Tuesday, Mar 11, 2008

March 11, 2008

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March 11, 2008
To Listen to Today’s Reading http://timewithgod.mypodcast.com
Genesis 8; Ezekiel 13; Hebrews 5

Today is March 11, this is time with God, I’m Pastor Dennis - I’ve been waiting here for you. Welcome to our life transforming community. This is your invitation to take one step forward every day in your relationship with Christ. We invite you to do something unbelievably radical. We invite you to deny yourself, take up your cross daily and follow Jesus

Yesterday I spent my day off trying to recover from the effects of Daylight Savings time. It didn’t happen. I was a bit tired and when I did finances, I got a little bit crabby. Susan worked outside in the yard for a while, then in the early afternoon we took off to pick up her new phone. We both got good deals on phones with the renewal of contract thing. Then it was off to the mechanic to pick up our repaired SUV. By did that cost a pretty penney. If you want to donate to the “fix Susan’s SUV” fund it won’t hurt my feelings! Send lots of money. Last night, we went over to Dr. John and Dana Gardin’s for dinner. We had a great time and listened to some wild adventures they have had. I posted a pic of them on the podcast page. Check it out at www.timewithgod.mypodcast.com

This week’s theme verse. Matthew 5:13-16 You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men. "You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.

Have you ever had salt that isn’t salty? I thought that if it was salt, it meant that it was salty. Whoever heard of unsalty salt! Sounds paradoxical, oxymoronic, antithetical and several other big words I don’t know the meaning to! Apparently salt can loose its saltyness. By the Dead Sea (a very salty lake) there are masses of salt on land that have become tasteless. When the salt from the Dead Sea comes in contact with the ground, or is exposed to rain it becomes flavorless. From what I understand, in the first century, it was common to see salt scattered on the ground because it had lost its flavor. They would throw it out onto places like paths, much like weed killer, because once the salt gets into the ground it destroys all fertility wherever it touches. Things don’t grow in salt. On the other hand, good salt was once almost as valuable as money. Some times people would actually take their pay in salt instead of money. We’ve known for years that a certain amount of salt is good for you… today we’re worried about too much which is bad for you, but back then they needed salt. It was a valuable commodity. So here’s the point. Christians who live what they believe are really a very valuable commodity. The world may not always appreciate it, but they recognize that, yes there is value in a high moral standard. It keep society from rotting in self destruction. On the other hand, the world has no use for hypocrites! People who say they are Christians but live like everyone else. We hate double standards! So, to keep from being “thrown out and trampled by men,” we need to maintain our saltiness! Don’t let the rain of circumstances or the dirt of the world soak in to your life and degrade your Christian values and godly lifestyle.

Dear Jesus, I love you. I want to live like salt. I don’t want the values of the rest of the world to rub off on my and drag me down. Help me to live a distinctly Christian life that is characterized by a vital relationship with you. Help me to realize when I am beginning to think like the world or live like them. Instead let me set my mind on things above and focus on practicing your presence that your character is seen in me.

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