Going to church, reading the bible, listening to Christian music will not advance your spiritual life. These activities may give you more understanding but until you are ready to lay down your life and take up your cross this leads nowhere.
What I am talking about is the sacrifice of self to advance the cause of Jesus Christ in the world. There is a destiny that God had for each of us that only we can personally discover. We can discover it only by detaching from the world and making ourselves available for the Holy Spirit. By detaching from the world--now you have time--the commodity that most Christians are not willing to give.
Jesus said, "Self-help is not help at all. Self-sacrifice is the way, to finding yourself, your true self. (Matthew 16:25)
"God has planted eternity in the human heart." (Ecclesiastes 3:11)
"Anyone who lets himself be distracted from the work I plan for him is not fit for the Kingdom of God." (Luke 9:62)
"The most important thing is that I complete my mission, the work that the Lord Jesus gave me." (Acts 20:24)
"We have been sent to speak for Christ." (2 Corinthians 5:20)
"We are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus, to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." (Ephesians 2:10)
Albert Finch
www.thekeys2kingdom.com
What I am talking about is the sacrifice of self to advance the cause of Jesus Christ in the world. There is a destiny that God had for each of us that only we can personally discover. We can discover it only by detaching from the world and making ourselves available for the Holy Spirit. By detaching from the world--now you have time--the commodity that most Christians are not willing to give.
Jesus said, "Self-help is not help at all. Self-sacrifice is the way, to finding yourself, your true self. (Matthew 16:25)
"God has planted eternity in the human heart." (Ecclesiastes 3:11)
"Anyone who lets himself be distracted from the work I plan for him is not fit for the Kingdom of God." (Luke 9:62)
"The most important thing is that I complete my mission, the work that the Lord Jesus gave me." (Acts 20:24)
"We have been sent to speak for Christ." (2 Corinthians 5:20)
"We are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus, to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." (Ephesians 2:10)
Albert Finch
www.thekeys2kingdom.com
Breaking The Chains Of Bondage
Posted 09-08-2020 at 08:32 AM by Albert Finch
"And behold, there was a woman who had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bent over and could in no way raise herself up. But when Jesus saw her, He called her to Him and said to her, 'Woman, you are loosed from your infirmity.' And He laid His hands on her, and immediately she was made straight, and glorified God." - Luke 13:11-13
In verse 14, we are told the ruler of the synagogue objected to Jesus healing on the Sabbath day. Jesus responds:
"Hypocrite! Does not each one of you on the Sabbath loose his ox or donkey from the stall, and lead it away to water it? So ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom satan has bound – think of it – for eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath?" - Luke 13:15-16
ARMED FOR BATTLE
1. We have a vicious enemy, who wants to victimize us, torment us and take away all hope of freedom or fulfillment of dreams or destinies. He wants to put chains around our neck, keep us bent over with our heads down and fill us with feelings of shame and worthlessness.
2. We have a God who loves us and has the power to set us free and rebuke every physical, spiritual and emotional spirit of infirmity.
3. Those who have suffered most under the diabolical enslavement of our evil enemy, will become the most determined and fearless fighters against him, in order to free others still living under his insidious control.
UNDERSTANDING THE PROBLEM
The harvest is ripe, but the laborers are few. The reason for that is that so many potential laborers are all bent over, feeling unusable to God because of either secret or not-so-secret spiritual, physical, or emotional bondages.
When people are all bent over and cannot lift their heads up, they will always be looking down. You don't get a great perspective on the future, when you can see nothing but dirt. Your eyes are not on the horizon or on the heavens. You are seeing nothing but the same old dirt day after day.
"The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me, because the Lord has anointed Me to preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the broken hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of vengeance of our God; To comfort all who mourn, to console those who mourn in Zion.
To give them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; That they may be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified. And they shall rebuild the old ruins; They shall raise up the former desolations, and they shall repair the ruined cities, the desolations of many generations." - Isaiah 61:1-4
This was the job description the Father gave to Jesus to fulfill on His mission. Today, Jesus is giving us, His Body on the earth, the same job description. But He is not asking us to do it in our own giftings, or our own strength. No, He is pouring out the same Holy Spirit on us today, that was poured into Him at His baptism.
As we begin to bring freedom to those both inside and outside the Church, we will observe the fearless passion of those who have been liberated. They will boldly enlist by discipling others into the army of the Lord. They will be discipled into their identity in Christ and how to use spiritual weapons of warfare, which are not carnal, but mighty in God for the pulling down of strongholds (2 Corinthians 10:4).
The power of the testimony of delivered people cannot be overestimated. Hope will arise and the excitement will spread like a prairie fire in dry stubble.
OUR ASSIGNMENT
We must cooperate with God in this strategic plan to prepare His harvesters. So what must we then do?
1. Humble ourselves before God, confessing our need to learn and understand His purpose for our life.
2. Once you understand His purpose for your life (your calling in Christ) pray earnestly for the gifts and fruit of the Holy Spirit.
3. Identify our own bondages, small or great, and present them before God. (Hebrews 12:1)
4. For purposes of prayer, ask the Holy Spirit to identify bondages in others, whom you want to experience freedom.
5. Commit to obeying God, no matter what He asks you to do, and listen to His still small voice (walking in the Spirit).
6. Lift up your head and look forward to advancing His Kingdom through your CALLING in Christ!
In verse 14, we are told the ruler of the synagogue objected to Jesus healing on the Sabbath day. Jesus responds:
"Hypocrite! Does not each one of you on the Sabbath loose his ox or donkey from the stall, and lead it away to water it? So ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom satan has bound – think of it – for eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath?" - Luke 13:15-16
ARMED FOR BATTLE
1. We have a vicious enemy, who wants to victimize us, torment us and take away all hope of freedom or fulfillment of dreams or destinies. He wants to put chains around our neck, keep us bent over with our heads down and fill us with feelings of shame and worthlessness.
2. We have a God who loves us and has the power to set us free and rebuke every physical, spiritual and emotional spirit of infirmity.
3. Those who have suffered most under the diabolical enslavement of our evil enemy, will become the most determined and fearless fighters against him, in order to free others still living under his insidious control.
UNDERSTANDING THE PROBLEM
The harvest is ripe, but the laborers are few. The reason for that is that so many potential laborers are all bent over, feeling unusable to God because of either secret or not-so-secret spiritual, physical, or emotional bondages.
When people are all bent over and cannot lift their heads up, they will always be looking down. You don't get a great perspective on the future, when you can see nothing but dirt. Your eyes are not on the horizon or on the heavens. You are seeing nothing but the same old dirt day after day.
"The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me, because the Lord has anointed Me to preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the broken hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of vengeance of our God; To comfort all who mourn, to console those who mourn in Zion.
To give them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; That they may be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified. And they shall rebuild the old ruins; They shall raise up the former desolations, and they shall repair the ruined cities, the desolations of many generations." - Isaiah 61:1-4
This was the job description the Father gave to Jesus to fulfill on His mission. Today, Jesus is giving us, His Body on the earth, the same job description. But He is not asking us to do it in our own giftings, or our own strength. No, He is pouring out the same Holy Spirit on us today, that was poured into Him at His baptism.
As we begin to bring freedom to those both inside and outside the Church, we will observe the fearless passion of those who have been liberated. They will boldly enlist by discipling others into the army of the Lord. They will be discipled into their identity in Christ and how to use spiritual weapons of warfare, which are not carnal, but mighty in God for the pulling down of strongholds (2 Corinthians 10:4).
The power of the testimony of delivered people cannot be overestimated. Hope will arise and the excitement will spread like a prairie fire in dry stubble.
OUR ASSIGNMENT
We must cooperate with God in this strategic plan to prepare His harvesters. So what must we then do?
1. Humble ourselves before God, confessing our need to learn and understand His purpose for our life.
2. Once you understand His purpose for your life (your calling in Christ) pray earnestly for the gifts and fruit of the Holy Spirit.
3. Identify our own bondages, small or great, and present them before God. (Hebrews 12:1)
4. For purposes of prayer, ask the Holy Spirit to identify bondages in others, whom you want to experience freedom.
5. Commit to obeying God, no matter what He asks you to do, and listen to His still small voice (walking in the Spirit).
6. Lift up your head and look forward to advancing His Kingdom through your CALLING in Christ!
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