Saltiness

So I talked to two different friends yesterday and they both were having issues with religion. The first is a couple that has attended a church for sometime and decided that they wanted to become members, when they attempted to join the church denied them because they are living together out of wedlock...so they then attempted to join another church here in town because they have attended bible studies there for a a while as well...not only were they denied at this organization as well, they were also told that they could never serve because they have lived together before marriage.

The second friend is one of the most amazing people I know and has the most amazing heart for the LORD. We have served together for years, and recently he has moved back to the area to plant a church and change a city for Jesus. This past week a local church in the city he is planting his ministry in had a meeting with all their people and stated that they could not serve in their church if they were going to help as volunteers with his ministry in the city. They had to choose one or the other...not just all change the city together.

In the first case, it is frustrating to me that in order to get saved all it requries is admitting that you are messed up and need help. Jesus never made anyone quit sinning to join his group...in fact he was surrounded by sinners, and prostitutes....so why is it that we think our "churches" should only be filled with "good" little christians while the ones who are struggling are left by the curb to fend for themselves.

In the secaond case, it breaks my heart that churches are so full of fear that they attack one another for doing good works instead of coming together united under Jesus and show the world what love really looks like. A spirit of religion has had a hold in our mentality for way to long. In both stories it is religion and control hiding under the name of Jesus to hurt and attack people. Maybe living togethe before marriage is wrong, but it is Holy Spirit's job to lead us to repentance, not a rule book...and if rebuilding homes for people with nothing in a small town is too much for another leader to handle, maybe he should look at his own heart, before attatcking anothers.

“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.
- Matthew 5:13 -

As christians we are suppose to LOVE others more than ourselves, and we are to be the flavor(salt) of God and love on the earth. If we loose our LOVE(saltiness) we are not good for anything. I ask us all today to examine our hearts and see if we are giving the world a true taste of Father God, or an unsalted version of religion...

GRACE!

Whats First?

What is the most important thing in your life? Who is the most important person in your life? Who do you trust? Most of us would say God as the answer to these questions, but in all truth most of the time He (God) is the afterthought of most our decisions. We tend to pursure a life that will give us the most pleasure and then thank God for it. But how many things in our lives are truly from Him? How many things did we just do and say Praise the Lord at the end of it? I want to encourage you and myself to truly seek the LORD on the things we pursue in our lives.

Check out how Jesus lays down the strategy for our lives in Matthew:

25 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? 26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27 Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? 28 “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31 So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. - Matthew 6:25-33 -

So whatever you want or need in life the key to getting it is to seek the God's Kingdom above all else. Dont worry about not having the coolest toys, or not being able to pay the bills. Give yourself fully to living a kingdom lifestyle and relying on the LORD and you will have more than you know what to do with!

GRACE!

No Eye Has Seen??

We have all heard, or read the verses in 1 Corinthians were Paul states:

“No eye has seen, no ear has heard,
and no mind has imagined
what God has prepared
for those who love him." (1 Corinthians 2:9)

Its an amazing scrpiture taken out of Isaiah 64, which speaks of the mystery and glory of our God...the problem we tend to run across is cutting the verse short and missing the AWESOMENESS that follows. Most people look forward to heaven like that is the place where all the worries and suffering will be taken away...That we can never understand God's ways here on the earth, but that as soon as we enter that realm we will suddenly understand His glory. This verse a lot of times is used at funerals to comfort the loved ones sufering loss, and to remind us that we have something to look forward to "In Heaven"....BUT, lets finish Pauls statement shall we??

“No eye has seen, no ear has heard,
and no mind has imagined
what God has prepared
for those who love him.”

But it was to us that God revealed these things by his Spirit. For his Spirit searches out everything and shows us God’s deep secrets. No one can know a person’s thoughts except that person’s own spirit, and no one can know God’s thoughts except God’s own Spirit. And we have received God’s Spirit (not the world’s spirit), so we can know the wonderful things God has freely given us... (1 Corinthians 2:9-12)

WOW!! Paul starts off quoting Isaiah that No one can imagine or see the glory of God, but then hits us with the truth that God has revealed it all to us by His Spirit! That means that my eye can see Him..My Ear can hear Him..My mind can imagine and understand Him...all because I LOVE HIM!!

We don't have to wait until we die and enter heaven to see the glory of God...it is fully available to us everyday because of what Jesus did on the cross...that was the whole point! God's Spirit lives inside us and reveals the thoughts of God to us daily...we have full access to the throne room, so lets make the most of it on this side of eternity....why wait till Heaven to see God and know His ways when it is ours for the taking...Jesus gave us the keys to the kingdom...lets use em all!

GRACE!

Running...

What are you running after in this life? What are the things that motivate you and keep you getting out of bed every morning? In a world with limitless possibilities and choices...what path are you choosing to follow? I think of what Paul says in 1 Corinthians 9

You've all been to the stadium and seen the athletes race. Everyone runs; one wins. Run to win. All good athletes train hard. They do it for a gold medal that tarnishes and fades. You're after one that's gold eternally. (Message)

If the goal of our life is to inherit eternity, then how do we train to keep in the race...I want to win! Im sure you want to win! I have been thinking about professionals in every field and the sacrifices they make to be succesful. Football, Basketball, Soccer players work out and eat healthy...Singers take care of their vocies, and do vocal exercises...Chef's are always learning new recipes and trying new things....runners condition themselves all year to stay the best.

So the challenge is to stay in the race, and to stay running we need to be in shape....check out this verse:

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. - Hebrews 12:1-3 -

The goal is to choose to throw off everything that hinders (STOPS) us from running the race....Once you say yes to Jesus the only way to stop running is by choice. No one can knock you off the track, or the enemy wear you out. The choices we make daily keep us running..or slowly walking...or sitting down watching others run. What choices are you making? Are they helping you run, or slowing you down? Do the choices you make keep your spirit in shape to run? We were made to run the race hard after Jesus, and all of Heaven is cheering for us....So if your tired and weary....out of breath...fix your eyes on Jesus and remember who you run for and the prize of eternity thats your reward and KEEP RUNNING!