WE GIVE WHAT WE HAVE RECEIVED

"Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out demons. Freely you have received, freely give." -Jesus (Matthew 10:8 NKJV) Jesus said this to the twelve disciples, but I don't recall that any of them had been healed of physical illness or demon possession, nor had they been raised from the dead. But certainly they had been healed of spiritual sickness. It is the same with all of us. If Jesus is in our life, we've experienced His healing in some way. We've seen His truth set us free from lies. This is what we have to share with others. I love the word "freely". God freely, abundantly, and generously helps us and heals us. And when we see Him work this way, we are filled with joy and can't wait to share our story with others. And His truth helps them as it has helped us.

FLAVOR

"You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned?" (Matthew 5:13 NKJV) What tastes good to you? fresh-baked bread? fresh strawberries? a just-picked apple? cheesecake? pizza? When we enjoy food, we breathe in the aroma, we see that it looks appetizing, and we taste its deliciousness. It's a rich, full experience. Love also comes to us in more than one way and is a rich, full experience: a mother's tenderness, a spouse's attention and devotion, a comforting hug, sharing a laugh with a friend, getting a call or e-mail from someone who's thinking of you, God's multitude of thoughts toward each of us, Jesus suffering and taking on our sins, being honored on your birthday, a friendly hello, hanging out with people who care about you. As we walk with Jesus, He shows us His many-faceted, new-every-day love, and then we, by the Spirit's power, pass this love on to others. His word helps us: "...as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby, if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is gracious" (1 Peter 2:2-3 NKJV). The word helps us to taste His graciousness. Enjoy!

BEING CLOSE TO JESUS

"We know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is" (1 John 3:2 NKJV). To have a close relationship with Jesus, we must know Him. Knowing Him enables us to become like Him and experience oneness with Him. Sin cannot be part of this. It is sin to be unloving. First John 3:14 says that those who hate abide in death. But loving people is hard sometimes. That's why we need God's Spirit within us to enable us to love even when it's hard.