"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 by men. You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven." Jesus, taken from Matthew 5:13-16 (NIV)
Considering that my last entry started with the Beatitudes, I figured it would behoove me to continue the journey. You will note that there is a shift here. The Beatitudes were written in the third person. Now, in this passage, we have text in the second person plural. In other words, there is a subtle shift here, from describing Kingdom character traits (v. 1-12) to what Kingdom people, what we as Christians, should actually do.
Please notice here, those reading who are my brothers and sisters in Christ, that we are called to be this salt, this light, this living, radiant energy that points the way to Christ! I've said this at least once earlier, but it bears repeating: if someone is living outside of Christ, then they are living inside darkness! There is no tolerance, no "grey area," no spiritual smorgasboard that will suffice. Christ is all, and we are His body on Earth! Hallelujah!
Monday, October 17, 2011
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
The Definition of Serendipity
Most everyone, whether or not they are followers of Christ, are familiar with the Beatitudes found in Matthew 5. What most do not know, however, is that in the original Greek, the word for "blessed" here literally translates into a short cry of joy. The best way I could phrase it would be "You lucky person! You're doing what God made you to do!" Keep in mind that we cannot pick and choose when this applies. "Blessed" also appears in v. 11, where Jesus reminds us to be joyful "when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me."
Christ turned the world's accepted standards upside-down. It is the poor, not the rich, who are blessed; the weak, not the strong, who are to be esteemed; the pure in heart, not the sophisticated and the worldly, who understand what life is about. Righteousness, not pleasure or power or money, should be our pursuit.
My friends, happiness is not what we feel, it is what IS. Happiness is not a goal, it is a by-product, controlled by our internal values and beliefs. Happiness is what happens to us when we choose to follow Christ and allow His character to become a part of us! That is why Paul explains in an amazing passage out of II Corinthians that we, "who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit" (3:18 NIV). Not only do we glimpse God's glory now, but His Spirit is in the process of transforming us more and more into the glorious likeness of God.
Christ turned the world's accepted standards upside-down. It is the poor, not the rich, who are blessed; the weak, not the strong, who are to be esteemed; the pure in heart, not the sophisticated and the worldly, who understand what life is about. Righteousness, not pleasure or power or money, should be our pursuit.
My friends, happiness is not what we feel, it is what IS. Happiness is not a goal, it is a by-product, controlled by our internal values and beliefs. Happiness is what happens to us when we choose to follow Christ and allow His character to become a part of us! That is why Paul explains in an amazing passage out of II Corinthians that we, "who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit" (3:18 NIV). Not only do we glimpse God's glory now, but His Spirit is in the process of transforming us more and more into the glorious likeness of God.
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
Soul-Baring Surrender
The author of Ecclesiastes is known only as "the Teacher" (Heb. Qoheleth [Koh-hey-LATE] ), although tradition and textual cues connect him with King Solomon. The book contains a lengthy speech (1:12-12:8), preceded by a brief introduction (1:1-11) and followed by an epilogue (12:8-14).
The Teacher's message is a bracing confession of his struggle to find meaning in life. His view of the world is often cynical and jaded. His gut-wrenching honesty enlightens our own struggle for a purposeful life. It also models for us how to be honest with God about our own doubts. The Teacher's message may seem shocking to us, but it doesn't offend God. God is more interested in the things on our hearts, however rough, than He is in the polished words we use to impress Him. For all of his cynicism, the Teacher does not question his relationship to God or deny God's goodness.
Ecclesiastes also reminds us to cultivate humility before God. We who know God through Jesus Christ and through the Bible must not forget how much bigger God is than our pint-sized conceptions of Him. We must guard against undue self-confidence when we worship a God Who is free and sovereign. His ways are mysterious. Ecclesiastes is an antidote to the venom of glib platitudes and repetitious chatter in worship. As the Teacher says: "Guard your steps when you go to the house of God. Go near to listen rather than to offer the sacrifice of fools, who do not know that they do wrong. Do not be quick with your mouth, do not be hasty in your heart to utter anything before God. God is in heaven and you are on earth, so let your words be few" (5:1-2).
The Teacher's message prepares us for the coming of Christ, the only source of true, lasting meaning. How thankful I am that God has come in Christ to show me what life is all about and to deliver me from the quicksand of meaninglessness!
The Teacher's message is a bracing confession of his struggle to find meaning in life. His view of the world is often cynical and jaded. His gut-wrenching honesty enlightens our own struggle for a purposeful life. It also models for us how to be honest with God about our own doubts. The Teacher's message may seem shocking to us, but it doesn't offend God. God is more interested in the things on our hearts, however rough, than He is in the polished words we use to impress Him. For all of his cynicism, the Teacher does not question his relationship to God or deny God's goodness.
Ecclesiastes also reminds us to cultivate humility before God. We who know God through Jesus Christ and through the Bible must not forget how much bigger God is than our pint-sized conceptions of Him. We must guard against undue self-confidence when we worship a God Who is free and sovereign. His ways are mysterious. Ecclesiastes is an antidote to the venom of glib platitudes and repetitious chatter in worship. As the Teacher says: "Guard your steps when you go to the house of God. Go near to listen rather than to offer the sacrifice of fools, who do not know that they do wrong. Do not be quick with your mouth, do not be hasty in your heart to utter anything before God. God is in heaven and you are on earth, so let your words be few" (5:1-2).
The Teacher's message prepares us for the coming of Christ, the only source of true, lasting meaning. How thankful I am that God has come in Christ to show me what life is all about and to deliver me from the quicksand of meaninglessness!
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