On Sunday Elizabeth opened our service talking about Freedom and later Rai spoke about being captives.
Elizabeth & Rai shares:
I don’t know what it’s like to be imprisoned but I do know what it means to be broken hearted and whilst I've never actually been captive, I am filled with such joy that we have freedom in Christ and that idea that we are free and that He has set us free. 2 Corinthians 3:17 says: "The Lord is the spirit and where the spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom."
Rai goes on:The Lord has placed this on my heart this morning. Elizabeth started off our time today by talking about being captive and a prisoner and being free. She shared how she hadn’t experienced being a prisoner or a captive. I really felt that this morning, that we have an enemy out there and without us even knowing we can become a prisoner, a captive. A captive in our own situations and circumstances. Without evening knowing He’s put us in a corner where we feel stressed or anxious may be because of debt, or some other situation. You don’t feel like you are a prisoner but that’s exactly your state this morning, you’re a prisoner. Maybe you’re experiencing some anxiety and worry, and the enemy has this way of just bringing you down and putting you in a corner. Maybe you haven’t known that freedom, that experience that Christ brings to us. He brings us, he sets the captives free. So, if you aren’t free this morning, I’ve got good news for you, you can be free because of Jesus, because of all that he has done for us on the cross.
He has given His life, He has given His all for us, that we might be free from all these things. Free from sin and the weight of sin and the power of sin. He’s released us from all these things.
In Psalm 91 it talks about the fowlers snare, and it may mean that you’ve been snared this morning, that you feel that you are in a prison, that you are captive, I’ve got good news for you this morning. Jesus came to set you free this morning and He says in that Psalm, whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. Jesus is calling out to you this morning, and I want to encourage you, wherever you are at, at this moment in your life, whether you feel that weight, whether you feel that you’re a captive or whether you feel that you are a prisoner, you can just be where you are and you can just lift your head heavenwards and your heart heavenwards and you can say, “Lord, I will bring my situation before you right now and I’ll give this over to you. I want to know your freedom, I want to know your freedom from sin, from guilt, from shame.” You know, I would love to talk to you if you want further prayer about any of those areas after the meeting but for now let’s continue to worship the Lord, let’s realise that He has purchased freedom for us this morning, in His name.
You can watch Elizabeth & Rai share this encouragement here: