What it Means to be a Light

True believers will shine in a dark world. Truth will be the light they carry. They will be committed to all the truth the Lord has revealed, not just to convenient truths or one we agree with. Truth is a two-edged sword that will cut away our fleshly attitudes as well. But, the fear of the Lord will enable us to embrace it.

How did the 1st century Christians feel about the governments they lived under? Or about the cultures they lived under? Remember, the Jewish believers of that day  lived under a corrupt, legalistic, and anti-Christ system. The first Gentile believers had it no better and were often persecuted for their faith in Jesus.

When I think of America as it was 50 years ago, I think of a nation that prayed publically, that was not afraid to confess publically their belief in Jesus Christ, that erected crosses to commemorate His suffering for us, whose business' were closed on Sundays for Church services, whose standards of public morality tried to match Biblical standards of morality. I think of public schools that often prayed, said the Pledge of Allegiance, celebrated Christmas as Christ's day, Easter as His resurrection, and held up Christianity as our countries foundation. Divorce was an action to be ashamed of and abortion was seldom heard of.

Now, that America seems like a forgotten dream. Franklin Graham is castigated for ending an inaugural prayer in Jesus' name. Prayer is banned from the public schools. Crosses are removed from signs and even from city logos and schools no longer celebrate Christmas or Easter substituting Holidays and Spring Break for them instead because they are less offensive to those foreigners among us. We have become like those nations of Psalm 2 who rebel against the LORD and His Anointed One, casting off their cords of restraint.. Those who really believe the Bible are painted by news media and by schools as right-wing fanatics. Those who teach a second coming of Jesus and end-time prophesies are looked upon by the government as possible terrorist suspects.

I can understand somewhat how those first Christians felt about their governments and culture. They understood that there was no hope in them and that their only hope was in the kingdom of God. Those governments are perished, as do all that forsake the LORD and His Anointed, and that is the certain future of America as well. There is only one hope for America and that is the true Church being salt and light to a dying culture. But here is the dilemma, Jesus taught that if the salt has lost its saltiness, it is good for nothing -- Matthew 5:13. Those 1st century Christians faced the problem of a religious system that had lost its saltiness and there was nothing left to do but start anew with a new covenant. Is the Church in America at that point? How could a country with such a rich Christian heritage as ours forsake it so quickly if the Church had not lost its saltiness and light?

Perhaps the Holy Spirit is calling true believers to come out of 'Babylon', as in Revelation 18:4, to live as those who want to see heaven. Righteousness and holiness will be their message, without which no man will see God. As Malachi prophesied, "Those who feared the Lord talked with one another, and the Lord listened and heard. A scroll of remembrance was written in His presence concerning those who feared the Lord and honored His name." - Malachi 3:16. If they are in churches who do not preach this message, I would ask this proverb, "Why should live chicks be under dead hens?"

There is a prophesy in Isaiah that speaks to our time:

Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the LORD is risen upon thee. For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the LORD shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee. And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising.  - Isa 60:1-3
 

True Christians have been given the light of truth and like the five faithful virgins in Christ's Parable ( Matthew 25:1-10 ), we must light our lamps and go out into the darkness to proclaim His soon coming!

Even though the judgment of America is fixed, there is time for any who can hear what "the Spirit and the Bride say, 'Come! Whoever is thirsty, let him come; and whoever wishes, let him take the free gift of the water of life." - Revelation 22:17.