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St. Paul School of Leadership & Discipleship Lesson 226 - MAKE THIS YOUR REASON FOR LIVING (God's Plans and Promises for You from the Book of Isaiah) By Frank Eiklor and the Shalom Team “The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me, because the Lord has anointed Me to preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound.” Isaiah 61:1 Who else could this be but our lovely Jesus?! No wonder His Jewish audience marveled as He opened the Book and read these words in the synagogue some 700 years after Isaiah received them from God. Now it is no longer “Christ in the world” but “Christ in you” who daily wishes to carry out this wondrous plan of the Father. Look at Isaiah 61:1-3 and it is obvious that Jesus fulfilled everything to the letter—except to proclaim the day of God’s vengeance (that day will surely come, but the Father yet offers man “the day of salvation”). But it is also obvious that the Lord continues to fulfill these scriptures through those who love Him. That’s why He said that greater works than He did would be accomplished through His believing ones. After all, Jesus limited Himself on earth to one place at one time. Now He is everywhere—at all times—in us. May the Lord fulfill this scripture in your life, dear friend. 1) ASK the Holy Spirit to empty you of self and fill you with Himself. 2) SEEK special times alone with God and pray for the world’s meek, brokenhearted, captives and those who mourn under all kinds of suffering. 3) KNOCK on the invisible doors of hurting souls all around you and offer them the beauty of Jesus for their ashes, the oil of joy from Jesus for their mourning and the garment of praise from Jesus for their spirit of heaviness. That’s why He has left you and me in this world—to reach that lost sheep before the Shepherd returns.
My prayer: “Lord Jesus, give me your heart of love for the lost sheep of my own personal world and all the world. And anoint me with Your shepherd’s heart to seek them out.” "Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ" (I Corinthians 11:1)
Related Articles · More Articles Jesus said many would come in His name and deceive the hearts of the simple, sinful and proud. Eastern mysticism and meditation is a big thing in the gullible West. And one day a “world leader” will appear on the scene with the persuasion of a god and the heart of a devil. Jesus warns His children to know the Scriptures, live in obedience to the Father’s will, and stay alert to the signs of the times. They laugh no more. Now God’s description of how He will destroy the old earth and create a
new one makes perfect sense. The splitting of the atom turned many skeptics into believers.
After all, look what man himself is capable of doing with the atom and hydrogen bombs. Now
the fear is that nuclear weapons are being placed in the hands of madmen who wish to annihilate
their enemies. God has blessed man with incredible genius. We stand in awe as we watch men and women in a room full of computers and high-tech instruments guiding and landing spacecraft on distant planets. At that moment, we appear invincible. But then a mammoth tornado comes—or a terrifying hurricane—or rains that flood whole regions and never listen to our shouts to “Stop!”—or the shake that removes from under our feet any confidence or pride we carry, and leaves us numb with hardly enough breath to even utter the paralyzing word “EARTHQUAKE!”. And man is helpless in the face of it all! |
