Tuesday, December 17, 2019

BLOG 33 - 11/21/2019          Are You The "Salt" of the Earth?

One of the fond memories of Grandpa's farm was when we had "butchering days." After a hog was slaughtered and butchered, Grandpa hung the ham in the smokehouse, but not before salt had been applied to the meat.

William Barclay, a theologian, said "the Romans said that salt was the purest of all things...salt gives flavor to things." Another man said, "Christianity is to life what salt is to food."

What did Jesus mean when He told His disciples that "you are the salt of the earth"? (Matthew 5:13, NIV) It's a reminder that Christians must live exemplary Christian lives.

Jesus also said to His disciples, "if the salt loses it saltiness...it is no longer good for anything." (Matthew 5:13, NIV) If we aren't living exemplary Christian lives, we become a deterrent for unbelievers.

                                                                          "The Memoirs of One Man's Journey Through Time"
                                                                          Website: cpaulwooderson.com.
                                                                                         amazon.com
                                                          ¿Eres la «sal» de la Tierra?
                                                            BLOG 33 - 12/17/2019

Uno de los buenos recuerdos de la granja del abuelo fue cuando tuvimos «días de matanza». Después de que un cerdo fue sacrificado, el abuelo colgó el jamón en el ahumadero, pero no antes de que se hubiera aplicado sal a la carne.

William Barclay, un teólogo, dijo que «los romanos dijeron que la sal era la más pura de todas
las cosas...sal condimenta las cosas». Otro hombre dijo: «El cristianismo es para toda la vida lo que la sal es comer».

¿Qué quiso decir Jesús cuando dijo a Sus discípulos que «ustedes son la sal de la tierra»?
(Mateo 5:13, NVI) Es un recordatorio de que los cristianos deben vivir una vida cristiana ejemplar.

Jesús también dijo a Sus discípulos: «Si la sal pierde su salinidad... ya no es bueno para nada».
(Mateo 5:13, NVI) Si no estamos viviendo una vida cristiana ejemplar, nos convertimos en un elemento disuasorio para los incrédulos.


                                   "The Memoirs of One Man's Journey Through Time»
                                                      Website: cpaulwooderson.com or
                                                                     amazon.com 

Friday, December 13, 2019

                                                               THE SEVEN "I AMs" #3
                                                               BLOG #36 - 12/13/2019

                                 Jesus said, "I am the door of (for) the sheep." (John 10:7, KJV)

The message in this verse is about our spiritual relationship with God. Jesus came on earth to show us who God is. He is the door or the way to God. Through Him we, represented by the sheep, are made right with God.

                      Jesus is "the door" through whom we can "go in and out and find pasture."
                                                                (John 10:9, KJV)

We who enter the "door" Jesus has opened will be saved. We will inherit eternal life. We will be
freed from the guilt of sin. We can "go in and out" because we know we have access to a secure place and a life that is safe. If we truly put our lives in the hands of God, all our worries and fears should be gone. We should have all the things we need to be spiritually healthy.


                                      "The Memoirs of One Man's Journey Through Time"
                                                        Website: cpaulwooderson.com.
                                                                       amazon.com. 

Friday, December 6, 2019

                           THE SEVEN "I AMs" #2                               Blog #35 - 12/6/2019

On one winter night when I was close to the end of my paper route, I saw a purple wreath hanging on a customer's front door. The purple wreath meant somebody in that house had died. Then I saw the casket as it passed in front of me. It was getting dark, and I was afraid of the dark. The shortcut was
through the cemetery. I didn't want to take the shortcut through the cemetery because of my fear of death. Instead, I took the longer route. I ran as fast as I could from streetlight to streetlight. At each streetlight I stopped to catch my breath, then I looked around to see if somebody was out to get me. I did the same thing at each streetlight until I got inside my house.

          Jesus said, "I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness,
                                      but shall have the light of life." (John 8:12, NKJV

The message in John 8:12 refers to our spiritual nature. Jesus is the "light of the world." His "light" shines through spiritual darkness. When we feel lost and we don't know the way we should go His spiritual "light" will help us find the way. We can depend on Him because He is a trustworthy Guide.
He is the way to an abundant and meaningful life. With His "light" shining in our lives we never have to feel alone.

There is something else that we need to know. Jesus said, "He who follows me." What does that mean? If His "light" is to shine upon us we must trust Him. We must fully commit our lives to Him.


                                                                           "The Memoirs of One Man's Journey Through Time"
                                                                                                             Website: cpaulwooderson.com
                                                                                                                                         amazon.com