Time To Recharge

How is your Soul?

Ever take a long drive? I use to go from Stuart to Tallahassee about one a month. 6 hour drive. Then a little less often. I loved the trip. We would stop along the way and see stuff. We would stop for the rest room, food, ETC. Before I left, I always went to the Gas Station and filled up.

Whenever you go on long trips, you can see and do whatever you chose. However, there always comes a time when your vehicle requires you to stop for something else. I do not care if it runs on diesel, E85, Electric, or good old fashion gas. If you do not stop and refill, your vehicle will stop all by itself, wherever you may be.

Your physical body is the same way. Oh, you can go days without food and water. Many people Fast often. However, eventually, you have to stop and refill, eat, drink, or your body will simply stop on it's own.

Your Spirit is the same way. We are going to talk about this in a few different aspects.

1st, just like your vehicle before a long trip, you have to fill your Spirit before going out there, attempting to Sow the Seed, share the Truth, and or, show the Way. You have to have something, before you give something. You have to understand what the Truth is, before you can share it with others.

2nd, the more you wish to give out, the more you need to fill up.

3rd, once you get filled and go out, you must continue to fill up, to continue to give. If you chose not to, you will be no longer any good, for you will have nothing more to offer.

Let's say you are just Saved. You hear the Gospel, and receive the Gift, and want to go out and share it. That's great. However, be careful you are not of those Jesus warned us, some of us would be.

Matthew 13:

20 But he that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that heareth the word, and anon with joy receiveth it;

21 Yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended.

22 He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful.

Jesus tells us that some will hear His Word and receive it with Joy, and soon after, attempt to go out into the world. However, because they have no root, or foundation, they do not get far. Once the cares of this world, and or, they face trials and tribulations, they quickly fall away. Their Fruit, although they were truly attempting to produce fruit, withers away, because they have no root.

"'A little knowledge is a dangerous thing" {Alexander Pope 1709} A small amount of knowledge can mislead people into thinking that they are more expert than they really are. That they are more intelligent or crafty than they are. Stronger, braver, able to withstand, more than they actually can. I can tell you, "You are a Child of God. God is your Daddy." I can quote to you Isaiah 54:17: "No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper;" You, receiving this with Joy, can then go out and look for Demons to cast out and devils to fight.

Problem is, if you do so, without knowing that it is the Spirit in you, that communes with your Spirit, that has the power. If you do not know that God has a plan and purpose for you, that may not include fighting demon dogs from Hell, you could get discouraged real quick and decide none of this Salvation thing is worth it.

When friends and family turn away, and you do not know that Jesus told us these things would happen, you may get discouraged real quick and decide none of this Salvation thing is worth it. When your Boss decides he is going to tell you to stop with all this "Jesus stuff" or he will fire you, and you do not know that Jesus said, "Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him." You could fear and cower, you could get discouraged real quick and decide none of this Salvation thing is worth it. Jesus told us....

Matthew 6:

25 Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?

You have a little knowledge of the Truth, but not enough to counter the fiery darts of the enemy. Not enough to overcome the temptations to fear. The temptations of the world. You are running off into battle with nothing on. You most likely will not last long out there.

Then, depending on how far you want to go, should assist on your decision on how much you want to fill up. If I'm on vacation, and plan on staying home most of it, I may only need to put like $20.00 in my car. A quarter to half tank of gas can get me around town all week if I do not plan on going anywhere special.

If all you want to do is lead someone you love to Salvation, all you real need to know is this.

John 3:

3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.

And

John 3:

5 Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.

And of course

John 3:

16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.

18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

Now of course, this is the Truth. However, if this is all you know, what happens when you run up on those that will test you? "Was Jesus God or man?" "Why is this the only way to get to Heaven?" "Why does God Condemn?" "What about all those contradictions in the Bible?" ETC. Truth is, that's all you got. You will not know how to answer. Truth is, without a solid foundation, you may even be led astray yourself. You need to be filled with the Holy Spirit. You need a full tank. Always. If you do not know the Truth yourself, you may believe the lies.

Now let's say you do have the full tank. You go through the process. You learn the Truth. You commune with God. You feed on the Word every day. Pray. Talk to the Spirit. You are Anointed. You go out there and Teach, Preach, and show the Way. You'er good right?

Remember what Jesus said about Himself? "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised," {Luke 4:18}

Now Jesus IS Lord. He is the very Flesh of God Himself. He has the Spirit with him always. Following the Temptation of the Devil, Angels came to earth and ministered to Him. I think He has a pretty full tank. Don't you? He knows the Word. He IS the Word. Yet? He often went off by Himself to recharge.

Matthew 14:23

23 And after he had dismissed the crowds, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone,

Mark 1:35

35 And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed.

Mark 6:46

46 And after he had taken leave of them, he went up on the mountain to pray.

Luke 5:16

16 But he would withdraw to desolate places and pray.

Luke 6:12

12 In these days he went out to the mountain to pray, and all night he continued in prayer to God.

Why would the Son of God, God Himself, need to go off by Himself to Pray? Now remember, He knows the Word. He IS the Word. He needs not go off and study it. He is it. Yet, HE want off alone to Pray. Why? The answer is pretty simple.

Mark 5:

25 And a certain woman, which had an issue of blood twelve years,

26 And had suffered many things of many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was nothing bettered, but rather grew worse,

27 When she had heard of Jesus, came in the press behind, and touched his garment.

28 For she said, If I may touch but his clothes, I shall be whole.

29 And straightway the fountain of her blood was dried up; and she felt in her body that she was healed of that plague.

30 And Jesus, immediately knowing in himself that virtue had gone out of him, turned him about in the press, and said, Who touched my clothes?

"And Jesus, immediately knowing in himself that virtue had gone out of him." Now think about this. in Mark 5, Jesus cast out "Legion," the many demons possessing the naked man in the tombs, healed the Woman with the issue of blood, and raised Jairus's Daughter from the dead. Then in Mark 6, He ran into those that doubt Him and challenged Him, healed a few more people, and sent out the Twelve. Heard of the death of John the Baptist, fed the five thousand, then departed them to be on His own. To Pray. As a matter of fact, Jesus even told His Disciples this.

Mark 6:

30 And the apostles gathered themselves together unto Jesus, and told him all things, both what they had done, and what they had taught.

31 And he said unto them, Come ye yourselves apart into a desert place, and rest a while: for there were many coming and going, and they had no leisure so much as to eat.

32 And they departed into a desert place by ship privately.

Jesus told them to separate themselves from the World and Rest. He told them to recharge. He tells us the same. The Word of God is alive. It's not some kind of History Book. It's not some kind of Text Book you need to study for the test. It is very much alive. When you read it, when you Pray, when you spend time allowing the Spirit to teach you, you are filling yourself with Virtue. Virtue means power and strength and Righteousness and good. Whenever you share it, Virtue goes out of you. You must take the time to recharge. Simple knowledge of the Word is not enough. Peter wrote:

"Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness Love. For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins. Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall:" {2 Peter 1:4-10}

In his letter to the Philippians, Paul wrote this: "Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things." {Philippians 4:8}

How is your Soul? Are you running on empty? Do you have anything left to give? You have heard it said that "give and it shall be given unto you." You understand that you reap what you sow. However, you must first have something to give. Once gone, you need to receive more, to give more. You need to take time to recharge. To refill. To re-energize. Or there will come a time when you simply run dry. If Jesus Himself needed to do it, trust me, so do we.

Do you know Jesus as your Savior? Have you been adopted into the Family of God? If not, say this Prayer. Right now. Wherever you may be. Say it in your own words, and do not doubt in your heart. God will hear you. He will send the Spirit of Life to you. Let us Pray..

"Oh heavenly Father, Lord God. I am a sinner. I know this. I know there is nothing I can do to change that. But I know you can. I accept Jesus's sacrifice for me. I repent my sins. Please send the Spirit of Adoption into my life. Help me to get to know the real you. Save me. Please. In the name of Jesus, Amen!"

That's it. It really is that simple. Now go tell someone what you have just done. "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved." {Romans 10:9} You need to find a Church that God leads you to, and be Baptized the way Jesus said to be. You are now a Child of God. A new Creature. You "have put off the old man with his deeds, and have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him." {Colossians 3:10}

If you want to tell me, or comment, question, give testimonials, or just say "Hi," the Email is opntalk@gmail.com

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all. Amen. {2 Corinthians 13}