Tasteless salt smells bad

The Bible says we are to be the salt of the earth:

Matthew 5:13(AMP)

¹³You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste (its strength, its quality), how can its saltness be restored?

Salt is however a very interesting combination. It is a mixture of sodium and chlorine. While sodium is a harmless active element, chlorine is a poisonous gas, but combined together the result is salt.

I cannot imagine eating my food without salt. Salt brings out the flavor of food and even preserves food. But I will definitely not eat my food with chlorine alone, it is not only a poisonous gas, but also smells very bad.

In the same way we can only be salt if we are combined with another element - the Holy Spirit. We cannot be salt on our own. On our own we are almost like chlorine, a poisonous gas that smells very bad and will push people away from God.

The Message translates the same passage as follow:

 ¹³"Let me tell you why you are here. You're here to be salt-seasoning that brings out the God-flavors of this earth. If you lose your saltiness, how will people taste godliness?

Combined with the Holy Spirit, you are salt, giving people a taste of God’s Kingdom and drawing them into His presence. But alone you are just a bad smell that will poison people’s thoughts about God and push them away from His Kingdom!

I’ll rather taste good than smell bad!

Shalom!

Anina

Grace grabs

When you live in the next level of grace that we talked about yesterday, it does not mean you will never again feel weak or have some doubts!

Although you’ve taken up your position of authority, honor and sonship, you may still go through difficult times that will leave you weak.

The Bible says that when we go through difficult times, His grace is enough, that His power is made perfect when we are weak or even in doubt.

We read in Matthew about Peter that had a moment of doubt:

Matthew 14:25-31(NLT)

^“25 About three o’clock in the morning Jesus came toward them, walking on the water. ²⁶ When the disciples saw him walking on the water, they were terrified. In their fear, they cried out, “It’s a ghost!”

 ²⁷ But Jesus spoke to them at once. “Don’t be afraid,” he said. “Take courage. I am here!”

 ²⁸ Then Peter called to him, “Lord, if it’s really you, tell me to come to you, walking on the water.”

 ²⁹ “Yes, come,” Jesus said.

   So Peter went over the side of the boat and walked on the water toward Jesus. ³⁰ But when he saw the strong wind and the waves, he was terrified and began to sink. “Save me, Lord!” he shouted.  ³¹ Jesus immediately reached out and grabbed him…”

Peter had a moment of doubt, but he turned to the person of Grace. Grace grabbed him and brought him to safety!

So if life throws strong winds and high waves at you and you feel terrified and in doubt; Grace will always grab you!

Shalom!

Anina

The next level of grace

Yesterday we met the father of the prodigal son.

When his son returned, the father saw him while he was still a long way off and he was moved with tenderness and compassion. The father ran to him, embraced him and kissed him.

It is interesting to note that the father did five things. The spiritual significance of five is seen as grace. Through seeing him from afar, being moved with compassion, running to him, embracing and kissing him – he gave his son grace!

But with our Father, grace never stops there. The pity is that some children of God come back to the Father but they never accept the next level of grace.

Luke 15:22-23(AMP)

^“22But the father said to his bond servants, bring quickly the best robe (the festive robe of honor) and put it on him; and give him a ring for his hand and sandals for his feet.

    ²³And bring out that [wheat-] fattened calf and kill it; and let us revel and feast and be happy and make merry..”

After the father did five things, he gave five things to the son! A robe, restoring his dignity and honor. A ring, restoring his authority. Sandals to step into his sonship (in those days slaves did not wear shoes). A fattened calf, letting blood flow for the sacrifice and a feast to celebrate the restoration of the son.

Do you as a Christian sometimes feel you have no dignity? Do you struggle with the knowledge that you have authority as a child of God? If you enter into His presence, you feel that you need to pay Him back for His goodness. You are actually barefoot in the spirit and have not fully accepted the blood of the Jesus Christ, or experienced the joy in your heart that you are fully restored as a son or daughter of the Father!

You see, you can be a Christian that returned home, but still act like a slave. Receive the next level of grace. Accept the robe of righteousness that gives you dignity and honor as His child. Let Him put the ring on your finger that gives you authority to trample on the evil one. Put on the sandals and know you are no longer a slave in the house, but a child! Now you know you have not only accepted Jesus’ gift to come home to the Father, but you’ve also accepted the next level of grace where God wants to fully restore you as child of the Father!

Shalom!

Anina

The far seeing father

It is always amazing to see how people are changed by our Father’s touch. This past Sunday I ministered on the well-known parable of the prodigal son.

We know the prodigal son as the young man that demanded his inheritance and then went to a far-off land and wasted all his money on a sinful life. When there was nothing left, he sat with the pigs, thinking about the food in his father’s house. He longed to go back and decided to return to his father.

While he was walking back, I think he anticipated the different kinds of reactions his father could have had.

His thoughts must have been something like: “What if my father doesn’t want me back?” What if my father doesn’t even want to see me?” “I wonder if he will take me back as a slave.”

Isn’t this sometimes how we feel when we come to our heavenly Father? We feel that because of our past, God does not want to see us. And maybe if He will allow us into His presence, it will be as slaves.

When the son however reached his father, he did not anticipate the reaction he got…

Luke 15:20(AMP)

²⁰So he got up and came to his [own] father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was moved with pity and tenderness [for him]; and he ran and embraced him and kissed him [fervently].

The father saw him while he was still a long way off, moved with compassion he ran to him and then embraced and kissed him!

Your Father sees you, even when you are a long way off. He has His eyes on you and He is moved with pity and tenderness towards your circumstances. If you want to come into His presence He will run to you and embrace you with His presence!

On Sunday we saw broken people returning to their far-seeing Father, experiencing the joy and freedom of being back in the Father’s house. If you are not home yet, won’t you do the same?

Shalom!

Anina

Pastoring For The Poor: It depends in whose hands it’s in

Pastoring For The Poor: It depends in whose hands it’s in: "Can't believe it's Friday again! May you be blessed as you read these words and may your weekend be filled with His joy! A basketball in..."

It depends in whose hands it’s in

Can't believe it's Friday again!

May you be blessed as you read these words and may your weekend be filled with His joy!

A basketball in my hands is worth about $19
A basketball in Michael Jordan's hands is worth about $33 million.
It depends whose hands it's in

A baseball in my hands is worth about $6
A baseball in Mark McGuire's hands is worth $19 million
It depends whose hands it's in

A tennis racket is useless in my hands
A tennis racket in Pete Sampras' hands is a Wimbledon Championship.
It depends whose hands it's in

A rod in my hands will keep away a wild animal
A rod in Moses' hands will part the mighty sea
It depends whose hands it's in

A sling shot in my hands is a kid's toy
A sling shot in David's hand is a mighty weapon.
It depends whose hands it's in

Two fish and 5 loaves of bread in my hands is a couple of fish sandwiches.
Two fish and 5 loaves of bread in Jesus' hands will feed thousands
It depends whose hands it's in

Nails in my hands might produce a birdhouse
Nails in Jesus Christ's hands will produce salvation for the entire world.
It depends whose hands it's in

As you see now, it depends whose hands it's in. So put your concerns, your worries, your fears, your hopes, your dreams, your families and your relationships in God's hands... because it depends whose hands it's in.

(Written by Paul Ciniraj)

Till we meet again on Monday!

Shalom!

Anina

I can’t pray!

Have you ever made these remarks, “Prayer doesn’t work! “I wonder if God is listening to me?”; “My prayer only goes as far the ceiling!”

There was a time in my life when I thought it might help to make a big hole in my roof, then at least my prayer would go past the ceiling…

Usually there are a few reasons why you might struggle to pray:

-        Your heart might be broken in pieces and it is hurting so much that it is difficult to express words to your Father.

-        Guilt and condemnation rules in your heart because of a deep secret sin that you struggle with.

-        You feel far from God for no apparent reason, it just feels that He doesn’t listen when you pray.

All of us go through seasons where prayer does not come naturally. Through growing in my relationship with Him, I’ve learned that in times like these the answer is not a hole in my ceiling, but to turn to the Holy Spirit. The Spirit of comfort and help, the One who come along side us and will help us even if we can’t pray!

Romans 8:26(AMP)

²⁶So too the [Holy] Spirit comes to our aid and bears us up in our weakness; for we do not know what prayer to offer nor how to offer it worthily as we ought, but the Spirit Himself goes to meet our supplication and pleads in our behalf with unspeakable yearnings and groanings too deep for utterance.

In times like these, I just say: “Holy Spirit, help me!” Then I sit with my eyes closed and know in faith that He is praying for me. I know that in this time He prays according to Father’s will and that in the quietness, He is strengthening me.

If you are going through a prayer struggle, just become quiet and say: “Holy Spirit, help!” In faith know that through the Spirit, you are connecting with your Father, and you will be lifted up!

Shalom!

Anina