Sunday, January 8, 2012
Freedom For The Prisoners!
Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news about him spread through the whole countryside. He taught in their synagogues, and everyone praised him. He went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom. And he stood up to read. The scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written: "The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor." Luke 4:14-19
What an awesome promise from our Lord! Are you planning to go to church this Lord’s Day and worship your Lord? It is important for you to be obedient to the Lord and sacrifice your personal time putting the Lord first in your life especially every weekend. Many churches even have services on Saturday. Have you found a church you like? If not, then ask the Lord to direct your steps to the church where He wants you to go.
"Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God." Exodus 20:8-10
The Lord will bless you if you go and worship Him, even if you have to go alone. I know how it feels when you are sitting alone, but remember the Lord is right there next to you. You may sit in the same area each week, to get to know some people who sit in that area regularly. Ask the Holy Spirit to talk to you, for Him to heal your wounded, hurting, and broken heart as you sit there focusing on the Lord, the music and the Pastor’s message. Ask the Lord to fill you up with the Holy Spirit and then you can walk out in faith, trusting Him completely for everything.
Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit. Speak to one another with psalms hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the LORD, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Ephesians 5:18-20
Praise the LORD. Praise God in his sanctuary; praise him in his mighty heavens. Praise him for his acts of power; praise him for his surpassing greatness. Psalm 150:1-2
Never forget about the power of the Holy Spirit that can speak conviction to your spouse's heart wherever they may be. You must keep your eyes on your Lord and Savior and not on the circumstances that you are facing. God can move your mountains of circumstances. You must believe and continue to pray scriptures with your and your spouse’s name in them regarding your different problems.
You must choose to go and worship your Lord. Instead of thinking of your impossible problems, totally embrace worshiping and praising your Lord for His holiness and greatness. Then when your pastor opens up the Word of God, imagine your Lord standing before you reading the scroll as He did in Nazareth. Please notice where Jesus started to read in the scroll was in Isaiah Chapter 61:
The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the LORD's favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn. Isaiah 61:1-2
There is freedom in Jesus Christ! Jesus is the truth that can set each of us free. He is the only One who can set you, your spouse and loved ones free from the wages of sin.
To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, "If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” John 8:31-32
If you look around, do you see the world seeking the freedom that the Lord wants to give to everyone? He wants to set men, women and children free from the addictions of alcohol, drugs, pornography, adultery and gambling. How many people do you know who are enslaved to sins that have them blinded, deceived and a prisoner in a sin that is so addictive that they keep going back for more, regardless of all the consequences that the sin has?
Jesus replied, "I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed." John 8:34-36
You may see every week that not many of your neighbors or co-workers know the Lord personally. They do not know the freedom they will have when they ask Jesus Christ to become Savior and Lord of their lives. That is why it is so important that you must be an integral part of the Lord's disciples in going and being the light in this dark sinful world. Be sure to spend time praying that you will be a lighthouse wherever you work or play. Jesus is the answer for anyone’s problems. Remember to pray for all standers and prodigals around the world. You are very valuable each weekend to pray for millions of churches around the world to be anointed by the Holy Spirit to preach the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. Imagine if your spouse just happens to turn on the television and just happens to listen to a pastor preaching or they just happen to turn on the radio and a local pastor starts speaking to your beloved spouse's heart at that very moment. Nothing is too hard for God.
"'...I am sending you to them to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.'" Acts 26:17-18
As you can see in your own marriage or in your spouse's life, sin has a way of enslaving them, controlling them, dominating them or dictating their behavior and actions. The Lord Jesus Christ can set everyone free from the slavery of sin. Your spouse CAN be set free from all sins which are blinding or mastering their life at this moment.
Don't you know that when you offer yourselves to someone to obey him as slaves, you are slaves to the one whom you obey—whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness? But thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you wholeheartedly obeyed the form of teaching to which you were entrusted. You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness. Romans 6:16-18
Never forget that there is freedom in Christ. There is freedom for your spouse who is a prisoner and has been deceived, by them turning to the Lord Jesus Christ. The Lord can save them, change them, renew their minds and make them into new men and women of God. Our Lord sets people free daily from many kinds of bondages that they have become addicted to by the Blood and the Name of Jesus Christ. What sins are you personally battling? Ask the Lord to set you free in the Name of Jesus. May you become a lighthouse, proclaiming God's truth, love and deliverance for every person around you.There is freedom for prisoners by the power of our Lord Jesus Christ!
Believe in His power,
Charlyne Steinkamp
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