It is time to Reconnect

Thus saith the Lord, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls.

Jeremiah 6:16

At some point, before we accepted Christ in our life, we were disconnected from God.  It is the word of God and our application to it that bridges the gap between sinful man and a gracious God.  If we want to be fully pleasing to God and do the work of the ministry that He has preordained for us to do, we must reconnect with Him.  Find the old path and walk in it.  The foundation was created for the body of Christ! 

Ø   It is time to reconnect

At some point we were disconnected from God but through the learning of the word it re-connected us.       God's word is forever settled.   

For ever, O Lord, thy word is settled in heaven.   Psalm 119:89

·        Transformational learning reconnects us to the image of God.

Ø    The only way to reconnect (become a true disciple) is to get to, walk in, to be in and to exist as the image of Christ.

There is a freedom that comes with being a disciple.  You cannot be free until you have fully surrendered to God.  You have to be free in order to bring freedom to others.  If the enemy cannot stop you from following Jesus, he will try to divert you from your purpose in God.  The #1 way the devil will try to keep you from your destiny is that he will try to keep you trapped in some type of sin or weight.   

Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,  Hebrews 12:1

The enemy brings distractions through some type of sin, emotional distress, unforgiveness, addiction, and fear to try to keep you living in the past.

The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. John 10:10

The mission of Satan is to kill, steal and destroy; the exact opposite of what God wants for us.  If you are bound, you are not living you are merely existing.  By keeping you chained to your sin, weights and weaknesses, the enemy can stop you from helping others.

Satan will come and try to arrest your spiritual calling by trying to keep you in bondage; stopping you from advancing in the Kingdom of God.  Remaining in bondage means that there is no transformation and because there is no transformation, there is no freedom.  There is too much ‘cement’ inside.

As we are transforming, we become truth and light.  

And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.  John 1:14

Jesus came to set us free.  

The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me; because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound; To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn; Isaiah 61:1-2

The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.  Luke 4:18-20

God anointed us for a purpose; Jesus purpose was to set us free; there should be no lingering bondage.  Jesus can break the chains.  He had a solitary purpose and no time for foolishness.
  
And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear your words, when ye depart out of that house or city, shake off the dust of your feet. Matthew 10:14

Ask yourself this question:  Do I really want to be free?    (Answer honestly)  If you have to ask what the freedom entails, what is the cost to me or what do I have to relinquish, you’re not ready.  

Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me. But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful: for he had great possessions. Then said Jesus unto his disciples, Verily I say unto you, That a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven.  Matthew 19:21-23

The ways those in the world comes at us is not the way we retaliate. 

  

For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;)  2 Corinthians 10:3-4

We are not fighting an ordinary thing we are fighting a supernatural diabolical force that knows what it takes to be saved.  He knows when we are not living it.  Quit blaming the enemy for your negative life circumstances – he doesn’t work that way.  He works in the 2^nd heavenly realm on a much larger level.

The enemy gets us through our mind.  Stop the divisive attacks against each other and our pastors.  God wants his church back in order for us to be effective and we can’t do it with a cracked and crooked foundation.  Hear the warning of God!  We cannot grow with a crooked foundation.  We must examination our self and turn from every wicked way.  

Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.  Romans 6:4

There are 3 weapons with which we need to arm our self:  Prayer, the Word of God and the Holy Spirit

Ø     You can’t read the word of God without prayer, you can’t pray without the word and 

Ø     We need the Holy Spirit to illuminate what we read.

Ø     We need the Holy Spirit to tell us what to say when we pray.

Spend as much time as you need in prayer.  Don’t judge your prayer according to someone else.   When we spend as much time as we need in prayer (be honest with yourself), the old nature dissipates.  What happened in the past is yesterday.  It is a new day and we leave the old behind.

We apply our faith to God’s word.  We should never come out of prayer without beginning or ending with the word of God.

Find trusted members in the church to pray with you.  There is no way you can be free and prideful at the same time.   

For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.  Matthew 18:20

Humble yourself 

But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.  James 4:6

and know that your fight with the enemy is not yours alone.  

How should one chase a thousand, and two put ten thousand to flight, except their Rock had sold them, and the Lord had shut them up?  Deuteronomy 32:30 

You have to confess that thing that the enemy is beating you down with; expose it. 

He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.  Proverbs 28:13 

Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil.  Ecclesiastes 8:11

You are not an isle.  You have to let go of the pride and private mentality.  

True disciples are connected to God and . . .

We are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.   Matthew 5:14

(Biblical Studies)

10/02/18
03/09/20

Excerpt taken from Word Enrichment

- Bishop Joel C. Lofton