Isaiah 61-65
61:1 The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is upon me,
for the Lord has anointed me
to bring good news to the poor.
He has sent me to comfort the brokenhearted
and to proclaim that captives will be released
and prisoners will be freed.
2 He has sent me to tell those who mourn
that the time of the Lord's favor has come,
and with it, the day of God's anger against their enemies.
3 To all who mourn in Israel,
he will give a crown of beauty for ashes,
a joyous blessing instead of mourning,
festive praise instead of despair.
In their righteousness, they will be like great oaks
that the Lord has planted for his own glory.
I believe that this Messianic passage also extends to the believer. Nate and I had some email correspondence yesterday about spiritual growth, and I agree with him that spiritual growth is growth in Agape love and the consequence is a change in lifestyle. That lifestyle change includes internal and external changes, and eventually, it leads to changing other people. As we cooperate with God to accomplish His will, His Holy Spirit will anoint us to preach the Good News of Jesus Christ, to lead others out of bondage to slavery by the power of the Gospel, and to defeat the enemy as we demonstrate righteousness - for which Yahweh will receive all of the glory.
The practical application is to seek and love Him wholeheartedly and look for opportunities to share the Gospel and minister to people around us.
Prayer
Heavenly Father, thank you for authoring faith in my heart and setting me free from the bondage of sin. Lord, I ask you to open my eyes to how I can be used by you in the likeness of Christ to set others free from sin and enjoy the wonderful Zoe life with you. May we be characterized by Agape love - overflowing with your perfect character. I ask this in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
61:1 The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is upon me,
for the Lord has anointed me
to bring good news to the poor.
He has sent me to comfort the brokenhearted
and to proclaim that captives will be released
and prisoners will be freed.
2 He has sent me to tell those who mourn
that the time of the Lord's favor has come,
and with it, the day of God's anger against their enemies.
3 To all who mourn in Israel,
he will give a crown of beauty for ashes,
a joyous blessing instead of mourning,
festive praise instead of despair.
In their righteousness, they will be like great oaks
that the Lord has planted for his own glory.
I believe that this Messianic passage also extends to the believer. Nate and I had some email correspondence yesterday about spiritual growth, and I agree with him that spiritual growth is growth in Agape love and the consequence is a change in lifestyle. That lifestyle change includes internal and external changes, and eventually, it leads to changing other people. As we cooperate with God to accomplish His will, His Holy Spirit will anoint us to preach the Good News of Jesus Christ, to lead others out of bondage to slavery by the power of the Gospel, and to defeat the enemy as we demonstrate righteousness - for which Yahweh will receive all of the glory.
The practical application is to seek and love Him wholeheartedly and look for opportunities to share the Gospel and minister to people around us.
Prayer
Heavenly Father, thank you for authoring faith in my heart and setting me free from the bondage of sin. Lord, I ask you to open my eyes to how I can be used by you in the likeness of Christ to set others free from sin and enjoy the wonderful Zoe life with you. May we be characterized by Agape love - overflowing with your perfect character. I ask this in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
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