The Power of a Single Act of Love
As I sat sipping my coffee in the darkness of Christmas morning while I waited for the light of day to rise and the rest of the house to begin to stir with activity, I began thinking about the night. Night is master during this time of year. Although the sun still shines, as we move into deep winter it is often all too quickly over taken by the night. With little light the world grows cold and dreary and the soul begins to mourn as it longs for the bright face of the sun. We tell ourselves that not all hope is lost, for we know that the sun will return and again shine its face upon us and warm our souls giving us energy and melting the cold cover of winter. Yet our spirit is still left in the cold and darkness, for the sun cannot melt the winter that has set upon it. With no light, our spirit suffers in the darkness, alone, seeking relief but finding none in itself. As the seasons take their turn according to their times soon the world will again be cold and dark and our soul will again join our spirit in mourning for the light: so cold, so dark, so alone, feeling as if there really is no hope.
Yet, not all is lost, for a light has come into the world that is able to bring our soul and spirit out of darkness; a light so intense and pure that darkness will never again overwhelm our spirit. In one of the darkest periods of man’s history God sent light into the world through a single act of love. A love that seeks the best for […]
Salt and Light
You are the salt of the earth…
In Matthew 4:17, as Jesus speaks to the crowd, He addresses the fact that the Jews are the salt of the earth. The Jewish nation is the salt of the earth because of the promises that God gave to Abraham. In Genesis 15:18-21, God made a covenant with Abraham and his descendants regarding a specific section of land. It is because of this covenant that the earth is being preserved. Jesus is using the term “salt” metaphorically to describe how the nation of Israel keeps the earth from total destruction. However, if a Jew is not believing in the promise and doesn’t live a life that glorifies God, what value towards preserving the world does this Jew have? Just as salt that has no flavor is cast out to be trodden by men, so a Jew who does not believe in the Kingdom will be tossed aside. The message that Jesus is bringing requires the Jews to change their mind about His coming Kingdom. The Kingdom is now at hand. If they do not believe that Jesus is the Messiah, then how can they enter into the Kingdom?
Christians are never describe as salt. There is only one section in Scripture where salt is used in connection with a Christian; Colossians 4:6. Christians are instructed that their speech should be with grace and seasoned with salt.
As God’s nation the Israelites are also described by Jesus as being a light to the world. He likens them to a city on a hill that cannot be hidden. The nation as a whole is responsible for showing light to the world by their good works so that their Father who is […]