Breakfast of Champions - July 28th

Good Morning Champion

 

Check  for a Pulse

 

In any good movie when someone gets hurt the first thing they do is check the person’s pulse to get a good picture of how serious things really are.

 

Isaiah 42:5 (NIV)
This is what God the LORD says— he who created the heavens and stretched them out, who spread out the earth and all that comes out of it, who gives breath to its people, and life to those who walk on it:

 

This morning let’s start with an experiment take your forefinger and put it on the wrist of your opposite arm, move it around till you feel a pulse, got one? Good.  Here are 2 good thoughts concerning what you have found:

 

1. You are already better off than some people! Remember we need to always hold all challenges and momentary situations we may be facing in their true perspective. Yes, they may be very real and even very painful situations you are going to have to walk through but think about this, that some do not even have the option to have a challenge today.  When you choose to look at it this way you realize you are doing alright, and if your pulse is a nice strong pulse, then again you are doing a whole lot better than a whole lot of other people today who are struggling with poor health. Maybe this day is better than what you first thought?
2. Remember, God is the one who gives you that pulse today. It is a sign of life and the evidence of blood being pumped round your body, enabling you to live another day. Don’t ever get so impressed with yourself or what you have achieved that you leave God out of the applause.  The bottom line is that if He was not faithful to give you a pulse daily then nothing else in your life would work well or mean much at all. I spoke to a young man today who is destined to be successful and I asked him if he prayed and he replied,” Yes”. I said, “When you pray each morning, feel for your pulse and that will remind you that everything we have and could ever have is because God has again faithfully given us life”-- we all need to have a go at that especially in tough or very successful times and then give credit where credit is due.

Have a great day and remember the Lord your God is in it for He is the one who gives you breath and He gives life to those who walk the earth.

 

Andy

 

 

A devotional by Pastor Andy Elmes to inspire you with a godly thought to start your day well. God’s word is indeed the breakfast of champions.

 

Great Big Life

Empowering People

 

Andy Elmes

Pastor & Leadership Coach

 

UK Office:

PO BOX 240

Southsea

PO2 7YE.

 

+ 44 (0) 2392 342592

andy@greatbiglife.co.uk

www.greatbiglife.co.uk

 

 

Breakfast of Champions - 27th July

Good morning.

 

Faith Sings Before it Happens

 

Isaiah 54: 1 (The Message)

Sing, barren woman, who has never had a baby. Fill the air with song, you who've never experienced childbirth! You're ending up with far more children than all those childbearing women." God says so!

 

Imagine if you could not have children (being  barren) and you went to the doctor for help and he looked at you over his glasses and said, ”sing, woman, sing!”, and then gave you the prescription to sing songs about how many kids you were going to have and how awesome they would be.

 

You may think that is kind of strange, but that is the point of this verse. It is reminding us that people of faith do not just sing songs of thankfulness after things happen but can be heard singing songs of faith and thankfulness when they seem impossible!

 

Remember, faith is the substance of things hoped for and not of things seen or experienced (Hebrews 11) which means when we are believing God for something He has promised us, we do not need to wait until we handle it before owning it and singing about it. In fact, the prophet instructs us to sing from the position of apparent lack and barrenness. That’s faith.

 

We read about Moses parting the Red Sea with his faith and when they get to the other side it says His sister Miriam got out her tambourine and started to play and sing songs of thankfulness to God. Well done Miriam, but really, think about it, anyone can play the tambourine on the victorious that side of the miracle. God is looking for some people who will play the tambourine of faith before the miracle happens and when it looks impossible.

 

Without faith it is impossible to please God so sing Him a song that pleases Him today. Sing Him a song of faith. Yes, sing it from the middle of that place of apparent barrenness because He told you to.

 

Bless you

 

Andy

 

 

A devotional by Pastor Andy Elmes to inspire you with a godly thought to start your day well. God’s word is indeed the breakfast of champions.

 

Great Big Life

Empowering People

 

Andy Elmes

Pastor & Leadership Coach

 

UK Office:

PO BOX 240

Southsea

PO2 7YE.

 

+ 44 (0) 2392 342592

andy@greatbiglife.co.uk

www.greatbiglife.co.uk

 

 

Breakfast of Champions

Good morning Champ and welcome to another Friday fry-up!

 

Do you want to be amazed at what comes out of your mouth?

 

We have spoken about the power of “saying nothing at all” but what about when you have to say something? We know that according to Ecclesiastes there is a time for everything, “a time to be silent and a time to speak”. What about those times when silence won’t serve you best and you need to say something and you know that what you say could have a serious effect?

 

Jesus gives some great advice in the Gospel of Luke

 

Luke 21:14-15 (New King James Version)

Therefore settle it in your hearts not to meditate beforehand on what you will answer; ¹⁵ for I will give you a mouth and wisdom which all your adversaries will not be able to contradict or resist.

 

Jesus gave this promise to His disciples as he spoke to them on the subject of the signs of the end times. He spoke of people betraying them and setting them up with loaded or trick questions intended to incriminate or defame them and their God.  He told them not to worry about it but rather when they found themselves in one of those awkward moments to open their mouth and listen to what comes out.

 

The promise He made to them is still valid for us today. Why? Because His Spirit (the spirit of wisdom and revelation) lives now in us and is not dumb but He speaks. When we dare to take our minds out of gear and listen for Him it is amazing the answers and responses we suddenly have to give that appear seemingly from nowhere.

 

Consider the promise and its implications for you today.

 

• Jesus promised that He would give “the mouth (courage, eloquent ability) and the wise answer (truth for the moment)” to those who would dare not to pre-meditate responses but  simply trust Him in those moments for the perfect answers.
• Not only will He give you the perfect answer but an answer that will not be able to be contradicted or resisted. Now that is a great response.

So remember, sometimes it is better not to speak, “to say nothing at all” and other times when words are needed, why not let His wisdom become the “appearing seemingly from nowhere” words you use and as you do, you will leave your hearers unable to contradict why. That is what truth does when it is spoken with wisdom!

Luke 21: 15 (The Message)

Make up your mind right now not to worry about it. I'll give you the words and wisdom that will reduce all your accusers to stammers and stutters.

 

Blessing and have a great weekend.

 

Andy

 

 

A devotional by Pastor Andy Elmes to inspire you with a godly thought to start your day well. God’s word is indeed the breakfast of champions.

 

Great Big Life

Empowering People

 

Andy Elmes

Pastor & Leadership Coach

 

UK Office:

PO BOX 240

Southsea

PO2 7YE.

 

+ 44 (0) 2392 342592

andy@greatbiglife.co.uk

www.greatbiglife.co.uk

 

 

Breakfast of Champions

Morning Champ

 

You Say it Best When You Say Nothing at All (Cont’d)

 

Let’s think again about the power of silence and look at these verses using the modern Message translation from this account this in the book of Matthew

 

Matthew 15: 3 – 5 (The Message)

The high priests let loose a barrage of accusations. ⁴Pilate asked again, "Aren't you going to answer anything? That's quite a list of accusations." ⁵Still, he said nothing. Pilate was impressed, really impressed.

 

In not speaking He impressed Pilate and more importantly was actually fulfilling what Isaiah the prophet had prophesied concerning Him, validating His identity (the truth of who he was) to those who had ears to hear and eyes to see.

Isaiah 53:7 (New International Version)

He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth.

 

Jesus knew exactly what He was doing and was able to trust His Father God in the midst of it. A good leadership lesson is when we know what we are doing there is no reason or purpose to justify it to everyone.

 

I am sure you have learned, as I have, that speaking when you don’t need to or shouldn’t, can get you into the position where you find yourself digging yourself out of a hole you never needed to be in. Have you ever dug your way out of pointless holes? You can’t change them but you can stop yourself from digging others.

 

If He would have gotten himself into a conversation or debate concerning the what and why of all He was doing He would have stepped out of Isaiah’s prophesy concerning who He was and positioned Himself in a place where He could jeopardize the redemptive plan that would be carried out. By not verbally justifying who He was or His actions He more clearly showed that He was the one whom God had chosen to redeem the world according to Isaiah’s prophetic word. His silence was the fulfillment of the Scripture and the Jews who were there watching would know this and see prophetic fulfillment happening before their very eyes.

 

Leadership lesson:

 

As we lead in life for God let’s be wise with our speech:

 

1.       Have different responses for different people depending on who they are in your life and the situation at hand.

2.       Remember different people can handle knowing different things. What can they handle? Don’t give them what they can’t!

3.       Certain people deserve to know certain things and others don’t and need to wait and see so be wise with your words!

 

Have a great day and lead well in it.

Andy

 

 

A devotional by Pastor Andy Elmes to inspire you with a godly thought to start your day well. God’s word is indeed the breakfast of champions.

 

Great Big Life

Empowering People

 

Andy Elmes

Pastor & Leadership Coach

 

UK Office:

PO BOX 240

Southsea

PO2 7YE.

 

+ 44 (0) 2392 342592

andy@greatbiglife.co.uk

www.greatbiglife.co.uk

 

 

Breakfast of Champions

Good morning Champion.

 

You Say it Best When You Say Nothing at All

 

Mark 14: 57 – 62 (NIV)

Then some stood up and gave this false testimony against him: ⁵⁸"We heard him say, 'I will destroy this man-made temple and in three days will build another, not made by man.' ⁵⁹ Yet even then their testimony did not agree. ⁶⁰Then the high priest stood up before them and asked Jesus, "Are you not going to answer? What is this testimony that these men are bringing against you?" ⁶¹But Jesus remained silent and gave no answer.

 

In this account Jesus has been arrested and is being falsely accused by people whose stories could not hold water. He had been dragged before a kangaroo court of false testimonies and made up tales.  Like any TV courtroom scene, accusations and allegations were being fired at Him from every direction and He found himself right in the middle, although innocent of the charges and lies.

 

In the middle of this trial of errors we see Jesus choose to say one of the greatest things of all. He said nothing at all. He knew what we all need to discover, that in a battle of words, often silence can be the winner.

 

The greatest statement He could make to the false things being said about Him was to say nothing. Why? He did not need to justify the lies. He needed only to stand confidently in the truth of what He knew was real.

 

As we make the decision to live for God, we too will be falsely accused, and just like Jesus, we will have the option to fight back verbally. Maybe we will find ourselves or our reputation being defamed or set up, we may have the potential and opportunity to verbally give the best defense ever given but we need to ask ourselves if it will match the power of silence?  Remember, one of the greatest statements Jesus ever made was to say nothing.

 

• Sometimes the use of words tries to justify something that does not qualify justification.
• Truth does not need to be justified to everyone just confidently rested upon – “time will tell your story”.
• Truth is like a beach ball being held under water in a swimming pool. It is only a matter of time before it comes to the surface. The gravity working for it is greater than that working against it!

 

Make the decision not to always fight your own corner when you don’t need to. Try not to get into a verbal wrestling match when silence is clearly the best contender.

 

Sometimes, like Jesus knew, and the singer Ronan Keating once sang, “you say it best when you say nothing at all”. Think about that.

 

Andy

 

 

A devotional by Pastor Andy Elmes to inspire you with a godly thought to start your day well. God’s word is indeed the breakfast of champions.

 

Great Big Life

Empowering People

 

Andy Elmes

Pastor & Leadership Coach

 

UK Office:

PO BOX 240

Southsea

PO2 7YE.

 

+ 44 (0) 2392 342592

andy@greatbiglife.co.uk

www.greatbiglife.co.uk

 

 

Breakfast of Champions - July 21st

Good morning Champion. Your breakfast is served.

 

Live in the Measurements of God (Cont’d)

 

Psalm 103:11-12 (NIV)

For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; ¹² as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us

 

We looked yesterday at the measurement of God’s love towards us who fear Him.  I don’t know about you but I was both blessed and impressed.

The same Psalm mentions a second measurement that has equal potential to redefine and revolutionize your walk with God and your day to day experience of this thing called Christianity. It is the measurement concerning the extent of God’s forgiveness toward our sins and transgressions.  How forgiven are we and what’s the measurement?

 

According to God’s Word the measurement for the removal of our sins is “as the east is from the west”.  Would you be able to measure that? No, nor have I, because that’s a long way. Let’s face it there is bound to be some bright spark right now that could give the exact measurement of the divide between the east and the west of planet earth.

Here is my thought-- What if God was not speaking of the measurements of a singular planet but rather the entire universe?  Now that really is a big, old measurement. It makes sense to me because the measurement He used to describe His love for us left the limiting boundaries of just planet earth, (as far as the heavens are above the earth)so  why would the boundaries of His forgiveness of our sins not follow the same track?

 

I suppose the choice is yours whether to view it as the east and west of the earth or the universe but I will go ahead and choose the universe because in that option is the possibility of infinity!

 

The bottom line this morning is to realize and accept that Jesus did a fantastic job of settling the sin issue for you by providing His life as settlement for its full requirements and in doing so, He removed it far, far away.  Righteousness reigns where there is no sin, so go ahead and today let righteousness reign in your life!

 

Think about those two measurements and apply them to your life today and tomorrow and hey, why not the rest of your life.

 

Bless you

Andy

 

 

A devotional by Pastor Andy Elmes to inspire you with a godly thought to start your day well. God’s word is indeed the breakfast of champions.

 

Great Big Life

Empowering People

 

Andy Elmes

Pastor & Leadership Coach

 

UK Office:

PO BOX 240

Southsea

PO2 7YE.

 

+ 44 (0) 2392 342592

andy@greatbiglife.co.uk

www.greatbiglife.co.uk

 

 

Breakfast of Champions - July 20th

Good morning Champ and welcome to another week.

 

Live in the measurements of God.

 

Psalm 103:11-12 (NIV)

For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; ¹² as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us

 

In this psalm we are given two God -ordained measurements that when we get a revelation of them can change our lives forever.

 

The first measurement deals with the vastness of His love towards us-- “as high as the heavens are above the earth”. Stick your head out of the window and look up. Can you see the heavens? Work out that measurement if you can? No, His love is far beyond what you will ever have the human ability to measure.

 

Interesting  terminology here in this verse, “as far as the heavens are from the earth”.  I was walking today and thinking about how extreme that measurement is and I felt the Lord say to me “That is the length of the journey Jesus travelled to save you.” Wow, it’s true. Think about that, for love sake, Jesus laid aside His crown of majesty in the heaven to come save me and you on the earth. That’s a long way and that’s a big love!

 

Let’s look at the same thought put another way by Paul the Apostle.

 

Romans 8:38-39 (NIV)

For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, ³⁹neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

 

God’s love is not small, breakable or fallible. Reside again today in that love that can neither be broken or humanly measured. Bless you.

 

Andy

 

 

A devotional by Pastor Andy Elmes to inspire you with a godly thought to start your day well. God’s word is indeed the breakfast of champions.

 

Great Big Life

Empowering People

 

Andy Elmes

Pastor & Leadership Coach

 

UK Office:

PO BOX 240

Southsea

PO2 7YE.

 

+ 44 (0) 2392 342592

andy@greatbiglife.co.uk

www.greatbiglife.co.uk

 

 

Breakfast of Champions - July 16th

Good morning Champ and welcome to another Friday fry- up

 

Your Smell Affects Others Cont’d

 

Let’s have one final look at these great verses to motivate ourselves concerning the fragrance or aroma of our lives. Yesterday we looked at the effect our lives have on the nose of God and this morning let us finish by looking at the scent we carry in the nostrils of people we share our daily worlds with.

 

2 Corinthians 2:14-16 (NIV)

But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of him. ¹⁵For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. ¹⁶To the one we are the smell of death; to the other, the fragrance of life. And who is equal to such a task?

 

Two groups of people are mentioned in the above verses and two distinctive smells. If we let them follow their natural order I think we may be able to see that God intended both smells to exist and play their part.

 

1. Those who are being saved

Corinthians says that we are to be the smell of death among this group. Death? One way of looking at it could be that our lives should smell of the death we have experienced in Christ.  When people (Church folk) get to experience our aroma they should smell the scent of the death we have died in Christ on us. It is that divine death that separated us from everything we used to be and so liberating and enabling us to be the brand new creations we now are. They should smell the death of such things as selfishness, pride and other scents that were once common to us and also that there is a new creation smell to us now.

 

2. Those who are perishing

Our aroma among the unsaved should be one of extreme life. When unsaved people get a whiff of us they should be overwhelmed by the scent of resurrection and new life that comes from every pour of who we are.  Remember that through new birth (death, burial and resurrection) we have been made alive together with Him and so our lives should smell of life not like the musty corridors of religion. Let’s face it, the smell of life is so much better than the smell of death. Life is more likely to attract followers than that of death. What would you follow?

 

As we move forward to possess our day let us be conscious of the aroma our life is giving out to the world God has called us to change.

 

God bless you smelly!

Andy

 

 

A devotional by Pastor Andy Elmes to inspire you with a godly thought to start your day well. God’s word is indeed the breakfast of champions.

 

Great Big Life

Empowering People

 

Andy Elmes

Pastor & Leadership Coach

 

UK Office:

PO BOX 240

Southsea

PO2 7YE.

 

+ 44 (0) 2392 342592

andy@greatbiglife.co.uk

www.greatbiglife.co.uk

 

 

Breakfast of Champions - July 16th

Good morning Champ and welcome to another Friday fry- up

 

Your Smell Affects Others Cont’d

 

Let’s have one final look at these great verses to motivate ourselves concerning the fragrance or aroma of our lives. Yesterday we looked at the effect our lives have on the nose of God and this morning let us finish by looking at the scent we carry in the nostrils of people we share our daily worlds with.

 

2 Corinthians 2:14-16 (NIV)

But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of him. ¹⁵For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. ¹⁶To the one we are the smell of death; to the other, the fragrance of life. And who is equal to such a task?

 

Two groups of people are mentioned in the above verses and two distinctive smells. If we let them follow their natural order I think we may be able to see that God intended both smells to exist and play their part.

 

1. Those who are being saved

Corinthians says that we are to be the smell of death among this group. Death? One way of looking at it could be that our lives should smell of the death we have experienced in Christ.  When people (Church folk) get to experience our aroma they should smell the scent of the death we have died in Christ on us. It is that divine death that separated us from everything we used to be and so liberating and enabling us to be the brand new creations we now are. They should smell the death of such things as selfishness, pride and other scents that were once common to us and also that there is a new creation smell to us now.

 

2. Those who are perishing

Our aroma among the unsaved should be one of extreme life. When unsaved people get a whiff of us they should be overwhelmed by the scent of resurrection and new life that comes from every pour of who we are.  Remember that through new birth (death, burial and resurrection) we have been made alive together with Him and so our lives should smell of life not like the musty corridors of religion. Let’s face it, the smell of life is so much better than the smell of death. Life is more likely to attract followers than that of death. What would you follow?

 

As we move forward to possess our day let us be conscious of the aroma our life is giving out to the world God has called us to change.

 

God bless you smelly!

Andy

 

 

A devotional by Pastor Andy Elmes to inspire you with a godly thought to start your day well. God’s word is indeed the breakfast of champions.

 

Great Big Life

Empowering People

 

Andy Elmes

Pastor & Leadership Coach

 

UK Office:

PO BOX 240

Southsea

PO2 7YE.

 

+ 44 (0) 2392 342592

andy@greatbiglife.co.uk

www.greatbiglife.co.uk

 

 

Breakfast of Champions - July 15th

Morning Champion.

 

Your Smell Affects Others.

 

2 Corinthians 2:15 - 16 (NIV)

For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing.

 

The fragrance that comes from your life affects according to Corinthians 3, people. Let’s look at the first of these three this morning.

 

First of all God Smells You

 

“We are to God the aroma of Christ”. How awesome is that when God leans over and sniffs us living our everyday lives and He smells the incredible fragrance of the beauty and righteousness of His Son Jesus. You may say, “But you do not know what I did this week.” My response is  that you need to know that according to God’s word your life is hidden (positioned in) Christ and when God smells you, He smells the fragrance of Jesus and of His finished perfect work of redemption.

 

A great comparison is found in Genesis 27:27 in the account of when Isaac blesses his son Jacob instead of Esau.  Isaac was blind by this time in his life and knew His sons by their touch and distinctive smells. Jacob, acting on the plan of His mother, wore the smell of His brother to get His blessing and it was that smell that his father knew him by and blessed him because of. (Read the account. It is a good read.)

 

Genesis 27:27 (NKJV)

And he came near and kissed him; and he smelled the smell of his clothing, and blessed him and said: “ Surely, the smell of my son Is like the smell of a field Which the LORD has blessed.

 

The smell that is upon your life is the smell of the Son He loves and the field (life of His son) that He has blessed. How awesome is that. When you approach God you smell like Jesus.  Also, you need to know that unlike Jacob, this is not a con but rather an intention of God because it is He who positioned you in Christ.

 

Don’t feel like a fraud like Jacob did, because you are not. Your scent is the result of His intent and it is He that coated you in the Son of His delight.

Because of this you can again today approach the Father knowing that His approval of you is set in Jesus.  You can, as it invites us in Hebrews, “Approach Him with boldness of faith.”

 

Bless you today and know that the Lord your God loves the smell of you.

 

Andy

 

 

A devotional by Pastor Andy Elmes to inspire you with a godly thought to start your day well. God’s word is indeed the breakfast of champions.

 

Great Big Life

Empowering People

 

Andy Elmes

Pastor & Leadership Coach

 

UK Office:

PO BOX 240

Southsea

PO2 7YE.

 

+ 44 (0) 2392 342592

andy@greatbiglife.co.uk

www.greatbiglife.co.uk

 

 

Breakfast of Champions - July 15th

Good morning Champion. Breakfast is served.

 

What Do You Smell Like?... Continued

 

2 Corinthians 2:14-16 (NIV)

But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of him. ¹⁵For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. ¹⁶To the one we are the smell of death; to the other, the fragrance of life. And who is equal to such a task?

 

We should not have to struggle to daily release the sweet scent of Christ from our lives but simply remember that it is the natural reaction of His life is resident within us.

 

Again, look at the natural body as an example. The reality is that whatever is in you or put into you can play a large part concerning the odor that comes from you. Just last night I took Gina out to eat and I ate a very large (did not realize it was raw) chunk of garlic. By the end of the night it was manifesting its odor nicely from every pour in my skin and by this morning had contaminated every inch of who I was especially to my family who sadly had to experience my breath.

The fragrance of your life should be Christ-like in its scent simply because of two things:

 

1. Jesus now lives in you. You are not a hotel He visits but rather his home (place of residence).  He does not pop in and pop out when He feels like it but never leaves according to His promise. Christ in you is the hope of Glory but also so the source of the pleasing fragrance that comes from your life.
2. You realize and accept that your life is now His home and as you do you daily yield and submit everything you are to Him. The fragrance of His life comes from every part or through every pour of who you are.

Also, while we talk about the principle of “what goes in effects what comes out”, it is important that you be daily feeding your life the stuff that you want your life to be smelling of. For example, if you keep feeding your life the law of Moses then it will be the law of Moses that you smell of. Feed your life daily the truth and grace that comes through Jesus and you will love the way your life starts smelling so will others.

 

Bless you and consider again the one who has now become the very contents of your life. Let His life flow out of you again today.

 

Andy

 

 

A devotional by Pastor Andy Elmes to inspire you with a godly thought to start your day well. God’s word is indeed the breakfast of champions.

 

Great Big Life

Empowering People

 

Andy Elmes

Pastor & Leadership Coach

 

UK Office:

PO BOX 240

Southsea

PO2 7YE.

 

+ 44 (0) 2392 342592

andy@greatbiglife.co.uk

www.greatbiglife.co.uk

 

 

Breakfast of Champions - July 14th

Good morning Champion

 

Personal question today: What do you smell like?

 

2 Corinthians 2:14-16 (NIV)

But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of him. ¹⁵For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. ¹⁶To the one we are the smell of death; to the other, the fragrance of life. And who is equal to such a task?

 

A better way of saying smell would be to use the word fragrance or aroma. Paul’s challenge to us is this--What aroma or fragrance is coming off of our lives as we live them out daily?

 

God’s plan was that our lives would “spread everywhere the fragrance of Him”. Is that what your life smells like today? When people get a whiff of your life do they smell the scent of grace and the aroma of someone who knows Jesus?

 

This is a good challenge for each of us to consider and as with many things there is a natural and a spiritual reality to smells and people. We can compare them both to make a point. All of us have experienced or been exposed to at one time or another a person passing us with a nice scent of maybe an expensive perfume or after shave, but it’s very likely you have also experienced the smell of someone passing near to you with bad BO (body odor). Have you ever sat in the same room or enclosed place with someone who removes their shoes and they have really unpleasantly cheesy smelling feet. Yep,we have all experienced both.

 

Naturally our lives can release a smell or a fragrance that is either pleasing or not so pleasing to the senses of others and spiritually this is a reality too. What does your Christianity smell of today.  Smells are very interesting things. They can attract people or repel them depending on what type they are. When people encounter you do they smell the sweet perfume of knowing Jesus or the odor of religion with all its various scents of law and legalism, or worse, the pungent stench of hypocrisy?

 

May our lives today release wherever we go that sweet aroma of Christ in us. May that smell attract people to follow Him.

Bless you. Be smelly in the right way.

 

Andy

 

 

A devotional by Pastor Andy Elmes to inspire you with a godly thought to start your day well. God’s word is indeed the breakfast of champions.

 

Great Big Life

Empowering People

 

Andy Elmes

Pastor & Leadership Coach

 

UK Office:

PO BOX 240

Southsea

PO2 7YE.

 

+ 44 (0) 2392 342592

andy@greatbiglife.co.uk

www.greatbiglife.co.uk

 

 

Breakfast of Champions - July 13th

Be His Ambassador in Your World.

 

2 Corinthians 5:18-20 (NIV)

All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: ¹⁹that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. ²⁰We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us.

 

In these verses we see three very powerful things that should radically affect the way we see ourselves today. First, we are to realize that each of us are ministers and He has given to each and everyone of us the ministry of reconciliation. Next we see that each of us are His messengers and He has committed to us a very important message for the world. He actually desires that our lives would be a living message (living epistle or letter) of divine invitation of reconciliation to a lost world.

 

Lastly, God says that we are ambassadors. What a privilege that God has called you to be a person who has the honor of representing Him and His kingdom wherever you go.

 

When an ambassador goes somewhere he carries a number of things from the king or kingdom he represents.

1. His word or message (God has given you His message to share)
2. His Authority (God has given you His authority to bind and loose where needed)

When we go into our daily worlds again today, whether that be your work place or community ,we need to remember that God has called us as ambassadors and that in every place we find ourselves we are to be His representatives letting people know the goodness of our God and how incredible His kingdom is.

 

We are to carry His Word and represent Him in every place that He sends us, which actually is the whole world, (The Great Commission) but a good place to start today is your world which is that daily place that is unique to you.  This week walk again through the world He has sent you to armed with the knowledge that you have been called and that you carry a life-changing message.  You are an ambassador carrying His Word and His authority.

 

Have a great week ambassador!

Andy

 

 

A devotional by Pastor Andy Elmes to inspire you with a godly thought to start your day well. God’s word is indeed the breakfast of champions.

 

Great Big Life

Empowering People

 

Andy Elmes

Pastor & Leadership Coach

 

UK Office:

PO BOX 240

Southsea

PO2 7YE.

 

+ 44 (0) 2392 342592

andy@greatbiglife.co.uk

www.greatbiglife.co.uk