INSULATION, NOT ISOLATION

MEMORY VERSE: Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men. Matthew 7:13

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: 2 Kings 7-10

According to the Salt Institute, ‘the multiple chemical and physical properties of salt make possible 14,000 known uses. Its largest use is invisible to the public: about 40% of salt worldwide is used as the raw materials that chemical companies transform into chlorine and soda ash, the foundations of inorganic chemistry.’ Therefore, the usefulness of salt transcends common domestic use we know of to science and industry. In the same vein, believers' influence transcends the four wall of a church. No wonder, Jesus called us the ‘salt of the earth.’ Matthew 5:13 says: ‘Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savor, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.’ We are the salt of the earth i.e. salt of families, educational institutions, business organizations, communities, governments, and nations. Just as Joseph and Daniel were positive influences, believers must be positive influences in their families, school, at work, and any other place they find themselves.

As useful as salt is, one cannot realize any of its benefits unless it is applied. For instance, you need to add salt to food to experience its seasoning benefits. The further salt is from the food, the further is its ability to season it. As believers, to influence the world we need to interact with the world. The further we are from the unsaved world, the further our ability to positively influence the unsaved world. A lot of us have adopted the posture of isolation in our bid to avoid being negatively influenced by unbelievers. As genuine as this concern is, the isolated Christian is not an influential Christian. Remember, although salt mixes and dissolves in the food, the food does not influence the salt; rather, the salt influences the food. If you are really a salt and you are determined to maintain your saltiness, no one will succeed in influencing you. Besides, what we need, as the salt of the earth, is insulation, not isolation. Insulation comes through staying continually in the presence of the Lord.

PRAYER POINTS: Father, give me the wisdom to be all things to all men so that I may win some.

Bro Samuel | Reaching the world for Jesus.

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SALT: PREVENTIVE AND PROTECTIVE SUBSTANCE

MEMORY VERSE: And he said, Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak yet but this once: Peradventure ten shall be found there. And he said, I will not destroy it for ten's sake. Genesis 18:32

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: 2 Kings 3-6

Salt can be obtained from salt rocks; as such, it is classified as a mineral mined. Also, salt can be extracted from sea water. The most common use of salt is to add it to food to improve its taste; however, it has other uses. Salt can be used as a preventive substance. For instance, if ants are beating a path to your home, you can intercept them by sprinkling salt across your door frame or directly on their paths. Ants will be discouraged from this barrier. Salt can be used to prevent grease from splattering while frying. If you don’t want to be burned by the grease splattering while frying something like bacon, what you can do is add few dashes of salt to the pan before beginning to fry foods that can splatter. Besides being burned by grease splatter, you won’t have to worry about cleaning grease off your cooktop. Iodized salt is considered as the national preventive measure of goitre.

Salt can be used as a protective substance. For instance, you can sprinkle it on weeds and pour very hot water on it to kill off weeds. In addition, it can be used to keep away fleas from dogs by washing their doghouse, blankets with salt water. Matthew 5:13 says: ‘Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.’ As believers, we have all the properties of salt; therefore, we are able to influence the earth in the same way, as salt does. A believer can act as a protective covering against every attack from the enemy. The active presence of a believer provides a protective covering for everyone, everything and every place the believer is linked to. A believer, in other words, can keep away all forms of evil. An example that comes to mind is the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis 18: 20-32). Verse 18:32 says: ‘And he said, Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak yet but this once: Peradventure ten shall be found there. And he said, I will not destroy it for ten's sake.’ God promised that He will not destroy the city for the sake of ten righteous people.

NOTE: Know, believe and enforce today this truth that because you are a believer, your family, company, and community can experience a certain degree of protection against evil.

Bro Samuel | Reaching the world for Jesus.

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GRANULES OF SALT 2

MEMORY VERSE: Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men. Matthew 5:13

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: 1 Kings 22-2 Kings 2

Matthew 5:13 says: ‘Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.’ Salt has various uses – over 14,000 to be precise. Asides the obvious fact that salt is used for seasoning, it is also used as a cleaning agent. Salt is an excellent cleaning agent, either on its own or in combination with other substances. If an iron pan is dirty, you scour it with coarse salt and then rinse well to clean it. Our responsibility as Christians is to become a cleaning agent. The earth is very dirty; there is a lot of uncleanness; viz., defiling practices like pornography, masturbation, fornication, oral sex, bestiality, etc. Wherever we find ourselves, we must discourage these practices. We must not judge those who indulge in them but with love, pray for them and lead them to Christ.

Another function of salt is to hold back corruption. In the days before refrigeration, people preserved meat by salting it. Likewise, it is our responsibility to hold back the forces of corruption – moral corruption, social corruption, political corruption – until God’s purposes of mercy and grace have been worked out for this world of ours. Now, suppose we fail in our function as salt –to give flavour, to clean and to hold back corruption. Listen to what Jesus said: ‘…..but if the salt have lost his savour…. It is thenceforth good for nothing...’ If we are not doing what we are supposed to be doing, we become good for nothing! We might expect ‘to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.’ How would you feel if that happened? It is a sobering fact that millions and millions of people across the earth’s surface today would count it their greatest privilege to trample Christians underfoot – particularly, the Christians of England, America, Nigeria, etc. God is not going to come down and trample us underfoot Himself, but He will turn us over to those who hate Christianity and all that it stands for. And the most bitter reflection of such a moment will be, ‘we deserved it. Jesus warned us. We didn’t listen. He said that if we did not serve as salt, we would be thrown out and trampled underfoot.’

PONDER: If you look all around the world, this is gradually beginning to happen. This is a wake- up call to every Christian.

Bro Samuel | Reaching the world for Jesus.

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GRANULE OF SALT

MEMORY VERSE: Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men. Matthew 5:13

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: 1 Kings 17-20

The first thing that comes to mind when we hear the word ‘salt’ is 'seasoning for food.' Matthew 5:13 says: ‘Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.’ There are over 14,000 uses for salt; our grandmas are probably familiar with most of them. Today, I will look at three main functions of salt: To give flavour, clean, and hold back corruption.

What do you do if a food is not tasty or somewhat bland? You simply sprinkle salt on it. The salt gives flavour to that which otherwise might be flavourless. Practising believers are the salt of the earth; as a matter of fact, we are little granules of salt sprinkled across the face of the earth. We have a responsibility to give the earth flavour for God. Our presence on the earth should make the whole world; viz., our communities, workplaces, homes, etc., acceptable to God in a way that it would not be acceptable to Him if we were not here as Christians living out our lives in His grace and love, worshipping and praising Him, and praying according to His will. Our presence makes all the difference as to how He (God) views the earth. Today, the earth may not know our value but I believe the earth will one day discover our value when God takes us all out in the great event known as the Rapture, but that day has not come yet.

Believers give this world flavour. Sodom and Gomorrah were flavourless, as far as God was concerned. The people in it were evil. When the day of destruction came, after consulting His friend (Abraham) the Lord said, "I will not destroy it for sake ten’s sake (Genesis 18:32).” The Lord decided to withhold Judgement on Sodom and Gomorrah for the sake of ten righteous people i.e. ten granules of salt. Unfortunately, He could not find ten righteous people. You know the end of the story. For the sake of Paul (a granule of salt), the Lord preserved a ship, full of people, destined for shipwreck.

QUESTION: Friend, are you a salt of this earth? Are you a salt of your office? Can the Lord because of your service in His vineyard cause your children to find favour anywhere they go?

Bro Samuel | Reaching the world for Jesus.

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AND HE RESTRAINED THEM NOT’

MEMORY VERSE: For I have told him that I will judge his house for ever for the iniquity which he knoweth; because his sons made themselves vile, and he restrained them not. 1 Samuel 3:13

BIBLE READING: 1 Kings 13-16

Eli: The Accepted. Eli was a priest who walked with God. He was indeed God’s servant. He prayed a simple prayer for a barren woman and nine months later, she gave birth to a son. 1 Samuel 1:17- 20 says: ‘Then Eli answered and said, Go in peace: and the God of Israel grant thee thy petition that thou hast asked of him…and Elkanah knew Hannah his wife; and the LORD remembered her. Wherefore it came to pass, when the time was come about after Hannah had conceived, that she bare a son, and called his name Samuel, saying, Because I have asked him of the LORD.’ God approved of Eli by answering his prayers just as He approved of Jesus of Nazareth by miracles and wonders and signs. Acts 2:22 says: ‘Ye men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know.’
Eli: The rejected. Eli’s sons were 'sons of Belial'; viz., the most wicked, vilest, and most profligate wretches. They abused their position as priests (1 Samuel 2:22). Also, they abused women who came to offer sacrifices in the temple. At the end, God wiped out the family of Eli. 1 Samuel 4:19 says: ‘And his daughter in law, Phinehas' wife, was with child, near to be delivered: and when she heard the tidings that the ark of God was taken, and that her father in law and her husband were dead, she bowed herself and travailed; for her pains came upon her.’

What happened? How did ‘the accepted’ become ‘the rejected’? We need to know what happened for the following reasons: firstly, so that we do not end up like Eli ( 1 Samuel 3:12-13); secondly, so that we do not exhaust God’s mercy like Eli ( 1 Samuel 3:14); thirdly, so that we do not perish like Eli; and fourthly, so that we do not miss heaven at the end. What happened is documented in 1 Samuel 3:13: ‘For I have told him that I will judge his house for ever for the iniquity which he knoweth; because his sons made themselves vile, and he restrained them not.’ The Lord rejected Eli simply because his children dishonoured God and he didn’t discipline them. If the Lord rejected Eli because he didn’t discipline his children, I don’t think He will spare us if we don’t discipline our children.

NOTE: Children must be taught the fear of the Lord if we don’t want God to destroy them because God is a not respecter of persons.

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Bro Samuel | Reaching the world.

THE DANGERS OF HAVING WHAT GOD DOES NOT WANT YOU TO HAVE

MEMORY VERSE: And Uzziah the king was a leper unto the day of his death, and dwelt in a several house, being a leper; for he was cut off from the house of the LORD: and Jotham his son was over the king's house, judging the people of the land. 2 Chronicles 26:21

BIBLE READING: 1 Kings 9-12

BIBLE READING: 2 Chronicles 26:18-23

One of the names of the Lord is ‘Father’. Luke 11:2 says: 'And he said unto them, When ye pray, say, Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth.' As a genuine loving father, He wants the best for His children. As such, there are things He does not want His children to have at all for their good. The Lord knew that a certain type of knowledge would destroy Adam and Eve; as a result, He warned them not to eat the forbidden fruit. Genesis 2:17 says: ‘But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.’ Adam and Eve ate what God did not want them to eat, and they died. There are things the Lord does not want you to have or do at all because they will destroy you e.g. communicate with the dead. There are courses the Lord does not want you to sit for because He knows that they will not be profitable to you. I beg you, please don’t fight for a position God has not given to you. King Uzziah tried to be a priest against God's plan and he became a leper (2 Chronicles 26:21).

There are things the Lord does not want you to have at the moment because of your spiritual maturity. The father of the prodigal son didn’t want him to have the inheritance and freedom he asked for because he wasn't mature enough to handle such responsibility ( Luke 15:11-32). The father was correct; he squandered his inheritance. As a single brother/sister, the Lord does not want you to engage in pre-marital sex because it may bond you to the wrong person. Besides, your judgement of things will become clouded once you begin to sleep with people you are not married to. Going through the Scriptures, you will find that everyone who had what God did not want them to have regretted it e.g. Adam, Eve, Abram, Hezekiah, Judas, etc. Abram had a wife God did not want him to have and lost his peace.

PRAYER POINT: Father, please let me never have something you don’t want me to have.

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Bro Samuel | Reaching the world.

PRAYER: A MASTER KEY

MEMORY VERSE: Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord: And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him. James 5:14-15

BIBLE READING: 1 Kings 5-8

There is a song we used to sing back in Nigeria: ‘Prayer is the key. Prayer is the key. Prayer is the master-key. Jesus started with prayer and ended with prayer. Prayer is the master-key.’ How true are the lyrics of this song? Jesus started His ministry with prayer (in the desert) and ended it with prayer (on the cross). One of the secrets of Jesus' success whilst He was on the earth was prayers. He prayed regularly. Prayer is a prerequisite for greatness.

Anyone who wants a change of story, a change of circumstances, victory, a breakthrough, etc., must pray. By praying for the sick, God can heal them. James 5:14-15 says: ‘Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord: And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him.’ Fervent prayer can turn a situation around. James 5:16 says: ‘Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.’ There was a conspiracy at work to get rid of me some years back. At a point, it was certain that I was going to be sacked because they recruited someone to replace me. I reported the matter to God and He turned the table around. The person that led the conspiracy was demoted and she left out of shame. Others were sacked. Prayer draws angels closer to you. Jesus prayed and angels came to minister to Him (Luke 22:39-43). Prayer diffuses fear and imparts unshakeable confidence. Acts 4:31 says: ‘And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness.’ However, one thing is required for your prayer to be answered and that is faith. Hebrews 11:6 says: ‘But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.’

NOTE: Prayer draws you closer to God.

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Bro Samuel | Reaching the world.