Pastor Sheila shared
the following: “When my airplane flight is over,
it’s not really over. You see, there’s that closing chapter of a trip that you
get to spend at baggage claim. At my home airport they have these big carousels
where suitcases are dumped out and where they circle until their owners claim
them. Now, my bags seem to have a knack for waiting until almost all the other
bags are out, for some reason. So I just keep watching those suitcases of all
shapes and sizes and conditions appear, and waiting for one I like – no, no,
no. I mean, one I recognize! Moving on…I happened to notice there’s always “phantom bags”
there as well. They just keep circling and circling and circling. And since the
luggage carousel is all I really have to look at, the show gets pretty boring after awhile!
Hours later you’re still saying yep, there goes that SAME BAGGAGE AGAIN!”
Keep That Story In Mind!
Probably the most curious question Jesus ever asked is found in John 5:3-9. There was a pool where people went out to get their diseases healed and it says, “Here there was a great number of people and they used to lie there, the blind, the lame, the paralyzed, and there was one who had been an invalid for 38 YEARS. When Jesus saw him lying there and learned that HE HAD BEEN IN THIS CONDITION FOR A LONG TIME he asked him, ‘Do you want to get well?’ ‘Well sir,’ the invalid replied, ‘I have no one to help me to get into the pool when the water is stirred.’” That’s when the healing time was. “While I’m trying to get in, someone else goes down ahead of me.’ Then Jesus said, ‘Get up, pick up your mat and walk.’ At once the man was cured, picked up his mat and he walked.‘
Now, this man has been a victim of paralysis for 38 YEARS and yet Jesus says, “Do you want to get well?” Why?
Well, let’s stop for a moment and consider the condition that YOU are in right now. Something that fits the Biblical description that’s given here, “In this condition for a long time.“ Maybe it’s the pain or the memory of some past hurt or past abuse or past betrayal. It’s haunted you; it’s even held you back for a long time. Or, it could be that you’ve carried feelings of worthlessness for a long time, and they’ve caused you to make some very hurtful choices. It may be some enslaving sin that’s held you down for a long time, but like this man at the healing pool, you’ve been in some way emotionally, or spiritually, or relationally paralyzed for a long time. And then along comes Jesus with this strange question – the one that comes before the healing, “Do you want to get well?” Or to put it in airport terms, “Are you tired of watching the same old baggage go by again and again?“
In a way, those memories and those resentments, those no good feelings, those sins, they are the BAGGAGE in your life and they just keep replaying and replaying and causing more frustration and more damage!
Why does Jesus ask us if we want to get well? BECAUSE SOMETIMES WE’RE AFRAID TO CHANGE!
We’ve gotten used to playing the victim role! We’ve settled into an identity that revolves around that SAME OLD BAGGAGE!
Notice the man didn’t just say “Yes.” He responded with a “nobody cares complaint” A, “woe is me” whine. Because he’s gotten used to being the guy with the problem, he was stuck in his victim identity, but Jesus acts miraculously and that man walks away carrying what had been carrying him for years!
Just as Jesus did for him, He wants to do the very same for you! And yes, He’s still got the power to do it! He wants to help you put the pain and paralysis of the past once and for all behind you ONCE AND FOR ALL!
To take away the victim card and to replace it with one that says, “More than conquerors through Him who loved us.”
He wants to help you make today the day that you wrap up the past and put it in a book called Volume 1, and leave it on the shelf forever!
Today is the beginning of Volume 2, one in which you release the hurt through forgiving the hurter (that’s my word…I’m certain “hurter” is not in the dictionary), you release the sin through aggressive repentance, and you release the worthless feelings by living like the masterpiece God created you to be!
That all happens when you come to the cross of Jesus and say, “Jesus, I’m Yours. You died to free me from all of this, and today I’m determined to be free!”
Today is your day to finally get rid of that SAME OLD BAGGAGE!
No more standing there watching it go around and around again! You’ve watched it throughout your teens, your twenties, your thirties, your forties, your fifties, and now you’re approaching the 65 mark, a time when you can retire from work, and Yet, you have yet to retire from looking at this SAME OLD BAGGAGE!
Whatever he did, whatever she said, LET THE BAGGAGE GO!
Forget about how many times they’ve under-estimated you and overlooked you! LET THE BAGGAGE GO!
Yes they betrayed you, yes they lied on you, yes they deserted you, BUT NOW IS THE TIME TO LET THE BAGGAGE GO!
Mama didn’t support you, and dad didn’t understand you, I understand, BUT NOW IS THE TIME TO LET THE BAGGAGE GO!
He vowed to love you till death do you part, and then Diane stepped in the picture, and ten years of marriage just went down the drain. Your anger is Justified, BUT FOR YOUR OWN SANITY AND PEACE, LET THE BAGGAGE GO!
She took your kids and the court helped her! Your hurt is Justified, BUT FOR YOUR OWN GOOD NIGHTS SLEEP, LET THE BAGGAGE GO!
They laid you off, they fired you, they wouldn’t hire you, OK, BUT LET THE BAGGAGE GO!
Whatever happened 20 years ago! LET THE BAGGAGE GO!
Think of it this way: Airplanes are taking off and flying to some of the most beautiful places on earth! You have your ticket in hand and all you have to do is leave the carousel and board the plane! But You Can’t! And You Miss Out All Because You Have Become Accustomed to Watching the Same Baggage Go Around and Around! Never Claimed! Never Picked Up! Just Circling Around and Around! Meanwhile, Paris just passed you by, Rome went on the road without you, London left you, and Aruba abandoned you! All Because You Were Watching the Same Old Baggage Go Around In Circles That Has Been Going Around In Circles For The Last 38 YEARS!
Keep That Story In Mind!
Probably the most curious question Jesus ever asked is found in John 5:3-9. There was a pool where people went out to get their diseases healed and it says, “Here there was a great number of people and they used to lie there, the blind, the lame, the paralyzed, and there was one who had been an invalid for 38 YEARS. When Jesus saw him lying there and learned that HE HAD BEEN IN THIS CONDITION FOR A LONG TIME he asked him, ‘Do you want to get well?’ ‘Well sir,’ the invalid replied, ‘I have no one to help me to get into the pool when the water is stirred.’” That’s when the healing time was. “While I’m trying to get in, someone else goes down ahead of me.’ Then Jesus said, ‘Get up, pick up your mat and walk.’ At once the man was cured, picked up his mat and he walked.‘
Now, this man has been a victim of paralysis for 38 YEARS and yet Jesus says, “Do you want to get well?” Why?
Well, let’s stop for a moment and consider the condition that YOU are in right now. Something that fits the Biblical description that’s given here, “In this condition for a long time.“ Maybe it’s the pain or the memory of some past hurt or past abuse or past betrayal. It’s haunted you; it’s even held you back for a long time. Or, it could be that you’ve carried feelings of worthlessness for a long time, and they’ve caused you to make some very hurtful choices. It may be some enslaving sin that’s held you down for a long time, but like this man at the healing pool, you’ve been in some way emotionally, or spiritually, or relationally paralyzed for a long time. And then along comes Jesus with this strange question – the one that comes before the healing, “Do you want to get well?” Or to put it in airport terms, “Are you tired of watching the same old baggage go by again and again?“
In a way, those memories and those resentments, those no good feelings, those sins, they are the BAGGAGE in your life and they just keep replaying and replaying and causing more frustration and more damage!
Why does Jesus ask us if we want to get well? BECAUSE SOMETIMES WE’RE AFRAID TO CHANGE!
We’ve gotten used to playing the victim role! We’ve settled into an identity that revolves around that SAME OLD BAGGAGE!
Notice the man didn’t just say “Yes.” He responded with a “nobody cares complaint” A, “woe is me” whine. Because he’s gotten used to being the guy with the problem, he was stuck in his victim identity, but Jesus acts miraculously and that man walks away carrying what had been carrying him for years!
Just as Jesus did for him, He wants to do the very same for you! And yes, He’s still got the power to do it! He wants to help you put the pain and paralysis of the past once and for all behind you ONCE AND FOR ALL!
To take away the victim card and to replace it with one that says, “More than conquerors through Him who loved us.”
He wants to help you make today the day that you wrap up the past and put it in a book called Volume 1, and leave it on the shelf forever!
Today is the beginning of Volume 2, one in which you release the hurt through forgiving the hurter (that’s my word…I’m certain “hurter” is not in the dictionary), you release the sin through aggressive repentance, and you release the worthless feelings by living like the masterpiece God created you to be!
That all happens when you come to the cross of Jesus and say, “Jesus, I’m Yours. You died to free me from all of this, and today I’m determined to be free!”
Today is your day to finally get rid of that SAME OLD BAGGAGE!
No more standing there watching it go around and around again! You’ve watched it throughout your teens, your twenties, your thirties, your forties, your fifties, and now you’re approaching the 65 mark, a time when you can retire from work, and Yet, you have yet to retire from looking at this SAME OLD BAGGAGE!
Whatever he did, whatever she said, LET THE BAGGAGE GO!
Forget about how many times they’ve under-estimated you and overlooked you! LET THE BAGGAGE GO!
Yes they betrayed you, yes they lied on you, yes they deserted you, BUT NOW IS THE TIME TO LET THE BAGGAGE GO!
Mama didn’t support you, and dad didn’t understand you, I understand, BUT NOW IS THE TIME TO LET THE BAGGAGE GO!
He vowed to love you till death do you part, and then Diane stepped in the picture, and ten years of marriage just went down the drain. Your anger is Justified, BUT FOR YOUR OWN SANITY AND PEACE, LET THE BAGGAGE GO!
She took your kids and the court helped her! Your hurt is Justified, BUT FOR YOUR OWN GOOD NIGHTS SLEEP, LET THE BAGGAGE GO!
They laid you off, they fired you, they wouldn’t hire you, OK, BUT LET THE BAGGAGE GO!
Whatever happened 20 years ago! LET THE BAGGAGE GO!
Think of it this way: Airplanes are taking off and flying to some of the most beautiful places on earth! You have your ticket in hand and all you have to do is leave the carousel and board the plane! But You Can’t! And You Miss Out All Because You Have Become Accustomed to Watching the Same Baggage Go Around and Around! Never Claimed! Never Picked Up! Just Circling Around and Around! Meanwhile, Paris just passed you by, Rome went on the road without you, London left you, and Aruba abandoned you! All Because You Were Watching the Same Old Baggage Go Around In Circles That Has Been Going Around In Circles For The Last 38 YEARS!
People of God, enough is enough! Free Yourself and
Free Your Future! Great Things Are Awaiting You As Soon As You Stop Waiting
Around the Same Old Baggage Carousel!
Go Shopping and Buy You A New Set of Luggage! One that No One Has Put Anything Into and Pack It Yourself With Only The Things You Will Need When You Arrive to Your Destined Place In God!
Go Shopping and Buy You A New Set of Luggage! One that No One Has Put Anything Into and Pack It Yourself With Only The Things You Will Need When You Arrive to Your Destined Place In God!
In honesty, YOU may not be tired of looking at
YOUR SAME OLD BAGGAGE yet, but remember there are OTHER PEOPLE at the Baggage
Carousel who have been Watching Your Baggage Too!
And believe it or not, as much as your girls and your boys love you, WE ARE ALL TIRED OF LOOKING AT YOUR SAME OLD BAGGAGE RESURFACE AGAIN AND AGAIN!
So if you won’t do it for YOU, at least be kind enough to do it for US!
We've been sparing your feelings, but listen, truth is: We really don’t want to hear about Hank, talk about Tony, fight about Frank, cry over Chris or leave Larry….AGAIN! We don't want to hear about Helen, talk about Tamika, fight about Felicia, cry over Christine or leave Latoya...AGAIN!
So what she bought the same dress you bought, so what they didn't help you, support you, feed you, encourage you, pay for you, stay with you, love you etc...LET IT GO! PACK UP AND SHIP IT OUT!
YESTERDAY HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH TOMORROW SO TODAY GET YOURSELF TOGETHER!
Brothers and Sisters, It’s a New Day, a New Season, a New Year! So buy some New Luggage and Enjoy a New Life!
And believe it or not, as much as your girls and your boys love you, WE ARE ALL TIRED OF LOOKING AT YOUR SAME OLD BAGGAGE RESURFACE AGAIN AND AGAIN!
So if you won’t do it for YOU, at least be kind enough to do it for US!
We've been sparing your feelings, but listen, truth is: We really don’t want to hear about Hank, talk about Tony, fight about Frank, cry over Chris or leave Larry….AGAIN! We don't want to hear about Helen, talk about Tamika, fight about Felicia, cry over Christine or leave Latoya...AGAIN!
So what she bought the same dress you bought, so what they didn't help you, support you, feed you, encourage you, pay for you, stay with you, love you etc...LET IT GO! PACK UP AND SHIP IT OUT!
YESTERDAY HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH TOMORROW SO TODAY GET YOURSELF TOGETHER!
Brothers and Sisters, It’s a New Day, a New Season, a New Year! So buy some New Luggage and Enjoy a New Life!
Now, I know this is gonna sound real harsh but
whoever and whatever hurt you, cry you a river, build you a bridge and get over
it!
Listen, it took that man 38 years to get rid of his same old baggage!
And not because it couldn’t happen sooner, but because HE DID NOTHING TO MAKE IT HAPPEN SOONER, BUT WAITED FOR OTHERS TO DO IT FOR HIM!
Saints, your Future Is at Stake!
Do you really want to spend all of your Present Mad about Your Past?!
Truth is, Behavior like that Distorts Your Perspective and Stops You From Pursuing, Persevering and Possessing!
Do You Really Want That To Be the Inscription On Your Tombstone?!
At the end of your journey do you really want it said that she did nothing because she never got past what was done to her?!
Listen, it took that man 38 years to get rid of his same old baggage!
And not because it couldn’t happen sooner, but because HE DID NOTHING TO MAKE IT HAPPEN SOONER, BUT WAITED FOR OTHERS TO DO IT FOR HIM!
Saints, your Future Is at Stake!
Do you really want to spend all of your Present Mad about Your Past?!
Truth is, Behavior like that Distorts Your Perspective and Stops You From Pursuing, Persevering and Possessing!
Do You Really Want That To Be the Inscription On Your Tombstone?!
At the end of your journey do you really want it said that she did nothing because she never got past what was done to her?!
Another 2 more years and he would be no better
than the Israelites with a 40 year unfruitful journey…and not because of what
OTHERS did, but because of their OWN behavior!
Yes I said it, stop blaming other folks for your
misery!
Even if they caused it! Pay attention, “Caused” it
is past tense! Therefore, Whatever he did, she did, they did, IT’S DONE AND
OVER WITH NOW!
If you’re still crying, still depressed, still
angry, still stuck…IT’S NOT BECAUSE OF THEM….IT’S BECAUSE OF YOU!
Listen, Jesus said do YOU want to be well?
The man responds with THEY won’t….
In other words, WHO CARES WHAT THEY WON’T DO!
NOBODY IS RESPONSIBLE FOR YOUR HAPPINESS, YOUR PEACE, YOUR JOY, YOUR LIFE…BUT
YOU AND JESUS!
Stop waiting for them to say I’m sorry, I didn’t
mean it, I wish I could take it back, if I had another chance I would….If I
could do things all over again…SUCH TALK IS FUTILE!
YOU DON’T NEED ANYBODY TO RECTIFY ANYTHING…YOU
SIMPLY NEED TO MOVE ON!
So, put on your bikinis or your trunks and hop YOURSELF in the
pool! He was paralyzed, you're not, you're just procrastinating!
YOU'VE WASTED ENOUGH TIME ON THEM....FOCUS ON YOU
GETTING YOU BETTER...AND GETTING BETTER...MINUS THE BAGGAGE!
Lastly, “Bon Voyage” is a French expression and it
means: “Bon” (meaning “Good") and “Voyage” (meaning “Journey"). It’s used to express farewell and good wishes to a
departing traveler!
Well, Family, today is your day to bid a big “Bon
Voyage” to Your Past With All Its Baggage!
Wish Your Past Goodbye and You and Your Present
Enjoy a “Good Journey” Into a Joy-Filled Future!
Carrying Excessive Baggage, Bends Your Back Which Impacts Your Walk! And there's so many great blessings that God has in store for your future, but He can't give you more than you can bear...and carrying excessive baggage means you have no room or availability to carry any blessings! In addition, if you're not careful, you'll walk in defeat instead of victory because of what you're carrying on your back, on your shoulders, in your mind, heart and spirit. Don't miss seeing God's best because your focus is still on the same old baggage carousel going around and around! Put your burdensome baggage down so you can finally pick your bountiful blessings up!
Much Love, Dr.Shermaine #HealthyBodySoulAndSpirit
"It's Not Selfish to Love Yourself, Take Care of Yourself and to Make Your Happiness a Priority. It's a Necessity." (Mandy Hale)
"It's Not Selfish to Love Yourself, Take Care of Yourself and to Make Your Happiness a Priority. It's a Necessity." (Mandy Hale)
"Self-Care is Not Selfish. You Cannot Serve From an Empty Vessel." (Eleanor Brown)
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