When I began my journey to physical health in 2009, I learned a lot about salt. Immediately, with the information I obtained, changes were made, and out went the iodized, overprocessed table salt. I introduced our family to fresh ground natural sea salt. It's ugly. It smells weird. But it TASTES amazing, and all you need is a little, tiny bit. We realized that the common, cheap table salt we'd grown up on had no flavor whatsoever in comparison. Actually, if anything, now I can taste a faint hint of bleach when I'm out at a restaurant. As our family switched from processed to natural & organic foods, we found this taste sensation to be true across the board. All natural, minimally processed foods taste significantly better and are fundamentally healthier for us.
We've been tricked. As consumers, we've been railroaded in America into loading up day after day on tasteless junk that is killing us. There's no way they can fix the junk to make it better either. You can't add a process to an already over-processed sugar granual to bring it back to an organic state. You can't chemically adjust the bleached salt to synthetically put the natural sea salt goodness back in.
What has this cost us? Our health, lives of loved ones, quality of life, energy, self-confidence, money, the list goes on and on. Who did this to our food? How did this happen? Leadership. Leadership of governments, corporations, regulatory entities that were corrupt, lazy, greedy, careless, and neglectful.
Let me put a spin on our topic. Imagine with me that the consumers are the World - the unbelievers. Imagine that the salt is the Church - the believers. Wait - that's not imagining, that's Scripture. Matthew 5:13 - "You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt should lose its taste, how can it be made salty? It's no longer food for anything but to be thrown out and trampled by men."
Too many people call themselves Christians, but their faith, their walk, is like overprocessed, bleached and tasteless salt. They have allowed themselves to sit under teachers who artificially whitewash, water down, use synthetic fillers, and even genetically alter the Word of God as they are spoon fed Sunday after Sunday in the neat little rows at their processing plant.
Jesus' words about such a person are difficult.
As we journey through His sermon on the mount together, we'll encounter many difficult portions. Harsh, even. Don't let it discourage you, but challenge you. The first time I read the fifth through seventh chapters of Matthew with Spiritual eyes, I was blown away at what I had been missing all the other countless times I'd read it, heard sermons on it, memorized it...and for a while I felt so convicted by what I read that I allowed the enemy to convince me I'd never be good enough to enter the Kingdom of God. That in fact, I'd already blown it and there was no hope for me even through repentance. I can assure you, any thoughts that cross your mind like those, any fears of inadequacy or unworthiness - those are from the enemy who more than anything does not want you to understand this fundamental, foundational truth - the first instruction from the human mouth of God.
Are you a victim of overprocessing? Genetic altering? Were you spoon fed a bleached and synthetically fluffed up faith? If so, then it's time to get far away from that leadership who did this to you, and go directly to the wellspring of Living Water [Jesus] who will wash away that useless salt, and fill you with the perfect combination of natural, pure salt derived directly from the outpouring of His blood.
There are two things happening in the Christian world today, as prophesied by Jesus in Matthew 24:12-14 about believers in the end of the end of days - "because lawlessness will multiply, the love of many will grow cold. But the one who endures to the end will be delivered. This good news of the kingdom will be proclaimed in all the world as a testimony to all nations. And then the end will come." There's much to discuss from those verses, but two things to deal with at the moment.
1. Many believers will fall away from the faith (also called the Great Apostacy or falling away)
2. The good news or the Gospel about the kingdom will be proclaimed in all the world. (a great Revival)
God is busy sorting - restoring order - preparing His Bride for Jesus' return. Christians worldwide are undergoing a sifting process right now, and it's unique to this particular time in history. God has always demanded order, but this time - this scale is different. If you're reading this, you've likely been hit other places with similar messages already. God is reaching out to you. He is calling you, placing you in His collander. Will your faith have substance? Your salt be natural pure rocks? Or will your faith be synthetic, and your salt be shaved and processed so fine that it falls right through?
You have been granted this day to repent, to be renewed and restored. Let Christ give you fresh salt so that you can not only be healthy, but you can bring health, life, vitality, flavor to the World - the unbelievers around you.
Father God, You alone are worthy to be praised. You five me life and breath and second chances. You have called me to be separated, and as I see my turn in Your hand approaching, I see that I am not ready. I praise You that You have given me this day to realize my lack. To repent of my apathy, my laziness, my irresponsibility. God, I want to be flavorful, fragrant, and whole. I want my salt to bring honor to You, and not be found tasteless and useless. I choose to return to the foot of the cross where You first rescued me, and start fresh, with a new filling of Jesus' love, His vigor, His trustworthiness. I place myself under Your care, and remove myself out from under from leadership that has allowed me to fall so far. You are my shepherd. You alone will never let me stray. You alone have sought me out and restored me to Your care. Thank you, Father, for Your relentless pursuit of my heart. Thank you for giving me hope and a future with You. I praise You because Your kingdom reigns, and Your mercy endures forever. In the name of Jesus, amen.
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