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Posted on Aug 4, 2008 in Rivers of Living Water

Distributing the Recovery Version: Proclaiming Christ as the Jubilee of Grace

We had perhaps 20 or more saints join us from various places in Canada and the United States, including quite a few trainees from the FTTA. In addition, of course, we had many local saints participating to various degrees as their work schedules permitted (several took days off and vacations so they could participate).

It’s been a glorious time of blending and building up. During the three days of Bible distribution, we passed out over 987 New Testaments, with a roughly 50-50 split between French and English. 26 or so new ones attended the seminar at the end (5 had previously attended the seminar we held in January), and we were all impressed by how hungry and seeking they were. One new sister immediately started meeting the next morning at the Lord’s Table, even though we made no invitation!

During the distribution, I was very impressed that we were participating in Jesus’ work of proclaiming the New Testament jubilee, opening the eyes of the blind by giving them the truth, proclaiming release to the captives who are oppressed by Satan in the misery of human life, and returning the enslaved people to their possession–God as their all-inclusive portion.

Although Jesus was very focused on His purpose of preaching the kingdom of God and living a life according to and for God’s economy to accomplish His process, it is striking how many times the Gospels say, “He was moved with compassion ….” For example:

Matthew 15:32 aAnd Jesus called His disciples to Him and said, I am moved with bcompassion for the crowd, because for three days now they have remained with Me and they do not have anything to eat. And I am 1not willing to send them away hungry, lest they faint on the way.

Mark 6:34 And getting out, He saw a great crowd, and He was 1moved with acompassion for them because they were like sheep not having a shepherd, and He began to teach them many things.

Luke 7:12-14 And as He came near the gate of the city, behold, one who had died was being carried out, an aonly son of his mother, and she was a widow; and a considerable crowd from the city was with her.
13
And when the Lord saw her, He was 1moved with acompassion for her and said to her, Do bnot weep.
14
And He came near and touched the bier, and those carrying it stood still. And He said, Young man, to you I say, aArise.

 I am so impressed that even though the vast majority of people who Jesus healed and taught and fed did not become His disciples, yet He had compassion on them. Out of this compassion, He met their human need, bringing the jubilee of grace to them. Similarly, although in our distribution of the Recovery Version, most of the recipients will not enter into the building work of God’s economy in this age (though we do hope and pray that every recipient would be saved), it is such a joy to bring Christ as the jubilee of grace to man. While it is not central to God’s purpose, it is not a small thing to change people’s lives by releasing them from the bondage of Satan, into the freedom and release of Christ.

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