Bishop Todd Atkinson on Being Delivered From A Life of Self-Focus

[sermonindex]

 

When someone hears mention of the Anglican Church, the first thoughts that come to mind are unlikely to be about the Holy Spirit or deliverance from bondage. Yet, there is a movement within the Anglican Church of North America that is called “Via Apostolica” (Way of the Apostles) that originated from a large Church in Lethbridge, Canada where God called the lead pastor towards Anglicanism. The focus of their movement is called the 3 streams: Scripture, Sacrament and the Holy Spirit. This emphasis is defined on their website as those who “listens to Christ in the Scriptures, is connected to Christ by the Spirit, and communes with Christ through the Sacraments.” Bishop Todd Atkinson is the servant leader who has a passion to see radical discipleship and rooting in the great traditions of the Church.

In a recent message given at a conference on inner healing called: Living Free. +Todd gave a powerful message on being set free from a life of self-bondage and focus. This inner healing and freedom from our own selfishness is part of what Jesus calls us to as disciples.

The main Scripture shared in the message was the famous call of discipleship by Christ in St. Matthew:

Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it.”

Matthew 16:24-25

Here is an excerpt from the message where the life of self-focus is looked at:

“We are just like the moon reflecting the sun. We do not have any light within ourselves. The more I look into myself the darker it becomes. I do not the answers. The more I look into myself the more hopeless and confused I become. Jesus did not invite me to a life of self-focus. He invited me to a life of self-denial. I am amazed how self-focused I can become and how I can spiritualize it and not know I am doing it. 

Jesus said we ought to deny ourselves. As Christians it should be foreign to us, a life of self-focus. Are you willing to hear Jesus call afresh to discipleship away from the things we have looked to and ultimately brought us death. The self life is like a hand full of sand, the tighter you squeeze the less you will have. Be open handed and let God take it.” 

During the epitome of the message +Todd leads in a powerful prayer of deliverance asking Jesus to heal our spirits of the life of self-focus. As he said in the message this is first-step in a journey of deeper discipleship with Jesus Christ. Consider to read it first to mediate on what is being said then when you are ready read out-loud this prayer to God meaningfully by faith:

Lord Jesus Christ, I release
To You my life of self-focus

Lord Jesus Christ, write Your ways upon our hearts

Release me from my individualism, 
From making things all about me.

Lord, have mercy

Release me from my sentimentalism,
From being led by my raw emotions.

Lord, have mercy

Release me from my entitlement
From thinking I am owed things.

Lord, have mercy

Release me from my materialism,
From looking to things for happiness.

Lord, have mercy

Release me from my skepticism,
From anticipating disappointment

Lord have mercy, Christ have mercy, Lord have mercy.

 

Edited November 26, 2018 by Steve_S
Removed video. Please post videos in the appropriate video forum.

[Zemke]

What is meant by "communing with Christ through the sacraments"?   

 

[Zemke]

We really need to come to terms about what ecumenical unity is. It's a deception. It's sewing fig leaves. Just as Adam and Eve in the garden.  This above statement in the OP leads us into the mystical and not Holy Spirit filled unity. 

This is a serious delusion of our times and will only wax worse. Pray for truth and eyes to see and ears to hear, "Those that have ears let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches."

One of the aspects of these type prayers is the interesting content positioned next to its aim.

I

My

Self

Me My

Me Me My

I

My

Me My Me My. 

Nice poetry. And not so good mantra.

Lord have mercy, you bet! May our eyes open. 

Edited November 26, 2018 by Zemke
trying to get the I me mys right, without success I believe

[frienduff thaylorde]

17 hours ago, Zemke said:

What is meant by "communing with Christ through the sacraments"?   

 

ITS ROMES WAY OF ENSLAVING ALL .

by now I hope some see , what others of us have seen .  

I know davida sees it and others do too .     NO rome for us , no unity with her or those who partake of her .    NOT ONE BIT OF UNITY .

for what communion , COMMUNION has Christ with belial .     NONE .

This persons gospel has become Romes unity gospel ,  whether he knows it or not .   And one way of snaring folks in ,  is via that communion

another way , is they are real big on reading the early church fathers .    Yet just two days back I did do just that .    AND PHEW WEE , some of them were messed up real bad .

Origien , believed in a cycle pattern .  heck even believe as time went on ALL WILL BE SAVED ,  even satan . THEY WANT US IN THIS INLCUSIVE STUFF .  HEED THEM NOT .

HEED THEM NOT .  read ONLY the bible and feast on it and follow the LAMB .

Edited November 26, 2018 by frienduff thaylorde

[Heleadethme]

19 hours ago, sermonindex said:

 

When someone hears mention of the Anglican Church, the first thoughts that come to mind are unlikely to be about the Holy Spirit or deliverance from bondage. Yet, there is a movement within the Anglican Church of North America that is called “Via Apostolica” (Way of the Apostles) that originated from a large Church in Lethbridge, Canada where God called the lead pastor towards Anglicanism. The focus of their movement is called the 3 streams: Scripture, Sacrament and the Holy Spirit. This emphasis is defined on their website as those who “listens to Christ in the Scriptures, is connected to Christ by the Spirit, and communes with Christ through the Sacraments.” Bishop Todd Atkinson is the servant leader who has a passion to see radical discipleship and rooting in the great traditions of the Church.

In a recent message given at a conference on inner healing called: Living Free. +Todd gave a powerful message on being set free from a life of self-bondage and focus. This inner healing and freedom from our own selfishness is part of what Jesus calls us to as disciples.

The main Scripture shared in the message was the famous call of discipleship by Christ in St. Matthew:

Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it.”

Matthew 16:24-25

Here is an excerpt from the message where the life of self-focus is looked at:

“We are just like the moon reflecting the sun. We do not have any light within ourselves. The more I look into myself the darker it becomes. I do not the answers. The more I look into myself the more hopeless and confused I become. Jesus did not invite me to a life of self-focus. He invited me to a life of self-denial. I am amazed how self-focused I can become and how I can spiritualize it and not know I am doing it. 

Jesus said we ought to deny ourselves. As Christians it should be foreign to us, a life of self-focus. Are you willing to hear Jesus call afresh to discipleship away from the things we have looked to and ultimately brought us death. The self life is like a hand full of sand, the tighter you squeeze the less you will have. Be open handed and let God take it.” 

During the epitome of the message +Todd leads in a powerful prayer of deliverance asking Jesus to heal our spirits of the life of self-focus. As he said in the message this is first-step in a journey of deeper discipleship with Jesus Christ. Consider to read it first to mediate on what is being said then when you are ready read out-loud this prayer to God meaningfully by faith:

Lord Jesus Christ, I release
To You my life of self-focus

Lord Jesus Christ, write Your ways upon our hearts

Release me from my individualism, 
From making things all about me.

Lord, have mercy

Release me from my sentimentalism,
From being led by my raw emotions.

Lord, have mercy

Release me from my entitlement
From thinking I am owed things.

Lord, have mercy

Release me from my materialism,
From looking to things for happiness.

Lord, have mercy

Release me from my skepticism,
From anticipating disappointment

Lord have mercy, Christ have mercy, Lord have mercy.

 

It depends entirely on what a person means by what they say......it sounds so righteous and good, but what do they mean by it?  For example a "life of self-denial".....do they mean aceticism and self-imposed restrictions?

Col 2:23

Which things have indeed a shew of wisdom in will worship, and humility, and neglecting of the body; not in any honour to the satisfying of the flesh.

There is always a lot of "having a form of Godliness but denying the power" going around.  It's self-righteousness.  Bible says from such turn away.

And if we really want the way of Christ and the apostles, then why turn to man's ways.  Neither Jesus nor the apostles prayed like that....by rote formulas, because they had a living relationship with the Lord.

 

 

[sermonindex]

36 minutes ago, maryjayne said:

who are the Historic Churches?

who are the successors?

more details of : https://www.viaapostolica.ca/about-us/leadership

PS Anglo-Catholics are not Roman Catholics in disguise. I hope @sermonindexwill explain for us what Anglo-Catholics are and what they believe in.

Sister, 

I do not have a lot of answers, but it seems to me anglo-catholics are simply those anglicans who keep more sacraments and a high-church feel in their meetings. The man who made Todd+ a bishop was of that type of fellowship but that does not mean Bishop Todd is anglo-catholic.

Historic churches are any church that connected more faithfully to the past generations to the Apostles.   Trust that helps.

[sermonindex]

4 hours ago, maryjayne said:

what does that mean? what is 'more faithfully'?

 

Churches that have passed on the creeds, history, beliefs, important biblical traditions.  

There are many new churches that are started that are true churches but are dislocated from the history of the church.    

[sermonindex]

1 minute ago, maryjayne said:

 If they are true churches, why do they need whatever is this 'history of the church'?

please reply specifically as to what comprises the 'creeds, beliefs, important biblical traditions' that these true churches are not practicing and upholding. You are very vague at this point

Sorry its a huge subject to reply in short discussion forum posts and I do not have time to invest a huge answer here.  In short the creeds are: Apostles Creed (2nd century), Nicene Creed (4th century). Doctrine of the Trinity, etc    Biblical beliefs such as Water Baptism, Lord's Supper, 

 

I am sure you aware that there are groups in church history that even deny all of these things I just wrote such as Quakers (no water baptism or lords supper), Salvation Army (no water baptism or lords supper) and many more who deny the trinity say no to church creeds, etc.   

the problem in these cases is heresy can more easily come into churches where the solid foundation of the historic church is not present as the early church battled heresy beliefs for hundreds of years and overcame them. 

Sorry that I do not have further time to respond here today.

[Concretecamper]

On 11/26/2018 at 4:52 PM, frienduff thaylorde said:

This persons gospel has become Romes unity gospel ,  whether he knows it or not .   And one way of snaring folks in ,  is via that communion

This person you refer to is separated from the Catholic Church as is every other protestant denomination.  So, is this person any different from you?

On 11/26/2018 at 4:52 PM, frienduff thaylorde said:

another way , is they are real big on reading the early church fathers

A wealth of knowledge.  And some were taught by the Apostles themselves.  Ignatius of Antioch was John's disciple.  Read what he has to say.

 

On 11/26/2018 at 4:52 PM, frienduff thaylorde said:

Origien , believed in a cycle pattern .  heck even believe as time went on ALL WILL BE SAVED ,  even satan . THEY WANT US IN THIS INLCUSIVE STUFF .  HEED THEM NOT .

It appears your comprehension is lacking.  If you could be more specific with your misunderstandings I will try to help if I can.