Episode 20 - What Do You Smell?

Psalm 55:23…..But you, O God, will bring down the wicked into the pit of corruption; bloodthirsty and deceitful men will not live out half their days. But as for me, I trust in you. Trusting in the lord is a sure path to victory. However, when we find ourselves in a time of crisis our minds can work overtime to look for exit strategies devised from our own understanding. We pull on the unsanctified resources from our past and begin to desperately dream up schemes that we think may help us. In reality, we are merely leading ourselves into an even bigger mess. When we deviate from the Lord’s plan for our lives we end up in a dead-end cul-de-sac of destruction. The further into our own plans we go, we move closer towards unrighteousness and corruption. Stop! Get back onto the path of righteousness that Jesus prepared in advance for us to walk in. Trust completely in Him and watch how He orchestrates your disaster into triumph and your crisis into blessings. Lord Jesus, thank you for having the best plan for our lives. Amen. To read this scripture in context please go to ‘McKenzie Hates Religion’: http://www.thewaycm.com/mckenzie.html

1 John 1:5……This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. God is Light and Jesus Christ is the Light of the World. He has called us out of darkness into His marvellous light. In Him there is no shadow of turning. His light is always at its zenith, always at its peak. There is no darkness in His light; nothing hidden, nothing obscured. With God, anything that would lurk in the darkness or hide in the shadows, is exposed. The darkness flees from Him. In love, His light exposes what is hidden, sometimes even from ourselves. As we bring it into His light it is dealt with and removed. In the light of His presence we are refined and purified. We are absorbed into His light becoming as He is. Lord Jesus, thank you from bringing me into your marvellous light. Amen. To read this scripture in context please go to ‘McKenzie in the Light’: http://www.thewaycm.com/mckenzie.html

Matthew 10: 28…… Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell. Some people say that hell does not exist. Some even say that tough and challenging times on earth are our hell. Both of these comments are wrong. Hell is a very real place. In fact, in the bible, Jesus talks more about hell that He does about heaven! Hell is reserved for people who have rejected God’s salvation plan through Jesus Christ. They will spend eternity there. However, right up until the moment we take our last breath, we can ask Jesus to forgive us and cleanse us from all unrighteousness, and He will. Gambling, that we can wait to the last minute before receiving Jesus into our hearts is not a wise thing to do. We do not know when out time on earth will be over and death is a master of surprise. Lord Jesus, please save those who are perishing. Amen To read this scripture in context please go to ‘McKenzie Plunges Into Darkness’: http://www.thewaycm.com/mckenzie.html

2 Corinthians 2:16….To the one we are the smell of death; to the other, the fragrance of life. Not everyone will be happy when we share the Good News of Jesus Christ with them. To some it will speak of death and to others, life. Those who reject Jesus and His salvation plan will be eternally separated from God. The misconception that death is a long sleep is not true. Death without God is a long, slow, agonising, torture forever. However, those who die with Jesus Christ in their heart will continue to live in God’s presence forever. They will not spend any time away from Jesus because as soon as their body dies, their spirit and soul will immediately be with Him. What do you smell right now? Is it life or death? Lord Jesus, thank you for calling us into everlasting life with you? Amen. To read this scripture in context please go to ‘McKenzie and the Smell’: http://www.thewaycm.com/mckenzie.html

Joshua 1:9…..Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go. These words, spoken to Moses’ successor Joshua, are also spoken into our lives too. They are not only words to encourage, they are commands. Be strong! Be courageous! Do not be afraid! Do not be discouraged! They are followed by a promise; for I, the Lord of all, your God, will be with you wherever you go! Hallelujah!! Let this sink in…. No matter where we are, no matter what is going on in and around our lives, our God, Jesus Christ, is the Lord over all our circumstances and situations. He is the Lord. When we believe this without question, we will be strong and courageous and we will not be afraid or discouraged. Let’s not be bullied by our circumstances. Through what Jesus Christ has done for us at Calvary we have the victory in every area of our lives. Lord Jesus, you have made us winners. Amen. To read this scripture in context please go to ‘McKenzie Feels Vulnerable’: http://www.thewaycm.com/mckenzie.html

Actions Speak Louder than Words 1 John 3:18….Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth. Love is both a noun and a verb. We do what it says. Platitudes will never be a substitute for passion. Even if we understand what love means, it will always be ‘better felt than telt’, as we say in Scotland. However, love is not a masquerade nor is it a charade. Yet, multitudes of people have been horribly deceived by smooth-talking suitors. Sadly, many who sought true love have been short-changed by amorous advances and a fleeting fling. People in love will go to great lengths to express their love……For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16). Jesus Christ, God’s only Son, willingly lay down His life because He loved us. How far would you go to demonstrate your love for another? Lord Jesus, thank you loving us even before we knew you. Amen To read this scripture in context please go to ‘McKenzie’s Edge’: http://www.thewaycm.com/mckenzie.html

Connecting with Jesus Song of Solomon 1:4……Take me away with you—let us hurry! Let the king bring me into his chambers. Song of Solomon speaks of intimacy and heart-throbbing passion. The Bride, the Beloved is speaking to her Lover, the King or, in other words, the Christian church is speaking to Christ Jesus. Are you in love with Jesus? Is Jesus the lover of your soul? Do you long to be locked-in with Jesus in the Most Holy Place, in the inner sanctum of the Holy of Holies? Song of Solomon, the bible’s racy love poem, describes the passion between two lovers. Are you a beloved disciple? Do you long to get as close to Jesus as possible? Do you long to connect with Him? Lord Jesus, thank you for waiting for us to connect with you. Amen. To read this scripture in context please go to ‘McKenzie Looks for a Connection’: http://www.thewaycm.com/mckenzie.html

Eternity Daniel 12:2…..Multitudes who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake: some to everlasting life, others to shame and everlasting contempt. This scripture speaks of a resurrection of the dead that takes place after the Rapture; i.e. the gathering of Christian believers with Jesus in the clouds. Read in conjunction with Revelation 20 we learn that this second resurrection of the dead takes place at the end of Jesus’ reign of 1,000 years on earth after His Second Coming. Those whose name is written in the Book of Life will rise to everlasting life with Jesus but those who have rejected Jesus will be raised to everlasting shame and contempt. They will be separated from God forever. Mankind was created to be eternal. Death is a temporary state. Where we spend eternity is determined by the choices we make before we die. Where are you going? Lord Jesus, thank you for calling us to be with you forever. Amen To read this scripture in context please go to ‘McKenzie Comes Out of Hibernation’: http://www.thewaycm.com/mckenzie.html

What are You Hoping for? Job 11:18….You will be secure, because there is hope; you will look about you and take your rest in safety. What are you hoping for? Do you look for it with confidence? If you do, you have faith. Faith comes when God speaks to us. Did God speak to you to believe in what you are hoping for? If not, your hope is no more than wishful thinking! Can you see, through the eyes of faith, the materialisation of the thing you hope for? Are you sure it will happen as God has said? Can you rest assured that God’s promises are ‘yes’ and ‘amen’? Do you believe that? Believe and do not doubt, God will give you what you hope for. Thank you Jesus, those who hope in you are never disappointed. Amen. To read this scripture in context please go to ‘McKenzie Finds Hope’: http://www.thewaycm.com/mckenzie.html

The Lord Will Satisfy You Isaiah 58:11….The LORD will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail. No matter how much of a predicament we find ourselves in, the Lord will guide us out of it and he will give us all that we need to be satisfied. He will strengthen our bodies and cause us to be fruitful. When we get hot under the collar and stress wants us to blow a gasket…. When we feel burned-out and exhausted, the Lord turns up like a cool stream to refresh us and to bless us. He will never fail us. Take a breath, hold it….now exhale slowly. The Lord is here and everything is going to be alright. Mmmmm, thank you Jesus. Amen To read this scripture in context please go to ‘McKenzie Gets Cooked’: http://www.thewaycm.com/mckenzie.html