Day 34
Matthew 5:25-26 “Agree with your adversary quickly, while you are on your way with him, lest your adversary deliver you to the judge, the judge hand you over to the officer, and you be thrown into prison. Assuredly, I say to you, you will by no means get out of there till you have paid the last penny.
In the midst of instruction to His disciples, Jesus throws in what seems to be a random line about agreeing with your adversary, or those who are against you. First, we need to understand that under Mosaic law, if someone accuses you of something and he has two witnesses, you are found guilty. Now, you can imagine how corruptible such a system could become. If you upset someone, it would be rather easy for him to pay a couple of people to lie about you, and suddenly, you would find yourself in jail, even though you are innocent of all charges. Therefore, it is much easier to arrive at a mutual agreement with someone rather than bow your neck, fight it out, end up in prison, and still pay out even more in the end.
Is it possible that, in this scenario, Jesus is actually trying to tell us to place our trust in Him in all things? You see, if someone attacks you in order to take from you something he desires, God is more than able to replace what you have lost. I believe, in most cases, the Lord will give us even more or better than what we have lost. The reality is, trusting God in all things can be one of the most freeing activities one can undertake. When I completely and absolutely trust the Lord with everything I have–all of my possessions, all of my fears, doubts, and wants–I no longer need to protect them. Everything we own we tend to want to protect and care for, yet once we surrender them to God, we become free from that responsibility. Think about it, if God owns the things I care for, then anyone who desires to take them is taking them from Him, not me! While I may be able to inflict momentary pain upon him, the God of the universe is capable of inflicting eternal misery! Now, while it is not about who can inflict the most pain, it can be somewhat comforting to know this truth.
The greater lesson here for us is to become able to let go and let God care for everything in our lives. To come to a place where we are able to trust Him for not only our provision but our protection, as well, is an amazing achievement. I would implore you to trust the Lord with all you have and all you aspire to have. He takes great care of things and the utmost care of you. He is worthy of your trust!
Daily Prayer: Father, I would ask that you give me the faith and confidence to trust you with, and in, all things. I pray that I would let go and let You take care of every aspect of my life. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
“If I trust Him for everything, I will worry about nothing.”
Gene Burroughs, Servant
Friday, October 7, 2011
Day 33 “Self righteous indignation has no value and profits no one.”
Day 33
Matthew 5:21-24 “You have heard it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder, and whoever murders will be in danger of the judgment.’ But I say to you whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment. And whoever says to His brother ‘Raca!’ shall be in danger of the council. But whoever says, ‘You Fool!’ shall be in danger of hell fire. “Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.”
As we see in this passage, the relationship between man and God is very dependent upon the relationship between man and mankind. The Lord wants us to live in unity upon the earth, as brothers and sisters united by His Spirit. If God is the embellishment of love, then should not we also be people who love, truly love? Remember John 3:16, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.” If God loves man who turns his back on Him, so much that He would sacrifice His Son, then what are we to do? Would you sacrifice your child for another human in order to insure life eternal for them? Thankfully, God does not ask us to take such drastic measures. All He asks is that we make things right when they are wrong. You will notice that He draws no distinction as to who is at fault–He simply says, ‘go and make it right.’ The very act of humbling oneself to the point of approaching an offended brother is difficult enough. But, then throw in the fact that you were the one who was offended, now we have an entirely different set of circumstances. “You mean you want me to ask forgiveness from someone who did me wrong when I have every right to expect them to do so?” The answer, by the way, is yes. You see, if someone’s fellowship with God is being negatively affected by my relationship with them, and I can repair that fellowship by humbling myself, why wouldn’t I?
The bottom line is that no matter what reason we offer, pride is at the heart of our resistance. We desire to be justified, we desire to be correct, we desire to be acknowledged as such, we seek justice; however, God, who has every right to expect justice, extends to us grace. If He, the God of the universe, can extend grace and mercy to those who defile Him daily, then should we not be able to offer a small portion thereof to one of His children? After all, it is His grace that He has given to us that we ourselves will extend to another. Maybe this will be helpful. Could it be that we are now simply a conduit for His grace, and what we are giving is His, not ours; therefore, it costs us nothing?
Don’t get me wrong, I am not saying that extending grace is easy or that everyone can do so with a smile on their face. I am, however, saying this, “If you learn to extend grace, you will find that there is a never-ending supply of it at your immediate disposal, and you will never regret it!” Go ahead, hand some out today and see what happens, you may be pleasantly surprised.
Daily Prayer: Father, I ask you to help me to extend grace and mercy to all who have ought against me, no matter what the cause. Teach me Lord to love more than I judge and forgive as You forgive. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen!
“Self righteous indignation has no value and profits no one.”
Gene Burroughs, Servant
Matthew 5:21-24 “You have heard it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder, and whoever murders will be in danger of the judgment.’ But I say to you whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment. And whoever says to His brother ‘Raca!’ shall be in danger of the council. But whoever says, ‘You Fool!’ shall be in danger of hell fire. “Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.”
As we see in this passage, the relationship between man and God is very dependent upon the relationship between man and mankind. The Lord wants us to live in unity upon the earth, as brothers and sisters united by His Spirit. If God is the embellishment of love, then should not we also be people who love, truly love? Remember John 3:16, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.” If God loves man who turns his back on Him, so much that He would sacrifice His Son, then what are we to do? Would you sacrifice your child for another human in order to insure life eternal for them? Thankfully, God does not ask us to take such drastic measures. All He asks is that we make things right when they are wrong. You will notice that He draws no distinction as to who is at fault–He simply says, ‘go and make it right.’ The very act of humbling oneself to the point of approaching an offended brother is difficult enough. But, then throw in the fact that you were the one who was offended, now we have an entirely different set of circumstances. “You mean you want me to ask forgiveness from someone who did me wrong when I have every right to expect them to do so?” The answer, by the way, is yes. You see, if someone’s fellowship with God is being negatively affected by my relationship with them, and I can repair that fellowship by humbling myself, why wouldn’t I?
The bottom line is that no matter what reason we offer, pride is at the heart of our resistance. We desire to be justified, we desire to be correct, we desire to be acknowledged as such, we seek justice; however, God, who has every right to expect justice, extends to us grace. If He, the God of the universe, can extend grace and mercy to those who defile Him daily, then should we not be able to offer a small portion thereof to one of His children? After all, it is His grace that He has given to us that we ourselves will extend to another. Maybe this will be helpful. Could it be that we are now simply a conduit for His grace, and what we are giving is His, not ours; therefore, it costs us nothing?
Don’t get me wrong, I am not saying that extending grace is easy or that everyone can do so with a smile on their face. I am, however, saying this, “If you learn to extend grace, you will find that there is a never-ending supply of it at your immediate disposal, and you will never regret it!” Go ahead, hand some out today and see what happens, you may be pleasantly surprised.
Daily Prayer: Father, I ask you to help me to extend grace and mercy to all who have ought against me, no matter what the cause. Teach me Lord to love more than I judge and forgive as You forgive. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen!
“Self righteous indignation has no value and profits no one.”
Gene Burroughs, Servant
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
Day 32
Day 32
Matthew 5:19-20 "Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.”
The natural tendency of men is to look for new revelation and wisdom; new understanding that will either justify our own theories or make them look wise in the eyes of others. Jesus is making the point here to His disciples that they are no better than those they would possibly judge. You see, since Jesus says He came to fulfill the law, the natural response would be that we would have no more need of the law. Then it becomes a club, only those who believe in Jesus are right, and everyone else is wrong. But remember, the law is not fulfilled until Jesus is sacrificed, and even then He is fulfilling the law, not abandoning it. Jesus prevents this exclusiveness by saying that the righteousness of those who believe the law is the minimum standard for heavenly membership. Therefore, to judge the Jewish leaders and nonbelievers for obeying the law or the commandments was not acceptable. What was acceptable was to use their desire and passion for what is right for the good by exposing them to the truth. This pattern remains to be one we can use today for our Jewish and Gentile brothers and sisters. Yes, ultimately, the choice to believe or not is theirs. However, if we truly love the Lord, we can do our part by loving and respecting them for their faithfulness.
How do we as believers in Christ have or exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you ask? Second Corinthians 5:21 says, “For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” The answer is this: Jesus is our righteousness. If we believe in Him and have fellowship with Him, He provides the righteous covering for us–He is our atonement. We as humans are incapable of living a life without sin; therefore, He did it for us. Now that is love!
In addition, Jesus makes the point that those who keep and teach these principles will be rewarded in Heaven, something we would all do well to desire. You may say, “But I am not a teacher, I have no formal education.” If you own a bible and are reading this devotional, you have tools at your disposal that qualify you to teach. We teach not just in a classroom or in a Church, we teach in our daily walk, by our actions, by the words that proceed out of our mouth. When we become believers and the change in us is manifested by our actions and lifestyle, we are inadvertently teaching. May the lessons we teach be worthy to be taught, a reflection of the righteousness of Christ in us.
Daily Prayer: Father, I pray that my actions would always reflect you in a positive light. May I never cause anyone to turn away from knowing You. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.
“Being a reflection of Christ is never a negative image.”
Gene Burroughs, Servant
Matthew 5:19-20 "Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.”
The natural tendency of men is to look for new revelation and wisdom; new understanding that will either justify our own theories or make them look wise in the eyes of others. Jesus is making the point here to His disciples that they are no better than those they would possibly judge. You see, since Jesus says He came to fulfill the law, the natural response would be that we would have no more need of the law. Then it becomes a club, only those who believe in Jesus are right, and everyone else is wrong. But remember, the law is not fulfilled until Jesus is sacrificed, and even then He is fulfilling the law, not abandoning it. Jesus prevents this exclusiveness by saying that the righteousness of those who believe the law is the minimum standard for heavenly membership. Therefore, to judge the Jewish leaders and nonbelievers for obeying the law or the commandments was not acceptable. What was acceptable was to use their desire and passion for what is right for the good by exposing them to the truth. This pattern remains to be one we can use today for our Jewish and Gentile brothers and sisters. Yes, ultimately, the choice to believe or not is theirs. However, if we truly love the Lord, we can do our part by loving and respecting them for their faithfulness.
How do we as believers in Christ have or exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you ask? Second Corinthians 5:21 says, “For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” The answer is this: Jesus is our righteousness. If we believe in Him and have fellowship with Him, He provides the righteous covering for us–He is our atonement. We as humans are incapable of living a life without sin; therefore, He did it for us. Now that is love!
In addition, Jesus makes the point that those who keep and teach these principles will be rewarded in Heaven, something we would all do well to desire. You may say, “But I am not a teacher, I have no formal education.” If you own a bible and are reading this devotional, you have tools at your disposal that qualify you to teach. We teach not just in a classroom or in a Church, we teach in our daily walk, by our actions, by the words that proceed out of our mouth. When we become believers and the change in us is manifested by our actions and lifestyle, we are inadvertently teaching. May the lessons we teach be worthy to be taught, a reflection of the righteousness of Christ in us.
Daily Prayer: Father, I pray that my actions would always reflect you in a positive light. May I never cause anyone to turn away from knowing You. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.
“Being a reflection of Christ is never a negative image.”
Gene Burroughs, Servant
Day 31 “Jesus paid the price, for no man can fulfill the law.”
Day 31
Matthew 5:17-18 “Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled.”
Until one has read the entire Old Testament, it can be rather difficult to understand what law Jesus is referring to in this passage. Therefore, we would do well to spend today reviewing, in layman’s terms, “the Law,” as it were. When man fell from grace in the garden, the Lord was forced to introduce rules and conditions upon man in order for man to remain in fellowship with God. You see, man cannot have a pure one-on-one relationship with God when he is in the presence of sin. The purity and holiness of God would, I believe, utterly destroy a man who is in His presence while in sin. Therefore, God instituted a manner of atonement for sin–payment, if you will. The bloodshed of an innocent animal properly presented was payment for sin, and every time a man missed the mark (sinned), he would need to make payment for that sin. The pain of shedding innocent blood, in most cases, would cause one to try harder not to miss the mark and, therefore, allow a man to remain in communion, or fellowship, with God. Remember, I am giving you a very brief explanation and leaving out many details. Further study of Genesis through Deuteronomy would be recommended for those who have never done so, also Romans, chapter 8. Jesus came to earth to provide Himself as payment once and for all for the sins of all men who believed that He was the “Son of God,” sent for that final payment.
The reason He is addressing this subject is to assure those listening that He is not a heretic but rather the Messiah of whom they were told would come and make final atonement. Today, Jewish nonbelievers are continuing to live under “the law.” They believe that Jesus was not the Messiah, but rather some crazed man, claiming to be who He was not. When we profess our belief in Jesus, we are saying that we believe He was and is final payment for sin and that His blood paid the price for our sins and transgressions. It is this payment and our subsequent belief and profession that now allows us to have access to fellowship with God on a continual basis. The key, however, is to remember daily, moment by moment, our need for His atonement and keep short accounts with God in relationship to our failings. The goal is not to daily sin and daily ask for forgiveness, but rather to avoid sin at all cost and, when we fail, to boldly come to the throne of grace and seek forgiveness (Heb. 4:12-5:3). Finally, when Jesus says He came to fulfill the law, He is saying that He came to make payment, as well as fulfill all of the scriptures that spoke of His coming. Jesus fulfilled over 300 prophecies that foretold of His coming; a feat of astronomical proportions.
What you have just read is one version of the Gospel, and the message is always the same, “Jesus Paid the Price.” And, sharing this simple message will have eternal effects on all who truly believe. Maybe it is easier than you thought. I hope and pray that you, too, will tell the story of Christ.
Daily Prayer: Father, give us the strength and ability to share this message with all who will listen, and may we, ourselves, never neglect the Gift that You have given us in Your Son Jesus Christ. Amen.
“Jesus paid the price, for no man can fulfill the law.”
Gene Burroughs, Servant
Matthew 5:17-18 “Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled.”
Until one has read the entire Old Testament, it can be rather difficult to understand what law Jesus is referring to in this passage. Therefore, we would do well to spend today reviewing, in layman’s terms, “the Law,” as it were. When man fell from grace in the garden, the Lord was forced to introduce rules and conditions upon man in order for man to remain in fellowship with God. You see, man cannot have a pure one-on-one relationship with God when he is in the presence of sin. The purity and holiness of God would, I believe, utterly destroy a man who is in His presence while in sin. Therefore, God instituted a manner of atonement for sin–payment, if you will. The bloodshed of an innocent animal properly presented was payment for sin, and every time a man missed the mark (sinned), he would need to make payment for that sin. The pain of shedding innocent blood, in most cases, would cause one to try harder not to miss the mark and, therefore, allow a man to remain in communion, or fellowship, with God. Remember, I am giving you a very brief explanation and leaving out many details. Further study of Genesis through Deuteronomy would be recommended for those who have never done so, also Romans, chapter 8. Jesus came to earth to provide Himself as payment once and for all for the sins of all men who believed that He was the “Son of God,” sent for that final payment.
The reason He is addressing this subject is to assure those listening that He is not a heretic but rather the Messiah of whom they were told would come and make final atonement. Today, Jewish nonbelievers are continuing to live under “the law.” They believe that Jesus was not the Messiah, but rather some crazed man, claiming to be who He was not. When we profess our belief in Jesus, we are saying that we believe He was and is final payment for sin and that His blood paid the price for our sins and transgressions. It is this payment and our subsequent belief and profession that now allows us to have access to fellowship with God on a continual basis. The key, however, is to remember daily, moment by moment, our need for His atonement and keep short accounts with God in relationship to our failings. The goal is not to daily sin and daily ask for forgiveness, but rather to avoid sin at all cost and, when we fail, to boldly come to the throne of grace and seek forgiveness (Heb. 4:12-5:3). Finally, when Jesus says He came to fulfill the law, He is saying that He came to make payment, as well as fulfill all of the scriptures that spoke of His coming. Jesus fulfilled over 300 prophecies that foretold of His coming; a feat of astronomical proportions.
What you have just read is one version of the Gospel, and the message is always the same, “Jesus Paid the Price.” And, sharing this simple message will have eternal effects on all who truly believe. Maybe it is easier than you thought. I hope and pray that you, too, will tell the story of Christ.
Daily Prayer: Father, give us the strength and ability to share this message with all who will listen, and may we, ourselves, never neglect the Gift that You have given us in Your Son Jesus Christ. Amen.
“Jesus paid the price, for no man can fulfill the law.”
Gene Burroughs, Servant
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
Day 30 “Darkness flees from light; let His light shine in you.”
Day 30
Matthew 5:14-15 “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house.”
Since the definition of darkness is “the absence of light,” we, as believers, are preventing total darkness upon the earth, most assuredly. You see, without the light that is in us, Jesus Christ, the world would become simply evil. Knowing this, I believe that each of us faces a great and serious challenge; to not hide our light. The purpose of light is to remove darkness, to illuminate a path, a room, an area of desired existence. Light has a very important purpose, and light is in many ways a necessity. In extreme and remote areas such as Alaska, where residents spend extended periods without light, there are very recognizable and predictable outcomes. Depression, suicide, hopelessness, alcoholism–these are some of the few conditions that seem to increase when people are exposed to extended periods of darkness.
Looking at this from a purely scientific standpoint, we can see there is no doubt that we, as human beings, fare much better in a place where light is present. Now, let’s look at it from a spiritual standpoint, as well. In doing so, we will find that people who have little or no understanding of God and the redemptive power of Jesus suffer from exactly the same symptoms as were arrived at scientifically. You see, man needs light; he needs the light of both the Sun and the Son–one rises on its own each day, and the other needs to be uncovered each day. That is the light in us. Each day, we must aspire to turn on the light inside of us. For some, that is simply recognizing the need to be a light for a dark world. For others, we may need to remind ourselves to submit to the Lord and His will everyday. Still, others don’t see themselves as lights and desire to remain hidden and avoid being lights. However, the bottom line is this, we are “the light of the world,” and Jesus is calling us to shine. He is calling us to light the way for others to see. Evil can be defined as “the absence of God,” and the prescience of God creates light. Therefore, by lighting our world with His prescience, we are causing evil to flee simply by being who He has called us to be. Being people of God is, in fact, the most powerful example of Spiritual warfare, and all who believe are able to achieve it.
Won’t you take a chance today and begin by surrendering to His will and allow yourself to be a light for someone lost in darkness? After all, if you were trapped in the dark, wouldn’t you be thankful for a light?
Daily Prayer: Father, show me today how to be a light in the darkness. Teach me Lord to shine brightly for you. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.
“Darkness flees from light; let His light shine in you.”
Gene Burroughs, Servant
Matthew 5:14-15 “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house.”
Since the definition of darkness is “the absence of light,” we, as believers, are preventing total darkness upon the earth, most assuredly. You see, without the light that is in us, Jesus Christ, the world would become simply evil. Knowing this, I believe that each of us faces a great and serious challenge; to not hide our light. The purpose of light is to remove darkness, to illuminate a path, a room, an area of desired existence. Light has a very important purpose, and light is in many ways a necessity. In extreme and remote areas such as Alaska, where residents spend extended periods without light, there are very recognizable and predictable outcomes. Depression, suicide, hopelessness, alcoholism–these are some of the few conditions that seem to increase when people are exposed to extended periods of darkness.
Looking at this from a purely scientific standpoint, we can see there is no doubt that we, as human beings, fare much better in a place where light is present. Now, let’s look at it from a spiritual standpoint, as well. In doing so, we will find that people who have little or no understanding of God and the redemptive power of Jesus suffer from exactly the same symptoms as were arrived at scientifically. You see, man needs light; he needs the light of both the Sun and the Son–one rises on its own each day, and the other needs to be uncovered each day. That is the light in us. Each day, we must aspire to turn on the light inside of us. For some, that is simply recognizing the need to be a light for a dark world. For others, we may need to remind ourselves to submit to the Lord and His will everyday. Still, others don’t see themselves as lights and desire to remain hidden and avoid being lights. However, the bottom line is this, we are “the light of the world,” and Jesus is calling us to shine. He is calling us to light the way for others to see. Evil can be defined as “the absence of God,” and the prescience of God creates light. Therefore, by lighting our world with His prescience, we are causing evil to flee simply by being who He has called us to be. Being people of God is, in fact, the most powerful example of Spiritual warfare, and all who believe are able to achieve it.
Won’t you take a chance today and begin by surrendering to His will and allow yourself to be a light for someone lost in darkness? After all, if you were trapped in the dark, wouldn’t you be thankful for a light?
Daily Prayer: Father, show me today how to be a light in the darkness. Teach me Lord to shine brightly for you. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.
“Darkness flees from light; let His light shine in you.”
Gene Burroughs, Servant
Monday, October 3, 2011
day 29
Day 29
Matthew 5:13 "You are the salt of the earth; but if salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men."
Wow! Do I love this passage! It challenges me to consider so many scenarios of what Jesus was saying–first, His disciples and secondly, the rest of us who follow after them. The last time I read this passage, the Holy Spirit revealed a very key part of it that suddenly changed how I view the meaning. He says this, "how then shall it be seasoned?” Jesus is speaking of the effect of salt on the earth; therefore, the word “it” refers to the world! Jesus is saying that if we, as salt, lose our flavor, how will the earth be seasoned? If we do not season the earth by spreading the truth of the Gospel, then the earth will no longer receive the truth. Therefore, we are the principal means by which the truth shall be spread, and if we fail, the earth and all of those who inhabit it are at risk of never hearing the message of the Gospel! Spreading the Gospel is not an option–living as Christ's witnesses upon the earth is not an option. The very reason for our earthly existence is to further the message, otherwise we are of no use.
Am I the only one convicted right now? For what reason does the Church body exist, but to equip the saints and to train people in the ways of the Lord? Yes to all of the above and more. It does not and cannot end there; it ends with a purpose–to be salt to the world. And yes, I said it again. If our Churches are places where people go to be redeemed, restored, and renewed, then praise God; however, if that is where it ends, we are in trouble.
In my life I have known a number of people who seemed to thrive on education. There is even a term for them, "professional students," yet, I cannot think of a more selfish ambition than to be someone who is constantly filling their mind with knowledge and then never using that knowledge to help someone else. It is the height of selfishness disguised as a good thing; much like a Church full of people who take in the Word only to keep it to themselves. While I realize that these statements and my position are not very popular, I'm not the one who wrote this and many other scriptures with a similar message. I'm simply shedding light and saying what many are afraid to say. Therefore, I would ask this question, "What or who are you afraid of?" If this is you, don't be trampled underfoot. If not, but it is someone you know, love them enough to encourage them in recognizing their purpose on earth.
Daily Prayer: Father, all too often we wallow in the selfish pit of need for redemption, confirmation, and education. Please forgive us Lord for our all too often failure to allow others to bathe in your goodness. In Jesus’ name we ask these things. Amen.
"Salt in the shaker is no more than a table dressing."
Gene Burroughs, Servant
Matthew 5:13 "You are the salt of the earth; but if salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men."
Wow! Do I love this passage! It challenges me to consider so many scenarios of what Jesus was saying–first, His disciples and secondly, the rest of us who follow after them. The last time I read this passage, the Holy Spirit revealed a very key part of it that suddenly changed how I view the meaning. He says this, "how then shall it be seasoned?” Jesus is speaking of the effect of salt on the earth; therefore, the word “it” refers to the world! Jesus is saying that if we, as salt, lose our flavor, how will the earth be seasoned? If we do not season the earth by spreading the truth of the Gospel, then the earth will no longer receive the truth. Therefore, we are the principal means by which the truth shall be spread, and if we fail, the earth and all of those who inhabit it are at risk of never hearing the message of the Gospel! Spreading the Gospel is not an option–living as Christ's witnesses upon the earth is not an option. The very reason for our earthly existence is to further the message, otherwise we are of no use.
Am I the only one convicted right now? For what reason does the Church body exist, but to equip the saints and to train people in the ways of the Lord? Yes to all of the above and more. It does not and cannot end there; it ends with a purpose–to be salt to the world. And yes, I said it again. If our Churches are places where people go to be redeemed, restored, and renewed, then praise God; however, if that is where it ends, we are in trouble.
In my life I have known a number of people who seemed to thrive on education. There is even a term for them, "professional students," yet, I cannot think of a more selfish ambition than to be someone who is constantly filling their mind with knowledge and then never using that knowledge to help someone else. It is the height of selfishness disguised as a good thing; much like a Church full of people who take in the Word only to keep it to themselves. While I realize that these statements and my position are not very popular, I'm not the one who wrote this and many other scriptures with a similar message. I'm simply shedding light and saying what many are afraid to say. Therefore, I would ask this question, "What or who are you afraid of?" If this is you, don't be trampled underfoot. If not, but it is someone you know, love them enough to encourage them in recognizing their purpose on earth.
Daily Prayer: Father, all too often we wallow in the selfish pit of need for redemption, confirmation, and education. Please forgive us Lord for our all too often failure to allow others to bathe in your goodness. In Jesus’ name we ask these things. Amen.
"Salt in the shaker is no more than a table dressing."
Gene Burroughs, Servant
Sunday, October 2, 2011
Day 28
Day 28
Matthew 5:11-12 "Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you."
Have you ever been harassed for being a Christian, belittled, or made fun of for your convictions? If so, you have insight and understanding that those who have never been persecuted are unable to comprehend. As wonderful and glorious as it may sound to be persecuted for Christ, the truth is, it is not a fun place to be in. It is painful and often causes us to withdraw; our flesh does not like it. However, as we all know, persecution for the sake of Christ is a reality, an honor, and I believe a necessity. If you are not being challenged for your beliefs, I would ask you this, “Do people know that you are a Christian?” I would say, “Of course people I am around on an ongoing basis know I am a Christian: after all, I'm a pastor, a leader in the Church.” What about the people who know nothing about us? Are we living our lives in a way that others cannot help but take notice? I'm not just talking about the people in the checkout line; how about the gangbanger on the street or the office gossip? How about your boss or the kids in school? Yes, we are responsible for living a life that says I am a follower of Christ, not just a Christian. Many cult members call themselves Christians, yet we are the embodiment of Christ on earth–more than a label–this is a life.
Another phrase we should look at is in verse 11, where Jesus says this, "and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake;" the key word here being falsely. We all make mistakes, yet the blessing does not come when we are guilty of the accusations. When we make public mistakes, we need to make public confessions: the only remedy for failure is truth without repentance. Far too many Christians have the tendency when they fail to find somewhere to place the blame, be it their parents, spouses, children, bosses, or the traffic. How about blowing people away by speaking the pure truth? "I'm sorry, it's my fault." Five very powerful words. I can say from experience that being falsely accused is no fun. My family and I went through a very tough time a few years ago because of false accusations. Yet, in the end, it was those very accusations that caused me to completely sell out to being in full-time ministry, and yes, for me that was, and is, a true blessing. Let them come at you with all of the accusations for His name sake that they can muster. Like iron sharpening iron, you, too, will be drawn closer to your creator and become stronger as He blesses your obedience.
Daily Prayer: Father, help us to be people known for our beliefs, known as followers of Christ, and show me where I fail. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
"Followers of Christ will have others following them."
Gene Burroughs, Servant
Matthew 5:11-12 "Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you."
Have you ever been harassed for being a Christian, belittled, or made fun of for your convictions? If so, you have insight and understanding that those who have never been persecuted are unable to comprehend. As wonderful and glorious as it may sound to be persecuted for Christ, the truth is, it is not a fun place to be in. It is painful and often causes us to withdraw; our flesh does not like it. However, as we all know, persecution for the sake of Christ is a reality, an honor, and I believe a necessity. If you are not being challenged for your beliefs, I would ask you this, “Do people know that you are a Christian?” I would say, “Of course people I am around on an ongoing basis know I am a Christian: after all, I'm a pastor, a leader in the Church.” What about the people who know nothing about us? Are we living our lives in a way that others cannot help but take notice? I'm not just talking about the people in the checkout line; how about the gangbanger on the street or the office gossip? How about your boss or the kids in school? Yes, we are responsible for living a life that says I am a follower of Christ, not just a Christian. Many cult members call themselves Christians, yet we are the embodiment of Christ on earth–more than a label–this is a life.
Another phrase we should look at is in verse 11, where Jesus says this, "and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake;" the key word here being falsely. We all make mistakes, yet the blessing does not come when we are guilty of the accusations. When we make public mistakes, we need to make public confessions: the only remedy for failure is truth without repentance. Far too many Christians have the tendency when they fail to find somewhere to place the blame, be it their parents, spouses, children, bosses, or the traffic. How about blowing people away by speaking the pure truth? "I'm sorry, it's my fault." Five very powerful words. I can say from experience that being falsely accused is no fun. My family and I went through a very tough time a few years ago because of false accusations. Yet, in the end, it was those very accusations that caused me to completely sell out to being in full-time ministry, and yes, for me that was, and is, a true blessing. Let them come at you with all of the accusations for His name sake that they can muster. Like iron sharpening iron, you, too, will be drawn closer to your creator and become stronger as He blesses your obedience.
Daily Prayer: Father, help us to be people known for our beliefs, known as followers of Christ, and show me where I fail. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
"Followers of Christ will have others following them."
Gene Burroughs, Servant
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