Hill Thread

Matthew 5:13-16
13 “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.
14 “You are the light of the world. A city situated on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 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. 16 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.

Ephesians 5:6-10
6 Let no one deceive you with empty arguments, for because of these things God’s wrath is coming on the disobedient. 7 Therefore, do not become their partners. 8 For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light – 9 for the fruit of the light results in all goodness, righteousness, and truth – 10 discerning what is pleasing to the Lord.

Related Text:
Proverbs 13:9
Mark 9:50
Luke 14:34-35
1 Peter 4:12-19

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Think on It
DON’T HIDE IT! DON’T HIDE THE LIGHT!

The world is filled with darkness and God needs you to be a bright shining light for Him. Let your life shine!

This is simply a message of encouragement! Matthew 5:14-16 gives us some great instruction. “You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.”

Ok, flat out, words straight from Jesus, He tells us to live our lives shining brightly for Him. Think of the “light” as the Gospel, the truth that Jesus is God’s son, the truth that He died to take away our sins, and that He rose to life 3 days later. The “light” is the truth that Jesus is the only way into Heaven, the only way into a reconciled relationship with God, the only way to have forgiveness of our sins. Also, the “light” refers to Jesus Himself. In John 8:12 and in John 9:5, Jesus says that He is the light of the world.

So Jesus calls himself the light of the world and also calls His followers the light of the world. Hmmm?!?! The best way I can explain this is by going to God’s Word. Galatians 2:20, “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me.” So, since we are believers in Jesus, we have died to sin and our old selves. So to sum up, Jesus is the light, He lives in us, and that makes us the light too. The only way we are the light is because of Jesus.

You are the light of the world. Great! Now shine brightly, position yourself to light up as many places as possible. Don’t hide under a bowl, get up on a stand, move to the city on the tallest hill, let your light shine so everyone can see it. If a city on a hill cannot be hidden, then that is the best place to set up residence. The idea of this shirt to “Reside in the City” simply means to get out there in the best possible way that you can and share Jesus. Share the light that He has given you. Share the truth that Jesus is Lord; that He died for the sins of the world, and that salvation is through Him alone.

I encourage you to use these passages from God’s Word as a resource in your daily life. Don’t let this truth just rest on this tag or on this shirt. Use it! Let it become a part of you, let the scripture be written on your heart and move you to live your life in obedience to God out of love. Dive into God’s Word, spend time with Him in prayer, connect with other believers, live for Jesus who died for your sins and rose again!

Matthew 5:1-10
1 When He saw the crowds, He went up on the mountain, and after He sat down, His disciples came to Him. 2 Then He began to teach them, saying:
3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit,
because the kingdom of heaven is theirs.
4 Blessed are those who mourn,
because they will be comforted.
5 Blessed are the gentle,
because they will inherit the earth.
6 Blessed are those who hunger
and thirst for righteousness,
because they will be filled.
7 Blessed are the merciful,
because they will be shown mercy.
8 Blessed are the pure in heart,
because they will see God.
9 Blessed are the peacemakers,
because they will be called sons of God.
10 Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness,
because the kingdom of heaven is theirs.

***SAME VERSES IN THE MESSAGE TRANSLATION OF THE BIBLE***

Matthew 5:1-10 (The Message)
1-2 When Jesus saw his ministry drawing huge crowds, he climbed a hillside. Those who were apprenticed to him, the committed, climbed with him. Arriving at a quiet place, he sat down and taught his climbing companions. This is what he said:
3″You’re blessed when you’re at the end of your rope. With less of you there is more of God and his rule.
4″You’re blessed when you feel you’ve lost what is most dear to you. Only then can you be embraced by the One most dear to you.
5″You’re blessed when you’re content with just who you are-no more, no less. That’s the moment you find yourselves proud owners of everything that can’t be bought.
6″You’re blessed when you’ve worked up a good appetite for God. He’s food and drink in the best meal you’ll ever eat.
7″You’re blessed when you care. At the moment of being ‘care-full,’ you find yourselves cared for.
8″You’re blessed when you get your inside world-your mind and heart-put right. Then you can see God in the outside world.
9″You’re blessed when you can show people how to cooperate instead of compete or fight. That’s when you discover who you really are, and your place in God’s family.
10″You’re blessed when your commitment to God provokes persecution. The persecution drives you even deeper into God’s kingdom.

Related Text:
Genesis 12:1-3
Psalm 1
Psalm 84
Luke 6:17-26
Luke 11:27-28
John 20:24-29

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Hope You Like Pancakes
When you hear someone encourage you to turn your world upside down for Jesus, the ideas and the truth that could serve as your spatula as you prepare to flip the world around you on it’s head can be found in the sermon on the mount. (Matthew 5-7) Just like Paul and Silas in Acts 17, when you take the truth of what Jesus taught and live it and take it to the masses and teach it with reckless abandon, you will be going against what society as a whole believes and/or practices. You will be flipping the world around you (your sphere of influence) upside down. Left will be Right for them, Up will be Down, Black will be White; you will rock their world!

Being gentle in today’s world is not often (if ever) seen as a strength. Makes no sense right? – OR DOES IT??? – Jesus said that a gentle person will be blessed (be happy & joyful) and will inherit the earth. Wow! That’s a huge promise just for being gentle. So what’s with Gentleness anyway? (you mean besides being a part of the Fruit of the Spirit?!?! – Gal 5:22-23)

Aren’t gentle people just quiet all the time, shy around everyone, and weak and puny. Well, we may get that perception from movies, tv and other media and advertising outlets, but it is nowhere near the truth.

The truth is, a gentle person has a proper perspective of himself/herself before God and other people. A gentle person isn’t a symbol of weakness; just the opposite. Gentleness is a sign of strength and security. Gentle people understand that they don’t have to be obnoxious and loud to bring attention to themselves to gain any standing with people around them. They don’t have to bully people, create fear in others around them, be intimidating or be overwhelming to others.

Gentle people are secure in who God created them to be and understand the true greatness of God and therefore don’t seek out attention to puff themselves up. But rather, bring attention to Jesus, who died for the sins of the world. As Christians, we are to love God and love others, not make others fear us or be impressed by us. Strength is not Popularity.

I challenge you to go back up there and re-read Matthew 5:1-10, which is the start of the Sermon on the Mount. Pray first, pray that God will give you His strength, which looks so very different that this world’s perception of strength. Pray that God will begin to change the way you think, just like in Romans 12:1-2. Pray for God to meet you as you read His Word. Now go read the passage one more time.

Deuteronomy 30:11-20
11 Now what I am commanding you today is not too difficult for you or beyond your reach. 12 It is not up in heaven, so that you have to ask, “Who will ascend into heaven to get it and proclaim it to us so we may obey it?” 13 Nor is it beyond the sea, so that you have to ask, “Who will cross the sea to get it and proclaim it to us so we may obey it?” 14 No, the word is very near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart so you may obey it.

15 See, I set before you today life and prosperity, death and destruction. 16 For I command you today to love the LORD your God, to walk in his ways, and to keep his commands, decrees and laws; then you will live and increase, and the LORD your God will bless you in the land you are entering to possess.

17 But if your heart turns away and you are not obedient, and if you are drawn away to bow down to other gods and worship them, 18 I declare to you this day that you will certainly be destroyed. You will not live long in the land you are crossing the Jordan to enter and possess.

19 This day I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live 20 and that you may love the LORD your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him. For the LORD is your life, and he will give you many years in the land he swore to give to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

Related Text:
Deuteronomy 7:9-15
Deuteronomy 10:12-13
Micah 6:6-8
John 14:15
Romans 10:5-13
1 John 5:3

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Try This On For Size
Here’s a different translation of Deuteronomy 30:20, sounds like a good one to memorize and apply!

“love the LORD your God, obey Him, and remain faithful to Him. For He is your life”

So here’s a challenge; what part of God’s commands do you struggle with? What are the sins in your life that you just can’t get over? What areas are you definitely NOT being an instrument of righteousness. (Romans 6:13 – “Do not let any part of your body become an instrument of evil to serve sin. Instead, give yourselves completely to God, for you were dead, but now you have new life. So use your whole body as an instrument to do what is right for the glory of God. “)

Obviously, this is going to be very personal, but feel free to share if you are willing – but there is no pressure to make this public. Just make a list on your own, and then lift that list up to God. Cry out to Jesus who died for the very sins you are writing down, thank Him for His sacrifice and forgiveness, and ask Him for strength and wisdom to overcome the areas that you have written down.

Deuteronomy 7:1-8
1 When the LORD your God brings you into the land you are entering to possess and drives out before you many nations-the Hittites, Girgashites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites, seven nations larger and stronger than you- 2 and when the LORD your God has delivered them over to you and you have defeated them, then you must destroy them totally. Make no treaty with them, and show them no mercy. 3 Do not intermarry with them. Do not give your daughters to their sons or take their daughters for your sons, 4 for they will turn your sons away from following me to serve other gods, and the LORD’s anger will burn against you and will quickly destroy you. 5 This is what you are to do to them: Break down their altars, smash their sacred stones, cut down their Asherah poles and burn their idols in the fire. 6 For you are a people holy to the LORD your God. The LORD your God has chosen you out of all the peoples on the face of the earth to be his people, his treasured possession.
7 The LORD did not set his affection on you and choose you because you were more numerous than other peoples, for you were the fewest of all peoples. 8 But it was because the LORD loved you and kept the oath he swore to your forefathers that he brought you out with a mighty hand and redeemed you from the land of slavery, from the power of Pharaoh king of Egypt.

Related Text:
Deuteronomy 8:18-9:5
Judges 2:10-23
2 Corinthians 6:14-7:1
Colossians 4:4-6
1 Peter 2:1-12

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These type of verses make it sort of difficult to imagine God possessing mercy, compassion, and love. But consider this: during that time, other nations served other gods – just like today (for example-India serves the many gods of Hindu, Iraq serves Allah, and Thailand serves Buddha, etc.)

In the Old testament, Israel traveled through nations that served other gods. When one nation conquered another, it was proof that their nations god was more powerful. War was common, and if Israel didn’t kill other nations, they would have been killed or taken as slaves.

Today, those who believe in Jesus are considered a nation. They are in the process of being made like Jesus. There will come a day when those people being made like Jesus will be separated from those who have rejected this transformation. Jesus’ people will be with Him forever.

Numbers 18:1-2
1 The LORD said to Aaron, “You, your sons and your father’s family are to bear the responsibility for offenses against the sanctuary, and you and your sons alone are to bear the responsibility for offenses against the priesthood. 2 Bring your fellow Levites from your ancestral tribe to join you and assist you when you and your sons minister before the Tent of the Testimony.

Numbers 18:5-7
5 “You are to be responsible for the care of the sanctuary and the altar, so that wrath will not fall on the Israelites again. 6 I myself have selected your fellow Levites from among the Israelites as a gift to you, dedicated to the LORD to do the work at the Tent of Meeting. 7 But only you and your sons may serve as priests in connection with everything at the altar and inside the curtain. I am giving you the service of the priesthood as a gift. Anyone else who comes near the sanctuary must be put to death.”

Numbers 18:19-20
19 Whatever is set aside from the holy offerings the Israelites present to the LORD I give to you and your sons and daughters as your regular share. It is an everlasting covenant of salt before the LORD for both you and your offspring.” 20 The LORD said to Aaron, “You will have no inheritance in their land, nor will you have any share among them; I am your share and your inheritance among the Israelites.

Related Text:
Leviticus 1-7
Leviticus 21-22
Numbers 3
Hebrews 7-9
1 Peter 2:4-10

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One of the duties of the high priest was to present the sacrifices to God. Today, Christians, followers of Jesus, are like priests in one area; we are all called to present our own sacrifices to God! Yea, that’s right, we are still supposed to offer sacrifices up to God. However, we don’t have to go into a tent behind a large curtain to offer them, and the sacrifices aren’t dead animals or the first fruits of our harvest.

Christians are called to give their lives as LIVING SACRIFICES to God. Check out Romans 12:1, “So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life-your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life-and place it before God as an offering.” (MSG)

This complete lifestyle sacrifice requires you to present to God all that you are. EVERYTHING. A living sacrifice reveals that God is the top priority in every part of your life. It’s not the easiest sacrifice to make, but it’s what God asks. It’s what Jesus asks of His followers when He calls them. Just remember, when you’re a living sacrifice, you have the ability (since you are alive) to crawl off of the altar. Because we are all sinners, there will be times when we don’t give our actions, or our abilities, or our lives up to God. That means you’ll have keep offering yourself, your life, to God. Don’t stop. Make the decision daily to follow God and live for Jesus who died for you!

Hebrews 9:1-12 (The Message)

1-5That first plan contained directions for worship, and a specially designed place of worship. A large outer tent was set up. The lampstand, the table, and “the bread of presence” were placed in it. This was called “the Holy Place.” Then a curtain was stretched, and behind it a smaller, inside tent set up. This was called “the Holy of Holies.” In it were placed the gold incense altar and the gold-covered ark of the covenant containing the gold urn of manna, Aaron’s rod that budded, the covenant tablets, and the angel-wing-shadowed mercy seat. But we don’t have time to comment on these now.
6-10After this was set up, the priests went about their duties in the large tent. Only the high priest entered the smaller, inside tent, and then only once a year, offering a blood sacrifice for his own sins and the people’s accumulated sins. This was the Holy Spirit’s way of showing with a visible parable that as long as the large tent stands, people can’t just walk in on God. Under this system, the gifts and sacrifices can’t really get to the heart of the matter, can’t assuage the conscience of the people, but are limited to matters of ritual and behavior. It’s essentially a temporary arrangement until a complete overhaul could be made.

11-15But when the Messiah arrived, high priest of the superior things of this new covenant, he bypassed the old tent and its trappings in this created world and went straight into heaven’s “tent”-the true Holy Place-once and for all. He also bypassed the sacrifices consisting of goat and calf blood, instead using his own blood as the price to set us free once and for all. If that animal blood and the other rituals of purification were effective in cleaning up certain matters of our religion and behavior, think how much more the blood of Christ cleans up our whole lives, inside and out. Through the Spirit, Christ offered himself as an unblemished sacrifice, freeing us from all those dead-end efforts to make ourselves respectable, so that we can live all out for God.

Related Text:
Exodus 25-27
Exodus 35-40
Mark 15:37-38
Hebrews 9:13-28
Hebrews 10:19-23

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One Sacrifice For All time
In the Old Testament, the High Priest was the greatest of all of the priests. He was the one who offered the sacrifices to God on behalf of all of the Israelites. The catch in the Old Testament is, the High Priest had to offer sacrifices over and over again because the sacrifices only covered the sins already committed by the Israelites in the previous year.

In the New Testament, Jesus is given the title of High Priest because He sacrificed His life on behalf of all people, everywhere! And here’s the great news about Jesus being the High Priest. When He offered His life as a sacrifice, it was one sacrifice for all people and for all time. This means that all of your sins are paid for, even the ones you haven’t committed yet. (is your mind blown yet?) When you better understand the meaning and responsibilities of the High Priest, you can better understand and appreciate that Jesus destroyed the power of sin in your life by offering up His own life by dying on the cross.

You can never thank God enough for that ultimate sacrifice He made on your behalf. Go ahead and thank Him at least one more time today!

1 Corinthians 9:19-27

19-23 Even though I am free of the demands and expectations of everyone, I have voluntarily become a servant to any and all in order to reach a wide range of people: religious, nonreligious, meticulous moralists, loose-living immoralists, the defeated, the demoralized-whoever. I didn’t take on their way of life. I kept my bearings in Christ-but I entered their world and tried to experience things from their point of view. I’ve become just about every sort of servant there is in my attempts to lead those I meet into a God-saved life. I did all this because of the Message. I didn’t just want to talk about it; I wanted to be in on it!

24-25 You’ve all been to the stadium and seen the athletes race. Everyone runs; one wins. Run to win. All good athletes train hard. They do it for a gold medal that tarnishes and fades. You’re after one that’s gold eternally.

26-27 I don’t know about you, but I’m running hard for the finish line. I’m giving it everything I’ve got. No sloppy living for me! I’m staying alert and in top condition. I’m not going to get caught napping, telling everyone else all about it and then missing out myself.

Related Text:
Romans 12:9-21
Luke 9:23-24
Hebrews 12:1-3
John 15:12-14
1 John 3:16

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You can read it, or you can get up and do something.

Paul was meeting people where they were in their lives. He was taking the Gospel of Jesus out to the people, and not waiting on the people to clean up and come to him.

Serving others will look different in each of our lives; we won’t all serve God or serve others in the same way. God has made us all different and we have been given different gifts, talents, abilities, and passions. However, we must be careful not to use this as an excuse to keep putting off service, or we’ll end up never serving God at all. It’s easy to say that we are just waiting see what our ability is, and then later we will use it to serve God. Basically, it’s super easy to keep putting off serving God with our lives.

But that’s what Jesus has called us to do. It’s not all going to look the same, but Jesus told all of His followers to leave their own lives behind, and live for Him. 2 Corinthians 5:15 says, “And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.”

I challenge you today to ask God how you can serve Him. Find a way to love others, to show them God’s amazing love! If you don’t have any ideas, pray for some. Go spend $10 on someone who needs something and can’t get it for themselves. Find a way to step outside of your own life and live for Jesus who gave up His own life to save yours.

Isaiah 54:1
“Sing, O barren woman,
you who never bore a child;
burst into song, shout for joy,
you who were never in labor;
because more are the children of the desolate woman
than of her who has a husband,”
says the LORD.

Isaiah 54:4-8
4 “Do not be afraid; you will not suffer shame.
Do not fear disgrace; you will not be humiliated.
You will forget the shame of your youth
and remember no more the reproach of your widowhood.
5 For your Maker is your husband-
the LORD Almighty is his name-
the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer;
he is called the God of all the earth.
6 The LORD will call you back
as if you were a wife deserted and distressed in spirit-
a wife who married young,
only to be rejected,” says your God.
7 “For a brief moment I abandoned you,
but with deep compassion I will bring you back.
8 In a surge of anger
I hid my face from you for a moment,
but with everlasting kindness
I will have compassion on you,”
says the LORD your Redeemer.

Related Text:
Psalm 45
Song of Songs 4
Isaiah 62:1-7
Revelation 19:5-9

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While you are alive, you will experience times of pain and sadness, emptiness and loneliness; everyone does at some point. In the midst of pain, there is hope for those who have been promised eternal life. Check out the description of heaven in Revelation 21:2-4

“I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. 3And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. 4He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”

Proverbs 31:10
A wife of noble character who can find?
She is worth far more than rubies

Proverbs 31:21-31
21 When it snows, she has no fear for her household;
for all of them are clothed in scarlet;
22 She makes coverings for her bed;
she is clothed in fine linen and purple.
23 Her husband is respected at the city gate,
where he takes his seat among the elders of the land.
24 She makes linen garments and sells them,
and supplies the merchants with sashes.
25 She is clothed with strength and dignity;
she can laugh at the days to come.
26 She speaks with wisdom,
and faithful instruction is on her tongue.
27 She watches over the affairs of her household
and does not eat the bread of idleness.
28 Her children arise and call her blessed;
her husband also, and he praises her:
29 “Many women do noble things,
but you surpass them all.”
30 Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting;
but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.
31 Give her the reward she has earned,
and let her works bring her praise at the city gate.

Proverbs 18:22
The man who finds a wife finds a treasure,
and he receives favor from the Lord.

Related Text:
1 Samuel 25:1-42
Proverbs 19:14
Luke 1:26-55
Ephesians 5:21-24
1 Peter 3:1-6

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These verses describe a woman who possesses godly qualities that make her sine with a new & different type of beauty.

So here’s the challenges for the guys and the ladies!

If you are female, write down 3 qualities from today’s passages that you would like in your life. Next to each quality, write down one goal, or one action, that can help you develop that quality.

……Quality……………………………………..Goal
1.
2.
3.
If you are male, write down 3 qualities from today’s passages that you would like to see in the woman that you marry (or are married to). Next, write out beside each quality a goal or an action that you can start so that God can prepare you to be the kind of husband that will bring out these qualities and the inner beauty in your future wife. (If you are currently married, then do the same so that God can begin to use you to bring out these qualities and the inner beauty in your wife.)

……Quality……………………………………..Goal
1.
2.
3.

Proverbs 31:10-20
10 A wife of noble character who can find?
She is worth far more than rubies.
11 Her husband has full confidence in her
and lacks nothing of value.
12 She brings him good, not harm,
all the days of her life.
13 She selects wool and flax
and works with eager hands.
14 She is like the merchant ships,
bringing her food from afar.
15 She gets up while it is still dark;
she provides food for her family
and portions for her servant girls.
16 She considers a field and buys it;
out of her earnings she plants a vineyard.
17 She sets about her work vigorously;
her arms are strong for her tasks.
18 She sees that her trading is profitable,
and her lamp does not go out at night.
19 In her hand she holds the distaff
and grasps the spindle with her fingers.
20 She opens her arms to the poor
and extends her hands to the needy.

Related Text:
Genesis 24
Acts 18:23-26
Romans 16:1-6

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Something to Think About
No matter who you are, where you’re at in your life, male or female, you can learn from the wisdom in these verses.

If your a woman who’s not married, well, have you ever considered what kind of wife you want to be. What about if you’re a woman who is married; are you being obedient to God in your marriage? Let’s not forget the guys. Have you ever considered what spiritual qualities you would desire from your future wife? To all the married men out there, are you doing everything you can to help your wife in her relationship with God and her spiritual growth?

Just a thought, attractive women are a dime a dozen, they can be found everywhere. But a woman who loves God and who rejoices in her life with her Savior is a remarkable discovery.