Do you know who you trust?

In Luke 4:14 Jesus is in Galilee and goes to His home church. He goes up front to read and the attendant hands him the scroll. However, instead of reading where they left off last week- as was customary- Jesus instead searches out one of His promise verses. He finds Isaiah 61 and begins reading his mission statement.

 

The Spirit of the LORD is upon me because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor, he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and the opening of the prison to those who are bound, to proclaim the year of the LORD's favour...

 

The rest of the chapter beautifully describes the healing and restoration He will bring and the restoration we get to bring because He has restored us.

 

When Jesus says He is coming to restore, it would remind them of the year of Jubilee. Jesus came to release us into the year of Jubilee. Take a look at Leviticus 25. The 50th year was a year of Jubilee. It was a year of celebration. You would not plant or harvest this year because it was a year of rest as well. God promised the 49th year would produce enought for three years.

 

You would also return property. If someone sold property, it was because of financial hardship. You did not move around in those days. You had your town and your family had been there for generations. When you sold land, you took away from your sons' inheritance. God wanted that returned to the seller so His people were not dispossesed and homeless.

 

Go back to Luke 4 and look at the power of Jesus' words. They create life. There are multiple times in chapter four where His voice and words are emphasized:

 

• 4:22- "All spoke well of him and marveled at the gracious words that were coming from his mouth."
• 4:32-"[the people] were astonished at his teaching for his words possessed authority."
• 4:36-"For with authority and power he commands the unclean spirits and they come out!"
• 4:41- In contrast, Jesus would not let the evil spirits speak. He only wanted His voice to be the one that speaks over us.
 

Jesus only needs to speak and things are created. He is, after all, His Father's Son. Back in Genesis the Father spoke and the world was created. Now, the Son is walking on Earth and His very words have healing power. another name for Jesus is the Word (Jn 1). Jesus follows His Father's example in this too:

 

John 14:10-14-- The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own authority, but the Father who dwells in me does his works. Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me, or else believe on account of the works themselves. Truly, truly I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am giong to the Father. Whatever you ask in my name this I will do that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it. If you love me, you will keep my commands. And I will ask the Father and He will give you another Helper to be with you forever, the Spirit of Truth...

 

John 15:7-12-- If you abide in me and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish and it will be done for you. By this my Father is glorified that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples. As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. If you keep my commandments you will abide in my love just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love. These things I have spoken to you that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be full. This is my commandment that you love one another as I have loved you...

 

John 16:23-24-- Truly, truly I say to you, whatever you ask of the Father in my name, he will give it to you. Until now you have asked nothing in my name. Ask and you will receive that your joy may be full...

 

Take a look at those chapters. There is a lot of good stuff there.

 

 

 

Jesus came to bring us freedom. His words have creative power. Where do you need to ask Him to bring you into freedom?

Put off the Old, Put on the New

Pt. VII

Continuation of Seeing with the Father's Eyes

 

The first way to do this is to put off the old self and put on the new. Romans 6 says to present yourselves as alive from the dead. You are no longer the dead person but the new person which means we no longer need to think as the old person but rather as the new. Ephesians 4:22-25 says, “Be made new in the attitude of your minds and to put on the new self created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.” We do this by taking off lies and speaking truth to those around us for we are all members of one body.

Colossians 3:9-10 says the same thing. Do not lie to each other for you have put on the new self which is renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator. 2 Corinthians 3:18-4:2 says the same thing. If what we are saying over someone doesn’t pull them up into their new nature and the new way of thinking, then don’t say it. We aren’t to speak lies over each other but rather truth.

The more we see God, the better we can become more like Him and mirror him (1 Jn 3). One of Jesus’ names is Truth. The more we focus on Truth, the less we focus on the non-reality. Jesus came that we may live life to the full (Jn 10:10). Jesus took care of sin so we could walk in the fullness of life. This means there is no more lying. No more complaining. No more pity parties of I’m not good enough. He took away stress and anxiety. Jesus took all that negativity away from us at the cross. He died so that we would no longer have to live in that.