Are You Seasoned
Leviticus 2:13-13
“Are You Seasoned?”
Seasoned: The Etymology of the word seasoned is from the French “assaisoner” meaning to ripen, to give food more flavor or zest by adding seasoning or savory ingredients, to give a distinctive quality to, to treat as wood or a skillet so as to prepare for use, to make fit by experience.
The Seasoning Process: When seasoning wood there are different types, there is what is known as:
Kiln dried: Heat and airflow is in an enclosed space is used to dry out all the water content in the wood very quickly.
Air-dried: As the name implies, this is wood that is dried by air alone. No artificial heat source is used in the process.
Seasoned Wood: Wood that has been dried while retaining various oils and resins. These oils and resins undergo a chemical transformation where they harden the wood fibers, producing a stronger piece of wood.
* After a chemical transformation within the wood it is still wood. It looks the same as it did before the process began; however, on the inside it has undergone a great change. The word transformation is: the operation of changing one configuration or expression into another: (I was sad, but now I am happy) a change of variables or coordinates in which a function of new variables or coordinates is substituted for each original variable or coordinate (I was on my way to hell, but I have had a transformation and I am on my way to HEAVEN): a genetic modification of a bacterium by incorporation of free DNA from another ruptured bacterial cell: genetic modification of a cell by the uptake and incorporation of exogenous DNA (Because of His nail scared hands and feet, because of the crown of thorns on His head, because of the wound in His side He became ruptured and my soul has incorporated His DNA and I have undergone a genetic modification. In other words old things are passed away and behold all things have become new.). The bible says in Romans 12:2 “And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed (undergo a spiritually chemical transformation) by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” I am being seasoned.
Then there is what is called seasoning cast iron. I learned this from my wife. Cast Iron Cookware must be seasoned properly and it will last a lifetime. To season a new cast iron pan
1. Heat the oven to 250o - 300o
2. Coat the pan with lard or bacon grease. Don’t use a liquid vegetable oil because it will leave a sticky surface and the pan will not be properly seasoned.
3. Put the pan in the oven. In 15 minutes, remove the pan & pour out any excess grease. Place the pan back in the oven and bake for 2 hours.
Repeating this process several times is recommended, as it will help create a stronger "seasoning" bond.
If the pan was not seasoned properly or a portion of the seasoning wore off and food sticks to the surface or there is rust, then it should be properly cleaned and re-seasoned.
1. Remove any food residue by cleaning the pan thoroughly with hot water and a scouring pad. Understand that heating the pan first to a temperature that is still safe to touch helps open the pores of the metal and makes it easier to clean.
2. Dry the pan immediately with dishtowel or paper towel.
3. Season the pan as outlined above.
When I think about the seasoning process I think about Malachi 3:3 “And he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and he shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the LORD an offering in righteousness.”
A refiner of silver or gold is called a silversmith or goldsmith and the process of refining the gold or silver is a process that when looked at spiritually you see and understand the mighty hand-work of God.
To refine silver or gold is to hold a piece of silver over the fire and let it heat up. In refining silver or gold, one needed to hold the silver in the middle of the fire where the flames were hottest as to burn away all the impurities. God is holding us in the middle of the hot spots in life to season us. The whole time the silver or gold is in the fire the refiner has to sit in front of the fire the whole time the silver or gold is being refined. The refiner, he not only has to sit there holding the silver, but he has to keep his eyes on the silver or gold the entire time it was in the fire. If the silver or gold were left even a moment too long in the flames, it would be destroyed. No matter how long it seems you have been in the fire, God knows and will not leave you in there to long. He is refining and seasoning you. The question is, "How do you know when the silver or gold is fully refined?" The answer is when I see my image in it." God will send us through the seasoning and refining fires until he is able to see His image in us. Repeating this process several times is recommended, as it will help create a stronger "seasoning" bond.
The trials, tribulations, storms, and hard-times in your life are just part of the seasoning process. God is trying to develop your character. Character is: one of the attributes or features that make up and distinguish an individual, it is a feature used to separate distinguishable things into categories; a group or kind so separated, the detectable expression of the action of a gene or group of genes, the aggregate of distinctive qualities. 1st Peter 2:9 “But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.”
We are to be Christ like that is the meaning of the word Christian. The Divine purpose for us is not just a mere external imitation of Christ but an internal transformation. Because you can look Holy on the outside and be pure hell on the inside, but an internal transformation is Holy on the inside and causes the outside to be Holy also.
What Are You Seasoned With: We have looked at the process of seasoning, but the question is now What are you seasoned with?
The bible says in Leviticus 2:13 “And every oblation of thy meat offering shalt thou season with salt; neither shalt thou suffer the salt of the covenant of thy God to be lacking from thy meat offering: with all thine offerings thou shalt offer salt.”
We are to be seasoned with salt. The word salt is mentioned 37 times in the Bible. Matthew 5:13 says “Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? It is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.”
Salt changes everything it comes in contact with, but the salt itself remains unchanged. If salt loses it savour it is good for nothing but to be cast out, and trodden under foot of men. We are the salt of the earth, we are to change everything that we come in contact with, the world, it’s not to change us.
Salt was a spice that was added to a sacrifice that made it something special, it gave it a sweet smelling savour. Savour is: the taste or smell of something: a particular flavor or smell: a distinctive quality. We has children of God should have a distinctive quality about us that is the meaning of a peculiar people.
Ø Salt implies Healing: 2nd Kings 2:20-22 “And he said, Bring me a new cruse, and put salt therein. And they brought it to him. And he went forth unto the spring of the waters, and cast the salt in there, and said, Thus saith the LORD, I have healed these waters; there shall not be from thence any more death or barren land. So the waters were healed unto this day, according to the saying of Elisha which he spake.”
Ø Salt was put into a cruse – a cruse is was a horn used for pouring anointing oil on a person. HORNS mean power, because horns were removed from animals, which used them for power. Bull, Rhino, Ram, Steers.
Ø Salt implies preserving: “So the waters were healed unto this day, according to the saying of Elisha which he spake.”
Ø Horn combined with the permanency of the Salt makes permanent power. Permanent Healing was shown in the healing of the waters with a cruse with salt in it.
Ø Salt implies commitment: God made a covenant of Salt with David 2nd Chronicles 13:5 says “Ought ye not to know that the LORD God of Israel gave the kingdom over Israel to David for ever, even to him and to his sons by a covenant of salt?” This means God can never go back on His word!
*A Covenant of Salt would have been performed like this: I would have a bag of salt on my side and you would have a bag of salt on your side. We would agree on something, then I would take some salt from my bag; you would take some salt from your bag. I would put the salt from my bag into your bag and you would put the salt from your bag into my bag. This signified that since we could not separate the salt the covenant would be everlasting. Matthew 28:18-20 says “And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.” This is a spiritual salt covenant because it is everlasting. God made it and it can never be broken. To make a covenant of salt with God is to endure with Him forever.
PUTTING SALT IN THE SACRIFICE: A sacrifice was a total commitment; every part of the animal was given in a sacrifice. A sacrifice is the surrender or destruction of something valued for the sake of something else. Leviticus 2:13 “And every oblation of thy meat offering shalt thou season with salt; neither shalt thou suffer the salt of the covenant of thy God to be lacking from thy meat offering: with all thine offerings thou shalt offer salt.” Romans 12:1 says “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.” We are a living sacrifice unto God and every sacrifice is to have salt in it. It implies total dedication to God eternally. When we offer our bodies a living sacrifice unto the Lord we are totally surrendering and destroying this fleshly carnal man for the sake of something far better, eternal life.
Excuses are to make apology for, to try to remove blame from, to forgive entirely or disregard as of trivial import: regard as excusable. Excuses are indications that you, the sacrifice, have no salt in you.
In Luke 14:16-20 the Bible says “Then said he unto him, A certain man made a great supper, and bade many: And sent his servant at supper time to say to them that were bidden, Come; for all things are now ready. And they all with one consent began to make excuse. The first said unto him, I have bought a piece of ground, and I must needs go and see it: I pray thee have me excused. And another said, I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to prove them: I pray thee have me excused. And another said, I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.”
Excuses are the wrong kinds of salt that we has children of God are to be seasoned with.
WHAT ARE YOU SEASONED WITH: In the natural there are many different types of salt, there is lemon-pepper salt, onion-salt, garlic-salt and many others. The wrong kind of salt in something will destroy the taste of that thing all-together. Remember salt is a spice, the wrong spice has the opposite effect on food / the sacrifice.
*Example: One day I was cooking some French toast; instead of reading the bottle I just put it into the mixture. What I had done was grab the liquid smoke thinking it was vanilla. True it is a spice but it was the wrong spice and therefore ruined the French toast all together.
We must know what type of salt to add in order to be a sweet smelling savour in our sacrifice to God. The wrong type of salt will cause us to be a stinking mess before the Lord.
Galatians 5:19-23 says “Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.” Proverbs 6:16-19 says “These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him: A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief, A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren.”
These are the wrong types of salt - Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief, A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren.
When you try to have these types of salt in your sacrifice you are a stinking mess before the Lord.
Salts of a Seasoned Christian: - love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: Hope, faithfulness, prayer, witnessing, and stewardship.
Salt of the Spirit: - The salt of the spirit is a long-term indication of the presence of the Holy Spirit and a spiritual life. Speaking in tongues is the initial evidence of the Holy Ghost, but to be seasoned with the salt of the spirit is to portray a spiritual life at all times.
Salt of Love: - This love is different from the love that we think to be love; this is “Agape.” Agape is God’s love for man. Agape is not predicated on our goodness, but is solely based on the strength of God. God says I love you even though you are incapable of loving me back; I love you just because you are there. Our love, carnal love is predicated on what I can get. This is called Eros.
What Eros does is triggers our senses, our sight, our smell, our touch, our taste, and sound and puts us in contact with our environment, and because things are pleasurable to us, because certain things excited the erotic nature in us, because things make us feel good and are good to the flesh we believe this is love because it is good to us. Nobody is loving you for no reason. People get to know one another for reasons. There is nobody here that loves somebody just for what they can do for them and not get anything in return. I love you because you stimulate me. I love you because you excite me. I love you because you make me feel good. There is no way for us to have admire without some desire because this admire is Eros and it is coming out of the desires of the flesh and the desire of the mind. But when we are seasoned with the salt of Love this is Agape and if I infuse my Eros with Agape, since God produces Agape then I can begin to love like God loves me and this is being Holy. I now have love inspite of what you do, you don’t have to love me in return, I’m trying to complete myself, I just love you, why because I love your soul. I don’t love the sin that you are doing, but I love the soul.
This is the epitome of the Salt of Love, when as the song writer said “I WAS SINKING DEEP IN SIN FAR FROM THE PEACEFUL SHORE VERY DEEPLY STAINED WITHIN NEVER TO RISE NO MORE THAN THE MASTER OF THE SEA HEARD MY DESPAIRING CRY FROM THE WATER LIFTED ME NOW SAFE AM I, LOVE LIFTED ME, LOVE LIFTED ME WHEN NOTHING ELSE WOULD HELP LOVE LIFTED ME.”
Salt of Joy: - Many people get the wrong idea of Joy. So many-times we look at joy on the basis of being happy, but it’s deeper than just that. Joy is an emotion evoked by well-being, success, or good fortune or the prospect of possessing what one desires. The devil desires to have you for no other reason than God not having you. When you have the salt of joy it is an emotion that is evoked in God because he sees us giving Him praise, He knows that the devil desires to have us, but He has us. This evokes the emotion of joy in God because He knows that the devil desires to have control of us, but yet we are giving God praise. God is evoked with joy and gives us strength to endure. That’s the meaning of the Joy of the Lord is my strength. The salt of joy is not something that we have because things are going good in or life, but the strength of God to make it through the trials in our lives.
Salt of Peace: - This doesn’t mean that everything in your life is going to be harmonious. Many people have a misunderstanding of this particular peace because they think that it is limited to just having peace or being peaceable with others; however, it is dealing with the Trichotomy of man which is the body, soul, and spirit of man. Peace comes from reconciling the soul back into a harmonious relationship with God. The Salt of Peace is talking about the ones that bring peace to an un-peaceable situation. Understand that a peace is not a seasoning but a responsible activity belonging to every Christian. In other words a peacemaker.
The Bible says in 2nd Corinthians 5:18-20 “And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God”.
This is the ministry that every Christian has and that is reconciliation. Reconciliation is - to restore to friendship or harmony. Our job of reconciliation is to lead the lost souls back to God. When we lead the lost souls, sinners, back to Christ, then their souls are no longer suffering to be reconciled back to that status they had before the fall of man, this is the concept of a peace.
Salt of Longsuffering: - Many people believe that this means to be able to suffer for a long time; however, it is more than that. Longsuffering is being able to stand when people criticize you for speaking about the word of God. Longsuffering is being able to stand when it seems you can’t go on. Longsuffering is being steadfast and unmovable. Longsuffering is when friends and family say come on its ok, longsuffering is being able to resist those temptations and doing the will of God, even when its not fashionable.
Longsuffering is the capacity of a child of God to grow or thrive when subjected to an unfavorable factor, the capacity of the Christian to endure or become less responsive to the adversary. Is being able to hold on to God’s unchanging hand and like Job said, Though He slay me YET will I trust Him.
Salt of Gentleness: - Gentleness is being free from harshness, sternness, or violence. Matthew 10:16 says “Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.” We are going into a world of wolves and we must be wise and know how to handle every situation while ensuring that we do not hurt someone to the point that they totally turn away from God.
The salt of Gentleness is not being timid on sin, but the sinner. This does not mean that we compromise the word of God in order not to offended, but must handle a person with gentleness while destroying sin.
Salt of Goodness: - Goodness is the nutritious, flavorful, or beneficial part of something. We are to give the world Jesus in such a way that they are able to taste and see that God is good.
It is a spiritual decency that we show the world. We are the only Jesus that this world will see and we must present God to the world through us. Therefore, we are not to be caught up in doing the things that the world is doing. 2nd Corinthians 6:17-18 says “Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.” This is the meaning of “Righteousness”
When the world looks and sees us caught up in the same mess that they are in, when they look at us and see us doing the same things they are doing, then where is the goodness. However when they are suffering and struggling and wandering around confused, frighten, and dumb-founded because of situations in life and look at us who have joy unspeakable and full of glory and peace that passeth all understanding, then they will see the goodness of Jesus Christ through us and glorify Him.
Salt of Faith: - Knowing that God can and God will when nothing seems like it can be done. It is the characteristic we must develop within ourselves to rely totally upon God and not upon ourselves. It is the confidence in knowing that even if the storms keep on raging and the winds keep on blowing your soul is anchored in the Lord.
Hebrews 11:1 says “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” I like this example of faith “Faith is standing at the break of darkness and you don’t know if the next step is going to throw you off a cliff or not. However, Faith is, knowing that at that precise moment that GOD is either going to give you something solid to stand on or the ability to fly. Faith recognizes our limitations and releases us to walk into the limitless resources of God.
Salt of Meekness: - Meekness as one writer said, “is not an invertebrate virtue”. It is not weakness or mere mildness of disposition, rather an element of Christ’s’ character that must be emulated by all His disciples. Of all the qualities of character, meekness is the least sought after. However Jesus extols it as a grace highly esteemed by God. “The ornament of a meek and quite spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price” 1st Peter 3:4
Meekness can fight with strength and vigor when the glory of God or the interest of the kingdom is at stake. It was Jesus himself, meek and lowly, who with a whip expelled the evildoers out of the temple. Meekness is not good-naturedness that will take anything from anybody, the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence and the violent take it by force, it is an attitude of the mind which does not insist on its own rights or interest, but is ready to waive its privileges for others. A perfect example is John the Baptist “I must decrease that He may increase.”
Salt of Temperance: - Temperance is not limited to not exploding when situations in your life go array, but the ability to remain at a certain level. Most of us when a situation arises in our life we fluctuate in our emotions.
Before something happens we are at a certain level, but we tend to escalate when things go array. Temperance is the ability to remain the same before, during, and after a storm in our lives.
Temperance can be summarized in the meaning of self-control. Temperance is the ability to control your flesh, your emotions, and your actions before, during, and after a situation in your life.
Mark 4:35-41 says “And the same day, when the even was come, he saith unto them, Let us pass over unto the other side. And when they had sent away the multitude, they took him even as he was in the ship. And there were also with him other little ships. And there arose a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the ship, so that it was now full. And he was in the hinder part of the ship, asleep on a pillow: and they awake him, and say unto him, Master, carest thou not that we perish? And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. And he said unto them, Why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith? And they feared exceedingly, and said one to another, What manner of man is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him.”
This is the perfect example of Temperance. Before the storm Jesus was resting in comfort, during the storm he was still resting until the disciple woke him, he rebuked the storm still calm, after the storm he asked the disciple ye have no faith, after the storm he was still calm, because the Bible says in chapter 5 “And they came over unto the other side of the sea, into the country of the Gadarenes.” Nothing else is said about the storm or Jesus’ attitude toward the storm.
Temperance is self-control over our flesh, our emotions, and our actions at all times.
Salt of Hope: - Hope is to desire with the expectation of obtainment, to expect with confidence. Roman 5: 1-5 says “Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; And patience, experience; and experience, hope: And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.”
We don’t mind going through the things we go through in this life because we have this HOPE that one day when it’s all over we will obtain eternal life with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Salt of Faithfulness: - Faithfulness is steadfast in affection or allegiance: firm in adherence to promises or in observance of duty given with strong assurance, true to, unswerving adherence to a firm resistance to any temptation to desert or betray fortitude and resolution in adherence and imperviousness to influences that would weaken one.
It is more than just coming to church, singing in the choir, or being on the praise team. True faithfulness is determined by every decision we make in regard to our relationship with God.
Salt of Prayer: - Prayer is direct communication with God. The salt of prayer is a commitment to prayer, not to pray only when there is a crisis or an urgent need. A consistent daily prayer life is vital to our relationship with God.
Salt of Witnessing: - This is the responsibility of every child of God, not just those that are called into the pulpit ministry. People are hurting the world over. Children are growing up in a society that has pushed them aside, cast them off, and rejected them as normal, acceptable, and viable members of the social order. They are becoming adults that have no direction in their lives, wondering aimlessly, bound, confused, and perplexed. They are hopelessly waiting to die, imagining that everything will be over if what they have experienced to be life would just cease from being. They are thirsty for spiritual water yet wandering in the desert places of spiritual ruin. We as the children of God have the living water that must be shared with this dying world.
As a seasoned child of God we are commanded to witness to the world. Acts 1:8 says “But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.”
Salt of Stewardship: - Stewardship is the proper use of the gifts and resources that God entrust to us. It is not holding onto or hiding the resources, but using them effectively to further both our personal and spiritual growth and the kingdom of God. Matthew 25:21 says “His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.”
What Are You Seasoned With?
Elder Melvin L. Maughmer, Jr.
Boanerge Ministries
