We Are to Be Salt and Light

We Are to Be Salt and Light - by Pastor Mike Taylor - https://pastormiketaylor.blogspot.com/2020/07/we-are-to-be-salt-and-light.html 13 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 ofmen. 14 Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. 15 Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. 16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven."(Matthew 5:13-16) In recent polls, it is reported that the modern church comprised over 75% of the population who call themselves Christians. Of those 75% the poll shows that 43% of those people attend a churchsomewhere, every weekend. But if you look at the societal conditions of the current century that we are in, they are the most impotent, insignificant, and irrelevant group of people to influence the direction of this society in all our history. Think about it. We are talking of upwards of 159 million people who attend church in this country. That is a significant bloc of people that would make the ACLU or the AFL-CIO unions enviousof their numbers and would give them untold power to control the social structure of this country. Each of these aforementioned groups are a minority of individual members that comprise only about 11% for all unions and about 1/2 million members of the ACLU.Then why is the American society and our country going to the proverbial "hell in a hand basket" when we have a lop-sided majority? Our Founding Father's Vision Thrown Away There is no mistaking that prior, during and after the American revolution that the church of God fearing men and women had a vast amount of influence over the direction of this country. Butin the last half of the 20th Century, since WW2, that influence grew silent. How can we see it any other way when God was kicked out of our schools, and we stood silent? What did we do when abortion laws of Roe V. Wade was enacted and passed into law duringthe 1970s? Did men and women, pastors and clergymen stand up and voice their opposition? Do we stand unified in our opposition to homosexual unions of marriage and gay lobby agenda that God calls an abomination or have we stood silent? 24 "Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves: 25 Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen. 26 For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: 27 And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompenceof their error which was meet. 28 And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient;"(Romans 1:24-28) Do we stand for the back bone of our country, the family of one man, one woman united to produce Godly children? You know the answer to those question as we would not be in the societal messwe are in today if they were not true in the negative. 22 "Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord. 23 For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body. 24 Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing. 25 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; 26 That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, 27 That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish. 28 So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself." (Ephesians 5:22-28) As it was in the beginning, woman was made for man and was taken out of his side, to walk beside him, not behind, or underfoot...and she was called "woman" as she was taken out of the man. THE CHURCH OF LAODECIA DUMBED DOWN The modern churches have been whipped into submission and have become irrelevant. Now the church continues to stand silent, deaf and mute when the police state threatens to turn this countryinto a godless Socialist state. When compared to our beginnings of a republic founded on the Ten Commandments and Godly principles, what influence does the church have today? Again zip, nada, zilch, nothing is all that can be stated with any truth to it foundin the majority of "so called Modern Churches". That's not a blanket coverage, but the members on my site complain that cannot find a bible believing church, ANYWHERE...there are still a minority of churches that do preach the complete Word of God, but theyare far and few in between. We had a resurgence in the 1980s for a short period of time, where the Religious right, the Moral Majority stood up, or whatever you want to call it, were in the political arena, but whereare they today?. I would tell you they are comatose, beyond comatose, as they are clinically dead. Further our churches today are spiritually dead/comatose. Our Christian universities are comatose/dead. Our Sunday schools to teach our children are also deador comatose. Denominations of every Laodecian stripe are also dead. They have become entertainment centers, social clubs, and employ pastors that wish not to offend. They build bigger and better churches, larger gymnasiums, coffee shops and shopping mallsso in their minds they can draw the masses for a "feel good time" while giving messages of self improvement, purpose driven lives, entertainment and ignore hell fire and brimstone messages of judgment, repentance and salvation through our Lord and Savior,Jesus Christ. Oh, no, that would offend. 3 "For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; 4 And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables." (II Timothy 4:3-4) America's pastors, most of these are wolves in sheep's clothing, have fleeced the flock, and they have become irrelevant to address the societal concerns of our days. In America, we are talkingabout a nation in which citizens (including Christians) are able to lobby, redress government, protest, rally, organize opposition, speak, vote, form PACs, march, petition, etc. Christians are as free to influence their societies and governments as are anyother group of people in the United States. It is not like we have no voice, but it's like we have become complacent, deaf, dumb and mute. And who is to blame? I tell you, it's the pastors of these churches who teach a feel good gospel that Paul warned that if they preach anything once delivered to the saints of the church ofGalatia 8 "But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. 9 As we said before, so say I now again, if any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed. 10 For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ. let them be accursed."(Galatians 1:8-9) Do they speak the truth? Do they stand for righteousness? Do they stand in the gap when government enacts laws contrary to the Word of God? I tell you they do not. They have been whipped into silence by the government that gives them tax breaks or they wish to not offend their congregation, so they speak soft words that does not offend anyone about theirsinful condition, or their need to stand for righteousness in a nation that is going to the dogs. I have warned of teachers of the "Word of Faith", "name and claim it" crowd who preach a Prosperity Gospel who look for a kingdom on earth, that will get betterand better, and they grow richer and richer, but they are only a subset of the cancer that grows in our modern church pulpits that must bear the brunt of the blame for the failure to influence society in Jesus Name. The symptoms are wide and they are perverse. "Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world. 2 Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God: 3 And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even nowalready is it in the world. 4 Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world. 5 They are of the world: therefore speak they of the world, and the world heareth them. 6 We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error."(1st John 4:1-6) ARE IN FOR A RUDE AWAKENING? In other lands, the "true church" is growing underground. They have restrictions over influencing society or politics by a government that is persecuting them in Communist China, or Russiaand they prevent any uprising or revolution by eliminating their ability to mount a revolt by removing the ability to bear arms. They have removed all individual right to ownership of guns. Does this sound familiar with our Democrat party who are nothing butgun grabbers? Christians in persecuted lands are not enamored with entertainment, recreation, and irrelevant Bible exposition. You don't have to bring in some big-name rock band to entice them to fellowship. You don't have to give their teenagers the afore-mentionedbig gymnasiums. You don't have to give those young adults coffee shops and espresso machines. You don't have to shy away from criticisms of tyrannical government. And you certainly are not going to score any points with your fallacious "obey-the-government-no-matter-what"interpretation of Romans 13. Your obey he government given by God, as long as they do not go against the clear laws found in your Bible . Unfortunately, sometimes the church must be oppressed to return to the teachings of the bible, much like these citizensof Communist countries have been oppressed and persecuted, so I pray for the USA and it's citizens to wake up, as the Nazi like atmosphere could come to these lands, as it did in Germany. LET US RETURN BEFORE IT'S TOO LATE We must return to the mind set of the 19th Century when Charles Finney said these words, "Christians must vote for honest men and take consistent ground in politics. God cannot sustain this free and blessed country, which we love and pray for, unless the Church will take rightground. Politics are a part of a religion in such a country as this, and Christians (and citizens) must do their duty to the country as a part of their duty to God. It seems sometimes as if the foundations of the nation are becoming rotten, and Christiansseem to act as if they think God does not see what they do in politics." Finney also said, "If there is a decay of conscience, the pulpit is responsible for it. If the public press lacks moral discernment, the pulpit is responsible for it. If the church is degenerateand worldly, the pulpit is responsible for it. If the world loses its interest in Christianity, the pulpit is responsible for it. If Satan rules in our halls of legislation, the pulpit is responsible for it. If our politics become so corrupt that the veryfoundations of our government are ready to fall away, the pulpit is responsible for it." THE BIBLE TELLS US HOW WE SHOULD RESPOND Let me ask you something. If you preach and teach the stories of the Bible concerning Daniel and the lions den, or the three Hebrew children and the fiery furnace, or say, the life and exampleof Jesus Christ and not apply it to your everyday life around you, what good is it? They just become stories that have no effect on your life, or your society at large. What good does it do to preach expository messages on the Bible if one does not make those messages relevant to the times and circumstances in which we live? Yet, ear-tickling, entertainment,and irrelevant exposition seem to be what the modern church in America excels in. The result: ineffective, impotent, weak, unprepared, and sheepish Christians. That's what we have become....irrelevant. If you look around at your church members, you see businessmanwho would steal from their grandmother. There is no difference in them from the secular world who do the same. Deacons and church officers caught in lies and cowardly deeds that are the same in the unbelieving world. So called Christians chasing the neighbor'swife or lusting after the latest luxury. How can you expect the world to change when the so called "church" does the same? What good has it done with all the youth groups, prophecy forums, and expositions on Eschatology that argue it's nuances to ad-nauseam while we play, party, prance, dance, philosophy and pontificateand a fire has been burning down the foundations of this country and we lift not a finger to fetch a bail of water to put the fire out? ARE WE IN THE RUN UP TO THE TRIBULATION? There is coming a time, and it may have already started, when "the rain will fall on the just and the unjust". (Matt. 5:45). When the ship of state crashes on the rocks of tyranny, Christianand non-Christian will be affected equally. When our economy crashes and goes down in flames because of society that has grown evil and the church stays silent, then Christian and non-Christian will be equally affected. Truly did the Lord Jesus say, "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, andto be trodden under foot of men." (Matthew 5:13). In ancient times and even during the beginnings of this country, salt was used to preserve, to prevent spoilage, and to retard rot and ruin. But when Christians loose their saltiness theyopen themselves to oppression and tyranny. They are good for nothing, accept to "be trodden under the foot of men" Can you say, Seig Heil" of Hitler's Germany? Unfortunately, pastors of this nation have become "good for nothing" by a large majority as thepastors are suppose to protect the saltiness of the saints to preserve the nation. We have all but become rotten in our core beliefs of this nation and I tell you, judgment is coming. Look around our modern landscape of depravity and lawlessness that haveinvaded our larger cities....Sadly, they are run by Democrats that support their lawlessness. We have been warned for many years now, as the prophets of old to the likes of Jeremiah, Isaiah, and Ezekiel warned Israel, we have BEEN WARNED. OUR REDEMPTION DRAWETH NIGH There is an event that all of us long for and I believe it is coming soon. An event when the true believing church will be removed from this earth. Then those who have filled the walls ofbig modern churches will look around and see people missing. They will hear news flashing from all over the world that a cataclysmic event has happened. What I pray for is a army of God before that day happens, will arise and speak God's truth. Much like Gideonwho God whittled down his army of 30 thousand down to 300 of God fearing men who took the fight to the enemy and defeated them. That's what I pray for that God will use whatever means to bring Godly men to the forefront to speak to the truth of our times,to boldly go where others fear to tread. An army of black robed regiment of pastors who fear no one but God. Only problem may be, is they will be part of the 144,000 from the 12 tribes of Israel who will finally speak the truth without fear. Too late for Americais what I expect, but I can pray God's mercy to reach even some of those asleep at the present in this country. ONE OF OUR FOUNDING FATHERS SPEAKS The great Christian patriot and "Father of the American Revolution," Sam Adams, said, "It does not require a majority to prevail, but rather an irate, tireless minority keen to set brush firesin the people's minds." That is what we need. We need brush fires before this nation is destroyed. Will you who reads this, take that charge? Pastor, will you take the mantle and wear that black robe and become partof the regiment to spread the truth of God's Word? Have you been tickling the ears of your congregation? If you have, if you be found in the faith, take that oath from this day forward, you will speak only God's truth no matter who it may offend. Christianin heart, but not in deeds, make that pledge you will NOT continue in your La-La land of ear itching, feel good messages, but will find a church, a pastor, a bible believing group of like minded Christians in a church or in a living room, "so help you ourGod". Will you vote in any remaining election for only God fearing men, and throw the other bums out? If not, I speak to you both, may God have mercy on you, and this country. You're going to need it. ' He, that being often reproved hardeneth his neck, shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy. 2 When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice: but when the wicked beareth rule, the people mourn. 3 Whoso loveth wisdom rejoiceth his father: but he that keepeth company with harlots spendeth his substance." (Proverbs 29:1-3) What we need in this world, are those who truly believe in what the Bible teaches and stand firm knowing that God is on their side. I pray each of us will take the next two passages seriouslyand believe and rely on our God who is able to rescue us from whatever befalls us. 16 "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. 17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. 18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God." (John 3:16-18) 8 "But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; 9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. 10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. 11 For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. 12 For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. 13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved." (Romans 10:8-13) Each of us who believe in the saving power of our Lord Jesus Christ stand up for what is right, so long as the church of believers are upon this earth....for the rapture is close at hand,as I can feel it and many express the same.... "Look up, lift up your heads, for your redemption draweth nigh."