READING IN THE NEW TESTAMENT

1) SALT SHAKER CHRISTIANITY- Col. 4:6 says: "Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man."  We ought to salt our words and actions.  Salt adds flavor, a spice!  Salt prevents decay; Salt purifies; Salt changes the chemical make up of what it is added to;  Salt can combine with some chemicals to make a completely different chemical. We too can make these differences when we use some salt of the Holy Spirit on our words and deeds!! 2) YE ARE OUR JOY- I Thess. 2:19 says: "Are not even ye in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming? (vs. 20) For ye are our glory and joy."  The idea is that part of the joy of Heaven is who we have helped to get there!!  Christ paid the debt, and Christ does the saving, but we are instruments through which He chooses to use.  When we get to Heaven, how many will be standing around you?  How many will be in Heaven because of your one life?  I think of my Father and Mother who influenced me for Christ, certainly they have a great reward because of the results God has blessed their son and his ministry.  I think of Charlie Vest, leaving for the mission field in his fifties and investing his life's savings to reach a people for Christ and the multiplied thousands who have been saved... they will be his joy in Heaven!!  I think of Dr. Hyles now in Heaven, but His influence lives on in us who are still winning the lost to Christ each week.  What a thought that in Heaven, people will be around us who we have influenced for Christ!!  Hey... it's worth the effort... Hey, it's worth the sacrifice.... Hey, it's worth giving to and living for!! 3) YE OUGHT TO- Paul says in II Thess. 3:7- For yourselves know how ye ought to follow us:  for we behaved not ourselves disorderly among you:"  Leadership is earned, not given to, but once earned, Paul is saying he deserves for them to follow him.  Notice he says;  "yourselves know how ye ought to follow us".... a. They knew what they should do; b. It was their obligation "ye ought"; c. They should "follow"; d. It was Paul they should follow "us"  WHY... "we behaved not ourselves disorderly among you:" 4) FLEE- II Tim. 2:22 says: "Flee also youthful lusts:"  This is not just for young people!  It does not say: Young people flee lust!  It says: "Flee also youthful lusts".  It seems we just do not out grow the temptation to give into youthful lust, and so once again we are warned as we should be.  How many time in the last few years I've seen on the news a man in his sixties and seventies who is arrested for molesting a child or even caught in a prostitution trap.  Wow, you would have thought.... unless you are that age.  You see Satan has a few chosen temptations that we never out grow so we have to keep up our guard all of the time.  Don't live so long for Jesus just to throw away your testimony on youthful lust.  FLEE, that is always the thing to do.  We NEVER get strong enough to properly resist so the answer is FLEE... don't stand and fight... you will come away injured!!  FLEE!!! Well, so much for today!  God bless.  Pastor Mike Mutchler