LAY ASIDE EVERY WEIGHT – FOCUS ON THE CROSS~Part 1

Most believers tend to lose themselves; their identity and we wonder why, it’s because when they are in Christ, they tend to relax and lose focus. Do not lose focus, do not lose the one who has made you to be who you are. Remember, we are who we are because of Christ. Do not lose who you are.

When you are born-again, one can easily lose focus right in the presence of God, you lose what makes you to be [Christ]. Before we met Christ there was a condition we were in, there is when He made us, we are what He has made us. The minute you are that person and you are in Christ then you start losing who you are in Christ, that’s when you start losing Christ.

 [Hebrews 12:1]

“Since we are surrounded” means that already we are in the presence. Many Christians say they were born again, loved Jesus, and so forth, but they lost it while they were right in the presence. You don’t have to go out of the presence to lose it. Do not lose focus. Being in the presence doesn’t mean you are praying or meditating. That is why He says “watch and pray”. He is not telling us about the location but says “Watch and pray”. Are you in prayer? Are you in the Word?

You are in the right place; in the garden. Some people have fallen since lockdown because they are no longer going to church, but some are still serving in the church: connecting on zoom, etc, you’d find that while you are within, you lose focus. Let us now talk about weight. Every mind that is not of the Word, is weight to you. You can be in the presence with weight, worldly mind, worry, and desires of this world.

Let us lay aside every weight. This weight is not sin, it is the world in you, your worries, and things you care about. Let us lay them aside. Have you put aside every weight? What can take you out of the presence is not only sin but it can also be the weight. Let us put aside every weight in your mind, that weight is the one that can make you lose focus. That weight can easily ensnare us. It takes just an instinct to respond to your worries, it takes just an instinct to respond to the weight of the love of the world, your desires. So, put them aside.

The bible tells us to meditate on the Word of God day and night; which is 24hours (continuously). Whatever in your life that can’t go through the Word is not worth it. Look at how relevant it is to the Word. When whatever you are doing takes you out of the borders of the Word, just know that you are easily ensnared. That’s why the bible says: “Let the weak say I’m strong, the poor say I’m rich, the lost say I’m found.”

When people lose focus, they still expect to be strong, rich, and found. When you lose focus, you lose what God has made you. We are strong because we have Him, we are strong because we are focused on Him. You will lose what He has made you the minute you lose focus. Some of you still feel like you are strong while you have lost Christ, while you have lost focus. No, you are not strong but that is an effect of being strong that is remaining. Everything is fading away.

[John 12:1-8]

“Then, six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus was who had been dead, whom He had raised from the dead. There they made Him a supper, and Martha served, but Lazarus was one of those who sat at the table with Him. Then Mary took a pound of very costly oil of spikenard, anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped His feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the oil. But one of His disciples, Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, who would betray Him, said, “Why was this fragrant oil not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?” This he said, not that he cared for the poor, but because he was a thief, and had the money box; and he used to take what was put in it. But Jesus said, “Let her alone; she has kept this for the day of My burial. For the poor, you have with you always, but Me you do not have always.”

[Mathew 28:18-20]

The student can be equal to the teacher, but he can never be the teacher. He needs to see himself as a student. You’d find a lecturer is currently a student furthering his studies, and when he writes an exam, he writes in a position of a student and not a lecture. When a teacher meets his teacher, he becomes a student. When a master meets his master, he becomes a servant. But some have never become teachers, they’ve never put themselves in the shoes of becoming a teacher.

As a minister, don’t lose focus; don’t be caught up in the administration. Do not find yourself caught up in the things of God and unable to listen. The problem of those who were selling in the house of God was not because they are selling, but was that prayer was not in their hearts. Hence, God said; “My house is a house of prayer” Don’t come to church where you’d find that meditation, Word, and prayer are not in you but what is in you is the respective department you’re serving in; e.g. taking pictures, videography and ushering.

Don’t fall in love with the gift. Don’t fall in love with the position you hold in the church.

Be careful, the Word is taught. You are not here in this service to investigate who’s on zoom and who’s not. You are here as a student. Don’t lose focus because if you lose focus, you lose who you are. Some of the things that make you lose focus will always be there. Some lose focus because of marriage, some lose focus because of school work, etc. Do not allow it to make you lose focus.

Sometimes God requires me to pray the whole night and I can’t tell God that I’m too tired to pray tonight. Where does God fit in? Don’t fit God in your time, but fit your things in God’s time. The minute you lose Christ, you lose what you’ve become. You don’t lose Jesus only. You can’t remain who you are without Jesus. When you lose focus, you lose who God has made.

[Romans 8:26-27]

“Likewise, the Spirit also helps in our

weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us in groanings that cannot be uttered. Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is because He makes intercession for the saints according to the Will of God.”

Are you aware of the weight you are carrying? The weight you have in the presence of God?

One can lose focus because they are so anxious, you need patience for this scripture to work for you. Don’t quote it without patience. The minute your mind is all over, it is full of weight. The Spirit can’t intercede for your weight. The mind of the Spirit is not the carnal mind.

We need to stop encouraging people with lies: “you are weak, the Spirit is interceding for you” While you are full of weight, the Spirit is busy convicting you. When you become convicted, you are made whole. The Spirit knows the mind of the Spirit. The Holy Spirit doesn’t intercede for sinners. Are you carnally minded? The Holy Spirit will not pray for you.

[Philippians 4:8]

“Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy- meditate on those things.”

Whenever you set your mind on what is above, the Spirit prays and intercedes for you.

The only prayer of a carnal man that God hears is the prayer of repentance. You can’t pray for growth while you are carnal, but you can pray for conviction. The bible says “He will take their stony hearts and give them the heart of the Spirit.” You can’t expect the Holy Spirit to pray for you while you are carnal, because it wants to convict you instead of interceding for you.

[Roman 8:28]

Do not be lost in your own wisdom and move with your own will. The Will of God must be in you so that the Spirit of God may intercede on your behalf and because of that, you will have patience. So, all things work for good (present tense) meaning God still works, that’s why we can’t complain about what we are going through, we believe that all things work for good. A person is able to submit for 10 years and lose it in a second.

You must know in your Christian life that just as in the Olympics you are in the same sports ground; the same finishing line but the journey is not the same. Some of you must run longer, and some not so. Some it might take you 100 meters, some a marathon. There is no instant miracle, it doesn’t work like that. Our journeys are different, all you need as a Christian is patience. Focus because there are ensnares all over.

[John 16:6-8]

It is possible to be taught the Word and yet not be convicted. Those who needed conviction were not only of the world but Peter is also counted amongst those who needed conviction. One can experience the most powerful revelations, and miracles yet their heart is still the same and far from conviction. If the disciples were not convicted, it means they haven’t received the Holy Spirit. They (disciples) have experienced the most powerful miracles, saw a Spirit like a dove falling on Jesus and God confirming that Jesus is His Son whom He is well pleased in, they saw visions, heard from the Father but did they have the Spirit of God? the helper in them?

[Further reading: Mark 5, Mark 6, Mathew 10]

You can have such powerful experiences yet not be baptized in the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit can be around you but not in you. We are not amazed when many leave us and go back to their former lives. If God walked on this earth and preached to people but they would still backslide, what do you expect? There was no one speaking on their behalf, no minister but Jesus, God ministered and they were receiving miracles. Most of you Christians the problem is not the preacher but you. Jesus was not the problem, He taught them, a righteous man who has never sinned was with them and preached to them but they still backslid and went back to the world. 

When you love the world, it will always be in your heart you will always remember it. For those who are still here, don’t sit there and think “I’ll remain forever” just focus. People heard God ministering to them but they still lost Him. Jesus was in the room physically but Judas lost focus. Some of you probably feel like if you were to feel God physically, you’ll never backslide, let me tell you; that will never happen, when your heart is still in the world, it is there. Most of the things that hit us in the church find us carrying something. Anger was all along there, the offence was all along there, the way you speak, you carried it with you and brushed it under the carpet. The love of money was always there.

Those who are no longer with us, ask yourself: what is it that they don’t have and I have? I have something that makes this weakness to be big in me and it overwhelms me but with them, how is it that they are remaining?

Today I’m ministering to you about that weight because that weight is not sin but it easily ensnares you. How does it find in you?

What is it that you have, that the devil uses as an entrance? When it doesn’t go well, introspect yourself before inspecting. Look within you before looking outside of you. There is something that sparks.

Never be desperate because the devil can take advantage. The devil is hovering over the churches looking for those that are desperate.

Let us lay aside every weight, but this weight is not sin. We need to put aside the weight as well because that weight can cause a spark. Now I’m teaching and to some, this may not be relevant to you but you don’t have to reject the message. You are taught so when that time comes, you may be able to stand firm and remember the teaching. What comes out of the mouth of the father is prophetic.

When Jesus said to Peter: “Behind Me satan!” Peter was not in front of Him. Peter became in front of Him when he took the sword. Peter was not against Jesus dying at that time, but Jesus could see what was going to happen in Gethsemane.

“The Son of man will be handed over” where does the handing over happen? In Gethsemane. Peter then comes and says “God forbid” but we don’t see him doing anything to prevent that. Jesus is addressing what is going to happen in Gethsemane. If some of you were Peter in that position, you would’ve left already because of expressing love and not understanding the Will.

[Corinthians 13:4-7]

You said you love your father, now you want to prove yourself right. Allow love to minister.

Whatever comes out of the mouth of the father is prophetic. It may be a warning of what you are going through or what is about to come. Pray and ask God that when the time comes, you may be able to remember the words of my Father.

 [Job 1:7]

The serpent wanted Job to curse God. He didn’t want him to give up, he didn’t want him to leave God, but to curse Him. Job’s test was whether he will curse God or not. For some of you, it was the love that was tested. God allowed it because the love you have for Him had to be tested. The devil is a serpent for a reason; he will not show you his cards so he will try anything to deceive you. Whatever comes your way, don’t think that’s what the devil is trying to achieve. There is a motive, do not fail when you do not know what is the actual test. Our test is not written in plain sight.

Your father through the Gospel

Abraham Unknown

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YESHUA; A CITY ON A HILL, THE LIGHT THAT  CANNOT  BE HIDDEN.