The salt of the earth

Salt and sugar are the two most addictive food flavors.  I love the taste of salt and have found using Sea salt on grapefruit eliminates a bitter taste. 

Salt is one of the oldest, most ubiquitous (it’s everywhere) food seasoning thattruly enhances the flavor of other foods. It can be found in most kitchens and is added to most canned foods.  That is why cutting back on salt is so hard once you have acquired the taste for it.

Salt is essential for health.  The taste of salt (saltiness) is one of the basic human tastes. Salting is also an important method of food preservation and is used in a vast many things from improving flavor, controlling the growth of bacteria in yeast and cheese to making steel and soap.

Therefore, when JESUS speaks of believers being the salt of the earth (Matthew 5:13), HE is saying we should bring a distinct enhancing flavor to every conversation and our presence will have a preserving effect (against the rotting spiral of sin) on society.

Colossians 4:6 Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man.

When Jesus is the source of your life you become both salt and light.  And we are told to “be blameless and harmless, the sons of GOD, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom shine as lights in the world (Philippians 2:15).

Believers in JESUS, indwelt by the HOLY SPIRIT, are commissioned by JESUS to witness of the truth of the Gospel that GOD the FATHER sent JESUS was sent to earth, gave HIM a human body and JESUS died for the sins of the world and rose from the dead so that whoever believes in HIM might have everlasting life (John 3:16, Romans 10:9-10,13). 

We also hold back the full release of sin by our very presence (2 Thessalonians 2:6-8).  So much so that we must be taken out of the world (raptured) before the unleashing of sin that occurs when the antichrist sets up his reign at the beginning of the 7-year tribulation. That is a time GOD’s wrath will be poured out on the CHRIST rejecting world and it is also a time of refining for the CHRIST rejecting Jews. It is also known as Jacob’s trouble (Jeremiah 30:7) or the last week (of years) of the 70 weeks of Daniel (9:24).

Let your salt bring a delightful seasoning to every conversation that keeps evil at bay -and let your light shine by following JESUS’ example and speaking openly about HIM so people have a chance to believe and escape that horrible 7 years.

Hugs

Sharon

How salty are you?

How salty are you?

The Dead Sea is a salt-lake bordered by Jordan to the east and Israel and the West Bank to the west. The lake’s surface is 1,412 ft below sea level, making its shores the lowest land-based elevation on Earth. It is 34.2% (in 2011) salt- 9.6 times as salty as the ocean –making it the saltiest body of water in the world and which makes swimming like floating.

It went from a fresh-water lake to a salt-lake when GOD sent fire down upon it in judgment (Genesis 19:24).

When GOD says,  “Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one” (Colossians 4:6), the salt HE is talking about is the truth of the Word of GOD which is living and powerful, showing us our thoughts and the intents of our hearts (Hebrews 4:12) which teaches, corrects, and instruct us.

Too much salt is not good, nor is it good for us. Have you ever put too much salt on your food?

In an open wound salt can really burn, so we must always seek GOD’s wisdom before speaking. I find that it is helpful to send silent arrow prayers for direction (Proverbs 3:5-7) as Nehemiah did before he answered the king (Nehemiah 2:4-5). 

As salt purifies and preserves and enhances the flavor of foods, so the truth of GOD’s word can preserve and enhance lives.  We are seeing more Bible prophesies written centuries ago are being fulfilled one after another than at any time in history since the time of CHRIST JESUS. 

Therefore, even if it stings a bit, speaking the truth is a very good thing. It helps us know what is going on.  We live in a day of so much sickness, increasing natural disasters, and disasters. It is a time when all around the world people are going crazy with riots and looting because of food, gas and electric shortages and building coming down after earthquakes.  We hear of wars in the Mideast and threats of a war and ultimatums from Russia and North Korea, and even spy balloons invading our air space from China.

It is a time when we who know what GOD has said, need to be salty.  We must care enough about others to tell them GOD’s truth, the plan laid out clearly in HIS Word the Bible. Whether they listen or mock we must offer the Gospel to them. 

GOD so loved the world that HE gave HIS only begotten Son JESUS to die for us to pay for our sin and reconcile us to GOD that we might have eternal life (John 3:16).  They need to know of HIS love and HIS plan to purify this world when HIS wrath against sin will be poured out.   

People need to know that all they must do to be saved from what is coming is to call upon the LORD.  (Romans 10:9-10, 13). “The one who believes on the SON (JESUS) has everlasting life: but the one that does not believe the SON shall not see life; but the wrath of GOD abides on him (John 3:36).

Are you ready? Are you salty?

Hugs

Sharon L Manning

Are you salty?

How salty are you?

The Dead Sea is a salt lake bordered by Jordan to the east and Israel and the West Bank to the west. The lake’s surface is 1,412 ft below sea level, making its shores the lowest land-based elevation on Earth. It is 34.2% (in 2011) salt- 9.6 times as salty as the ocean –making it the saltiest body of water in the world and also which makes swimming similar to floating.

It went from a fresh-water lake to a salt lake when GOD sent fire down upon it in judgment (Genesis 19:24).

When GOD says,   “Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one” (Colossians 4:6), the salt HE is talking about is the truth of the Word of GOD which is purifying.

Too much salt is not good for us.  In an open wound salt can really make it burn, so we must always seek GOD’s wisdom when talking and saying silent arrow prayer for direction always helps.  Yet as salt purifies and preserves and enhances the flavor of foods, so the truth of GOD’s word can preserve and enhance lives.   Therefore, even if it stings a bit it is a very good thing.

We live in a day of pandemics and increasing natural disasters, when all around the world people are going crazy with riots and looting because of food, gas and electric shortages.  We hear of wars in the Mideast and threats of a war and ultimatums from Russia and North Korea, it is a time when we who know what GOD has said would happen to be salty. 

We must care enough about others to tell them GOD’s plan laid out clearly in HIS Word the Bible.  Prophesies written centuries ago are being fulfilled one after another.  GOD so loved the world that HE gave HIS only begotten Son JESUS to die for us to pay for our sin and reconcile us to GOD that we might have eternal life (John 3:16).  They need to know of HIS love and HIS plan to purify this world when HIS wrath against sin will be poured out.   

People need to know that all they must do to be saved from what is coming soon is to call upon the LORD.  (Romans 10:9-10, 13).

^“The one who believes on the SON (JESUS) has everlasting life: but the one that does not believe the SON shall not see life; but the wrath of GOD abides on him (John 3:36).

Are you salty?  Are you ready?

Hugs

Sharon

Salt

Although when we see a salt shaker on the table we think of enhancing the flavor of the food we are going to eat, the main use for salt originally was as a PRESERVATIVE.

JESUS said that believers were the salt of the earth (Matthew 5:13). HE was saying that by our lives and words we could preserve right values and hold back/ restrain wrong.

As Larry Dixon stated, “Salt was such an important symbol in the early church that when someone was baptized a pinch of salt was placed on the new believer’s tongue. Purified in Christ we are called to be a purifying agent in the world,” as we lead the lost to JESUS.

2 Thessalonians 2:6-7 speaks of this restraining power stating that we hold back the free flow of evil until we are taken out of the world. Then when the HOLY SPIRIT (who seals each believer) leaves with us as we are caught away to meet the LORD in the air (1 Thessalonians 4:13-17, Revelation 7) our presence will no long hold back or restrain the evil and that’s when evil will be unleashed. The wickedness of mankind is seen clearly when after 42 months of prophesying God’s two Jewish witnesses are killed. The people celebrate their death and give presents to each other. Then the Antichrist is given power to reign for 42 months mocking GOD and all that is good (Revelation 13:5-6).

To be what JESUS intends for you to be, to hold back evil as the last of the Gentiles who will believe in JESUS come to him (2 Peter 3:9), “Let your speech be always with grace seasoned with salt, that you may know how to answer every man” (Colossians 4:6).

Looking unto JESUS the Author and Perfecter of my faith (Hebrews 12:2).

Hugs

Sharon