New Hearts, Filled with Salt and Light 9-14-09

Good morning, Lord Jesus. As I look to the heavens and wait in the silence, I watch and wait for the leading of Your Spirit. ... "Now the people of the city said to Elisha, 'The location of this city is good, as my lord sees; but the water is bad, and the land is unfruitful.' He said, 'Bring me a new bowl, and put salt in it.' So they brought it to him. Then he went to the spring of water and threw the salt into it, and said, 'Thus says the Lord, I have made this water wholesome; for now on neither death nor miscarriage shall come from it.' So the water has been wholesome to this day, according to the word that Elisha spoke" (2 Kings 2:19-22). As soon as Elisha received the mantle of anointing from Elijah, he began to step into his new season of life and ministry. You called him to hear Your voice and speak Your words by the leading of Your Spirit. He couldn't speak the word of the Lord unless he took time apart with You to hear the word of the Lord. Your Spirit rested upon him because You taught him to rest in You. You gave him eyes to see that the people of the land were affected by the purity of the land, and the purity of the land was affected by the purity of the water. The nature of where we live can begin to affect the nature of what lives in us. What we drink into our spirits is often expressed through our bodies. You positioned Your people in a good city in a good land, to live wholesome lives of abundance and blessings, not full of sickness and death in a barren and unfruitful land. So You spoke Your word to the heart of one who was listening, and moved on the hearts of Your people to listen and trust and obey Your word and follow Your wisdom. Elisha asked for a new bowl. We are new creations in Christ. "So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new! (2 Corinthians 5:17). He had the new bowl filled with salt. We need to "be filled" -- to be continually refilled, to be being filled -- with the salt and light of Your Holy Spirit (Ephesians 5:17). We are to be clean vessels, raised up into newness of life, with cleanse hands and pure hearts, seeking You in worship and hearing You in prayer, living in personal, intimate relationship with the One who wants to fill us up and pour us out. Elisha poured out the bowl of salt into the spring of water. You didn't call us to purity and holiness of heart and life by the cleansing of Your blood and the washing of the water of Your word for us to be hidden away and keep to ourselves (Ephesians 5:26). We're filled up to be poured out. "You are the salt of the earth; but if salt has lost its taste, how can its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything, but is trampled out and thrown under foot. You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hid. No one after lighting a lamp puts it under a bushel basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven" (Matthew 5:13-16). And Elisha didn't just pour out the bowl of salt anywhere, he poured it out into the most strategic location -- at the spring, at the headwaters, at the place with the most potential for impact and transformation. You have called each us of us as Your disciples, gifted each of us with the salt and light of the Presence of Your Holy Spirit living within us to express Yourself through us. And You have strategically positioned each of us in the way and in the place bested suited for us to impact the earth and all that is in it. Jesus Christ is our Father's plan of redemption (John 3:16). And the Body of Christ, filled with the Holy Spirit of Christ, continuing the salt and light ministry of Christ, is our Father's plan of transformation of the earth into the kingdom and will of God on earth as it is in heaven: "As the Father has sent Me, so I send you" (John 20:21). You created our hearts to be cleansed, pure and wholesome -- to be holy, healed, and free -- so Your Spirit could flow freely, like "rivers of living water" through our lives to touch and change our world by the power of Your love in Your Spirit (John 7:38). And wherever that wholeness, living water flows, it brings life to all it touches (Ezekiel 47:9, ultimately fulfilled in Revelation 22:1-2). "Purge me with hyssop and I shall be clean: wash me and I shall be whiter than snow. Make me to hear joy and gladness; that the bones that Thou hast broken may rejoice. Hide Thy face from my sins, and blot out mine iniquities. Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from Thy Presence; and take not Thy Holy Spirit from me. Restore unto me the joy of my salvation; and uphold me with Thy free Spirit. Then I will teach transgressors Thy ways; and sinners shall be converted unto Thee" (Psalm 51:7-13). Yes, Lord. Let it be so. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays Friends, please Come to The Fountain this Friday Night, September 18th at 7pm. The Fountain is a monthly gathering our ministry leads on the 3rd Friday Night of every month in the unity of the city-wide church for praise and healing worship. Come drink deeply the Living Waters of the One who wants to fill our hearts and flow through our lives by His Holy Spirit. This month, Jeff Green will be leading in worship and I will be leading in prayer. Hosted in the Chapel of Centenary United Methodist Church, 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, Kentucky. Contact Marilyn Walker, our Messiah Ministries Director of Ministries at DirOfMinistries@aol.com or 859-422-1794. All are welcome! Please come and spread the word! If you would like a copy of our recent Messiah Ministries Newsletter, Messiah's Messenger, in hard copy or by email, please send me a note at MessiahMin@aol.com Subscribe by email to me at Messiah Ministries --MessiahMin@aol.com -- "Preparing the Way of the Lord ... Ministering the Healing Love of God" www.messiah-ministries.org 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502 Devotional Archives at: www.morningbymorning.blogspot.com