I am always amazed when I talk to an elk hunter who won’t hunt an area, that they know is full of elk, because of its in-accessibility or the work involved to access it.
“Better take your fork, knife, and a bunch of time to eat, if you are going to kill an elk down there.” Something along those lines are what I always hear. Maybe its genetic, or part of my military mindset, but that type of thinking has never sat well with me. The thought that always screams through my mind is if you’re an elk hunter you don’t have that option…because that’s where they live. Elk hunters aren’t made to stand on top of ridges and listen to bugles. We are made to burn legs, trudge through puzzled dead blow, and mix it up with the testosterone enraged beast. Elk Hunters don’t Live their life on the edge, and neither should those who profess Jesus as their Lord.
If 2020 is the fruit of being the Salt and Light then somewhere we have gone astray. We have either went the wrong direction or stood on the ridgetop just listening to bugles…maybe both.
In the words of Aerosmith:
“There's somethin' wrong with the world today
I don't know what it is
Something's wrong with our eyes
We're seein' things in a different way
And God knows it ain't his
It sure ain't no surprise
Livin' on the edge,”
Its convicting to hear Aerosmith point out something that the Church should be screaming. I know we all hear the bugles from the ridge top but it seems that 2020 is a prophetic depiction of Revelation Chapter 3:1 “ I know your deeds; you have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead.”
We are supposed to be the Salt of the earth (Matt 5:13.) The ones who preserve it, keep it from rotting, but all you have to do is check your twitter feed to see that decay is becoming the common place. We have lost our Saltiness. We aren’t willing to invest the blood sweat and tears to engage the beast. If you continue reading Matthew 5:13 Jesus says, “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 underfoot.” Haunting words that didn’t make much sense before all the mandates many state governments are setting against the church…but the fruit of saltlessness is blaring in this culture.
I know these words come off as offensive, they offended me first, but that doesn’t make them any less true. If they are true, we as the Church, must engage with them. First on the personal level and then corporately. If we don’t, Jesus will preserve us no longer, “come like a Thief, and you will not know at the hour I will come against you.” Rev 3:3
There is hope: He hasn’t given up on us yet as He says, “Wake up, and strengthen what remains.” In other words, Repent: Quit listening to the bugles from the ridgetop and drop in. Climb through the deadfall of this world and shine light to those who are mesmerized by the bugles of the beast. Let your influence shine by “ Always be(ing) prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect,” 1 Pet 3:15 The Lord doesn’t leave this command just for Pastors, or Teachers, but for all of us, by “Go(Ing) into all the world (work, media, politics, associations, and business) and preach the gospel to all creation.”
I for one am going to quit merely listening to the bugles, and drop in. After all isn’t that what the Lord did through Christmas, His Ministry, and Easter?
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