WHAT DOES REFRESH MEAN?
The following words are synonymous with the word “refresh”
Revive, Revitalize, Restoring, Freshening.
Rejuvenate, Recharge, Reinvigorate,
Renew, Reboot, Reinstall
Change, Tweak, Adjust, upgrade
WHY IS BEING REFRESHED SO IMPORTANT?
- Physical significance
- Spiritual significance
Let’s look at the physical implications:
SCRIPTURE:
Proverbs 11:25 (NIV) says,
A generous person will prosper,
And he who refreshes others
Will be refreshed”
As a pastor’s wife we all know how much we give to others from assisting your husband in the ministry. You give and give and refresh others in Church work in one way or the other and it’s not easy.
Taking care of the home front, the Church front, the job front etc. you get the picture?
As the expressions goes, you’ve been there, done that and you are still there and still doing that!
Many of us have been doing this and that for years!
There comes a time where you need a change, you need to adjust and you need to recharge.
Find that environment where you can be refreshed – a vacation spot or retreat is a perfect place
take it all in, relax, breathe (take a breath in, take a breath out), enjoy the air, sunshine in the environment.
But there’s an even better reason for us to be refreshed.
We must remember the spiritual aspect of being refreshed.
Jeremiah 31:25
“I will refresh the weary and satisfy the faint.”
We need the Holy Spirit, and it is the key to do what we do day in and day out.
In Him we live and move and have our being – Acts 17:28
We cannot be and do what we do without acknowledging God and the power of the Holy Spirit
He is the original source of our refreshment!
Acts 3:19 says,
“Repent, then and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing May come from the Lord.”
IF WE ARE TO RECEIVE SPIRITUAL REFRESHING.
2 CONDITIONS that must be met.
We must REPENTANCE
We need to TURN TO GOD
TO RECEIVE SPIRITUAL REFRESHING
FIRST, WE MUST REPENT!
The word REPENT here can-be interpreted two ways:
FIRST INTERPRETATION which we all know is to:
Genuinely seek the face of God, turnaround from your previous ways and ask for forgiveness of some of the things you have done that is offensive to God.
SECOND INTERPRETATION:
Change your mind, turn to God. Ministry is supposed to be fun, not tedious, grinding your teeth and STRUGGLING, or sweating blood – no, no – do it all in the power of the Holy Spirit.
CHANGE how you do ministry,
CHANGE how you do God’s work,
CHANGE how you interact with people – connect with people who will be your destiny helpers.
CHANGE how you live your life,
At PWF WE CHANGED from the routine of the PWF conference – that we are here in Jamaica for this year’s conference is Repentance (change)
By doing all these we are ALSO showing repentance.
Serving God should be fun!
It’s not drudgery!
AND it should not boring!
We sometimes do ministry with heaviness, bitterness, envy and jealousy (please stay in your lane), anger, and anxiety when serving God should be fun!
Not in drudgery or boredom.
Please, to ALL of you listening
LET GO AND LET GOD!
You not only need to be sincere about changing the way you live,
But we also need to change our thoughts and how we think.
THERE’S NO PLACE FOR
Feelings of self-pity, depression, discouragement, anxiety are not thoughts that please God.
Proverbs 23:7 (NKJV) says, “As a man thinketh in his heart so is he.”
REPENTANCE MUST COME WITH OBEDIENCE
Have you been hiding back on something that God has told you to do?
Are you struggling with a habit?
Or is it pride and ego?
BY BEING REPENTANT AND OBEDIENT YOU ALLOW TIMES OF REFRESHING TO FLOW!
Say to your sister next to you:
You will think Good and positive thoughts about yourself in Jesus’ name!
You will turn around thoughts that have held you captive in the mighty name of Jesus!
The SECOND CONDITION that must be met TO RECEIVE SPIRITUAL REFRESHING:
Is that we must:
TURN TO GOD
1 Peter 5:7 “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.”
Malachi 3:7 says, “Return to me, and I will return to you.”
James 4:7 (NLT) says, “Come close to God and God will come close to you.”
If you have walked far from God, this is the time to draw close to him.
You should ENJOY the beautiful environment here
BUT ALSO have some time of REFLECTION
If it feels like God is far away from you,
it is because YOU HAVE MOVED not because God has left you.
WHAT MUST WE DO TO POSITION MYSELF FOR REFRESHING?
While you are in your retreat,
we should start to do certain things.
TURN to God like you’ve never done before!
While you are here
spend some time in His presence, meditating and reflecting on His word – fellowship with him regularly.
Psalm 19:7
“The law of the Lord is perfect, refreshing the soul
The statutes of the Law are trustworthy, making wise the simple.”
HOW ELSE CAN WE POSITION OURSELVES FOR REFRESHING?
- Fellowship with each other – ask questions of what others are doing for thanksgiving or Christmas in their churches – do same if it connects with your spirit.
- Give to God (and PWF)- whatever you give comes back to you
- Witnessing to the unsaved
IN CONCLUSION
This is your time of refreshing!
By God’s grace you will be refreshed by this beautiful physical environment!
You will be refreshed by being repentant of your old ways of doing ministry,
You will be refreshed by changing how you think.
You will be refreshed by turning to God
You will be refreshed in your body, soul, and spirit
And as you do the above in obedience
God will surely
Refresh your lives
Refresh your wombs,
Refresh your marriages,
Refresh the works of our hands
Refresh your destinies, and
Your lives will never be the same in the mighty name of Jesus!
Enjoy your time of refreshing in the presence of the Lord!