"It's Time For A Oil Change !" Read 1 John 1:9

I remember a time in my life when my father would check the oil before he'd drive our car. He'd open up the hood and take out the old rag he had hidden some place under the hood. He'd then pull out the "dip stick" and examine it. Sometimes he'd touch the oil on the stick to feel how thick it was. He was always concerned about that oil. He said if the oil wasn't right then the motor wouldn't run right and could destroy the motor. We couldn't afford a new car or motor, so Dad made it one of his missions in life to check the oil. Motor oil gets thick and gritty as it is used and will clog up your engine if not changed regularly. When it gets thick and gritty and dirty,it's time for a oil change.
Don't you know that we also must keep a check on our "spiritual oil". You see we sometimes get thick and gritty and dirty in our spirit life.When you find yourself jumping on people for no real reason; it's time for a oil change!When you find yourself always gossiping about others;it' time for a oil change!When you go to church and don't remember what the sermon was; it's time for a oil change!When you look at other peoples sins as being different then your own; it's time for a oil change!When you put your "wants" before the "needs" of others; it's time for a oil change!
It should be one of our missions in life to keep check of our "spiritual oil" daily. We sometimes let our sins stay with us until they make our lives feel thick,gritty and dirty. They tend to stop our "spiritual motors" and keep us from the joy and freedom of truly serving the Lord.It's time for a oil change!
So how do we change our "spiritual oil"? We confess!Confess!Confess!! We go to our mechanic name Jesus and say Lord I need a oil change today. Lord I know I haven't been running right lately, I haven't been doing some of the things I know you want me to do. Lord I haven't been treating people like you want me to treat them. Lord inside me, my soul feels thick,gritty, and dirty, I need a oil change!!!
Our passage today states;"If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."(kjv)Some of us have been walking around with dirty oil way too long and it's time for a oil change. It's time to call up our mechanic,Jesus. He is willing to clean out that old oil and give you some brand new oil straight for heaven! "Heavenly Oil" that sounds like a really good name brand to me,won't you try some!!
"Father, we know we sometimes let our sins pile up on us and before we know it, our lives become gritty and dirty. We stop being the people you want us to be and stop doing the things you want us to do. Please forgive us Father for all our sins against you,in Jesus name,Amen."

Never Forget Your Dream ! Read Genesis 37:5

Here is something to think about. "There once was a child that dreamed a dream. The child told the dream to everyone. Through grammar school and high school, the dream was told.Some people laughed at the dream thinking it not possible,yet the child still held on to the dream.The child now grown and out of college, still told the dream. Then one day the dream that was told and told, for so many years, wasn't a dream anymore!"
The other night,the Lord woke me up with this one. "What happened to your dream, child?"We all have a dream. We envision certain things for our lives.Then something happens that take away our dream. We may have to drop out of school. We may get married and give up our dream. We may have to work and don't have the time to give our dream.We stop talking about our dream!
To have a dream,to have a vision, we must talk about it! It must be near to you everyday. In other word's,a dream is like a goal that we set for ourselves.Some of us are living unfulfilled lives because we have given up on our dream! Some of us walk around angry because we have given up on our dream!Some of us blame others because we have lost our dream! The real problem is that we stopped talking about it!
In today's passage Joseph dreamed a dream and he told his brothers the dream. He talked about his dream. He made it known to others. I remember telling others about my dream,but when certain things happened in my life,I gave up on my dream. I stopped talking about it. I gave up on God's power to make my dream happen!
Joseph dreamed many dreams and they all came true not because of his power but because of God's Power! That same power is still available for us today. It's never to late to have a dream and just like that child,one day it may not be a dream anymore!Today I ask you the same question the Lord asked me. "What happened to your dream,child?" Never forget your dream!!
"Father,you have given us all dreams,goals for our lives,something that makes us hungry for life. We know that life without dreams is not really life at all, and we thank you now for them. Lord help us to fulfill the dream and vision you have for our lives. In Jesus mighty name,Amen."

Thank God For His Mercy!! Read Lamentations 3:22-24 and St. Matthew 5:7

I am human; there are mornings when I don't get up with the Lord on my mind. There are somethings that I take to sleep with me that are still there when I wake up.During a given day, I sometimes get caught up with everything around me. I maybe thinking about what I'm going to eat tonight or where I'm going afterward. I may find myself focused on my family or the situations that seem to come out of no where.
Last week was one of those weeks where everything seemed to go wrong for me. I went to a store and lost my cellphone,a cellphone I'd just replaced.It happened so fast I couldn't believe it!! Then I came down with a bad "head cold" and we know how those can be. So I've been at the mercy of my wife, to help me through this time of trouble. Mercy is a word that we all must live by. Mercy is a action word!! Sometimes it's hard to show someone mercy. We tend to "want mercy" but find it hard to "give mercy". We tend to look at the person instead of the situation that person finds themselves in. We want them to hurt like we hurt! Why is it so hard to show others mercy? Because mercy has to come from the heart; it has to come from God.Thank God for His mercy!! Today's passage is one of hope for us all. First, it states that God's mercies never end. That means He is longsuffering toward us. When I don't spend time with Him ,He is still right there, willing to forgive me and show mercy to me.When I turn my back to Him, He is still there waiting to show me mercy. Secondly, the passage tells us that His mercies are "new" every morning! Isn't that awesome!Who likes drinking stale coffee every morning? No one! You get up and make a fresh pot. That's just what God does for us, He has a fresh pot of mercies for us everyday! He is willing to show us "new" mercy even when we don't deserve any mercy at all!
Everyday we have a chance to show some of that new mercy that God has given to us. The question is will you have the heart to show someone some mercy today?Can you forgive that person that you haven't had the heart to forgive?Are you willing to help someone that you know needs your help today? Can you show some mercy today?
"Father,sometimes we forget how much mercy you have shown us during our life time.We tend to take your mercy for granted. We even forget that if not for your grace and mercy we wouldn't be alive today. We thank you now for your everlasting grace, mercy and love!!In the mighty name of Jesus,Amen."

It's Time To Get Dirty! Read St. Matthew 9:35-38

It's Febuary and almost time to plant the spring gardens.Did you know that gardening is something God ordained us to do? Genesis 3:23 reads;"Therefore the Lord God sent him (Adam) forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken." God told Adam to "till" the ground, to create his own garden. To truly work in a garden you have to be willing to get "dirty".
My late father was a United Methodist minister. In the late 60's, he was given three churches in and around Jasper,Texas to minister. My father had services in town every Sunday morning, then he'd go to either Neilley Grove or Jamestown to preach. Those two churches were in the "country" as we called it. They were made up of people who lived off their land and most had farm animals and large gardens. They didn't have alot of money so sometimes they paid Dad food from their gardens. There were times that I would have to go and pick peas or dig up potatoes. It was a hard and dirty job harvesting in those gardens.
Did you know that we are living in one gigantic garden? In today's passage,Jesus told his disciples;"The harvest truly is plenteous,but the labourers are few" In other words there are alot of people ready to recieve the Word of God but not enough that are willing to get down and dirty to give it to them. Most of us have never had to harvest anything. We go to our stores and choose things that have been already harvested for us, we don't have to get dirty.
Everyday we are given the chance to get dirty . We are given the chance to bring the Good News to people whom are ready to be harvested.That is all The Lord wants us to do. He wants us to proclaim His word in this dirty, sin sick world. Every chance we get we should be at work in God's garden. There is pruning to do! There is weeding to do! There is watering to do!There is nurtering to do! It's time to get dirty!!!
One of the hardest things to do is to bear witness to the goodness of God. It's easy for us to talk about the harvest,but hard for us to be apart of it. You know the times God is leading you to speak a Word to someone you don't know or even care about.There has been many times that the Spirit has lead me to speak a Word to someone, but fear of rejection lead me not to. We just don't want to get "dirty". We are content with others doing the harvest just like we are when we go to the store.
Today I challenge you to be apart of the harvest! It's truly time to listen to the Holy Spirit and get "dirty" with the Lord!! The Lord will not send you on a suicide mission! He will be there with you, giving you the words to say.It's time to punch the clock and go to work for our Lord! It's time to get dirty!!!
"Father we pray today that we get deep down and dirty with you in your harvest. We don't want others doing our work that we can do ourselves. Forgive us when we fail to heed your Holy Spirit and bring your Word when you lead us to do so. This is our prayer in the name of Jesus,Amen!"

"Let's Move Some Stones!!" Read St. Matthew 28:18-20 and St. John 11:39-44

I was sitting here this morning thinking about what God wanted us to think on this weekend. Valentine's Day is Sunday and must of our focus this week has been on what to get for the ones we love. So I wanted to do something about love but God wanted me to show how He wants us to love each and everyday. He lead me to the story of Lazarus and a "stone".
We all know the story, how Jesus allowed one of his dearest friends to die before He came and raised him from the dead. Jesus did this more for the people around Lazarus than for Lazarus himself. He wanted their faith in the power of God to be increased. He did it for His disciples that had struggled with their own faith. He did it so that God could get all the Glory.
There is something that the Lord wants us to see in this passage that I'd never seen before.The "stone" is something I knew as coming between Lazarus and Jesus. In other words there is always something that will try to keep us from Jesus. This I'd known before but the Lord got a little more deeper with me about this "stone".
Jesus said"Take ye away the stone". Now we know that Lazarus couldn't take away the stone; he was dead. Surely Jesus could have done it Himself but He didn't. He gave that task to others that were just standing around, waiting to see what Jesus could do.
The fact of this matter was that Lazarus was dead! He could not remove that stone! How many people are out there dead in sins that can't remove the stone?? You see we don't want to mess with the dead. Some of us have dear friends and family that are dead in their sins but we are just like those people that stood around Lazarus grave.We are waiting for Jesus to move the stone, we are waiting to see if He can fix that person on His own. It's easy for us to just look!!
Jesus could have removed that "stone" but He wanted them to be involved in that situation.He wanted them to become "stone movers". He wants us also to be "stone movers" today. We must be as John the Baptist,paving the way to Jesus. We must carry the Word to those that are dead in sin and have no strentgh to move the "stones" that have come between them and Jesus.We must become "stone movers!!
This weekend as we focus on Valentine's Day let us also focus on the task that Jesus gave us. Let us show our love for Him by becoming "stone movers"! Isn't that what true love is all about; helping those that can't help themselves! Could it be that there is a "stone" in the way???
"Father, we thank you for involving us in your plan of salvation and deliverance. Help us not to just stand around and ignore those that are dead to sin but to help them move the stones that are keeping them from Jesus. We need your strength ,and courage to help us in this task. In the mighty name of Jesus we pray,Amen!"
"Now Let's Move Some Stones!!!"

Sometimes We Need A Rock In Our Heads Read 1 Samuel 17:1-11 and 17:48-51

Our ego's can kill us and things around us. Our ego's can give us a false preception of who we truly are. Our ego's can get us in alot of trouble! Don't believe me, just ask Goliath.
We all know the story of David the lowly sheperd boy going against the giant Goliath.Not only was Goliath big, but his ego was even bigger! His ego gave him a sense of false confidence in himself. There was no way that anyone or anything could bring him down. He just didn't know that sometimes God uses the small things, the lowly things, the simple things to bring our egos down. Sometimes all it takes is a Rock in our heads!
1 Peter 5:6 reads as follows:"Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time." How many times do we exalt ourselves over others? How many times do we put our ego's before the will of God. How many times do we take all the praise and don't give God any at all. How many times have we played Goliath in our lives?
The bible says that David used a sling and a stone to bring Goliath to the ground. Once on the ground David used Goliath's sword to cut Goliath's head off.The Rock didn't kill him it just grounded him. In other words, it took a rock in his head to humble and ground him. We too need a Rock in our heads, a Rock called Jesus!!A Rock that will help keep us humble and grounded.It's nothing wrong with have a Rock in your head if that Rock is Jesus! He is my Rock,my Bright and Morning Star,my Way out of no way, my Strength,my All and All!!
Don't let your ego ever get too big for God because you better look out!! There is a Rock aimed at your head! Thank God for His one and only Rock!
"Father, sometimes we forget from where you have taken us. We forget to humble ourselves before you in all things and sometimes let our ego's get in the way. Please forgive us and put your Rock in our heads to keep is grounded with your Love. In the mighty name of Jesus,Amen."

"Time To Put The Garbage Out" Read John 1:29 and Hebrews 12:1

Every Wednesday is garbage day at the Breaux"s house.With just my wife and I we don't have alot of garbage, but any amount still is garbage and must be rid of. The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines "garbage" as 1(a) food waste (b) discarded or use less material 2(a)trash (b)inaccurate or useless data. Wednesday is the day I get up and put the garbage out because it's the only day the city pick up trash in my neighborhood . If it was up to me, every day would be garbage day.
Years back I worked offshore and I was always going to some type of class. One time I had to go to New Orleans for a two day class. New Orleans is special because that is where my wife and I honeymooned, so she took off work and tagged along with me. We packed light and brought just what we needed for the trip. We didn't take anything extra and we sure didn't take along our garbage. No one takes along their trash on trips, it would stink up the place. Only a foolish person would even consider taking their garbage on a trip.
Did you know that life is like a trip or journey? The Bible uses the word "walk" to highlight this fact. So if life is a walk, we must learn to travel lightly. We wouldn't try to carry anything that wasn't important or needed for our journey. We would take only the things we felt was needed.We throw garbage away because it is use less to us. Surely we would never take any garbage with us but we do! Some of us are full of garbage and have been carrying it around with is for years! We remember every wrong that has been done to us. We just won't put that garbage out! We hold on to it and use it when someone else hurt us. The main things we don't let go is our "own" sins and shortcomings. We can't forgive ourselves for who we are,the life we have, and all the sins we have done. You know, those secret sins that we don't want anyone to know about. Those evil thoughts that we have inside that we dare not let out. Yes, we walk around everyday carrying that trash with us.
It's time we put the garbage out!! We have a "garbage man" that is willing to take our trash everyday. No matter how great, no matter how small, no matter how stinky or nasty, He is willing to take it! His name is Jesus!! Oh what a relief to know that I don't have to wait until Wednesday to put my garbage out! Oh what relief to know that I don't have to carry my garbage with me anymore, because it has been a heavy load upon me. All you have to do is call Him. Tell Him you need some garbage picked up.Tell Him you are tired of carrying around your garbage and that you are ready to put it out.He will come, but "you" have to make the call.
Wednesday has passed and I'll have to wait another week before I put the trash out again.Thank God I have someone I can call any day or anytime to pick up my garbage.Make your call today, right now, He will come. On that thought, I have a call to make my own self, it's time for me to put some garbage out!
"Father,thank you for giving us our own personal garbage man.His name is Jesus. We call on Jesus to take away all the garbage(sins) that we find ourselves carrying around everyday. We know if we call He will answer. In the mighty name of Jesus,Amen."

Mostly Cloudy With A Chance Of Blessings !! Read 1Kings17:1 and 18:41-45

I love to watch the weather forecast on televison. It's a habit I got years ago when I worked on railroad tracks for a living. Working outside, on those tracks, we always needed to know how the weather was going to be to plan the jobs from day to day. One of my main jobs was to make the plans so I'd tune in at night before bed and in the morning before work. I needed to know if it was going to be sunny or if it was going to be cloudy with a chance of rain.
In our natural lives rain is sometimes given a bad rap. Because of rain some people can't work. Rainy conditions have been blamed for many an accident and deaths.Rain can even make some people depressed.
Now in the biblical sense, the lack of rain was seen as God's judgement upon the land and the people.1Kings 17:1 talks about when the prophet Elijah passed on God's words concerning Ahab the then king of Israel.Ahab was the king that married Jezebel and she turned him and the people away from God. So the words from God was No Rain! Another way to look at it was God took away the clouds! Without clouds, there can be no rain. Without rain, streams and rivers dry up. Without rain, plants die, animals die, we die! Without clouds we miss our chance to be blessed.
There have been times in my life when everything seemed to be under a cloud. It seemed like every where I went the clouds followed me. Heavy dark clouds wieghting on my personal life, my spiriual life. Dark clouds seemed to be every where and I just couldn't find any daylight to run to.Do anyone out there know what I'm talking about? There maybe someone going through this season right now, looking to escape those clouds, but there seems to be no way out.Maybe it's time for us to not focus on the clouds, but what's inside them!! I have a "spiritual forecast" for you today:"It's mostly cloudy with a chance of blessings!!" Those same clouds that are hanging over you are the same clouds God can use to bless you. Just like in the natural world, the darker the cloud, the more rain it produces. In the spirit world the same thing goes too, the darker the clouds in our lives, the more blessings there are inside them.
Verse 45 of todays passage reads as follows:" And it came to pass in the meanwhile, that the heaven was black with clouds and wind, and there was a great rain. And Ahab rode, and went to Jezreel."(kjv) If God was willing to pour out a blessing for an evil person like Ahab, surely He is willing pour one out for you.
Get your umbrella ready because the forecast is:"Mostly cloudy with a chance of BLESSINGS!!!"
"Father, help us look at the clouds in our lives as a chance for you to bless us. We know there was clouds as your Son hung on the cross and oh what a blesssing came from that! We pray in the mighty name of Jesus, Amen"