Acknowledge, affirm, anchor, armor, activate!
Dr. King was prolific in many ways, he said powerful things that still reverberate and are relevant to society today! One of the quotes that I often think about is:
The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy. The true neighbor will risk his position, his prestige, and even his life for the welfare of others.
And we do not have to look very far to see that we are living in times of challenge and great controversy, which leads me to consider that perhaps this is the moment for which the real US , the fullness of who we have been called to be, the ultimate measure of us, has been created?
The Ultimate Measure of YOU - to be precise!
I want to stop the chaos of the world for a moment and refocus our minds on Christ.
Refocus them by:
Acknowledging what He says about you.
Anchoring in the word.
Armoring ourselves in his armor
Activating your faith
Acknowledge
Who we are in Christ!
We have a rich spiritual inheritance in Him. And we are called to be strong and courageous in our pursuit of entering into the moments, territories and spheres of influence that we have been called to.
Ephesians 1:3-6 - Paul writes:
3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. 4 For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love 5 he[a] predestined us for adoption to sonship[b] through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will 6 to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves.
So acknowledge, that you have been given every spiritual blessing through Christ Jesus. Acknowledge, that you are a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a city set apart on the hill!
Acknowledge that you are adopted into the family of God - and that there is the very DNA of Christ that runs through your veins.
Acknowledge that even through brokenness, pain, loss, discontent, tests and trials, God absolutely still has a plan to prosper you and bring you hope and a future and even when its dark or challenging, trust that He will develop you through those seasons of adversity so that when your light shines; it does so in a way that ALL will know IT HAS TO BE GOD.
Pledge to do a better job in your identity - in remembering that the one who created the universe made you in His image and likeness. We reflect the very face and presence of God EVERYWHERE we go.
Affirm/Anchor
We all know the power of our words, they literally create our worlds. So what world have you created with the power that lies within your mouth?
May this be a message that pierces your heart so that you would remember to utilize your words to co-labor with Heaven and build God’s vision for your life, for your family, community and for this world!
I want you to say these next 4 with me:
Affirm that you are indeed Fearfully and wonderfully made - PSALM: 139
I confidently trust the Lord to take care of me. PSALM: 112
That Before He formed you in your mothers womb, He knew YOU, He set YOU apart and called me a prophet to the nations. JEREMIAH: 1:5
All things are working together for YOUR good because you love God and have been called according to His purpose. ROMANS:828
Doesn’t it feel good? Isn’t it just so refreshing and revitalizing to speak the word of God and affirm His promises over your life? His word cannot return to Him void, it must accomplish that which it has been sent to do!
Trust that as you continue affirming His word He will accomplish all that He said in them.
And remember to anchor yourself in who He is!
Remember that the God that we serve is the creator of the ends of the earth. His understanding is unsearchable and He never slumbers nor sleeps. He gives rest to the weary and increases the power of those who are without strength!
He is the Lord of Hosts - angel armies are by His side. So even within ten thousand enemies surrounding you - you do not have to be afraid, because He is fighting battles for you in the spirt realm.
He is Jehovah Jireh - your provider. Yes, the government, our jobs and other endeavors are great resources, but HE IS OUR TRUE SOURCE.
He is Jehovah Rapha - your healer. He uses drs, holistic remedies, and self care — but ultimately it is by His stripes that we are healed.
He is Jehovah Nissi - your victorious banner. The enemy may come in like a flood - but God raises a standard and His banner over you is VICTORIOUS!
He is immutable and cannot change . He is the same yesterday today and forever more!
He is Wise and Does everything perfectly without mistakes. So there is no error or flaw that God did not allow!
He is Faithful will always keep His promises; cannot not lie. Through a thousand generations- the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacon! His the flowers fade and grass withers but the word of the Lord cannot return to Him void.
He is Sovereign : In complete control of everything; does all that He pleases.
Infinite- beyond all that we can imagine, cannot be measured.
Yes, this is the God that we serve.
And He is with you so you do not have to be afraid or discouraged, because He won’t leave you.
Nothing separates you from His love! Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love.
Nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Anchor yourself in this truth and command your soul to bless Him and believe in His ways that are not of your own, but much higher and greater!
(Bonus Exercise: I love thinking about the names of God and the attributes of our King, I really do try and personalize these and make them unique to me because that is who our triune God is to each of us. He is mindful. What are ways you could make His names unique to you?)
Armor Up
One of the greatest things we can do to stand against the wiles of the enemy is to put on the full armor.
Because as you are walking in the full measure of you; there will be opposition, pain and challenges of many kinds.
But we must remember that our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, authorities, and powers of this dark world and spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.
In fact, Jesus tells us that in this world we will have trouble, but we can take heart because He has already overcome the world!
And I think part of that taking heart, is utilizing the armor that we have been given to STAND.
Ephesians 6:10-18
4 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist,
with the breastplate of righteousness in place,
15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.
17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
And it is with the sword of the spirit that we move into our next and final point.
Activate!
Do you know what it is like to be super full?
I mean like you have just eaten 5 huge servings, you are stuffed, puffed up, tired from your body working triple time to process the exponential amount of food you’ve just ingested, and you feel worthless in the moment because you’re paralyzed by too much food?
I am talking Thanksgiving type of full!
I get that image in my head when I think about sitting at the table of God and taking in all of His glory, His word and His truth, but never actually exercising it in my life or applying His word to the things that I experience and encounter in my journey.
You have acknowledged who you are in Christ, you have affirmed your self in His word, anchored your spirit in who He is, you’re dressed in the full armor of God and now its time to activate!
The admonition right now is to APPLY God’s word to your life and really ask yourself :
What is God calling forth for me to do?
And then! Step OUT!
Have starting faith!
With only a mustard seed that is 1 -2 millimeters in size you can speak to a mountain and it will move.
In my experience, you do not need faith for the entirety of the assignment, but just to get started with what God has given you to do!
And if you’re still feeling lost…ask God for wisdom.
What is it that He is calling forth from the real you?
For me it was to stop living in the shadows and holding on to unforgiveness and bitterness that was paralyzing, it was about rising up and emerging into the fulfillment of the call that He placed on my life. It doesn’t require me to be perfect, but it does require a renewed mind, a pure heart, and eyes that are set on Jesus.
You will like the real you. There is such promise, beauty, grace and power waiting for you on the other side of fear, trepidation and the lies of the enemy. I say that with deep conviction because I have experienced it in my own life’s journey.
I am writing this right now to urge you to move in whatever fear has crippled you from for far too long because the ultimate measure of YOU - is strong, courageous, confident in the Lord, regardless of circumstance, and your life is communicating the power of His gospel everywhere that you go! We need you!
It is time to arise and shine, for the glory of the Lord is upon you and He has anointed you to preach the good news - heal the sick, raise the dead, declare liberty to the captives, and proclaim that it is the GOOD and FAVORABLE year of the Lord!
Come on, Zion!!!!!!! We are called to console those who mourn!
Maybe He has called you to lead a women’s group like aglow, or to be more bold in your faith at work, JOINING THE LOCAL MISSIONS, EVANGILIZING IN YOUR TERRITORY, perhaps there is a project you have been putting on hold for quite some time, or maybe a greater level of discipline in working out or eating right — these are the things I am asking you to prayerfully consider.
So how do we make activating more practical?
All things by grace and through faith. I like to start with prayer. LIKE ADRIANNE MENTIONED, PRAY PASSIONATELY FOR JESUS TO BREAK YOUR HEART FOR THE THINGS THAT BREAK YOURS.
And there may be some anxiety that rises up because it’s new and uncharted territory. It’s uncomfortable. It’s launching into the deep. But Paul, who is responsible for a lionshare of the new testament, and the inspiration around this exhortation, tells us:
In Phil 4:6-7
Be anxious for nothing, but in all things through prayer and supplication, make your requests known to God and He will give you the peace that surpasses all understanding! There is divine peace for your journey ahead.
Maybe you feel lost or are trying to seek where you should begin with the real measure of you?
I know who I am. I am armored. I am affirmed. I am ready to activate. But where do I go?
Seek God - ask God for wisdom and remember what the Heavenly wisdom is peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere.
James 3:17.
Look for these things in the response of God on how to move through situations authentically.
Take some time, right now, to prayerfully consider and list specific promises that you feel God is leading you to believe Him for this season. Write them down. Write the vision and make it plain. It does not have to be the entire vision, but that starting faith, will give you something to work with.
Or maybe after this message you are adding a few new components to a vision or dream that you’ve had captured for quite some time. Please, just write it down and make it plain!
Then follow up with a friend or a family member within your community and ask them to stand in faith with you as you pray for God to fulfill His promises.
There is a commanded blessing in unity and this is how you activate faith!
Speak it!
Life and death is in the power of your tongue, so speak life and watch God establish His will on earth as it is in Heaven!
May we hold unwaveringly to the hope that we profess, because He who promised, is faithful to fulfill His word.
May you know the love of God, the grace of Jesus and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit in greater measure. And may you walk into a new dimension of THE REAL YOU.
A Simple Prayer:
Romans 10:9-10
"That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved."
