Same scripture, same message, different perspective.
Matthew 10:34 -39 NKJV
"Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword. For I have come to set a man against his farther, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law, and a man's enemies will be those of his own household. He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it."
How can you free the captives if you are still in bondage? How can you lay your life down if you refuse to give it up? I know without a doubt that there is a call upon my life. But most of my life, I have "been a slave to men" as Paul instructed the people not to be in 1 Corinthians.
In order to be free, that may mean allowing Jesus to bring division to your house and let the sword of the Word not only cut you but to cut off dead branches.
It was prophesied to me that I would be like Moses, that I would go back and get my family. I remembered this just now and the Lord asked me, "How can you free the captives if you are still in bondage?" It is important that if you say you love Christ, that you bear your cross. Just as Jesus did not want to go to the cross, but He submitted to the Father, so must I. So must any of us that call ourselves believers. Let God's will be done - on earth as it is in heaven. Just as Jesus did not go to the cross for Himself, nor do you. Nor do I. The Lord told me that me enduring this pain right now is necessary for me to be able to go back and get others later. I carry this cross or risk myself and my family perishing.
That's the thing...I knew the cross was important and I've read this scripture many times, but I did not see until now just how important each of us letting our flesh be nailed to the cross is - not only to ourselves, but to the very people we love and want to be saved. I thought downgrading myself or being self-deprecating was humility. No. Humility is understanding your purpose and moving in it because of who gave you this life - God. See, if I don't die now, other people will not live. I love Jesus and as a disciple, I cannot believe that He saved me and that's where it ends. So, there is somebody out there, maybe several someones,who I am assigned to go get. And while I'm over here trying to figure out how to serve God and still avoid the pain of division, maybe someone else is dying the eternal death.
"How can you free the captives if you are still in bondage?" My God...
