Strongholds
It is Jesus’ great delight to free us!
2 Corinthians 10:3-5
For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;
The world tells us that we should invest in self care. We buy into the lie that the priority of our lives is based on us. This mindset creates a world that revolves around us.
We have the ability to break strongholds. This isn’t always comfortable. Jesus calls us out of the comfort and safety of our lives. He frees and pursues us for the broken people around us.
When a stronghold has been broken in you, God leaves you with an unquenchable thirst to help the broken around you.
Question: If our freedom was only meant for us, why are we still here? He has a zealous love for the broken.
God uses what has happened to us to free someone else. He gives His appeal through us. What a kind God to let us do what he could do on His own.
Know these truths: nothing is so unacceptable to God that he can’t use you and won’t free you, and He is powerful enough to break strongholds and then give you purpose in that.
He has purposed your stronghold. He has purposed your brokenness.
Cassie walked through a stronghold to anxiety that God delivered to her from and then used her breakthrough to help others. Our of her deliverance, The Hub Urban Ministries was purposed.
You must have your own encounter with Jesus. You cannot walk through life not acknowledging that you need God.
Isaiah 61:1-3 (also see Luke 4:18)
The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me; because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound; To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord , and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn; To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he might be glorified.
We need Jesus for every single breath we take. He delights in setting us free.
The first time you show affection for God’s Word, He will be there.
Isaiah 61:4
And they shall build the old wastes, they shall raise up the former desolations, and they shall repair the waste cities, the desolations of many generations.
This scripture is talking about us! We are capable of raising up cities and former desolations.
Luke 5:18-20,22-24
And, behold, men brought in a bed a man which was taken with a palsy: and they sought means to bring him in, and to lay him before him. And when they could not find by what way they might bring him in because of the multitude, they went upon the housetop, and let him down through the tiling with his couch into the midst before Jesus. And when he saw their faith, he said unto him, Man, thy sins are forgiven thee. But when Jesus perceived their thoughts, he answering said unto them, What reason ye in your hearts? Whether is easier, to say, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Rise up and walk? But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power upon earth to forgive sins, (he said unto the sick of the palsy,) I say unto thee, Arise, and take up thy couch, and go into thine house.
Here are some things in the passage to pay attention to. First, Jesus healed the man not because of the his faith but because of the faith of his friends. Jesus said that the man’s sins were forgiven but his friends were waiting for Jesus to just heal him. The bigger thing was that the man was free, his soul was restored. So that they would know that he could, he forgave the man’s sins and healed him.
All it took for Jesus to be moved was his friends picking up his mat and making the physical sacrifice of getting him there believing that Jesus could heal him.
There is a mandate on our lives to be the type of friends this man had.
There are edges of many mats all over this city that we are called to grab and walk to Jesus. In the process of walking with people, we can make sure they know who they are and where truth can be found.
Isaiah 58:8
Then shall thy light break forth as the morning, and thine health shall spring forth speedily: and thy righteousness shall go before thee; the glory of the Lord shall be thy rearward.