At times life can be overwhelming. When I was a student, I remember tyring to juggle school projects, finals, work, family functions, chores, and ministry. There would be some weeks where I would just get fed up and shut down for a day. In seasons like this, it is imperative to get away and spend time with the Lord. Getting alone with Jesus in busy seasons is the hardest thing to do, but it's also the most necessary. After spending time in prayer and devotion, I'm able to sort through all of life's demands and re prioritize each one according to importance. Sometimes it helps to view priorities through kingdom eyes and determine their importance in light of what really matters. As we evaluate our priorities we can avoid unnecessary stress. I'm not saying we shouldn't care about getting good grades on a final or anything, but assigning its proper importance helps us not to get stressed out. Don't neglect your time with our Heavenly Father. Seeking Him is always first and most important.
Mark 1:35 "Now in the morning, having risen a long while before daylight, He went out and departed to a solitary place; and there He prayed."
Friday, March 21, 2008
Friday, March 14, 2008
Good For Something...or Nothing
Matthew 5:13 “You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men.”
As the church, we are the salt of the earth. We are the preserving influence. But if the salt has lost its flavor, then it’s no longer doing its job and it's good for nothing. If the church is not being a purifying influence within the community, then it's good for nothing. The church needs to be a dynamic spiritual influence within the community, seeking to bring a spiritual godly influence within the community.
When the salt became unusable, they would throw it out on the pathways so that the rain would dissolve it and the sodium chloride would kill the vegetation. It was used to keep the pathways clear from weeds and grass, and so the salt was “trampled underfoot by men.” Jesus is saying, the church is to be the salt of the earth. If it is not the salt of the earth, it's good for nothing and it will be trampled under the foot of fallen man.
Jesus isn’t just giving a challenge; it is an ultimatum to the church. You either be what God intends you to be or you're not going to be, you'll be "trampled underfoot by men.”
As the church, we are the salt of the earth. We are the preserving influence. But if the salt has lost its flavor, then it’s no longer doing its job and it's good for nothing. If the church is not being a purifying influence within the community, then it's good for nothing. The church needs to be a dynamic spiritual influence within the community, seeking to bring a spiritual godly influence within the community.
When the salt became unusable, they would throw it out on the pathways so that the rain would dissolve it and the sodium chloride would kill the vegetation. It was used to keep the pathways clear from weeds and grass, and so the salt was “trampled underfoot by men.” Jesus is saying, the church is to be the salt of the earth. If it is not the salt of the earth, it's good for nothing and it will be trampled under the foot of fallen man.
Jesus isn’t just giving a challenge; it is an ultimatum to the church. You either be what God intends you to be or you're not going to be, you'll be "trampled underfoot by men.”
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
True Desire = Real Prayer
Romans 10:1 “Brethren, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they may be saved”
Paul had a heart for the people of Israel. He had a heart for the lost, for the unsaved. It was not just a desire he had for them to be saved, but it was his prayer. We also ought to have a desire for the lost to be saved, and we need to put that desire into practice by praying for the lost unsaved people around us. There are many family members, friends, co-workers, so on, and so on who do not know the wonderful love of Christ. Later in that chapter Paul shows us how to be saved, he says, “that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved, for with the heart one believes unto righteous, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation” (v.9-10). If Jesus Christ can save someone as lost as you, is it too hard for Him to save anyone at all? Keep desiring the lost to be saved, and keep praying for their salvation. There are so many lost souls at stake.
Paul had a heart for the people of Israel. He had a heart for the lost, for the unsaved. It was not just a desire he had for them to be saved, but it was his prayer. We also ought to have a desire for the lost to be saved, and we need to put that desire into practice by praying for the lost unsaved people around us. There are many family members, friends, co-workers, so on, and so on who do not know the wonderful love of Christ. Later in that chapter Paul shows us how to be saved, he says, “that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved, for with the heart one believes unto righteous, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation” (v.9-10). If Jesus Christ can save someone as lost as you, is it too hard for Him to save anyone at all? Keep desiring the lost to be saved, and keep praying for their salvation. There are so many lost souls at stake.
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