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The Danger of a Church Without Salt

Do you go to church? If you do, why do you go? What do you think the purpose of the church is? Culture and religion have greatly affected people’s views of the church. Growing up in the church and observing it over the last five decades, I found differing opinions amongst those who led and attended. Some referred to it as “a soul-saving station,” while others felt it was “a hospital for the hurting.” It then moved on to being “Seeker sensitive.” Though these sound nice, shouldn’t we be looking at what Jesus said was the purpose of the church?

We have allowed culture and religion to both define and shape what the church has become. It began with wanting church growth which seemed like a good thing. We then began changing the “language” we used, how we dressed, and the length of the service so it wouldn’t feel like church. The was hope people would feel welcomed and come again because it didn’t disrupt their schedule too much. Then we changed the message and stopped preaching on subjects that might be too intrusive. Instead of teaching the whole truth with conviction, we left out all the “how to live a Biblically holy life” parts because we didn’t want people to feel judged.

But when the church forfeits her boundaries, she has lost her salt. She is no longer effective. In that environment, no one is correctible. Even those in leadership begin living without boundaries. Scripture is clear. The church belongs to God, and He corrects whom He loves. (Hebrews 12:6) God starts dealing with sin in His house first. (1 Peter 4:17)

So what is the purpose of the church? Jesus gave us the answer in Mark 11:17 (NKJV).

17 Then He taught, saying to them, “Is it not written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations’? But you have made it a ‘den of thieves.'” (NKJV) Jesus said this after turning over the money changers’ tables and driving out all those who were selling their wares. But if we back up a few verses, we can see this picture more fully.

Mark 11:11 11 “And Jesus went into Jerusalem and into the temple. So when He had looked around at all things, as the hour was already late, He went out to Bethany with the twelve.”

Jesus had taken a good look around at everything, but because it was late, he decided to deal with it the next day. Now let’s look at it in John 2:13-16. 13 Now the Passover of the Jews was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 14 And He found in the temple those who sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the money changers doing business. 15 When He had made a whip of cords, He drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and the oxen, and poured out the changers’ money and overturned the tables. 16 And He said to those who sold doves, “Take these things away! Do not make My Father’s house a house of merchandise!”

Jesus literally took all night to think about what He saw. He then made a whip while looking around and watching what they had turned His house into. And with righteous indignation, he cleaned His house.

Jesus had declared the “what” of the church’s purpose in Mark, but in Matthew, He tells us the why. Matthew 21:12-14 12 Then Jesus went into the temple of God and drove out all those who bought and sold in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money-changers and the seats of those who sold doves. 13 And He said to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but you have made it a ‘den of thieves.'”

14 Then the blind and the lame came to Him in the temple, and He healed them.

It is imperative that we get this right. If we want to help the sinner find salvation, the misunderstood find acceptance, the broken made whole, the bound find freedom, and the sick made well, we must keep the proper purpose of the church.

We can’t be led by the culture any longer. We must lead the culture. It’s time to bring back the salt. We must be praying, “Thy kingdom come, thy will be done.” If there is going to be a revival, it must start in the church with its leaders. And when they are revived, they will lead the people into revival. We have allowed the unchurched world to lead the church for too long. It’s time for the called to take their place and lead with fire, conviction, and holiness. If we do, then the blind, the lame, and the lost will make their way back into the church and be saved, healed, and delivered.

We don’t have time to waste. Jesus is coming for a bride that is without spot or wrinkle. Let’s be the salt and light to a tasteless and dark world. This resurrection season, let’s be the revived.

Jaime Luce

Photo 119063520 / Church © Jantanee Rungpranomkorn | Dreamstime.com
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Are You Satisfied?

We are so continually busy. Busy with work or school, family and friends, chosen activities, and responsibilities of every kind. For some, the business seems necessary. For others, it is a search for satisfaction or a sense of accomplishment. At the core, we’re really hoping that what we are doing matters, yet sadly, so few things really profit.

I love how beautifully the King James says it. John 6:63 tells us, “It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.” The picture the word quickeneth conjures is one that quickly gives a jolt of life, a spring in the step. That is something to think about. The things we do by instruction from the Holy Spirit bring a quick boost of joy and life to our hearts and lives. What we do in obedience gives strength and meaning. We realize God’s purpose.

On the other hand, the flesh doesn’t profit at all. Though I believe we are to take care of our physical bodies since they are the temple of the Lord, 1 Timothy 4:8 tells us, “For bodily exercise profiteth little: but godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come.” The power in this verse is to remind us of what to be focused on, Godliness. It’s living for and unto God in all things that will profit everyone and everything for all of time and eternity.

If I focus on myself, I risk living unsatisfied and ultimately doing it all for nothing. Jesus said, “For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?” Mark 8:36. We have a life of obedience to live. Jesus also said in 1 John 5:3, “For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome.”. Instead, they give life and purpose. They fulfill and give strength. In short, they satisfy.

I know we can’t walk away from all responsibility, but I challenge you to make sure that you do the things that give life and strengthen you for your journey. Follow the leading and instruction of the Spirit of God. Let your obedience bring you great and deep satisfaction to your soul. Let the joy of the Lord indeed be your strength. Nothing else will satisfy. It only leaves you wanting more.

Every pleasure the flesh can offer fades quickly and leaves you wanting. Regardless of how you find physical pleasure, it won’t last. If you eat this morning, you will need to eat again. Every addiction, self-gratification, or obsession will leave you empty. CT Studd got it right. “Only one life twill soon be past, Only what’s done for Christ will last.” Proverbs 4:7 “…In all of your getting, get understanding.” If you want to live your best life now, don’t waste your opportunity today to live by the Spirit and live a satisfied life.

Jaime Luce

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Do The Hard Thing!

Do the hard thing even when people don’t understand you. Paul had it in his spirit to go to Jerusalem. His friends, who were believers, even prophetic, told him not to go. They tried to convince him not to do it. But Paul knew what was in his spirit. He told us in 1 Corinthians 4:4 that he conducts himself in all good conscience. In Acts 24:16, speaking of Paul, “So I strive always to keep my conscience clear before God and man.”

Don’t disobey to please people if you know that you have heard from the Lord. Keep your conscience clear. Men won’t always understand. That’s because God didn’t speak that to them. They weren’t on a zoom call with you to hear what God said to you. People have good intentions, but they won’t always understand.

If Daniel were facing his choice to be thrown in the lion’s den today, people would have told him, “Dude, listen. You don’t have to do this. Just close your windows and pray in secret. That way, you won’t offend anyone and not risk your life.” But Daniel did what Daniel knew to do. Daniel going headlong into the lion’s den was the very thing that brought glory to God and influence with the king. It was the exact place Daniel was called to serve. His actions caused the removal of those with corrupt influence and the establishment of righteous influence.

If the Three Hebrew boys were facing the fiery furnace today, people would have justified them bowing down and even encouraged it. They would have told them, “it wouldn’t be God’s will for you to die. If you die, how will you do anything for God? That isn’t necessary. God sees your heart.” Ehhh—wrong! The act of being thrown into the furnace influenced the king, causing him to declare that God is the only real God. It was their willingness to do the hard thing that caused their bonds to fall off, and it was that hard thing that brought glory to God.

The kingdom of God is the invisible, influencing the visible. It is the unseen influencing the seen. Like the wind, you see its influence without ever seeing the wind itself. People won’t see that God is influencing you. They will only see later what the impact was. People won’t understand you. Accepting that will help you go from being a people pleaser with no influence to a God pleaser with tremendous influence. Do the hard thing!

Trouble may come before the thing is finished, and people will say, “See, I told you.” But you can’t worry about that. Those same people don’t ask you for your opinion before doing what they think they should do. They aren’t worried about what you think or if you agree. In fact, for Paul, Daniel, and the three Hebrew boys, it looked like they were right.

Let’s look at Paul. If he had listened and not gone to prison, we wouldn’t have most of the New Testament. The influence and reach of Paul’s obedience to what God put in his spirit still speaks over 2,000 years later. We still cling to what he taught us about following Christ.

Don’t waste time judging others. It isn’t your business, and it isn’t your calling. Do what God speaks to you to do so you can influence and make the impact you need to make.
Do the hard thing!

Jaime Luce

Photo 136777058 / Do © Josephine Julian Lobijin | Dreamstime.com
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The Hard Truth

Truth is truth regardless of how hard or offensive we may think it is. Our culture has programmed the masses to believe that truth is only truth if we like or agree. Those of this mindset Jesus confronted. After feeding 5,000 people, the number of followers Jesus had multiplied. They were entertained by the miracles and satisfied by what Jesus provided them. But as soon as Jesus told them the hard truth about what they really wanted and what was really necessary to follow him, they were offended.

John 6:60-64 60 Therefore, many of His disciples, when they heard this, said, “This is a hard saying; who can understand it?” 61 When Jesus knew in Himself that His disciples complained about this, He said to them, “Does this offend you? 62 What then if you should see the Son of Man ascend where He was before? 63 It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are Spirit, and they are life. 64 But there are some of you who do not believe.”

Jesus let them know that they would find the life they were seeking if they believed the truth. Without it, all of their efforts would profit them nothing. The hard truth was that they would need to change their minds. They would have to let go of their preconceived ideas. They would need to relinquish the control they clung to. The culture to reject truth was so pervasive that Jesus turned to the twelve and asked if they would leave Him too. Would they be like those who were hard-hearted and only see from a carnal natural perspective? A perspective that only wanted to satisfy their flesh. Or would they be those who lived after the Spirit? Those who would live for eternity and not just the here and now.

Those who love truth respond like Peter. John 6:68-69 68 But Simon Peter answered Him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. 69 Also, we have come to believe and know that You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” 

What was the game-changer? How did Peter jump from the dull of hearing to the rock the church was built on? The answer is in verse 69. He knew Jesus. He continued with Him, followed Him, sought Him, and came to believe. It’s ok if you’re in the process of knowing Him. Stay the course and seek the absolute truth. Not the false truth that makes you feel good or that you and everyone else agrees with. Be a seeker of real truth, the hard truth, that you must eat Jesus’ body and drink His blood. That your life is not your own and that you are called for a purpose greater than yourself.

That group is much smaller. But that’s the group that can stand through any storm. Those are the ones who see the miraculous take place. That group of people carry boldness and are not timid or fearful but full of faith and power. This band of believers will get out of the boat and walk on water, and this group of people will shake the world for God’s glory. They will make an impact. They are those who love and proclaim truth! 

I challenge you today. Take a hard look at what you accept or criticize about the Word of God. Jesus said in Mark 8:34-38 34, When He had called the people to Himself, with His disciples also, He said to them, “Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. 35 For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it. 36 For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? 37 Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? 38 For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him the Son of Man also will be ashamed when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels.”

The choice remains yours. Choose wisely.

Jaime Luce

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Greater Is He Who Is In You…

The prayer of faith is powerful. But like anything else, if you don’t use it, it remains powerless. The lack of use then prompts the question, “Do we really believe it works?” If we did, we would use it and do so frequently. If we don’t believe it, why? Did we pray once, and nothing changed? Did something bad happen, and we are stuck because we blame God? And if we blame God, we can either think we are punishing Him by not talking to Him or because He didn’t end up being the big Santa in the sky; we’ve decided we won’t ask for anything. 

All of these thoughts or questions lead to the bigger question. Do we really know God? To know Him is to know His thoughts about us and life and His way of doing things. He said in Isaiah 55:8-9 8 “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,” says the Lord. 9 “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts. (NJKV)

God said that King David was a man after His own heart because David continually conversed with God telling Him that He loved His precepts (thoughts), judgments (justice), and ordinances (established decrees for living). Moses would climb the mountain to “know God,” wanting Him to show him His glory (His divine nature and character). These men wanted God and not His hand. God then showed them His hand because they knew Him. They desired a real relationship with God and asked of Him continually. Because they knew God and His power, they didn’t doubt God or His compassion. They humbled themselves and didn’t question God’s methods because to do so would imply that they knew better than God.

They understood that God is the almighty, all-knowing, all-powerful creator of all that is seen and unseen who desires a relationship and wants to be known by us. He will hear and answer our prayers when we pray in faith believing. But believing comes from knowing, and knowing produces trust. Trusting is the silent but firm foundation that faith is built on.

When we look at Mark 5, we see that those who understood the power of God were not His disciples. It says that Jesus crossed the sea to the Gaderenes, and the demons saw Jesus coming afar off. Immediately upon getting out of the boat, the possessed man was there with the demons pleading not to be tormented by Jesus. If only we had the faith of those demons, we would see the miraculous power of God. It’s a sad state of affairs to know that demons have more faith than we do. If the devil knows to be afraid of what you carry, you need to be aware of the power you carry. That power can change your circumstance when you operate in faith.

But often, we do what the people of that region did. Jesus didn’t operate the way they wanted Him to, so they begged Him to leave their country. Can you imagine that? Because they didn’t like His ways, they rejected their savior. Let’s not be guilty of that. Let’s spend the time it takes to know our God and His ways, and in so doing, we can find freedom and deliverance from the schemes of the enemy and healing for our souls.

If we are believers, let’s believe! Let’s believe in who God is and what He will do for those who trust Him. Let’s make it our mission to know our God, and let’s welcome Him into our cities, states, and countries and see revival sweep our land. The power of God is real. So let’s believe in faith and watch God move.

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The Fork in the Road Called Faith

Nicodemus was a Pharisee, a ruler in the Jewish community. He was a teacher of the law and confident in his knowledge of God. However, when He encounters Jesus, he realizes how much he doesn’t know. In John 3:1-21, Nicodemus is struggling to understand the kingdom of God, and Jesus explains that he must be born again to see the kingdom.
At this statement, the one who usually teaches must admit he doesn’t understand and needs to be taught. Then even after Jesus explains, Nicodemus says, “How can these things be?” He has arrived at the juncture of faith.

At this crossroads, this fork in the road, Jesus needs to teach the learned that he is still missing it. And the missing ingredient isn’t tangible. Jesus confronts the real problem for Nicodemus and so many of us. He tells him in verse 12 that “If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things?” In a nutshell, Jesus is saying, “with all your knowledge, you are still missing the most important piece. You have no faith.”

Many of us are like Nicodemus. We live not believing because of the natural. We look with natural eyes trying to see what can only be spiritually accessed. We fail to recognize that our flesh is inadequate and unable. But facing that very fact awakens us to the realization that we are dead and need to be born again to live. If our spirits are dead, we have no faith. We live suspiciously and remain critical and only know doubt.
Nicodemus had head knowledge, but it had not converted his heart where one believes and is convinced.

No matter what we think we know, we must continually be taught and corrected by the Lord. We need Him to instruct our hearts as we lean into His. We must spend time in His word, in prayer, and his presence, seeking the answers to all of our questions. We, like Nicodemus, must have our hearts converted and begin exercising faith. Hebrews 11:6 tells us that it is impossible to please God without faith.

Today, humble yourself and ask the Lord to show you where you need faith. Let Him teach you what you don’t know. Jeremiah 29:13 says, “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all of your heart.”

Jesus has the answers to all of your questions. So let your faith rise and make the way for you to lay hold of them today.

Jaime Luce

 

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Your Gift Reveals Your Heart

Have you been guilty of judging another person’s gift? Gift-giving is personal. Often, those who know us the most intimately give the best gifts. In fact, the most extravagant gifts are usually given by those who understand our hearts. To a person outside of that relationship, the gift may not be understood or valued, but it means a great deal to the receiver. The gift can even be mocked or ridiculed and cause others’ hearts to be revealed. Such was the case in Matthew 26:6-13 NKJV.

6 And when Jesus was in Bethany at the house of Simon the leper, 7 a woman came to Him having an alabaster flask of very costly fragrant oil, and she poured it on His head as He sat at the table. 8 But when His disciples saw it, they were indignant, saying, “Why this waste? 9 For this fragrant oil might have been sold for much and given to the poor.”

10 But when Jesus was aware of it, He said to them, “Why do you trouble the woman? For she has done a good work for Me. 11 For you have the poor with you always, but Me you do not have always. 12 For in pouring this fragrant oil on My body, she did it for My burial.13 Assuredly, I say to you, wherever this gospel is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be told as a memorial to her.”

Jesus had closely walked with His disciples for three years. He had been preparing them for His death and resurrection. He knew the cost of the gift He was about to give them and that they couldn’t know its value until much later. But there was one, not obvious to the rest, who desired to give a gift that would cost her all that she had even before Jesus would give His. He would pour out his life for others while Mary would pour out her sustenance for Jesus. Both would be mocked, undervalued, and misunderstood.

That’s what giving to the work of the Lord is. Jesus said, “she has done a good work for Me.” and that it would be told as a memorial to her! Our gifts matter. Your offerings, especially when costly, are not a waste. Those who think so are only revealing what is in their own hearts. They excuse their distaste for them by saying there are more worthy places to give as if they give to any.

From the beginning, gifts have been mocked. Abel gave a righteous gift, while Cain hated him for it. Instead of giving and doing what was right or worthy, he envied, judged, hated, and murdered his brother for it. What does seeing others’ gifts provoke in you?

Mary saw the fullness of the blessing and gifts she had received from Jesus, which provoked her to give. The disciples saw the gift she gave, which provoked them to mock and one to murder.

Don’t listen to the hard-hearted and envious. Give to the Lord with abandon. It has great purpose in the kingdom. Your reward won’t come from men. It will come from the one you gave the gift. He sees what you have given, and He knows the cost. Your gift will be echoed through time and eternity, and in the end, you will hear, “Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.” Matthew 25:23 NKJV

“Give and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you.” Luke 6:38 NKJV

Love gives. Jesus said in Matthew 6:21 NKJV, “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Do you really love Him? There is more to love than the giving of gifts, of course. Jesus also said that if we loved Him, we would keep His commandments. The common denominator in this equation is your heart. During this Valentine’s season, where we make an effort to show love, let me provoke you to examine your heart.

You cannot give what you do not have. Maybe your heart needs to be converted or prodded. Let the knowledge of what Christ has done for you provoke you. “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” John 3:16 NKJV

Jaime Luce

Photo 16673832 / Giving © Andreka | Dreamstime.com
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You Have What It Takes

There is a misconception that is prevailing in the church. The dangerous and misleading belief is that you just need to say a prayer of salvation, and you’re good. You’ve got a ticket to heaven, and all will be well. Why it’s misleading is because you can receive the mercy and grace of God by just asking. But once you have moved from the children of darkness into the children of light, there is something for you to do. And what he calls us to do has great consequence for us and the kingdom of heaven.

Matthew 25:14-30 tells us the parable of the talents. Verse 14 begins like this. “For the kingdom of heaven is like a man traveling to a far country, who called his own servants and delivered his goods to them.” In this parable, the man is dealing with his own servants. He isn’t talking about strangers or outsiders. He is talking about those are his. He then gives one servant five talents, one servant two talents, and the last servant one talent. He gave each according to their ability, so nothing was required of them that they could not handle.

Heaven operates this way. We’re given what we have the capacity to increase. There are no excuses. We should be doing something to grow what we have been given. To bury it is to bury your future and, ultimately, your eternity. It is that drastic!
The servant given five talents made five more, and he heard the words in verse 21, “Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.”

Likewise, in verse 23, the second servant was given two talents and heard, “Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.”

However, in verses 24-25, the third servant who was given one talent made excuses while placing blame on his lord and said, “Then he who had received the one talent came and said, Lord, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you have not sown, and gathering where you have not scattered seed. And I was afraid and went and hid your talent in the ground. Look, there you have what is yours.”

But look what his lord said to him in response. “You wicked and lazy servant, you knew that I reap where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed. So you ought to have deposited my money with the bankers, and at my coming, I would have received back my own with interest. Therefore take the talent from him, and give it to him who has ten talents. For everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away. And Cast the unprofitable servant into outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

This parable closely resembles another parable Jesus gave of the wedding feast in Matthew 22. Someone comes into the wedding without the proper garments on, and the king said to the servants, “Bind him hand and foot, take him away, and cast him into out darkness; there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

I know this can sound hard but hear me out. You won’t be required to do what you aren’t capable of doing. However, sometimes you’re called to do what you think you can’t do. Moses thought the people wouldn’t listen to him and that he was insignificant and asked the Lord how. The Lord asked him a question in response. “What do you have in your hand?” He then successfully led millions of people to freedom with the rod that was in his hand. And God will do the same with you. You do have what it takes. There are no excuses. God has given you everything you need to be fruitful in this life and the next.

Don’t worry about the one with five talents or the one who has two. Just do what you’re called to do with what you have, which will produce an increase. And when you do, what a reward you will receive when you hear those words, “Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.” What a day that will be! So go for it. Do something with what you have and watch God do the impossible through you.

Jaime Luce

Photo 206344844 / You © Maria Marganingsih | Dreamstime.com
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Help For Carrying Heavy Burdens

In Matthew 16:21-25, Jesus predicts His death and resurrection and rebukes Peter for not being mindful of the things of God. The things of God, meaning the cost of actually following Him. He says in verses 24-25, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.” In His teaching, he unfolds that He will deny His own life and carry a cross that leads to losing it, as well as telling them that anyone who wishes to follow Him will have to do the same.

This saying is not a contradiction to Jesus being our burden bearer. This same Jesus said, “come to me all you who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.” Matt. 11:28 Jesus indeed carried the weight of our sin and punishment so that we could be free. But being a disciple and following Jesus means living as He lived. He carried a heavy cross. In fact, the cross was so heavy, and Jesus so weak, that He fell under its weight and needed someone else to carry it for him. (Luke 23:26)

Think about that for a minute. The burden that Jesus was carrying was so heavy that He fell under its weight and needed someone else to come and carry it for Him. God wasn’t angry that Jesus collapsed under its weight, and He isn’t angry with you when you do. Matthew 12:20 says, “A bruised reed shall he not break, and smoking flax shall he not quench.” Instead, He sends someone to help you along the journey, someone who will pick up that cross for you and help you walk your difficult road.

In Exodus 17, Moses led the children of Israel out to the battle. They won as long as he held up his arms. But if he began to put his arms down, they began to lose. The weight of millions of people rested on Moses’ ability to hold up his arms. In his natural strength, he couldn’t do it. So, Aaron and Hur came beside him, and each held up an arm. Because they were willing to help bear his burden, the children of Israel won that battle.

We may not be able to take each other’s problems or issues away, but we can help bear one another’s burdens by prayer and compassion. We can walk the walk together. Jesus couldn’t do it alone, and neither can we. We need one another. Instead of judging one another when we fall, let’s help each other back up. Maybe their cross was too heavy. Even on the cross, Jesus believed the best in those who were the reason He was carrying a cross. He said, “Father, forgive them. For they know not what they do.” (Luke 23:34)

1 Corinthians 12:23-26 (NLT) says, “And the parts we regard as less honorable are those we clothe with the greatest care. So we carefully protect those parts that should not be seen, while the more honorable parts do not require this special care. So God has put the body together such that extra honor and care are given to those parts that have less dignity. This makes for harmony among the members, so that all the members care for each other. If one part suffers, all the parts suffer with it, and if one part is honored, all the parts are glad.”

We are the body of Christ. If one hurts, we all hurt. Galatians 6:2 (NLT) “Share each other’s burdens, and in this way obey the law of Christ.” Today, we can be the encouragement someone desperately needs. How about it. Let’s show the world how it’s done. Let’s be disciples.

Jaime Luce

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Just Pray

Prayer. Such a small but powerful word. And to access its power, you simply must do it. You want to do it. You know you need to do it. Your own spirit calls to you, asking you to do it. And it’s the one thing that can actually change you and your situation. It is the one thing that can bring peace into your chaos. But it won’t happen by itself. You must do it. Just as keys are only useful when you use them, so is prayer.

Prayer is the ability to talk face to face with the one who created the galaxies. The one who formed the heavens and the earth with just a word. The one who owns it all and desires to share it. The one who imagined you and dreamed a good plan for you and knows how to bring it to pass. The one who loves you so personally that He gave His life just for you so that you could live that life He planned in grand fashion.

In Ephesians 6:18 (NIV), Paul says, “And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.” That covers it all. He tells us to pray about everything, anything, all things, and keep praying.

He also tells us how to do it. By the Spirit. Why is that important? Because in Romans 8:26 (NKJV), we read, “Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.” That is so comforting. Even when we don’t know what to pray, the Holy Spirit does. If we will open our mouths and allow Him to pray through us, even when it only sounds like groans, God hears me and knows what I need.

Then the promise is that He not only hears us, but He answers us. 1 John 5:14-15 (NIV) says, “This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. 15 And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him.”

We are instructed to pray. It’s like Naaman, the leper, in 2 Kings 5. When the Prophet told him what he needed to do to be healed, he didn’t want to do it. His servant reasoned with him and said to him that he would have done it if the Prophet had told him to do a hard thing. Why not do the simple thing he instructed? So Naaman realized he was wrong, did what he was told to do, and received his miracle.

God is your Father, and He is a good father. The closeness and nearness we desire from Him are found in prayer. You can’t have a relationship where there is no talking. It’s not a hard thing we are called to do. The answers you desire are found in Him. The help you need is found in Him. The breakthrough you are fighting for is found in Him. Everything you could ever need or want is found in Him. The key to accessing it all is prayer.

If you want this year to be different, become a person of prayer. It’s very simple, yet so many miss it. Don’t be one of them. Let the Lord begin to direct your life in the plan He designed just for you. You can start right now, right where you are. All you have to do is pray. Your answers are waiting.

Jaime Luce

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