Carmen Horne

New Lens, New Life

Why is it Important to Live Salty and Sweet?

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A couple of days ago, our Scripture Writing List (list archives found at the bottom of your email) landed upon one of the great points Jesus made in His Sermon on the Mount. I like how The Message paraphrase reads,

“Let me tell you why you are here. You’re here to be salt-seasoning that brings out the God-flavors of this earth. If you lose your saltiness, how will people taste godliness? You’ve lost your usefulness and will end up in the garbage.”

Jesus Christ — Matthew 5:13 (MSG)

Jesus’ words had me pondering, just what He wants us to do when we read Scripture. How does a salty life look?

Wound Healer: Have you ever soaked a cut in saltwater? My dentist hardily endorses salt water rinses for mouth and gum issues. Salt heals. When we are using our gift of saltiness, God will use us to help restore hurting people. Our presence will bring hope.

Flavor Enhancer: Do you know folks that seem to bring peace with them? Their arrival affects the atmosphere of the situation. They don’t overpower us, they bring out the best in us. We want what they have. They point us to Jesus.

Nutrient Source: The minerals in salt bring proper balance to our bodies. When we live a salty life, we bring balance. Our connection to The Bread of Life (John 6:35) is the spiritual food we need to live an abundant life. When we fill with His food, we can feed others.

Our challenge in living a salty life is total surrender to Jesus. When we say, Here I am. Use me., then, we can help heal, enhance, and offer spiritual food to those around us.

But should we be salty and sweet?

Writing about living salty reminds me of how important living sweet is to our Christian walk. I don’t know how you feel about it, but a little salty and sweet make the best chocolate and the best characteristics of a surrendered life.

Scripture (Galatians 5:22-23) verifies that kindness and gentleness are attributes of the fruit of the Spirit and are intrical to being the salt of the earth. One needs the other to be authentic.

These verses in Proverbs confirm the benefits of sweetness: Proverbs 15:1, Proverbs 15:4, Proverbs 15:23. Proverbs 12:18. I hope you can find time to read a few.

One of the ways I’m tryin’ to live salty and sweet is to spread hope through writing. My friend, Jana Kennedy-Spicer, gives me another opportunity to share the hope found I in Jesus Christ by collaborating with Sweet to the Soul Ministries.

Jana chose Proverbs 16:24 as the foundational verse for her ministry.

Kind words are like honey— sweet to the soul and healthy for the body.

Proverbs 16:24 (NLT)

The Sweet to the Soul ministry team just published their first full-color magazine — FAITH. I am so honored to be part of the writing staff. I really try to ensure that any ministry I collaborate with lines up with my Christian beliefs. Knowing what you believe and standing firm in those beliefs has never been more important. This is one of the reasons I am tickled pink to collaborate with Jana and Sweet to the Soul because of her strong biblical foundation (Check out her “What We Believe” page.) Below is a little about the magazine. Isn’t that cover gorgeous!? It’s jam-packed with goodness.

This is not just another magazine. It is one that you will keep on your bookshelf, just like you would a favorite devotional. I really hope you will grab a copy. I’m not compensated for your purchase. I want to share a great resource with you.

Here’s the purchase link — FAITH Magazine And if you do pick one up, please message me and let me know what you think when it arrives. A little about the magazine below.

Summer 2021: The Inspire Journal
FAITH Magazine

Sweet To The Soul FAITH is a Brand new magazine for Women Inspiring Generations for the Kingdom of God.

Published quarterly, each full color issue is centralized around a theme with specific focus on three Biblical topics.

Filled with over 120 pages and a variety of content in multiple formats:
Devotionals
Articles
Bible Study & Prayer resources
Christian Fiction
Scripture & Prayer cards to share
Bible Journaling
Color Pages & Puzzles
Recipes…and so much more!

Each issue inspires and challenges the reader to answer the call placed on today’s Christian women to be Kingdom influencers within their families and communities.

Sweet to the Soul Faith Magazine Cover
https://sweettothesoul.com/faith

Being salty and sweet seems to be an even bigger challenge for us today. I heard someone say that they were asked did they need the Holy Spirit to be saved? Their answer, “We need the Holy Spirit to go to Walmart.” Truth, right there. With the Holy Spirit’s help, we can help heal, enhance, and feed those around us through the love and kindness of Jesus. We can be salty and sweet.




How are You Defining Victory?

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“But you belong to God, my dear children. You have already won a victory over those people, because the Spirit who lives in you is greater than the spirit who lives in the world.” 1 John 4:4 (NLT)

Do you feel victorious? Most days, I do. Most days, I grasp the beautiful reality that spiritually, Jesus has won the battle over good and evil. Part of our inheritance from our Abba Father is this assured victory.

“So you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God’s Spirit when he adopted you as his own children. Now we call him, ‘Abba, Father.’ For his Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God’s children. And since we are his children, we are his heirs. In fact, together with Christ we are heirs of God’s glory. But if we are to share his glory we must also share his suffering.”

Romans 8: 15-17 (NLT)

When I think of spiritual battles, I sometimes think of Rocky Balboa. That dude was tenacious, wasn’t he? In Stallone’s first depiction of Rocky, he decided how he defined victory — making it 15 rounds — and he did. It wasn’t pretty. He didn’t win by the world’s standards. He won by his.

Could part of our problem with feeling defeated be wrapped up in how the world around us defines victory/success? The spiritual battles we fight have spiritual weapons, and our victories may look different than we expect.

Let me encourage you to look at your most recent battle and ask yourself a few questions:

• How can I describe this differently than I have in the past?
• Did any good happen?
• Did I learn any valuable lessons?
• Can I see how God worked through this difficult time?
• Have I been able to help someone else with my testimony?

2 Kings 6:16 quote

When we take a moment to adjust our lens, maybe what seemed to be so blurry sharpens. We see our victory when we choose a spiritual lens. Remember when the Armenians were at war with Israel (2 Kings 6:8-23)? Elisha’s servant was in despair when he saw the Armenian army before them. Then, Elisha said this,

“‘Don’t be afraid!’ Elisha told him. ‘For there are more on our side than on theirs!’ Then Elisha prayed, ‘O Lord, open his eyes and let him see!'”

What did Elisha’s servant see?

“The Lord opened the young man’s eyes, and when he looked up, he saw that the hillside around Elisha was filled with horses and chariots of fire.”

How are you defining victory in your life? If it doesn’t fit with a worldly view or it’s a tough fight, do you feel like you are defeated? Romans 8:37 proclaims that we are more than conquerors through our relationship with Christ Jesus. Let’s don’t let our enemy, Satan, confuse us on how victory looks or redefine what God has said make us victorious. Take a closer look. Ask yourself a few questions, and hopefully, you will see yourself as the mighty warrior you are!