Dunamis
MC 2023 Word of the Year

Dunamis is when the Holy Spirit’s power goes from resting on you to abiding/dwelling in you.
We are strengthening and fortifying our faith as followers of Jesus.

Part of the word we’re stewarding is strengthening and fortifying through the Word of God.

Some of you never have an appetite for the Word of God because you never eat the Word of God. Eating the Word of God is how you develop an appetite for the Word of God.

You should be actively, intentionally trying to get the Word of God in you.

WARNING
Don’t be distracted by the phrase “seven spirits of God” and miss what God has for you today.

People often call seven spirits of God...
- The seven distinct expressions of the Holy Spirit
- The seven manifestations of the Holy Spirit
- The seven “manifold operations” of the Holy Spirit, according to John Wesley

The menorah beautifully illustrates the revelation of the seven spirits of God.

The tabernacle was built with no windows, so the only source of light was the menorah. It was the only way people could see in the Holy Place.

The branches of the menorah represent the seven spirits of God,

God is
- Father (Matthew 6:9)
- El Elyon | The Most High (Genesis 14:20)
- Jehovah Rapha | The Lord Heals (Exodus 15:26)
- Jehovah Nissi | The Lord My Banner (Exodus 17:15)
- El Shaddai | Lord God Almighty (Genesis 17:1)
- Jehovah Shalom | The Lord Our Peace (Judges 6:23-24)
- Jehovah Jireh | The Lord Will Provide (Genesis 22:14)

QUESTION
Is He God? Is He all of these? Does He have to be less of one of these to fully be another one of these?

Guess what? He’s so much MORE than this little list of seven.

Jesus is
- King of Kings (1 Timothy 6:15)
- Lord of Lords (1 Timothy 6:15)
- Lamb of God (John 1:29)
- Lion of Judah (Revelation 5:5)
- Immanuel (Isaiah 7:14)
- Cornerstone (Psalm 118:22)
- Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6)

QUESTION
Is He Jesus? Is He all of these? Does He have to be less of one of these to fully be another one of these?

Guess what? He’s also so much MORE than this little list of seven.

WATCH. In the same way that there is only one God and that He is eternally existent in three persons—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; according to scripture, there is only ONE Spirit eternally existent in seven.

In Revelation 1, John mentioned
- The Father | “Him who is and who was and who is to come”
- Jesus | “the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of kings on earth”
- Holy Spirit | “the seven spirits who are before the throne”

WARNING
There’s so much to say about all of these, but for the sake of time, I’m just going to share on each of them briefly. I’m asking you to go study each of these!

SPIRIT OF THE LORD
As mentioned before, the Spirit of the Lord is the base, from which wisdom, understanding, counsel, might, knowledge and the fear of the Lord emerge.

Notice that the other branches on the menorah are coupled. The spirits of God are dependent on each other, meaning you will never see one without the other.

Spirit of Wisdom
Capacity to judge and act rightly in matters relating to life and conduct.

Pastor Jasmine's Definition
Knowing what do with what you know.

Wisdom is needed when building anything.

Wisdom is not fear. Many people have named their fear wisdom.

QUESTION
What have you named your fear? Wisdom? Safety? Discernment? Compassion? Insecurity?

There’s a difference between earthly wisdom and God’s wisdom.

Spirit of Understanding
Ability to discern the Lord’s perfect will

Understanding
Hebrew. binah (bee-naw) – from the word bin – to discern; to distinguish

Discern
to be able to distinguish between look alikes.

It’s increasingly important that we’re able to discern the difference between what God is doing and what the enemy is doing.

You must be aware that there are counterfeits of any and every thing God is doing in the earth.

The Spirit of Understanding allows you to distinguish or discern between good and evil in a time where everything looks good, feels kind, sound right to our flesh.

The Spirit of Understanding cuts through deception.

You should seek to understand before seeking to be understood.

Root word for understanding means “to stand under something.”

When we’re able to get to foundation of the nature of God in understanding, it’s easy to obey God.

The Spirit of Wisdom and the Spirit of Understanding enable us to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord.

Spirit of Counsel
The precise consultation and strategy of Heaven.

Hebrew word means “advice, design, strategize, scheme and the consultation of God."

The counsel of the Lord outlasts man’s strategies.

Practical Advice
Assume God has something to say about everything.

Spirit of Might
The substance of courage and strength that comes from the Lord

The Hebrew definition of might - strength, courage, ability, power (DUNAMIS)

The Spirit of Might dismantles fear, intimidation and timidity.

We often fail to see the Spirit of Might in operation when we’re determined to show our own might. He can accomplish more with less time, resources, effort, and energy than we could with all of the time, resources, effort and energy in the world.

Spirit of Counsel + Spirit of Might
This pair is important because God shows you what to do, then gives you the ability to do it. This is who He is.

Inquire
to seek information by questioning; to ask or to seek out

All throughout the Word of God – “inquire of the Lord”

When we don’t inquire of the Lord, we are communicating that we believe our counsel is best. And, we thought we knew best.

QUESTION
Did you know it’s healthy to repent when you don’t lead well? Did you know repentance is how we bear fruit?

QUESTION
Did you know repentance is how we find mercy (undeserved kindness)?

Spirit of Knowledge
To be certain by seeing

The root of the Hebrew word knowledge is “to be certain by seeing.”

The Spirit of Knowledge allows you to know things that seem to be obscure or hard for you to wrap your mind around in the natural.

A lack of knowledge is destructive.

Fear of the Lord
The reverential awe of the Lord that produces a fear of not being with Him.

The Hebrew translation of fear of the Lord is "to reverence or be in awe of the Lord."

The danger of living in a world that is void of the Fear of the Lord is how easy it is to conform to a life that is void of the Fear of the Lord. We should be obsessed with pleasing Him.

The fear of the Lord produces life.

There’s friendship with the Lord in the Fear of the Lord.

Spirit of Knowledge + the Fear of the Lord
The two are designed to operate with one another – when you know the Lord, you fear the Lord and unless you fear the Lord, you know nothing.

The top of every lamp had a little cup for oil that was abut 4 inches deep with wick inside of it. Fresh olive oil, of the purest quality, was used daily to light the lamps.

The priests were assigned to tend to the lamps on the menorah daily, from evening until morning. At least one lamp, known as the Western Lamp, was to remain lit throughout the day.

Someone had to tend to the menorah EVERY DAY. It’s why our vision is to take people from corporate encounters with God to daily, personal encounters with God. We were designed to come DAILY. It’s the model we even saw with the priests in the tabernacle.

Every day fresh oil should be put in our lamps, so that they function fully.

THE EYES OF THE LORD
According to Zechariah, it’s more than a symbol. He says the seven spirits of God are the eyes of the Lord.

It comes up again in Revelation 5. It describes these seven eyes that the Lamb had, whom we know to be Jesus. It says that His eyes represented the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth.

In other words, the seven spirits of God are running to and fro in the earth.
· The Spirit of Wisdom is running to and fro in the earth...
· The Spirit of Understanding is running to and fro in the earth…
· The Spirit of Counsel is running to and fro in the earth…
· The Spirit of Might is running to and fro in the earth…
· The Spirit of Knowledge is running to and fro in the earth...
· The Fear of the Lord is running to and fro in the earth…
· The Spirit of the Lord is running to and fro in the earth…

Doing WHAT?! Looking to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose hearts are loyal to Him.

He’s looking to strengthen and fortify someone who’s heart is loyal to Him.
- “fully devoted to Him”
- “fully committed to Him”
- “is completely His”

God wants to show Himself strong on your behalf.

It’s not about you showing yourself strong. It’s about positioning yourself for God to show Himself strong on your behalf.

In the very next verse, it also mentions that the lamp of God had not yet gone out. This is referring to the menorah in the House of the Lord.

The Lord sent a prophet to Eli to address the sin of their family. He let Eli know his sons would die and that God would raise up someone else for Himself.
THEN, it says, “Eli’s eyes had begun to grow dim so that he could not see.” What was happening?
The lamp of the Lord growing dim in Him. His spiritual eyes were growing dim. The way he handled his sons was a picture of the lack of the Fear of the Lord he was walking in.

PRACTICAL ADVICE
If God’s speaking to everyone but you about you, it should provoke you.

QUESTION
Are you more concerned about what God can do for you or what you can do for God?

o Unless the menorah is lit in you, the inner depths of your heart cannot be searched. When the searching happens, you can bring things before Him that need to be removed.

QUESTION
Who’s suffering because your eyes are growing dim? Who’s suffering because your lamp isn’t lit?

In this time period, lamps were lit with oil, just like the menorah.

Oil represents intimacy with God. Eli was missing intimacy with the Lord.

The Spirit of the Lord was looking for someone who was loyal, dedicated, committed, loyal to Him to show Himself strong for. He was looking for oil!