Captive Or Captivated

And before we can be captivated we must be delivered.

A few minutes ago, I posed the question “maybe the Israelites were captives of their own minds?”

In Romans 12:2 Paul admonishes us “and do not b conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable perfect will of God” Perhaps the Israelites needed a renewing of their minds!

So let’s talk a little about deliverance (no Andy, not the movie):

Just as the Israelites and Daniel needed deliverance, so do we.

The most important thing for us to remember is that once we are delivered into Gods hand, nothing can snatch us out of His hand.

Wednesday night I had a dream about Isaiah 43. Now in my dream, I was told to read Isaiah 43: 48-49. When I woke up and turned to Isaiah 43, I realized that my dream was a bit flawed. There is no verses 48 and 49!

However, I did land on verse 13:

“indeed before the day way, I am He, and there is no one who can deliver out of My hand; I work, and who will reverse it?

-ask someone to read their bible-

Romans 6:14-19 read from my bible

V17 deliverance through obedience. 12 or so translations, they all used: obey, obeyed or obedience

These 4 verses can help us understand deliverance:

2 Corinthians 10:5 “Casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience to Christ” There’s that word obedience again.

Hebrews 12:1 “Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with the endurance the race that is set before us”.

1 Peter 5:7 “Casting your care upon Him, for He cares for you”. The simplicity of that verse is almost overwhelming.

Brigs wedding story (I just realized I have two Brig stories today. I hope the others don’t get jealous)

Ephesians 6:17

“Take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the spirit which is the word of God”

We need salvation in order to be delivered! Salvation is the ULTIMATE deliverance!

To wrap this up:

We are delivered from our captivity through our obedience and faith, so we can become captivated in Gods Glory!

I’ll ask these questions of us: Why do we come to church?

To be captivated by the worship?

To be captivated by the words spoken behind the pulpit?

Or to be captivated in the presence of the Holy Spirit?

Like Moses, are we being obedient to Gods calling on our lives?

And Like Daniel do we have faith in God during our most troubling times?

A few months ago, I told a friend that I have become enthralled with the Old Testament and that I wasn’t exactly sure why. Several months back I read this statement: Every event in human history directs us to the return of Jesus Christ.

Yesterday, I realized why I am spending so much time in the Old Testament. I’m looking for and finding the gospel in the OT stories!

Have you left Egypt?

Have you returned to Egypt with a self-imposed captivity?

Do you desire deliverance?

Are you captivated in Gods Love?