Friday, February 20th

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, for he has anointed me to bring Good News to the poor.  He has sent me to proclaim that captives will be released, that the blind will see, that the oppressed will be set free,  and that the time of the Lord’s favor has come." 
Luke 4:18-19

This passage is from the prophet Isaiah in the old testament yet recited by Jesus in the synagogue of his hometown Nazareth.  He was proclaiming his own coming, declaring the time has come, and the Spirit of the Lord is upon Him!  How incredible that must have been, the one that everyone had been praying about and worshipping and waiting for was one of them, he grew up with everyone in the synagogue, they saw him as a little boy and now he was sharing the good news as a man!  Not just as a man but the son of God!

Yet, this isn't how it was received, Jesus continued to share with his childhood neighbors, friends and family members:

 “You will undoubtedly quote me this proverb: ‘Physician, heal yourself’—meaning, ‘Do miracles here in your hometown like those you did in Capernaum.’  But I tell you the truth, no prophet is accepted in his own hometown."

Jesus continued to teach them from prophets of the old, yet they became more and more angry.  So angry in fact and so "self-righteous" in their anger that they brought him to a cliff and wanted to throw him off and kill him.  He was able to walk through because God had much bigger things in store for him.

We can read this passage and think how could the people closest to him not see who he was, if we slow down and reflect in our own lives, how often do we do the same things?  In the distractions of the world, our addictions, our pride and ego they keep us from truly knowing, believing and having faith that Jesus came to set the captives free, open the eyes of the blind, lift the weight of the oppressed...  We, YOU and I are the captives, we are the blind, we are the oppressed, He came to set us free!!!

So often we say with our lips we want healing, freedom, joy, peace, etc. but are not willing to have faith in the one and only true healer, protector, refuge, the one who set us free through His broken body and poured out blood.  So often we say we want healing, freedom, joy, peace, etc. but in our pride, shame, and old ways we actually hold ourselves in contempt, captive, blind and oppressed to the lies of the enemy....

BUT GOD!  Hallelujah, cause in a moment's notice all we have to do is recognize our wayward, lost ways and repent/turn from them and seek His love, His safety, his refuge!  He will ALWAYS meet you!

May the King of Kings, The Lord of The Universe, The Alpha and Omega, Beginning and The End be the one you seek today and grow to trust more and more each and every day!

For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but so that the world might be saved through Him!!! John 3:17

He came to set YOU FREE from every chain, every lie, every anxiety!

With Love,
Pastor Sam