I just saw again on video a message from one of my pastors, Rob Wegner. Rob was teaching in part of a message series called Viral Effect. This particular message was about Matthew 5:13, which reads "13You 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."
What Rob spoke to us about from this is that what Jesus is telling us is this, He believes in us and we matter to Him. Jesus tells us that we are the salt of the earth. It is through us that He brings His kingdom on earth as it is in heaven, or "up there down here" as Rob would say.
This ties in with my previous post. If we are to be the salt of this earth, we must first surrender all of ourselves to Himself so we don't lose any saltiness.
This is just profound.
Monday, April 19, 2010
Less is More
I've come to a much better understanding of what Jesus meant when He spoke about denying myself in Matthew 16:24. It goes along with not being able to arrange for the life I want under my own effort. It goes along with being saved by grace through faith and not by myself. If I'm ever going to discover and follow the Script God has written in my heart, I must surrender all of myself over to Himself. It doesn't matter when I get to go from here to there, because of Christ I have an eternity of life ahead...so what's the rush? Because we have eternal life in Christ, is time really relevant anymore? I don't think so. Patience is part of the Fruit of the Spirit. So if I don't get to be the full-time musician I know He made me to be in this life on this earth, who's to say I won't in the next? When I came to this point about marriage, *WHAM* I met Becka and now I'm married with a beautiful baby girl! Hmmmmmmm....
For those reading who feel you have to strive more, try harder, to be more like Jesus or closer to Jesus...my challenge to you is to stop striving! When in all your striving you get frustrated because stuff isn't working like you expected, stop...pray...and surrender. Let Him make you more like Himself. Let Him come closer to you. Let Him show you the Script He has written in your heart.
Ephesians 2:8-10 reads "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God--not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." WOW! Also, 2 Corinthians 5:17 reads "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!" ZOW! What I take away from all this is that when I surrender all of myself over to Himself, I really become a new creation and can now live the life He has "prepared in advance" for me to live. Striving doesn't do it...only surrendering.
Indeed...less is more.
For those reading who feel you have to strive more, try harder, to be more like Jesus or closer to Jesus...my challenge to you is to stop striving! When in all your striving you get frustrated because stuff isn't working like you expected, stop...pray...and surrender. Let Him make you more like Himself. Let Him come closer to you. Let Him show you the Script He has written in your heart.
Ephesians 2:8-10 reads "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God--not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." WOW! Also, 2 Corinthians 5:17 reads "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!" ZOW! What I take away from all this is that when I surrender all of myself over to Himself, I really become a new creation and can now live the life He has "prepared in advance" for me to live. Striving doesn't do it...only surrendering.
Indeed...less is more.
Thursday, April 15, 2010
It's Not About Me
If you've read the Purpose-Driven Life by Rick Warren, this is the first line you read in chapter 1. This lines up with Matthew 16:24, "Then Jesus said to his disciples, "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me." Here's what this says to me.
"...deny himself..."
Indeed it's not about me. It's all about Him. To follow Christ is to submit to His will, to surrender my life to His, to become all of His. So really then, any good thing I engage in isn't of my own effort. It is all of His effort in me. I can love others because He loved me first. I can give to others because He gave to me first. This leads into another verse of the Word in Romans 8:28, "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." God wrote a Script for our unique lives in our hearts, so this is where I look.
"...take up his cross daily..."
It won't be easy. Jesus never said it will be easy. Jesus also said in John 10:9-11, "9I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. He will come in and go out, and find pasture. 10The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. 11"I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. " Indeed our Shepherd laid down His life for us.
"...and follow Me."
We're not alone. Jesus is always with us no matter what the circumstances. There are numerous verses in the Word that clearly tell us that He is always with us, He will never forsake us.
"...deny himself..."
Indeed it's not about me. It's all about Him. To follow Christ is to submit to His will, to surrender my life to His, to become all of His. So really then, any good thing I engage in isn't of my own effort. It is all of His effort in me. I can love others because He loved me first. I can give to others because He gave to me first. This leads into another verse of the Word in Romans 8:28, "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." God wrote a Script for our unique lives in our hearts, so this is where I look.
"...take up his cross daily..."
It won't be easy. Jesus never said it will be easy. Jesus also said in John 10:9-11, "9I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. He will come in and go out, and find pasture. 10The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. 11"I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. " Indeed our Shepherd laid down His life for us.
"...and follow Me."
We're not alone. Jesus is always with us no matter what the circumstances. There are numerous verses in the Word that clearly tell us that He is always with us, He will never forsake us.
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