Is Your Church Lukewarm?

I was listening to a pastor a while ago – he’s a good man mind you – but he was using phrases as they relate to politics and religion – phrases such as “whatever you believe” and “however you might feel on the subject” – which made my blood boil.

I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot! So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth. (Revelation 3:15-16 ESV)

These are Jesus’ words, not mine. and they’re for every pastor, elder, deacon, and believer out in the world today, and the days to come, but especially for pastors.

Jesus was speaking to the Laodicean church. Each of the seven churches in the book Revelation in chapters two and three can be found then, and can be found today.

The lukewarm church is just that – neither hot or cold. They don’t want to get into anything controversial. The hot church is one will attack sin for what it is, and the cold church doesn’t get into it all. The lukewarm church gets into it only if pushed it, and even then, it will gloss over it.

I can go into a whole list churches – many well known ones, and even churches in this area who are lukewarm and even cold ones, but I won’t. If they study chapters two and three, and take a good, honest look at themselves, they’ll figure where they fall.

Why do churches stray from topics that we should be covering? It seems that they don’t want to get into political or anything controversial. Let’s just look at a big area that many churches fear, at least here in the United States.

You see, churches in the USA today are like businesses – they’re driven by the “bottom line”. Pastors are scared to death of something that’s been a millstone around their necks called “The Johnson Amendment”. The amendment was to a bill in the 83rd Congress, H.R. 8300, which was enacted into law as the Internal Revenue Code of 1954 – as part of Section 501, Paragraph C, Subsection 3 – known affectionately as 501(c)(3) – or the “not-for-profit” exemption.

The amendment was proposed by Senator Lyndon B. Johnson of Texas on July 2, 1954. (Johnson would later serve as President from 1963 to 1969.) The amendment was agreed to without any discussion or debate and was included in Internal Revenue Code of 1954.

The provision was considered uncontroversial at the time, and continued to be included when the 1954 Code was re-named as the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 during the Ronald Reagan administration.

What this section does is to allow donors to these “tax exempt” organizations. to deduct their donations from their federal income tax returns. This supposedly gives donors the incentive to donate by deducting the donation from taxable income. It also treated the donations – and all income to the organization – as tax free.

In return for this favorable treatment, the “tax-exempt” organization may not “participate in, or intervene in (including the publishing or distributing of statements), any political campaign on behalf of (or in opposition to) any candidate for public office.”

Violating this rule could cause the organization to lose their tax-exempt status, and as such, all donations could then be considered taxable – and donors would not be permitted to deduct these donations from their federal tax returns.

Most churches fall under the 501(c)(3) status. They file for it – and get it. They don’t want their income taxed, and they want their members donating – and getting the benefit to deduct their donations from their taxes. Sounds good, right?

When was the last time you heard a preacher say the following from a pulpit:

“If you endorse or vote for [name of candidate] – who endorses abortion and a woman’s right to choose – you need to question your salvation, because God considers abortion to be murder of another.

Probably rarely – or never at all – because pastors are so afraid of losing that “tax exempt” status, that they will not expose a candidate to a position that’s sinful.

But THAT in itself, is sinful! We need to be exposing the sin in our government! God’s doing it today, because pastors aren’t.

We’ve had many, many years of heathens in federal, state and local government, where we’re the pastors? I’ll tell you, so many kept their mouths shut, they left their true feelings in their study, lest they rustle the feathers of those in charge of their special status.

We’ve a state representative here in Pennsylvania that will not work to have a bill passed like Texas or Mississippi to restrict abortion. His campaign literature claims that such a decision is between a woman her doctor. Transgender “rights” – nothing. He’s behind Roe v. Wade 100% and when it comes to homosexual “marriages” he’s behind the Obergefeld v. Hodges which legalized these so-called marriages.

Oh, and I tell you that he’s also a church pastor – guess where he and his church fall?

Pastors behind the “separation of church and state” excuse, but this phrase is nowhere found in our constitution. It was found in a letter from Thomas Jefferson and the Anabaptists. Our constitution states that there will be “federally mandated by law” such as the Church of England or Catholicism in Italy.

Pastors need to be bold because the persecution seen just our north, Canada, will be here. Pastors in Canada are being arrested for not following federal or provincial dictates.

Yes, people will go “kicking and screaming” – that’s what children do when they don’t get their own way. We see this today – the “left” are rioting and demonstrating in the streets – they’re not going away peacefully. They’re acting as children – and Satan is having a heyday with these people.

I have a word for pastors now – Stop relying on government handouts like your tax-exempt status to see you through. Stop “doing it for the money”! You’re so worried that the collection plate will be empty, that you check your tongue, and your sermon, at your study door. That’s called being a lukewarm pastor who’s leading a lukewarm church.

I remember a pastor who a few years ago, who told me “not to take the ‘rich, white man’s’ money, but to rely on government grants.” He was flat out wrong! The government has no role in faith – financially or otherwise. To take his advice would beholden me to government speech, and that, I will not allow.

For example, I will call out any officeholder or candidate for office, for their stance on the murder of the unborn, or any other act that God deems reprehensible – and anyone who calls themselves a Christian who endorses or votes for a candidate who endorses these views, must examine their salvation and REPENT IMMEDIATELY – because I believe that they weren’t saved to begin with.

Lately, I’ve been using Numbers 32:23 in my Facebook posts. This verse says:

… behold, you have sinned against the Lord, and be sure your sin will find you out. (Numbers 32:23b)

God is exposing the sins of the Obama administration – from Hillary Clinton and that administration as well as ties to the Clinton Foundation and pay-to-play – and any number of other sins.

Every time the liberal politicians from both parties to spin another yarn against the man God allowed to be elected, the story is eventually debunked – another nail is exposed showing a sin from any prior administration.

Think “demasking” – as an example. Be sure your sin will find you out! God will dispense justice either here – or in the hereafter. One way or another, God will have His way. However, it’s high time for pastors and church leadership to start doing their jobs – saving souls, and dispensing some hell-fire and brimstone Bible preaching, and stop being beholden to government bullies.

If your members are faithful, they will still support you, regardless of deductibility. (In most cases, their donations are less than their standard deduction anyway, so it’s not an issue in most cases). Trust in God to provide for you and your church, not Uncle Sam! Uncle Sam has no business dictating to a church – GOD and the PASTOR lead the church, no one else does.

So pastors, start railing against sin, and stop this lukewarm preaching – lest Christ Himself spit you from His mouth!