We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. – 2 Corinthians 5:20 (NIV)
Do you realize just how important you are? Regardless of how you may feel at the moment, Christ refers to you as His ambassador. Generally to become an ambassador one has to meet specific education or experience requirements. Though as an ambassador for Christ, this is not the case. He receives you just the way you are because He has total confidence in His qualifications to supersede your shortcomings.
As an ambassador we can not treat our position as though we are self-employed, setting our own work schedule. All too often with this important position we fail to recognize the importance of incorporating it into our day to day activities. It must invoke a change in our entire lifestyle. Hence the coining of the phrase WWJD (What would Jesus do?). Many have used this phrase throughout the day as a reminder of their position as Christ’s representative.
As an ambassador for Christ we serve as His delegated representatives of another kingdom. The place in which we live is not our final resting place, nor is it God’s intent for the rest of mankind. It is not okay for us to be content merely with our own salvation and that of our immediate circle of influence. Bystanders are watching to see if our actions will align with what we profess to believe. Will you join me in living out what you profess?
Prayer
Lord, help me to understand the importance of my calling to serve as Your royal ambassador. I pray that the appeal that You are attempting to make through me would be clearly displayed for all to see. May it result in a mass move that changes the course of destiny for many.
Leah Gonzales, Transcripts for Daily Living - WB Journal
French Fries & Salt. Salt doesn’t get as much respect as it used to. It has become so ubiquitous in modern times, especially in processed foods, that most of us probably get way more sodium than we need. With some people, too much salt has become a serious health issue.
Still, if you’ve had the misfortune of eating McDonald’s french fries with no salt at all (not even added by the restaurant), you realize how important it really is! McDonald’s fries sans the salt are a culinary disaster of the first order.
In the ancient world, just like today, salt served two basic purposes: seasoning and preserving food. Jesus probably had that in mind when he used a salt metaphor in the middle of the Sermon on the Mount:
You are the salt of the earth. But if salt loses its saltiness, how will it become salty again? It’s good for nothing except to be thrown away and trampled under people’s feet. (Matthew 5:13 CEB)
Jesus was speaking here to his disciples (see verse 1), not just to the original 12, but to his expanded group of followers. We, of course, understand these words to be meant for us as well. But what exactly was Jesus talking about when he said we’re the salt of the earth? I believe he was referring to seasoning and preserving.
Effective seasoning brings out the taste in prepared food. Using the McDonald’s fries analogy, it’s obviously not the salt by itself that makes french fries good, or else we’d skip the potatoes altogether and have salt by itself. No, salt wakes up the flavor that’s already in the fries. It brings out the best in what would otherwise be bland potatoes.
I believe Christians who are salt learn how to bring out the best in other people. That’s why it bothers me when I see people who wear Christ’s name having the opposite effect. Unfortunately, some Christians even seem to get pleasure from antagonizing other people. As believers we should bless other people, gently challenge them at times, help them discover their potential and help reveal Jesus to them. That’s salt in action.
Salt also keeps food from spoiling. It’s my belief that believers in the world, when we’re living up to our calling, bring blessings to everyone around us, whether they’re Christian or not. Our very prayers for nonbelievers help bring down the blessings of God in their lives. And if we get into the business of doing the things Jesus did, we bring hope to all people. I believe it’s both the Holy Spirit indwelling Christians and the active, powerful prayers of the saints that play a big role in keeping all hell from breaking loose in the world today.
If people wonder why mercy and grace seem more commonplace now than they did in the Old Testament, there’s no doubt in my mind that it’s because of the blood of Christ. But I believe that it’s the body of Christ (the church) applying that blood in prayer, praying for the world, ministering in the world and engaging the world that helps bring a level of mercy and grace to the world as a whole.
In the same way God in the Bible dealt with entire groups of people more benevolently because of the faith of a few, God’s kindness overflows through Christians for the rest of the world today.
So go be salt. There’s no one else in the world besides you who reaches the same exact people in the places where you have the potential of reaching them each day. Make it your prayer that God will use you to bring out the best in everyone else, and that God will also use you as a window for him to pour out blessings on other people. This is the kind of Christianity that has the potential of shaking things up… in a good way.
Ministry Matters - WB Journal
Mark 12:24 Jesus replied, "Are you not in error because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God?"
Making mistakes is an inevitable aspect of being human. Although I almost always learn valuable lessons from my mistakes, it doesn't mean, by any stretch, that I enjoy making them. Truthfully, I don't know anyone who does!
If you could measure the impact of mistakes on a scale of one to ten, with one being the wrong turn you took in driving your spouse to a new restaurant and ten being the heart-rending realization that you married the wrong person, you would encounter, up and down the scale, a gambit of emotions: foolishness, chagrin, embarrassment, guilt, regret, sadness, humiliation, and anger.
Sometimes, we are unable to see our mistakes until someone points them out to us. In today's scripture, Jesus calls out the Sadducees on two counts: their assumption that there is no resurrection is incorrect and their underestimation of God's power is blasphemous at best.
He gives them the opportunity to confront their inaccuracies, admit they are wrong, and repent, turning with their whole hearts to the God of the living, not the dead.
Did they hear the truth of His words?
Did they heed His teaching?
Scripture does not tell us, but I'd like to think at least some, humbled by the authority with which Jesus spoke, began to realize the error of their ways.
What mistakes have you made recently?
Were you able to learn from them and move on, determined not to repeat them?
Most importantly, did you forgive yourself for it?
Is there someone in your life who constantly brings up your past mistakes to your face?
Ask God to help you forgive them and move forward.
Take comfort in knowing that no matter how many times you make a mess of things, God still loves you and will help you recover.
There's no mistake about it!
posted by Will Ravelod at the PHIAA e-group
God saw that human evil was out of control. People thought evil, imagined evil evil, evil, evil from morning to night. God was sorry that he had made the human race in the first place; it broke his heart. … But Noah was different. God liked what he saw in Noah. Genesis 6:5-6, 8 (MSG)
There are four specific pitfalls you will face over your Decade of Destiny as you work toward the goals God gives you: cultural distractions, voices of doubt, tempting shortcuts and discouraging delays. All four of these pitfalls are present in the life of Noah and we can learn from him how to handle these tests.
The first test is cultural distraction.
The distraction of popularity -- If you are always worried about what other people think, you will be distracted from your destiny.
The distraction of pleasure – It’s okay to have fun and feel comfort, but if that's the primary focus of your life, you will never fulfill your destiny.
The distraction of profits -- There is nothing wrong with making a profit. The Bible says God blesses us when we do business wisely and honestly, but it also says you cannot serve both God and money. Making a profit cannot be the primary focus of your life.
The distraction of possessions -- Judging your success by how much stuff you own will keep you concerned about keeping things and maintaining things. You could spend your whole life committed to things and miss the purpose, the plan and the destiny of your life.
If you intend to do anything significant with your life, it's going to be in spite of culture rather than because of the culture. Everything in our culture tempts you into short-term thinking. Most of us are not thinking in terms of the next ten years; we’re not even thinking about next year or next month. We think about today. “The wise man looks ahead.” (Proverbs 14:8a TLB)
The antidote to cultural distractions is this: you must dare to be different from others. If you are going to reach your dream in the next decade, if you are going to fulfill your destiny, if you are going to accomplish your goals and see your vision become reality, you are going to have to dare to be different from others.
And until you settle this issue, you will never fulfill your destiny because you cannot make a difference without being different. You cannot be all God wants you to be and fit in with everybody else.
Noah was different. God liked what he saw in Noah. Everything was headed toward destruction, but two words changed history -- "but Noah." That's the power of one person. That's the power of just one individual. That's the power you have in your life when you decide to be different and follow the commands of Jesus.
Pray -- God, I admit a lot of times I've worried about what other people thought more than I’ve thought about doing the right thing. As I face this year 2012, I want to dare to be different from others. I want to be a pleasure to you. I want to be different so I can make a difference. In Jesus' name, Amen!
Rick Warren - WB Journal
Have you ever noticed how water, when set on a hot burner for a prolonged period of time, will begin to boil? As the temperature of the burner rises, the water’s activity increases. The longer it remains on the burner, the faster the water reaches its boiling point.
God desires for your prayer life to take on the same fervent quality as boiling water. James 5:16 says, “…The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.” What a powerful statement! Isn’t it exciting to know that you are the one who determines the results you receive through prayer?
When your prayer life reaches its boiling point, that’s when the blessings of God spill over into every area of your life. According to Webster’s Dictionary, fervent means, “ardent; passionate; very hot.” The Amplified Bible version of James 5:16 describes fervent prayer as “making tremendous power available” and “dynamic in its working.”
When you allow your prayers to “get hot,” so to speak, Scripture says that you will “avail much.” In other words, you’ll get the job done in the spirit realm. This type of fervency is not for show or to try and prove how “spiritual” you are. No, fervent prayer comes straight from the heart; it is the Holy Spirit rising up within you to cause a spiritual flood of power that cannot be contained.
The ultimate proof of how “hot” your prayers are can be seen in your life: You will see positive, lasting results. The Holy Spirit will pray through you in an undeniable way, and you will see the manifestation of what you have prayed. Jesus’ prayers were dynamic, because we see throughout the New Testament that He got results every time (Matthew 14:23; Luke 22:41; Luke 5:16; Luke 9:28, 29).
How do you get your prayers to become fervent? The key is found in Psalm 119:97, which says, “O how love I thy law! it is my meditation all the day.” When your spirit becomes saturated with the Scriptures through diligent meditation, your heart will become established on the solid rock of the Word. It is the Word of God that produces the power behind prayer. It builds confidence; it causes your faith to become unshakable.
I don’t know about you, but I want to have the same dynamic, explosive results in my prayer life that Jesus did. You can too, if you tap into the power of God’s Word as your prayer foundation. Only then will your prayers take on miracle-working power and you’ll begin to see your circumstances change. Become a walking expression of God’s power in the earth by letting your prayers reach the boiling point!
Scritpure Of The Day: "...The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much." - James 5:16 (KJV)
posted by Will Ravelob at the PHIAA e-group
Have you ever watched an icicle form?
Did you notice how the dripping water froze, one drop at a time, until the icicle was a foot long or more? If the water was clean, the icicle remained clear and sparkled brightly in the sun; but if the water was slightly muddy, the icicle looked cloudy, its beauty spoiled.
Our character is formed in like manner. Each thought or feeling adds its influence. Each decision we make - both great and small - contributes its part. Everything we take into our minds and souls - impressions, experiences, images, or words - helps create our character.
At all times, we must be aware of the "droplets" we allow to drip into our lives. Acts that develop habits of hate, falsehood, and evil intent mar and eventually destroy us--but habits born of love, truth, and goodness silently mold and fashion us into the image of God. [God's Little Devotional Bible].
As God works upon the heart by His Holy Spirit, man must cooperate with Him. The thoughts must be bound about, restricted, withdrawn from branching out and contemplating things that will only weaken and defile the soul.....
By beholding we are to become changed, and as we meditate upon the perfections of our divine Model, we shall desire to become wholly transformed and renewed in the image of His purity.
There will be a hungering and thirsting of soul to be made like Him whom we adore. The more our thoughts are upon Christ, the more we shall speak of Him to others, and represent Him to the world.
posted by Will Ravelob at the PHIAA e-group
1 John 4:18 "There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love."
Love conquers all. This has been exemplified by Jesus on the cross at Calvary, because of His great love for you and me He has endured everything thus winning over death to give us everlasting life. Know more of this unselfish love by reading your Bible and seeking God in Prayers.