A Little Light In Deep Darkness

The smallest thread of light can be a beacon of hope in complete, utter darkness. Jesus is the beacon of light, the only hope, for all of humanity. His followers are called to reflect His light, to be light and salt of the earth.

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Podcast 19 Transcription

(This is a computer generated transcript of this podcast.  This is NOT a typed transcript and it has not been edited. Expect grammatical and syntactical errors.)

Hello and good day. I am B. R. Maul. Welcome to Living God's Way In An Ungodly World. It's good to have you here with me today. Welcome. This podcast is where we learn as Christians to follow God's word in this world that wants nothing to do with God. In today's headlines, it is quite evident that the world does not want God in it, or at least the true God.

There are plenty of false gods and people are worshiping those false gods continuously each and every day, whether those small g gods are their work, money, fame, fortune, whatever it might be. 

I haven't shared any headline news for a while. And in part because we've been very busy talking about infant baptism and also we've been talking about whether or not a person can lose their salvation. Two very important topics in the church today. I do not regret not having the time, however, there are a few points of discussion. I do keep up with the news. I don't like to keep up with it too much because even the things that may be exciting to the world, unfortunately, it tends to be heartbreaking for those of us who just love Jesus.

An example of that, one of my sources that I receive news from sent to me the following, the LA Dodgers are awarding their Community Hero Award to a group of homosexual men who dress up like fake nuns. Yes, you heard it… nuns, but with obscene rainbow colored clothes. They mock Jesus Christ and all Christians with disgusting rituals like drinking from communion cups filled with yogurt, pole dancing on a cross, and so much more.

Plus, they perform their drag shows in front of children. The vile group calls themselves the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence and their motto…wow, their motto is, go out and sin some more. That is who the Dodgers are going to honor, I guess. Apparently it's part of their thing where the Dodgers award, this Community Hero Award.

Now what a bunch of men running around dancing in nun clothing has to do with helping a community, I'm not sure, and I'm certainly not going to spend any more time looking into it than I did verifying the article, which is true. And I didn't know the LA Dodgers were so supportive of the L G B T Q movement.

I don't even like to use the word community because community to me is still something that is positive and it should be supportive in the sense of moral values with one another. Righteousness keeping the law helping one another out. To me, that's community. Community isn't just taking a belief of any kind and suddenly people are considered a community.

Now, what's so unfortunate about this is obviously the world is trying to force upon Christians, the L G B T movement, thinking that we are the ones who are being aggressive if we don't condone it. This podcast today is not set up for the discussion of what truly is loving and what is in fact being angry or holding animosity against people who are not following God's way.

Because I will also take a moment to say, it also saddens my heart when I see or hear Christians talk about doing mean things to those who are lost, who are not born again. I have no anger at all towards even those who are promoting it. I think it's unfortunate, and if anything, my heart goes out to them because they don't understand what they're doing.

For those who understand the consequence of sinning, they should be smart enough to choose not to do it, but most people are blindly following the masses. Now with this La Dodger Community Hero Award, you may have heard D E I. It stands for Diversity, equity and Inclusion. It is a set of principles adopted by large corporations, government agencies, universities.

The whole thing is rooted in Marxism, and of course Marxism is connected to communism. Marxism is basically anti-Christian. Now, it sends me that really with this diversity, equity, and inclusion being forced upon many, but even churches and Christian organizations are blindly following their lead now.

Sounds good. To have a diversity, equity and inclusion department, but a lot of what is evil and wicked sounds good on the outside and is very misleading. Diversity, and there's nothing wrong with diversity at all. Diversity is important. It actually is what strengthens a society because with diversity there's more points of view.

There are different ways of approaching things, but they're not using it in a healthy way. Equity, the same thing. The concept of the far left with equity is that everybody is equal, but that's not true. As Christians, we need to keep that in mind that men and women are not equal. We are not equal at all.

And thank goodness for that because if my wife was just like me, Had my same abilities and skills and were built the same. I would really feel for my kids because they would only have one perspective, the masculine perspective of things. No, God made man and woman unequal. Different for a purpose and for wonderful reasons, because together a man and a woman are so strong because we balance each other out.

Society wants to push men to the side, have them dress up like ladies, have them be very feminine and just the opposite with women. They want to push women to be masculine, to leave their families to go into the workforce, and no, I'm not at all insinuating that women should not work. No. In fact, go ahead and go read Proverbs 31, often referred to as the Proverbs 31 woman.

A mother and a wife. Very difficult work to do, but also the most rewarding in a society, even though society unfortunately is pushing them downward. So brothers and sisters, what do we do? Because this stuff is going on everywhere. Everywhere we go. I mean, it's in the news. You got Target and Walmart being boycotted because of the stuff they're pushing on children.

You got all kinds of businesses. I guess I won't even take the time to try to list them all, but this is going on everywhere. We could ask one question, so I'll just ask it, because I think in our hearts, that's what many of us want to ask, and that is how do we stop it, answer. We don't. That's right. We don't stop it.

We already know that this world is going to continue to unravel. It is going to continue to fall apart and it will only get worse. Christians do what we're told to do and Jesus told us to spread the gospel and be light and salt throughout all this dark world. The devil still has lordship over this darkness.

He is still ruling this world, but we know that the darkness is running out of time before it is forever snuffed out and in eternity. There will be no more evil. There will be no more sin. There will be no more darkness, no more pain. But for now, we have a job to do. We are to continue to spread the gospel, and that is one of the goals of this podcast.

And I thank the Lord that it is touching people around the world. And so for all of you who are listening in, you, hold on. You hold on to the hope that we have in eternity, and that's not a hope of, maybe that's a hope of certainty. Okay, so then how do we do this? With all this stuff going on? How do we keep spreading the Gospel? How do we be light and salt in such an evil and dark world? Well, we stay in the light and that is staying in Christ Jesus. Go to Romans 8:1-2. It reads, there is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.

And that's the Holy Spirit for the law of the spirit of life. In Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death. Christians need to show the world, all those who are still slaves to sin and death, what freedom looks like with the spirit of life in Christ Jesus and beloved. That is done quite easily in this world because there is so much darkness, because there is so much evil.

Being light and salt is very easy. The problem lies in the fact it's not easy to feel the kickback, to feel the rejection, to be the one that people mock, to be the one that coworkers or family or those who we once called friends no longer bother calling because, well, you're just a party pooper because light and darkness don't go together.

Impossible. Those who are living in darkness, beloved want nothing to do with those who are living in the light, who have Christ Jesus living in them. So other than the friendly, hello, and I'm not going to talk in front of you, I'll talk behind your back. That's often the response that we get from those who are of the world who are living for themselves.

It's not fun, but keep hanging in there. Keep hanging in there because the reward that we have later on far outweighs that of the price we pay here and now. So when it reads, there is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the spirit.

We need to put that effort forward. Being born again is just the beginning. Often what happens when somebody is born again, unfortunately the Christians around them kind of drop the ball and leave it at that. “Hey! Great, you're saved!” which is wonderful. That alone is huge to celebrate. That is magnificent, but that's only the beginning.

There's so much more to do. The walk the pathway is just before them. So we need to guide people, help them read God's word alongside of them, discuss God's word together. When we come together as brothers and sisters and continue to grow. And when we walk according to the spirit, we are thinking and keeping our mind on things above and not on things here and now that are temporal.

Going on to Romans 8:5. For those who live according to the flesh, set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. Doesn't that sound like common sense? I mean, I read that I think, well, of course, complete common sense, but you really have to think about that.

Because it is common sense, but it isn't necessarily easy. And why is that? Because we are born in the flesh. We are born spiritually dead. We are not used to that. And especially for those who grow up in a family who is not Christian or in Christian and name only and live a very carnal life, carnal being flesh.

Living a life of a one big party. So that can be very difficult to shift from setting the mind from the flesh onto the spirit. Verse six. For it to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Well, what does that mean? Carnally minded is death? Well, there's two things that it actually mean for those who are carnally minded, fleshly minded, worldly minded.

It leads to eternal death because to live a life in such a way means a person does not have the Holy Spirit dwelling in them. But it also means death here and now. Well, Bruce, how can that be? Because I know plenty of people who are living a carnal life, but they're alive. But that is the life of misery living in darkness.

Go to Proverbs. There are many different proverbs that Solomon points out. The very fact that people who live an evil life, they live a life trying to obtain what others have. They live a life coveting what others have. They live a life hating, righteousness, loathing people. They don't sleep unless they cause pain to others. All of that is in the book of Proverbs. That's death. That is death here. That is people walking around who are dead. Keep in mind, I've said it before, I'll say it again. It doesn't mean that Christians, of course, don't sin. That is also common sense. Of course we sin, but a Christian should sin less as they continue their walk with the Lord.

Because we are not slave to sin. We are not slave to death. We are no longer chained down to that, so there's no excuse for us not to combat that. Let's look at verse seven, because the carnal mine is enmity against God. For it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be so then those who are in the flesh cannot please God.

Now, that's huge, Christian, because the carnal mind is enmity against God. Do you know what enmity is? It is a mutual hatred. It's when two people or two parties hate one another. That's pretty bad, isn't it? That right there is pretty much the ingredients for those who are at war, and that is exactly what the carnal mind is because we have the Holy Spirit dwelling in us.

Beloved, we cannot cater to our flesh any longer. We cannot just allow, whoa, a few sins. And when we do, obviously the Holy Spirit convicts us. We're taken to the woodshed and we are taught a lesson by our Heavenly Father, which is good. But then we turn away again, we repent, and of course, repenting is turning away from the sin and turning and looking once again to our Holy Father.

Not wanting to sin. That's the huge difference. The carnal mind wants to sin. The carnal mind wants to feed the flesh, and that is what the carnal mind lives for. And that's why the second part of seven says, for it is not subject to the law. What isn't? The carnal mind isn't. The flesh is not subject to the law, nor indeed can be.

Why is that? It's because the flesh is enmity with the spirit and because those who are of the world of the flesh do not belong to God, they are not subject to the law. Only God's people are subject to the law. Have you ever thought about that? Somebody who does not want God in their life, they are not subject to his law.

And that's why they are free to go out and sin. They are free to go out and do horrible things and they are free to talk evil and horrible say mean things. Cheat because they are not subject to the law. And even worse, it says nor indeed can be, they won't react to it. Tell a sinner, somebody who, who is a carnal mind, what they are doing, and they will laugh at you because they cannot be subject to the law.

So embrace the very fact that you feel guilty Christian when you do something wrong and you repent and, and decide, no, I don't want to do that. And then you don't because the Holy Spirit, he gives us a way out. Yes, we're going to stumble, but time and time again, we say no to sin and we overcome it because with the power of the Holy Spirit, Christian, we can overcome sin.

We cannot banish sin. No. That is what our Holy Father will do. When we are glorified, then sin is banished, but we can overcome it over and over and over again. I'm, I'm living proof of that. Sin that used to control me no longer controls me. I am free from it. Do I still sin? Yes. But then I turn right back around and I sin the whole lot less until the day I will be sin less in heaven.

Verse 13, I'm still in chapter eight in Romans, verse 13, for if you live according to the flesh, you will die. Simple as that. If you live according to the flesh, you will die. But if by the spirit you put death, the deeds of the body you will live. Ah, see, we are told right there that we are able to overcome.

Let me read that one more time for you. This is Romans eight, verse 13, for if you live according to the flesh, you will die. But if by the spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live, did you catch that by the spirit Christian? You can put to death the deeds of the body. You can do it. I have been walking with our Lord Jesus Christ, plenty long enough now to know that Jesus would never ask his followers to do something.

We are unable to do. Jesus gives us the means to do whatever it is he tells us in his word. And so if we can overcome the deeds of the body with the Holy Spirit, then we can do it. How do we do that? Being in his word daily, praying to the Lord daily, getting with brothers and sisters in Christ Weekly, or at least as often as possible because Christian, there is power in God's word.

There is power in God's word. I said that twice because there is power in the capital W word in our Bible, the capital W word is Jesus, and the lowercase W of course, is scripture. There is power. There is power in reading the scripture, there is power to going to Jesus Christ. We are awarded that through the Holy Spirit.

Through the Holy Spirit. We are given the ability to overcome our sin. Beloved, that is all part of being light and salt of this earth. Light sheds hope in a dark world when somebody living of the world in drunkenness. Slave to greed, slave to wanting power, slave to wanting attention and fame. When somebody in that darkness sees a follower of Christ who doesn't put the importance on things like the world does, who's okay with well giving time to somebody who is in need, giving money to those who need it?

Giving talent. In other words, using the skills that God has given you as a Christian to help those. And they see stuff like Christians doing things without wanting or asking for money. Just doing it because, hey, Jesus helped me and he continues to help me every day of my life. So yes, here, here's some money here, here's my time.

Let me help you with that. Here I have the skill to do that. Let me, without any desire for payment, without any desire to even be recognized for what we do or what we give Why? Because we have an audience of one, and that's our Lord Jesus Christ, and with that is such freedom. I pray, Christian, that you are living that life, that you are living that life with freedom attached to just serving Jesus, not having to serve other people.

Even our own families. Have you ever thought of that? Christian, even our own families, we can't hold them higher above our love for Jesus Christ. Because without that love, without honoring Jesus, we can't love other people. Including our spouse, including our children, can't do it. And we certainly then can't love our neighbor.

And of course neighbor is anybody that God puts in our path each and every day. Not necessarily just the people that live next door to us, but people we come into contact with at the gas station, at the grocery store, whatever it might be. Waiting for the oil change, whatever consists of your time, each and every day, and the people that are by you.

Maybe you take the subway to work. I don't know what people God puts in your life, but Christian, it is your responsibility to be light, to give them that hope in how you speak, in how you act. And salt. Well, what does salt do? Salt preserves. Salt adds flavor. It's like tasting the word of God, being salt.

Somebody should be able to hear you speak such kind words that it gives them a taste. Just a little taste of God's word. What do I mean by that? Well, because we are not to love in just words alone, we are to love in action. We are to put our love in motion to the world, and that does mean that we don't condone sinful behavior.

We, we don't go to the LA Dodgers in their night of celebration. And watch their production of men dressed like nuns, dancing around insulting our Lord and king. No, that's part of that, but a reminder Christian, that we do so lovingly, how would Jesus do that? How would Jesus approach being angry isn't wrong, being mad that people are deceiving or people are insulting our Lord or people are lying.

Cheating. No. In fact, even in Proverbs, it makes it quite clear that those who are wicked are an abomination to the righteous and the righteous are an abomination to the wicked. We do not mix. Nor shall we try to mix. Not at all. The difference is we do things out of love because God demands that. Because we are to love the Lord our God, with all of our heart, with all of our soul, and with all of our might.

And second to that is to love our neighbor as ourself. Love. That is how we are light and salt, and we spread the gospel. That is the ultimate light because so many people now, I am more and more surprised that even where I live in the upper Midwest, there are more and more people that just haven't even heard who Jesus is.

So I am trying to get better at realizing that locally I need to start talking more about Jesus and not in just my ministry, in this podcast around the world, but in my own backyard. Well, with that said, join me next week because I'm going to take you through some of the verses in Psalm 119 because those verses really help us see what it is like when we are in God's word, when we are following him, when we are praying to him, what it looks like and what happens when we do, and there's a lot of hope in that.

So please join me next week for that. I ask, please support this ministry by praying for me, by praying for my family, and for praying for all those who are hearing living God's way in an ungodly world, that their hearts will be softened and opened to receive the message. And prayerfully consider supporting living God's way in an ungodly world.

You can go to my website, click on donate, and there are three different ways that you can financially support this ministry so we can continue to reach more people. And until next time,

God bless.

Songs

“Heroes Inspire Hope” and “Mountainscape” by Humans Win

“Inspiring Happy Acoustic Folk” by Media Music Group

“Inspiring Orchestra” by Boris Skalsky  

Sound Effects from Storyblocks.com