“The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound.” (Isa. 61:1 ESV)

Prison: any place of confinement or involuntary restraint.

Compassion for those in prison

“For you had compassion on those in prison, and you joyfully accepted the plundering of your property, since you knew that you yourselves had a better possession and an abiding one.” (Heb. 10:34 ESV)

“I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.” (Matt. 25:36 ESV)

Therefore…

“Bring me out of prison, that I may give thanks to your name! The righteous will surround me, for you will deal bountifully with me.” (Psalm 142:7 ESV)

“Remember those who are in prison, as though in prison with them, and those who are mistreated, since you also are in the body.” (Heb. 13:3 ESV)

“He shall eat curds and honey when he knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good.” (Isa. 7:15 ESV)

Gracious words are like a honeycomb

“Gracious words are like a honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and health to the body.” (Prov. 16:24 ESV)

Therefore…

“My son, eat honey, for it is good, and the drippings of the honeycomb are sweet to your taste.” (Prov. 24:13 ESV)

But, not too much

“It is not good to eat much honey, nor is it glorious to seek one's own glory.” (Prov. 25:27 ESV)

The rules of the Lord are sweeter than honey

“The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple; the precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes; the fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever; the rules of the Lord are true, and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold, even much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and drippings of the honeycomb. Moreover, by them is your servant warned; in keeping them there is great reward.” (Psalms 19:7-11 ESV)

“The generous man will be prosperous, And he who waters will himself be watered.” (Prov. 11:25 ESV)

Always having sufficiency for every good deed

“And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance for every good deed.” (2 Cor. 9:8 ESV)

Good measure, pressed down

“Give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you.” (Luke 6:38 ESV)

Therefore…

“Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.” (Heb. 13 :16 ESV)

“May you be blessed of the LORD, Maker of heaven and earth.” (Psalm 115:15 ESV)

“Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and will not be afraid; for the Lord God is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation.” (Isa. 12:2 ESV)

Trust: To expect with assurance; a feeling of certainty that a person or thing will not fail; faith, confidence, reliance.

Trust in God when you are afraid

“When I am afraid, I put my trust in you. In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I shall not be afraid. What can flesh do to me?” (Psalms 56:3-4 ESV)

Trust in God with all your heart

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.” (Prov. 3:5 ESV)

Therefore…

“My son, do not forget my teaching, but let your heart keep my commandments, for length of days and years of life and peace they will add to you. Let not steadfast love and faithfulness forsake you; bind them around your neck; write them on the tablet of your heart. So you will find favor and good success in the sight of God and man. Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.” (Prov. 3:1-6 ESV)

 ”Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him, and he will act.” (Psalm 37:5 ESV)

“But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people.” (2 Tim. 3:1-5 ESV)

Unpleasant people are everywhere

The above passage describes what people will be like “in the last days” and says to avoid such people. But, that is a difficult challenge when they are all around you; where you go to school, where you work, in your neighborhood, and even in your own family. You have to remind yourself that our fight isn’t against them (they are made of flesh and blood), but rather, we wrestle against “spiritual forces of evil.”

We do not wrestle against flesh and blood

“For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.” (Eph. 6:12 ESV)

Therefore..

“...The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? When evildoers assail me to eat up my flesh, my adversaries and foes, it is they who stumble and fall. Though an army encamp against me, my heart shall not fear; though war arise against me, yet I will be confident. One thing have I asked of the Lord, that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in his temple. For he will hide me in his shelter in the day of trouble; he will conceal me under the cover of his tent; he will lift me high upon a rock And now my head shall be lifted up above my enemies all around me, and I will offer in his tent sacrifices with shouts of joy; I will sing and make melody to the Lord..” (Psalms 27:1-6 ESV)

“For the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd, and he will guide them to springs of living water, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.” (Rev. 7:17 ESV

Jesus wept!

Jesus, God in the flesh, understood tears. The shortest verse in the Bible simply says, “Jesus wept.” (John 11:35 ESV). He was greatly moved in His spirit and was greatly troubled when He saw weeping.

“When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in his spirit and greatly troubled.” (John 11:33 ESV)

Tears, will pass away forever!

“He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” (Rev. 21:4 ESV)

“He will swallow up death forever; and the Lord God will wipe away tears from all faces, and the reproach of his people he will take away from all the earth, for the Lord has spoken.” (Isa. 25:8 ESV)

Therefore…

“Those who sow in tears shall reap with shouts of joy!” (Psalm 126:5 ESV)

“Hear my prayer, O Lord, and give ear to my cry; hold not your peace at my tears! For I am a sojourner with you, a guest, like all my fathers.”(Psalm 39:12 ESV)

“For his anger is but for a moment, and his favor is for a lifetime. Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning.” (Psalm 30:5 ESV)

“Then the Lord said to Samuel, “Behold, I am about to do a thing in Israel at which the two ears of everyone who hears it will tingle.” (1 Sam. 3:11 ESV)

Surprise: To cause to feel wonder, astonishment, or amazement, as at something unanticipated. To encounter or discover suddenly or unexpectedly; take or catch unawares.

Surprise! God does the unexpected because His ways and thoughts are higher than yours

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” (Isa. 55:8-9 ESV)

Surprise! God performs awesome deeds

“When you performed awesome deeds that took us by surprise, you came down, and the mountains trembled before you.” (Isa. 64:3

Surprise! God does the unexpected

“None of the rulers of this age understood this, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.” (1 Cor. 2:8 ESV)

Surprise! God does a new thing!

“Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.” (Isa. 43:19 ESV)

“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” (Acts 1:8 ESV)

• You will receive power
• You will become God’s witnesses 

- Locally (where you live)

- The rest of the world (ends of the earth)

Everyone present was filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the Word of God boldly

“And everyone present was filled with the Holy Spirit and began speaking in other languages, as the Holy Spirit gave them this ability.” (Acts 2:4 NLT)

“After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly.” (Acts 4:31 NIV)

Therefore…

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit (Rom. 15:13 NIV)

“Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.” (1 Cor. 6:19-20 BIV)

“Therefore if there is any encouragement in Christ, if there is any consolation of love, if there is any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and compassion, make my joy complete by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose. Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves…” (Phil. 2:1-3)

Agree with one another in the same mind and same judgement

“I appeal to you, brothers, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same judgment.” (1 Cor. 1:10 ESV)

The power of agreement

“Again I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven.” (Matt. 18:19 ESV)

Therefore…

“Now may the God who gives perseverance and encouragement grant you to be of the same mind with one another according to Christ Jesus…” (Rom. 15:5)