Vision

Videos

Statement of Faith

Apostolic Library

Questions & Answers

Articles

God vs. Gospel Rap

Gospel Rap

Proving Jesus' Existence

Truth About Pornography

Should I Drink?

Audio Preaching

CLC Online Preaching

Holy Ghost Online

Online Sermons

Praise & Worship

Bible Search

Church Finder

Contend for the Faith

Current Bible Studies

Identity of Jesus Christ

Gospel of John

Truth Vs. Error

Daily Devotional

Dictionary

Fasting & Health

Members / Supporters

Prophecy

Prayer Request

Praise Report

Griffith Academy

K - 1st Grade

2-5th Grade

Study Tools

Locked in the Liberty of Christ
Locked in the Liberty of Christ

Welcome to Locked In the Liberty of Christ, which seeks to serve and enrich all believers in pursuit of Jesus Christ.  

Vision
Our vision is to be a 21st-century SPIRIT FILLED body of believers in principle, practice, and power.

Mission
Our mission is to encourage and exhort all believers to be empowered by the glory of Jesus Christ.


10  Points of Impact

 1.  Personal Committment
 2.  The Word
 3.  Prayer -- Corporate/Public
 4.  Fasting
 5.  Family
 6.  Worship
 7.  Discipleship
 8.  Outreach --Evangelism
 9.  Personal Involvement
10. Fellowship

 

If you are desiring to grow stronger in the word and grace of God, you have found the right place.  In us you will find: 

  • A loving community that will earnestly pray for you
  • Bible based community that is centered on the authority of God's word
  • Brother-hood for all believers to ensure the quality growth and care for the brethren
  • An organization that thrives in giving to the poor

First Name
Middle Name
Last Name
Address Line 1
Address Line 2
City
State
Zip Code
Daytime Phone() -
E-mail Address
Feedback

Internal Mechanisms


“For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy, I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.  For I will not contend forever, neither will I be always wroth: for the spirit should fail before me, and the souls which I have made.  For the iniquity of his covetousness was I wroth, and smote him: I hid me, and was wroth, and he went on forwardly in the way of his heart.  I have seen his ways, and will heal him: I will lead him also, and restore comforts unto him and to his mourners.” (Isaiah 57:15-18)

 

        Quite often we find ourselves in situations that we don’t like.  Sometimes we may feel discouraged in our hearts, depressed for unknown reasons, and troubled without cause.  More times than none there are reasons for our feelings, there are reasons that we feel discouraged and reasons we feel depressed.  These reasons may not be known to the natural mind, but spiritually there is knowledge of why we feel the way we feel.  Sometimes the enemy sets out to trouble us and assigns certain efforts to form chaos in our lives and other times we may be bearing the burdens of friends and family members.

 

Friends can weigh you down

Loved ones can hinder your spiritual freedom

Intercession brings you into connection with the sufferings of others

Cast your burdens upon God

Jesus cares about your pains and weights

Give your problems to God

Many people suffer because they carry the burden alone

 

        There are so many things at work in the human heart that it is almost impossible to be able to identify them all.  One thing is for sure though, God knows everything we deal with and He is able and willing to help us through all of our troubles.  God has made it possible that none of us have to experience a shallow walk of loneliness because He has provided us with access to His Eternal Spirit.  Even with the presence of God available to us, often we do not draw near to God with a true heart to receive His Spirit.  I believe that if we really understood how needful it is to have Him on the inside of us we would be eager to have Him.  One of our greatest challenges exists in entertainment and diverse distractions; these two completely dull our senses to what God wants to do in our lives.

 

Don’t allow distractions to steal your focus

People will come and leave, but Jesus will come and stay with you

Possessions will come for a while, God’s kingdom is Eternal

Money will become available to you, but then will make wings and fly away

There should be a burning desire in your heart to have the Comforter

He will come to comfort you forever

 

        God has placed some internal mechanisms within us to keep us on course.  What is an internal mechanism?  An internal mechanism is a natural or spiritual sign or symptom that occurs when either the body or the soul is trying to communicate that we are either doing something right or doing something completely wrong.  In the natural body these signs and symptoms are quickly spotted, for example, when a person doesn’t drink enough water, the body quickly relays that information by sending headaches, light headedness, thirst, and many other symptoms. 

 

What type of internal mechanisms are you experiencing?

Are you having spiritual headaches?

Are you experiencing spiritual dehydration?

Are you feeling spiritual light headedness?

Try the living waters of God

Jesus says come unto me and drink

Have you forsaken the fountain?

 

        When the human body has recognized that there is a virus or sickness within it, this message is conveyed by fevers.  The fevers are designed to heat the body in such a way that the sickness may burn away; however, in many cases we become overly concerned with the actual fever instead of recognizing that the body has a greater purpose in mind and that purpose is to reveal a hidden sickness that would cripple the body.  In other cases the body has internal signs and symptoms that result when wrong decisions are made.  For example, the appearance of STD’s, swellings, and rashes are all a result of the body attempting to communicate a greater and deeper revelation of its condition.  The same types of internal mechanisms exist in the spiritual body.

 

So many people are fevered in the Church

So many people have begun to swell and inflame

If the fever doesn’t expose the sickness it won’t be too long before permanent damage settles

Are you easily heated?

Is the Spirit trying to reveal a deeper hurt within you?

Set yourself free, come clean with God

Ask God to rid you of the roots of sickness

 

        The question is, why do we have the internal mechanisms?  The answer: to keep the body on course.  The Lord Jesus as the doctor of the Church stands and examines the needs of the body, reveals the sicknesses, and confirms the health of that which is functioning properly.  He declared to the Church in Revelation 2:1-5:

 

“Unto the angel of the church of Ephesus write; These things saith he that holdeth the seven stars in his right hand, who walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks; I know thy works, and thy labour, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them which are evil: and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars: and hast borne, and hast patience, and for my name’s sake hast labored, and hast not fainted.  Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love.  Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works, or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent.”

       

        The word of God teaches us that Jesus is the One who searches the reigns and hearts.  In other words He is the X-ray of souls.  He knows exactly what is going on within us at the exact time, and with every action there is a result.  He told the Church of Ephesus that if they did not love the light (there first love) that the light would be turned off within them.  How many of us sit in the same condition daily?  How many of us experience the result of these internal mechanisms, without recognizing that they are the actual result of our choices yesterday?

 

The Lord knows the heart

The Lord knows the motive

He searches our hidden desires and makes plain what happens in darkness

Paul teaches that we ought to examine ourselves

We should purge ourselves

James teaches that we ought to confess our sins for healing

There is a joy in being open with God

 

        The Lord has placed within every one of us, Christian and non-Christian, internal mechanisms.  Some of the examples of these internal mechanisms include spiritual imbalance, emptiness, depression, anxiety, joy, peace, happiness, and love.  These mechanisms are designed to keep us on course spiritually.  Quite often people will say that they are depressed and they don’t know why.  At the root of depression is a prayer-less life and a life full of entertainment and vanity.  Just as the body when it lacks water produces headaches and thirst, a prayer-less life will produce mind problems and a hunger for something more.

 

How can you expect joy without having God at the center of your life?

How can you expect peace without the Prince of peace?

How can you expect joy without the Lord?

Only in His presence is there fullness of joy

Only in communion with Christ is there divine consolation

Only in fellowship with your LORD will you be content

A prayer-less life is a powerless and fruitless life

 

        Many people are looking for happiness and peace and can never find it because they are looking in the wrong places.  To find peace you must have a relationship with the Prince of peace.  You have to pray; you have to call on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.  In order to have a life free from depressions, your mind must be meditative upon the things of Christ and Christ himself must be your focus.  When you can see Christ in your mind and thought patterns, there is no room for anxiety and depression.

 

        A lot of people battle with fear (which is the internal mechanism that results when fellowship is removed).  As long as you fight your battles alone, you will always battle with fear; as long as you have not connected with a body of believers you will always feel that you are in isolation and that you must walk this walk all by yourself.  The word of God teaches us how to remove the yokes of fear.  The Lord teaches us that fear is removed when we realize that God Himself is with us.  Isaiah 41:10 says it like this:

 

“Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee, yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.”

 

        This is the remedy to your fears.  You have to keep God and His people in your business.  Stop trying to be so secretive, and allow God to walk with you.  You will be amazed at how fearless you will become.  Because you have been in the presence of God, you won’t care whose presence you’re in.  God has built these things within us to keep us connected to Him, and to keep us focused on His eternal life. 

 

Children are not afraid when their parents walk with them in the dark

Wives aren’t afraid when their husbands stand ready to defend them

Little ones are not cowardice when their brothers are ready to go to battle with them

When you know God is with you, you’ll stop being afraid

When you realize that you are a part of the Church you won’t be afraid

When you understand that your brothers in Christ are on your side, you will be ready for battle

Learn to walk hand in hand with the people of God

 

        The problem is we respond more quickly to our natural internal mechanisms than we respond to our spiritual ones.  Why?  We hate having natural pain and discomfort.  When it comes to things like depression, anxiety, fear, and doubt we can’t lay hands on it as a tangible substance so we hide it so no one thinks we’re crazy.  However, you would be wise to fix your internal mechanisms.  You would be wise to rectify the situations in your life so that you can be free in your whole body, soul, mind, and spirit.  The Lord Jesus says to all of us who believe:

“Come unto me all ye that labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28)

 

Your spiritual hurts are just as painful as and more so than natural ones

Your internal problems matter

Your spiritual pains can be fixed

Your hurts can be fixed

God wants to help you

God can help you

The body of Christ is on your side