NaCl + General Electric...When It Rains It Pours

Good day yesterday. Mowed grass.....had lunch from Jack's. Sat in the backyard with my wife once she got home from work. She made her "Super-fluffy-light-as-a-feather" pancakes for supper. Topped the day off with a good night's sleep. Thank you God for the blessings.

Some how over the years, church (and the people who go there) have developed a really strange mindset. The idea among most people is that we all go and sit in the chair or pews and we watch the guy up front. That would be the preacher. He is suppose to have all the answers. He is the one who knows God better than anyone else. Why else would he have taken the job if he didn't know God on a greater level? The preacher is the one who is legally licensed to go to the hospital and pray for folks. Go to the jails and pray for folks. Stop people on the street, like a cop, and pray for them after telling them about the gospel. In other words, we tend to look at the preacher as if he is the "A" team. Everyone else that attends church makes up the "B" team.  How so not true is the view, yet it permeates churches from Seattle, Oregon to Bangor Maine.

In Matthew 5, as Jesus is giving his sermon on the mount, he makes an interesting statement. In verse 14, he says, "You are the light of the world." Light of the world? But I live in Attalla, Alabama. I could see maybe that I might have some light for my area.......but the world? Then back up in verse 13, he says, "You are the salt of the earth."  What Jesus is saying is...."There isn't any "A" team or "B" team. We are all called to do the work of the Kingdom. We become the arms, legs, hearts, voices that the Holy Spirit moves through in order to "light" the darkness that is around us. We are the minds, eyes, and ears that the Holy Spirit moves through so we can "Flavor and preserve" the people who are living in this spiritual darkness.

What does light do?
Illuminates darkness. See you don't rail against the devil and his works. I hear people pray against the devil. "Oh God..drive him out. Come and battle him and defeat him for our sakes." Hey! You defeat the devil by bringing light and salt into the situations and circumstances that are coming against you and those around you.
You have the God given right to be who God created you to be and act accordingly. Sure it's scary and you feel as though you have nothing to offer when it comes to doing ministry with someone. "What? Me pray? I don't know how?" Sure you do. You simply listen for what the Holy Spirit is wanting to do. It isn't a matter of learning and memorizing prayers, it is you being open to having the Holy Spirit speak through you.
Light and Salt.
Notice that Jesus didn't say that you would become light and salt if you work hard at it.
Jesus didn't say that only those who go to seminary are light and salt.
He didn't even qualify as to the extent you would be light and salt.
He didn't lay out geographical boundaries and say, "You'll only be light and salt in this area."
He made a plain and simple statement. YOU ARE!!!!

Ask Him today to break off old ideas and concepts that you have carried around as to your place in His Kingdom.
Ask Him to show you how to be light and salt, since that is what you are already. May as well act like it, right?
You might be surprised as to what happens.
You might get to shine on someone who needs your light.
You might get to flavor and preserve someone who needs your salt.

God on you....
mb