Author: Ron Moore

“You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt should lose its taste, how can it be made salty? It’s no longer good for anything but to be thrown out and trampled on by men.” Matthew 6:13 HCSB

When I visited the Dead Sea I used an old water bottle to collect some of the water. I brought the water from the Dead Sea home and it sits on a shelf in my office. Many years have passed and the water is still crystal clear and salt particles have formed in the bottom of the bottle. The Jordan River flows into the Dead Sea, but there are no outlets for the water of the Dead Sea. Its water is so salt-laden that warnings are posted for people who swim in the Dead Sea not to drink any of it because it can be deadly. Nothing grows or lives in the Dead Sea because of the heavy salt content – hence its name, the Dead Sea.

Salt was a valuable commodity and was used as a preservative for meats in Jesus’ time since there was no refrigeration. It was also used to flavor foods as it is today. Jesus used salt as an illustration to describe His disciples. They were to be like salt. They were valuable and to be a preservative for all mankind. They were to bring the Good News (flavor) to the world. If they lost their saltiness they would not be of any value to the kingdom of God.

Challenge: The same is true of today’s disciples of Jesus Christ. We are to be the salt and light of the world. How salty are you? Pray that you will be the salt and light to a world that desperately needs the Good News of Jesus Christ.

“You are blessed when they insult and persecute you and falsely say every kind of evil against you because of Me. Be glad and rejoice, because your reward is great in heaven. For that is how they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” Matthew 6:11-12 HCSB

A county clerk in Kentucky decided to follow her religious convictions and would not give marriage licenses to same-sex couples even though the Supreme Court had made the decision that same-sex marriages were legal. She was persecuted because of her Christian beliefs. Many people called her names and said evil things against her. Eventually the judge ordered that she should go to jail. Another Christian couple was fined because they refused to make a wedding cake for a same-sex couple. It seems that more and more Christians are being persecuted for their beliefs.

Jesus warned His disciples and followers that they would be persecuted because of their beliefs. Most of the early disciples of Christ died a martyr’s death because of their faith in Christ. Today, many people are killed around the world because of their Christian beliefs. Here in America Christians may not be killed, but they are often persecuted.

Challenge: Count it joy and be glad when you are persecuted because you are a Christian. Pray that God will give you strength to face persecution and ridicule for your beliefs.

“Therefore, you should pray like this: Our Father in heaven, Your name be honored as holy. Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” Matthew 6:9-10 HCSB

Have you wondered how to pray? Is there some magical formula for what to say or what to do to have your prayers answered? Is there a special position to pray? There are some religions that direct followers exactly how to pray, when to pray, what position to pray, and even what to say in the prayers. This is not what God desires. He wants to hear from our hearts.

Jesus taught His disciples how to pray. He gave them an example of what should be included in a prayer. It was not intended to be a prayer that would be repeated. These verses are often referred to as the “Lord’s Prayer” and are sometimes recited, but the elements of the prayer are of importance. Jesus began His prayer by calling on His Father and acknowledging that God is holy and deserves our praise. He then asks for God’s kingdom to come and for God’s will to be done.

Challenge: When you pray, speak to God just as you would talk to a good friend. He wants to hear your concerns and cares. Begin your prayer by praising God for who He is – a holy God. Present your prayer requests to God but always pray for God’s will to be done in every situation.

“But when you pray, go into your private room, shut your door, and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.” Matthew 6:6 HCSB

The movie “War Room” was a story about the power of prayer. One of the main characters in the movie was an elderly woman who had a prayer closet in her home. Its walls were papered with sheets of prayer requests for her family and friends. She would faithfully go into her closet and pray to the Lord. Through a series of circumstances, she challenged a younger lady to take her requests to the Lord. The younger woman took all of her clothes out of her own closet and turned it into a prayer room where she began praying for her husband, her marriage, and her family.

Jesus challenged His disciples to take their requests to the Lord in secret rather than through loud public prayers. God the Father is always present and hears our prayers. He wants to hear prayer requests that come from our hearts. He may not answer our prayers exactly the way we desire, but He will always do what is best for us.

Challenge: Take your prayer requests to the Lord. God wants to hear your requests. Always pray for God’s will to be done in every situation. Consider selecting a special place in your home to devote to your private prayers. Watch the movie “War Room”.

“Whenever you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites, because they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by people. I assure you: They’ve got their reward!” Matthew 6:5 HCSB

A hypocrite is a person who pretends to be someone or something other than who or what he or she really is. Webster defines a hypocrite as a person who claims or pretends to have certain beliefs about what is right but who behaves in a way that disagrees with those beliefs; A person who puts on a false appearance of virtue or religion; A person who acts in contradiction to his or her stated beliefs or feelings.

Jesus assumed that His disciples would be praying people, but He wanted to make sure they did not follow the example of the Pharisees who would stand in the synagogues and on the street corners to pray, making sure the people could see them. Public prayer was not the problem but rather the attitude of the person praying. They wanted to be seen by others rather than actually trying to communicate with God. They wanted others to think of them as pious, faithful, and religious.

Challenge: How is your prayer life? Are your prayers repetitious or do they seem to hit the ceiling? Are you actually talking to God or trying to impress others who are listening?

You are the light of the world. A city situated on a hill cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and puts it under a basket, but rather on a lampstand, and it gives light for all who are in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven. Matthew 5:14-16 HCSB

I have a sermon in which I use a Christmas tree light, a night light, a regular light bulb for a lamp, and a flood light as an illustration. The Christmas tree light that flickers off and on represents the person who goes to church at Easter and Christmas but seldom attends church and certainly does not want others to know he is a Christian. The night light represents the person who is a Christian and attends church periodically but seldom stands up for his faith or lets anyone know he is a Christian. The regular light bulb represents the person who is a Christian, attends church regularly, gives to the church regularly, and sometimes lets people know he is a Christian, but he is not outspoken about his faith. The flood light represents the person who is striving to live his life for Christ. He attends church regularly, gives a tithe, and actively lives out his faith. He is not afraid to talk about his Christian faith and actively seeks to share his faith with others who need
to know Jesus as Lord and Savior.

Jesus used light as a illustration. He told His disciples that they were the light of the world and that they needed to put their light on a lampstand and let it shine for the whole world to see. They were to light the way for others to show them the path out of darkness. They were to do good works and glorify God.

Challenge: Which light would Jesus assign to you? Christmas light? Night light? Regular light bulb? Or flood light? What are you doing to let your light shine before men? Pray that your life will be a light, showing the way to others who need to see the light of Jesus Christ.

Those who are persecuted for righteousness are blessed, for the kingdom of heaven is theirs. You are blessed when they insult and persecute you and falsely say every kind of evil against you because of Me. Be glad and rejoice, because your reward is great in heaven. For that is how they persecuted the prophets who were before you. Matthew 5:10-12 HCSB

The Christian Post reports that the United States Department of State has detailed in its International Religious Freedom report what one group described as “unimaginable horrors” Christians are facing at the hands of the Islamic State terror group, including beheadings and kidnappings. The American Center for Law and Justice, which has been speaking out about Christian persecution across Iraq and Syria, described accounts in the IRF report as “truly gut-wrenching,” and said the report only offers a “a small glimpse at the unimaginable horrors” Christians are facing.

Jesus told His disciples that they would be persecuted for their righteousness. They would be blessed (find inner peace and fulfillment) when they were insulted and persecuted in His name. He even said they should be glad and rejoice. It is hard to rejoice over persecution, but if it is for the the cause of Christ, a person will be blessed and rewarded. It may possibly not be in this life but in life eternal.

Challenge: Do you feel you are persecuted for your beliefs? It seems that even in America more and more Christians are being persecuted for their beliefs. Pray for strength to stand against the evil that will be spoken against you as a Christian. Read more about Christians being persecuted at www.christianpost.com and lift your persecuted Christian brothers and sisters up in prayer.

The merciful are blessed, for they will be shown mercy. The pure in heart are blessed, for they will see God. The peacemakers are blessed, for they will be called the sons of God. Matthew 5:8-9 HCSB

Our world seems to be a place of unrest on many fronts. There have been more murders in Louisville, Kentucky, this year than in many previous years. It seems that every time the news comes on there is another report of murder or shooting. Our culture has been inundated with road rage. There seems to be more protests and people filled with anger. Our schools have become places of unruly children because there is no longer respect for authority. Even in Bethlehem, the birthplace of Jesus Christ, there is so much fighting and unrest that there were hundreds of soldiers trying to protect those who had come to celebrate Christmas this year. In essence, the peace in our world is progressively diminishing.

Jesus called on His disciples and the people to be merciful, to be pure in heart, and to be peacemakers. To be merciful means to show mercy toward those who do not deserve it just as God has shown mercy toward us as sinners. We do not deserve His mercy, but He freely gives it to us. Those who are pure in heart are those who try to do what is right, keeping pure motives and desiring the best for others. Peacemakers are those who look for ways to get along with others and seek compromise rather than fighting over issues that are not really important.

Challenge: Would Jesus classify you as a person who is merciful, pure in heart, and peace-making? What changes do you need to make in your life to be more like the type of person that Jesus is calling His disciples to become?

Those who mourn are blessed, for they will be comforted. The gentle are blessed, for they will inherit the earth. Those who hunger and thirst for righteousness are blessed, for they will be filled. Matthew 5:4-7 HCSB

I feel richly blessed. I have a wonderful wife of 39 years, four loving children and five precious grandchildren. My home is comfortable and I have a car to drive. My health is sound and I live in a free country where I can read my Bible and worship God. My job affords me the opportunity to serve the Lord and His church. By worldly standards, I am richly blessed.

To be blessed as mentioned in these verses from Matthew describes a person who is happy or to be envied, a person who is filled with joy and satisfaction in God’s favor regardless of his outward worldly position or condition. This is an inner, spiritual happiness that only comes from God. Jesus told His disciples and those listening that those who mourn will be comforted, those with gentleness will inherit the earth, and those who seek righteousness will be filled with happiness and fulfillment.

Challenge: Do you feel happy and fulfilled in life? Do you really hunger and thirst for righteousness? Ask God to bless you and use you to impact your world for Christ.

When He saw the crowds, He went up on the mountain, and after He sat down, His disciples came to Him. Then He began to teach them saying: “The poor in spirit are blessed, for the kingdom of heaven is theirs. Matthew 5:1-3 HCSB

God has been very good to me and allowed me to receive some awards. One of which I am very proud is the Distinguished Leadership Award that was presented to me by the Baptist Association of Christian Educators. This is an award that is given annually to one Christian educator who has made a significant contribution to the world of religious education. I was not expecting this award and was totally surprised by such recognition.

There were crowds of people following Jesus who wanted to hear him. Some had come to receive healing. The disciples were His closest friends and associates and certainly were held in high esteem by the crowds. They were probably proud of their positions as disciples of Jesus Christ. But Jesus had an important lesson to teach them. He went up on the mountain and then sat down (the normal position for a teacher). He then gathered His disciples and began to teach them that it is easy to become proud but those who are poor in spirit (a position of humility) would be blessed and receive the kingdom of heaven.

Challenge: It is easy to become proud because of our accomplishments, position, or power. Jesus calls all of us to have a spirit of humility and to look for ways to serve others. Pray that God will help you to be a person of humility and to avoid the temptation of becoming proud.