The Altar – Disconnected

Death simply means separation; separation from life. How do you know someone is dead? You look for any sign of life and if you cannot find even the slightest pulse, you conclude that such a person is dead.

Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth and the life…”

Apostle John put it this way, “In Him was life, the life was the light of men, the light shines in darkness and darkness cannot comprehend it”.

We can understand from the above that the meaning of life is Jesus. Simple and short. Based on this, we can deduce that a man is dead if he or she is separated from Jesus.

Why is this important? Why does this separation hold so much meaning and what are the implications of the separated or as in this case, the disconnection?

Abide here means to stay, to stay connected. Let us take the trees around us as examples; while the leaves or branches are connected to the shoot of the tree, how do they look? When they fall off the tree or are perhaps cut off from the tree, how do they look? There is definitely a difference between those two. While connected to the tree, the branches and leaves are fresh and green but when they fall off, they become dry and lose their colour. Why do you think that happens? It is pretty simple, the connection between the fallen leaves or branches and the tree are severed, meaning they no longer have access to that which makes them look fresh and green. In other words, they have lost their life or better put, source of life.

Why don’t we ask ourselves this question then, are you alive or dead? Do not assume that because you are reading this, you can claim to be alive. After all, your senses are working fine, perhaps things are working really fine around you and you got no issues or problems. Do not be deceived, life exists only in Jesus and in Him alone can you claim to have life. Without Him, there is no life.

When you are connected to Him, that which flows in Him flows through you as well. I am not referring to a partial connection here, because I think that is possible. Here is the danger though; you cannot have full access to that which flows from Him. You also get only a part of what flows from Him. And don’t tell me that, “well, that is fine by me – as long as I am still connected to Him, it really does not matter. Have you seen a branch that is not firm on its shoot? It is only a matter of time before it gives way; especially when the storms come.

There is no safer place you can be in the midst of the storms than He who is the vine. This is because, “even the winds obey Him”.

We got disconnected when we felt we could do things on our own, by ourselves. We thought we could and should be our own gods. What we do not seem to realize is that we were created not to be separate from God. Rather we were created to be one with God. We live in Him – are connected, abiding, staying – and He lives in us; that same life that flows in Him flows in us. The moment we got disconnected, the flow stopped and we became ordinary flesh with no life. We lost our colour and freshness. We became subject to the winds which take us wherever it pleases. It was then we became slaves to nature. That same nature we were given dominion over.

It is not too late however to return to the Vine, to get reconnected. There is still enough space for us to attach ourselves to and resume the flow of life that had stopped. Don’t be satisfied with partial connection, be firmly rooted, attached and connected and you will receive the fullness of that which flows from the Vine.

All you need to do is,

Admit that you have been disconnected

Accept Him as the only source of Life,

Attach yourself firmly to Him, totally dependent on Him and His word

Believe that you have been accepted back into the fold.

You Are Never Alone.