A Nugget from New Life Network
Scripture for the Day (June 26, 2017)
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. (Luke 4:18-19)
We just had a powerful service at our home church (Victory Tabernacle) in Albany, GA. Our Pastor (Eddie Adams) said something during that service that really jumped into my heart. He said there is nowhere in the Bible where God instructed us to build prisons. Just think about that for a minute or two. I have always known that God wanted us free but I have never thought of it with prisons in mind.
In Chapter 16 of the Book of Acts we read about an account of Paul and Silas. They cast demons out of a local woman and the people that controlled this woman, and made money off her, were very upset with Paul and Silas. As a result, they had them beaten and thrown in prison.
And when they had laid many stripes upon them, they cast them into prison, charging the jailor to keep them safely: Who, having received such a charge, thrust them into the inner prison, and made their feet fast in the stocks. And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them. And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened, and every one’s bands were loosed. And the keeper of the prison awaking out of his sleep, and seeing the prison doors open, he drew out his sword, and would have killed himself, supposing that the prisoners had been fled. But Paul cried with a loud voice, saying, Do thyself no harm: for we are all here. Then he called for a light, and sprang in, and came trembling, and fell down before Paul and Silas, And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house. (Acts 16:23-31)
Now, there are all kinds of prisons and God doesn’t like any of them. God is all about freedom:
To open the blind eyes, to bring out the prisoners from the prison, and them that sit in darkness out of the prison house. (Isaiah 42:7)
If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed. (John 8:36)
Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. (2 Corinthians 3:17)
God wants us free. No prisons! No bondages! No chains or restraints! He wants our feet unshackled so that we are free to go into all the world and preach the Gospel. He wants our hands free to lay hands on people and also free to worship him by clapping and raising Holy hands.
It’s time to get free people!!!
