Luke 4:17-21(NKJV) So He [Jesus]came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up. And as His custom was, He went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up to read. And He was handed the book of the prophet Isaiah. And when He had opened the book, He found the place where it was written:
“The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, Because He has anointed Me To preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives And recovery of sight to the blind, To set at liberty those who are oppressed; To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.”
Then He closed the book, and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all who were in the synagogue were fixed on Him. And He began to say to them, “Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.”
In one sentence Jesus delivered a sermon that rocked his hometown of Nazareth. At first, they marvel at his teaching amazed by what they heard. That turned quickly to denying and refusing to believe that the hometown son could be the Messiah. Make no mistake! With one sentence, Jesus declared he was the answer to the prophet's prophecy! He did so with confidence and total conviction. There is a simple lesson taught in this passage concerning sharing the gospel. It's not how long, detailed, or elegant the message is but rather how confident and assured you are that it is good news. You do not need to be a theologian to share the gospel. You do need to believe it is the truth, and it has the power to make an everlasting difference. JB
Do as Thou hast said, that thy name may be magnified for ever. 1 Chronicles 17: 23, 24. THIS is a most blessed phase of true prayer. Many a time we ask for things which are not absolutely promised. We are not sure therefore until we have persevered for some time whether our petitions are in the line of God's purpose or no. There are other occasions, and in the life of David this was one, when we are fully persuaded that what we ask is according to God's will. We feel led to take up slid plead some promise from the page of scripture, under the special impression that it contains a message for us. At such times, in confident faith, we say, "Do as Thou hast said." There is hardly any position more utterly beautiful, strong, or safe, than to put the finger upon some promise of the Divine Word, and claim it. There need be no anguish, or struggle, or wrestling; we simply present the cheque and ask for cash, produce the promise, and claim its fulfillment; nor can there be any doubt as to the issue. It would give much interest to prayer, if we were more definite. It is far better to claim a few things specifically than a score vaguely. David's argument was not simply that his house might be established, but that God's name might be magnified for ever. It is good when we can lose sight of our personal interests in our keen desire for his glory; when we are so delivered from egotism, that Christ is all and in all. Let the attitude of your soul be more towards the glory of God; and as you quote promise after promise for the enthroning of Christ, the saving of men, and the sanctification of your soul, dare in humble faith to say, Do as Thou hast said, that thy Name may be magnified for ever. ~F. B. Meyer
