Happy Monday X3ers!! I hope all you dads out there had a great Fathers Day! Now lets roll..
Several weeks ago i had the privilege of going with X3 to Exxxotica Miami. I had a great time passing out bibles and spending time talking with people who were interested in what we were doing there. One day while working the booth i had a guy come up to me and ask for another bible because “the guy across the street knocked mine out of my hand.” I asked him who he was talking about and he said the guys across the street yelling at everyone telling them they are going to hell. This got my curiosity up and thought that this would be a good time for a break. So Sam and i went out and what i saw shocked me more than anything on the convention floor. Across the street there were 2 guys holding signs and yelling at folks as they passed by. These two “prophets” as they call themselves were calling women whores and sluts. They were telling everyone that they were going to hell and that “God doesn’t love you!” This blew my mind. How can anyone who claims to know Jesus say the things they were saying to people. One of the guys exact words to me were “God doesn’t love these people.” After hearing those words my heart hurt. My heart hurt for every person passing by that had to hear those words coming out of his mouth. That day and several days after those words haunted me “God doesn’t love those people.”
A couple of weeks later i was working on a prime time (Sunday School @ my church) lesson for my dad’s mens class. I was going to be sharing about what we did in Miami. While working on my lesson i came to a verse i had read and heard sermons on many times. When i read it (it being Matt 5:14-16 salt & light) it hit me!! We all know that we are to be a light shining as a city on a hill. We are to be a light in a dark place. I think most of us have that one down. But what about the salt? Every sermon i have ever heard about salt the minister talked about us was this. If salt has not flavor, it had no value. If Christians make no effort to affect the world around them, they have little or no value. We should bring out the best in everyone around us. Pastors have also talked about salt being a natural preservative meaning we are to help each other from rotting spiritually. But here is the thing that grabbed me, i don’t know about you but salt makes me thirsty. I think that movie theaters have this figured out. They put extra salt on the popcorn so you will get thirsty and have to buy the big $7 dollar drink. We are to be that way as followers of Christ. We should show the love of Jesus in a way that people looking at us thirst for what we have in Christ. Have them asking about the Living Water that the women at the well asked about and received.
As for the 2 guys yelling and screaming they were more like vinegar. There approach was very bitter and sour. After eating something bitter like vinegar nothing tastes right after that not even water. It takes time to get that taste out of your mouth. As these guys “preach” ( i use the term loosely) they turn people away from Christ. They help make the case that all christians are fanatics that only love and care about their own. There rhetoric is not uplifing. It is condeming. Jesus loves us all. We are to show Christs love daily. Make people thirst for what we have. If you make them thirst ,they will ask for water.
I have one more thing to say about salt. Salt helps wounds to heal. We need to pay attention to the people around us who are walking around with open wounds. Be there for them, talk with them, reassure them that they are loved scars and all .
For those of you who are reading this and are walking around with open wounds you are not alone. Your wounds could be addiction (porn, drug, alcohol, ect), it could be problems with your children, problems at work. Only you know what is hurting you. Maybe you have been hurt by the church i know i was. Find someone in your life that you see as SALT. If you don’t know anyone like that there are plenty of people here who are ready to help. Just ask.
Thanks for taking time to read my blog. I hope it opened your eyes and hearts to someting new. Always remember LOVE JESUS/LOVE PEOPLE!!
Steve-Oh