Anticipation
Anticipation is a powerful thing if it is directed in the right manner toward the right thing. Anticipation can either destroy your peace and your faith through worry and anxiety over what is, or even might happen, or it can spur you onward in faith and joy, looking for the fulfillment of God’s plan for your life.
Satan loves to cast wrongful anticipation into the heart of a Christian. That kind of anticipation is born of fear! And that kind of fear is never of God.
I’m not going to spend much time talking about that kind of anticipation because it only tends to glorify the working of Satan to bring fear, doubt and despair into the hearts of God’s people. That’s not God’s message to us this morning, and in fact, it’s never God’s message to his church.
No less than 63 times we find the Lord speaking to his people concerning this idea of not allowing the devil to cast fear upon you. 63 times, at least in the King James Version of the Bible, the Lord says, “Fear Not!” One of those verses I know we hear of and speak of all the time is found in Luke 12:7 But even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not therefore: ye are of more value than many sparrows.
How many songs do we sing that have those same words in them? How many sermons do we hear where God speaks to us to say, “Don’t be afraid! Lift up your heads and your hearts in faith and just believe for the victory over whatever you will encounter in life!”
Why should we allow any kind of doubt, worry, or anxiety born of Fear to get a grip on our hearts when we know that God is in control and watches over us with such great care! When we consider God’s ways, His Nature; His character; His faithfulness in all His ways, the negative impact of anticipation will disappear! No weapon that Satan forms against us shall prosper.
Taken from – Helen Calder
What is Anticipation?
In our culture today, the word ‘anticipation’ has been reduced to mean a feeling of expectation. However, the original meaning of the term, ‘anticipation’ had to do withaction and preparation.
To anticipate is ‘to foresee and act in advance of.’
Our English word, ‘anticipate’ comes from a Latin word ‘anticipare’, which meant to ‘take care of ahead of time’ or literally, ‘taking into possession beforehand.’ [1]
It is this original meaning of anticipation that I believe the Holy Spirit is bringing to our attention at this time.
Anticipation is a powerful Biblical principle.
In Exodus 12, Moses instructed the Israelites to get ready immediately for their immediate exodus from Egypt. They were to eat the Passover lamb in anticipation—clothed, prepared and ready to go on their journey. (Exodus 12:11)
Get ready! It is time to move!
Father God wants to encourage you in the area of stirring up anticipation for what He is going to do, on a personal level, on a ministry level and on a church level.
4 Powerful Principles of Anticipation
- Anticipation is an expression of faith
Anticipation is about preparing and making room for what you know is yours by faith. It is getting ready for what God has told you is coming.
Noah began building the ark—a large boat—in anticipation of a flood. Hebrews tells us, ‘By faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen, in holy fear built an ark to save his family.’ (Heb 11:7)
‘Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.’ (Heb 11:1 NKJV)
Ten people gather to pray for rain in a time of drought. One person brings an umbrella. That’s anticipation!
Anticipation is an expression of faith. Anticipation comes with evidence. It is visible, and it is powerful.
- Anticipation will Attract Opposition
Anticipation is so powerful that the enemy will try and prevent it. Anticipation attracts resistance.
Nehemiah discovered this when Judah’s enemies schemed to stop him leading the rebuilding of Jerusalem’s city walls and gates.
They tried to distract Nehemiah from his work by calling a meeting with him—secretly planning to harm him. However, Nehemiah simply sent a message, “I am carrying on a great project and cannot go down. Why should the work stop while I leave it and go down to you?” (Nehemiah 6:3)
Your anticipation will be bold and audacious at times. At other times, anticipation will consist of taking the next small step by faith—sometimes as an act of warfare—in the midst of trial, delay and darkness.
When the going gets tough, you may feel like giving up. There are times when you are in the process of moving towards your destiny or a God-given project or dream and you need to persevere.
Power is released when you continue ANTICIPATING during difficult times.
- God Restores Anticipation
When anticipation has been lost, God’s plan is to restore it.
Judah’s leaders had ceased anticipating the completion of the second temple in Jerusalem. For 17 years, the temple foundations lay in neglect. [2] But then came the prophetic word—to remind them of God’s original instruction and exhort them to recommence the building project.
Do not give up! Allow the Holy Spirit to restore your anticipation for the fulfilment of God’s promises and the dreams He has placed in your heart—for your destiny, your family, your ministry, or your church.
It’s time to go back to the original promise and instruction that God gave to you.
It’s time to go to Scripture for the truth about who God is, and who He says you are.
It’s time to receive a fresh word from the Holy Spirit that will spur you on, to continue acting in faith.
What anticipation is God restoring in your life?
- Anticipation Leads to Breakthrough
To anticipate is to position for God’s purpose. Anticipation is about alignment.
Anticipation is more than expectation. It is expect-action. It is faith in motion.
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Anticipation is David running towards Goliath, a slingshot and stone in his hand
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Anticipation is Elijah sending his servant to look for a cloud in the sky
Anticipation is a powerful spiritual principle. It is also practical. Anticipation means taking steps forward. It has been said, ‘The journey of 1,000 miles begins with the first step’and‘Do something every day towards your dream and your goals.’
It’s time to ‘start the ball rolling.’ You will find that your anticipation will lead to momentum.
Your anticipation and acts of obedience, led and empowered by the Holy Spirit, will bring breakthrough as you take possession of God’s promise by faith.
Notes:
[1]My references have been taken from http://www.thefreedictionary.com/anticipate and http://www.etymonline.com/
[2] See the Why Does God Allow Frustration And Delays? for more of this story from the books of Ezra, Zechariah and Haggai.
James May – (Sermon)
There’s also a good sense of anticipation that we can experience. I would even say that we must have a great anticipation of the blessings of God that we know are coming according to God’s own promises in the Bible! The right kind of anticipation will always drive us or lead us to do something right and good as we wait with great expectation and anticipation for something to happen.
There are so many good things in life that our God provides that I cannot speak but concerning only a few. No matter what you may be facing we have to confess that God is our Provider and that he brings more blessings upon us that we can count.
In the best times of our lives, it’s not hard to see the hand of God leading us onward from mountaintop to mountaintop. But when we are going from valley to valley, through the worst of our circumstances in life, Jesus is there too, helping us to cope with it and bringing a peace that only He can give. Sometimes we lose that sense of His presence for a moment but then the Holy Spirit gently leads us back to the foot of the cross so that we can find that peace again.
Thank God for that peace during the storm. Whether it’s a storm that comes from the wind and weather, or it’s a storm that arises in your spirit, Jesus still walks in the storm, above the tempest, and He will enable us to walk there with him to if we just keep our eyes on him!
The anticipation level of His people is something that every one of us must be aware of and seek to make even greater! When we have great expectations; when we are aware that there are things coming; and when we are fully persuaded that God’s promises will happen – anticipation of those things will force us to be prepared to receive them! When we lose that anticipation, we are headed for trouble, and we may even miss out on receiving God’s best!
Whatever you like to do, there’s always the anticipation of preparing yourself to have it! It’s called planning!
The Bible tells us of some times of anticipation when God’s people were forced to prepare for the journey.
One of those was the journey that the Children of Israel were about to take from Egypt to the Promised Land! It was the journey of a lifetime.
400 years of anticipation had come down to one last night of preparation! On this night, the death angel was going to pass through the land, and if the Children of Israel did not allow their anticipation to force them to get fully prepared, they could easily find themselves in an Egyptian grave and never see the Promised Land. I’m sure it was with some anxiety, but mostly with obedient faith, that they anticipated the passing of this long night!
God’s personal directions for preparation were given to them in Exodus chapter 12. Their preparation concerned the killing of the lamb and the first observance of the Passover! It’s a clear picture in the Old Testament of the sacrificing of Jesus, the Lamb of God, for the deliverance of all men from the grips of sin and death, and a symbolic picture of the Rapture of the church.
God’s directions were very clear and important! No man could deviate from following God’s commandments without facing God’s judgments. God was very explicit in his instructions.
Exodus 12:11 And thus shall ye eat it; with your loins girded, your shoes on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and ye shall eat it in haste: it is the LORD'S Passover.
Exodus 12:12 For I will pass through the land of Egypt this night, and will smite all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am the LORD.
This was no casual preparation. The anticipation of both the deliverance from Egypt and the judgment of death that was coming was more than enough to spur the Israelites into doing the right thing, and they did it quickly, exactly and with great attention to detail. The cost of allowing themselves to be lulled into a sense of comfort was too high. Their lives, their freedom and the future of their nation were at stake.
• Be dressed and ready to go on a moment’s notice. There’ll be no time to get ready when the time comes to leave!
• Shoes had to be on your feet. You can’t put them on when that time comes and walking without shoes in the desert won’t happen.
• Your robes had better be on and fastened tightly for there will be no time to tie on your belt and secure them then.
• You had to hold on to your staff and never set it aside, for you’ll not have time to pick it up when the time comes to go, and that staff will be your help along the way.
• Last but not lease, you must consume the lamb, leaving nothing behind, and consume it while standing on your feet, as though it would be the last meal you tasted for a long time because you will need the strength that it gives for the journey ahead! Chew it quickly and swallow it all, for it is the Lord’s lamb and you must eat it all!
This anticipation of a journey of a lifetime for the Children of Israel brings to mind the picture of a great journey that we must be preparing for right now!
It’s the Journey of an Eternity for the Church, the Bride of Christ and we must anticipate it so much that we are not caught when we aren’t ready!
The fake News media; ungodly men and women on the job, or at school, or even among your circle of friends who love to persuade you to think their way; heathenistic politicians who deny God; atheists who deny the very existence of God; all of the worldly wise men do their best to steal your crown of life in Christ! Jesus say’s “Hold on tight to your faith and the truth of God’s word!” Let no man steal your Journey of an Eternity from you!
In Revelation 16:15 Jesus reveals the fact that His coming will be in a time and manner that will catch many off guard and unprepared.
“Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame.” Those who did not anticipate and continue to prepare will find themselves being judged at Armageddon.
Anyone left out, left behind, not ready, having lost your anticipation will find himself out in dark where there is weeping, wailing and gnashing of teeth in anger and in pain, but with no hope of redemption.
Now is the time to prepare! There will be no other time! Don’t allow your anticipation to be brought so low as to think that you “might” get a second chance after the Rapture! This is your time of preparation! This is the time that the Holy Spirit is speaking and drawing you to get ready! There’s no promise that He will ever do so again, especially when we’ve disobeyed and cast aside the time we have now!
Could it be that when the Trumpet of God sounds that you will hear it, but your feet will never leave the ground! You heard that great blast of the trumpet, but everyone else left and you’re left standing alone. Oh, what a terrible feeling that’s going to be for those left behind.
And because you weren’t ready the first time, there will be no second time. There will no more anticipation of a rapture; only an anticipation of the wrath of God to come and the fear. There will be a great spirit of unbelief and deception that will be released on the earth, and it will destroy your faith completely.
There will be a lot of people who will be cast out into darkness in that day who thought they had it made! Their anticipation of His coming had disappeared and they were too caught up in the wisdom of men, their own deceitful hearts and the love of the world more than Jesus.
Matthew 25:30 And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Weeping and gnashing of teeth is just another way of saying the Lake of Fire and eternal separation from God!
Our anticipation of the arrival of the Bridegroom to catch his Bride away in the Rapture must be no less than that of the Children of Israel awaiting the passing of the death angel and their deliverance from Egypt!
• Always ready; ever watching; always filled with the presence of the Lamb;
• Always dressed in the Robes of Righteousness given when we accept Christ;
• Always ready to walk with Jesus;
• Always with the staff of God’s Word and his authority and presence in our lives;
• Always consuming everything we can so that we may be transformed into the image of Christ
– that’s what it will take to be ready to go out to meet Jesus in the air!
Are you anticipating His coming that much? Are you excited about the fact that it could be at any moment? Are you prepared to go?
What if it had happened 5 minutes ago? Would you still be here? Just as surely as you are here right now, that time is coming, and I believe it could be at any moment! Are you anticipating it? Plan for it! Jesus is coming soon!
Now is your time! Do you anticipate the arrival of the Bridegroom enough to even come to the altar and get prepared now? If not now, When? When must be NOW! Get your running shoes on!