Faith Lift

You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? ...You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Matthew 5:13-14

Life can be hard. And when life is hard, sometimes our faith can suffer. And when our faith is getting down, that's when it's time for a faith lift.

There are two ingredients that will lift your faith. The first ingredient is salt. There are several things that salt is good for.

There isn't any ingredient that will change the flavor of your food more than salt. This is what we should be doing in society, providing the flavor of Jesus wherever we go. And this isn't hard; just pray for an opportunity to share God's love with someone this week and follow God when He answers.

Salt also makes us thirsty, and there should be something about our lives that makes the people around us thirsty for Jesus. Before that can happen, though, we ourselves have to be thirsty-thirsty for Jesus, for His Word, and for true fellowship with other believers.

Salt is also a preservative, delaying the decaying of that which is temporary. This is what we do wherever we go, influencing the world around us for life instead of death.

The second ingredient to our faith lift is light. When light is itself, it can't help but shine. Wherever you go, just don't hide who you are as God's child; let your light shine. Because when light shines, it chases away darkness, causes things to grow, and becomes a guiding signal for those who are lost.

Light makes fruit grow in our lives, it reminds us of the godliness to which we are called, it shows us the right path to take in following Christ, and stimulates the great victory that Jesus won for us on the cross.

And it is this victory to which we are called, every day, and not only for ourselves, but for everyone around us. After all, Jesus didn't just come for you and me, but for the whole world, so let's lift our faith and become the salt and light of the world.

Prayer Lord Jesus,

You are the ultimate light of the world! But You are living in me, and I want to be like You in everything I do. Please shine through me and help me to be salt and light, lifting my faith and spreading faith in others wherever I go.

Amen

What Nothing Tells Us About God

And the LORD passed before him and proclaimed, The LORD, the LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abounding in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, by no means clearing the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children and the children's children to the third and fourth generation. Exodus 34:6-7

What is the most important thing to know about God? God helps us answer this question in something He says to Moses in one of the most radical experiences any human has ever had.

Now listen. There were a lot of things that Moses already knew about God. He had seen the power of God displayed incredibly throughout those ten plagues that hit Pharaoh and Egypt. But there was something more that Moses wanted than just the display of the power of God.

And God comes down and He meets him there, and He does reveal to him His glory, at least a glimpse of it, but even more and even deeper, He reveals His very heart, saying, This is what you need to know about me as you step forth into this venture of faith that will last the next thirty-eight years. You need to know I'm a merciful God. You need to know that I am a gracious God. You need to know that I am longsuffering.

When you and I come under God's leadership and Lordship, these attributes that God revealed to Moses become the attributes that He reveals to us, for they are the very attributes of love in First Corinthians 13. They are also the very attributes of the fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5. And we know that God is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

So if God is showing Himself through these attributes to one guy named Moses on Mount Sinai, you can be assured that those attributes have not changed and they are the same for you in the midst of your mountain or valley or fiery furnace.

God is merciful. God is gracious. God is patient. God is abounding in goodness and truth. God is faithful, keeping mercy for thousands. God is faithful, and He is forgiving.

You know what all this says to me? What's most important to know about God is that nothing can keep us from Him if we will just repent and go to Him. Don't let anything keep you from His presence in your life today. Come now, no matter what you've done or has been done to you, and He will take care of it.

Prayer Lord God,

Thank You that what You want me to know about You is that You're big enough to handle anything in my life! I really need Your help, so I come to You today and ask you to forgive me, to set me free from my past into the fullness of all You have for me.

Amen

All In

And being in Bethany at the house of Simon the leper, as He sat at the table, a woman came having an alabaster flask of very costly oil of spikenard. Then she broke the flask and poured it on His head. Mark 14:3

This woman is all in. She broke apart the only thing of value that she had, something that represented her only chance at a bright future, and she poured it out on Jesus' head.

She reminds me of others in scripture who were all in, and in remembering what they did, I'm praying that it leads us to say the same thing-that we are all in.

Do you remember the story of Noah? God tells him to build a boat in the middle of a barren desert. It has never even rained before-ever. He doesn't have any idea whatsoever even what a boat is or looks like. He took mocking and criticism from his neighbors and it didn't rain for 119 years. Yet he never gave up. He stayed strong, saying, Lord, I'm all in. Whatever You need me to build for You, whatever You need me to do for You, I'll do it.

Elisha-same thing. One day, Elijah walks by Elisha and says, You know what? I don't know if you really mean that you're all in when you say you're all in. So Elisha grabs his two oxen that he's been plowing the fields with, builds an altar out of their plow and yoke, and slaughters the two oxen. He proved to Elijah and to the Lord that he's all in.

Abraham's on this list, too. When God tells him to take his son of promise on a three day trip, it wasn't for a picnic. He was going to sacrifice his son Isaac on an altar, and in so doing, say unto the Lord, I am all in. I don't get this. I don't understand this. But, Lord, I am all in.

I also think of that kid who brings his lunch with this great big crowd of five thousand people. He doesn't hold back at all. He doesn't say, Well, maybe I should just hold on to one of these loaves so I can make sure to have a bit of my lunch. No, he says, Lord, all the loaves that I have are Yours. All the fish that I have, they're Yours. He's all in.

And certainly this list is not complete without Jesus, who was all in on the cross; all in to suffer and to die; all in to face the rejection and humiliation, the pain and agony of the thorns, beatings, and scourging. He knew exactly what He was riding into Jerusalem to face on that Palm Sunday. He knew exactly what the Passover meal represented as He served the disciples the Last Supper. Jesus knew all these things, and He was all in.

What He wants to know now is, are you all in for Him?

Prayer Lord Jesus,

Thank You for being all in for me, not just on the cross, but right now. I don't know all that it will mean, but I offer myself to You today. I'm all in. Take me and use me for Your glory today and for the rest of my life!

Amen

Our Father

In this manner, therefore, pray: Our Father in heaven, hallowed by Your name. Matthew 6:9

Do you have special names for the people who are close to you? Or do you have special names of respect for certain people?

Names were really important to Jewish culture in biblical times, and one name stood high above every other name-the name of God.

Like, let's say you wanted a copy of the Bible. In those days it wasn't like you had a nice bookshop that you could go into and buy a Bible. They were very, very precious and very, very rare. But if you wanted one for your family, you would come before the scribe and ask for a copy. You know what they'd say to you? Fine. That would be great. Come back in three months so we have time to handwrite a copy for you.

And check this out, as they're copying down the scriptures, every time they came to the name of God, not only would they not utter that name, they would never write that name either. In fact, every time they would come to the name of God, they would change their clothes, take a ritual bath of cleansing, put on new clothes, pick up a new quill, and still after all that they would not write the name of God.

Now go back to our verses today and see what name Jesus told us to use when we talk to God-our Father.

That's a big contrast there, isn't it? This is like no other prayer anyone had ever prayed. It sounded almost blasphemous at the time Jesus spoke these words because Jesus is taking this name that they weren't allowed to say, of this God whom they weren't allowed to approach, and now He's giving us permission to approach and call upon this God by a name that is jam packed with relationship and intimacy-Father, Daddy, Papa.

Can you see what Jesus is doing? He's drawing them in close. He's saying, I want you to see yourself as a part of this family. I want you to know that you bear the family name. You bear the crest. This is who you are.

Listen, as we go to speak to God in prayer, let's remember the relationship we are invited to. God shows up to you right now and simply says this: Take my name. Let me be your dad. Join my family. Partake in this relationship.

How will you respond to this invitation?

Prayer My Father,

I know that You are not like the fathers I have seen in my life. You're a good father, so I come to You today to be part of Your family, to take Your name. Please show me what it means to be part of Your family.

Amen

One Way

The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ? For we, though many, are one bread and one body; for we all partake of that one bread. 1 Corinthians 10:16-17

Have you ever wondered what the deal is with communion? I mean, why do we do that when we gather together as a church? Why do we call it the body and blood of Christ Jesus? I mean, isn't that pretty weird?

Well, yes, it is. At least, it is until you understand the point. And, first of all, we have to understand that communion reminds us of the cross. It reminds us of Christ's sacrifice for us that He made on our behalf because there was and is and never will be any other way to Heaven except through receiving the forgiveness that He purchased for you by shedding His own blood.

And it helps us today to realize that communion represents everything that we need, reminds us that with it, all of Heaven opens up to us, but that without it, we have no hope.

That word for communion there is the word koinonia, which means fellowship. This is a word of intimacy. So this cup we drink, this bread we break, is not just juice and bread, but it is actually intimate fellowship with the body and blood of Jesus.

I'll tell you one thing this does for us-it clarifies. Communion is clarifying. It is what gives us our community identity-not our background, not our socioeconomic status, not our wealth, not our color. None of these things define who we are as the Church. None of these things define us. Only communion-the body and blood of Christ-define us as the forgiven and unified body of Christ on this earth.

Communion is our connection with one another. It is the true sharing of our fellowship that is only made possible through Calvary. And when one refers to themselves as being a believer, this is what they're referring to-communion-that clarifies that for us.

Here's the bottom line today: Black, white, Mexican, Asian, rich, poor, homeless, rocker, pretty, pretty bald-all of those things are boiled down now into a clarifying unity of identity that is found in communion, for we, though many, are one bread, one body, through the unifying work of Calvary.

Will you let Christ Jesus redefine your life today?

Prayer Lord Jesus,

Thank You for what You did on the cross, and thank You that You invite me to become take part in what You did for me! I accept Your invitation today and I receive You into my life. Please come and define who I am!

Amen

Heavenly Conditions

Who shall not fear You, O Lord, and glorify Your name? For You alone are holy. For all nations shall come and worship before You, for Your judgments have been manifested.' ...And out of the temple came the seven angels having the seven plagues, clothed in pure bright linen, and having their chests girded with golden bands. Revelation 15:4,6

Life is full of choices, and, you know what, sometimes it's nice when people simplify my choices for me. Would you like this, or would you like that?

Our verses today show us two sides of the biggest choice you will ever have to make-the choice of whether or not to believe in Jesus.

The first thing we see-or hear, really-is a song that is being sung by the saints who have died during the Great Tribulation. Now, these are saints who chose not to believe in Jesus before the Rapture, but have chosen Jesus after that time and have now stood strong against the anti-Christ, perhaps even being martyred for their faith. These are people who have paid the ultimate price for Jesus, just as He did for them.

And the song these people sing is a song of deliverance, glorifying God as the great and marvelous Lord God Almighty and declaring that all nations shall worship Him. Stop there. All nations will worship Him. That means everyone. And by that, I mean that eventually you won't have a choice; you will worship Jesus someday. The only question is whether you will choose while it is still an option.

But what about those who do not choose while it's an option. What about those who not only reject Jesus now, but also after the Rapture during the Great Tribulation? Well, that's where the second half of our verses today comes in, where the angels come out of the heavenly temple, carrying seven plagues, and are given the seven bowls of God's wrath.

They pour this wrath out on the earth, the final measure of God's judgment and warning, the final plea to all remaining people that they must turn and follow Him Which brings us back to our choice. There is time right now to believe in Jesus and begin living for Him. In fact, now is the best time, because no one knows how much more time we have. What I do know is that you want it to be you who makes the choice to worship Jesus. You don't want Him to make that choice for you, because once He makes that choice for you then it's too late-too late and His wrath is coming for you.

Choose Jesus today. Choose Him today, and receive mercy.

Prayer Lord Jesus,

Thank You for coming to save me! I know that I've done wrong things and run from You, but I turn to You today and receive You into my heart. Please lead me in a new life with You!

Amen

When Life Gets Worse Before It Gets Better

Come now, therefore, and I will send you to Pharaoh that you may bring My people, the children of Israel, out of Egypt. Exodus 3:10

Quitting time: It's the favorite time of day for millions of Americans all across the country. But I have news for those of you who believe in Jesus: It's not quitting time yet; God still wants to use you.

Just look at the life of Moses. He's essentially orphaned as a child, raised as an Egyptian, and makes the mistake of his life at the age of forty when he murders a man with his bare hands. He spends the next forty years in the desert shepherding his father in-law's sheep.

Finally, at eighty years old, God appears to him and gives him the mission of a lifetimeGo and free my people from their slavery to the most powerful nation on earth.

How would you like to have that conversation with God? Well, personally, I think there's a lot we can learn from it that will help us see what God is asking of us.

First, you can't be abandoned beyond God's reach. Moses was dumped in a river, saved by a princess, and raised in a foreign household under a pantheon of pagan gods. Yet God reached in and grabbed him, redeeming and calling him to become the redeemer of His chosen son, Israel.

Second, you can't sin your way beyond God's redemption. Moses was a murderer. How many of you have messed up that badly? Even if you have, look at what God does-the closest He gets to mentioning it is telling Moses that those who sought his life were dead.

Third, you can't age your way beyond God's use. Moses was eighty years old. Considering that the average lifespan in our country is about seventy-seven, most of you reading this haven't hit that number yet.

Fourth-well, if you haven't caught on by now, there simply is no excuse to say no to God. Our ability to serve Him is not limited to our weakness because it is empowered by His strength.

A lot of times, people want to quit on God when life gets hard. We need to understand that life might be hard sometimes, but that if we remain unsurrendered to God, it's going to continue to get worse, never rebounding or getting better.

God's plans are always for hope and a future. Surrender to Him today and let Him lead you into His plans for your life.

Prayer Lord God,

Thank You that You have good plans for my life that lead me through the hard time I am facing right now! I completely surrender to Your plan for me and ask that You lead me every day.

Amen