"Lite" Salt

A few years ago my friend joined one of those weight loss centers. At her first meeting she was told what foods she needed to give up and what new items needed to grace her pantry. She headed to the store and bought her required dietary items. I marveled at the tasty items she threw out and what she replaced them with. One such item was salt. She threw away her regular dark blue box of salt and replaced it with the "lite" version. Instantly the pounds melted away. Salt is full of sodium and causes water retention and bloating. By replacing the full strength, weight retention salt with the "lite" salt her scale dial was diminishing. Since I am such a salt addict I ran to the store to get my new weight loss success ticket. I did not need to pay for those fancy, confess all, weigh in meetings. No, just a few shakes of the "lite" white granules and I'd be a couple of dress sizes smaller in a short amount of time. That was until I tasted what was in the light blue box. The "lite" stuff was about as disgusting as licking the end of a matchstick. I gagged. I coughed. I spit. And I decided "lite" salt was not for me. Kudos for my friend and her weight loss but I want the real McCoy on my eggs, steak, and grits!
"Lite" salt has less flavor and maybe even a bitter after taste to those craving real salt. So it is with a "lite" Christian. We are "lite" Christians when we profess Christ as Savior but do not flavor the world we live in for Christ's sake. When we make half heart-ed commitments, when our words, our signatures, our hands shakes are easily withdrawn, we become distasteful to a world that is desiring to see real Jesus followers.
The closing of Luke Chapter 14 says this, "Salt is good; but if the salt loses it's flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is neither fit for the land nor for the dunghill, but men throw it out. He who has ears to hear, let him hear."
What I hear is that I do not want to be "lite" salt in a salt craving world. I most certainly do not want to end up on a dunghill. What about you?

Diagnosis: Heart Problem

In Luke Chapter 18 a rich young ruler meets up with Jesus. Enthralled by Jesus' popularity and teachings, this rich young whipper snapper asks Jesus how he can get a slice of the heavenly pie, invest in some stocks of this heavenly venue, or get his name on the will like the others are doing. The Gospel is not clear as to how this young man had obtained his wealth but when I read between the lines I ask myself these questions. How did the guy get to be rich at such a young age? Did he start a lucrative business right out of trade school or synagogue? Did daddy leave him everything in his will? Was he born with a silver spoon in his mouth? There is always a story between the words "young" and "rich".
Jesus tells the over grown boy to do a simple thing - sell everything he has and give it to the poor. Pretty simple don't you think? Just put everything in your front yard with a sign that says' "FREE". Before noon it will all be gone. Since the fellow was wealthy he would've put out some really nice things, even silver and gold. The first takers of the day hit the jackpot! Can you imagine going to a garage sale like that?
We quickly learn the man had a heart problem - a problem of the heart. Letting go of what rightfully belonged to him could not be easy. Perhaps the wealth he possessed did come easily to him- a hand out or inheritance. To let it all go, to watch it slip right through his fingers, now that would not be easy.
Jesus tells us to do the very same thing today. Let go. Surrender all. Come to Him not clinging to anything. Be it wealth, or family, an unhealthy lifestyle, possessions both good and bad, God requires empty hands for us to receive from Him. When we truly search our hearts we find things that are precious and dear to us. Letting go can be the hardest thing in life to do. A clinched fist cannot grasp another possession, even if the other possession is much better.
Surrender, it's the key to true wealth.

Freshly Slaughtered

Some years ago my husband and I went to Russia on a mission trip. One evening we went to what was considered a "nice" restaurant. After arriving and waiting outside for our seating, a gentleman pulled up in an old truck. He took out a sickly looking lamb and then disappeared out back with the animal. I wasn't quite sure what was going on but my mind was somewhat restless. Our wait to get into the restaurant was long. After being seated our tour guide ordered the meal for us all. We waited for what seemed like hours before our dinner was served. You can guess what the night's specialty was - lamb. I kept thinking how in America we have USDA graded meat. I believe that means an inspection of the animal and the way it gets to the market and then on a menu. I had never partaken of freshly slaughtered cuisine before. I could not enjoy the meal. My mind's eye raced back to the poor lamb I had seen just hours before resting on the ground.
Recently my Pastor took us to the tenth chapter of Hebrews. In verses 19-20 we find that we can have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way He opened for us through the curtain, that is the flesh. The word "new" in these verses means freshly slaughtered. For some reason that really impacted me. I tend to view the Cross as an event that happened 2000 years ago. While the Cross represents Jesus' death that paid for my sins and the sin of all mankind, to imagine Him as freshly slaughtered takes my breath away. To compare the freshly slaughtered lamb that made me feel uncomfortable at the dinner in Russia with the Lamb that was slaughtered for my sins almost seems sac religious. However there is a comparison. The lamb that was slain for my dinner was to feed me, that I could enjoy my meal and the time with friends. The Lamb that was slain on the Cross was to give me life. A life that I could enjoy because He paid for the price of my sins. Because Of Christ's death I can approach a holy God and He sees me with freshly slaughtered blood - that of His only Son! I never want the Cross to be an event that is a 2000 year old memory. I want to see myself covered in freshly slaughtered blood. Hopefully this will change my way of living!

Love At First Sight

Two Thanksgivings are etched in my memory banks forever. The first was the Thanksgiving I was pregnant with my daughter. During the meal my baby moved dramatically within my womb for the very first time. I jumped up with glee and announced her somersault. My brother-in-law stated it was probably just gas from the heavy meal, but I knew better. Nothing could squelch the joy I felt at her letting me know she was alive and kicking. I loved her before she was born.
The second best Turkey Day was this past year. My daughter and son-in-law invited us to Florida to celebrate the holiday with them. At breakfast my husband and I were given a little gift bag to thank us for making the trip. Inside that bag was a card. My eyes caught the inscription"Love at first sight". Next I saw a fuzzy, static laden photo with a little white dot - an ultrasound picture of my daughter's baby. My very first grand baby!!!! Truly it was love at first sight. I patted my daughter's belly that held her offspring, my offspring. The photo remains on my fridge, a frequented place in my house. I gaze upon the dot and wonder what she will be like, who she will look like, will she love me? I already love her.
Listen to 1 John 5:1 (The Message Bible) "Every person who believes that Jesus is, in fact the Messiah, is God-begotten. If we love the One who conceives the child, we'll surely love the child who was conceived." Spiritually speaking, we are all offspring of the Father if we are His children. Therefore we ought to love one another. We have been conceived by the Father through the blood of the Lamb.
Humanly speaking, I love this grand daughter (yes, it's a girl!) because I loved her mother first. Because I have loved my daughter since the moment I knew she was in me, I also love the one who is in her. I will love her no matter what. She is a part of her mother, a part of me, a part of my mother, but most importantly a creation of her heavenly Father.
Each ultrasound picture gets more clear in detailing her features. While all of that is amazing it doesn't make me love her more. I love her just because......

Naughty Corner

The year was 1961. The place was St. Ann's Catholic School. The teacher, Mrs. George. There were two words in her vocabulary that evoked immense fear in the lives of her kindergarten students - Naughty Corner. This was a place in the classroom housing one piece of furniture, a chair facing a blank wall. A most dreadful place! To a five year old that yellow, plastic chair with steel legs was as intimidating as an electric chair to a death row inmate.
Good old Mrs. George had plenty of patience but when tested to the limits her last resort was the Naughty Corner. Anyone sent there went with everyone's eyes watching the long mile back to the dreaded place. Lessons were learned as one sat face to the wall, backside to the class. Remorse, repentance, shame, guilt, anger at self and the teacher (or perhaps the child who didn't get sent), swirled about like the fairground's tilt-a-whirl.
The Naughty Corner was for naughty behavior. God doesn't do naughty corners. Time outs however, He does do. There are consequences when we make wrong choices. Prison may even be the consequence of a wrong choice. Yet my Bible tells me in Romans 8:1 there is no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus. Time outs may set us aside from where we want to be while we reflect on how we need to be. Time outs get us alone with God for reflection, reproof, conviction and confession. Time outs heal. Sure the healing process may be uncomfortable and even hurt - so does necessary surgery. After the healing takes place and lessons are learned, the time out can be understood and deemed valuable. Time outs are to build up, not tear down. Time outs are to bring us to a higher place with God on our journey. Time outs are not naughty corners. They rescue us from ourselves, deliver us from humiliation, and set our face on The Redeemer.

Yet

I'd like to give you several of the definitions of the word yet: in addition; besides; up to now; continuously up to the present or a specified time; at a future time; eventually.
Now think of the times you've said, with a hint of cynicism in your voice, that an object of desire had not happened yet. With cynicism as a companion, yet means highly unlikely. Every unmet expectation becomes another brick added to the wall of unbelief. Yet holds out little or no hope. Yet gives up on someone, something and maybe even God. Yet may be the idol of unbelief.

Now think of the times when you've stated that your object of desire had not transpired yet. But with a gleam of hope in your eye and an ounce of faith in your heart, you are waiting for the future time-- the "eventually" of your dreams. Yet does not construct a brick wall here, it destructs the concrete blocks of negativity. Yet sets it's eyes like a racehorse with blinders to keep the goal of the finish line in plain view. The finish line is there no matter how far away it may seem. You may expire before you reach it but you will die reaching and believing for the goal of yet.
Hebrews 11:6 tells us that without faith it is impossible to please God. Those who come to Him must believe that He is. He is what? He is a God of your yet, my yet. He rewards those that believe He is a yet kind of God. He is faithful even when we are faithless. He reaches down when we can barely look up. Yet does look up instead of around. Yet forges ahead when others stay in the box. Yet throws away the odds, the statistics, and keeps a distance from the naysayers in life. Yet hears the cheers of those on the sidelines rooting, believing and praying for your yet.
Your yet may be today, tomorrow, next week , next year or off in the distant future. Choose yet companions wisely. They will either keep you from your desired finish line or hand in hand walk with you to it!

Water Pots and Wedding Guests

The first miracle that Jesus ever performed was at a wedding. Just about every preacher uses this story when performing a wedding ceremony. This story is endearing to a love struck couple. They know Jesus understood how special and long awaited a wedding day is.
Unfolding the details of the wedding Jesus was attending makes the plot thicken. First, Jesus' mother was at the wedding. She was only a guest and not in charge of the food and beverage. Her concern was certainly not for herself but for the parents of the bride and groom. How embarrassed they would've been if anyone went home thirsty or hungry.
Up to this point Mary had never seen Jesus perform a miracle. What did Mary know? Well, she was told some thirty years earlier by and angel she would deliver the Son of the highest, of his kingdom there would be no end. After his birth and a declaration by appearing angels and shepherds Mary is said to have pondered these things in her heart. The mother of Christ never forgot who she birthed. While she didn't understand the capabilities of her son, she trusted Jesus could help the celebration stay a celebration. No one would go home murmuring.
Mary approaches Jesus. She states, "They have no wine." No coaxing or badgering. Part of Jesus' reply to his mother when she stated the dilemma was that his time had not yet come. However, he turns around and orders water to be put into pots then turns the water into wine. This was the first manifestation of his glory. The saying,"No wine before it's time" is certainly applicable here.
Often when situations look impossible, inconceivable, insurmountable, Jesus reveals his glory. Why does Jesus wait for the eleventh hour so to speak? So only he will get the glory. So everyone will recognize no human could orchestrate what has happened. So jaws will drop. So people will tell one another. So man will see the manifestation of God's glory, done only in his time.