Tag: Salt

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The Bling Melts

AUGUST 19

MATTHEW 6:31_saying, what shall ye eat or, what shall ye drink, or wherewithal shall ye be clothed?

Remember how Jesus referred to Himself as Bread and as Water? This is spiritual bread and water. It feeds the spirit and satisfies the soul. The spirit can overpower the body, but it must be yielded to Jesus. Just because you are a spiritual being does not automatically make you salty-lit-up disciples of Jesus. You either yield your spirit to Jesus or yield it to the devil.

The devil also has the power to meet needs – but anything he supplies is temporary. The devil’s temptations sparkle and dazzle with an abundance of bling. They offer a way out of suffering. Who doesn’t want a way out? The devil can satisfy your physical but never your spiritual. A spirit yielded to the devil can never be satisfied. Your spirit was created with a yearning to know and be in a loving relationship with Jesus. Once the devil has you in his trap – nothing satisfies. All his bling melts away and cravings are worse than they were before you yielded.

Adam and Eve’s son, Cain, met his needs the easy way. Their son, Abel, chose God’s way.  Genesis 4:7 (KJV), “If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door…”

Cain committed the first murder. His easy way cost the life of his brother.   

PRAYER

Lord Who Cares, Help me to be strong and choose Your way. In the powerful name of Jesus, Amen.

Christ can make me strong—I ask Him to!

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It Is Astounding!

JULY 19

MATTHEW 6:22_The light of the body is the eye…

Once the eyes lose sight, light no longer enters the body. Light does not enter through your nose, your mouth, or your ears. Light enters through your eyes. If you want to be fascinated, take some time to study the process by which this works. It is astounding! Only a highly intelligent being – aka the Lord God Almighty – could have designed it!

You are called to be the Jesus’ light in the world. If you think of the human body as representing the world, salty-lit-up disciples of Jesus are the eyes.

One of my favorite miracles of Jesus is found in John chapter 9 (KJV). Jesus heals a man who was born blind. But, oh my goodness – He does it on the Sabbath! Jesus leaves the scene. Tattle-tales bring the healed man to the Pharisees. The Pharisees have a fit because the man was healed on the Sabbath. The Pharisees kick the healed man out of church (excommunicated). Jesus comes across him, “39 And Jesus said, For judgment I am come into this world, that they which see not might see; and that they which see might be made blind. 40 And some of the Pharisees which were with him heard these words, and said unto him, ‘Are we blind also?’ 41 Jesus said unto them, ‘If ye were blind, ye should have no sin: but now ye say, we see; therefore your sin remaineth.'”

Jesus says you can have eyes which see, yet still be blind. How? Stay with us …

PRAYER

All Powerful Jesus, Praise You that You give Your light to all who seek You. In the powerful name of Jesus, Amen.

Christ gives sight to the spiritually blind—I can see! 

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It Just Can’t Be Done

JULY 16

MATTHEW 6:20_But lay up for yourselves treasures  in heaven…

When you are consumed with something it fills your life. It takes over all your space – no room for anything else.

The love of wealth is so consuming the fruits of the Spirit have no growing space. The sad thing is those fruits are what every human craves. Bondage to wealth deceives. You believe wealth can buy what will satisfy your cravings. It just can’t be done. The fruits which the Spirit produces in you cannot be bought with money.

The first three fruits of the Spirit, love, joy, and peace are the most sought after virtues in existence. The wealthiest people on the planet would give their treasure to possess those virtues. These are virtues God uses to reward salty-lit-up disciples of Jesus. People who are not disciples have a thing going with their love of money – believing eventually it will satisfy. 

Acts 5:1-3 (KJV) tells a story of the bondage of wealth: “But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession, 2 And kept back part of the price, … 3 But Peter said, ‘Ananias, why hath satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land?'”

Peter said Ananias could have kept all his money. But when Ananias lied to keep from giving all, his money bondage was his destruction. 

PRAYER

Magnificent Jesus, I want space for Your fruits to grow in my soul. In the powerful name of Jesus, Amen.

Christ cultivates fruit in me—I will give Him space!

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Who Knows?

JUNE 29

MATTHEW 6:15_Neither will your Father forgive your trespasses…

Why do you hold on to unforgiveness? Does it have something to do with forgiveness causing you to appear weak? God is not only willing, but wants to forgive you. Do you think He is weak?

Hanging on to unforgiveness because it makes you feel tough is straying. Hanging on to unforgiveness for any reason is straying. You are interfering with God’s desire to forgive you. If you are in relationship with Jesus you will forgive, because if you don’t the Holy Spirit will convict your heart. You will lose peace. Salty-lit-up disciples repent and come back to God’s path.

When someone’s straying trespasses into your life, you have to deal with the invasion – one way or another. You can react with anger and possibly physical confrontation, or seek the path of forgiveness. As we’ve said before, forgiveness does not necessarily mean the invaders should not be held responsible for their actions. Discernment must be applied.

Your life can be trespassed upon in many ways. Betrayal is probably the largest of the litter. It may certainly be the hardest to forgive. God does not measure trespasses by their size. God is more concerned about how far away from His path His disciples stray. It is His major concern because … He loves His disciples.

Your willingness to forgive the trespassers may be how God intends to bring them back on track.

Who knows? That may be why your life is the one He allowed them to invade.                  

PRAYER

God of Love, You are more than able to deliver from any trespass. In the powerful name of Jesus, Amen.

Christ knows all trespasses—He conquered them all!

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They Grow

JUNE 27

MATTHEW 6:15_But if ye forgive not men their trespasses…

What goes up must come down. If God’s forgiveness relates to your forgiveness, God’s unforgiveness relates to your unforgiveness. 

A transformed life is a product of salvation and the ability to forgive. Salvation is an instantaneous, eternal experience. Transformation is a process. Love is a process. They grow. As you grow in relationship with Jesus, you grow in your ability to give true, straight-from-the-heart love. It is the way natural byproducts work.

The ability to forgive has to be a byproduct of the love you gain from heart transformation. Hard hearts cannot produce forgiveness. The natural byproduct of hard hearts is unforgiveness.

A relationship with Jesus is not just I need to be sure I’m not going to hell. It is about:

I hear the knock of Jesus on my heart’s door.

I feel the love He brings.

I feel His forgiveness.

I want to love like He loves me.

I want to forgive like He forgives me.

I want to live as His disciple.

I want to be His salt and light.             

PRAYER

Heavenly Father, Thank You for the natural byproducts of transformation. In the powerful name of Jesus, Amen.                 

Christ is salvation—He is my salvation