BE THE DIFFERENCE IN YOUR WORLD

You are the salt of the earth. But what good is salt if it has lost its flavour? . . . You are the light of the world-like a city on a mountain, glowing in the night for all to see. Matthew 5:13-14

We Christians are sometimes tempted to isolate ourselves. We want to submerge ourselves in a Christian subculture of our own making and not get too involved in the world.

But Jesus said, "You are the salt of the earth." When He made that statement to His disciples so long ago, they understood the significance of what He was saying. It can be lost on us today because we don't know what it means.

In those days, salt was considered to be very valuable. In fact, the Romans considered salt more important than the sun itself. Roman soldiers would even be paid with salt.

So when Jesus said, "You are the salt of the earth," He was saying in a sense, "You're valuable. You're important. You're significant. You can make a difference."

Stop and think about salt. It really can do a lot. A little salt on a bland piece of meat can make all the difference.

Have you ever had someone put salt in your water when you weren't looking?

You immediately noticed the change. A little pinch of salt can alter the flavour of a meal, just as one Christian in a situation can effect change.

Have you ever been in a dark room and someone turned on a torchlight? The light wasn't hard to find, was it?

In the same way, one believer who lets his or her light shine can really make a difference.

The Lord has appointed you as His ambassador to the world. He is counting on you to make a difference - a strategic difference on His behalf.

Prayer: Lord, help me make a strategic difference in someone's life today.

Scriptural Reading: Matthew 5:13-16

GET READY FOR HIS COMING

And at midnight a cry was heard: 'Behold, the bridegroom is coming; go out to meet him!' Matthew 25:6

Many people believe they are Christians but nothing in their life shows that they are looking forward to the return of Jesus.

When you take a look at the world today, you will realize that Bible prophecies are being fulfilled, and that Christ is returning soon.

But even if Christ should delay His coming, nobody knows when he or she will depart from this world. It is therefore absolutely important that we live our lives in constant anticipation of that Great Day.

In the parable of the ten bridesmaids, Jesus told the story of bridesmaids who were attending a wedding. Five were wise, and five were foolish.

The five wise bridesmaids had oil in their lamps, while the five foolish ones did not. And when the cry went out that the bridegroom was coming, the five bridesmaids who were wise were ready to meet him. But the foolish bridesmaids were unprepared.

Jesus told this story to illustrate the importance of being always ready for His return. It is the earnest expectation of Christ's return that inspires us to holiness and righteousness.

Without this expectation and readiness, we will live just as the people of the world do: "Let's eat and drink, tomorrow we die."

If we are truly Christians, then the truth that Christ could come back at any time should dramatically impact the way you live.

The Bible says, "And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure" (1 John 3:3).

In other words, if you really are a Christian and you believe Christ is coming back again, you will want to be a holy person.

You will want to live a life that is pleasing to the Lord. You will want to avoid the things that are spiritually detrimental to your walk with the Lord.

Prayer: Come, O Lord Jesus, Come!

Scriptural Reading: Matthew 25:1-13

JUST LIKE THE FATHER'S LOVE

I was so tired. I plopped down on the chair, looked around and asked “Who would like to get me a glass of water?”

“Me! Me!! Me!!!” came the chorus answers from my children. They both ran to the kitchen and I could hear them arguing

“I’ll get it”, said my daughter

“No, I’ll get it”, said my son

They both got cups, went to the dispenser but my daughter got there first. She filled her cup with water and brought it to me. I smiled and thanked her, drank out of it and next thing you know, my son came running with his own cup of water for me. His was not as full as his sister’s but he said to me “Mummy, I brought you water too. Will you drink mine too?”

Of course I will and I did. I ended up with 2 cups of cold water and that was more than enough for me. I had excess, all because my children showed me love.

I heard the Holy Spirit impress upon my heart the depth of the Father’s love for me. He will give me excess when I ask. He will cause people to bring to me what I deserve plus more, and He will make sure I never lack that thing because He will give me more than enough. Hallelujah!!!

1 John 3:1a - Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! (NKJV)

Ephesians 2:20 - Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us (NKJV)

Proverbs 16:7 - When a man’s ways please the Lord, He makes even his enemies to be at peace with him.

My children showed me love because I first showed them love. I try a whole lot to be a good mother to them. They see my efforts, as young as they are, and all I had to do was ask. They didn’t ignore me (bless their dear hearts).

Several lessons you can learn – embrace God’s love, respond to His call, don’t ignore Him, obey His instructions and experience the joy and reward that comes from having a loving relationship with the Heavenly Father.

All the ‘worries’ I had at that time melted away while I basked in the euphoria of my children’s love. I was overjoyed! Just like the love of the Father  by sis Deby mile emoticon

Ways to Raise Up Godly Girls

It was the end of a long day and I was relieved to be home. Running through the door, I dropped my

purse and keys in the chair, kissed my husband warmly, kicked off my shoes, threw off my cardigan and headed for my overstuffed chocolate-colored couch which I affectionately call, "The Dove Bar."

Then up from the lower level of our home like two little Labradors came bounding my daughters, Naomi and Camile. "Mommy's home!" they cried and jumped on top of me, making one hilarious and heavy hog pile! "Come on, Mom, get up! Come watch us play the Wii! I'm hungry mom, when will dinner be ready? Mom, I need you to do my hair, my braid came out. Can we go outside and wash the car?" Rest time was clearly over!

I love my daughter's enthusiasm and zest for life—on most days! It reminds me of the best of childhood—spending warm summer days catching butterflies and ladybugs, playing kickball, digging in dirt and savoring delicious icy popsicles on the front steps.

I also know that these years of innocence can often fade and become years of pain, isolation and rejection without proper parental intervention. I want my daughters to maintain their sense of joy and wonder through the ups and downs of life, particularly during their high school and college years when their identities are forming and are most fragile. I want them to have a healthy sense of self-esteem that is not dictated by magazines or models, and I desire that they have a healthy standard of beauty, which is best presented in the pages of Scripture not at the cosmetic counter.

As a working mom and as a campus minister, that means keeping my faith and my family the priorities in my life. It also means learning from my own past mistakes and listening to the advice of other sisters in the Lord who have raised their daughters successfully.

Here are a few things that I have learned make a big difference in raising healthy, godly girls for Christ:

1. Listen well. Sometimes as parents we can do more talking and dictating than listening and learning. Learn to talk less and listen more, particularly when your daughter seems distressed or her moods are changing. These could be indicators that something is wrong on the inside and she is having a hard time naming what it is. Listen without judgment and be slow and thoughtful in your response to what she has to say. It will open a door to her heart and keep it open for years to come.

Sometimes as parents we can do more talking and dictating than listening and learning.

2. Pray with intention. In her book Power of a Praying Parent, Stormie Omartian talks about praying with intention. This includes being still before the Lord and asking Him how to pray for your children, inserting their names in Scripture as the Lord leads and using quiet times as a time of journaling and writing a list of prayer requests for each child. Pick up a journal today and get writing.

3. Remain available. We all know that time is a commodity these days, particularly for the busy family. Nevertheless, our kids need to know that they matter more to us than our deadlines at work or redecorating the den before Christmas. Find ways to remind your kids that you are here for them no matter how busy life seems. Slip a note in her backpack or under her pillow, text "I love you" to her before a tough test or tryout. Pray with her through a frustrating situation and encourage her to keep her own journal with how God has answered her prayers.

4. Model grace and humility. When you do fail, be humble enough to admit your mistake and repent.

Your daughter gets her first cues on how to talk, think and act from you. Beyond being her first standard of beauty, be her greatest model of godly grace and humility. When someone hurts or disappoints you, do you talk harshly about that person with your girlfriend on the phone or do you pray for that person instead? When the house is messy and company is coming do you fret and complain or do you put on your iPod and dance around while you dust and vacuum? Teach your daughters how to press into God not crack under pressure. And when you do fail, be humble enough to admit your mistake and repent.

Laurel Bunker

DON'T LOVE THE WORLD

And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. Romans 12:2

When we come across the term "world" in the Bible, it isn't speaking of the Earth. Rather, it is often speaking of a system, a mentality, or a way of thinking that is hostile to the Kingdom and authority of God.

This system, this mentality, is controlled by "the god of this world," also known as Satan.

A serious snare of Satan for the Christian is 'friendship with the world'. That is a desire for the pleasures and honours the world offers.

The Bible warns, "Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God?

Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God".

In the original language, the term "friendship" in this verse appears only in the New Testament and speaks of a strong emotional attachment, to love, to have affection for, or even to kiss.

The Christian who turns from Christ and His church to seek pleasure and satisfaction from this world has put other gods in place of God – they are adulterers and adulteresses.

That is the message God gave Jeremiah for His wayward people: "For My people have committed two evils: they have forsaken Me, the fountain of living waters, and hewn themselves cisterns—broken cisterns that can hold no water."

A cistern is a large well or pool carved in a rock. A broken cistern has a leakage and can't hold water.

God is saying, "If you go out there to the world and drink from its well, you will not be satisfied." True contentment is found only in Christ.

Prayer: Lord, lead me to the cross that I may be crucified to the world, and the world crucified to me.

Scriptural Reading: Romans 12:1-8

LEARN TO WAIT ON GOD

Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him; Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way, Because of the man who brings wicked schemes to pass. Psalm 37:7

Have you ever notice how some children will ask a question but then rush out of the door before you can respond?

We act the same way toward God when we don't wait on Him. There are several things we need to develop a lifestyle of waiting on the Lord.

First, we need faith. We must be willing to trust God when a solution isn't obvious and we can't see a way through our struggles.

Meditating on and applying Scripture to life's trials will result in strengthened faith.

Second, we need humility. We must recognize that we can accomplish nothing apart from Jesus. Then, we will be able to endure until God reveals His answer.

God's ways are always perfect, and our cleverest plan will not be as adequate.

Third, we need patience. Waiting is characterized by a calm demeanor and inner peace, which both come from believing that God is who He says He is and that He'll fulfil His promises.

With the Spirit's help, we'll face stressful circumstances without complaining, and we'll accept life's challenges without trying to manipulate our way out.

Fourth, we need courage. It's human nature to want to be in control. We yearn to know the outcome and timeline of every difficult situation.

We need courage to resist following our own schedule and the ability to refuse to cave in to pressure from others.

With the Holy Spirit's help, we can hold steady when others disapprove of our decision to wait on God.

Wisdom and godly action come through seeking God and His will. Quiet your heart and mind and listen to Him.

Prayer: Lord, my soul waits patiently for You and rests in Your goodness.

Scriptural Reading: Psalm 37:1-11

Hmmmm! Do You Want to Be Pitiful or Powerful?

Do you want to be happy I mean, really happy? I believe that deep down we all want to be happy and enjoy our lives. We can spend a lot of time and energy trying to do things that will make us happy, but our own efforts will never truly satisfy us.

That's because God doesn't want our minds to be on ourselves all the time. He wants us to look past the things that are happening in our own lives and reach out to others and bless them. Because when our focus is on ourselves, we can end up feeling sorry for ourselves and face the danger of self-pity.

I used to have a real problem with self-pity. I felt sorry for myself because I'd been abused by my dad, and sometimes I felt sorry for myself when my husband, Dave, got to go out and play golf while I stayed home with our kids. I wasted so many days having pity parties for all types of reasons.

In the first few years of our marriage, Dave tried to keep me happy, while I carried on with a bad attitude. But one day he finally told me, "You know what? I'm not spending my life trying to make you happy. You can get happy or not get happy, but I'm going to be happy. I'm not going to feel sorry for you because it won't help you." And you know, even though it was really hard to hear at the time, it was the best thing he could have said to me. Because when you struggle with self-pity, if other people feel sorry for you it just feeds the problem.

Now that doesn't mean we can never be sad. But we need to understand that if we hang on to our pain for too long, it can become self-pity, and we can become addicted to it. The good news is God gives us the tools to work through our feelings in a healthy way and not let them control us.

Years ago, when God was dealing with me about this subject, He brought me to Galatians 5:19-21 (AMP), which gives a list of things the Bible calls sin. It says, "Now the doings (practices) of the flesh are clear (obvious): they are immorality, impurity, indecency, Idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, anger (ill temper), selfishness, divisions (dissensions), party spirit (factions, sects with peculiar opinions, heresies), envy, drunkenness, carousing, and the like ... ."

As I was studying those Scriptures, I thought, "Well, self-pity is not on the list." Then I got an eye-opening revelation: It is on the list because self-pity is actually idolatry. When we feel sorry for ourselves, we turn inward and idolize ourselves ... essentially everything becomes about "me." People who are focused on themselves never see what they can and should be doing for other people.

We should have compassion for other people who are hurting. In the Bible, we see times when Jesus was moved with compassion, and then He would go and help people. If we can be moved with sympathy toward others and keep our mind off of ourselves, we will be much happier. We will also trust God to meet our needs and bring justice in our lives when we are hurting or mistreated, rather than getting into self-pity.

The Bible says in Hebrews 11:6 (AMP), "For whoever would come near to God must [necessarily] believe that God exists and that He is the rewarder of those who earnestly and diligently seek Him [out]." That means God rewards those who are faithful and who wait on Him. If you've been hurt in your life and you have put your trust and confidence in God and you're waiting on Him, you have a reward coming!

I want to encourage you to keep a notebook of your blessings, the special little things that God does for you, prayers that He answers. And when you're tempted to have a pity party, go get that book out and have a talk with yourself.

King David talked to himself when he started to feel depressed. He said, "Why are you cast down, O my inner self? And why should you moan over me and be disquieted within me? Hope in God and wait expectantly for Him, for I shall yet praise Him, my Help and my God" (Ps. 42:5 AMP).

I am so thankful that God is allowing me to take what has happened to me and use it to help other people. The best treatment in the world for sadness and self-pity is to help somebody else. That's when we get our minds off of our own problems and trust God to help us and do what's best for us.

No matter what happens, be determined—with God's help—to keep a good attitude, remain thankful and avoid self-pity. Then God will bring restoration, peace, joy and real happiness to your life.

Joyce Meyer