Scriptural Foundation:
Luke 4:17-21 New King James (NKJV)
And He [Jesus] 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.”
John 8:43-44 New King James (NKJV)
Why do you not understand My speech? Because you are not able to listen to My word. You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it.
Reflection:
We have all heard the phrase “money does not grow on trees”. At the same time, counterfeiting and money laundering is still a very real threat. One would think that as a society we have progressed to the point of rightfully discerning between the real thing and something that holds no value, but unfortunately that is not the case. In the spirit realm, the devil is the king of this world:
If the Good News we preach is hidden behind a veil, it is hidden only from people who are perishing. Satan, who is the god of this world, has blinded the minds of those who don’t believe. They are unable to see the glorious light of the Good News. They don’t understand this message about the glory of Christ, who is the exact likeness of God. – 2 Corinthians 4:3-4
His primary objective is to swindle all of God’s children out of our inheritance here on earth and totally rob eternity from those that have not come to know the saving knowledge of Christ.
An expanded interpretive translation of John 10:10 could read this way:
“The thief wants to get his hands into every good thing in your life. In fact, this pickpocket is looking for any opportunity to wiggle his way so deeply into your personal affairs that he can walk off with everything you hold precious and dear. And that’s not all — when he’s finished stealing all your goods and possessions, he’ll take his plan to rob you blind to the next level. He’ll create conditions and situations so horrible that you’ll see no way to solve the problem except to sacrifice everything that remains from his previous attacks. The goal of this thief is to totally waste and devastate your life. If nothing stops him, he’ll leave you insolvent, flat broke, and cleaned out in every area of your life. You’ll end up feeling as if you are finished and out of business! Make no mistake — the enemy’s ultimate aim is to obliterate you….”
“…But I came that they might have, keep, and constantly retain a vitality, gusto, vigor, and zest for living that springs up from deep down inside. I came that they might embrace this unrivaled, unequaled, matchless, incomparable, richly loaded and overflowing life to the ultimate maximum!”
Beloved, no matter where you are on this journey of life it is never too late to spot a counterfeit and turn it in at the Altar for the promises of the Lord. Don’t feel ashamed if you feel like you missed an opportunity or you keep falling for the empty promise of a loved one. Jesus’ primary objective when He came to earth was to redeem this lost/dying world. Determine in your spirit that you will pay attention, stay vigilant in prayer, and walk out Luke 4:17-21 in Him.
Seeking Revelation:
Grab your notebook:
- Are you accepting counterfeit feelings, relationships, and/or situations in your life?
- Why do you think you are accepting something less than what the Lord has pre-destined for you?
- Ask the Holy Spirit what you can do to trade in these counterfeits for the Blessings of Your Father.