Isaiah 43: Embracing a Renaissance of Revival and Reform

Devotional

Day 1: When God Says "Forget"

The Israelites stood at the edge of new promises, clutching memories of Egyptian bondage. God commanded through Isaiah: “Do not dwell on the past.” He wasn’t erasing their history but redirecting their gaze to rivers in deserts and highways in wastelands. The same God who split seas now promised sudden springs where none existed. Your rehearsed pain cannot contain what’s coming. [11:03]

Renaissance requires releasing what God has overwritten. Just as Pharaoh’s chariots drowned in old waters, yesterday’s failures drown in mercy. Jesus didn’t resurrect Lazarus to rehash his death—He called him from the tomb alive. What dead thing are you still mourning that God has marked for resurrection?

Identify one disappointment you’ve coddled like a relic. Write it on paper, then tear it up while praying: “I release this to make room for Your new.” How would your daily choices shift if you truly believed God’s “new thing” is already sprouting?

“Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.”
(Isaiah 43:18-19, NIV)

Prayer: Ask Jesus to reveal one old narrative He’s replacing with fresh purpose today.
Challenge: Text a friend: “God is doing something new in me. Remind me to hope when I forget.”

Day 2: Twelve Years of Bleeding Stopped

She pressed through the crowd, her weakened fingers stretching toward Jesus’ cloak. Twelve years of doctors, shame, and isolation ended when fringe met faith. Jesus didn’t just heal her body—He called her “Daughter,” restoring her place in community. Renaissance often starts as a desperate reach toward holiness. [32:16]

Jesus honors stubborn faith that fights through religious crowds and cultural noise. This woman’s breakthrough came not during synagogue hours but in the messy street. Your “issue”—whether chronic pain or chronic doubt—meets its match when you touch the hem of His presence.

What barrier have you accepted as permanent? Charge it today with this declaration: “If I can just get close enough to Jesus, this will break.” What practical step (opening your Bible, worshiping aloud) could be your hand stretching through the crowd?

“A woman who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years came up behind him and touched the edge of his cloak. She said to herself, ‘If I only touch his cloak, I will be healed.’ Jesus turned and saw her. ‘Take heart, daughter,’ he said, ‘your faith has healed you.’”
(Matthew 9:20-22, NIV)

Prayer: Confess one area where you’ve believed lies of permanence over Christ’s power to restore.
Challenge: Physically touch your Bible while praying: “Jesus, I reach for Your healing in [specific area].”

Day 3: Blind Men and Awakened Sight

Two blind men trailed Jesus, shouting “Son of David!”—a title reserved for Messiah. Their darkness couldn’t silence their discernment. Jesus tested their resolve: “Do you believe I can do this?” Their “Yes, Lord” activated sight. Renaissance comes when we name Christ’s authority over our darkest voids. [35:17]

These men saw Jesus’ identity before seeing His face. Awakening begins when we call Him King in the bleakest corridors. The world says, “Accept your blindness,” but God says, “My light outshines every lie.” What cultural or personal deception has dimmed your vision of Christ’s supremacy?

Stand before a mirror today and declare: “Jesus, You see me fully—help me see You truly.” What false narrative about God’s character (distant, disinterested, etc.) needs replacing with biblical truth?

“When he had gone indoors, the blind men came to him, and he asked them, ‘Do you believe that I am able to do this?’ ‘Yes, Lord,’ they replied. Then he touched their eyes and said, ‘According to your faith let it be done to you’; and their sight was restored.”
(Matthew 9:28-30, NIV)

Prayer: Thank Jesus for seeing you completely—even when your vision of Him feels clouded.
Challenge: Write down one cultural lie you’ve believed. Cross it out and write a truth from John 8:12 beside it.

Day 4: When Dumb Mouths Speak Again

Demons had stolen the man’s speech, leaving him mute—until Jesus walked in. The enemy silences voices meant to declare God’s works. But when Christ rebuked the spirit, the man’s tongue loosened, and the crowd marveled: “We’ve never seen anything like this!” Renaissance breaks chains we assumed were permanent. [39:07]

The enemy mutes through shame, fear, or lies. Jesus restores voices to proclaim His victory. Your story—of addiction overcome, grief comforted, or purpose rediscovered—is a weapon against hell’s silence. What testimony have you bottled up that could free others?

Speak aloud to your reflection: “My voice matters in God’s kingdom.” Who needs to hear your story of Christ’s faithfulness this week?

“While they were going out, a man who was demon-possessed and could not talk was brought to Jesus. And when the demon was driven out, the man who had been mute spoke. The crowd was amazed and said, ‘Nothing like this has ever been seen in Israel.’”
(Matthew 9:32-33, NIV)

Prayer: Ask for boldness to share one specific way God has freed or healed you.
Challenge: Record a 60-second video testimonial (keep it private if needed) about Jesus’ work in your life.

Day 5: The Pattern of New Birth

A dead girl. A bleeding woman. Blind beggars. A mute man. Jesus moved from revival (raising the dead) to reform (healing hidden wounds) to awakening (opening blind eyes) to renaissance (silencing hell’s noise). Each miracle built momentum for greater glory. Your breakthrough isn’t isolated—it’s part of God’s compounding newness. [24:12]

God’s “new thing” often follows a pattern: death to life, bondage to freedom, silence to proclamation. The disciples thought they’d seen it all—until Pentecost. What small obedience today could position you for unexpected kingdom momentum?

Review the past four days’ challenges. Which action stirred the most resistance or hope? Double down on that area. What dormant gift or calling is God resurrecting as you cooperate with His pattern?

“Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness.”
(Matthew 9:35, NIV)

Prayer: Thank God for how He’s moved this week—and ask for eyes to see the next step in His pattern.
Challenge: Light a candle tonight, declaring: “Christ’s light advances through my obedience.”

Sermon Summary

A season called renaissance arrives as a deliberate new era that will break forth in private lives and public life. Nations and communities will see fresh leaders, shifts in legislation, and unexpected reversals of long-standing patterns. The new age will not be a quiet reset but a visible turning point that exposes corruption, uproots entrenched powers, and raises up reformers in places from local towns to global capitals. This movement will carry revival that renews spiritual life, reformation that addresses deep issues, and awakening that lifts veils so many have accepted as normal.

Conflict and intense opposition will accompany the emergence of the new. Wars, cultural clashes, and loud opposition function like birth pains that signal something new is coming. The rise of fresh leaders and renewed institutions will provoke resistance from the forces that have benefited from the old order, but those conflicts serve to refine and remove what blocks new fruit. The pattern repeats in Scripture: life returned to what was dead, chronic issues healed when people reached for divine intervention, and blind eyes opened so that a movement could spread beyond a single house or congregation.

Transformation requires active response. Spiritual disciplines such as fasting and focused prayer must accompany civic engagement such as voting, advocacy, and disciplined organizing. The fragile structures of governance will not be reset without concerted intercession and informed participation. Revival must be followed by discipleship so that renewed life endures; reform must be strategic and courageous because uprooting evil is costly work; awakening must keep Jesus as the focus so fame of reform points people to mercy and righteousness rather than to personalities.

A practical vision emerges alongside these prophetic movements: places of retreat, training, and sustained prayer that host revival, discipleship, and cultural reformation. Communities that prepare to build, plant, and steward new institutions will help the renaissance grow into a lasting era of liberty, justice, and mercy. The call is to press in through worship, organized action, and sustained faithfulness so the new becomes visible, durable, and redemptive for future generations.

Key Takeaways

1. Embrace the season of renaissance The present moment calls for readiness to receive a clear, visible new thing that will alter personal and national trajectories. Expect manifestation, not vague promises. Positioning heart and work toward this season invites tangible fruit and aligns ordinary efforts with a larger purpose. [00:16]
2. Expect conflict before new birth Opposition, wars, and cultural clashes often signal birthing rather than failure. These birth pains reveal what must be removed and refine resolve. Viewing conflict as part of emergence reframes struggle into necessary labor toward renewal. [16:13]
3. Revival reforms then awakens nations Spiritual life must awaken the church, reform must address structural issues, and awakening lifts the veil so society can see truth. Each stage cascades into the next: revival sustains reform, reform prepares society, and awakening spreads the gospel witness. [24:12]
4. Participate through prayer and action Spiritual intercession and civic engagement work together to secure durable change. Fasting, prayer, voting, and disciplined advocacy guard fragile systems and enable God-centered reform. Passive hope without participation forfeits the promise of renewal. [01:53]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[00:16] - Defining Renaissance
[00:58] - New Manifestations Expected
[01:53] - Fragile Governance Needs Prayer
[03:01] - Canada and Global Spillover
[05:10] - Australia Rising for Reform
[08:52] - Vision for a Retreat Center
[11:03] - God Will Do a New Thing
[14:28] - Revolution of Light Explained
[18:34] - Matthew 9 Prophetic Pattern
[24:12] - Revival, Reform, Awakening Pattern
[34:55] - Awakening Spreads Globally
[39:07] - Renaissance: Demonic Cast Out
[40:29] - Call to Prayer and Action
[43:22] - Closing Blessing and Charge

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading
Isaiah 43:18-19 (ESV)
“Remember not the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.”

Observation Questions

In Isaiah 43:18-19, what specific instruction does God give about the past, and what promise does He attach to the "new thing"?
The sermon highlights a pattern in Matthew 9:18-35 where revival, reform, and awakening lead to societal transformation. What three stages are described, and how do they build on one another?
According to the sermon, why does conflict often precede breakthroughs or "new birth"? [16:13]

Interpretation Questions

Why might God command His people to stop dwelling on the past before introducing something new (Isaiah 43:18)? How could clinging to past disappointments hinder embracing a "renaissance"?
The sermon connects wars, cultural clashes, and opposition to "birth pains" (Matthew 24:6-8). How does this perspective reframe struggles as part of a redemptive process rather than mere chaos?
In Matthew 9:20-22, the woman with a chronic issue is healed after touching Jesus’ garment. How does this story illustrate the relationship between personal faith, persistent action, and societal reform?

Application Questions

What “former things” (disappointments, habits, or mindsets) do you need to release to fully embrace the “new thing” God is doing in your life or community? What practical step could you take this week to let go?
The sermon emphasizes combining prayer with civic action (voting, advocacy). [01:53] How can you intentionally pair spiritual disciplines like fasting with tangible engagement in your community or nation?
When facing opposition or delays, how might you shift your perspective to see conflict as “birth pains” rather than defeat? Share a recent struggle and discuss how it could refine your resolve.
The woman in Matthew 9 spent years seeking solutions before reaching for Jesus. What “chronic issue” (personal or societal) have you prayed about but not yet acted on? What bold step could you take to “touch His garment” in this area?
The sermon warns against passive hope. [24:12] What is one way you can actively steward revival (e.g., mentoring, serving) or reform (e.g., volunteering, educating others) in your sphere of influence?
How can your small group create “places of retreat, training, or sustained prayer” to support lasting cultural renewal? Brainstrate one actionable idea to start.

Sermon Clips

30s

#BattleBeforeConquest

“That's where we're heading in our government. We're heading in our legislation, in our schools, our universities. It's where we're heading in your life with your prodigals, with your marriage. Come on. This is what God has on his heart. It's what he's speaking, and it's what I come in agreement with. Notice the pattern though. How do you get to the renaissance? Notice there has to be a battle. There has to be war. There has to be conflict. Right? In order for there to be a conquest.”

33s

#DiscipleshipSustainsRevival

“Now, what's gonna sustain revival? Follow Jesus, not man. Follow Jesus, not the revival. Follow Jesus and also discipleship. You can have the expression of revival, but if you don't have a way to keep it by discipleship, it falls through. So that's another example, verse 19. So that's the expression of revival. But now look at reform. Behold, verse 20, there was a woman which was diseased with issues for twelve years. Come on. We have been battling for how many years issues in our country.”

40s

#ChurchRevivalMatters

“Means life again. To bring something back to life. Most revival happens in the church house. Right? In the four walls. Yes. Right? The church. Revival is not for the world out there even though the world can come in and experience revival. But revival is for a church that needs to be awakened Yes. Or a church that's gone dead Yes. Fallen asleep. Come on. These are keywords. Dead, fallen asleep that needs to be awakened and brought back to life. Pay attention. That's what revival is. It's the first example you're gonna see. Then the next thing is the word reform.”

44s

#ConflictLeadsToMarvel

“There's great war and conflict happening because of your prayers and because of the God factor intervening. So don't get moved by the dumb that's speaking or the level of conflict that's happening because it's gonna lead to the next thing. Verse 33. There's a marveling that's gonna begin to happen. In other words, there's a shift where it's no longer that the the devil or the dumb are gonna have the expression, the voice, their agenda. Right? Yeah. Their way. It shifts, and then there becomes a marveling because God factor intervenes, and he deals with the devil, and he deals with the dumb.”

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Hank and Brenda Kunneman This sermon · AI assistant

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Isaiah 43: Embracing a Renaissance of Revival and Reform

Devotional

Day 1: When God Says "Forget"

Day 2: Twelve Years of Bleeding Stopped

Day 3: Blind Men and Awakened Sight

Day 4: When Dumb Mouths Speak Again

Day 5: The Pattern of New Birth

Sermon Summary

Key Takeaways

Youtube Chapters

Bible Study Guide

Sermon Clips

Isaiah 43: Embracing a Renaissance of Revival and Reform

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