Blessed Are You When...........

Thank the Good Lord for another day, to enjoy this life he's given us! :)

On to Jeremiah 5: 10 - 14: "Go through her (Judah's) vineyards and ravage them, but do not destroy them completely. Strip off her branches, afor these people do not belong to the Lord. The house of Israel and the house of Judah have been utterly unfaithful to me, declares the Lord. They have lied about the Lord; they said, ' He will do nothing! No harm will come to us; we will never see sword or famine. The prophets are but wind and the word is not in them; so let what they say be done to them'. Therefore this is what the Lord God Almighty says: ' Because the people have sopken these words, I will make my words in your mouth a fire and these people the wood it consumes".
When people go about snubbing their noses at God, and thinking that he will allow that kind of attitude and behavior to continue with no consequences - they will one day reap what they've sown.
The verses that speak of their attitude about God's prophets, who were sent to them with His message, and the people reacted by saying that the words of the prophets were like wind - that's in effect, saying that they have no substance. God's judgement compares the voice and words of Jeremiah will be like fire, and they will be wood.
There have been many men and women of God throughout my lifetime, who have taken vicious attacks by people who are in the limelight, whether it's Hollywood, the media, or those in the political arena. They have been mocked for their stances on issues such as abortion, controlling what is shown on tv and movies, etc. They have had their messages or sermons taken out of context and used against them; they have been ridiculed for believing the Bible, and that God is going to judge us according to his standards, and how we have lived by them or not.
Maybe you've been mocked and ostracized yourself, for taking a stand for the Lord. Good for you! Jesus tells us in The Sermon on the Mount, found in Matthew 5, is filled with what I call "golden nuggets". The first one I want to touch on is verses 10 - 11: " Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdome of Heaven. Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you".
The next verse I want to touch on is verse 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 by men." Think about the uses of salt - it preserves, creates thirst, heals and cleanses. That is our commission as believers!
The Lord isn't calling us to be timid, and we'll see in verses 14 - 16 of The Sermon on the Mount, that he's called us to be a light in the darkness. 14- 16 is Jesus speaking and he says: "You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. 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. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven".
Someone sent me a video clip on You Tube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qn-P3yAaAqI the other day of Senator Obama, and his mocking of the Bible, and our Christian heritage as Americans. Obama has said that he's a Christian, so it confuses me as to how he can mock the Holy Word of God.
He calls the Sermon on the Mount, radical. Jesus himself was called a radical, because he didn't follow the ways of the people; the Pharisees and Scribes, who were the law makers and spiritual leaders in his time. He rebuked them many times for their attitudes and speech towards those who believed. So yes, I can see that someone who has no regard for the Lord, or for his Word, would call The Sermon on the Mount "radical".
Go out and be the light and the salt today - take a stand for God and his Word - there's no such thing as a lukewarm Christian, meaning you can't believe some of the Bible, and practice Christianity on Sundays when you're in church. Jesus tells us in Revelation 3: 15 - 17: " These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and the true witness, the ruler of God's creation. I know your deeds, that you are neither hot nor cold. I wish you were one or the other. So, because you are lukewarm - neither hot nor cold, I am about to spit you out of my mouth. You say, ' I am rich, I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing'. But you do not know that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked."
I don't know about you, but I think it's time for Christians to not just be "hot", but be on FIRE for the Lord! He will give you the boldness, and bless you for being faithful to his call.

Janelle