Last year 2021, we had received a promise for our church, our families and our City from Isaiah 43
- Do Not Fear
- Assured of God’s Protection
- Establishing Community
- New Mind Set
We saw those promises fulfilling in our Church, in our family and in our City.
This year we felt that God will Rebuild, Renew & Restore
A new beginning – REBUILD, RENEW, RESTORE
At the beginning of a new year it is customary for us to think of this as a time of new beginnings, a time for new resolutions. But the truth is that with God anytime is a time for a new beginning.
John 10:10 “…I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.”
Our God has come to give life and hope. We need to believe in this new beginning .
2021 , Most of us would say that it was a difficult year because of the pandemic and we all are expecting big things in year 2022.
The Promise for this year 2022, we felt was Isaiah chapter 61 and few verses from chapter 60 & 62 . This Promise is for Our Families, Our Church and Our City.
This Year while preparing for the New Year, Isaiah 61:4 stood out.
They will rebuild the ancient ruins
and restore the places long devastated;
they will renew the ruined cities
that have been devastated for generations.
Let us look back the context of these chapters.
God’s Spirit gives Isaiah the prophet some good news to pass on to Jews who were held captive in Babylon.
The prophet Isaiah is writing and looking forward to a time where Israel will be taken into exile and then they’ll start their journey home.
They will be released to return to their land, but their captors will be punished. When they arrive in Jerusalem, they may be overcome with grief because of the ruin and devastation they see around them. But God will encourage and strengthen them so that they can rebuild their beloved city.
As we enter this year with hope, God encourages us this year
God’s going to rebuild where there are ruins, that has been destroyed or that is in disrepair or a state of decay in the past.
God is going to restore where it is completely devastated for a long time.
God is going to renew the ruined and make it new.
These verses are a remarkable picture of hope to Israel who had for so long been oppressed, then exiled and now struggling to rebuild. However ruined and devastated things may appear to be, God can rebuild, restore & renew. That goes for Church, Individuals and for communities impacted by God’s people as a result of Christ’s life, death, resurrection and ascension.
This is a promise for 2022 for Our Families, Our Church and Our City. God’s going to work, and God’s going to move
ISAIAH 60-62
These three chapters promise great things to the people of Jerusalem and record the rejoicing that they will experience upon the fulfillment of those promises. These chapters constitute an optimistic, joyful unit.
The former exiles have returned to Jerusalem after a lengthy exile that challenged their faith in Yahweh. Cyrus of Persia has defeated the Babylonians and instituted a new policy. Instead of subjugating Jewish exiles, Cyrus allows them to return to Jerusalem and even provides funds to finance the rebuilding of the temple.
However, upon their return, the former exiles find that Yahweh, who made possible their return, has not seen fit to make their task easy. The books of Ezra and Nehemiah tell the story of the restoration of Jerusalem and the temple. The returned exiles experienced opposition from local people and the project ground to a halt (Ezra 4; Nehemiah 4-5).
Even though they had this promise, they were challenged . When the exiles returned they faced opposition. It was not easy for them . This year we may face challenges and may not be easy but God will intervene and his work in us and our church and our families will never stop. We need to overcome it.
Let us look at Isaiah 61 where we felt that , this chapter is a promise for us this year. Let us read the entire chapter.
The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me,
because the Lord has anointed me
to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
to proclaim freedom for the captives
and release from darkness for the prisoners,[a]
2 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor
and the day of vengeance of our God,
to comfort all who mourn,
3 and provide for those who grieve in Zion—
to bestow on them a crown of beauty
instead of ashes,
the oil of joy
instead of mourning,
and a garment of praise
instead of a spirit of despair.
They will be called oaks of righteousness,
a planting of the Lord
for the display of his splendor.
4 They will rebuild the ancient ruins
and restore the places long devastated;
they will renew the ruined cities
that have been devastated for generations.
5 Strangers will shepherd your flocks;
foreigners will work your fields and vineyards.
6 And you will be called priests of the Lord,
you will be named ministers of our God.
You will feed on the wealth of nations,
and in their riches you will boast.
7 Instead of your shame
you will receive a double portion,
and instead of disgrace
you will rejoice in your inheritance.
And so you will inherit a double portion in your land,
and everlasting joy will be yours.
8 “For I, the Lord, love justice;
I hate robbery and wrongdoing.
In my faithfulness I will reward my people
and make an everlasting covenant with them.
9 Their descendants will be known among the nations
and their offspring among the peoples.
All who see them will acknowledge
that they are a people the Lord has blessed.”
10 I delight greatly in the Lord;
my soul rejoices in my God.
For he has clothed me with garments of salvation
and arrayed me in a robe of his righteousness,
as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest,
and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.
11 For as the soil makes the sprout come up
and a garden causes seeds to grow,
so the Sovereign Lord will make righteousness
and praise spring up before all nations.
In Isaiah 61:1
The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me,
because the Lord has anointed me
to proclaim good news to the poor.
Here, Isaiah prophetically speaks for the Messiah, and the Messiah announces that He is blessed and empowered by the Spirit of the Lord GOD.
When we read Luke 4:16-21, Jesus took the same script and read it and said “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.” Let us read that
16 He went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom. He stood up to read, 17 and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written:
18 “The Spirit of the Lord is on me,
because he has anointed me
to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners
and recovery of sight for the blind,
to set the oppressed free,
19 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”[f]
20 Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him. 21 He began by saying to them, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.”
The word “anoint” means to rub or sprinkle on; apply an unguent, ointment, or oily liquid to. Persons in the Old Testament were often literally anointed with oil. For example, priests were anointed for their special service to the LORD (Exodus 28:41)
As Christians under the New Covenant, we also have an anointing
1 John 2:20
20 But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and all of you know the truth.
Firstly, We felt the promise for us this year from Verse 1-3: CHRIST will-
- Heal the damage that sin has caused.
Sin has done great damage, so there needs to be a great work of redemption. God will work
- Heal the broken hearted
God will heal the hurt of those who are grieving—who have lost their hope
- Set us free from our bondages and Sins
Proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound
- Proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God
Experience favor of God but vengeance is upon those who oppose him
- Comfort for all who mourn, and provision for those who grieve in Zion. Set a crown of beauty instead of ashes, Anoint with the oil of joy instead of mourning, Place a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair.
God’s Promise of Comfort and Restoration
Secondly, We are also part of this message of promise and hope. As God has anointed us too, therefore, God places that responsibility over us as well. This year God want us
1 to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
to proclaim freedom for the captives
and release from darkness for the prisoners,[a]
2 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor
and the day of vengeance of our God,
to comfort all who mourn,
3 and provide for those who grieve in Zion—
to bestow on them a crown of beauty
instead of ashes,
the oil of joy
instead of mourning,
and a garment of praise
instead of a spirit of despair.
I believe God will give us people whom he loves , cares and we as a Church will be responsible for them. God will use Individual , Family & Church for the below:
- We will proclaim good news to the poor.
- We will bind up the broken hearted
- We will proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners.
- We will proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God.
- We will comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion.
- We will bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes.
- We will bestow oil of joy instead of mourning.
- We will bestow a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair.
We felt three key verses from Isaiah 60-62. We saw Isaiah 61:4
Secondly, Isaiah 60:22
22 The least of you will become a thousand,
the smallest a mighty nation.
I am the Lord;
in its time I will do this swiftly.”
We are not sure what this promise is all about what we want to wait and hear God more clearly.
Thirdly, Isaiah 62:2
2 The nations will see your vindication,
and all kings your glory;
you will be called by a new name
that the mouth of the Lord will bestow.
When I was reading Isaiah 62:2 , I was in awe and was very sure of what God is going to do with the Promise for us in 2022. Just to give you background , in the month of June 2021 , we again re-initiated the process of registering the Panvel Church as a separate trust and we submitted all the required documents , while our document was being verified, one day we were told that “New Hope Community” name is not available as we already have a similar trust name registered close to our city. We were pleading with the officers that , our name is not same like the one which is registered but the officers did not agree for the name “New Hope Community”. While coming back from the charity commissioner’s office we were literally in tears and we were silent for almost about 2 hours, while journeying back home. We were very well known as “New Hope Community” in and around our city and suddenly to change the name was a huge setback and disappointment for us. We did not have any option but to change the name, so we came up with a new name “Renewed Hope Community”. But our love for the old name was still there, and in the Month of December while I was preparing and waiting on God for the promise, I landed up on this verse and I was in awe and tears , excited for what God is doing in our community. Isaiah 62:2 says, “you will be called by a new name”, even though the context is different, but it meant so much for us that God will call us by a new name from New Hope Community to Renewed Hope Community. And the word renew in Isaiah 61:4 amazed us as we decided the new name in the month of October and I was reading these 3 chapters of Isaiah 60-62, from all the other books. We as a community are excited for 2022 and beyond and want to end this message with what Christ has done for us. He Sacrificed his life for us. What a precious gift we have received. Want to conclude with a take away with the below verses
Isaiah 62:2
2 The nations will see your vindication,
and all kings your glory;
you will be called by a new name
that the mouth of the Lord will bestow.
Isaiah 61:4
They will rebuild the ancient ruins
and restore the places long devastated;
they will renew the ruined cities
that have been devastated for generations.
Isaiah 61:1-3
The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me,
because the Lord has anointed me
to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
to proclaim freedom for the captives
and release from darkness for the prisoners,[a]
2 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor
and the day of vengeance of our God,
to comfort all who mourn,
3 and provide for those who grieve in Zion—
to bestow on them a crown of beauty
instead of ashes,
the oil of joy
instead of mourning,
and a garment of praise
instead of a spirit of despair.
They will be called oaks of righteousness,
a planting of the Lord
for the display of his splendor.
Virjil Selvan is Pastoring the New Hope Community. The New Hope Community is situated in the heart of the city between Old and New Panvel. We can confidently share that New Hope Community is a Church in Kamothe, Church in Khandeshwar, Church in Khanda Colony, Church in Karanjade, Church in Panvel, Church in New Panvel because we are centrally located and these places surround our church Venue.
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