Tag: Soul

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Couldn’t Get Any Better!

MAY 18

MATTHEW 6:4_and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly.

Jesus says the Father Himself shall reward you. If the alms are done for self-glory, you will be rewarded by the world. If the alms are done for God’s glory, the Father will reward you. 

Heavenly rewards come after death. Jesus says God will reward you openly. In this life. I wouldn’t try to name what the rewards may be, but I will claim the truth of Ephesians 3:20 (KJV), “Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us.”

Here is that power again, working inside you, changing you, giving you God’s desires over your own. 

I would love to receive the reward of Psalm 17:15 (KJV), “As for me, I will behold thy face in righteousness: I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with thy likeness.”

Satisfied is to be appeased—a desire fulfilled. Awake is to become alert, active, to come alive. Whether you interpret that verse to mean you awake to see God’s likeness in life, or you awake to have God’s likeness in yourself—it’s a reward either way.

It would be a beautiful thing to begin a new day with a heart and soul like unto Jesus! That’s the goal of any salty-lit-up disciple.

Life just couldn’t get any better than that!  

PRAYER

Loving Jesus, I want to awake with Your heart and be satisfied in You. In the powerful name of Jesus, Amen. 

Christ’s likeness is genuine love—I want it!

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Less of You?

MARCH 24

MATTHEW 5:24_first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift.

Nothing in this life is worth the bondage caused by the spirits of darkness. Spiritual bondage is void of light—a place of deep darkness. It thrives on anger, bitterness, hate, and unforgiveness. Spiritual bondage weakens the soul and brings it into despair. Again, nothing in life is worth allowing your spirit, heart, and soul to be in bondage.

Be reconciled. Come in freedom, and offer your gift. God receives your gift with joy and blesses you. As you grow physically and spiritually, your gift will grow, shining in your countenance and in your life. It will cause you to gain wisdom, understanding, and knowledge. Your light will bless all who cross your path: “all that are in the house.”

God possesses the greatest treasure—love. He bestows love upon you—which flows to other people. The more you love God, the more you’ll find you have the ability to love people. The more you love God, the more you’ll find self-sacrifice becomes a byproduct of your life—because you learn to love others more than yourself.

Do you want your life to be more of Jesus, and less of you?

PRAYER

God of Love, I want who You are to shine in my life. In the powerful name of Jesus, Amen.

Christ loves me—He wants me to love His people!

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Ever Felt That Pain?

 MARCH 17

MATTHEW 5:22 _But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment…

Jesus’ explanation of His transformation of the Law begins with but I say unto you. The word but implies a change. The scales have balanced as far as killing and punishment, but if there is more to life than the physical, then there is another way in which to kill someone—anger. Ever felt that pain?

When Jesus refers to your brother, it is not biological, but a fellow human being. Particularly a Christian brother. Anger shown between Christians must be very painful to Jesus. After all, these are the people who claim to be His disciples—the people who are supposed to be salt—the people who are supposed to be light. Even if what they say is right, when it is said in hot tempered anger it destroys any good which may be done. 

Anger wounds the spirit and is very destructive to the soul of both the one inflicted, and the one causing the infliction. This is not just losing your temper. This is malicious, mean, anger. To destroy fellow humans with mean-tempered, explosive anger, is in the category with those who kill.

Once again, life is serious business.

PRAYER

Merciful God, Help me not to be an angry person. In the powerful name of Jesus, Amen.

Christ makes us brothers—He wants me to be patient!

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Darkness Comes

  FEBRUARY 13

MATTHEW 5:14_A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.

Why is it that a city set on a hill cannot be hid? The answer is light. No matter how high the hill, or how thick its botanical surroundings, the lights of a whole city on a hilltop will shine through the darkness. 

Unless the city is without power, or kerosene, or fire, the lights will shine. Unless every business and every family operates from dawn to dusk, the lights will shine. The lights shine for one reason—because darkness comes. Every day, darkness comes. 

The primary purpose of any light is to dispel and overcome darkness. What a beautiful calling! Jesus calls His disciples to be light—to the world—to shine from a hilltop. And that light cannot be hid. 

Think of your light as hope for the hopeless.

Think of your light as a guide to the lost.

Think of your light as healing for the sick of soul.

Think of your light as freedom for the captive.

The primary purpose of any light is to dispel and overcome darkness.

Surely if there is anything you need to become, it is light in this dark world. Spiritual darkness comes to the world when lights are ousted. Someone needs to turn on the lights! If you consider yourself to be a Jesus-disciple then you are called to turn on your light!  

  PRAYER

God of Glory, Thank You for changing my life from darkness to light. In the powerful name of Jesus, Amen.              

Christ’s light dispels darkness—He will do that for me!

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Mixed with Contaminates

 FEBRUARY 10

MATTHEW 5:13_if the salt have lost his savor, wherewith shall it be salted?  It is henceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.

It is my understanding that on its own salt will never lose its flavor, even with a long amount of time. However, salt can lose its flavor if it is mixed with something that contaminates. 

James 1:8 (KJV), “A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.” What is a double minded man? A person who attempts to live the Jesus-disciple life while satisfying desires with the world’s ways. You’ve heard of someone living a double life? Some criminals have lived it for a long while before being caught. They usually live like this because they cannot be satisfied in either life. In the long run they fail in both.  

Contaminated salt is not good for anything. It is neither a preservative, nor a flavor enhancer, nor cause thirst. All its wonderful potential was lost by contamination. Jesus is a restorer. Jesus can restore all the original qualities to a contaminated soul who comes with a repentant heart. Jesus is all about forgiveness, new life, and peace. 

Now how do you feel about being called the salt of the earth?

  PRAYER

God of my Life, Thank You that You can restore me from any contaminates I have allowed in my life. In the powerful name of Jesus, Amen.               

Christ is a restorer – He can restore all my past!