From Captive to Captivated

"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." (Isaiah 61:1)

Being a captive is not just physical. It is one thing to be held behind prison bars. It is another thing to be imprisoned emotionally, mentally, and spiritually. Either way, you are being captured, taken hold of, bound, and in shackles against your will.

In visiting with the inmates of the La Union Provincial Jail, my heart personally melted and broke in several pieces. I did not see people who were restricted from the outside world. I saw broken men and women in need of the Truth. Here are people who have not seen their loved ones for a long time. Here are people who are experiencing self-condemnation because of wrong choices. Here are people who feel rejected and judged and have little hope of having a second chance.

The Good News, which San Fernando Christian Community is bringing to them, is that there is Hope. Jesus said He came to set the captives free. He is saying that anyone who put their faith in Him will experience and know a God who can forgive their sins and call them His own. Their sins, no matter how grave, would be wiped clean.

The people I met had different stories to share. And as I talked to them, I saw no difference between them and those outside who are deemed 'physically free'. We were all in captivity until salvation came to us in the person of Jesus Christ. And after the songs had been sung, after the Message has been delivered, and after the prayers have been said, I went home with a heart full of hope that despite their situation, they now have a new understanding of the word 'free'.