Isaiah 61:10 calls it “the robe of righteousness.” That means it’s something you wear daily. You put it on before you walk into a world that wants to label you by your past. When you get dressed in righteousness, guilt can’t stick to you. Condemnation slides…
What a profound phrase! A heart that can discern God’s voice amid the noise. There’s a lot of noise out there folks! The constant scrolling. The nonstop opinions. The comparison, the criticism, the chaos. Everybody’s talking, but hardly anybody’s listening.
Folks, I was born in the swinging sixties – and I’m not talking about playground equipment! I’m talking about the decade of change, the hippie era, flower power! I came into this world when tie-dye was trendy and VW vans were the ultimate ride.
The Church forgot something. We forgot that power is our word. Not culture’s. Not Hollywood’s. Not Washington’s. Not Marvel. It started in the upper room, and it belongs to the believer. Romans 8:11 says the same power that raised Jesus from the dead lives in YOU.
“Love your enemies” sounds good in Greek… until your enemy has a name. So, let’s not pretend. Loving people … especially broken, abusive, or twisted people—feels impossible. But here’s your freedom: God never asked us to love people with our own strength.
Before we get into the Biblical meaning, let’s clear this up: Joy isn’t shallow. It’s not a personality type. It’s not the result of good vibes or perfect circumstances. Joy is power. Joy is strength. Joy is resistance against the gravity of depression, distraction, and discouragement.
Grace isn’t soft. It’s not passive. It’s not weak. It’s dangerous. It’s disruptive. It’s divine. In a world that cancels people, grace covers them. In a culture that throws people away, grace reaches in and lifts them up.
Let me start with a serious question… has anyone here ever ordered anything from Amazon? I’m the guy that said it would never work! Because I’m a prophet and I know these things. Brick and mortar or nothing for me! But I’ve adapted.