REFLECTIONS CROSS OVER

As part of my reflections during this holiday season, the Lord is giving me a deeper revelation into the purpose of the birth of Christ! 

Let's check out Isaiah 9:1-7.

For a long time, I have only focused on Isaiah 9:6.  That, “… a child is born to us, a son is given to us .... These will be His royal titles: Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father and Prince of peace.”   This is great news and we thank God for it.  That Christ Jesus is the wonderful counsellor and in Him is all the counsel we will ever need.  Besides, He is the Mighty God – Sovereign, Supreme!  He is our Everlasting Father. (Are you disturbed, distressed, confused and feeling rejected that your earthly father has not been all you expected, or is not there at all?  We have an Everlasting Father in Christ Jesus!  Embrace Him and enjoy his everlasting Love.)  He is also our Prince of Peace – Peace that surpasses human understanding can only be found in Christ Jesus!  Glory to God!

But now, let’s go back to the beginning of this portion of scripture – Please remember God revealed this word to Isaiah over 700 years before Jesus was born!  God revealed to Isaiah that:

"… the time of darkness and despair will not go on forever."

A time is coming when the glory of the Lord will fill the earth!  People in the dark will see a great light, and there will be great rejoicing!

Now, look at verse 4:

"For God will break the chains that bind His people and the whip that scourges them!"

How will all this happen? The government of the Son we have been given will expand, it will be peaceful and, IT WILL NEVER END! HE WILL RULE FOREVER WITH FAIRNESS AND JUSTICE.....The passionate commitment of the Lord Almighty will guarantee this! (verse 7).

Hallelujah!  Close to 3000 years later, we have Jesus, the child, the Son, whose government of fairness and justice will never end!  We have Jesus, who is the light, and that same light He has given to us! We have Jesus, who has broken every chain and every bond of captivity and all who believe in Him have been set free!  Thank God that we are redeemed through his blood! 

Reflecting back on this, I am reminded of the same Isaiah, still prophesying about Jesus in Isaiah 61:

“The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is upon me … to bring good news to the poor.  He has sent me to comfort the brokenhearted and to announce that captives will be released and prisoners will be freed….to tell those who mourn that the time of the Lord’s favour has come, and with it the day of God’s anger against their enemies.  To all who mourn in Israel, He will give beauty for ashes, joy instead of mourning, praise instead of despair.  For the Lord has planted them like strong and graceful oaks for his own glory.” (1-3)

This prophesy was fulfilled in Luke 4:18-19.  Jesus came to set the captives free!

So, my reflections take me to this path:  For sure, without a doubt, Jesus, came to set us free – from all forms of captivity and bondage!  Jesus did this when he defeated the devil; He died and rose again!  He is alive!  Without a doubt, Jesus came to destroy the works of the devil! (1 John 3:8).

Following the above, every believer, then, should walk in total freedom – freedom from sin, from failure, lack and defeat – so as to show forth the glory of God! 

So, is there an area that I have been bound? Am I chained in any way?  Am I walking in darkness yet the light is here? Have I been set free from sin that so easily besets me?  Am I set free from anger?  Am I set free from fear?  Is my mind renewed to the word of God so my thoughts are aligned to His will?  Do I live my life in accordance to His statutes? Do I pray?  Do I read His word for this renewal to come?  Am I bound in ungodly relationships?  Am I bound?  Am I bound? 

Are my words, and really, my day-to-day life aligned with the word of God – do they attest to the freedom that Jesus so preciously bought for me at Calvary?  Am I free?  Am I free?

For me, this calls for a holistic and continuous review - especially as I (we), by the grace of God trust to enter into a new year in less than a week.  I do not want to enter into 2019 with any baggage, with a bound-mind, in a chained relationship, in a wrong and negative attitude – I want to enjoy the freedom that Christ Jesus was given to me, and to the world, by God to deliver!

Let's take these reflections a little higher and look at the wider picture – are there areas that the church is chained and bound yet Christ destroyed all the chains?  Is the church walking in darkness of any sort, yet we have the everlasting light?  Can you and I stand in the gap – for us,  for our children, for our friends and families, for our colleagues, our leaders – for the church of Jesus Christ? And for those who are still in darkness, those who have not yet tasted this freedom!  Can we stand in the gap?

We have the light, will you let it shine on?