Set Free from False Submission

 There are Christians who think they must fulfil all expectations and instructions from their family, their church and their boss at work, as if everyone around them were an officer in God's army.

When Jesus preached and ministered in his earthly life, he saw how so many Jews had to carry heavy burdens.

God had given the Jews more than 600 laws and rules in the Old Testament. It was almost impossible for a flawed human being to obey everything perfectly. Only the sinless Son of God was able to do this.

But for the Jews in those generations it was even worse. The rabbis and Pharisees had laid down countless additional rules.

For example, it was forbidden to work on the Sabbath, but the Pharisees had invented detailed rules whereby it was forbidden to minister to the sick through prayer on the Sabbath.

Jesus confronted the religious leaders directly by healing the sick on the Sabbath, in public services. There are still some Christians who are indignant when miraculous healings take place in church services.

The rabbis also required women to be extremely submissive, just like many strict Christian fundamentalists today.

Then came the Roman occupation. A Roman soldier was allowed to order a Jew to carry his luggage. If Jews resisted the Roman occupation, they were often crucified.
Most Jews were heavily burdened and many were traumatised.

Jesus did not abolish the Ten Commandments and the Old Testament by any means, but he wanted to open the way so that everyone could come directly to God, so that everyone would receive God's loving help.

One woman shared her story on Facebook. She was mercilessly harassed by her husband, but in her church she was told to just obey, submit, fast and pray.

She obeyed for years until she could bear no more. She was just about to kill herself when her mobile phone rang. God had moved a friend to save her.

She could finally understand that Jesus did not want to enslave her, but to save and free her.
She left her husband and her church and now lives as a liberated Christian woman. 

Jesus has a simple solution to our problems.

“Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.

“Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.

“For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” Mt 11:28–30 NASB95

Jesus does not mean that we should live our lives like lazy people in a rocking chair without any problems, but Jesus wants to accompany you as a friend in the midst of your problems.

There may be some in your church, family or workplace who want to dominate or manipulate you, but Jesus wants your trust so that you can follow his loving guidance.

Many of us are enslaved to a spirit of submission that is not from God, the spirit of false submission.

God Transforms your Past

 “Do not be afraid; you will not be put to shame. Do not fear disgrace; you will not be humiliated. You will forget the shame of your youth and remember no more the reproach of your widowhood. Is 54:4 NIV

God remembers everything in your life, the good, the bad and the ugly.
But doesn't the Bible say that God forgets your sins when he forgives you?

God chooses not to consider your forgiven sin as sin. But God keeps a record of everything in your history for a different purpose.

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. Ro 8:28 NIV

God keeps a record of your whole life to heal the wounds in your soul.

Better yet, God uses the wrong and traumatic experiences in your life to bless you and others.

When Moses died, Joshua took over the leadership of Israel.
Before the Israelites miraculously crossed the Jordan, Joshua sent spies to Jericho.

They narrowly escaped capture when they fled to a brothel. The prostitute Rahab protected them because she believed in the God of Israel.

When the city of Jericho fell, Rahab's house was preserved and she was welcomed in Israel as a convert to the true God.

She became the grandmother of King David's grandfather.
Rahab is one of only four women listed in Jesus' family tree in the Gospel of Matthew.

Jesus said to the self-righteous Jewish religious leaders:

... “Truly I tell you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God ahead of you. Mt 21:31 NIV

How many prostitutes have been encouraged by the story of Rahab to respond to God's love?

God uses the records of our past lives to bless us and others.

I once heard a very interesting preacher. He told the story of a church made up mostly of converted former prostitutes. They were wonderful street evangelists.

    As prostitutes, they had pursued men with shameless boldness. God used that same shameless boldness to make them marvellous evangelists.

God forgets the sinfulness of your sin, but He uses your sinful past to bring about amazing miracles.

THE WAY TO FREEDOM

"The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon Me, Isaiah 61:1 (NKJV) 

I cannot encourage you to believe by myself but only because the Spirit of Jesus is with me. 

I am not filled with the Holy Spirit because I was born different but because someone told me about Jesus and showed me that Jesus wanted to fill me with His Holy Spirit. He loves you just as much and He wants to fill you with His Holy Spirit too.

'And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God, That I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh; Acts 2:17 (NKJV) 

After Jesus died He returned from the grave and taught His disciples for 40 days. Then He returned to heaven and some days later He poured out the Spirit of God on all believers, all His followers, ALL FLESH. 

Do you believe in Jesus? Do you trust in the Son of God? Are you are a follower of Jesus Christ? You need no other qualification to be filled with the supernatural power of the Holy Spirit from Heaven as the first believers were. 

Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, Your young men shall see visions, Your old men shall dream dreams. Acts 2:17 (NKJV) 

Are you a son or daughter of a human mother and father? If you are, and if you have decided to follow Jesus, you too can see visions and receive revelations from heaven as you sleep. You too can receive wonderful encouraging messages from God to encourage you and to share with others.

The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, because the LORD has anointed me to bring good news to the poor; Isaiah 61:1 (ESV) 

God wants to fill you with His Spirit not only to bless you but to equip and empower you to bless others, to make the truth of God real to them as it is to you.

He has sent me to bind up the broken-hearted... 

If you are a believer, you must not distance yourselves from people around you who are broken and distressed. The Holy Spirit is THE COMFORTER and He wants to comfort you and enable you to comfort others.

...to proclaim liberty to the captives.. 

People are held captive by so many things, by shame and disappointment, by fear and anger, by trauma they cannot forget, by resentment because they have been betrayed and savagely abused. People have been broken by various forms of bullying and deceptions and then victims become abusers.

The punishment due to human cruelty and perversion is more than we can bear but God sent His only Son to die on the cross, to suffer the punishment we deserved, to take our place. Jesus suffered and died as a tormented prisoner so we could go free.

... and the opening of the prison to those who are bound.

We cannot find eternal freedom by our own efforts but Jesus made a way by His suffering for us.

For God took the sinless Christ and poured into him our sins. Then, in exchange, he poured God’s goodness into us! 2 Corinthians 5:21 (TLB)