Resting In Him
August 5th, 2005, 02:00 AM
Salt and Light: So what’s the big deal?
By: Troy Koehne
A little boy sat with his mother one Sunday as a missionary was speaking. He told the crowd that a single dime would feed a hungry child. The little boy reached into his pocket and pulled out a dollar. Tugging his mothers shirt he asked, “How many will this feed?” She smiled and told him ten. He reached back in again, pulling out the rest of his birthday money. “What if I give it all?”
“Big deal. So some kid gave a couple of bucks what does that have to do with me?” Everything! Jesus told us in Matthew 18 that unless we change and become like a little child, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
To be the light of the world is to be a very humble person. Over and over in scripture we are told not to be like the Pharisees. They do their deeds in the light so that everyone will see and praise them.
Jesus made it very clear. When you fast, keep up your complexion. When you pray, do it in secret. Don’t let the left hand know what the right hand is doing. When the Father who is in heaven sees these things you do in secret he will bless you.
To be the salt of the earth, it doesn’t take much to make a difference. It’s amazing how a pinch of salt goes along way. If we are going to change our world, we need to be able to put a little bit of salt into the lives of those around us.
There has been a great misconception about going out and being the light of the world. I know people who are extremely bright lights and yet they’re not very effective. They preach the gospel more than they live the life. How many times have you heard, “I’m not going to that church, they are a bunch of hypocrites?”
We need to examine our lives to see where we stand. We will fail to be what God has called us to be if we are trying to please both God and man. When we do both we lose the salty flavor and become useless in our effectiveness for Christ. That is why it is so important that we live our lives for Jesus.
In doing so, you become like a tree planted by streams of water which yields it’s fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does, prospers. (Psalm 1:3)
Think about your life for a second. Why did God place you here? Look around. What do you see? Do you have a family? If you are working, what’s going on in the lives of your coworkers. Think about the guy who sells you your coffee every morning before work.
God has placed us here for a reason. He has a specific plan for putting you in contact with your neighbor at three in the afternoon. Do you make the most of that opportunity?
To be the salt and the light is to put faith into action. The light won’t come on unless we flip the switch. Like-wise a shaker of salt won’t help a steak if we refuse to pick it up and use it. It’s so easy to inject some salt into people’s lives. Example: “Ed, how are the wife and kids?” You ask. “Good Joe, Thanks for asking. I think that little Sara is starting to come down with a cold.” You reply. “I’ll pray for her at church tonight. It can’t be any fun having a two year old with a cold.”
You get the idea. It’s not a sermon people need to hear. They need to see Jesus in us. Even though it may seem intimidating at first, you will see that God has placed plenty of people in your path that needs encouragement.
So you are not a talker. I don’t talk a lot either. The best way to overcome this is to pass out tracks, little pamphlets with a gospel message. It’s been said that between 1 and 20 people will pick up that track and read it.
I was at Superstition Springs mall in Mesa, Arizona not long ago with about fifty tracks. I walked through the mall placing them where I though people would see them. As I was leaving, I was asking God if this was worth it. On the first floor there is a movie theater. I felt prompted to toss on over the edge. I watched as a kid picked it up, read it, showed it to another kid, he read it and passed it on.
Besides tracts, you can take a friend out for lunch. Why not take the neighbors kids to a movie giving the parents a break. Go visit the elderly that live down the street. Pray about how God would use you then go out and do it.
As wonderful as it is to be salt and light, there are people out there who want NO part of it. John 1:4 says that in Him was life and that life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness but the darkness has not understood it.
Sin is what keeps people from God. When the light begins to expose the deeds of darkness people tend to get a little uncomfortable. If you begin to put salt in a wound, it can really hurt. The writer of Hebrews said that the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.
If you begin to find yourself becoming unpopular don’t panic. Remember that darkness hates light. You just keep living a Godly life and God will take care of the rest.
When we allow God to use us to be the salt and light of our world, he is going to square up with us. It may be on this side of eternity or the other. We need to be bold and plant that seed of faith into somebody’s life. That simple childlike faith with the act of obedience will accomplish much. So let’s get out of the church and go into our world changing it one life at a time.
http://www.prophezine.com/Default.aspx?tabid=118
By: Troy Koehne
A little boy sat with his mother one Sunday as a missionary was speaking. He told the crowd that a single dime would feed a hungry child. The little boy reached into his pocket and pulled out a dollar. Tugging his mothers shirt he asked, “How many will this feed?” She smiled and told him ten. He reached back in again, pulling out the rest of his birthday money. “What if I give it all?”
“Big deal. So some kid gave a couple of bucks what does that have to do with me?” Everything! Jesus told us in Matthew 18 that unless we change and become like a little child, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
To be the light of the world is to be a very humble person. Over and over in scripture we are told not to be like the Pharisees. They do their deeds in the light so that everyone will see and praise them.
Jesus made it very clear. When you fast, keep up your complexion. When you pray, do it in secret. Don’t let the left hand know what the right hand is doing. When the Father who is in heaven sees these things you do in secret he will bless you.
To be the salt of the earth, it doesn’t take much to make a difference. It’s amazing how a pinch of salt goes along way. If we are going to change our world, we need to be able to put a little bit of salt into the lives of those around us.
There has been a great misconception about going out and being the light of the world. I know people who are extremely bright lights and yet they’re not very effective. They preach the gospel more than they live the life. How many times have you heard, “I’m not going to that church, they are a bunch of hypocrites?”
We need to examine our lives to see where we stand. We will fail to be what God has called us to be if we are trying to please both God and man. When we do both we lose the salty flavor and become useless in our effectiveness for Christ. That is why it is so important that we live our lives for Jesus.
In doing so, you become like a tree planted by streams of water which yields it’s fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does, prospers. (Psalm 1:3)
Think about your life for a second. Why did God place you here? Look around. What do you see? Do you have a family? If you are working, what’s going on in the lives of your coworkers. Think about the guy who sells you your coffee every morning before work.
God has placed us here for a reason. He has a specific plan for putting you in contact with your neighbor at three in the afternoon. Do you make the most of that opportunity?
To be the salt and the light is to put faith into action. The light won’t come on unless we flip the switch. Like-wise a shaker of salt won’t help a steak if we refuse to pick it up and use it. It’s so easy to inject some salt into people’s lives. Example: “Ed, how are the wife and kids?” You ask. “Good Joe, Thanks for asking. I think that little Sara is starting to come down with a cold.” You reply. “I’ll pray for her at church tonight. It can’t be any fun having a two year old with a cold.”
You get the idea. It’s not a sermon people need to hear. They need to see Jesus in us. Even though it may seem intimidating at first, you will see that God has placed plenty of people in your path that needs encouragement.
So you are not a talker. I don’t talk a lot either. The best way to overcome this is to pass out tracks, little pamphlets with a gospel message. It’s been said that between 1 and 20 people will pick up that track and read it.
I was at Superstition Springs mall in Mesa, Arizona not long ago with about fifty tracks. I walked through the mall placing them where I though people would see them. As I was leaving, I was asking God if this was worth it. On the first floor there is a movie theater. I felt prompted to toss on over the edge. I watched as a kid picked it up, read it, showed it to another kid, he read it and passed it on.
Besides tracts, you can take a friend out for lunch. Why not take the neighbors kids to a movie giving the parents a break. Go visit the elderly that live down the street. Pray about how God would use you then go out and do it.
As wonderful as it is to be salt and light, there are people out there who want NO part of it. John 1:4 says that in Him was life and that life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness but the darkness has not understood it.
Sin is what keeps people from God. When the light begins to expose the deeds of darkness people tend to get a little uncomfortable. If you begin to put salt in a wound, it can really hurt. The writer of Hebrews said that the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.
If you begin to find yourself becoming unpopular don’t panic. Remember that darkness hates light. You just keep living a Godly life and God will take care of the rest.
When we allow God to use us to be the salt and light of our world, he is going to square up with us. It may be on this side of eternity or the other. We need to be bold and plant that seed of faith into somebody’s life. That simple childlike faith with the act of obedience will accomplish much. So let’s get out of the church and go into our world changing it one life at a time.
http://www.prophezine.com/Default.aspx?tabid=118