“Salt speaks of inward character that influences a decaying world; light speaks of the outward testimony of good works that points to God.”-Warren Wiersbe
Matthew 5:13-16
13 “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.
14 “You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 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. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.
The loud and seductive messages of the world must be overcome by a consistent living message of love. People are confused about right and wrong, relationships, the future as well as the past. They are also confused about identity, the mystery of intimacy, and their struggle with inadequacy. And for the most part, the Bible isn’t recognized as a primary authority. It’s just another voice in the confusion. To overcome this handicap, we must offer clear, pertinent answers to the world’s greatest needs. This is done in person – not in speech – We must be Salt & Light to a Chaotic World.
As Jesus is the message so are WE the message. It is not about what we do – it is about what we are – and that changes what we do! The Bible must be demonstrated as a relevant, down-to-earth message of healing. We must start living so people will listen when we speak. We must start being the transformed life in their presence.
If we are to be salt and light interrelating with people in our world to bring them to a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, we must prepare and present our life-changing message for those who need it most.
We have been judging the world and talking to ourselves when we really ought to be judging ourselves and talking to the world — in ways they will listen. It seems every Christian group has its “holy huddle.” Their whole purpose is to hold on until Jesus returns. They are not interested in talking so people will listen, because they believe no one ever will listen. Such people will embalm our ministry if we let them. We must love them, care for them, and listen to them, but never allow ourselves to be managed by them. We’re building partnerships to build relationships with those who are open to the message of SALT AND LIGHT.
A transforming community that transforms the community!
Salt and Light Transforms by “Being” the message of life and hope.
By being the Salt and Light we carry out the SANA Mission "We exist to empower singles for the purpose of transforming their communities."
Monday, March 30, 2015
Transformers by Jeffrey Moore
Wednesday, March 18, 2015
What Are You Bringing to the Table?
What are you bringing to the table?
As singles searching for our soulmates, we are often admonished to ask ourselves what are we bringing to a relationship and potential marriage? Many singles conferences, singles groups, books, one-on-one coaching and even online dating services repeatedly remind us to take inventory of our best attributes so that we know our worth and we know what we have to offer a mate. The purpose then, is to compare what you have to offer another person with what you need from that person to ascertain if you are a match.
What DO you bring to the table? Well, our culture says that a man should have a job and a car and good credit and be able to wine and dine the lady. Likewise, the woman should have her own job/career/money, car, good credit, and be able to take care of herself---basically, not need a man. In celebrity marriages the parties sign pre-nuptial agreements to protect what they bring to the table in the event of the demise of the marriage. In too many cases, the individuals continue to function as two separate entities, simply sharing living quarters under the guise of “marriage.” And it looks good from the outside. From the outside looking in, he goes to work every day, pays the bills, mows the lawn---he’s doing his part. He’s a real man. Likewise she keeps herself attractive for him, does not refuse sex EVER, keeps the house clean , and does not nag him about money. So why then is it that marriages still fall apart? And why are we surprised?
Well the answer to that is long and complicated and various. But I do have a proposition about what we bring to the table and how that affects the success of our marriages. Perhaps we’ve got it all wrong about what we should bring to the table and contribute to the marriage. Perhaps, it should be deeper and more personal than the shallow general requirements of having a job, car, and etc. Perhaps we should bring our PURPOSE to the table. Yes, you read that right. Your purpose. What am I getting at? Here it is: Men and women of God have certain duties and responsibilities to fulfill as husbands and wives. These responsibilities and duties are like a code embedded in our spiritual DNA and they are only activated by the presence of our respective mate’s PURPOSE. Let me explain.
About a year ago, I ended my last serious relationship of a year and a half. It was miserable. We fought more than we got along but I held on because he had promised to marry me. There was no ring, or plans for blending our families. Whenever I brought up premarital counseling or a discussion about where we might live he got upset, offended and shut down. After a huge argument in front of my children, family and friends, I was done. Tired. In a moment of frustration and utter pain, I mumbled, “I would rather be single for the rest of my life than to go through this!” At the moment I said that out loud I made a decision. I ended the relationship and I threw away all of my plans for a wedding. I turned my focus to my children and my job, and my PURPOSE. I got involved in SANA (Single And Not Ashamed) and my purpose began to take shape and become more clear. And when I wasn’t even looking for him, my soulmate showed up.
By pursuing my purpose, I literally called forth and activated my soulmate to show up in my life. Why? Because he was predestined to cover me and my purpose as the man of God he is. He is ordained as my biggest supporter, my rock, my protector, my prayer warrior. My purpose—what God created me to do in this world---activates my soulmate’s role in my life. Similarly, he was pursuing his purpose when he found me. I was predestined to undergird him and his purpose with prayer; I am his biggest supporter, his soft place to fall, and as his rib—the protector of his heart. My role in his life is activated by his PURPOSE.
So what should you bring to the table? FOCUS on your PURPOSE. Leave the matchmaking to God. As sons and daughters of the King we have arranged marriages anyway…but that is a topic for another day. Put away the lists of must haves, deal-breakers and non-negotiables. Turn off your clock and shut down your time-table. I know it sounds easier than it is. But when you get tired of the merry-go-round of chasing a marriage, and you whole-heartedly chase God, you will find it getting easier and easier. Is this not what Jesus meant when He said His yoke is easy and His burden is light? Is this not what He meant when He said, “Seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you?”
#whatareyoubringingtothetable
#FOCUSonyourPURPOSE
Monday, March 16, 2015
Spiritual Warfare by Jeffrey Moore
You and I are at war! In fact, we are engaged right now in the “mother of all battles.” No war in history can compare with the battle you and I are fighting. It can either be the cause of your greatest joy as a Christian, or of your deepest pain.The war I am talking about is the spiritual warfare that you became a part of the day you trusted the Lord Jesus Christ as your personal Savior.This war affects every area of your life. There is no way you can avoid the conflict. There is no bunker or foxhole you can crawl into that will shield you from the effects of this battle between the forces of God, and the forces of Satan.A lot of Christians don’t even know they’re at war. But others can see the results of the battle in their lives, because they have become casualties of spiritual warfare. They are discouraged, depressed, down-trodden, and defeated. Others suffer marital and family casualties. Divorce, conflict, and abuse are some of the battle scars these believers bear.Since we are at war, and since there is so much at stake both here on earth and in eternity, we’d better find out what spiritual warfare is about and how to fight the battle successfully.
It’s hard enough to fight an enemy you can see. It’s much harder to fight someone you can’t see. In his classic statement on spiritual warfare, Paul wrote: “Our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places”(Eph 6:12).
This verse identifies the enemy, Satan and his demons. People can be bad, no doubt. But as bad as people can be, they are merely conduits for this greater battle. Satan has been successful in getting us to fight people rather than fighting that which is causing people to be the way they are.All of us have tried to change people who are not doing right. What we need to understand is that what happens through people, including you and me, has at its root something much larger. This fact does not excuse the wrong things people do. They are still responsible. But it helps us focus on the real enemy.
Even though the battle we are talking about is spiritual in nature, it has very definite effects in the visible, physical realm. You know you are in a battle when you get shot and start bleeding. We are seeing the “bleeding,” the result, of spiritual warfare in at least four areas of life today.
Many believers are seeing the wounds of spiritual warfare in their personal lives. This doesn’t mean these people are doing something really bad. It could be that they have a problem such as uncontrolled anger.Our emotions can give the devil an entry into our lives. To see the relationship between your emotions and spiritual warfare, look at several familiar verses in Ephesians: “Therefore, laying aside falsehood, speak truth, each one of you, with his neighbor, for we are members of one another. Be angry, and yet do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and do not give the devil an opportunity.” (Eph. 4:25-27)Please notice that failing to control anger grants the devil an opportunity to get a foothold in your life. Then he can use it as a base of operation to launch more intense spiritual attacks against you.Many Christians are suffering today because of anger that was not resolved yesterday—and anger is just one of an assortment of human emotions. If Satan can seize our emotions, he can destroy our function by crippling us emotionally or leading us into all manner of destructive and addictive behavior.
Spiritual warfare also has an impact on church life. Paul told Timothy to watch out for “doctrines of demons” that will infiltrate the church (1 Tim. 4:1). The church is being undermined in many places today by teachers who claim to teach the Bible, but are teaching doctrines from hell. Anyone can quote the Bible. But we need to be like the Bereans, who checked out what Paul and Silas were teaching them to see whether their teachings agreed with Scriptures (Acts. 17:11)
According to passages like Daniel 10, entire nations are influenced by the invisible battle in the angelic realm. Satan is called “the prince of the power of the air” with good reason (Eph. 2:2)There is no place we can go to escape the effect of spiritual warfare. We need to learn how to fight. Our ability to deal with the spiritual realm will determine whether we win or lose in the physical realm.Satan’s job is to get us to ignore the spiritual realm or give it low value. If he can divert us from the spiritual realm, he can divert us from finding spiritual solutions.
We are surrounded by our spiritual enemy, but the battle is not for land or anything physical. This battle is for glory. The issue is who is going to get the glory in the universe? Who is going to be worshiped? Satan essentially said to God, “You cannot have all the glory in creation. I want some of the glory for myself.”God’s response was, “My glory I will not give to another.” (Is. 48:11)Satan said, “You are going to share glory with me. Let’s go to war.”The battle is for glory, for the thrown of creation. Praise God the outcome has never been in doubt, but the battle goes on every day in our personal, family, church, and community lives as to who will get the glory by what we do.That’s why Paul told us, “Whatever you do, do all to the glory of God” (1Cor 10:31)
What is Satan’s battle strategy in spiritual warfare? Paul outlined the strategy of the devil. Speaking to this carnal church, the apostle wrote, “I am afraid, lest as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, your minds should be led astray from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ.” 2 Cor 11:3Satan’s battle strategy is simple. He is out to deceive us, to trick us into believing his lies and temptations. He’s been at his plan for countless years, and he’s good at it.Paul even said that Satan can disguise himself as an “angel of light” 2 Cor. 11:14
Folks the battle is real and around us every day. SANA is doing a great thing for the kingdom of God. Satan is angry that we are banding together. He will do anything to kill, steal, and destroy this group. We as leaders must focus on our mission and give all glory to God. We will at times have attacks against the group as a whole and individuals, but we are united together in Christ. We are one voice, one heart, one love. Mary Smith and I lead the respective prayer teams for the SANA community. We are not only here for you individually but the group as a whole. Mary is one of the most anointed intercessors for the Kingdom I have ever met in my life. She is in tune and walking with the sprit like no other. We have witnessed how the enemy tried to destroy this group. We band together and unite when these type of attacks occur. Today, I call on each of you to be in prayer for the group and each of its members. Our time on this earth is short. We see prophecy occurring around us daily. We will not be silent, we will stand boldly for each of you; we will stand in the gap for Jesus. The time is NOW! Put on the armor of God, raise the shield of faith, pull the sword of the spirit and fight!