jwwalker

Jesus told us to let our lights so shine, much like the city on the hill, where the highest point of visibility could be observed. As Christians, we are to be highly visible to the world, in our Actions, speech and lives. Walking in the Light of Jesus should be a noticeable character trait to both family, friends and the stranger we meet in our everyday lives. Shining the light also is a confession of Jesus before men in our lives. Remember when he said, that If You deny me before men, I will deny you before the angels and my Father which is in heaven. The same goes with our confession, if our confessional light is shining for the world to see, and our actions line up with God's word, then our confession will be before men of the Light in our lives...which is Jesus.

A Christian who has lost his salt will appear to be one, who has given up for standing up for Jesus and what is right. His convictions of what is right, become less and less, without the Spirit leading life that he once had, without daily prayer and conversation with God, without seeking His Kingdom and all his righteousness. It will become apparent to the world, that the person, may slowly over time, start running with their crowd, and acting as they act. The saltless Christian may still disguise himself to be Christ like but considered hypocritical in his actions by judging someone or something, but doing the same things for which he is being a judge against. This can lead to hypocrisy and also a view, that Christians are the most hypocritical people on the face of the earth. A life that has lost is savor, or flavor, will be tasteless even to the Godless. In order to stay salted, we need to continue to Seek God, and pray, and ask for the guidance of the Holy Spirit. To keep our eyes focused on the things that are above. Colossians 3 :2 Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth. Verse three goes on to say "For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God." We are hidden with Christ, abiding in him, staying under His wings of Protection and guidance through God. Only by repentenance, and turning from the way of the world, and seeking God, can we regain that which was lost..and hold onto it no matter the cost.

Christians are the salt of the earth, by our convictions of Christ, and what He stands for in our lives. Jesus adds flavor to our lives----giving us eternal life. As Christians, we are to be prepared to answer everyone, and give him a reason for our hope. Salt as a preservative helps us to preserve the world and hold back God's wrath. We are to add flavor to life by being a "salty" Christain, one who is preserved by God through Jesus and His blood. One who will speak up for our convictions, for what is right, and against what is wrong. One who will dare to be bold in the face of adversity, in our words and actions, showing our lives to be a living epistle. We bring help, hope, healing. Salt preserves. Without salt, our actions can be viewed as tasteless, lifeless. Salt brings out our flavor--a salty life shows our life in Christ---one of taste for His grace, mercy, one of belief that God has given us all good things to share. in the Ancient days, salt was used to preserve food---to give it flavor. Jesus is our bread of life, we are the salt of this earth. Mixing salt into the pot of humanity will help not only to give it flavor, but preserve it as well.

Persecution often times gives us the feeling of being not only maligned but mistreated by those that we may even love or have some type of relationship. Our beliefs often times will come under attack, and it is easy, to feel or take it "personally" Jesus told his disciples Ye shall be hated for my name's sake. He also told them to endure, for so persecuted they the prophets before them. Imagine being in the same category along with the disciples Peter, John, Luke, Matthew, and the disciples such as Paul and Barnabas, all being persecuted for the name of Jesus. Imagine in your spirit, how loved you are by God, and chosen, to be accepted in His beloved Jesus, who gave his life for you and me. And how that many times, we have to draw the line in the sand between what is right and wrong, and controversial, and speak up. Not as judgmental, but as humble servants of God, to show our light. Jesus told us, in this world you will have tribulations but be of Good cheer, for I have overcome the world. Persecution is part of life. When people slander us, that is persecution. When people ridicule our ideals and actions, that is persecution. Even when we are discriminated in the job market because of our age, color, race or beliefs, that is persecution. But the Bible declares that those who endure to the end, will receive their reward. Everything is temporary even the persecution in this life, and so uncomparable to the riches of God's rewards and glory in heaven. We should feel privilege to be in this long list of Christian brothers, who went before us, and faced not only persecution, but death for their beliefs in Jesus Christ. Paul says we should count it all joy.....in suffering for Christ. And persecution though hard at times, like being chastised, is part of the mantle we wear for the cross of Christ.

A pure heart opens our vision of God, because we are searching for Him, and what He desires in our lives. We put aside ourselves, to learn of God. To know the difference between wrong and right, and to live Holy according to His will. The pure in heart will see the Kingdom of God, because they are looking spiritually for God, through their hearts, wanting to obtain what He has promised to them through Jesus Christ, and that is Everlasting life, a closeness and relationship that is binding and that is led by His spirit. The world sees through the temporal eyes, while we see through the spiritual, and in discernment, the world cannot spiritually understand the things of God, as it does not go with their rationale or thinking of what God is. It stumps the world, to see Christians, who live differently, and don't run with the "crowd". James 4:8 is a great verse of Scripture that tells us to Draw nigh unto God, and he will draw nigh unto us. Cleanse your hands ye sinners, and purify your hearts ye double minded." By drawing near to God, we can see with our spiritual eyes, our condition of sin, that has kept us separted, and our need for redemption. The world can only see what is in front of them----their desires for the things of the world, the riches, the glory, the fame....the greed. Through Christ, and by looking through spritual eyes, we can see the eternal---God, life everlasting, and Jesus, the author and finisher of our Faith....... Only by seeking God totally, can we cleanse our hands and purify our hearts---only by accepting the blood atonement of Jesus and confessing our sins, and acknowledging our need for Jesus in our lives, can we be redeemed, from our sins and unclean hearts .

Many people in the world look at Christians as "self righteous zealots" who are intolerant of everything. While the fact is true, that we should be intolerant of sin, injustice, evil, and man's ideas of morals, we should still remember that our righteousness (not self righteousness as the Pharisees) came from God, who made Jesus who knew no sin, to become sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him 2 Cor 5:21). How do we live righteously without being self righteous? We live, according to meekness, and humility in our spirit. Living and walking as a Light among men, that they might see Our Father, who is in heaven. We seek first, The Kingdom of God and all His Righteousness, and all these things will be added unto us .. Mt 6:33...Seeking first God, asking His strenght and Holy Spirit to help in our walk of righteousness in our daily lives. This brings the Peace of Christ, that passes all understanding, and that keeps and guards our hearts. Righteousness is not a weapon or finger to point at someone's life. It is a lifestyle of redeemed living because of what Jesus Christ did on the cross, taking away our sins and giving us eternal Life. We should want our righteousness to be above the Pharisees--Luke 16:15 says this " And he said to them, You are those who justify yourselves in the sight of men, but God knows your hearts: for that which is highly esteemed among men is detestable in the sight of God." We should live righteously, constantly seeking God's righteousness and all His Kingdom has for us in our lives, not pointing fingers, but being that "Light of Christ" to show God's love, mercy and compassion in us, in all our dealings with our brothers in Christ, and those without Christ in their lives. Lead by example in our righteous living. In seeking God's righteousness and thirsting for His righteousness, we will be able to "show our lives as that of one Sealed in Christ and God, by His Holy Spirit of Promise."

Meekness means to endure injury with patience. The world sees meekness as a character flaw and equates it with a physical trait of being a wimp. But Jesus was meek and humble (Mt 11:29). But he was far from Weak, as the world saw Him. He was powerful and is all powerful and lives and reigns in Power and Glory. The world pushes people aside, and faults people as being weak, in getting their desires fulfilled. Every push up the job ladder is done often times on the back of those, who refuse to follow in the way of the world. If you stand up to the world's way of recognition and achievements, you are deemed " weird, weak, a loser." A Meek person takes ridicule and does not ridicule in return but even offers the "other cheek to be slapped at times." Meekness and humility, exalt us before God, now the worlds power hungry tactics of pain and progressive manipulation. Humility is walking Like Jesus Walked, talking Like Jeus Talked, Living like Jesus Lived, and reigning victoriously in all circumstances, whether viewed by the world as weak or beggarly. But seen of God, as humble and righteous in His eyes.

Mourning brings us into recognition of something "missing" in our lives. People mourn for many reasons, loss of relationship, financial loss, loss of independence, health issues. In the Kingdom of God, mourning is important first to recognize "our loss" without the comfort and truth of God in our lives. In order to to seek something, it must first be lost. In our lives, we often times realize that something is "missing." Perhaps we cannot put our finger on just what. Those who mourn will be comforted, is what Jesus preached, those who recognized their need "for Him", who would seek "Him and His Kingdom." Those, who needed the assurance, "that the missing thing in their lives, is God and His truth." Without recognizing or mourning, it is impossible to know how close you are to finding something or knowing that something is missing or beyond your reach. Christians should be saddened by sin, immorality, injustice in the world. We should stand up and speak up for the rights of those innocents who are being maltreated or treated unjustly. Righteousness came from God, who made Jesus, who knew no sin, to become sin for us, that we might become his righteousness. God comforts those who mourn, who are hurting.

Each of the Beatitudes consists of two parts: The blessing and the Paradox. Jesus made each Beatitude a Paradox, to establish the fact that, those who longed for the truth in God, according to God's Truth, would outshine and exists over the standards of what the world sees as "Truth." The worldy version or standard is based upon, "Me first." Or Accomplishments or acceptance by peers. Based on physical attainment in "our own" strength or by our "own actions." The worlds says, "I and I alone am responsible for my destiny"..But in God's Kingdom of truth, it is God, the Father, who has our destiny and all our accomplishments in His hands, according to his purpose and the counsel of His own will. The Kingdom thinking is the relying and believing in God, to accomplish "all things for us" according to his purpose. Man's idea is this : More riches, More Recognition, More of himself. While Jesus spoke of the Riches in the possession of His Kingdom, the recognition of Him as the Messiah, our Saviour, and in developing a closeness in a relationship to bring awareness more of God, in our lives causing a total acceptance and dependence upon God. The Beatitudes relate to the Fruit of the Spirit in Gal 5:22-23 as the fruit is the result of God in our lives. The Beatitudues is our searching of God, to desire the fruit of his Presence in our lives, to be evident among men, in today's world.