What is the definition of the B Word?
You know - the definition of "Believe."
To Believe is " to accept something as true."
Ok, folks, with that in mind, read this short story:
"The Lord regretted that He had made human beings on the earth, and His heart was deeply troubled.
So the Lord said, 'I will wipe from the face of the earth the human race I have created. . . for I regret that I have made them.'
But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord." (Genesis 6:5-8)
And read this:
(God said to Noah)
"Everything on earth will perish. But I will establish my covenant with you, and you will enter the ark." (Genesis 6:17-18)
Are you getting the drift?
Noah did NOT end up like EVERYONE ELSE.
Why?
Because Noah believed God (he "walked faithfully with God"), and his faithfilled belief
that God would do what He said He would do
made a HUGE difference in his outcome.
But, hey, it didn't just happen that way for Noah. Abraham simply
believed that God would do what He said He would do,
and, as a result, God gave Abraham a credit of righteousness; and afterwards, God called Abraham "his friend."
(James 2:23)
Wouldn't you like a credit of righteousness from God?
Wouldn't that be cool if God called you "his friend?"
And then, there's the people who lived in Nineveh.
Those folks had become so evil that God planned to destroy all of them, but then they heard the prophet Jonah tell them God's dooming plans for their town.
They heard the Word of the Lord, and they immediately changed their ways. They became sorry for their sins and asked God for His mercy.
(Jonah, Chapters 3 & 4)
Why did that town do that?
The town of Nineveh did that because they, like Noah and Abraham,
believed God would do what He said He would do,
and here is the result of their belief:
"When God saw what they did and how they turned from their evil ways, He relented and did not bring on them the destruction He had threatened."
(Jonah 3:10)
Are you getting this? Are WE getting this?
God may bring about horrors for sooooooo many others because they don't believe Him, but if YOU believe HIM, it can make a HUGE difference in YOUR life!
and . . .
God may bring about horrors for sooooooo many others because they don't believe Him, but if I believe HIM, it can make a HUGE difference in MY life!
The Bible tells us that the Lord "is the same yesterday, today and forever."
(Hebrews 13:8)
That means that Abraham and Noah and the town of Nineveh aren't any different in God's eyes than you and I are.
It means that if you and I choose to
believe that God will do what He says He will do,
that OUR lives can be transformed into vessels that prove to those around us that God "is real" and that "He rewards those who diligently seek Him."
How diligent do you and I want to be in searching through the Bible for all of God's promises and then believing that God will do what He says He will do?
As we live through life's challenges, if we will just continue to attend to the goal of believing that God will do what He says He will do, God WILL reward us.
Today, let's do ourselves a favor.
Let's just believe HIM!
Thursday, May 25, 2017
Thursday, May 18, 2017
I'm better than a servant. Besides, that whole "servant thing" doesn't apply to job hunting - (by Carolyn McFadden)
I'm taking a break this week from The Beatitudes to talk about "job hunting."
I just can't believe how many people I've talked to in the last month that are searching for a job. Some seem thrilled just to find a job, while others seem frustrated at not being hired for that one job they've worked so hard for.
So that no one will be disappointed, let's take a look at how Kingdom Living can make all the difference in the world when it comes to searching for and accepting that job offer.
Jesus tells us:
"But not so with you. Rather, let the greatest among you become as the youngest, and the leader as one who serves." (Luke 22:26)
In today's economy, everyone wants to start out at the top. People go to college, they excel at their college classes, they become totally aware of their strong points; and then, they enter that world of "seeking a job."
Frustration sets in immediately as they're told again and again:
"You need to start with this job, and after you've proved how grateful you are for that job, we will consider you for the next baby step up the ladder to your success."
Reality is a hard pill to swallow UNLESS we begin to see life and people and circumstances from God's point of view. Then, and only then, can our mundane job (a job we didn't even want because we knew we were qualified for so much more) become one of the greatest adventures we will ever take for God's Kingdom Living.
THE TRUTH IS, God's main goal for us is not to plop us into that job that we're so highly qualified for.
God's main goal for us is to build the character of Christ into our minds and into our hearts.
That character begins with a genuine attitude of gratefulness for the small, seemingly insignificant opportunitues that come our way.
Whatever job we're given, let us take it and "run with it"!!!!!!
Let us work at that job as if "we're serving the Lord, not men."
(Colossians 3:23)
(Ephesians 6:7)
The character God will build in us as we do that (with all of our heart and with all of our energy) will bring rewards for us that we simply cannot fathom!
Isn't it time we rearranged our goal?
For example, is our goal to get the job that we deserve, or is our goal to grow in our knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ.
(2 Peter 1:8 )
"For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ."
God's Kingdom always starts at the bottom because that's where we can grow in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Luke 16:10
"Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much..."
Let us become consumed with
God's job - - God's Way.
We can find that WAY by learning Matthew 25:14-31 inside and out. While this parable sounds like just a reference to money, it also applies in our search for a job. God rewards those who are faithful with the small things and faithful in that which they have been given.
Gratefulness and the DRIVE to make THE MOST of what we're given can be the greatest ADVENTURE we'll ever take.
We may wish we were in different jobs, want more influence or feel that no one knows or understands us. HOWEVER, we can be assured that God sees our faithful service and that in HIS TIME, He will reward us.
Jesus tells us:
"But not so with you. Rather, let the greatest among you become as the youngest, and the leader as one who serves." (Luke 22:26)
I just can't believe how many people I've talked to in the last month that are searching for a job. Some seem thrilled just to find a job, while others seem frustrated at not being hired for that one job they've worked so hard for.
So that no one will be disappointed, let's take a look at how Kingdom Living can make all the difference in the world when it comes to searching for and accepting that job offer.
Jesus tells us:
"But not so with you. Rather, let the greatest among you become as the youngest, and the leader as one who serves." (Luke 22:26)
In today's economy, everyone wants to start out at the top. People go to college, they excel at their college classes, they become totally aware of their strong points; and then, they enter that world of "seeking a job."
Frustration sets in immediately as they're told again and again:
"You need to start with this job, and after you've proved how grateful you are for that job, we will consider you for the next baby step up the ladder to your success."
Reality is a hard pill to swallow UNLESS we begin to see life and people and circumstances from God's point of view. Then, and only then, can our mundane job (a job we didn't even want because we knew we were qualified for so much more) become one of the greatest adventures we will ever take for God's Kingdom Living.
THE TRUTH IS, God's main goal for us is not to plop us into that job that we're so highly qualified for.
God's main goal for us is to build the character of Christ into our minds and into our hearts.
That character begins with a genuine attitude of gratefulness for the small, seemingly insignificant opportunitues that come our way.
Whatever job we're given, let us take it and "run with it"!!!!!!
Let us work at that job as if "we're serving the Lord, not men."
(Colossians 3:23)
(Ephesians 6:7)
The character God will build in us as we do that (with all of our heart and with all of our energy) will bring rewards for us that we simply cannot fathom!
Isn't it time we rearranged our goal?
For example, is our goal to get the job that we deserve, or is our goal to grow in our knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ.
(2 Peter 1:8 )
"For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ."
God's Kingdom always starts at the bottom because that's where we can grow in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Luke 16:10
"Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much..."
Let us become consumed with
God's job - - God's Way.
We can find that WAY by learning Matthew 25:14-31 inside and out. While this parable sounds like just a reference to money, it also applies in our search for a job. God rewards those who are faithful with the small things and faithful in that which they have been given.
Gratefulness and the DRIVE to make THE MOST of what we're given can be the greatest ADVENTURE we'll ever take.
We may wish we were in different jobs, want more influence or feel that no one knows or understands us. HOWEVER, we can be assured that God sees our faithful service and that in HIS TIME, He will reward us.
Jesus tells us:
"But not so with you. Rather, let the greatest among you become as the youngest, and the leader as one who serves." (Luke 22:26)
Monday, May 15, 2017
Serve
Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms. If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God. If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen.
1 Peter 4:10-11
What are we doing to serve God? What are we doing to serve God's people? Are we just riding the wave after simply receiving the gift of salvation without actually serving God?
It's funny. While I was growing up, I always perceived "serving God" as some form or talking to people, or witnessing to people, or inviting people to church. While those are definitely great ways to serve, these are somewhat of a problem for me. I am about as introvert as one can be. I am anti-social. I cannot carry on a conversation with someone else for the mere purpose of social interaction for longer than a span of about 5 minutes. After about 5 minutes, my batteries are completely dead, and I have to go re-charge for about 2 hours before I can converse for another 5 minutes.
Just today at church, someone stopped me jokingly to tell me that she noticed I really am anti-social. I simply hide in the corner. and she noticed it because my son does the same thing in the nursery. He simply hides in the corner and plays with his toys.
So, for me, this form of service simply doesn't work. Being introvert is not a sickness, or something that needs to be fixed. It is simply who I am.
Fortunately, for me, I've learned over the years that there are countless ways that we can serve God without actually having to socially talk to people. Some of those things are:
- run sound or media for your church
- teach sunday school (yes, I know....but teaching is not a social activity. In fact, over the last few years, I've learned that some of the best speakers I've ever heard are extremely introvert, and cannot carry a social conversation with someone outside of a classroom setup)
- see / meet a small need for someone who may not have expected it.
What are you doing to serve God? Are we using the talents that God has given to us to serve the people around us? Today, let's think on this. Let's think of new ways that we can use our skills to serve God, and to serve others.
1 Peter 4:10-11
What are we doing to serve God? What are we doing to serve God's people? Are we just riding the wave after simply receiving the gift of salvation without actually serving God?
It's funny. While I was growing up, I always perceived "serving God" as some form or talking to people, or witnessing to people, or inviting people to church. While those are definitely great ways to serve, these are somewhat of a problem for me. I am about as introvert as one can be. I am anti-social. I cannot carry on a conversation with someone else for the mere purpose of social interaction for longer than a span of about 5 minutes. After about 5 minutes, my batteries are completely dead, and I have to go re-charge for about 2 hours before I can converse for another 5 minutes.
Just today at church, someone stopped me jokingly to tell me that she noticed I really am anti-social. I simply hide in the corner. and she noticed it because my son does the same thing in the nursery. He simply hides in the corner and plays with his toys.
So, for me, this form of service simply doesn't work. Being introvert is not a sickness, or something that needs to be fixed. It is simply who I am.
Fortunately, for me, I've learned over the years that there are countless ways that we can serve God without actually having to socially talk to people. Some of those things are:
- run sound or media for your church
- teach sunday school (yes, I know....but teaching is not a social activity. In fact, over the last few years, I've learned that some of the best speakers I've ever heard are extremely introvert, and cannot carry a social conversation with someone outside of a classroom setup)
- see / meet a small need for someone who may not have expected it.
What are you doing to serve God? Are we using the talents that God has given to us to serve the people around us? Today, let's think on this. Let's think of new ways that we can use our skills to serve God, and to serve others.
Thursday, May 11, 2017
So, you've lived a good life? Good enough for heaven? - by Carolyn McFadden
Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.
(Mathew 5:17)
And it's a good thing that Jesus fulfilled God's legal requirements for us, folks, because if He hadn't, you and I would be "gonners."
You ask, "What do you mean by that?"
Well, to answer you, let's start with the meaning of the Greek word translated “fulfill” in Matthew 5:17. That Greek word comes from the root word "pleroo," which means “to make full, to fill, to fill up … to fill to the full” or “to render full, i.e. to complete.”
As Jesus lived His life, He “filled to the full” the Holy requirements of the Laws of God.
Jesus came to fulfill God's Law. He fulfilled that law in two ways, and BOTH those ways are necessary to save our hides from severe consequences.
How so?
First, He lived under the law perfectly. He obeyed every bit of the law. And His perfect righteousness is imputed to us.
Second, He paid our legal obligations by dying in our stead. Because of all of our sins, God's Law requires that we die and spend eternity in hell. But now, we don't have to face that.
That’s right! Jesus fulfilled that obligation for us by what He went through on the cross. Jesus did not destroy the law that condemns us; He, instead, fulfilled all of the law's requirements so that we would no longer face the eternal punishment for our sins IF we have received Christ and HIS WAYS into our hearts.
Now maybe some of you are thinking this way:
"Wait a minute! Hold on there! I'm basically a good person. I try very hard to love my family and take good care of my kids. I show my parents respect. I don't drink to excess. I fast forward through all the bad spots on the TV shows, and I help out at the church. I also give money to the church, and I give other people stuff, too, when they need it. So don't be telling me I deserve to go to Hell when I die. Hell is not for good people like me. I try as hard as I can to do the right thing most of the time."
OK. I get it. You're kinda insulted that anyone would think that you're the kind of person that deserves Hell for all of eternity.
Well, I got news for you. You are exactly that type of person. You fit the bill perfectly, and so do I.
How so?
Well, let's see, when was the last time you refused to believe God? I ask that because of this scripture verse:
"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life." John 3:16
The key word there is "believes."
The Greek word for "believe" is PISTEUO. That word means all of the following:
a) to believe to the extent of complete trust and reliance upon
(sooooo the last time you were concerned about something or worried about someone, did you set that worry aside and completely trust and rely upon Christ to have the situation fully under His control?)
b) to have confidence in and to enjoy confidence in
(sooooo when you were scared last time, did you throw your fear out the window and ENJOY the confidence you had in Christ to fully protect you?)
c) to entrust
(sooooo the last time your child got himself into a jam, did you entrust his care into God's hands? When was the last time you prayed, "God I totally trust You, so please do WHATEVER it takes to save my child"?)
d) to have committed to obey
(sooooo this morning, did you commit everything you say today to the sole purpose of demonstrating God's love and forgiveness to every person you talk to? Remember, to demonstrate that love, you must genuinely show patience, kindness, no envy, no pride, no rudeness, and no remembering of any past offenses.
"Owe no man anything, but to love one another: for he that loves another has fulfilled the law - Romans 13:8)
Still feeling like you've lived a good life? Good enough for heaven?
Well, let's go through the checklist:
FIRST, did you overeat yesterday or did you eat something that would spike your insulin level or add to your cholesterol? Remember, the Bible says "you're fearfully and wonderfully made by God," so did you respect God's creation today and eat only healthy items that would feed your body with nothing but nutrition?
SECOND, have you lusted today? Watching two minutes of commercials would do it? Did you think more highly of someone because they "looked good"? Read any romance novels lately?
I saw the following excerpt on the subject of lust, and it makes perfect sense:
"When a beautiful woman walks in the room or flashes on a screen or billboard, all eyes are transfixed. While men might be thinking about sex, a woman might be thinking, 'I wonder what it would be like to have such a body?' Men WANT the body, women want the BODY. They want the body that attracts everyone. Lust can be either a strong feeling of sexual desire, or a strong desire for something."
THIRD, have you shown pride this week? In other words, who got the credit, you or God? When someone told you, "Thank you," did you eat it up, or did you turn and thank God for 100% enabling you to do that?
FOURTH, did you commit murder recently - the Sermon on the Mount type of murder where Jesus says that if we're just angry with someone we've already committed murder in our hearts? If you boiled over or yelled after some idiot cut you off in traffic or after your spouse refused to do his/her fair share in the kitchen, then you are guilty of murder.
FIFTH, did you commit idolatry today? I'm not talking about worshipping a picture of a golden statue of a bull or calf. Nancy Pearcey said it this way:
"Scripture treats the topic of idolatry far more subtly. An idol is anything we want more than God, anything we rely on more that God, anything we look to for greater fulfillment than God. Idolatry is thus the hidden sin driving all other sins."
Our idols can be our children, our spouse, our physical attractiveness, our money, our job, or even our friendships. We may look to money or comforts to fill a space that belongs to God. All of these things are not inherently evil, but they become a problem when we begin to believe that they satisfy us more than God can satisfy us.
Jesus said, "Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them."
It's a good thing that Jesus fulfilled God's legal requirements for us because if He hadn't, you and I would be "gonners."
Compared to God's holiness, I haven’t lived a good life? I havent lived a life that's good enough to earn heaven? I know I fall short!!!!!!
Thank You, Jesus, for fulfilling the requirements of God’s Law for all of us. We soooooo didn't deserve Your sacrifice!!!!!!
(Mathew 5:17)
And it's a good thing that Jesus fulfilled God's legal requirements for us, folks, because if He hadn't, you and I would be "gonners."
You ask, "What do you mean by that?"
Well, to answer you, let's start with the meaning of the Greek word translated “fulfill” in Matthew 5:17. That Greek word comes from the root word "pleroo," which means “to make full, to fill, to fill up … to fill to the full” or “to render full, i.e. to complete.”
As Jesus lived His life, He “filled to the full” the Holy requirements of the Laws of God.
Jesus came to fulfill God's Law. He fulfilled that law in two ways, and BOTH those ways are necessary to save our hides from severe consequences.
How so?
First, He lived under the law perfectly. He obeyed every bit of the law. And His perfect righteousness is imputed to us.
Second, He paid our legal obligations by dying in our stead. Because of all of our sins, God's Law requires that we die and spend eternity in hell. But now, we don't have to face that.
That’s right! Jesus fulfilled that obligation for us by what He went through on the cross. Jesus did not destroy the law that condemns us; He, instead, fulfilled all of the law's requirements so that we would no longer face the eternal punishment for our sins IF we have received Christ and HIS WAYS into our hearts.
Now maybe some of you are thinking this way:
"Wait a minute! Hold on there! I'm basically a good person. I try very hard to love my family and take good care of my kids. I show my parents respect. I don't drink to excess. I fast forward through all the bad spots on the TV shows, and I help out at the church. I also give money to the church, and I give other people stuff, too, when they need it. So don't be telling me I deserve to go to Hell when I die. Hell is not for good people like me. I try as hard as I can to do the right thing most of the time."
OK. I get it. You're kinda insulted that anyone would think that you're the kind of person that deserves Hell for all of eternity.
Well, I got news for you. You are exactly that type of person. You fit the bill perfectly, and so do I.
How so?
Well, let's see, when was the last time you refused to believe God? I ask that because of this scripture verse:
"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life." John 3:16
The key word there is "believes."
The Greek word for "believe" is PISTEUO. That word means all of the following:
a) to believe to the extent of complete trust and reliance upon
(sooooo the last time you were concerned about something or worried about someone, did you set that worry aside and completely trust and rely upon Christ to have the situation fully under His control?)
b) to have confidence in and to enjoy confidence in
(sooooo when you were scared last time, did you throw your fear out the window and ENJOY the confidence you had in Christ to fully protect you?)
c) to entrust
(sooooo the last time your child got himself into a jam, did you entrust his care into God's hands? When was the last time you prayed, "God I totally trust You, so please do WHATEVER it takes to save my child"?)
d) to have committed to obey
(sooooo this morning, did you commit everything you say today to the sole purpose of demonstrating God's love and forgiveness to every person you talk to? Remember, to demonstrate that love, you must genuinely show patience, kindness, no envy, no pride, no rudeness, and no remembering of any past offenses.
"Owe no man anything, but to love one another: for he that loves another has fulfilled the law - Romans 13:8)
Still feeling like you've lived a good life? Good enough for heaven?
Well, let's go through the checklist:
FIRST, did you overeat yesterday or did you eat something that would spike your insulin level or add to your cholesterol? Remember, the Bible says "you're fearfully and wonderfully made by God," so did you respect God's creation today and eat only healthy items that would feed your body with nothing but nutrition?
SECOND, have you lusted today? Watching two minutes of commercials would do it? Did you think more highly of someone because they "looked good"? Read any romance novels lately?
I saw the following excerpt on the subject of lust, and it makes perfect sense:
"When a beautiful woman walks in the room or flashes on a screen or billboard, all eyes are transfixed. While men might be thinking about sex, a woman might be thinking, 'I wonder what it would be like to have such a body?' Men WANT the body, women want the BODY. They want the body that attracts everyone. Lust can be either a strong feeling of sexual desire, or a strong desire for something."
THIRD, have you shown pride this week? In other words, who got the credit, you or God? When someone told you, "Thank you," did you eat it up, or did you turn and thank God for 100% enabling you to do that?
FOURTH, did you commit murder recently - the Sermon on the Mount type of murder where Jesus says that if we're just angry with someone we've already committed murder in our hearts? If you boiled over or yelled after some idiot cut you off in traffic or after your spouse refused to do his/her fair share in the kitchen, then you are guilty of murder.
FIFTH, did you commit idolatry today? I'm not talking about worshipping a picture of a golden statue of a bull or calf. Nancy Pearcey said it this way:
"Scripture treats the topic of idolatry far more subtly. An idol is anything we want more than God, anything we rely on more that God, anything we look to for greater fulfillment than God. Idolatry is thus the hidden sin driving all other sins."
Our idols can be our children, our spouse, our physical attractiveness, our money, our job, or even our friendships. We may look to money or comforts to fill a space that belongs to God. All of these things are not inherently evil, but they become a problem when we begin to believe that they satisfy us more than God can satisfy us.
Jesus said, "Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them."
It's a good thing that Jesus fulfilled God's legal requirements for us because if He hadn't, you and I would be "gonners."
Compared to God's holiness, I haven’t lived a good life? I havent lived a life that's good enough to earn heaven? I know I fall short!!!!!!
Thank You, Jesus, for fulfilling the requirements of God’s Law for all of us. We soooooo didn't deserve Your sacrifice!!!!!!
Thursday, May 4, 2017
God is not asking us if we'd LIKE to be Salt and Light - by Carolyn McFadden
Salt and Light
“You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.
You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house.
In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven."
(Mathew 5:13 - 16)
We are the Salt and Light God has planned for the world. God is not asking us if we'd like to be Salt and Light. He told us that we ARE Salt and Light.
We are it. He has no other plan.
When Jesus spoke of salt, He was saying the world is decaying, and it needs THE INFLUENCE of salt to stop the decay.
When Jesus spoke of light, He was saying that the world is in darkness, and it needs THE INFLUENCE of light so that men will see clearly the right path they should take.
When I googled this verse in Mathew Chapter 5, this is the point that came through somewhere in 90% of the articles I found that talked about salt and light.
Christians are TO INFLUENCE a decaying, corrupt, dark world. There is NO ONE ELSE that God has planned to do this.
If we Christians do not INFLUENCE a decaying world with God's preserving salt and if Christians do not INFLUENCE a dark world by lighting it up with God's wise rules and principles, NO ONE ELSE WILL!!!!
I know, I know. You helped out in the soup lines for the poor last Christmas. You also headed up the VBS program last summer. You were there for every function the church had for any kind of outreach event. And honestly, that's awesomel!!!
But if we really want to stop the decay in the world or light up the dark perspectives filling the hearts and minds of so many, we need to:
a) stop the rot that's spreading inside the music and entertainment coming into our homes
b) light up our family relationships with genuine forgiveness and patience.
c) give our children the time they so desperately need to just talk to us.
d) start looking at our spouses' perspective on life instead of just seeing life "our way."
And our influence needs to be genuine and daily.
The families in our country are rotting away with the decay of Satan's beliefs.
The families in our country are walking and talking in the darkness of a crooked and depraved generation.
Families need to INFLUENCE other families by BEING salt and light in their own families.
We ARE salt and light. If we fail our own family members by becoming unsalty or by hiding our light under a basket, God has no other plan. We ARE His Plan.
How much are you influencing your family because God doesn't have another plan?
You're it!
And I need to practice what I preach.
“You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.
You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house.
In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven."
(Mathew 5:13 - 16)
We are the Salt and Light God has planned for the world. God is not asking us if we'd like to be Salt and Light. He told us that we ARE Salt and Light.
We are it. He has no other plan.
When Jesus spoke of salt, He was saying the world is decaying, and it needs THE INFLUENCE of salt to stop the decay.
When Jesus spoke of light, He was saying that the world is in darkness, and it needs THE INFLUENCE of light so that men will see clearly the right path they should take.
When I googled this verse in Mathew Chapter 5, this is the point that came through somewhere in 90% of the articles I found that talked about salt and light.
Christians are TO INFLUENCE a decaying, corrupt, dark world. There is NO ONE ELSE that God has planned to do this.
If we Christians do not INFLUENCE a decaying world with God's preserving salt and if Christians do not INFLUENCE a dark world by lighting it up with God's wise rules and principles, NO ONE ELSE WILL!!!!
I know, I know. You helped out in the soup lines for the poor last Christmas. You also headed up the VBS program last summer. You were there for every function the church had for any kind of outreach event. And honestly, that's awesomel!!!
But if we really want to stop the decay in the world or light up the dark perspectives filling the hearts and minds of so many, we need to:
a) stop the rot that's spreading inside the music and entertainment coming into our homes
b) light up our family relationships with genuine forgiveness and patience.
c) give our children the time they so desperately need to just talk to us.
d) start looking at our spouses' perspective on life instead of just seeing life "our way."
And our influence needs to be genuine and daily.
The families in our country are rotting away with the decay of Satan's beliefs.
The families in our country are walking and talking in the darkness of a crooked and depraved generation.
Families need to INFLUENCE other families by BEING salt and light in their own families.
We ARE salt and light. If we fail our own family members by becoming unsalty or by hiding our light under a basket, God has no other plan. We ARE His Plan.
How much are you influencing your family because God doesn't have another plan?
You're it!
And I need to practice what I preach.
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