Disconnect From the World

As I was out for my daily run today, the Lord gave me some instruction. I ran by a girl who probably walked half a mile without ever looking up from her ipod/blackberry/you name it device. This called to mind many of the people I see today who are never present to us in the body because they are always wanting to be connected "virtually" so they can be somewhere else. Have you seen these people?

I was around this one guy recently in a social setting and he could not talk to you for 3 minutes without picking up his iphone or whatever it was to check to see if "anything new" was there for him. These people have become "connected" to the world in a way that has almost because like a crack cocaine addiction.

If you have been reading here recently, you know that the Lord has specifically directed me to disconnect with the world. What does that mean? 100% boycott of all "news" whether it be lame stream media or "alternative" media. All of it: boycotted. No iphone, no blackberry except to check it once in a long while for mandatory work related issues, that are by the way, not every 3 min.

What's the effect of disconnecting from the world? Quieting the mind and spirit. The Lord speaks to us in a still quiet voice, how are you going to hear Him when your mind is full to overflowing with the absolutely useless worldly sewage that all forms of "news" and current events provide you?

What about being a "watchman?" Glad you asked. Many people today consider themselves "watchmen" for the Lord, but they have it all wrong. We are told to "watch" and be "ready," I think we can all agree on that, but watch what? Did the Lord ever instruct us to "watch" the flesh, the world and satan? I don't think so. The bible tells us that we are not unaware of his (satan's) devices, but it never tells us to fix our gaze on him perpetually does it? No, it doesn't. So again, watch what?

Proverbs 8:34 Blessed is the man who listens to me, watching daily at my doors, waiting at my doorway.

1 Peter 3:1 that even if some of them disbelieve the Message, they may, apart from the Message,be won over by the daily life of their wives, after watching your daily life ...

Watching at HIS doorway, watching OUR DAILY LIFE. Doesn't sound like eyes stuck on the flesh, the world or satan to me...

And what about this "disconnect from the world" business?

Romans 12:5 so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each ... ... In the same way, even though we are many people, we are one body in the
Messiah and individual parts connected to each other.

Ephesians 4:16 from whom the whole body, fitted together, and connected by every joint of supply,according to the working in its measure of each one part, works for itself ...

Hebrews 6:9 But we are persuaded concerning you, beloved, better things, and
connected with salvation, even if we speak thus.

We are in the world but not of it. We are in the world but "connected" to Christ, who is our salvation. What happens when we are connected 24/7 to the world?

Colossians 2:19 He has lost connection with the Head, from whom ... ... and they are not connected to Christ, the head of the body.

For a full discussion and understanding of who and what we should be connected to as believers, go re-read John 15 in its entirety. It's about the vine (Jesus) and the branches (us).

Remember Lot's wife. Remember the warnings we are given in Luke 17 and Matt 24 to not go back down into your house to get anything or come back from the fields to get anything on "that day." On the day the Lord comes for us, if we look back, because there is something within us that just "has to connect" with the crack cocaine intravenous mainline that so many people get from the world today, well, I think that's going to end tragically.

We are in the world but not of it. We are watching, at the Lord's doorstep, not the world. Anything that we need to know, the Spirit will provide. Take that attitude of faith when it comes to needing to know what "news" is afoot today. I am absolutely 100% confident that on the day I stand before the Lord, one of the things I will not be chastised for is "disengaging from the world." Do we still love people? Yep. Do we give? Yep. Do we work? Yep. Are we PRESENT to the people around us instead of being somewhere else via social media/the internet. YEP. Do we listen? Yep, one of the deepest human needs is to be heard and deeply undestood, and only a fully "present" person can do that, a true rarity in today's world.

I think you get the point. I begged the Lord to remind me of all these things when I sat down to write since He seems to like to speak to me when I'm out running. I guess that's one of His and my favorite times to talk :-)

Just wanted to share what was given to me today. Keep the faith, grace and peace.