BE A PURIFYING INFLUENCE IN A DECAYING WORLD

Proclamation:

"Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity.  Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone."  Colossians 4:5-6 (NIV)

Explanation:

In this passage of his letter to the believers in The Church at Colosse, under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God, the Apostle Paul told them to be careful in the way in which they act towards and speak to outsiders.  He told them that they should make every effort to interact with others in a Christ-like manner, displaying the grace of Christ, so that their behavior and their words were helpful and reflected positively on Christians.

Application:

As believers, we should speak with grace.  Our words should be spiritual and wholesome (Godly), fitting and sensitive (appropriate), purposeful and complimentary (helpful), kind and gentle (considerate), truthful and thoughtful (filtered by our mind before being spoken).  Our words should also be seasoned with salt.  Salt adds flavor to food, but it also prevents corruption.  It was used to prevent the bacterial contamination of meat before refrigeration in days of old.  Salt has a purifying influence by preventing decay.  By their being like salt they would have a purifying influence in a decaying world.  Jesus said that His disciples are the salt of the earth. (Matthew 5:13)  As believers, we should also know how to, and be ready to, answer people when they question us.  To do this we must read and study The Word of God. (2 Timothy 2:15)  Then, after we hear and read The Word of God, we must be doers of The Word. (James 1:22)  We must live in such a way that our Christian beliefs and our behavior are consistent.  Let us pray that God will use us to add a Christ-like flavor to this sin-sick world, and that He will use us to be a purifying influence in this decaying world.

WE WILL BE BLESSED IF WE DO AS CHRIST DID

Proclamation:

"I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you.  I tell you the truth, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him.  Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them." John 13:15-17 (NIV)

Explanation:

According to The Holy Spirit inspired word recorded by the Apostle John, the disciple who referred to himself as the disciple whom Jesus loved.  Jesus said these words to His disciples after He had washed the feet of each of the disciples. (John 13:3-10)  Jesus was not giving them a “mini” bath, He was just knocking the dust off of their feet.  The point that He made was that the man who has been shown and taught the right way, and then does right and follows the right way, will be blessed.  Jesus had shown them that not only was He a teacher but He was a servant and they were also to be servants.  They should be willing to wash each other’s feet.

Application:                        

When we know that which is right, we should do that which is right.  As the saying goes, "when we know better, we should do better."  We are encouraged to not just be hearers of The Word of God, but also to be doers of The Word. (James 1:22)  The Lord God will show His wrath to those who hear The Word of God, and then do not obey it. (2 Thessalonians 1:8)  Christ lived His human life on earth as an example to us.  He was the perfect example of Christian behavior.  While we cannot be perfect, we need to follow His example.  We should not think too highly of our selves. (Romans 12:3)  If Jesus was willing to do lowly tasks for the benefit of His disciples, then we should not think that we are too whatever to do menial things to benefit others.  If we live a Christ-like life, and do that which we know is the right thing to do in order to help others, then we will be blessed.

BE QUICK TO LISTEN AND BE SLOW TO SPEAK

Proclamation:

"My dear brothers, take note of this; everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry, for man's anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires.  Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent, and humbly accept The Word planted in you, which can save you." James 1:19-21 (NIV)

Explanation:

These are The Holy Spirit inspired words of James, the half-brother of Jesus, who became a pillar of the early Church after the resurrection of Christ.  James wrote to the people of God to provide them with guidance regarding their behavior.  He was encouraging them to exercise self-control, to listen to others more often, and to be think before they speak or become angry.  He told them that they should not say or do anything which would displease God, and they should humbly accept and display The Word of God, and The Holy Spirit of God, which was within them.

Application:

It has been said that the reason we have two ears and one mouth, is that maybe we ae supposed to spend twice as much time listening as we do talking. (Author unknown)  James encouraged believers to listen to others, but he did not say that they should believe everything that they hear.  He said believers should be slow to speak, meaning that we should hear what the other person has to say before we respond.  Additionally, we should think about what they said and what we are going to say, before we speak.  James said that we should be slow to get angry, because when we get angry, we often say and do things which are not consistent with the Christ-like life that we should live.  We also should always be ready to listen to The Word of God, and we should welcome every opportunity to gain a better understanding of it.  We should be very cautious and slow to teach or tell others about The Word of God without first giving our words careful consideration and much thought, least we mis-speak.  If The Word of God is within us, then we should let it shine forth for others to see by our actions, which will speak much louder than our words.

BLESSED IS HE WHOM THE LORD FINDS DOING GOOD

Proclamation:

"Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come.  But understand this; if the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into.  So you also must be ready, because The Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect Him.  'Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom the master has put in charge of the servants in his household to give them their food at the proper time?  It will be good for that servant whose master finds him doing so when he returns.'"  Matthew 24:42-46 (NIV)

Explanation:

The Apostle Matthew, the former tax collector, recorded this parable which Jesus spoke to His disciples regarding the end of the age, (Matthew 24:3-36), the rapture of The Church, (Matthew 24:40-41), and His return to earth. (Matthew 24:44)  He told them to keep watch and be ready, because not one knows exactly when He will return.  He then taught them using a parable that the wise and faithful servant will be doing the work which he was assigned when The Master returns.

Application:

Since no one knows exactly when Christ will return, we need to prepare now for His return.  It is said that we need to get ready now, and stay ready, so that we be ready when He comes.  If we stay ready, we won't have to worry about trying to get ready when He comes.  Just as in the days of Noah, the people would not turn from their sinful ways before the flood, and after the flood came, it was too late for them. (Matthew 24:37-39)  It would be better for us today, if we were like the good and faithful servant. (Matthew 24:45 and Matthew 25:21 and 23)  Blessed is the servant whom The Lord will find doing good works when He returns. (Matthew 24:46)  The question we each need to ask ourselves is: what will The Lord find us doing when He comes for us?

PRESS ON TOWARDS THE GOAL OF CHRIST-LIKNESS

Proclamation:

"Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.  Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it.  But one thing I do, forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus."  Philippians 3:12-14 (NIV)

Explanation:

In his letter to the believers in The Church at Philippi, the Apostle Paul wrote these words under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God.  Paul told them that although he was saved, he was not perfect.  However, he was pressing on towards the mark for which Christ had laid hold of him.  While he had not attained it yet, he was going forward towards it, and he was not going to worry about his past mistakes and sins as he worked toward the prize for which God had called him. 

Application:

We can learn from Paul.  All of us have sinned. (Romans 3:23)  We all have skeletons in our closets because of our negative, mistake filled, and sinful past.  However, once we have confessed our past sins, and asked God to forgive us, He forgives us.  We should also let go of them. (1 John 1:9)  We should not let our past sins, or our past successes, hinder our present work, or block our future efforts.  God has a work for each of us to accomplish as part of His kingdom building project. (1 Chronicles 28:20 and Colossians 3:23)  As Paul said, we are all like a runner in a race heading for the goal of Christ-likeness, we are not there yet, but we must keep on running towards the goal.  None of us is perfect, but God loves us and He can still use us to accomplish His purpose.  None of the men in The Bible were perfect, except for Jesus, The Christ.  They just believed and were willing to work for The Lord God, and He used them for His purposes.  We must likewise forget about our past and be willing to use our skills and abilities to work for The Lord. (Exodus 36:2)

BLESSED IS HE WHO HAS COMPASSION

Proclamation:

"Blessed is he who has regard for the weak; The LORD delivers him in times of trouble.  The LORD will protect him and preserve his life; He will bless him in the land and not surrender him to the desire of his foes.  The LORD will sustain him on his sickbed and restore him from his bed of illness."  Psalms 41:1-3 (NIV)

Explanation:

These words were written by King David under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God.  In this psalm of David records the blessings and the sufferings of the people of God.  Those believers who are poor, weak, sick, down or depressed, will be blessed by The Lord God.  He will protect them, preserve them, uplift them, sustain them, cure them, and restore them.  David also said that The Lord will bless those who have compassion for others who are suffering and in need.

Application:

We are blessed in so many ways, most of which we take for granted.  The Lord blesses us when He protects us, preserves us, sustains us, and restores us from and through the things which confront us as the storms of life.  Some of the storms that we go through are for our benefit in order to strengthen us. (Romans 5:3, James 1:2-3, and 1 Peter 1:6-7)  However, He also blesses us for having compassion on those who are suffering and are less fortunate. (Proverbs 11:25 and 2 Corinthians 1:4)  When we have pity on the poor and less fortunate, we are lending whatever to The Lord, and He will repay us. (Proverbs 19:17)  Jesus, The Christ, said that as we treat the less fortunate, we are doing the same unto Him. (Matthew 25:40)  When we are a blessing to others, we will ourselves also be blessed.

GOD ENLIGHTENS REWARDS AND PROTECTS US

Proclamation:

"For The LORD gives wisdom, and from His mouth come knowledge and understanding. He holds victory in store for the upright, He is a shield to those whose walk is blameless, for He guards the course of the just and protects the way of His faithful ones."  Proverbs 2:6-8 (NIV)

Explanation:

King Solomon, who was granted great wisdom by God, (2 Chronicles 1:7-12 and 1 Kings 4:29-34) wrote these words under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God.  Solomon stated that God gives wisdom, knowledge, and understanding to those that He chooses, and He rewards, guards, and protects them.

Application:

As we live and breathe we are blessed everyday.  We are given many additional blessings daily for being a child of God.  While we are all blessed we do not all get the same exact blessings.  We are all enlightened, rewarded, and protected as He determines is fitting for us.  As we demonstrate that we will do the right thing with the blessings that we have received, then we will be blessed with more.  (Matthew 25:21 & 23)  Our intellectual abilities differ and so does our capacity understand the facts which are presented to us.  Therefore, our ability to utilize and apply the facts that we receive also varies and as our level of wisdom differs.  Some of us choose not to make the best of these God given gifts.  However, He still guards and protects all believers.  We just need to pray and ask for His help so that we can make the best use of the gifts which we have been given.