“Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.”(Matthew 11:28-30MSG)
Yesterday as I was getting ready for church, my Fitbit Surge watch died. Now, let me give you a little back story on my FitBit. My FitBit tracks my steps, miles, heart rate, sleep quality, weight loss, and other things I am sure I am leaving out. As you see my FitBit gives me a picture of what my day looks like, from while I'm sleeping all the way throughout my day. Well, about a week before my FitBit died there was a red indicator light that popped up on the face of my watch. I called customer service and they had me take a picture and send it. They also walked me through some trouble shooting solutions. None of those solutions worked and the red dot was still on the face of my watch. I noticed that this red dot made my FitBit battery drain really quickly. I was constantly having to take it off and connect it to the power source and wait before I could use it. So when I woke up Sunday morning and looked down at the face of my watch and it was off I just knew that it had officially died!
Now, I want you to really see the similarities between my FitBit and our relationship with God. See, many times we get the indicators that we are weary. Indicators that we need to get connected to the power source. Indicators that are red lights in life that are directing us to make contact with the manufacture. When the indicator light came on, the first person that I wanted to get in contact with was someone on the line from FitBit. I knew that they would be able to help me with whatever problem I had. Why do we not do the same when it comes to seeking God? When things happen in our lives and we see red lights, the first person we should call upon is the sovereign Lord.
Matthew 11:28-30 reminds us that no matter who we are we will get weary! Regardless of a title, or a position, or education we will each get weary! We will each become burned out if we are not connected to the power source. See, earlier I listed all of the things that my FitBit did. I want you to think about all of the things that you do. I want you to picture all of the hats that you wear. I want to focus on all of the functions that you preform from day to day. Now, I want you to use your sanctified imagination and picture how much easier it would be if you had God being the source! How much lighter the load would be if you gave the load to God and you in return received the yoke of the Lord. For we are reminded that His yoke is easy and His burden is light.
I want to leave you with this thought to reflect upon. My FitBit was not dead. My FitBit just was so drained that it had completely shut off. This has never happened before where it completely turned off. I automatically just assumed that it was finally dead and I could no longer use it. Don't we do the same thing in our walk with Christ? We become so tired and weary that we believe we can no longer be used by God. I want to remind you on today that you are not dead! Your dream is not dead! Your vision is not dead! Each of these thing simply need to be recharged! Go to the Father today and ask Him to recharge you in a way that only He can. The word of God says that we are to learn the unforced rhythms of grace! Be encouraged today and know that God won't lay anything heave or ill-fitting on you! When we walk upright with Him, we learn to live freely and lightly! Today, is the day to lay aside every weight that is hindering you from being all that God has called you to be. Today, is the day that you will decide to allow God to breathe on you! Today, is the day that you will be reminded that you are not dead! You simply need to be recharged!
Let me pray with you today: Father God, I thank you for each and every person that took the time to read this blog. Father, I know it was not by chance or coincidence. I thank you for the divine appointment. I thank you for stirring a desire to be connected to you in ways that they have been disconnected! Father, I thank you for the new thing that you are doing. The new thing that will require us to be even more connected than ever before. Father, I thank you for your grace and for your mercy that continue to infuse us with everything we need to stay the course and run the race you have set before us! Father, I thank you for the people that you are raising up to not just be God chasers, but they will be God catchers! Thank you for your promises and for continuing to say yes and amen! In the mighty name of Jesus, Amen!
**If you do not know Jesus Christ as your personal Savior and would like to accept Him into your heart on today, please allow me to pray with you on today. Father, God I thank you for drawing your children to you. I thank you that as they repent and confess with their hearts and profess with their mouths that you are Lord that you will come into their hearts and rein forever more. I thank you for I know the Angels in Heaven are rejoicing over the decision that was made today to accept you and receive eternal life. Lead, guide, and direct oh God like only you can. In the mighty name of Jesus, amen!
Monday, August 31, 2015
Wednesday, January 28, 2015
What is that smell?
"In the Messiah, in Christ, God leads us from place to place in one perpetual victory parade. Through us, he brings knowledge of Christ. Everywhere we go, people breathe in the exquisite fragrance. Because of Christ, we give off a sweet scent rising to God, which is recognized by those on the way of salvation—an aroma redolent with life. But those on the way to destruction treat us more like the stench from a rotting corpse."(2Corinthians 2:14-16MSG)
Have you ever been somewhere and you immediately wanted to know what the smell was that you were inhaling in your nostrils? It could have been an amazing smell that you could not get enough of. On the other hand, the smell could have been horrible and made you want to stop breathing all together! Think back to those times. Take a moment and reflect on the emotions you felt when you breathed in those smells both good and bad. Now, ask yourself what scent do you leave behind? When people are around you, what aroma are you sending out? Would you want to breathe in what you put out?
As I was reflecting on the above passage of scripture, I began to think about all the times that I have fried chicken. When you fry chicken or are even in the house of someone who is frying chicken, you will not be able to escape without smelling like..you guessed it. Fried Chicken! The same is true with our relationship with Christ. There is no way that we are able to be in His presence and not walk away giving off a sweet aroma! 2 Corinthians 2:14-16 declares that everywhere we go, people breathe in the exquisite fragrance. Why you ask or better yet how? The passage of scripture goes on to answer that very question of how. Because of Christ, we give off a sweet scent rising to God! How amazing is that? The passage of scripture does not stop there. Here is the remainder of that sentence, Which is recognized by those on the way to salvation-an aroma redolent with life! Now, the last sentence stood out to me too. But those on the way to destruction treat us more like the stench from a rotting corpse. I started thinking about the smell of fried chicken. Not everybody likes the smell of fried chicken and you know what? Not everybody is going to like the sweet aroma that you are sending off either. Why? Because they are on their way to destruction. But let's go back to the beginning of 2Corinthians 2. The passage of scripture starts off by declaring that in the Messiah, in Christ, God leads us from place to place in perpetual victory parade.Through us, he brings knowledge of Christ.
Let's be conscious of what aroma we are sending out. There is absolutely no way that we can enter into God's presence and remain the same. Let me encourage you today, my friend, you are to be a spiritual change agent. Regardless of where you go, shift the atmosphere by your presence. Your very presence is enough to create a change in the environment. Let everywhere you go people ask, what is that smell?
Let me pray with you today. Father God, I come before you in the mighty name of Jesus. Oh, God I thank you for each person that took the time to read this blog. I thank you that the word of God will be so etched on their hearts that they will not sin against it. I thank you Father God for what you are doing in their lives even right now. I thank you for stirring up the gifts that you have placed on the inside of them. Father God, I ask in the mighty name of Jesus that you would continue to strengthen them for the journey that you have them on. Oh, mighty God I ask that the aroma that goes up from our lives would be pleasing unto you. Never let us leave your presence the same! I thank you for your sons and daughters. In the mighty name of Jesus, amen!
Have you ever been somewhere and you immediately wanted to know what the smell was that you were inhaling in your nostrils? It could have been an amazing smell that you could not get enough of. On the other hand, the smell could have been horrible and made you want to stop breathing all together! Think back to those times. Take a moment and reflect on the emotions you felt when you breathed in those smells both good and bad. Now, ask yourself what scent do you leave behind? When people are around you, what aroma are you sending out? Would you want to breathe in what you put out?
As I was reflecting on the above passage of scripture, I began to think about all the times that I have fried chicken. When you fry chicken or are even in the house of someone who is frying chicken, you will not be able to escape without smelling like..you guessed it. Fried Chicken! The same is true with our relationship with Christ. There is no way that we are able to be in His presence and not walk away giving off a sweet aroma! 2 Corinthians 2:14-16 declares that everywhere we go, people breathe in the exquisite fragrance. Why you ask or better yet how? The passage of scripture goes on to answer that very question of how. Because of Christ, we give off a sweet scent rising to God! How amazing is that? The passage of scripture does not stop there. Here is the remainder of that sentence, Which is recognized by those on the way to salvation-an aroma redolent with life! Now, the last sentence stood out to me too. But those on the way to destruction treat us more like the stench from a rotting corpse. I started thinking about the smell of fried chicken. Not everybody likes the smell of fried chicken and you know what? Not everybody is going to like the sweet aroma that you are sending off either. Why? Because they are on their way to destruction. But let's go back to the beginning of 2Corinthians 2. The passage of scripture starts off by declaring that in the Messiah, in Christ, God leads us from place to place in perpetual victory parade.Through us, he brings knowledge of Christ.
Let's be conscious of what aroma we are sending out. There is absolutely no way that we can enter into God's presence and remain the same. Let me encourage you today, my friend, you are to be a spiritual change agent. Regardless of where you go, shift the atmosphere by your presence. Your very presence is enough to create a change in the environment. Let everywhere you go people ask, what is that smell?
Let me pray with you today. Father God, I come before you in the mighty name of Jesus. Oh, God I thank you for each person that took the time to read this blog. I thank you that the word of God will be so etched on their hearts that they will not sin against it. I thank you Father God for what you are doing in their lives even right now. I thank you for stirring up the gifts that you have placed on the inside of them. Father God, I ask in the mighty name of Jesus that you would continue to strengthen them for the journey that you have them on. Oh, mighty God I ask that the aroma that goes up from our lives would be pleasing unto you. Never let us leave your presence the same! I thank you for your sons and daughters. In the mighty name of Jesus, amen!
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