New York.

God spoke to me through Zechariah today. The first 4 chapters are so amazing!  Here are some things the Lord said in Zechariah:

Return to me and I will return to you.
I am very jealous for Jerusalem and Zion.
And I myself will be a wall of fire around it, and I will be its glory within.
I am coming and I will live among you.
The Lord rebuke you, satan!
Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit.
What are you, mighty mountain? Before Zerubbabel you will become level ground.
These are the two who are anointed to serve the Lord of all the earth.

What caught my attention was when the Lord said that these are the two who are anointed to serve the Lord... It made me think of a partnership in the Gospel, like Jesus and His disciples, like Paul and Timothy. Like Zechariah and Haggai. Like Zerubbabel and Joshua.

Zechariah 4:11-14

The I asked the angel, "What are these two olive trees on the right and the left of the lampstand?" Again I asked him, "What are these two olive branches beside the two gold pipes that pour out golden oil?" He replied, "Do you not know what these are?" "No my lord," I said. So he said, "These are the two who are anointed to serve the Lord of all the earth."

I googled what this passage meant.

The olive trees/branches were pouring oil into the lampstand, empowering it to give it light. The candle/lamp represents the church. The trees represent evangelists or ministers that are serving God, doing God's work, digging, building, in His name, and at His command. Basically the two trees are people who have christ in them, and they are casting light to those in the house- in the church, edifying the body in love.

The two branches are anointed ones- received direction from the Lord- empty themselves into the bowl/church/light to keep the lamp burning. The branches are God's workers.

God doesn't need us though. He could keep his lamp burning without us, but He wants us to participate in His work, but it is not by strength nor might, but by His power. That is what anointed means- Spirit in you.

I have been dilegently seeking and praying to be filled with the Holy Spirit, to be led and guided by the spirit, sensitive to the Spirit, in step with the Spirit, etc... so I think that is why I was drawn to this story.

The Spirit is willing but the flesh is weak. -Matthew 26:41

Not by might, not by strength, but by my Spirit. -Zechariah 4:6

I began to read and learn about Zechariah and Haggai, who I had never paid much attention to. But I was immediately encouraged by their stories. And I loved learning about Zerubbabel and Joshua. Zechariah had a vision for Zerubbabel.

Zerubbabel was building the house of the Lord. Rebuilding it actually. And what did he have in his hand? A shovel. All he could do is dig ditches. Be an instrument. God again chooses the weak and unlikely. And He calls them to bring about great things. Like a tree from a mustard seed.

Sometimes we need to lay our crowns at the feet of Jesus. Nothing of works; it's all about grace. Our callings are just what God has graced us to do.

I was really encouraged by Zerubbabel who tapped into the best power source possible, the Holy Spirit, and He empowered Him to face the impossible, insurmountable, discouraging situations that he wouldn't have been able to handle on his own.

Zerubbabel had a mountain in front of Him, and Zechariah said, "What are you, mighty mountain?" He was talking to the mountain.

The mountain represents anything that is insurmountable. Anything that seems impossible. The mountain is discouragement.

I've recently been very discouraged and felt defeated and unable to face my mountains. I wanted to shrink back. Satan deceives and lies and the mountains speak discouragement. But here I see Zechariah speaking back to the mountain. He says the mountain will become level ground.

"But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. Acts 1:8

As it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet:
"A voice of one calling in the wilderness, 'Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for Him. Every valley shall be filled in, every mountain and hill made low. The crooked roads shall become straight, the rough ways smooth. And all people will see God's salvation.'" Luke 3:4-6

"Truly I tell you, if anyone says to this mountain, 'Go, throw yourself into the sea,' and does not doubt in their heart but believes that what they say will happen, it will be done for them. Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours." Luke 11:23-24

So we need to speak to the mountain of defeat and discouragement. We need to fight.

The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. 2 Corinthians 10:4-5

When I share my testimony I usually use this verse... but it has recently become so much more to me. The Spirit has made it powerful, because it is not by my strength, not by my might, but by the Spirit of God.

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 the darkenss for the prisoners,
to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor
and the day of vendeance of our God,
to comfort all who mourn
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.

This along with Genesis 50:20 has become my life verse because it takes my old life, my adversity, and turns it into my minstry, my calling, and how God worked all things together for my good, for His glory, to save the lives of many. It makes manifest the glory of God in my life. I have recently started believing that the same power that conquered the grave lives in me. I don't know about being anointed- but I know the Spirit lives in me. And I want to proclaim good news, the Gospel, to the poor. I want to comfort the brokenhearted with the comfort I have been given because of my broken heart. I want people to understand that it is for freedom that Christ set us free, and they don't need to be burdened by a yoke of slavery, prisoners of the law. In Christ, we are new creations. He turns ashes into beuty. And the oil of joy- is His Spirit, His anointing in us so we can be righteous in Christ. And it's not our works. It's all grace. So God gets all the glory.

In college I use to always tell my friends "don't buy the lies!"

It may be discouragement, sickness, family strife, dysfunction, insecurity, intimidation, caparison, fear... Name the mountain and speak to it in Jesus' name! Declare the Word of the Lord over it. We are more than conquerers, we are overcomers, so we can defeat the mountains and obstacles that we are faced with.

GREATER is He that is in you than he that is in the world.
Mountains be leveled.
Not by might nor by power but by God's Spirit!

God specializes in the weak, the foolish, the small, the despised...

But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the strong; God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things-- and the things that are not-- to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him. It is because of Him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God-- that is, our righteousness, holiness, and redemption. Therefore, as it is written: "Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord."
1 Corinthians 1:27-29

What lies is the enemy telling you?

What dreams has God put in you? What is the impossible thing you are believing God for?

"not by might nor by power but BY MY SPIRIT says the Lord!"

But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy. 1 Peter 2:9-10

We have fresh oil. God is anointing us- ready to pour out His Spirit upon us to prepare us for service in His kingdom. We will do "greater works" than Jesus. Touch the sick and heal them. Bring hope and peace to the world- lift up the downtrodden and deliver the oil of gladness to the brokenhearted. Speak the words of life into a dying and dark world. New York.

We'll be a city on a hill burning brightly... Light to the world, shining Your glory. Send us in your power.