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7-16-2017 Weekly Message

Meditations of the Week: Psalms 98:1-9

Text: Isaiah 61: 1-3

The title of the Word: Liberty Given by God

        Through the prophet Isaiah, God has made him say in advance that he will appear on earth in the name of Jesus. When he come, he preach the gospel to the meek, to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom to the captives, to prison open to the prisoners, He will declare.

          As to the blessings of the meek, when the Lord appeared in the land of Israel, he spoke to the Jews. “Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.”(Matt. 5:5)

He said that only among the Jews will be those who are gentle in heart and will live on this earth as inheritance. This is what He spoke of in advance of the remnant of the Jews who will believe in Him when He comes.

          When he said, he will bind up brokenhearted,  it was not  only that they were hurt in their heart, but that it is bad enough that they  could not recover again as if they were brokenhearted as glassware to be broken into pieces being dropped on the floor.

        In the words that liberty will be given to the captives, we understand that when He comes, all who are in the world are being taken captive by someone. In other words, from the moment the first man sinned, all men have been the servant of the devil for whole life, with the handcuffs of sin, death, and curse. When he appeared to the earth four thousand years after, all men in the earth shall be in totally captivity.

       In order to give liberty to the captives, Jesus had to destroy the devil, who had taken captive of all, and God, the God of justice, to release the handcuffs of sin, death, and curse, When he died  for sin of the world, all men  was to be freed from captivity whosoever believes in him through his  hanging on the wooden cross of the curse.

         Apostles who realized this truth in the Spirit testified:

“Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage. “(Hebrews 2: 14-15).

“He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.” (1 John 3: 8)

          To proclaim the joyous opening of the prison to the imprisoned, and to proclaim the joyous year, is that the Lord was to overcome the power of sin and death and open for  all prisoners in prison when he rose from the dead. Therefore, anyone who hears and believes in the gospel of this grace is able to come out of prison through an open door. This prison is talking about hell. Those who have come out of this hell and have been given liberty are no longer in the hell but have given power to come out. The place where the people with this authority are gathered in the church of God; The Lord spoke of the power of the Church:

“And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” (Matthew 16:18)

           Prophet Isaiah then proclaimed the day of revenge for our God and testified that he would comfort all the sad. This means that at the Second Coming of the Lord, he will avenge the forces of the devil who persecuted and murdered the people of God and the church of God. Jesus came and spoke that this would not happen in his first coming.

“And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, hewent into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up for to read.   And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Esaias. And when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written,  The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted*, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.  And he closed the book, and he gave it again to the minister, and sat down. And the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on him. And he began to say unto them,This day is this scripture fulfilledin your ears.  And all bare him witness, and wondered at thegracious words which proceeded out of his mouth. And they said, Is not this Joseph’s son? “(Luke 4:16-22)

           Having said that Jesus would declare the acceptable year of the Lord, he did not proclaim the day of revenge prophesied by the prophet Isaiah, but covered the book, He covered the book because it is his  job  when he come back to judge the world because they not believed in him. But after covering the book, 200 years has passed by, so that we may see that the revenge day is very near before us.

           Prophet Isaiah prophesied about these days of vengeance:

“Who is this that cometh from Edom, with dyed garments from Bozrah? this that is glorious in his apparel, travelling in the greatness of  his strength? I that speak in righteousness, mighty to save.  Wherefore art thou red in thine apparel, and thy garments like him that treadeth in the winefat?  I have trodden the winepress alone; and of the people there was none with me: for I will tread them in mine anger, and trample them in my fury; and their blood shall besprinkled upon my garments, and I will stain all my raiment.  For the day of vengeance is in mine heart, and the year of my redeemed is come.  “(Isaiah 63: 1-4).

          At that time, most of the Jews were unable to accept Jesus as the Messiah, the Son of God, whom the prophet Isaiah prophesied. Even in this age, those who do not believe in Jesus as the Son of God, they are also losing the opportunity to be saved because they do not believe in the gospel of grace.

           The Lord spoke of what he must do to live in liberty unto the Jews that believed in him.

“If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed;  And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” (John 8: 31-32)

            That is correct! Though we have been saved by believing in the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ, from then on, we must live as if we were free from sin, death, and curse. The Lord has already given us eternal liberty through His death, burial, and resurrection. But in order for us to enjoy this life of liberty, we must live in His Words. In other words, when we deny all our thoughts and obeys his word by faith only in his Word, we are able to be true disciple, and at that time we shall know the truth.  At this time, we are not deceived by the devil in our lives, but we can live free from sin, death, and all curses.

         Even if we are in prison while following the Lord, we can enjoy true freedom in the calm of the truth even in the prison. When Peter was imprisoned, he was enjoying such freedom and was able to sleep as if he were sleeping in his own home. Many martyrs were also free from death, so they were able to die with joy. Even though we are in the terminal diseases, we shall be able to be free to rejoice in the hope of seeing the Lord.

        The world politicians are shouting Free democracy and pretending that they are able to give freedom unto their people, but they must realize that Liberty that is true freedom is only in the words of the truth of Jesus Christ. Hearing again the word of truth in the words of Jesus Christ to enjoy the true freedom, liberty of God so that no one could take away the liberty from us at all.

Amen! Hallelujah!