Calvary Assembly of God
Bringing Faith, Hope and Love to Life ~ 2600 Shipley Road, Wilmington, Delaware 19810 ~ 302-478-1275


Inspired and Challenged by the Word of God: Luke 4:18
by Leonard A. Deane Jr.

“The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free,” Luke 4:18

Jesus said He would set the oppressed free. What excellent news! Jesus would heal and set free the oppressed, the trampled, the beaten, the addicted, the abused and the unbelievers. Many today find themselves in this situation. My message today is to make clear that we don’t have to stay oppressed, wounded and beaten, but rather through Jesus we can become healed and victorious.

When Jesus looked on the multitude, He saw the condition of their souls. He saw that they were bruised and downtrodden like lost, scattered sheep with no shepherd. Jesus had compassion on each individual and He healed them and set them free. “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort.” 2 Corinthians 1:3

Jesus not only showed His compassion by setting the oppressed free, He also experienced what it was like to be oppressed by others. The Bible says Jesus was despised, rejected, forsaken, afflicted, bruised and crushed. He became a man of sorrows as He bore our affliction and pain. He took our place and became downtrodden, bruised and crushed for our sake that we may be set free.

Just as Jesus is the author of life and light, and peace and truth. Satan is the master of all oppression and the father of lies. Satan’s method is to keep us as victims, attributing blame to others or our circumstances. He is even happy if we blame him. He would have us blame anyone as long as we do not take accountability for our own responses. The truth of Jesus Christ will set us free!

Jesus is willing to set us all free to be sons of God. To experience this we should know the truth. Listen and take in the truths of Jesus: Did you know that your freedom to be a child of God comes by you facing your sin and not by making right other people’s wrongs? Did you know that Christ died for our sins, was buried and on the third day rose from the dead? Did you know He established the church, which is now His body on earth, to be the place of your healing and salvation? The place where you can be set free to live as a disciple of Jesus? Did you know that the purpose that Jesus, the Son of God, came to live on the earth was that He might destroy the works of the devil? Did you know that Jesus is the way, the truth and the life, and no one comes to the Father but through Him?

Jesus said, Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light. Matthew 11:28-30.

We must come with faith, knowing that to touch the Lord Jesus is to know change. We must put off our victim attitudes, humble ourselves and open our lives to the Lord Jesus. He will not reject us. We come confessing our sin, our attitudes and our responses. Whatever others may have done to cause these things, we are the ones who are oppressed. We are the ones in need of wholeness. We must meet Jesus as a sinner. One of the greatest hindrances to going free is our inability to confess our sin in these matters.

When we are joined, and when we are participating with others in the love of God, we will learn of God’s ways. We will find ourselves being set free from oppression. The bruised and crushed will find rest and peace for their souls.

May the Lord rise-up in your heart and mind. May you be set free from the oppressions of the world and serve Jesus Christ today, tomorrow and always. Amen! Thank you Jesus.


Article Date: 5/8/11

 

Leonard Deane, Calvary's Employment Support Group Coordinator

Leonard A. Deane Jr. is a Calvary church member and the Coordinator for our Employment Support Group.

Additional Articles by Leonard A. Deane Jr.

 

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Matthew 22:34-40 "Hearing that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, the Pharisees got together. One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question: 'Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?' Jesus replied: 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.'"

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Calvary Assembly of God Church ~ 2600 Shipley Road, Wilmington, Delaware 19810 ~ 302-478-1275