Salt & Light Blog

Psalm 33 The Steadfast Love of The Lord

6/23/2015

Psalm 33

God’s love is real. It is tangible, evidenced by the earth itself and revealed by those who trust Him. In what ways do we see The Lord’s steadfast love manifested? We see God’s love in our response to that same love. When we thank the Lord, praise Him and worship Him, His love reflected back to Him is experienced by all those worshipping and seen by the witnesses surrounding us. Verses 1-5 read,

“Shout for joy in the Lord, O you righteous!
    Praise befits the upright.
2 Give thanks to the Lord with the lyre;
    make melody to him with the harp of ten strings!
3 Sing to him a new song;
    play skillfully on the strings, with loud shouts.

4 For the word of the Lord is upright,
    and all his work is done in faithfulness.
5 He loves righteousness and justice;
    the earth is full of the steadfast love of the Lord.”

When we sing Him a song it is because of His love we can do so. When we prophesy (speak His message and word to another) it is through His love. When we praise Him for His great works and thank Him for what He has done for us, it is by way of His love. When we pray for someone it is due to God’s love. When we do a kindness for someone or help them it is because of God’s love. God loves us deeply, consistently and continually. Because He loves us, we love Him. Because we love Him, we love others. Because we love others they see the love of God and they might fall in love with Him too. God’s love is a never ending circle of palpable love given and received.

God’s love is evidenced by creation itself. In His greatness He made this world. He did it by speaking it out of nothingness. Verses 6-9 say,

“By the word of the Lord the heavens were made,
    and by the breath of his mouth all their host.
7 He gathers the waters of the sea as a heap;
    he puts the deeps in storehouses.

8 Let all the earth fear the Lord;
    let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him!
9 For he spoke, and it came to be;
    he commanded, and it stood firm.”

God’s word is powerful. He spoke and created the heavens and the earth and everything in it. He speaks and His word makes it so. When God speaks His will becomes real. Jesus, the Son of God is called The Word of God. He is God’s will manifested in the flesh. It is through Jesus, the Word of God that the whole earth was created. John 1:1-3 puts it this way,

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made.”

God’s will is a relationship with us. God’s plan is salvation for us. God wants good for us. He has plans and those plans are promises that cannot and will not be broken. How much better it is to lean on God, to choose His will and His plans over our own or worse over the plans someone else has for us. God’s plans cannot be ruined. Verses 10-12 read,

“The Lord brings the counsel of the nations to nothing;
    he frustrates the plans of the peoples.
11 The counsel of the Lord stands forever,
    the plans of his heart to all generations.
12 Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord,
    the people whom he has chosen as his heritage!”

It is an awesome blessing to be God’s chosen, to be able to rely on Him and know that regardless of what happens He holds our heart and soul in His capable and loving hands. We don’t have to rely on our own strengths. We don’t have to put our trust in the plans of men. We don’t hope in the armies or governments of any kingdom on earth. Ours is the Kingdom of God. Verses 13-17 put it like this,

“The Lord looks down from heaven;
    he sees all the children of man;
14 from where he sits enthroned he looks out
    on all the inhabitants of the earth,
15 he who fashions the hearts of them all
    and observes all their deeds.
16 The king is not saved by his great army;
    a warrior is not delivered by his great strength.
17 The war horse is a false hope for salvation,
    and by its great might it cannot rescue.”

It is God that created each person, it is He who made their hearts and ours. He is sovereign and though they are lost and try to fill their emptiness with wealth, fleshly desires, and earthly power they can’t be satisfied and they won’t be saved that way. No one will be saved depending on his own strength or means. The only way to salvation is Jesus Christ. For those of us who put our hope and faith in Him, there is salvation. No matter what we suffer on this earth God carries us through it. He is always with us. He is always The Lord God. He is always our Refuge, Provider, Healer, Savior, Comforter, and Father. Verses 18-22 read,

“Behold, the eye of the Lord is on those who fear him,
    on those who hope in his steadfast love,
19 that he may deliver their soul from death
    and keep them alive in famine.

20 Our soul waits for the Lord;
    he is our help and our shield.
21 For our heart is glad in him,
    because we trust in his holy name.
22 Let your steadfast love, O Lord, be upon us,
    even as we hope in you.”

Do you trust in God? Do you truly depend on Him or do you rely on your own strength before you turn to God in hopelessness? Do you understand what it is that He loves you? It is a profound and immeasurable love. God’s love is not lip service but real. God is love. He demonstrated His intense love for you by living perfectly, giving up His life to pay the price, and raising from the dead to overcome sin once and for all. His love is your salvation. His love reflected back to Him can be the salvation of those lost who watch you.

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Titus 3 Saved by Faith for Good Works

4/21/2015

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Titus Chapter 3

Who were you before you were saved? What were you like before you were born again? What you’re your desires, your plans, and your hopes? They were likely different from your current desires. You were probably a very different person. But when you recognized Jesus as your savior, His Spirit entered you and made you new. He changed you and He continues to change you. Your will aligns more closely to God’s will.

We must be diligent about standing out from the world and being the image of Christ to them. They are lost and we can be the light that leads them to the Truth, the Life, and the Way. Paul encourages us to be different and live out our salvation, and to always be ready to do good for people. Verses 1-2 read,

“Remind them to be submissive to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good work, 2 to speak evil of no one, to avoid quarreling, to be gentle, and to show perfect courtesy toward all people.”

What if the other person is mean, rude, or a really bad sinner? Do we have to be kind to them? Do we have to do good for the person who is trying to con old ladies out of their pensions or the drug addict? Paul tells us to show perfect courtesy toward all people. Everyone needs Jesus, no one deserves His grace and mercy. You were once lost. What was it that brought you to Jesus? Did someone argue with you, judge you, and tell you to turn or burn? Is that what brought you to redemption? I doubt it. Or did someone lead you to Jesus with love, kindness, and truth? Verses 3-7 say,

“For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another. 4 But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, 5 he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, 6 whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, 7 so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life”

What He did for us, is not meant to be kept for us alone. He washed us and renewed us. He changed us. He poured Himself into us lavishly. We are saved by grace and now have the hope of eternal life for a purpose. We can’t continue living the way we used to live anymore because we are no longer the people we used to be. We are saved by grace but we are saved so that we can do good works. The good we do doesn’t justify us. It doesn’t make up for any sin. But it does give an expression to the Holy Spirit. It does testify to the greatness of The Spirit, the power of Christ, and the love of The Father.

The lost are lost because they’ve been led astray by the prince of this world. Jesus gave us the authority to show them the way to salvation. We show them the Way, the Truth, and the Life through good works, which is God’s love expressed and God’s word manifested. Faith saved us. Grace justified us. But it is good works, the exercising of our spiritual gifts and the fruit of the Spirit that builds the church and leads the lost to Jesus. Verse 8 reads,

“The saying is trustworthy, and I want you to insist on these things, so that those who have believed in God may be careful to devote themselves to good works. These things are excellent and profitable for people.”

Good works not only include working outside the church building but within it. Good works include using our gifts to edify one another, grow in knowledge and love, and become more like Jesus. Building up of the church and loving one another makes us more unified. Unity is a sign of maturity and shows the Holy Spirit in us. Union allows Him to work within us as a group and be manifested even more powerfully than He is as individuals. When Jesus was teaching about church unity and how to handle sin among the brethren He said,

“Truly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. 19 Again I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. 20 For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.”

How He wants to do great and good things with us and through us! Jesus’ promise is not a little thing. He promised that our unity would make anything we ask happen. He promised that even if only two of us come together to agree that He would grant us our request. He promised that even if only two or three of us come together in His name (that is as His representatives doing His will) that He is there with us.

So it is very important to maintain unity. It is extremely important to ensure no one among us is teaching lies, starting arguments, and causing dissention. The dissident causes us to look like the world. He makes us take our eyes off God’s work and puts our minds on foolishness. We are not able to do good works if we are busy arguing over the size of the church bell or whether eating pork is a sin. Verses 9-11 read,

“But avoid foolish controversies, genealogies, dissensions, and quarrels about the law, for they are unprofitable and worthless. 10 As for a person who stirs up division, after warning him once and then twice, have nothing more to do with him, 11 knowing that such a person is warped and sinful; he is self-condemned.”

We are not saved by good works. We are not saved by our behavior. We are saved by faith. It is His grace that redeems us. But following Christ means we will do as He wants. We want to obey Him. We want to love as He loves. We want to communicate our gratitude. We want to express the Holy Spirit within us. We are not saved by our good works. We are saved by Jesus’ good work. We were led to Christ because a brother or sister did good works and we saw Jesus in them.

Verse 14 says,

“And let our people learn to devote themselves to good works, so as to help cases of urgent need, and not be unfruitful.”

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Titus Chapter 2 People Are Watching You. Who Do They See?

4/20/2015

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Titus Chapter 2

In the second chapter of Paul’s letter to Titus he exhorts us to behave in a manner worthy of the name we’ve been given. We are Christians and our actions should reflect our state of grace, the great name of Jesus, and His Spirit who indwells us. Verse 1 reads,

“But as for you, teach what accords with sound doctrine.”

This is a continuance from the previous chapter when Paul warned Titus to not allow false teachings to get mixed up in the truth. When we teach, it is our responsibility to ensure the doctrine, instructions, and principals are sound. Sound means healthy, whole, comprehensive, good, and intact. Whether receiving or giving instruction make sure it is supported by the Bible, does not contradict the Gospel, and that the voice of God is recognized in it. If you are not yet able to discern The Lord’s voice because you are a young Christian, then continue to seek Him and He will make Himself known to you.

The mature Christian walks in a manner that reflects Jesus to the world and to other believers. In faith we endeavor to live a life that is pleasing to God and brings Him an aroma of worship, praise, and knowledge.

2 Corinthians 2:14-16 reads,

“But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere.15 For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing, 16 to one a fragrance from death to death, to the other a fragrance from life to life. Who is sufficient for these things?”

We teach one another with lives lived well for God. We demonstrate to the world the goodness of God by our lives. We are not responsible for their response, we are responsible for our actions and words which will either present Jesus as Awesome Loving Savior or present us as no different than the world. Verse 2-6 read,

“Older men are to be sober-minded, dignified, self-controlled, sound in faith, in love, and in steadfastness. 3 Older women likewise are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers or slaves to much wine. They are to teach what is good, 4 and so train the young women to love their husbands and children, 5 to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be reviled. 6 Likewise, urge the younger men to be self-controlled.”

Verses 9-10 say,

“Bondservants are to be submissive to their own masters in everything; they are to be well-pleasing, not argumentative, 10 not pilfering, but showing all good faith, so that in everything they may adorn the doctrine of God our Savior.”

We are being transformed day by day to the image of Christ. As we learn more about God, as we exercise our gifts, and express the character of Jesus, we become examples for one another. Glorifying God is reflecting His image, it is the exhibition of the Spirit in us.

Why should we strive to be the way Paul describes? So that we are training the less mature and so the word of God will not be reviled. Our actions will make people say, “Where does love like that come from” or it will make them say, “Their god doesn’t exist and if he does he is powerless.” Much of the world hates Christians and that is okay, but much of that hate is because we acted in the flesh and gave them reason to hate us, and that is not okay. We are supposed to be a light in the darkness leading people to Jesus, not giving them reason to hate Him. Verses 7-8 say it this way,

“Show yourself in all respects to be a model of good works, and in your teaching show integrity, dignity, 8 and sound speech that cannot be condemned, so that an opponent may be put to shame, having nothing evil to say about us.”

Regardless of where we are, who we are dealing with, or playing or working, we are to walk in a manner worthy of the name of Jesus Christ. We are His ambassadors. People get to know who Jesus is by their interactions with us. So in every aspect of our lives we have to remember people are watching us to see who this Jesus is. Verses 11-14 read,

“For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, 12 training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, 13 waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, 14 who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.

15 Declare these things; exhort and rebuke with all authority. Let no one disregard you.

More so than our words it is our lives that lead people to Jesus. He wants everyone to come to Him. He wants salvation for the world. He saved us and He transforms us so that the world will know Him. He is our hope. We know He is coming back, and we will be resurrected and rise with Him to eternity. That same hope for us, is a terrible day for the lost. On that day they will know Jesus is The LORD. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we could let them know before it is too late? When He comes and they see Him with their eyes and hear the trumpet sound, it will be too late for faith.

The way we live matters. We do not follow the law, but we do follow Jesus. Jesus acted in love and in submission to God. Jesus asked us to love one another as He loves us. His grace is revealed best when we who used to be of the world, walk like the new creations we are.

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1 Peter 4 Following Christ in His Suffering

4/3/2015

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1 Peter Chapter 4

Christ suffered on the cross and we as His followers also suffer. Christ’s suffering gave us salvation. Our suffering reveals Salvation in us. Verses 1-2 read,

“Since therefore Christ suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves with the same way of thinking, for whoever has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, 2 so as to live for the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for human passions but for the will of God.”

We are not better than Jesus. We must expect to suffer. And when we do suffer for Christ’s sake, we can rejoice. We are emulating our Lord. We are being transformed to His image. We are glorifying God so that others will know His redemption.

Verses 12-17 read,

“Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. 13 But rejoice insofar as you share Christ's sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed. 14 If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. 15 But let none of you suffer as a murderer or a thief or an evildoer or as a meddler. 16 Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in that name.”

Suffering has more than one purpose. While we suffer, people see us. They watch and take note of how and why we go through our situation. How is that we can rejoice and even praise God through trials? They expect us to react in a worldly way and when we don’t, they see a glimpse of God. They see the grace of Jesus lived out.

Suffering conforms us to the image of Jesus Christ. Trials and tribulations teach us to exercise the fruit of the Spirit, the gifts He gave us, and purify us. . God sees us as righteous when He looks at us, but that doesn’t mean, He doesn’t care about our behavior. We are saved by grace but that doesn’t mean we should use our liberty as a reason to look and act like the rest of the world. We are supposed to emanate the Spirit of God, not the spirits of the world. We follow the King of kings, not the prince of this world. If the saved, God’s own children can’t behave in a manner worthy of God, how can we expect the lost to ever find Jesus? Verses 17-19 read,

“For it is time for judgment to begin at the household of God; and if it begins with us, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God? 18 And

“If the righteous is scarcely saved,
what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?”

19 Therefore let those who suffer according to God's will entrust their souls to a faithful Creator while doing good.”

We entrust our souls to the Lord. We give Him custody and authority over it. While we suffer, through good times, through joy, through sadness, and everything else we know God has charge over our souls and He will keep it for us until the Day we come into it at our completion. It will be worth more than it could have been if He hadn’t held it for us. It will be perfect.

Until that day, we are charged with doing good, with being Children of God in a world that doesn’t know Him. We are charged with doing good in a world that celebrates selfishness and debauchery. Even the fact that we don’t want to join them in decadence shocks them and gives them a reason to hate us or know us because of Jesus.

Verses 3-4 say it like this,

“For the time that is past suffices for doing what the Gentiles want to do, living in sensuality, passions, drunkenness, orgies, drinking parties, and lawless idolatry. 4 With respect to this they are surprised when you do not join them in the same flood of debauchery, and they malign you;”

We have to remember that they are lost. The reason they badmouth us is because they follow Satan and don’t even know it. They will be judged one day. They need the chance to hear the Gospel. They need a chance to call Jesus their Lord. Our behavior in good times and bad gives them a chance to hear the Truth. Verses 5-6 say it this way,

“but they will give account to him who is ready to judge the living and the dead. 6 For this is why the gospel was preached even to those who are dead, that though judged in the flesh the way people are, they might live in the spirit the way God does.”

Their self-indulgence may give them temporary pleasure, but Jesus gives eternal life. Keep in mind. Choose your conduct with love. Do you love them enough to abstain from sin, suffer with grace, and rejoice in the Lord? Do you love them enough to give them a chance to know Jesus?

Verses 7-11 encourage us,

“The end of all things is at hand; therefore be self-controlled and sober-minded for the sake of your prayers. 8 Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins. 9 Show hospitality to one another without grumbling. 10 As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace: 11 whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies—in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.”

Believer, you are special. You are not like the world. You are a child of the Living God, saved by Jesus and consecrated by the Holy Spirit. You are separate from the world, in it but not of it. Your life should be a witness to the truth, a living sacrifice to the Lord, and a light to salvation.

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Psalm 33 The Steadfast Love of The Lord

Titus 3 Saved by Faith for Good Works

Titus Chapter 2 People Are Watching You. Who Do They See?

1 Peter 4 Following Christ in His Suffering

Donna Campbell

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