Eternal heavenly Father,
When energized or tired,
In good health or sickness,
With abundance or lack,
Alone or surrounded by love,
Regardless of the weather,
Feeling high or low,
Accepted or rejected,
No matter my condition,
I will follow Jesus —
Help me never falter!
But If It Loses its Saltiness
Most lessons on salt from the Bible have to do with its unique ability to flavor, preserve, and create thirst–all qualities Christians should possess for the world around them. But what does salt have to do with the cost of discipleship?
I. Luke 14:1-35. It costs much to have saltiness, for someone to stay on the narrow path. There are sacrifices that need to be made and hard choices to endure … and God doesn’t take excuses. Rather, He looks for a disciple who will put God’s Kingdom first in His life–or is worth his, erm, salt.
II. 2 Peter 2:20-22. There are ways that Christians lose their saltiness. In just the example from Luke 14, we see that they can exert worldly strength over godly weakness, exalt self, look to be repaid here, believe excuses will justify contrary behaviors to God, not put God’s Kingdom and righteousness first, not carry his cross, or place too much emphasis on material goods.
III. Luke 12:32-34. We must hold onto our saltiness. Our eternity depends on it. In the Old Testament, which was a shadow of the reality to come, salt was required when offering sacrifices (Leviticus 2:13). So, how much more should we include salt in ourselves offered as living sacrifices to God in the New Testament time (Romans 12:1)?
We must hold onto our saltiness–persevering through our many trials and living for God!
The Way that Jesus Went
O God, with you I’d be content,
In Christ my every need supplied;
I’d go the way that Jesus went—
On Calvary’s hill he wept and died.
His victor’s cry make mine as well,
To finish your saving will at last;
To serve my neighbor, a story to tell,
A living love, unmoved, steadfast.
Ourselves to Serve
As evil spreads, relieve our hearts’ distress;
Than self may we not love our neighbor less.
O God, turn men to truth, ourselves to serve,
From following Jesus let us never swerve.
We’ve left father, mother, children, lands
We’ve left father, mother, children, lands,
To lose our life for Christ in time’s quick sands,
To gain a hundredfold upon the earth,
And heaven’s streets of gold by spiritual birth. Continue reading “We’ve left father, mother, children, lands”