The Emancipation of Us
Recently completed an amazing conference in Jesus House themed the Dynamics of Faith, well equipped with teachers rightfully disecting the WORD and bringing to life its reality in our today’s living. One of such teaching totally blew my husband and I away and gave us a whole new spectrum on what Jesus Christ really came to do. As i listened through the teaching, meditating on it all week long, my heart pondered asking why it took me this long to see and to understand Jesus’s mission on this earth. I mean, what was the significance of the Gethsemane episode?
Emancipation (act of setting free from a power or another) to me begins from the mind, fuelled by a deep understanding of the need to be free or set free. We have been set free a long time ago however lack of understanding robs us of the longetivity of our freedom. You know, every single step Jesus took was a step ordered, purposed and of value in preparation for our emancipation? It’s a deep revelation of Jesus’s mission that can truly set our minds right where they truly belong.
One of the teachers at the conference asked us a thought provoking question, he said ” Do you believe Jesus has set you free, has won the enemy over all battles you can ever fight and declared you victorious? Do you believe that you are set free from diseases, illness, failure, curses“?, of course we all echoed a loud “YES“, and then he asked,” So if you believe, what are you carrying with you? Why are you still carrying failure, sickness, curses, diseases around with you? Why are you not living a victorious life if you truly believe what Jesus did?
I can assure you that for a long time, those questions plagued my mind. I read the book of Isaiah 53, meditating on what Jesus came to do. I realise that our issue is lack of information and sound teachings on this subject. The teacher took time to teach us the origin, the cause, the solution and the reality of Jesus’s mission, it was an awesome revelation. Our God is a God of order, every step carefully planned, no missing links.
Emancipation of us is the freedom we have received when God became flesh in the person of Jesus Christ bore our sins (went through all kinds of reproach we go through today) so that he can die (like man), be buried, went into hell to fight for us, setting us completely free. That was a joker that the enemy didn’t see coming, the gates had to be lifted up so that the King of Glory can come in and free those the devil kept captive. Its an awesome revelation we need today so that we can put Jesus’s mission into perspective and get to grips with our freedom.
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70 times 7?
I had no idea that I was living in unforgiveness until I started studying, meditating and researching into what I call the “triplet to destruction” - unforgiveness, bitterness and resentment. Struggling to figure out how I got myself in so deep to carry this triplets around with me, I discovered some areas of weakness that needed addressing and so I gathered biblical resources dealing with unforgiveness and the revelation I received from these teachings along side my willingness to let go set me on course for life to live an unforgiveness free lifestyle.
As I began my study early this year on forgiveness and still continuing on, I find that though it’s a choice the mature in Christ has to make; it is a commandment by our creator, God (who knows what he is doing if and when he asks us to do anything) and if you love God, you will obey (which is something most struggle with unfortunately). Listening to a bible teacher analyze forgiveness, he made me understand that, if Jesus Christ, with all the wrong I have done to him, forgave me for ALL I had done and sometimes still do, why do I feel so big headed (pride) not to do the same to those who may have hurt me?. He ended the pause by saying something unique “ I can’t afford to do that to Jesus, I can’t afford to turn my back on him by not forgiving the way he forgave me, I just won’t do that”.
Unforgiveness (according to my understanding) I find is so seductive in nature, it’s victims rarely realise how soaked up they are in it. Unforgiveness is one sure trick the enemy uses against us (mostly Christians) to get us to remain under his power. It gives you a false elated feeling, allowing you to justify the reason you live in unforgiveness (self righteousness) and sets your heart on the wrong things, it refuses for you to move ahead or forward, gives you every reason why you deserve to stay in unforgiveness and can carry on life as normal. It engages your tongue negatively causing you to make deceitful utterances rather than spending the time singing in psalms and spiritual songs.
We stand behind a fence, pointing fingers and wangling tongues against those who hurt us forgetting that maybe, just maybe, we too may have hurt them. The word says before you bring your offering, make peace with your brethren. How many offerings have we made that God couldn’t accept because of the state of our unforgiving hearts?
The challenging bit for me is forgiving those you trusted and called close to your heart, those who shared your deepest secrets and dried your streaming salty tears once upon a time. I remember speaking to my earthly father about one of the incidents I faced and as lovingly as possible, he said to me, ‘My dear, if Jesus Christ could be betrayed with a kiss, how much more you’? As simple as that statement was, it dug a deep well of release in my heart and soul. Who am I to think I have a right to not forgive? Why am I bearing the cross when Jesus bore it for me so I may live free? Unforgiveness is a slow steady poison, taking its time to destroy all (relationships, love, family, friends, marriages, church family, siblings, business partners, ideas, creativity) that it finds in its path.
One first step for sure is praying for help from Holy Spirit; a follow up practical step to forgiveness for me was to begin to act on my newness of mind, I began texting and ringing all those who I felt some level of pain when I think of them or hear their name mentioned which indicated that I have not forgiven. This was one practical step I have never experienced before BUT it worked as a stepping stone to coming to that place where I could let go and live free. The practical part of forgiveness I must confess is not for the carnally minded. One truly needs to be spiritual and in tune with the advice of the Holy Spirit and MUST be willing to obey his voice no matter how crazy the instruction is.
Seventy times Seven times is when we should forgive our brethren, it’s a commandment, an instruction, a step to healing, an obedience to God’s will and a key to living a joyful life with everyone and anyone. Following this through has placed me at the happiest I have ever been in a long time.
SO, HAVE YOU FORGIVEN?
Life’s dreams, aspirations and desires
Achieving Life’s dreams, aspirations and desires requires un-movable faith and absolute dedication to the Word of God. I once heard a pastor say faith is the currency a born again child of God uses to acquire his dreams, desires and aspirations on this earth. Another way of looking at that statement is that a true child of God is victorious, but is in need of faith to ‘take’ their position as a victorious person (Hebrews 11:6)
While the grace of God is what sustains us and not works, it’s important to note that our faith is made non active by staying outside the covenant and will of God. Our faith is made weak and impotent when we sin and go against what God doesn’t like because God himself will not be able to assist us for He hates the ways of sinners (Psalm 1). The children of Israel could not be cursed as long as they did not sin (Numbers CH. 23 & CH. 24). The moment sin came amongst them, God Himself had to teach them a lesson which caused 24,000 deaths.
You see, we are victorious already, just like the children of Israel we are blessed and no one can curse us. But the only thing that can remove the secure safety net from us is in simple daily habits that God sees as sin. Dedicated bible reading will let you know what they are so that you may meditate on the word of God day an night and know what you should and shouldn’t do.
Only then will your faith be potent enough to go into the highest heavens, bring all the goodies the Lord has given to you through the lower heavens where the prince of Percia or father of lies or the god of this world will not be able to slow it down.
And then you will indeed have great success.
Christians with weak faith are doctrinally ignorant because of their lack of biblical knowledge and therefore they are unable to resist temptation and so, they are open to any compromise (Hebrews 10:38-39)