Faith & Family

Salt and Light…and the Stewardship of Godly Influence

31 To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. 32 Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” John 8:31-32 NIV

Separation of Church and State

Thomas Jefferson's 1808 letter to Rev. Samuel Miller, where he explained why he refused to issue religious proclamations:

"I consider the government of the United States as interdicted (prohibited) by the Constitution from intermeddling with religious institutions, their doctrines, discipline, or exercises."

• Control religious institutions
• Define doctrine
• Regulate church discipline
• Direct religious exercises

Similarly, in the Danbury Baptist letter (1802), Jefferson explained that the First Amendment meant Congress could:

"make no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting
the free exercise thereof" and thus built a "wall of separation between Church & State."

The original concern of the Danbury Baptists was not keeping Church out of the affairs of the Government; it was about keeping the Government out of the affairs of the Church and how it discipled it’s people. They also didn’t want the government to favor one religion or denomination over another.

A summary:

The First Amendment was designed to prevent the state from controlling the church, its doctrine, its worship, or its conscience—not to prevent Christians from bringing biblical convictions into the Public Square or Public Life.

Lose your Tax-Exempt Status – 501(C)(3) IRS Tax-Exempt Status

The IRS does not and can NOT regulate Biblical Doctrine!

• Gender
• Sexuality
• Marriage
• Sanctity of life
• Sin
• Judgment
• Repentance
• Heaven and hell
• And Even Political issues from a biblical perspective

It’s Not that the Church is becoming more Political, it’s that Politics are now invading the realm of the Church!

The IRS has never prohibited churches from preaching biblical doctrine, even when those doctrines are controversial. The traditional restriction has been on campaign contribution/intervention—officially endorsing or opposing candidates for public office as a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) organization.

What Has Changed Recently?

Historically, the Johnson Amendment was interpreted to prohibit churches from endorsing candidates if they wished to maintain tax-exempt status.

However, in 2025 the IRS significantly narrowed its interpretation and stated in court filings that communications by a church to its own congregation during worship services concerning political matters viewed through a religious lens should not be treated as campaign intervention.

13 “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 underfoot.

14 “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven. Matthew 5:13-16 NIV

11 “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. 12 Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you. Matthew 5:11-12 NIV

Three Biblical Reasons for Engagement

I. Christ’s Lordship requires our active Participation and Presence

• Colossians 1…tells us that all things were created by Christ and for Christ.
• Matthew 28…tells us that all authority in heaven and on earth belongs to Christ.

Not some authority…All authority!

II. Love Requires our Engagement

5 We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. 2 Corinthians 10:5 NIV

III. Silence Surrenders our God Given Influence

Chinese Communist Party: Publish “United Front Work Department” (UFWD)-Stated Goal "Co-opt and neutralize sources of potential opposition" to advance Party objectives abroad-Communism and Chinese Control.

Muslim Brotherhood: Publish "Explanatory Memorandum" –Sated Goal “To take over by population expansion within civilian life” mosques, educational institutions, student organizations, community and governmental organizations to gain influence and eventual control. It’s a military strategy paid for by a marketing strategy until more than 10% population penetration is achieved…then increasing pressure backed by the threat of violence to gain greater and greater control. Beyond 30% it’s Islamic rule and Shariah Law.

14 For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father’s family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?” Ester 4:14 NIV

Words of Knowledge

We believe the Lord wants to heal someone today who was recently injured and has a tear in their abdominal muscles.

We believe the Lord wants to heal someone with vision problems in their right eye.

We believe the Lord wants to heal diverticulitis today.

Politics is NOT the Mission of the Church, but the people influenced and bound by ungodly structures and ideologies are!

The Job of The Church:

1. Take Every Thought Captive:

We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ. 2 Corinthians 10:5 (NASB1995)

2. Refute False Philosophy and Deception:

See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, rather than according to Christ. Colossians 2:8 (NASB1995)

3. Renew The Mind With God's Truth:

And do not be conformed to this [a]world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect. Romans 8:12 (NASB1995)

4. Contend for The Faith:

Beloved, while I was making every effort to write you about our common salvation, I felt the necessity to write to you appealing that you contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all handed down to the saints. Jude 3 (NASB1995)

5. Refute Those Who Contradict Sound Doctrine:

Holding fast the faithful word which is in accordance with the teaching, so that he will be able both to exhort in sound doctrine and to refute those who contradict. Titus 1:9 (NASB1995)

Theological Framework-Satan’s Strategies:

You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies. John 8:44 (NASB1995)

• Any organizational system or structure void of God (PTA/School Board to the White House) will eventually be corrupted by the Spirit of the Anti-Christ and lead into opposing God’s truth.

So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, “If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free. John 8:31-32 (NASB1995)

Exposethe Lie: Satanic Agenda

"After the Ball, 1989: How America Will Conquer its Fear and Hatred of Gays in the 90s" by neuropsychologist Marshall Kirk and public relations expert Hunter Madsen.

• Part I – Understanding the Problem
• Chapter 1: America’s Hatred of Homosexuals
• Describes the intensity of hostility toward homosexuality in the late 1980s.
• Identifies roots of rejection: religion, cultural traditions, stereotypes (e.g., effeminate men, hypersexual images).
• Sets the stage for why a deliberate persuasion campaign is needed.
• Chapter 2: Who Hates, and Why?

Chapter 2: Who Hates, and Why?

• Categorizes Americans into groups:
• Hardcore Opponents: deeply religious or ideologically fixed; unlikely to change.
• Ambivalent Middle: uncomfortable but not firmly opposed—prime targets for persuasion.
• Sympathetic Allies: already supportive but needing motivation to act.
• Part II – The Strategy
• Chapter 3: Desensitization
• Goal: make homosexuality seem ordinary and unthreatening through repeated exposure.
• Suggested tactics:
• Flood media with images of gays in normal roles (neighbors, professionals, families).
• Avoid shocking or extreme depictions.
• Encourage portrayals that build familiarity.
• Chapter 4: Jamming
• Goal: make open opposition to homosexuality socially unacceptable.
• Strategy: link anti-gay attitudes with prejudice, ignorance, or cruelty.
• Example: compare homophobia with racism to generate guilt and social shame.
• By “jamming,” critics would hesitate to speak out.
• Chapter 5: Conversion
• Goal: move beyond tolerance to actual acceptance and enthusiastic support.
• Tactics:
• Present gays as victims of injustice (sympathy-based appeal).
• Highlight positive role models (educated, moral, responsible gay individuals).
• Gradually reframe homosexuality as natural and healthy.
• Part III – Tactics in Action
• Chapter 6: Using the Media
• Media identified as the most powerful tool.
• Encourage sympathetic portrayals in TV, film, and advertising.
• Downplay negative stereotypes and emphasize normality.
• Suggest long-term cultural saturation instead of one-off campaigns.
• Chapter 7: Building Compassion
• Cast gays as persecuted and mistreated to evoke compassion.
• Use stories of discrimination, bullying, and suffering to reshape public emotion.
• Frame homosexuality as a civil rights issue, paralleling racial struggles.
• Chapter 8: Recasting Opponents
• Paint critics of homosexuality as dangerous extremists, bigots, or ignorant zealots.
• Shift public perception so opposition looks harsh and unreasonable.
• Emphasize moderation, respectability, and victimhood for gays in contrast.
• Part IV – The Future Vision
• Chapter 9: Winning the Youth
• Future acceptance depends on influencing younger and younger generations.
• Shape and influence public education and children’s media to normalize homosexuality.
• Encourage values of tolerance and inclusion in all school settings.
• Chapter 10: The New Normal
• Envisions a future where homosexuality is widely accepted.
• Resistance will be seen as outdated and shameful.
• Argues this cultural shift will come not from theological debate but from psychological marketing!

If we don’t Wake up, Speak up and take a Stand our kids and our culture will pay a severe Price!

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. Ephesians 6:12 (NASB1995)

See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, rather than according to Christ. Colossians 2:8 (NASB1995)

Worldview System

• Humanism -
• Core Belief: Man is the ultimate authority, determining truth, morality, purpose, and meaning indepent of God.
• Christian Contrast: God is the ultimate authority. Truth, morality, purpose, and meaning are revealed by Him through Scripture and His character.
• Naturalism (Materialism) -
• Core Belief: The physical universe is all that exists; there is no God, soul, or spiritual realm.
• Christian Contrast: God is Creator, the spiritual realm is real, and eternal realities govern temporal life.
• Relativism
• Core Belief: Truth and morality are subjective, determined by individuals, cultures, or circumstances.
• Christian Contrast: Truth is objective, absolute, and unchanging because it is grounded in God's nature and Word.
• Expressive Individualism (Self-ism)
• Core Belief: Personal fulfillment, self-definition, self-expression, and personal desires are the highest good.
• Christian Contrast: True identity is found in Christ. Fulfillment comes through surrender to God, self-denial, and obedience to His will.
• Secularism
• Core Belief: God and biblical authority should be excluded from public life, morality, and societal institutions.
• Christian Contrast: Christ is Lord over every sphere of life, and all truth, morality, and authority ultimately belong to God.
• Critical Theory
• Core Belief: Human problems are fundamentally rooted in power structures, oppression, and social inequities.
• Christian Contrast: Humanity's fundamental problem is sin, and the ultimate solution is redemption through Jesus Christ.

The gospel is hereto rescue those who have been trapped in the lies!

• To break the Yoke and Lift the Burden (Isaiah 58)
• To Bind the Strongman (Matt 12:29)
• Destroy the System (Colossians 2:8)

Clarity from Scripture

16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile. 17 For in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed—a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: “The righteous will live by faith.” 18 The wrath of Godis being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people, who suppress the truth by their wickedness,19 since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them.20 For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made,so that people are without excuse. 21 For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened.22 Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for imagesmade to look like a mortal human being and birds and animals and reptiles. 24 Therefore God gave them overin the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another.25 They exchanged the truth about God for a lie,and worshiped and served created thingsrather than the Creator—who is forever praised.Amen. 26 Because of this, God gave them overto shameful lusts.Even their women exchanged natural sexual relations for unnatural ones.27 In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed shameful acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their error. 28 Furthermore, just as they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, so God gave them overto a depraved mind, so that they do what ought not to be done.29 They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips,30 slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents;31 they have no understanding, no fidelity, no love,no mercy.32 Although they know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death,they not only continue to do these very things but also approveof those who practice them. 2 You, therefore, have no excuse,you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge another, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things.2 Now we know that God’s judgment against those who do such things is based on truth.3 So when you, a mere human being, pass judgment on them and yet do the same things, do you think you will escape God’s judgment?4 Or do you show contempt for the richesof his kindness,forbearanceand patience,not realizing that God’s kindness is intended to lead you to repentance? 5 But because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of God’s wrath, when his righteous judgmentwill be revealed.6 God “will repay each person according to what they have done.”7 To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honorand immortality,he will give eternal life.8 But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil,there will be wrath and anger.9 There will be trouble and distress for every human being who does evil:first for the Jew, then for the Gentile;10 but glory, honor and peace for everyone who does good: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile.11 For God does not show favoritism. 12 All who sin apart from the law will also perish apart from the law, and all who sin under the lawwill be judged by the law.13 For it is not those who hear the law who are righteous in God’s sight, but it is those who obeythe law who will be declared righteous.14 (Indeed, when Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature things required by the law,they are a law for themselves, even though they do not have the law.15 They show that the requirements of the law are written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts sometimes accusing them and at other times even defending them.)16 This will take place on the day when God judges people’s secretsthrough Jesus Christ,as my gospeldeclares. Romans 1:16-2:16 NIV

Setting the Captives Free

Isaiah 6:1-4 (NASB1995)

Words of Knowledge:

We believe the Lord wants to heal someone who was recently diagnosed with a heart murmur.

We believe the Lord wants to heal someone with a bulging disk in their back.

We believe the Lord wants to heal someone suffering from diverticulitis.

God expects Men, through his empowerment, to Lead, Provide and Protect and most of all live a life worthy of their calling in Christ,so that the next generation are able to immolate his life!

Mighty men are not born. They are formed, they are forged through trial and struggle and hardship. And that best happens together in the presence of The King!

Every father is shaping the next generation.

13 During harvest time, three of the thirty chief warriors came down to David at the cave of Adullam,while a band of Philistines was encamped in the Valley of Rephaim.14 At that time David was in the stronghold,and the Philistine garrison was at Bethlehem.15 David longed for water and said, “Oh, that someone would get me a drink of water from the well near the gate of Bethlehem!”16 So the three mighty warriors broke through the Philistine lines, drew water from the well near the gate of Bethlehem and carried it back to David. But he refused to drink it; instead, he pouredit out before theLord.17 “Far be it from me,Lord, to do this!” he said. “Is it not the bloodof men who went at the risk of their lives?” And David would not drink it. Such were the exploits of the three mighty warriors. 2 Samuel 23:13-17 NIV

Mighty men are formed through adversity, not comfort! – 2 Samuel 23:1-8

• God's training ground is often the arena of difficulty.
• The cave came before the battlefield.
• The wilderness came before the throne.
• The cross came before the crown.
• Jesus is our Model!

The best weapons possess Sharpness, Hardness and Flexibility.

Men who are being shaped for Christ take on the Mind of Christ, Truth of Word, and a Heart to Love.

Mighty men learn to live for something bigger than themselves! - 2 Samuel 23:15-16

Christian duty can carry a man for a season, but Only true devotion can carry him for a lifetime.

Fathers:

• Your children need to see you live for something bigger than your career.
• Bigger than your hobbies.
• Bigger than your comfort.
• Bigger than your retirement plan.
• They need to see a father who burns for Jesus and lives to serve Him!

Children rarely rise above what they consistently observe.

Mighty men are built in the company of other Mighty Men - 2 Samuel 23:18-19

Nobody becomes a mighty man alone! These men lived around David…they Walked with David…they Watched David. They Learned who God was, how to Honor and Worship Him…from David’s example.

Culture teaches Information. Discipleship teaches Imitation in the proximity of other godly men.

The most powerful thing in your home is NOT what you say, it’s the thoughts, attitudes and actions you consistently display. It's who you are all the time!

After we are gone, our influence will still be living on somewhere.

• In your children.
• In your grandchildren.
• In the people you discipled.
• In the lives you shaped.

The greatest Fathers will be those who raise mighty men and women who love and serve the King of Kings and Lord of Lords!

Words Of Knowledge:

We believe the Lord wants to heal someone who has constant ringing in their right ear.

We believe the Lord wants to heal someone struggling with shaky hands or tremors.

We believe the Lord wants to heal someone who was recently diagnosed with bladder cancer.

Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Romans 5:1 (NIV)

Through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we[a] boast in the hope of the glory of God. Romans 5:2 (NIV)

Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance. Romans 5:3 (NIV)

Perseverance, character; and character, hope. Romans 5:4 (NIV)

And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us. Romans 5:5 (NIV)

You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Romans 5:6 (NIV)

Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. Romans 5:7 (NIV)

But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:8 (NIV)

Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him! Romans 5:9 (NIV)

For if, while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life! Romans 5:10 (NIV)

Not only is this so, but we also boast in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation. Romans 5:11 (NIV)

Words of Knowledge:

• We believe the Lord wants to heal someone who has osteomalacia.
• We believe the Lord wants to heal someone who has been having heart palpitations.