The One and the Ninety-nine

C.S. Lewis - "Human history is the long terrible story of man trying to find something other than God which will make him happy".


The story of the "One and ninety-nine" is prompted by some disgruntled Pharisees and teachers of religious law, who complain because Jesus is associating with tax collectors and other notorious sinners, who have come to hear him teach. This story is found in the parable of the lost sheep in Romans 15:1-7. This is followed by the parable of the "Lost coin" (Luke 15:8-10) and the parable of the "Lost son" (Luke 15:11-32).


All three of these parables are meant to teach us how lost we are without God. The other day while praying and seeking God's will for our ministry, I accidentally started to drift off into a daydream. What I saw was other ministries, such as "Joyce Meyers" and "Billy Graham" reaching so many for Christ, while OMIA reaches so few. I started to feel a little hopeless and useless as I thought, "Does our ministry even have value?"......RRRRRRT (this is the sound of my brain brakes). I immediately started to pray and listen for God's truth. Two verses came to mind, and although I didn't know their address, I quickly clicked on Biblegateway.com.


The first is 2 Corinthians 10:5 "casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ," which reminded me to take these negative thoughts captive.


The second, was Luke 15:7 In the same way, there is more joy in heaven over one lost sinner who repents and returns to God than over ninety-nine others who are righteous and haven’t strayed away! This piece of truth reminded me that it is not about how many people we reach, but that we are lost without a daily, moment by moment relationship with God. We also must remember that God works his will through our willing obedience. We don't move mountains, He does. 


I am so thankful that God left the ninety-nine to come for me and I am learning that my only happiness comes from living for Him.


With much love, Collette

Salt

When I think of salt and the bible the “If salt loses it saltiness, how can it be made salty again” verse always comes to mind, but there are other verses that I did not realize were in the bible. I’ll get back to that in a minute.

While driving cross country from Colorado to Oregon we took the route that went right through the Great Salt Flats. Shelby had her permit so I let her drive, for what seemed like 1,000 miles on the straightest highway I’ve ever seen. It was also pure white and except for the occasional salt factory, I couldn’t help thinking about how useless it seemed.

Recently I read a magazine article entitled “10 brilliant uses for salt”. The uses ranged from “keeping car windows frost-free” to “chilling warm canned drinks in a hurry”. What fascinates me though is that I didn’t know you could do all that with salt.

I thought about the ocean and how we cannot drink the water, but how many mammals do just fine there.

The Bible seems to contrast salt as good and bad in Mark 9:50 (NIV) “Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can you make it salty again? Have salt among yourselves, and be at peace with each other.” In contrast, Psalm 107:34 says, “and fruitful land into a salt waste, because of the wickedness of those who lived there”.

According to Wikipedia: The role of salt in the bible, is relevant to understanding Hebrew society during the Old Testament and New Testament periods. Salt is a necessity of life and was a mineral that was used since ancient times in many cultures as a seasoning, a preservative, a disinfectant, a component of ceremonial offerings, and as a unit of exchange. The Bible contains numerous references to salt. In various contexts, it is used metaphorically to signify permanence, loyalty, durability, fidelity, usefulness, value, and purification. Also it says, Mark 9:50 reads in part: "Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with one another." The salt in this verse refers to the goodwill that "seasons" positive relationships between people. This is also a play on the covenant of salt, indicating friendship and compassion.

 In conclusion, I realized that every element God made, is for our good and salt is no exception!

Fear and Wisdom

Have you ever gotten an “F” on a test? I always have this fear right before a test that I will flunk it! This fear usually motivates me to study hard. It can also cause me to be paralyzed or “go blank”. I learned during college that if I just found a window and looked out, while taking a few deep breaths, and realized, through prayer, that this is not the end of the world, that I could became calm and focused.

So what is the fear of the Lord and how is it different from our everyday fears such as test taking?

I believe that fear of the Lord involves awe, reverence and even sometimes terror. I think of awe as looking at all God created and being speechless. I believe terror exists before we know the Lord and before we know how much He loves us. Reverence keeps me saying, “Is what I’m going to do or is my decision going to bring glory to God or is it sin?”

Recently, I have been praying for wisdom and a verse kept popping into my mind. What I found, while looking it up is, that there are several verses with that relate to fear and wisdom, but my favorite is Psalm 111:10 (NLT) “Fear of the Lord is the foundation of true wisdom. All who obey his commandments will grow in wisdom. Praise him forever!”

The reason I was asking for wisdom from God was multi-purposed. First, I don’t always understand the Bible. Look at Romans 3:19-31 for an example of what I don’t understand! Second, I like all Christians, have been called by God to share His Good News with those around me. This is an awesome task that I feel ill-prepared for. So I ask God to give me his Holy Spirit to guide me and words to speak. Third, I do sin and I don’t like it! (Thank god He sent His son so that I would have forgiveness).

In a sermon I heard recently the speaker pointed out that Solomon (the wisest king who ever lived) did not ask for wisdom for his own personal gain, but so that he could make wise decisions for the people of his kingdom. God answered Solomon’s prayer for wisdom and also made him the most prospered king who ever lived. See 1 Kings 3:7-13.

Just this morning I heard “Amazing Grace”, and one of the verses is: “T'was Grace that taught my heart to fear. And Grace, my fears relieved.” To me, grace is undeserved favor. Amen.

I also know that fear of the Lord is not fear of the world. I don’t choose to live in fear anymore. And by God’s grace, my fears are relieved. I do, however, choose the fear of the Lord, which gives wisdom.

Dear Lord,

You are amazing and I am in awe of you. All praise and glory be to you. Thank you Lord for your underserved favor. Show me how to live in fear of You and in faith. I pray for others who are struggling with fear, Lord wrap your loving arms around them.

In Jesus Name, Amen.