SALT OF THE EARTH: HEALING, PRESERVING, AND SEASONING

^{Mathhew 5:
13} “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.


I have been meditating this morning on this verse that says we are to be the "salt of the earth". This speaks one aspect of how we are to relate to the world that we live in. What does being salt mean for us as Christians? There are several functions that salt has that we should consider. We have to remember the uses of salt in the day of Jesus to properly interpret what Christ wanted us to realize from this verse. There are three basic uses for salt that I want to look at today.


First, we need need to look at the fact that in Jesus day, salt was used as a healing agent. In Biblical times, salt was used on open wounds to dry up the wound and protect from bacteria. Although they did not know about bacteria, healers used salt because it was a tried and true mineral that had a history of being effective as a healing agent. If we are the salt of the earth we are an agent of God's healing to a wounded and hurting world. People are walking around with deep, open wounds from a cruel and uncaring world. When we take the time to minister the love of Jesus that has been given us, healing occurs. We help to dry up those hurts that have been plaguing folks for years and years. We also reduce the possibility of those wounds becoming further infected because as we continue to apply God's love to those around us, we keep in check the lack of forgiveness and bitterness that naturally comes when further exposed to the sinful world.


Another use for salt in those days was to preserve. This world is full of destruction and decay. As we walk through this world we should be an element of preservation. People are delivered from the things that destroy and cause life to fall apart and decay. Many people have been touched by God's love and preserved for ETERNITY as they put their faith and trust in the Lord God. His touch has preserved families, jobs, relationships, and other areas of life that are so important to living abundantly.


The last area that I want to focus on is the seasoning character of salt. Salt has been used for millennia to add great taste to the bland things of this life. Many people think that being a Christian is dull and boring. These people are living in deception because the life we have in Christ is exciting and produces a well seasoned life that can be enjoyed to the fullest. As we live in this world we should add our convictions, our input, and our commitment to everyday life. God is so good to point others to Himself through the way we live our lives. The goodness of God and our reliance on Him should leave a great taste in the mouth of a world that is tired of the dullness of living a life with no purpose or plan...remember what the word of God says in Psalm 34:8 "Taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in him."

We are the salt of the earth...if not used properly, what good are we...BE SALT AND CHANGE YOUR WORLD....that's what I've been thinking....

FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT: SELF-CONTROL VS. SELF-DESTRUCTION

Galatians 5:22-23

New International Version (NIV)

 ²² But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.


This is the last installment of the fruit of the Holy Spirit series. God has spoken to my heart big time as I have meditated on this verse the last week. Today I have been thinking about self-control. This is a component of the fruit that we struggle with as Christians. There is nothing harder than to dig deep and rely on the wisdom of the Holy Spirit in us to walk in discipline.

We are reminded that the freedom we enjoy in Christ has its limitations. We are not to use our freedom to hurt others. Look at what Paul says about how we limit our freedom:
Galatians 5
¹³ You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh^[a]; rather, serve one another humbly in love. ¹⁴ For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”^[b] 15 If you bite and devour each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other.
 ¹⁶ So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. ¹⁷ For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever^[c] you want. ¹⁸ But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.
 ¹⁹ The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; ²⁰ idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions ²¹ and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.


We keep ourselves in check by operating in self-control. This means we have to recognize those things in life that sow hurt and wounds into the lives of others and our own lives. There are specific activities that Paul gives us a stern warning about. He says that if we engage in these activities, we will not inherit the kingdom of God. 


The scripture gives us a key bit of advice about how to walk in self-control. Paul says we have to serve one another humbly in love. If we always treat others the way that we want to be treated we can have the discipline to speak the words that build up, do the things that draw others closer to Christ, and live in a way that keeps our conscious clear before the Lord God.


My heart's desire is to live a life controlled not by my flesh, but by the Holy Spirit that lives inside of me. Do I ever fail? Yes. But I am determined to be quick to repent and move back in the life that is not hindered by the law. The freedom to live in the Spirit puts us all in the place where God's anointing is obvious to the world we walk through...that's what I've been thinking......

THE FRUIT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT: THE GENTLE SHEPHERD'S TOUCH

Galatians 5:22-23

New International Version (NIV)

 ²² But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.


Today, I am thinking today about gentleness. The world we live in has lost sight of this component of the fruit of the Holy Spirit. We live in a very harsh and crude world. People in general are uncaring, selfish, and are living for themselves. You can be treated anyway but gentle in this old world.


It seems only right if the rest of the world rough and unkind, that those who are bearing the fruit of God's Holy Spirit should be gentle in their ways. The dictionary defines gentleness as "mild in temperament or behavior; kind or tender and touching with tender care." As Christians, we will definitely stand out and be different if we are touching others with tender care. The best of Christ Jesus comes forth in us when we are not afraid to touch the untouchable. When we think of how Jesus dealt with us, we are mindful of His gentle touch in our lives. He is the gentle Shepherd of our souls. Gently leading and guiding us to the abundant life He preached about in the gospels. I know that when God touched me, it was not with the heavy hand of judgement, but was, instead, with the gentle hand of redemption. I certainly deserved judgement, but He loved me and scooped me out of the muck and filth I was mired down in, and set my feet on the Solid Rock.


Everything we do as Christians should be tempered with gentleness so that the unmistakable character of Jesus will be infused our work. Take some time as you move through your life and look around you. You will find everywhere, those who are casualties of the roughness of this world. Under the leadership of the Holy Spirit, begin to ask the Lord to direct you as to how to show the gentle love of God to them. You will see people surprised and they will respond because gentleness is attractive and unusual today. You can talk all day about God, but to show gentleness to someone removes judgement and opens the door for God Himself to show up....that's what I've been thinking....

FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT: FAITHFULNESS KEEPS YOU IN THE LIFE

Galatians 5:22-23

New International Version (NIV)

 ²² But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.


Today I have been meditating on seventh component of the fruit of the Holy Spirit, "faithfulness". Faithfulness has the root word "faith" as a foundation. In the Greek it is the "pistis". This word is a total and absolute trust and reliance on God for all we have and do in life. 


Faithfulness is a the part of the fruit of the Holy Spirit that puts us in the right place to receive the blessings of God. Faithfulness is the quality of the Christian's character that keeps us in the life of God. Many people are not faithful. They seek God when they have a need, praise God when the get a blessing, and fall away when things are tough. Faithfulness is what is produced when you have real faith. Real faith allows you not only to trust God when things are going as you desire, but keeps you in a place of worship, service, and fruitfulness day in and day out. 


Many people are on the threshold of receiving a blessing and that's when the enemy will come at you. He wants you to back off and move away from that threshold. If you aren't present in the faith you can get robbed of the joy that God has for us. Years ago, I heard the testimony of a missionary lady named Bertha Smith. She was a missionary to China during the Boxer Rebellion. She made two statements that have stuck with me for about 40 years. One of the young preachers at the conference asked Sister Bertha how she felt. She said she didn't take time to check her feelings. She said that it did not matter how she felt, she lived by faith and feelings will take you out of the realm of faith very quickly. She recommended that Christians stopped checking how they feel and get up every day committed to serving the Lord. The second statement she made was that she looked to the word and discovered where the blessings of God were being poured out and then she stood under the spout. If you don't operate in faithfulness you won't even be in the right vicinity for the blessing. 


We need to make a commitment to our God that is a life-long commitment. When we start wavering, we will miss out on every blessing. We spend a lot of time looking for the "big" blessing from God. If we have this mindset, we will walk past all the little blessings that make life special. If we aren't faithful, all the other components of the fruit of the Holy Spirit are wasted and not used on a daily basis. I am determined to walk faithfully for God every moment of every day. That's what I've been thinking.....

FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT: NOT MY GOODNESS BUT HIS

Galatians 5:22-23

New International Version (NIV)

 ²² But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.


One of the great components of the fruit of the Holy Spirit is the attribute of "goodness". I have been thinking about the goodness of the Lord the past couple of days and I have been overwhelmed by the awesome goodness of God. In our church we often say, "God is good all the time and all the time God is good!!" The goodness of God is a prominent theme throughout the whole of the word of God.The word good and its derivatives are found over 800 times in the scripture. It seems that this is a wonderful and prevailing character of the Lord of Hosts. 


Goodness cuts through all the words and gets to the heart of the matter. God's entire heart toward us is goodness. He has always and will always be loving and good to us, His creation. The word says He has loved us with an everlasting love. The one thing we can always count on is that God has our best interest at heart and everything that He does is good for us. Remember what Romans 8:28 says that in every circumstance and every situation, that God will take these things and cause them to work for our GOOD. What an awesome and powerful thing to consider. We are not magically sucked out of the world and the condition of man. We are though, given the promise that whatever the world throws at us, we can face it with faith. Not everything we face is good, but God will take even the bad stuff and keep us on track by "causing" everything in our lives to bring us to a place of confident trust in His goodness.


How are we display the goodness of God in our own lives? We are really designed  to show forth the glory of our God. We do this best when we take the goodness that God has bestowed on us, and let it flow openly to the people we touch everyday. The Word says that the world will know that we are His people by His love-not our words, not our deeds, but by the love that motivates our words and actions. The goodness of the Lord will change us, change those around us, and compel us to serve people with the heart of the God. That makes all the difference in the world. That's what I am thinking....

FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT: IT'S YOUR KINDNESS, LORD, THAT DRAWS US TO REPENTANCE.

Galatians 5:22-23

New International Version (NIV)

 ²² But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.


I have spent the last few hours thinking about "kindness" and its attributes. This is the fifth component of the fruit of the Spirit. I have been contemplating the nine separate aspects that complete the fruit and give us Godly character that mirror the Lord Jesus Christ.


God said "I led them with cords of human kindness, with ties of love. To them I was like one who lifts a little child to the cheek, and I bent down to feed them." Hosea 11:4. This scripture is an awesome picture of the kindness of the Lord toward us. Kindness is what compassion looks like. The word tells us that God is a God of compassion. Compassion is the quality that compels us to act on with kindness toward those we come in contact with.


First of all we need to be kind to those who are part of the body of Christ. Galatians 6:9-10 exhorts us to "not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. ¹⁰ Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers." This verse tells us that we should especially do good to those who are part of our family of believers. We are to do good to others for sure but we are to go out of our way to show kindness to the body of Christ. You would think that should be easy to do. But the truth is we tend to hold our brothers and sisters to a higher standard than we do the world, and that's okay as long as we don't judge and cut our church family off when they fail. Christian's do fail, you know. and the test of kindness comes in how we handle those covered in the stink of failure. A kind word or deed encourages a saint to get back up and try again. Judgement and condemnation can cut them off from the grace of God which should flow through the body.  Remember kindness is best appropriated to those who find themselves without hope, without food, without friends, and without love. I know this first hand. At a time in my life when I was unlovely and walking in bitterness, the kindness of other Christians pulled me back to the life that is found in the body of Christ.


We are also to share the kindness that God has bestowed on us with the lost and dying world that we rub shoulders with every day. To feed the hungry, to visit those in prison, to give to the needy, and to bless the downtrodden is to epitomize the grace and nature of Christ Himself. As we remember what Christ did for us, it should encourage us to share that same kind of love and kindness to others. This attribute of Christ is one of the strongest and most powerful life changing aspects of the fruit of the Holy Spirit. When we show kindness to those in need, we come to the place of bending to lift up the fallen and kiss the cheek of the lonely in this world. While others pass them by with a look of disdain, we stop along the road of life to help put them on a path to God.


One of my favorite worship choruses is the song "Kindness".  One of the lines in this song says, "It's you kindness Lord that draws us to repentance". Such a powerful statement. If you want to be a soul winner, just let the kindness of Christ flow through you and you will see the souls of many transformed, drawn out of darkness, and established in the kingdom of His marvelous light. That's what I'm thinking!!

FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT: FORBEAR ONE ANOTHER?? HUH???

Galatians 5:22-23

New International Version (NIV)

 ²² But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

Today I have been thinking about "forbearance". This is the fourth component of the fruit of the Holy Spirit. What does this word mean? Forbearance means that we are living the way of God in such a way that we are looking for the best in people and not wanting to judge them but see God's plan carried out on their behalf.  It is an absence of malice toward those who are apt to wrong us or sin against us. 

First, let's look at what living without forbearance causes in our lives. Sometimes it puts in perspective what something is to discover what it isn't. Without forbearance we will experience the following.

• we don't care about people but instead focus on their sin. The result of this type of living is that we walk in judgement. This separates us from God and we are guilty of judging others without caring about the circumstances or wounds that created their behavior.
• we are also guilty of holding resentment against those who wrong us or the ones that we love. This activity will cause us to use up all kinds of energy spiritually so that we are distracted from God's will and love.
• we will be guilty of keeping a record of hurts and wounds. Things that should be forgiven and under the blood of Christ, remain in our minds and hearts bringing us to a place that gives birth to bitterness that contaminates every thought and deed.
• the next step in this process is that we begin to withhold fellowship from everyone because there is a lack of trust and a spiritual barrier that keeps us from letting anyone in and causes us to resist really investing in the lives of others.
• the end result is that we wish something evil on people who have hurt us or offended us in some way. We want to SEE revenge and witness them reaping what they have sown. We are guilty at this point of taking joy in seeing someone else being hurt.

All of these things are cruel and sinful. This is not the life that God has anointed and ordained that we should walk in. The word tells us that when we love someone, we desire to heal them and be a cover for them. Not condoning sin but instead to be a factor in them being healed from the root cause, whatever that may be. Forbearance is sort of like walking in "pre-forgiveness". We already know that people are going to mess up so we determine in our hearts that when that happens, we are committed to not letting that destroy the work of God that is in us.

What an awesome part of the fruit of the Holy Spirit forbearance is. This display of God in your life will surely display the work that God does in the believer. Go ahead and give those around you permission to be human with the knowledge that when you do get hurt (and you will) that you have a God big enough to heal and keep you on the right track. We could all use a little forbearance...just sayin'

THE FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT- JOY UNSPEAKABLE AND FULL OF HIS GLORY

Galatians 5:22-23 New International Version (NIV)

 ²² But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.


Today, I want to discuss the second component of the fruit of the Holy Spirit referred to as "joy". This is an important aspect of the fruit. Joy is our source of strength according to Nehemiah 8:10. What an awesome strength we can receive from the Lord our God through operating in joy.


Joy is the fruit of a right relation with God. It is not something people can create by their own efforts. The Bible distinguishes joy from pleasure. The Greek word for pleasure is the word from which we get our word hedonism, the philosophy of self-centered pleasure-seeking. Paul referred to false teachers as “lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God” (2 Timothy 3:4).  Self-produced happiness is momentary and never ever lasts. 


When we are in a right relationship with God, loving, trusting, and depending on Him and HIs mercies we are filled with a joy that has its roots in eternity. This is not an emotional "feeling" that can fade away with a simple turn of events. Instead, the joy of the Lord is a condition that places us in a position to see things from a heavenly perspective. The word of God tells us that we are seated in heavenly places far above this world. From the perspective of happiness, life can look like a tattered mess because we see things from underneath the circumstance. When we live in the Spirit, we can see that what seems tattered to the rest of humanity is a beautiful tapestry with God's design and purpose to it.


This component of the fruit of the Spirit allows us to be set apart from those who are walking in temporary fulfillment and allows us to praise the Lord in all things and for all things, even when we don't understand it. While the world asks "Why?" we can continue to serve Him knowing He cause all things to work together for our good. What an awesome and life-changing walk this produces. As we abide in Him the life of God flows through us and joy is contagious. It gets on everyone we come in contact with and impacts their lives for the glory of God. 


Don't settle for mere "happiness", instead, go for the gold standard of God-JOY!!

FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT SERIES: LOVE

Galatians 5:22-23 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. I am planning to spend the next few days writing about the fruit of the Spirit. There is so much here that I could spend months talking about each part of the fruit but I will try to apply the "self-control" that God gives us and keep it somewhat brief.   We learn from scripture that these are not individual "fruits" from which we pick and choose. Rather, the fruit of the Spirit is one ninefold "fruit" that characterizes all who truly walk in the Holy Spirit. When you think about fruit there are different components that make the "whole" of the fruit. For instance, on an apple you have the peal, the meat, the core, the seed, etc. This is the way it is with the spiritual fruit that we are to bear for God. If we are to produce healthy fruit that shows all of the character of God, we have to develop each component. Too many times we want to focus on the things that we seem to have natural strength in. The truth is we should try to develop all these attributes equally so that we represent the nature of Christ fully in us. The first part of the Spirit's fruit is love. This makes sense because in 1 Corinthians 13, the scripture tells us that if we have all manner of good things and don't have love we really have nothing. So, it is logical that the first attribute on the component list of God's fruit is love. Now this is not brotherly love or sexual carnal love, this is "agape" or God's love. God's love is unconditional and stems from the love we have received from God. One of the characteristics of God's love is that it is unconditional. We, on our own, try to love, we come up very short. Our love is no match for the shortfalls of humanity. Sinners will sin-right in front of us. Fleshly love, even brotherly love is not enough to withstand the onslaught of sin. We will break down and toss aside those we are trying to love if we try to do it on our own.  The word of God tells us that God's love keeps on loving, even when we fail and fall. If we take that love we have been given from God, and then let it flow through us, we can keep on loving people even when they fail. The love of God is given with no expectation. It is there as an agent of change. It is also an attractive and irresistible love. If we love people with that love they will have to trample on the power of God and His drawing them.  One thing that is important to consider with fruit is that the life developing nutrition flows from the plant itself into the fruit through the stem. The fruit has to be connected to the plant in order to receive all that it needs. Sounds a little like John Chapter 15. Love - "And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him" (1 John 4:16). Through Jesus Christ, our greatest goal is to do all things in love. "Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails" (1 Corinthians 13:4-8).

DRESSED FOR MINISTRY? PUT ON GOD'S CLOTHES!!

Colossians 3:12 Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. This scripture reminds us that we are holy and dearly loved people. What a great word for us to be reminded that God has taken the refuse of our lives and imparted His holiness to us. That is love on an awesome level. The word reminds us that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for the ungodly. (Romans 5:6)  Then, we are given a wardrobe lesson for the Christian. This is a "what to wear" for those of us who call ourselves His children and want to be seen as such by those we come in contact with. First, Paul says we should clothe ourselves with compassion. Compassion is not sympathy. It is much more than that. Sympathy may get our attention but there is not intention. Feeling sorry for someone doesn't move us to act, but compassion puts us into the situation in a way that causes us to act in a way to insert Christ and His power into the life of those in need. Without compassion, we will pass by the needy an say "be blessed and be filled" but do nothing personally to bless or fill them. Second, we are encouraged to put on kindness. The kindness of the Lord draws people into the presence of the Lord. What does kindness look like? It manifests itself through a hug, a word of encouragement, a prayer of intercession, a sandwich for the hungry, and a gentle touch of a sincere and kind heart. People have had enough pity and judgement. What they need is someone who will interject themselves into their situation with a kind touch.  Then we are to put on humility. Humility comes when we do the work of the Lord with the realization that we are not better than those we minister to. We are just one beggar telling another beggar where to find the bread of life. Too many times, Christians are lured into an attitude of superiority and try to minister from that platform. People know when pride is involved in the help they receive and that kind of "ministry" is not effective or anointed. God resists the proud but comes near to those who are humble. When He is in the midst of what we do the anointing accomplishes what God wants and not what we want. Gentleness is an important part of our wardrobe. Ministry should not be done harshly or without concern for the dignity of those in need. A gentle spirit brings a tenderness to our ministry and sets us apart from those who do things out of a sense of obligation. We are not obligated to help others, we are compelled by the loving gentle hand of the One who first loved us. Last, we need patience to finish off the clothing that sets us apart. The work of God is compared to farming. We have to prepare the ground, plant the seed, cultivate and pull some weeds, water the ground, and finally reap the harvest. This all requires patience and causes us to exercise our faith. As we move to touch the lives of people, it will require us to wait upon the Lord many times. If we are patient and let God do His work with us, we will see Him draw many into a relationship with Him. Let's go out fully dressed in the clothing that God has furnished for us. We will accomplish much more if we do so. Just sayin'...

CAN WE HAVE TRUE HAPPINESS? YES WE CAN!

Psalm 1 ¹Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. ²But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.

I love this verse. It is definitely a verse with a promise. The promise is if we don't do some things and do something the result will be BLESSING. The Hebrew word here is 'esher and means a state of living in happiness or blessings. Now this is true happiness-not as the world and it's ways defines happiness. Happiness as the world defines it is temporary and depends entirely upon the situation and circumstances we find ourselves embroiled in. This type of happiness usually leaves a person disappointed, discouraged, and depressed. But what of the happiness that God provides. This is not based on circumstance but is instead based on the trustworthiness of God and His awesome word that is filled with promises. Godly happiness makes you stand out from the world and gives you a quality of existence that is attractive and causes those living without it to be pulled toward you and your God.

So how do we get to this wonderful state of happiness and blessedness? There are three things that God says we can't do. 

First, we should not receive or follow the counsel of those who are ungodly. Those whose life is filled with tragedy always love company. They are quick to tell you what you should do and how you should do it. One thing that should keep us from receiving that counsel is to look at the track record of those who live by the ways of the world. Divorce, rebellious children, financial wreckage, and more are the results of worldly pursuit of happiness. Just because it feels good in the moment, does not mean that it will end with you fulfilled and satisfied. We are in life for the long haul and our wisdom on how to live life needs to come from Godly counsel. Proverbs 11:14 says that  ^"Where no counsel is, the people fall: but in the multitude of counsellors there is safety." The book of Proverbs is filled with wisdom and direction on how to live life successfully and with great happiness.

Second, we can't fellowship with those who are living a sinful lifestyle. "standing in the way" means in simple language that if we are following God we have no business "hanging out" with those who are travelling a different path. Our great downfall is that many times we have our spiritual life undermined by associating on a consistant basis with those who are "practicing sin". We have a tendency to become like those who we fellowship with. We can't totally separate ourselves from worldly people. We work and play with many who are not godly and who have no interest in building us up. We are in the world but we can not be of the world. Fellowship is an exchange-an exchange of heart, purpose, and direction. For the Christian, we need to fellowship with believers. Those who love us unconditionally, won't judge us, and who help confirm God's direction and purpose in our lives. Hanging with God's people brings great blessing.

Third, we should not walk in scorn or judgement of those we come in contact with. God has called us to be an ambassador of Christ to those we associate with. There are plenty of worldly people who are intent on building their self-righteousness on the failures of others. When we look down on people, we have an impossible barrier to our fishing for men and bringing them into the presence of God. We are beggars who have found the bread of life and it is our responsibility to share that bread with the other beggars who have not been fortunate enough to eat of this bread. We can't be blessed of God if we are judging people instead of winning them to Christ.

The thing we should "do" is to meditate on the Word of God. God's word is the book of life and when we open our hearts to it we can't help but bear fruit for God. The happiest people in the Kingdom of God are those who are being infused with life through an intimate relationship with the word. To meditate means to get all of the meat that is available to us through the word. Meditation comes from the word we use called ruminate. Like a cow eats grass and chews the cud until all the protein and potential good out of what they have eaten. This is a picture of what we must do. Don't just casually pass over the word and think that intellectual knowledge is enough to get you to a state of spiritual happiness. We have to take it apart word by word and apply those concepts to our life. Application of God's word will set you apart from the nominal Christian. We should want every blessing God has for us and live in that true happiness God also wants for us.

Can you be happy? YES YOU CAN!!! Just sayin'...

WIDE GATE OR NARROW GATE? NO BRAINER

Matthew 7:13-14 GOD’S WORD Translation (GW) The Narrow Gate

 ¹³“Enter through the narrow gate because the gate and road that lead to destruction are wide. Many enter through the wide gate. ¹⁴But the narrow gate and the road that lead to life are full of trouble. Only a few people find the narrow gate.

This scripture tells us that there is a choice that must be made by those of us who follow Christ Jesus. There are two ways to travel through this world and its life experience. We as Christians know that following Christ requires some hard choices and we are commanded to follow the Lord. 

One gate we can enter in is the "wide gate". The wide gate is the easy way. This is the way of the world. Not willing to make the hard choice and go the way that everyone else is traveling is characteristic of the way that worldly individuals go. It is easy to tell which decision is the way of the world. Just see where most everyone is headed and you can know that it is the way of least resistance. Why is that? Because if you are headed the way that the devil wants you to travel, why should he give you any resistance? He has you right where he wants you and the spiritual resistance will be minimal. The problem is the easy way leads to destruction. The trade off is easy way now...destruction later. That simply means for all your efforts you get nothing. That is the way that the devil works. He give us a simple way to travel with no resistance but the end of this way is destruction.Psalm 1:6 tells us the that the way of the wicked leads to destruction.

So when you consider that the easy gate brings us to NOTHING...it is total deception that causes us to choose to enter into that wide gate.

Now let's consider the narrow gate. The scripture tells us that the narrow gate leads us into trouble. The enemy hates for us to choose the way of the Lord and he will make sure that there is plenty of trouble along the way to discourage you and turn you around. While there is trouble, the Lord promises us that He will be with us all the way. Psalm 1:6 also tells us that the Lord watches over the way of the righteous and in other scriptures, the word tells us that God's way brings favor and blessings. In Matthew 28:20, the scripture tells us that Christ is always with us even to the end. What an awesome promise from God. Even though we don't have it easy, we have the Lord with us in every situation, every circumstance, and every relationship. The narrow gate leads us to life. Think about that. LIFE. This is a great promise. Now we should understand that doesn't just mean life eternal, it means the best quality of life on earth. The blessings of God aren't just for when we die and go to heaven, He has promised us abundant life here on earth...right now. 1 Timothy 4:8

So the choice is clear...easy now and nothing later or hard now and rewards NOW AND LATER. Given those options....I CHOOSE THE NARROW GATE. Just sayin....

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ALL THINGS??? REALLY???

Romans 8:28 Amplified Bible (AMP) ²⁸We are assured and know that [^[a]God being a partner in their labor] all things work together and are [fitting into a plan] for good to and for those who love God and are called according to [His] design and purpose.

WOW!! What a completely freeing concept to hold on to as a Christian. When things are going well it is easy to see the good working on our behalf. But, we all know that everything in life is not "good". This verse of scripture doesn't even imply that. Instead, God says He is causing everything...the good...the bad...and the ugly to work on our behalf.

One great aspect of this verse of scripture is that God is on our side through every situation and circumstance. God is our "partner" in our labor to succeed. His heart for us is to be successful. No one in partnership with another wants that partner to fail. A partner has a vested interest in the other being successful and overcoming any obstacle that stands in the way. So many times, the enemy uses unfavorable situations that we all face in life to derail us and get us to live outside the plan of God for our lives. This scripture says that He is working with us to ensure that EVERYTHING works to fit into a plan...what plan? Well, according to God in Jeremiah 29:11, God has a plan for us to be blessed and not cursed, life and not death, and a hope and a future. So, armed with that knowledge, we need to face every thing that somes into our life with faith.

Our relationship with God is key in walking out this promise found in scripture. There are two things that we need to be aware of as God's children. First, we need to be loving God. Many of us have an idea that God loves us. But this scripture has a promise not to those loved by God, but to those who LOVE God. What does it mean to love someone. It means that we give the one we love our attention, communicate with them, and spend some quality time with them. When we really love and know someone, then trust is established. Loving God is not just lip service but is evidenced by life service. when relationships are right, then we want to serve the one we love. In my relationship with George Anne, the more in love we have fallen, the more I want to do for her. I desire to bless her, be a blessing to her, and see her succeed in every endeavor she cares about. When we are entwined in a relationship with our awesome God, we care about Him, about His character and plans, and we are committed to making God look good in us. Second, we must realize that we are each one called to fulfill His design and purpose in our lives. As I love God and let Him love me, the purposes of God for my life become more clear. 

I want to share a personal testimony about this concept. When my dad was suddenly killed in a car accident several years ago, it was a devastating event. My first question was "Why God?". We can be honest with the ones that we love...even God. When I asked that question the thing that immediately came to my mind was that God said, "I will cause even this to work for good." I didn't understand it completely but that is where faith has to begin and reason is left behind. I begin to testify to the goodness of God even in the midst of my grief and I found the comfort of the Holy Spirit to be sufficient to get me through this time of loss. One morning while I was sharing with a new member of my church what God had been revealing, it impacted his life tremendously.  He later shared with me that this one conversation had been a turning point in his life. He said that he realized that a relationship with God could be real and life changing. He and his wife have now been committed to Christ for many years and they are impacting people in their realm of influence day by day. This is just one example of how God used this situation to ultimately save, heal, and deliver many. My dad is in heaven and I know that he is filled with joy because people are being drawn to Christ through this.

Try putting this promise into practice. The word of God is not theory, it is practical and applies to our lives everyday. The next time you are confronted with a difficult situation....reach out by faith and begin to thank God that He is going to cause even this to bring glory to God and be a good thing that accomplishes His purpose and plan in your life. You will be surprised at what He can do with faith like that. Just sayin....   

GREAT AND PRECIOUS PROMISES

2 Peter 1:4 Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.

This is an awesome verse of scripture to consider and meditate on. As Christians we have a arsenal of powerful promises from God’s own heart. If we know the will of God for us based on His own expressed word, we have a platform and foundation to not only fight from, but to also WIN day in and day out against the attacks of the enemy. The verse says that these promises are first of all GREAT. They are great because the Word of God according to Hebrews 4:12 is quick and powerful, active and alive. What a potential there is in yielding this battle sword against an enemy who has nothing but lies and empty accusations. The second thing is that these promises from the scripture are PRECIOUS. The definition of precious is an object, substance, or resource of great value; not to be wasted or treated carelessly. When we hold the promises of God into our heart and use them as the Lord intends, we will use them don’t waste the precious resources that Christ has given us.

This verse of scripture gives us insight into how we are supposed to live in the light of God. We are not only students of the divine nature of God, but should be participants in that nature. The Lord has endowed us with the ability to live on a different plane of existence than the rest of the world. So many times we offer the excuse that we are “only human”.  Well, the truth is we are more than human after we receive the person of Jesus Christ. His power and divine nature become available to us to live “in Christ”. We are not only privileged to the power of God to save us from eternal hell, we can be recipients of the power to be set free from the bondages of the enemy that cause us hell here on earth. We can escape the corruption of the world caused by the evil desires and fleshly decay that exists. Knowing that the word has promises is not enough to give us victory. We have to make a choice to appropriate the promises into our unique situations and walk in the faith and assurance that God’s word is the last word on any situation.

We can’t just have a “casual” relationship with the word of God if we are to have the victory. These precious promises are resources that are wasted by Christians on a massive scale everyday. Anytime we yield to the lies of Satan, we are guilty of being careless of the word He has entrusted to us. We need to put some effort forward to being spiritually responsible to use the word of God to its full benefit in our lives. The entire book of Psalm 119 is dedicated to encouraging the believer to have a right relationship with God’s word. Two of the verses that immediately come to mind are Psalm 119:11 and Psalm 119:105. Verse 11 tells us if we hide the word in our hearts we will be protected from the impulse to sin against God. We hide that word through meditation and transforming our minds through exposure to the promises of God. Verse 105 tells us that the word will enlighten the path in which we should walk. Every day we come to crossroads that give us a choice to move in the right direction or the wrong path. An intimate relationship with the promises of God will give us the ability to always choose the right path.

How many precious promises are there in the Word of God? Herbert Lockyer wrote a book called “All the Promises of the Bible” and his list claims almost 8,000 great and precious promises just for us. Let’s make a commitment to not waste one of those promises in our lives.  It will make a difference. Just sayin’…

BE READY TO SHARE JESUS!!

1 Peter 3:15 Amplified Bible (AMP) ¹⁵But in your hearts set Christ apart as holy [and acknowledge Him] as Lord. Always be ready to give a logical defense to anyone who asks you to account for the hope that is in you, but do it courteously and respectfully.

It is awesome when we consider that when we live life as God has ordained us to, that those around us notice that something is different with us. We are admonished by the Lord not to hide our light but set it on a hill so that all can see the light that God has put in us. We should always take some time to recall all the changes God has created in us. When we consider that we lived in and breathed an atmosphere of total darkness and God touched us, saved us, and called us to step into a kingdom of light and love, we are destined to change.   The scripture in 2 Corinthians 5:17 tells us that when we get saved that all the old things pass away and our live begins to take on new characteristics that are in tune with God’s nature and heart.  We love when we used to hate, give when we used to horde, and have peace when we used to fall apart. Because of that change, people around us start to check out what has happened to us that made the change in us.  We become a walking advertisement for the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Sometimes we know why we change and we think others should just automatically assume that God made the difference. Today’s passage of scripture tells us we should always be ready to let people know that it was our encounter with Jesus that has made the difference. In order to give a logical defense for the hope that is in us simply means we need to be ready to share what God has done for us. God has not called us to be “theologians” but instead “witnesses”.  Acts says that after the Holy Ghost comes up on us, we have power to be witnesses for the Lord Jesus Christ. As we stand before a world that dwells in darkness and is attracted to light, we have to be on constant ready to let that power to witness flow through us.

We also need to be remembering that sometimes when the world inquires of the hope that is in us , it doesn’t always do so with respect and courtesy. Sometimes the lost world is rude, in your face, and confrontational. We are not to return insult for insult but instead we are to call upon the nature of Christ that lives in us and give our answer courteously and respectfully. This sets us apart from the world that wants to give back just what was received. The power of God flows when we let His love and nature flow through us to reveal the hope that lives inside of us. Are you ready to give an answer?  I pray that I am always ready. Just sayin’…