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Expiration dates are printed on just about everything nowadays, even on cans of soda. One place you will not find an expiration date, however, is on salt. Ever hear anyone say, “This salt tastes old. It must not be very fresh”? Probably not.

Salt never goes stale.

Jesus said “Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is fit neither for the soil nor for the manure pile; it is thrown out” (Luke 14:34-35)

If there is no such thing as fresh or stale salt, how could Jesus say this? There are two ways salt can lose its saltiness.

One is by dilution. The other by pollution.

Put some salt in a glass and add water. Stir, taste, and then add more water. The more you dilute the salt, the less you will taste it. Soon it has no value as salt.

Or, take some salt and add to it other things. Continue to mix in things, polluting the salt, and eventually you will not notice the salt. Its saltiness is lost to the pollution.

Followers of Jesus are to be the “salt of the earth.” (Matthew 5:13) But our saltiness can be lost the same way. Our testimony can be so watered down that by dilution it loses its saltiness. Or, so much other stuff can come into our lives that our testimony is lost due to pollution.

Stay salty! That is what Jesus wants. Do not let into your life things that will dilute or pollute.

Here is your copy of firstIMPRESSIONS, Volume 8.46. Live for God, on purpose, affecting the world around you for the cause of Christ, not becoming diluted or polluted by this life.

Character of a Conquering Christian

Do you wake up in the morning saying “Good morning, Lord!” or do you say “Good Lord, morning!” Are you walking a life of victory, or do you feel more like a victim? Is each day a walk of faith, or a slip into failure?

The Bible tells us in Romans 8:37 that “in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.” We are called to be more than conquerors! So, why is it that so many believers are living a life that is far less than a victorious conqueror?

To be a conquering Christian, we must understand that character is far more important than appearance or popularity. In my life, I desire far more to be known as a man of Godly character than a person of good reputation.

In 1 Timothy 6:11-14, Paul gives us four key identifying traits of a person of Christian character. This Sunday morning we will look at these characteristics, and learn how we can develop the “Character of a Conquering Christian.”

A Lifetime of Wisdom

by Shelley Hollis

I’ve been on the run these last two weeks, from Colorado Springs to Kansas City, then to Baltimore, MD and on to Washington DC and finally to Pennsylvania. The kids and I had services near Washington DC so I thought I would take the opportunity to show the kids the Nations capital.

On Friday we walked on the lawn that encompasses the WWII Memorial, the Korean War Memorial, the Vietnam War Memorial and the Lincoln Memorial. At the other end of the green is the beautiful National Monument. What an amazing place!

I was surprised at how emotional I felt as I walked through the monuments and my heart swelled with pride at being an American. At the WWII Memorial I was photographed by a Washington DC newspaper who was writing a weekend piece for Veteran’s Day. I didn’t know it at the time but he had captured us on camera as we were talking to a group of veteran’s in wheelchairs.

I spotted these four precious old people as they sat by the wall of wreaths in the inside circle of the monument. I knew they were probably veterans and I couldn’t help but go over to them and tell them “thank you”.

They were happy to talk to me and we batted questions back and forth, sharing information about where they fought and their lives now. The oldest gentleman fought in the battle of Normandy. His wife was in the other wheelchair. He was very weak and he talked in hushed tones but I could tell by his smile that he was touched by my children and I as we showered him with gratitude.

Then, they wanted to know about us. Who were we? I think they were interested in why we would show them the attention and affection that we did. After all, there were hundreds of other people wandering around and past them at the memorial and none of them had stopped to shake their hand and say, “thank you”.

We explained that we were missionaries and that we live in Sri Lanka. I told them that because we live in a war environment, we knew the cost of their sacrifices and we are overwhelmingly grateful. As I was sharing this with them I noticed the older gentleman (who fought in Normandy) reaching out his shaking hand to take ahold of mine. As he took my right hand in his he drew it slowly towards his aged and wrinkled face. And then... he kissed my hand. I was so moved by his jester of appreciation that I began to choke back the tears that were beginning to fill my eyes. Then in a gentle whisper he said, “You, my dear, are my hero.” Then, almost rhythmically, the other three chimed in and said, “Yes, my dear. Thank you for what you are doing. You are a hero.”

I could not believe my ears. Here before me sat the wisdom of the aged; the gallant and brave men and women who fought to secure freedom for a nation, aged by a lifetime of experiences that I could not begin to comprehend, aged by the memories that linger in their minds and by the difficulties of watching nations and cultures shift and change before their eyes.

What wisdom sat before me.

I honestly wanted to stop them. I wanted to tell them, “No! You are much more noble then I!” But I did not. I held my thoughts and simply said with tears, “Thank you.”

Throughout these last four days, their precious faces and the remembrance of their soft and emotionally spoken words of thanks have been held captive in my thoughts as I’ve replayed them over and again. I wished I had had more time with them...to listen to the wisdom gained through the experiences of their lives. I wished for another moment to ask them to explain what they meant by their heartfelt words.

After all these years did they somehow understand the eternal significance of a man’s soul? After fighting to save men’s lives did they really believe that the value of a man’s soul is worth more than that? If this is the case, if this is the truth spoken from the aged, then perhaps today we have no reason to fear.

I still choose to say that THEY are the hero’s...those who gave up their lives to secure freedom and democracy. And, I do understand their sentiments as well towards those who give up their lives for a different cause...Christ and His Kingdom.

Today, we’re thankful for all those who never came home and for those who live to remind us of what is important.

From a letter written on Veteran’s Day, November 11, 2008, by Shelley Hollis, who with her husband, Mark, serve as missionaries to Sri Lanka. Visit the Hollis’ website at www.hollisfamily.info

Becoming

by Alan Smith

The famous actor Gregory Peck was once standing in line with a friend, waiting for a table in a crowded Los Angeles restaurant. They had been waiting for some time, the diners seemed to be taking their time eating and new tables weren’t opening up very fast. They weren’t even that close to the front of the line. Peck’s friend became impatient, and he said to Gregory Peck, “Why don’t you tell the maitre d’ who you are?”

Gregory Peck responded, “No, if you have to tell them who you are, then you aren’t.”

There’s a great deal of wisdom in that statement. There’s a big difference in who we think we are, who others think we are, and who we really are. Someone has well said that, “Reputation is who others think we are. Character is who we really are.” As Christians, we ought to be more concerned with character than with reputation. Christianity is more than just knowing the right facts. It’s more than going through the right motions. It begins in the heart; it’s who we are.

There is a continual process of growing and adding Christ-like virtues to our lives. Peter wrote, “Add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love.” (2 Peter 1:5-8) We never stop “becoming"; it’s an ongoing process. There’s always something positive to add to our lives, always something negative to try to get rid of.

We have different ways of measuring growth. When Sueanne and I would take our children to see the pediatrician, the nurse would always check their height and weight. Then that information was written onto a chart that gave us a picture of how they were growing. When we get to be adults, we measure our growth by whether or not we can fit into last year’s pants.

But how does a person measure his growth in Christianity? In Ephesians 4:15-16, Paul says, “but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into him who is the head – Christ – from whom the whole body causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.” Paul says that it’s time for us to grow up, it’s time for us to mature. But what is the goal of our growth? Jesus Christ is!

My favorite picture of the growth of Christianity is found in 2 Corinthians 3:18: “But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.” Paul says it’s as if we’re holding a mirror in our left hand, and a picture of Christ in our right hand. Now when we look in the mirror and see our reflection, and we then we look at Christ, they don’t look much alike. But every day as we mature, we grow up, we become more like Christ, striving for the day when we look in the mirror and see the reflection of Jesus Christ.

Knowledge, conduct, and character must always go together. We learn God’s will so that we might obey it; and in obeying it, we serve him and grow in Christian character. While none of us is perfectly balanced in these three areas, we ought to strive for that balance.

May God bless you as you seek to “know” His will better, “do” more in service to Him, and “become” more like Jesus Christ!

This article by Alan Smith, Senior Pastor of the Helen Street Church of Christ in Fayetteville, North Carolina. You can visit his site at http://www.TFTD-online.com

The 80/20 Rule

by Kelly McFadden

“Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything."—James 1:2-4

The Pareto Principle, or 80/20 rule, states that 80% of the effects come from 20% of the causes. Although this rule was first applied in Italy when Pareto was looking at the dispersal of wealth, it has since become a rule of thumb for many businesses. It has been said that 20% of your workforce does 80% of the work, or 80% of your sales come from 20% of your clients. I think this law comes into play in our lives as well. Life is 20% what happens to you and 80% what you make of it.

There are tons of stories about people who come out of difficult situations – gang life, in and out of jail, drug addiction, broken families, abuse – yet still seem to rise to the top. And of course, there are many stories of those who have been given everything they would need to succeed, only to wind up in the depths of a broken life. How you choose to respond to what life hands you not only says a lot about you, but has a huge impact on your life. You can choose to either spend your life blaming your circumstances for misfortune or heartache, or you can learn from those things and move on.

When James writes his letter, he tells the people to “consider it joy when they face trials.” This is so contrary! Joy? How can you consider it joy when you are robbed, raped, lied to, fired, are having marriage difficulties or friendship problems? James is not saying to pretend to be happy about a painful situation, but simply to have a positive outlook and know you can learn from it and not let it drag you down. The only thing we have control over in this life is how we choose to respond. And how you choose to respond, especially under pressure, shows the depth of your character. Instead of complaining about your struggles or blaming your trials for the bad choices you make, look at them as opportunities to grow, not opportunities to assign blame for your misfortune.

If life is truly 20% what happens to you and 80% what you make of it, be thoughtful each time you react to something that has happened or each time you make a decision.

as seen in “Today’s HomeWord,” a daily devotional with Jim Burns. Visit them online at www.homeword.com

Closet Behavior

by William James

“Can anyone hide in secret places so that I cannot see him?” – Jeremiah 23:24

As Jesus was teaching His disciples to pray He instructed them, “When you pray, go into your inner room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done is secret, will reward you.” (Matthew 6:6)

In the King James Bible the word translated “secret room” is referred to as a closet. From that phrase, the world coined the term “closet behavior” to describe those things we do in private that we do not want to become public knowledge. Used in that sense, closet behavior has nothing to do with receiving a reward from a Father who sees what is done in secret!

The world’s version of closet behavior is about keeping secrets. Things done in the closet are kept hidden in a futile attempt to escape the consequences of our actions. We speak of “closet drinkers” and “closet eaters.” Compulsive shoppers often stash excessive purchases away so that others will not know about their behavior. Compulsive debtors shove unopened bills away in desk drawers.

In recent days we have heard a lot about a new closet behavior: sexual sin and pornography. And as aghast as we are when such incidents make the headlines, when we are honest with ourselves and others we find that in varying degrees all of us try to hide certain things. Even as committed followers of Jesus we are sometimes deluded into believing that secrecy will protect us from public scrutiny – and allow us to continue behavior that we know in our heart is wrong, but that we aren’t willing to surrender to the Lordship of Christ.

As we begin to practice the spiritual discipline of self care, we begin to learn the true meaning of closet behavior – spending quiet time alone with God, and allowing Him to remove those shameful things we try to keep a secret. In our personal devotion time we find the courage and strength to break the strongholds that we feel we must keep hidden because they continue to cause us so much shame and pain.

Prayer and Scripture combine to give us powerful weapons to break the downward cycle of addictive behavior. We find that time spent alone with God in our prayer closet empowers us to say no to the destructive closet behavior of secret-keeping that keeps us in defeat and despair. Today it is my prayer that all of us will make time to go into our prayer closet, close the door and spend time with our Father, who sees what is done in secret. God will give us the desires of our heart when we delight in spending closet time with Him.

In opening ourselves to God’s influence our deepest destiny is fulfilled.

as seen in Winning Words. Winning Words for First Place Losers is a daily e-mail devotional written and published by Elizabeth Crews, First Place Bible study author, for the encouragement of the losers who are winners in First Place. If you would like to subscribe to this free daily devotional, please write Elizabeth at firstplacelosers@cox.net and place the word “subscribe” in the subject line.

Breaking Through the
Sound Barrier

by Rick Warren

“Don’t use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them.” – Ephesians 4:29 (NLT)

Poor communication is the most frequently mentioned problem in marriage counseling. To really communicate, you must give up three things.

You must give up your assumptions. We get into trouble when we start assuming we understand the meaning of what people say to us. The truth is everything you hear goes through a filter. Your filter is determined by your past experiences and your unique personality.

You may not be hearing what the other person is really saying. Therefore, it’s smart (and safe) to ask for clarification. There are six possible messages every time you speak:

• What you mean to say and what you actually said.

• What they heard and what they think they heard.

• What they say about it and what you think they said about it.

Proverbs 18:13 (NLT) says, “What a shame, what folly, to give advice before listening to the facts!”

You must give up your accusations. You never get your point across by being cross. Anger and sarcasm only make people defensive and that kills communication.

Here are four common forms of accusation:

• Exaggerating – Making sweeping generalities like “You never” or “You always.”

• Labeling or derogatory name calling – Labeling never changes anyone. It only reinforces the negative behavior.

• Playing historian – Bringing up past failures, mistakes, and broken promises.

• Asking loaded questions which really can’t be answered, like “Can’t you do anything right?”

You must give up your apprehensions. Fear prevents honest communication. It causes us to conceal our true feelings and fail to confront the real issues. The two most common apprehensions are the fear of failure and the fear of rejection.

But real communication can happen when you face your fear and risk being honest. Freedom is the result of openness. Jesus said, “The truth will set you free” (John 8:32 NLT).

as seen in Rick Warren’s “Purpose Driven Life ” email of October 30, 2008. © 2008 Purpose Driven Life. All rights reserved. Rick Warren is the founding pastor of Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, Calif., one of America’s largest and best-known churches. In addition, Rick is author of the New York Times bestseller The Purpose Driven Life and The Purpose Driven Church, which was named one of the 100 Christian books that changed the 20th Century. He is also founder of Pastors.com, a global Internet community for ministers.

The Last Impression

An elderly woman walked into the local country church. A friendly usher greeted her at the door and helped her up the flight of steps.

“Where would you like to sit?” he asked.

“The front row please,” she answered.

“You really don’t want to do that,” the usher said. “The pastor is really boring.”

“Do you happen to know who I am?” asked the woman.

“No,” said the usher.

“I’m the pastor’s mother,” she replied indignantly.

“Do you know who I am?” the usher asked.

“No,” she said.

“Good.”

Come early this week to WFA and even YOU can get a front row seat! We are entering into one of the most exciting times of the year here at WFA! With only six more weeks left in this year, we have the opportunity to give thanks to God for all He has done, and then to rejoice together celebrating the gift of eternal life He has provided through sending His Son to this earth to rescue us from our sin! Looking forward to worshiping Him together with you this week! See you here at WFA!