Isaiah 61: 1-3
I woke up early this morning after approximately three hours of something somewhat resembling sleep. Within minutes I found myself forced to filter incoming messages that made my poor barely functioning brain cry out to God for help not to be distracted from what matters and not to be led astray by people who may mean well but have it all backwards.
The first message I could have done without this morning came from some television ministry airing at 5 AM that I couldn't help but overhear some before I was able to get my headphones in and Pandora playing. Discussions of Biblical Prophecy and how the math of the Scriptures shows.....blah blah blah. The second hit me a few minutes later as I read my morning materials and heard once again the message of stick with the winners, avoid those struggling or reveling in the bondage from which we have been delivered, stay safe by staying separate from those not free.
Prophecy serves a purpose, but knowing the future is less important than doing what we have been told to do. Jesus said inn John 14 "he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do." That's what we're to be focused on. Also, I understand staying away from situations and people we can't handle less we be led back to the pit from which we've been delivered, but if you're alive you are facing things that you can't handle on your own. That's why we need God. The answer to staying safe and free is not hiding from the people, places and things that are still in enemy territory but rather it is to stay safe in the shadow of the One who set us free in the first place and to give away our freedom, our solution.
Jesus said what I've done you do and do it more. Jesus said He is the fulfillment of Isaiah 61. So if we want to be free, if we want to get through hard times in the future, we don't need to avoid anything or know exactly how, when etc. We need to preach good news to those who are in desperate need for it, to help heal the broken hearted, to tell those who are in bondage that they can be free and then show them the way to that freedom, we need to declare that today is the day of deliverance and God's love and grace are available and better than His judgement. We are to empathize with care for those who mourn, point the way to the one who can give them "beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness" that they can be righteous (clean before a Holy God) and God gets the glory. It's not about our safety or looking special or important because we're in on His play by play. It's about loving the hurting and freeing the captive and surrounding ourselves with those who need the solution we have.
Prophecy serves a purpose, but knowing the future is less important than doing what we have been told to do. Jesus said inn John 14 "he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do." That's what we're to be focused on. Also, I understand staying away from situations and people we can't handle less we be led back to the pit from which we've been delivered, but if you're alive you are facing things that you can't handle on your own. That's why we need God. The answer to staying safe and free is not hiding from the people, places and things that are still in enemy territory but rather it is to stay safe in the shadow of the One who set us free in the first place and to give away our freedom, our solution.
Jesus said what I've done you do and do it more. Jesus said He is the fulfillment of Isaiah 61. So if we want to be free, if we want to get through hard times in the future, we don't need to avoid anything or know exactly how, when etc. We need to preach good news to those who are in desperate need for it, to help heal the broken hearted, to tell those who are in bondage that they can be free and then show them the way to that freedom, we need to declare that today is the day of deliverance and God's love and grace are available and better than His judgement. We are to empathize with care for those who mourn, point the way to the one who can give them "beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness" that they can be righteous (clean before a Holy God) and God gets the glory. It's not about our safety or looking special or important because we're in on His play by play. It's about loving the hurting and freeing the captive and surrounding ourselves with those who need the solution we have.
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