our God?

Video III. Finally, how do we comfort those in mourning, and, in relation to Isaiah 61: 2c?

Message I: 

What Was and Is The Lord’s favor, what was Isaiah referring to in 61:2a? 

Recap, Isaiah 61:1-2a tells us how Jesus was going to fulfill God’s favor and blessings. The pure and simple truth is this: God’s favor was and is all about Jesus; the blessing He would be to all those who were going to and are following and abiding in Him.

Reality check: God poured out His favor among men so they could find salvation. It’s that simple yet very profound. Father God loved us so much He sent Jesus, His only begotten Son to die on a cross so humanity could have fellowship with their Creator. And, part of that fellowship is continuing in the work that Jesus started and mandated the body of Christ fulfill.

The prophet Isaiah also prophesied many times concerning the blessing or favor of God that was about to happen. What’s totally incredible, in Isaiah’s chapter 53 prophecy, Isaiah stated that God’s blessing would be poured out even for the very ones, the Jews and Gentiles, who would reject Jesus as Messiah and then crucify Him. Isaiah foretold of how this would happen; how they would reject Him, torture Him, and then kill the favor of God’s blessing— His only begotten Son.

Isaiah 53: v3 “He was despised and rejected by others; a man of suffering and acquainted with infirmity; and as one from whom others hide their faces he was despised, and we held him of no account”

If you have never read all of Isaiah 53 or haven’t read it in a while, its revelation concerning the love of God is extremely powerful.

Jesus is just amazing! Why would Jesus reveal Himself to the very people who would reject and kill Him? II Peter 3:9 states: “The Lord is not slow about his promise, as some think of slowness, but is patient with you, not wanting any to perish, but all to come to repentance” that’s called pure love. It reveals just how much The God Head really loves us.

In Luke’s Gospel, chapter 4, Luke wrote about the day Jesus said He was the fulfillment of God’s favor according to Isaiah’s prophecy; starting with verse 18 Jesus actually read Isaiah 61:1-2a.

Luke’s Gospel 4:16 When He (Jesus) came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, he (Jesus) went to the synagogue on the sabbath day, as was his custom. He stood up to read, 17 and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written:

18  “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free,19a to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”

Why did Jesus stop reading at 61:2a? Because He was focusing on the blessing aspect of fulfilling the prophecy of Isaiah 61:1-2a, Yeshuah was proclaiming God’s anointed favor had arrived. God’s blessing and love had come to His chosen people and to all who would believe in Jesus Christ.

20 And he (Jesus) rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant, and sat down. The eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. 21 Then he began to say to them,

“Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.”

Yeshuah (means Salvation) was, is, and will always be God’s favor and blessing to humanity. Jesus fully knew what He had to do, why He was doing it, the pain He would suffer and yet He still came to save us.

The Rejection Of Messiah Is A Choice

22 All spoke well of him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his mouth. They said, “Is not this Joseph’s son?” 23 He said to them, “Doubtless you will quote to me this proverb, ‘Doctor, cure yourself!’ And you will say, ‘Do here also in your hometown the things that we have heard you did at Capernaum.’”

When Jesus was on the cross dying for our sins they shouted at Him:

Matthew 27:42 “He saved others; he cannot save himself. He is the King of Israel; let him come down from the cross now, and we will believe in him.”

24 And he said, “Truly I tell you, no prophet is accepted in the prophet’s hometown. 25 But the truth is, there were many widows in Israel in the time of Elijah, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, and there was a severe famine over all the land; 26 yet Elijah was sent to none of them except to a widow at Zarephath in Sidon. 27 There were also many lepers in Israel in the time of the prophet Elisha, and none of them were cleansed except Naaman the Syrian.”

28 When they heard this, all in the synagogue were filled with rage. 29 They got up, drove him out of the town, and led him to the brow of the hill on which their town was built, so that they might hurl him off the cliff.

30 But he passed through the midst of them and went on his way.

The Jews had a hard time receiving prophetic words from Elijah, Elisha and other Old Testament prophets. In this passage, Luke 4:24-29, Jesus was telling the Jews you’re doing same thing your ancestors did. Just as the Jews in the Old Testament who “hardened their hearts” and “leaned unto their own understanding,” Jesus was telling them, (paraphrased) you will do the same thing your fore fathers did and miss the blessing of God’s prophetic word made flesh, Yeshuah.

God sent Elijah, Elisha to gentiles, a widow and a leper outcast. They, not only received the Lord’s prophets, but blessed them even though they had very little. In return for their acts of faith The Lord favored them and rewarded them. Just as in the day of Jesus many today are choosing to do the same thing. Both Jews and Gentiles have rejected the true Messiah.

Many in society today are filled with the same rage exhibited over 2000 years ago and are rejecting His truth just as they did when Jesus stated the facts of who He really is. Then Jesus told His followers, if they persecute Me they’re going to persecute you. If you live for Christ today they will say something is wrong with that person, He’s one of those Jesus freaks.

Matthew 5:11 “Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account.” This is why we in the body of Christ have to keep on praying and “moving on”; the blessings are ours and they are yes and amen.

God’s vengeance is coming and there is a lost world out there. Jesus came “to bring good news to the oppressed, to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and release to the prisoners”. Not only was this blessing for us to receive, it is our commission to pass it forward. We are Jesus’ hands extended, we are anointed to continue to fulfill our commission, God’s favor, until the day of vengeance comes upon the world.

In retrospect, here’s the rub for all those who would reject Jesus, the favor of God. “The day of Vengeance of our God” is for all who reject Jesus as their personal Lord and Savior.

Altar Call: Take this opportunity to kneel before the Lord and repent for what the Holy Spirit is bringing to mind right now. Now ask The Lord to what point He would like you to focus on. Ask him to refresh His anointing on your life and surrender your will to His. Now, rise up and step out in faith in the power of The Holy Spirit’s anointing to accomplish that divine directive unto the glory of God.

A Call Unto Salvation: If you do not know Jesus as your personal Lord and savior I would like to invite you to do so now.

Pray this simple but very profound pray with me.

Heavenly Lord Jesus, I want to get saved so I can go to heaven.

Please forgive my sins, come into my heart and be my Lord and Savior.

Write my name in Your Book of Life.

Please fill my heart and life with The Holy Spirit to guide me through your word and empower me to live my life for you every day.

Welcome to Body of Christ! You are saved and blessed with the favor of God! You are part of a family of over 2 billion brothers and sisters world wide.

Now that you’re saved, here’s what you need to do:

1) Tell someone – Jesus loves me and I’m going to heaven. This is called confessing your faith unto salvation.

2) If you have a bible start reading The Gospel of John.

If you don’t have a bible, click this link: http://www.biblegateway.com

In Gateway’s search section type in The Gospel of John (NASV) and read about how much Jesus loves you.

3) Find an awesome church, like an Assemblies Of God worship center or a church that teaches the whole Bible.

Here’s one way to find a church: In your search browser type in Or Click this link: http://ag.org

In the middle bottom portion of the page click on the “Find A Church” ad. It will open up a spread sheet to help you locate a church in your area.

If you have problems let us know at es@edwardbiamonte.org and we’ll try to help you find a church.

4) When you find a church ask to be Baptized in the name of Jesus.

BONUS: This prayer and blessing is for you:

Heavenly Father, in Jesus Name, I pray for Your blessing to be upon every daughter and son who has given their life to Jesus by asking Him to be their personal Lord and Savior. Bless them Father, Jesus and Holy Spirit. Protect them from every evil. Allow their new faith in Jesus to grow deep in rich wonderful soil watered daily by Your Holy Spirit and fed by Your Word. I pray they would become as “oaks of righteousness unto Your glory” through Jesus name I pray, Amen and Amen.

Numbers 6:24-26 I Pray God Bless you and Keep you; The Lord make His face to shine upon you, and, be gracious to you; The Lord lift up His countenance on you, and give you peace in Jesus’ name. Amen and Amen!