Tuesday, May 8, 2012

Do You Have A Smartphone or a Dumbphone?

Matthew 25:3
The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any oil with them.

Your smart phone is an amazing device that can connect you to the world, allow you to utilize social media, do word processing, Skype, conference call, take pictures, watch movies, do banking, it’s amazing how much you can get accomplished on your smartphone. With all that it can do, none of that will work if the smart phone is not recharged using the charger. The more you use it, the more the power is drained from it. It is going to need to be recharged.

Whenever I travel, I make sure that I pack my power cords and adapters so that I can ensure that I have power for my Smartphone. It would be foolish for me to take the phone but leave the charger. It’s the same way with us as Christians when we try to do ministry without oil. God can do so much through us, he can heal the sick, give sight to the blind, set the captives free, preach good news to the poor, clothe the naked, feed the hungry, help the homeless, visit those who are in prisons, cast out devils, but if we are not connected to our Power source we are of no use to God. We are like the five foolish virgins who brought lamps but no oil.

The lamps were used to light the path for the wedding party so that the groom could find his way to the bride. It’s our job to make sure we are lights to the world so that they can find their way to the bride, the church, and the groom who is Jesus. We cannot be effective lights if we have no oil to keep us lit.  The lamps represent our witness and the oil represents God’s anointing via the Holy Spirit. It’s important that we reconnect to our power source after we’ve been drained during ministry. How do we recharge?
  1. Cut off your Navigational device on your phone. The navigational system connects to the satellite intermittingly to allow others to know where you are. It’s draining to constantly check in with other people and allow them access to your whereabouts. That’s why Jesus often withdrew to lonely places after doing ministry. He had to recharge.
  2. Cut off Apps that are running in the background. Many times we have too many things going on at one time. Cut off stuff you are no longer using but that are using you.
  3. Plug into a power source every day. Our Power comes from God and we can reach him through:

  1. Prayer
  2. Worship
  3. Scripture
  4. Fasting
  5. Have a back up battery pack. I have a Mophie battery pack. When I am not near a power source and my battery is running down, I can flick a switch on my Mophie which holds my phone and it recharges my phone without being plugged in. Our back up battery pack is the Holy Spirit. When we are weak He is strong. The catch is that you must be filled with the Holy Spirit prior to trying to access it. This too must be recharged by what you do in Step Three.
Dear God,

Help me to get reconnected to my power source. I cannot be effective in ministry unless your oil is on my life. If I have too many apps running in the background of my life, shut them down so that I can fully utilize my power in you. In you, oh God, I move, live and have my being. Outside of you I have limited power. Renew the right spirit within me and restore the Joy of my salvation, whatever you do, please don’t take your Spirit away from me. I need you Lord each and every day. Use me today as a conduit of your power.

In Jesus Name,
Amen

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