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INTRODUCTION
Recently, while staying in a hotel near the church where I was ministering, I noticed something which, at first glance, seemed quite comical. There they were standing alone on the table - a pair of shakers; only these ones had small packages of salt and pepper inside, unable to be shaken out of the containers (see photo below).
A LIVING OXYMORON
I was more than amused by this sight and wondered, 'Why on earth would someone do that?' It seemed as irrational as some of the other non-common-sensible paradoxes that have pervaded this great country in recent years, such as the interview recently aired by one TV channel of a pro-abortion 'Christian' woman who professed that she loved Jesus and that she couldn't believe He wouldn't be in favor of women's reproductive rights. Just like salt that can't get out of the shaker to flavor or preserve, this woman was demonstrating that she was a living oxymoron, unable to make a difference and as unacceptable as a 'Christian' drug dealer or bank robber!
SALT OF THE EARTH
In Matthew 5:13, there is a strong comment on this kind of spiritual paradox, "You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men." Those professing Jesus as their Lord and Savior are called the 'salt of the earth,' but if we lose our Christian world view, we become unable to savor (preserve) our culture. This pro-abortion 'Christian' woman has allowed the secular culture to influence her opinion rather than taking a stand for the preservation of life, which is at the center of God's heart.
A HARVEST OF HUMANITY
God has determined that there will be a harvest of humanity in the future, at a time known only to Him. That harvest will be hindered from maturing if the church surrenders its saltiness. Most churches in America today spend most of their energy and resources trying not to lose what they already have. A mission for the harvest has been replaced by a maintenance mentality, and that might as well be a commitment to death!
HOME MISSIONS?
Bill Peel, Pastor at Fellowship Bible Church in Dallas, TX made this great observation, "Observing people make a beeline for the parking lot at noon on Sundays has become, for me, a strangely contemplative activity. I watch and wonder if these men and women see any connection between the church service they’ve just attended and the other 98 percent of their waking hours? Have they mentally checked God off of their weekly to-do list or are they anticipating a week of exciting opportunities as His ambassadors in the workplace? Contrary to popular perception, U.S. Christians need not move to a Third World country in order to make a significant contribution to the kingdom of God and help fulfill the Great Commission. Perhaps the most significant mission field in the world is right under our nose. There are 235 million non-Christians in America - the fourth largest non-Christian nation in the world."
AT THE CROSSROADS
We are in danger of losing all saltiness primarily because we have lost sight of the central component of our Christianity - the Cross! As the great Celtic spiritual leader George McLeod said, "I simply argue that the Cross should be raised at the center of the marketplace as well as on the steeple of the church. I am recovering the claim that Jesus was not crucified in a cathedral between two candles; but on a cross between two thieves; on the town's garbage heap; at a crossroad, so cosmopolitan they had to write His title in Hebrew and Latin and Greek... at the kind of place where cynics talk smut, and thieves curse, and soldiers gamble. Because that is where He died. And that is what He died for. That is where church men ought to be and what church men ought to be about." This is getting the salt out of the shaker and not remaining 'unshakable salt.'
RESTORATION
Elisha, the prophet, foreshadowed a picture of how the Church could be used to restore the land again. “Bring me a new bowl,” he said, “and put salt in it.” So they brought it to him. Then he went out to the spring and threw the salt into it, saying, “This is what the LORD says: ‘I have healed this water. Never again will it cause death or make the land unproductive.’” And the water has remained wholesome to this day, according to the word Elisha had spoken. (2 Kings 2:20-22)
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