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“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). Read Matthew 5:13. When Jesus declared to the gathered crowds, “You are the salt of the earth,” it was a shocking statement. He was telling His followers—common people like fishermen and day laborers—that they were of supreme value. You see, Jesus had just finished delivering the beatitudes—eight steps to spiritual blessing (see Matthew 5:3-12). And so, when he started talking about salt, He was talking about people who embodied the beatitudes. Though the world could not see it, these people were incredibly valuable. Their greatest asset was their spiritual bankruptcy. Their greatest passion was mourning over their sin. Their greatest accomplishment was their meekness. Their best response to evil was to be merciful and make peace. Their appetite was for righteousness. Their […]

“For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you” (Matthew 6:14). As we read through the last words of Jesus on the cross and discover His heart, His character, and His love for each of us—how are we to be changed? First, we should be encouraged to approach Him in bold assurance that His grace is sufficient to cover and forgive your sins. There is no debt you could owe that Jesus, the once-for-all sacrifice, has not paid in full. Second, we do not wait to “feel” like forgiving others when we have been wronged. Forgiveness is a decision of the will. When we honor God with our will, He will bring our emotions into line accordingly. Finally, the Bible teaches us that to whom much is given, much is required. We have received forgiveness from God, and He requires us to forgive others. “Bear with each other and forgive one […]

“Into your hands I commit my spirit; deliver me, Lord, my faithful God” (Psalm 31:5). “Jesus called out with a loud voice, ‘Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.’ When he had said this, he breathed his last” (Luke 23:46). This prayer is profound in its simplicity because it indicates a willingness to deposit the most precious thing, the most prized possession, in the safest place of all. This sixth statement from the cross is an example of Christ’s complete confidence in His Father. The word commit in this verse literally means to go and leave something somewhere and walk away from it, knowing full well, with absolute confidence and trust, that when you come back, it will be there. When Jesus cried out, “[I]nto your hands I commit my spirit,” His hands were fastened to that rugged wooden cross. The hands of wicked, evil men nailed Him to that cross. In Matthew 17:22, Jesus warned His disciples, “The […]

“Jesus answered, ‘Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life’” (John 4:13-14). With his last breath, Thomas Hobbes, the self-confessed atheist, said, “I am taking a fearful leap in the dark.” On his deathbed the French agnostic Voltaire sadly spoke these words: “I am abandoned by God and man! . . . I shall go to hell.” In contrast to these two men, who died without Christ, is Christian evangelist Dwight L. Moody, whose last words were: “Is this dying? Why this is bliss. There is no valley. I have been within the gates. Earth is receding; heaven is opening; God is calling; I must go.” For believers, the moment we take our last breath is the first moment we will draw in the heavenly air of our new […]

“Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep’” (Luke 15:6). In Luke 15:1-7, Jesus shares the parable of the lost sheep to further reveal the heart of God to us. In it we see that God’s love is so merciful and personal that He notices and pursues even one erring sheep. How amazing that our God is intimately concerned with those who have strayed from His fold. In the parable, when the shepherd finds his sheep in Luke 15:5, “he joyfully puts it on his shoulders” and carries the sheep all the way home. The shepherd never sets the sheep down but carries the entire burden on his strong shoulders. Likewise, Christ stands ready to take on all our burdens, whether physical infirmities, heartbreaks, or worries. He has shoulders capable of bearing any weight we are willing to give up to Him. Your burdens become His burdens as you rest in Him. Christ pursues us, saves us, carries […]

“But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well” (Matthew 6:33). For some, Christmas is about cultural traditions and social obligations. The centrality of Christ in the Christmas season comes under attack from pluralistic, hedonistic, and materialistic societies. Christmas has quickly become a series of twinkling lights and sparkling presents with no inkling of the eternal Truth of Christ. In the midst of our cultural traditions and social obligations, do we make room? For others, isolation is the focus of the season, and we find ourselves alone, struggling to find a sense of belonging. It seems that the most we can hope for is an uneventful evening. Maybe we will fill our time by gratifying our own desires or focusing on our work. Perhaps the time will be spent entertaining a looming feeling of regret. In these moments of isolation, do we make room? In the midst of that crowded […]

“May the Lord direct your hearts into God’s love and Christ’s perseverance” (2 Thessalonians 3:5). Elijah turned the tide in his nation though he was only one person with limited resources. The widow made a difference by making her last cake for God’s man and not for herself. God puts unique service on the hearts of His people and blesses that obedience as they submit to His sovereign will. Often, God’s strategies make no sense to us because, unlike Him, we have limited vision. When God took Elijah into the heart of enemy territory, God knew that was the last place King Ahab’s soldiers would look for him. God also knew that going to Zarephath would save Elijah from starvation though common sense said there was famine. More importantly, God showed Elijah that He cared about the Baal-worshiping widow and her family. God often has multiple objectives as He operates on many fronts simultaneously. If we follow His lead, we […]

“Surely, Lord, you bless the righteous; you surround them with your favor as with a shield” (Psalm 5:12). There is a cycle often seen in the lives of God’s people. Just as the brook dried up at the Kerith Ravine and ended that tranquil time, the season of plenty at Zarephath came to an abrupt end for Elijah. Tragically, the widow’s son died, provoking her anger toward God and Elijah (see 1 Kings 17:17-24). The cycle of blessing followed by a blasting is not unusual for God’s people. Often a great triumph is accompanied by a great trial. I experienced this in 1987 when we established our church. God blessed us in every way a church can be blessed. Twenty-eight people attended the first meeting in a hotel room; the number increased to sixty the next week, and devoted believers continued to pour in. I was meeting with people morning, noon, and night, running to keep up with the phenomenal […]

“Praise be to the Lord my Rock, who trains my hands for war, my fingers for battle” (Psalm 144:1). As we fight against unseen foes this side of heaven, we must take hold of Truth. Scripture has invaluable instructions for us to equip us in our battles with Satan. First, remember the victory is yours. Jesus saved us completely on the cross and has provided everything we need to live victorious lives. Even now, we are seated “in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ” (Ephesians 1:3). Second, lay down your life. As James 4:7 says, “Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” When we surrender our life and will to God, we will live righteously for Him and show Satan he holds no sway. Third, each morning, close any doors in your heart that are susceptible to sin by humbling yourself before God—for without Him, we can do nothing (see […]

“Resist [Satan], standing firm in the faith” (1 Peter 5:9). In Matthew 8:28-34, Jesus entered the region of Gadarenes and confronted two demon-possessed men. Upon seeing Jesus, the demons in the men cried out, “What do you want with us, Son of God? . . . Have you come here to torture us before the appointed time?” (v. 29). The word torture here means “consign to eternal punishment.” These demons stood face to face with Jesus Christ. They recognized that He was their judge and that they were eternally condemned. Revelation 12:12 states: “Therefore rejoice, you heavens and you who dwell in them! But woe to the earth and the sea, because the devil has gone down to you! He is filled with fury, because he knows that his time is short.” No wonder the apostle Paul could say in 2 Corinthians 2:14, “But thanks be to God, who always leads us as captives in Christ’s triumphal procession . . […]

“Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit” (2 Corinthians 3:17-18). If you are like me, as you read the description of the Spirit’s fruit in Galatians 5—the character qualities manifested by the Holy Spirit—you are likely to throw up your hands and cry, “That’s an impossible standard!” But that’s the point! You can’t bear the fruit of the Spirit in your own strength. These character traits can be manifested in you only by the Holy Spirit. He can fill you daily with His presence and power. It is in yielding ourselves to God—readily admitting that in our own power we are not loving, not joyful, not at peace, not patient, not faithful, not kind, not good, not meek, not self-controlled—that He […]

“Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him and he will do this: He will make your righteous reward shine like the dawn, your vindication like the noonday sun” (Psalm 37:5-6). If we are living by the Spirit, then we will know how to respond to life when it turns upside down. We won’t give up when things get rough or we feel disillusioned. Instead, we will remain faithful to the course God has set before us. When David faced a tremendous threat from his enemies, he cried out to God, and the Lord answered him. For in the day of trouble he will keep me safe in his dwelling; he will hide me in the shelter of his sacred tent and set me high upon a rock. (Psalm 27:5) If David had abandoned all self-control, his enemies would have overthrown him. Instead, he waited on God’s deliverance. He knew that the Lord was his Rock and Redeemer. The […]