I saw this just now on facebook that I think is helpful that I read most of it but not all of it to know if I agree but the point is you can not wait till you feel like it to just depend on others praying and fasting for you for they may just give more opportunities to be more persuasive though all still are responsible to consider to search to accept but one still must free themselves from their sins by walking according to Spirit to discipline self by any means one can.
AWAKE, LOOSE YOURSELF, LEST YOU ARE LOST IN CAPTIVITY
Text: Isaiah 52:1-2
• 1 Awake, awake; put on thy strength, O Zion; put on thy beautiful garments, O Jerusalem, the holy city: for henceforth there shall no more come into thee the uncircumcised and the unclean.
• 2 Shake thyself from the dust; arise, and sit down, O Jerusalem: loose thyself from the bands of thy neck, O captive daughter of Zion.
OPENING REMARK
Thank you our Governor, your excellency, thank you too, our beloved sister, your excellency, the wife of the Governor. Thank God that the No. One citizen of Edo State is here today to confirm with us, "Loose him and let him go!" All chains and shackles and everything that binds everyone, every family, our state, Edo State, and our country Nigeria, and all the people all over the world who are listening today, the power of the Lord has come to loose you, and let you go free!
INTRODUCTION
The Lord has been talking to us about His power to lose and set free. He is talking to us today on our personal responsibility to loose ourselves and become free.
Isaiah 52:1-2. You cannot sit there waiting for something to happen, you can make something happen. Don't wait for anyone to lift you up, you need to lift yourself up. You have slept for too long, you have laid down, helpless and hopeless, opening your mouth and asking for help. The counsel is to awake and shake yourself from the dust. Rise and sit down, your time rest, restoration, and recovery has come.
"Loose thyself from the bands on your necks" did you hear what prophet Isaiah said? Many people are waiting for prophets to fast and pray for them, but now, it is in your hands, the ball is in your courts as they say, loose the bands around your necks, O captive daughters of Zion.
I'm talking to you today on AWAKE, LOOSE YOURSELF, LEST YOU ARE LOST IN CAPTIVITY. The open door is there, the power of God is there, our Emancipator is there, Jesus Christ the Lord, Saviour, Redeemer is here. Did you not hear what He said to the man with the withered hand when He was here? He told the man to stretch forth his hand, He didn't say bring your hand and let me stretch it for you. He told the paralyzed man whose friends brought him for healing to arise, He didn't lift him up. Once your Redeemer is there, your redemption has come. You are the one to loose yourself.
In this message, we are looking at three things:
A. LOOSE YOURSELF FROM THE BANDS OF CAPTIVITY
All the signs and appearance of captivity, anything that has come into your life you must loose yourself from.
1. Shake Yourself from the Dirt of Captivity (Isaiah 52:1-2; Acts 2:40; James 1:27; 4:4,6-9)
Sleeping is a time of inactivity and low productivity. It is a time of no progress in which your brain and mind are inactive, you have an able body which can carry you from here to there, but the body is sleeping. A giant is sleeping and the Lord is saying that you cannot continue to sleep in idleness, in expectation, you need to get up and move forward and from today, you will be a goal-getter in Jesus name. This is why the call is coming to you to awake because your strength, power and God's provisions are waiting for you to use. You will never be the same in Jesus name.
Who are the uncircumcised? Goliath coming to Israel and the Lord is saying that He is blocking the way, and he will not come into your life or family anymore. You open the door to the Almighty and close the door to the uncircumcised and unclean. I want to tell you that lucifer, the devil is uncircumcised and he is unclean, and you lock the door and he will not come into your life anymore. The door is closed against all unclean and uncicumcized things which will hinder you from getting to the top in Jesus name.
vs 2. "Shake yourself from the dust..." If you put an item on the ground and you leave it there a day, a week, a month, by the time you come back and look at it, dust has gathered on it. Dust has gathered in some people's brains, thinking faculty and personality. But you need to shake yourself just as you do with a dirty cloth to make it clean. Shake off all the dirts that has gathered over your life. The Bible calls it sin, and defilement. You are not to just sit there, and be open for anyone to play with or mess up.
From now on, you will be in control of your life, today, you will rise and shake yourself from the dust, loose yourself, O captive daughter of Zion. All that have been bound in your life you will free yourself from. Who determines your freedom? Don't say enemies will not allow you to make progress. No one has power above God's. When you say No to that power and personality, and you are determined to be free, heaven will say No with you and you will be free. Everything that puts you in bondage in your spiritual, professional, in family life and every area, you are free by your own faith today in Jesus name.
2. Sold? Unsell Yourself from the Demons of Captivity (Isaiah 52:3-5; 1 Kings 21:20,27; Job 34:31-32; 2 Corinthians 7:1,11)
Some people don't put much value on themselves, on their existence, what they have, the gift of life and great possibilities of God. You must recall the person you sold your life, destiny, talent and future to. Call them back and recover what you have lost to them. From now on, be in possession of all the gifts and possibilities which God has bestowed upon your life in Jesus name.
vs 3. In life at times, we don't understand the proposal and intention of some people who come around us. Because they smile, you just throw the door open to them to come in. You give our hands, and lives to people who just walk into our lives, and sometimes, some of them are demons and don't mean well. Some people ignorantly sell themselves into the hands of the enemies, you are not careful enough about people you allow into your life. Some young people get to school and begin to make friends without asking necessary questions. They begin to tell everyone things they ought to keep to themselves, sacred facts that are best kept covered, just as Samson sold himself to Delilah. Ahab saw no other woman to marry in Israel. With the rolling of the eyes and much painting of the face, he was hooked and went after a stranger, demonic Jezebel who brought idol worship to Israel and destroyed the worship of the only true God. At the end of the day, both Samson and Ahab gained nothing from selling themselves cheap. Ahab gained nothing from selling Israel cheaply, just as you gained nothing from selling yourself cheap to the devil by taking alcohol, drugs, by becoming members of a gang, a secret society, etc.
Analyze this, what did you have before and no longer have after selling your mind, brain, life, and can no longer think about the outcome of your actions. But today, by the grace of God, you will unsell everything you have sold, and fully recover yourself without money by the sacrifice of the Lord Jesus on the Cross of Calvary. He will redeem and restore you and you will be as full as you used to be before the selling. A new life is coming to you today in Jesus name.
3. Strengthen Yourself Against the Captivity of Captors (Isaiah 52:1; 1 Kings 20:22; Psalm 27:14; Ephesians 6:10-18)
Don't wait for anything on anything from the outside, actually, nothing from the outside can strengthen you as what is inside of you. When God the Creator, Christ the Redeemer and the power of the Holy Ghost enter you, the strength is not coming from outside in form of drugs, Marijuana, alcohol, or smoking to strengthen or motivate you, the power of God from within you will work in your life without limitation in Jesus name.
Captors over the years, decades, centuries have developed methods by which they hold you down. They bring a lot of psychological, spiritual, and traditional things by which you will remain in captivity. As you are thinking you have overcome that, a new thing comes out, something you never thought of to keep you bound, but they will fail. Christ has come and He will set you free whether they like it or not. The result of all the manouvering of the captors are destroyed and they will never rise again. Your time has come to be totally free.
Ephesians 6:10. "Be strong in the Lord" because God is more powerful than everything outside there that may militate against you, because His voice is greater than every voice from strangers, His power will totally swallow every power against your life.
"Put on the whole armour of God." Every armour has its part - singing has its part, preaching, prayer, and orchestration has its part. Everything is important. Don't prefer one to the other. Your time has come to stand against the wiles of the devil.
"Take unto you the whole armour of God", not give unto others the whole armour of God. Some parents recommend the whole armour to their children, they talk to them about being born again, living right, but how far have they used the word for themselves. Same for Pastors who preach holiness to their congregation, but do they also live by what they preach? We all are to take unto us the whole armour of God. We also take the shield of faith to quench all the arrows of the wicked.
vs 18. "Praying always" doesn't have to be done in the kneeling position, and in every hour of the day. You can pray as you go about doing your work - Nehemiah just said "Lord, help me", when Peter was sinking, he cried to the Lord for help, in Jeremiah 17:14, he prayed save me, heal me and I shall be healed. Short prayers like that catches the attention of God. You can pray anywhere, anytime and He will hear you.
B. LEARNING BEYOND YOURSELF, THE BEAUTY WITHOUT CONTAMINATION. Isaiah 52:6-12
Beauty, glory is coming into your life and you must be very careful not to allow contamination to come in again.
If all we learn is what we have already, we will not go beyond where we are today. If all we learn is limited to the circle of our family, or limited to our primary school teacher's teaching, but you will not be able to move forward, rise, move on if you don't learn more and get to the point of beauty without contamination.
The beautiful tidings is that of the gospel which we share with others to get them saved. It is the beauty of heaven, of holiness, happiness all your life. You must learn beyond yourself. Many times, you look inside, you talk to yourself, and you remember all the regrets and disappointment of the past. Look away from yourself to Calvary and learn and that sinking feeling will disappear in Jesus name.
1. The Gospel of Salvation through His Name (Isaiah 52:6-8; Acts 4:12; Romans 10:9-10,13; 1:16-17)
The good news, the gospel of salvation through which you are saved you must receive and accept. It tells you to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, then He will reign in your life. You wake up in the morning and thank God because waking up is an opportunity for Christ to reign in your life. You go to the office and whatever they put on the seat will not reign in your life. In the market, all others make jest of you because you don't go with them, whatever they do against you will not work or reign in your life. The world, sickness, calamity, reoccurring accident will no longer reign in your life, but God will.
2. The Goodness of the Saviour for all Nations (Isaiah 52:9-10; Psalm 22:1,16,18,27; Luke 24:46-47; Romans 16:28)
Wherever you were born, wherever you are, the goodness of God will reach you. Some people feel nothing is here, and they run to other places. They think they are escaping, but when they get over there - a place they call the land of plenty and opportunities - they discover that to pay house rent, feed themselves, send their children to school and have a buoyant economy for themselves has become so difficult that they are looking for ways to come back home. You don't need to run anywhere, your prosperity and progress will come to you where you are.
For those watching online or from any platform throughout the world, the goodness of God will be upon you in any nation you are. The Lord has comforted His people, and stretched forth His holy arms of blessing, sustenance, deliverance, redemption, etc.
We have all the time been looking on destruction of the enemy and satan, and all negative things, but now, turn your eyes upon Jesus and you will see the salvation, redemption, healing and liberation of our God.
3. The Godliness of the Son now in our Nature (Isaiah 52:11-12; 2 Timothy 2:19; 2 Peter 1:3,4; 1 John 3:7-10)
Jesus left heaven to the earth, not to look for anything for Himself but because of you. He came to open your eyes to see the goodness of God made available in your life and all around you. He gives us His own Godliness in our nature.
We bear the vessel of the Lord - grace, goodness, Godliness, oil of joy, peace inside the vessel. Depart from all manner of uncleanness so that your life will not contaminate the content of the vessel you bear. So that your lifestyle, and practice will not contaminate the joy, peace and power that you have in the vessel.
All Pastors and Preachers of righteousness must ensure to keep themselves holy so as not to live contrary to their messages. You must not be seen to be corrupt, stealing church's money, thereby contaminating the vessel you bring. May the goodness of God be multiplied in your life in Jesus name.
vs 12. Some people are coming to minister but they forget to pray and read the word of God, and fully prepare in order to bless the people of God. It is important that you spend quality to prepare in order to give you rneft
As you go, all evil aparitions you used to see, all evil cobwebs will no longer be there, you will see them no more. All evil controllers of life and destiny are destroyed, the God of Israel will go before and behind you. Nothing will harm you. All stumbling stones, dangers and pebbles the Lord takes away in Jesus name.
My young sons and daughters, yesterday, we learned how to be unstoppable champions, and I believe you are champions and VIP already. As you go, Angels of heaven, bodyguards of heaven will protect you against all onslaught of the devil in Jesus name.
C. LIFTED ABOVE YOURSELF BY THE BRUISES OF CHRIST
Whatever you have done, wherever you have gone, whatever territory you have covered, whatever progress you have made, you will go higher. I come to declare to you that you will be lifted above yourself by the bruises of Christ whose stripes heal and deliver us. What He suffered on Calvary has come to lift us up to the level we cannot lift ourselves. I am lifted from this day, mark it, write it down, you are lifted above yourself from wherever you have been.
In every area of your life, you are not going down but moving up. No one below you can lift you, only those above you can. Only Jesus who is lifted above all names will stretch His hand to lift you. You cannot go down, but you will only rise.
1. The Amazing Blessedness of the Supremacy of Christ (Isaiah 52:13; 11:2,3; Mark 2:9-12; Luke 9:43-44)
Christ died on the Cross, He was buried and rose the third day and God Almighty has highly exalted Him and at His name of Jesus, every knee must bow. He is exalted and extolled very high and He is the One who will lift you up into amazing blessedness and you will forget the dungeon and valley you used to be.
2. The Astonishing Bruises and Suffering of Christ (Isaiah 52:14; 53:1-6; Genesis 3:15; 1 Peter 3:18)
Isaiah 53:4-5 "Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed." He will carry every sorrow in your life away. The suffering of Jesus on the Cross gave us astonishing blessings and benefits.
3. The Accomplished Boundlessness of Salvation in Christ (Isaiah 52:15; Matthew 28:19-20; Romans 1:4-5; Revelation 7:9-12)
When you come to the Lord, He washes you in the blood of the Lamb, and gives you countless blessings. Your life today, tomorrow, on earth and when you get to heaven is secure. Whether you are asleep or awake, your salvation is with you, and closer to you than any problem or perplexities of the world.
Revelation 7:9-12. Looking at this multitude that no one can number, you will find me there since I have salvation. You too will be there. I will rejoice with you when we get over there. My brother, sister, son, daughter there, I will find you there. We get salvation from our God and we still go back to Him afterwards to dwell with Him forever.
With all the suffering and persecution of the early Christians and all they went through, you will find them in heaven. Those things we go through will not blow us away, we will stand strong and firm. All shackles will be loosed and you are set free, and He puts springs under your feet and power in your heart and you are walking on the way of righteousness. You will enjoy all the boundlessness of your salvation in Jesus name.
The Lord has come by Himself to set us free, but we have duties to carry out. Any yoke there? Any idolatry there? Any secret cult or gang involvement there? Any hard drugs there? Anything you sold yourself to there? Give it up, come to Christ and whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved, delivered, redeemed and set free. The Blood of the Lamb shall wash, and make you whiter than snow. When the roll is called up yonder, your name will be there.