Education…Exercises Our Pride….

I can’t help but think about education when I read today’s scripture passage. Higher education to be exact. I don’t know the percentage but I know it’s really high when it comes to church-raised freshman who enter college, leaving college not believing in God anymore. You’d think that education would enlighten people to the truth, but unfortunately, it does the exact opposite. Instead of opening up our eyes to truth, it exercises our pride and makes it our largest muscle. Then demands the use of that muscle to further us down the road to prosperity. Be careful if you’re in college. Be careful if you’re going to college. And repent if you’ve bought into the college agenda you’ve experienced. God is the only source of wisdom and truth. If He’s not part of your life, you’re being fed with inedible food. It may satisfy your craving, but it won’t sustain you throughout life. God is the only One worthy our attention.

8 Don’t let anyone capture you with empty philosophies and high-sounding nonsense that come from human thinking and from the spiritual powers of this world, rather than from Christ. 9 For in Christ lives all the fullness of God in a human body. 10 So you also are complete through your union with Christ, who is the head over every ruler and authority. Colossians 2:8-10

Jesus Really Isn’t Our Lord….

Why do we speak about Jesus? Why do we tell others the truth? So if they listen, they will no longer be deceived. That’s the first step in salvation. And the first step in the sanctification process. The world will always distort truth, to drive us away from God, it’s Satan’s revenge plan, his hatred of God for his rebellion. And when we buy into it, it accomplishes exactly that, revenge by our enemy. If people are willing to listen or not, we must continue to be the light in the world by speaking and living out the truth. If we don’t, who will? If we don’t, we are still accountable. If we don’t, Jesus really isn’t our Lord, is He?

1 I want you to know how much I have agonized for you and for the church at Laodicea, and for many other believers who have never met me personally. 2 I want them to be encouraged and knit together by strong ties of love. I want them to have complete confidence that they understand God’s mysterious plan, which is Christ Himself. 3 In Him lie hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.4 I am telling you this so no one will deceive you with well-crafted arguments. 5 For though I am far away from you, my heart is with you. And I rejoice that you are living as you should and that your faith in Christ is strong. Colossians 2:1-5

When We Are Confronted With Truth…

I’ve always believed the best character quality we can ever possess is the ability to be honest with ourselves (humility). It’s seeing ourselves in the same way God sees us. And it’s a God-given quality. Whenever you hear “let those that have eyes to see and ears to hear” in the Bible, it’s exactly what I’m talking about. When we are confronted with truth, what do we do? Run from it? Ignore it? Not take it seriously? Think it’s more applicable to someone else? Or process it, apply it, and make every effort to live it out? With so many liars, swindlers, deceivers, and all other forms of evil living in our world, what’s the point of staying on the wrong path? It’s not going to get you where you want to go, right? Once we realize we are in the wrong path, turn around. It’ll save you from so much frustration and wasted time. Politicians, proud people, and _________ (fill in the blank) do not turn around when they realize they are on the wrong path. Do you do this? Do I? We live in a fallen world, things aren’t as they should be, but that doesn’t give us excuses not to turn around (repent) when we find ourselves on the wrong road. If we don’t, we bring whatever consequences exists for continuing down the wrong path. And have no one to blame but ourselves.

  4 “Jeremiah, say to the people, ‘This is what the Lord says: “ ‘When people fall down, don’t they get up again?When they discover they’re on the wrong road, don’t they turn back?5 Then why do these people stay on their self-destructive path?Why do the people of Jerusalem refuse to turn back?They cling tightly to their lies and will not turn around.6 I listen to their conversations and don’t hear a word of truth.Is anyone sorry for doing wrong?Does anyone say, “What a terrible thing I have done”?No! All are running down the path of sinas swiftly as a horse galloping into battle!7 Even the stork that flies across the skyknows the time of her migration,as do the turtledove, the swallow, and the crane.They all return at the proper time each year.But not My people!They do not know the Lord’s laws. 8 “ ‘How can you say, “We are wise because we have the word of the Lord,”when your teachers have twisted it by writing lies?9 These wise teachers will fallinto the trap of their own foolishness,for they have rejected the word of the Lord.Are they so wise after all?10 I will give their wives to othersand their farms to strangers.From the least to the greatest,their lives are ruled by greed.Yes, even My prophets and priests are like that.They are all frauds.11 They offer superficial treatmentsfor My people’s mortal wound.They give assurances of peacewhen there is no peace.12 Are they ashamed of these disgusting actions?Not at all–they don’t even know how to blush!Therefore, they will lie among the slaughtered.They will be brought down when I punish them,says the Lord. Jeremiah 8:4-12

We Are Not Naturally Good…

Regardless of what you hear or see on the news. Regardless of what you read on the Internet. Regardless of what you hear from the world, man’s nature is sinful. He is not good. We are not naturally good. Our nature is to rebel, to do things “our way”. Think about it, did anyone teach you how to throw a temper tantrum when you were a kid? Or did you have someone teach you how to lie? Cheat? Steal? Hate? Of course not. Our nature is a rebellious one, a selfish, self-centered, “me focused” agenda that either puts God on the back burner or abandons Him all together. We are born with this nature; we are not good. This “critical theory” message being spread right now is a deceptive lie. Man is not good, left on his own he will not be good, and a utopian society isn’t even possible. This is the very reason Jesus died on the cross, because we can’t rescue ourselves. Man cannot forgive his own sin. He needs a Savior. Stop listening to the “world”, it will only dig you a deeper pit that’s inescapable. The Christian worldview clearly explains man’s true nature. Look around, is man good? It’s only a Christian world view that gives us the solution to the problem. Need I say more. Don’t be deceived. God loves us more than you’ll ever know. Don’t turn your back on the only real God in the universe. We were made for something more, and eternity has been placed in our hearts to prove it.

22 When I led your ancestors out of Egypt, it was not burnt offerings and sacrifices I wanted from them. 23 This is what I told them: ‘Obey Me, and I will be your God, and you will be My people. Do everything as I say, and all will be well!’24 “But My people would not listen to Me. They kept doing whatever they wanted, following the stubborn desires of their evil hearts. They went backward instead of forward. 25 From the day your ancestors left Egypt until now, I have continued to send My servants, the prophets–day in and day out. 26 But My people have not listened to Me or even tried to hear. They have been stubborn and sinful–even worse than their ancestors. Jeremiah 7:22-26

A Little Yeast Goes A Long Way….

It always baffles mind mind when I hear people talk about their church welcoming all kinds of perpetual sinning people. I get that God loves all of us. But there is no way that He’s happy or pleased if a church allows the acceptance of evil behaviors, and then thinks they are doing His will. The only goodwill they are doing is in their own head. Yes, we are to allow all walks of people into our church, but if they are not repentant, if they don’t see their behavior as offensive to God, or if they speak like a Christian and yet still support their contradictory behavior and continue to live that lifestyle, then they need to find another place to worship their “pseudo god”. Think about it, if the church actually adhered to this concept, maybe we wouldn’t have so many churches even consider using the name “Christian” in their titles. A little yeast goes a long way, it infiltrates they entire batch of dough. Jesus continually talked about this. And so did Paul (Corinthian church). It starts by taking an inventory of our own life, getting right with God ourselves. Then we will be able to clearly see to help remove the speck from our neighbor’s eye. The church needs to clean house, and start being the church, the Bride of Christ. We do it with gentleness and respect, but still do it. Not setting ourselves apart to be “religious” or “holy-er than thou”, but righteous, representing our Savior and Lord Jesus. If an unrepentant sinner comes to church, welcome him, if he remains unrepentant, we must not be preaching the right message, and a change is necessary. And he must not be allowed to join. Sounds harsh, I know, but look where it’s gotten us because we’ve become too soft on this issue. One drop of poison diluted in a solution kills everything that drinks from it.

8 “ ‘Don’t be fooled into thinking that you will never suffer because the Temple is here. It’s a lie! 9 Do you really think you can steal, murder, commit adultery, lie, and burn incense to Baal and all those other new gods of yours, 10 and then come here and stand before Me in My Temple and chant, “We are safe!”–only to go right back to all those evils again? 11 Don’t you yourselves admit that this Temple, which bears My name, has become a den of thieves? Surely I see all the evil going on there. I, the Lord, have spoken! Jeremiah 7:8-11

What More Could A Man Ask For….

What more can a man ask for than to be holy and blameless when he stands before God? Nothing we could ever do could bring this to us. The Good News brings assurance. Never forget this. Praise Jesus.

22 Yet now He has reconciled you to Himself through the death of Christ in His physical body. As a result, He has brought you into His own presence, and you are holy and blameless as you stand before Him without a single fault.23 But you must continue to believe this truth and stand firmly in it. Don’t drift away from the assurance you received when you heard the Good News. The Good News has been preached all over the world, and I, Paul, have been appointed as God’s servant to proclaim it. Colossians 1:22-23

The More We Pursue His Will….

Think of the sanctification process like an education. The more we study the smarter we get. In first grade we know a little. But by college age, we know a whole lot more. The same holds true for God: the more we pursue His will, the more we will come to know Him. Time is the factor, the more time we put in, the deeper our relationship with Him becomes. If our goal is to pursue God, to know Him better and better, we will produce every kind of good fruit there is, and enjoy the journey at every turn. God equals our significance. We fulfill our purpose by serving Him. And we find peace only in Him. Make it your goal to pursue God and watch your discontent with life fade away like the most beautiful sunset you’ve ever seen.

9 So we have not stopped praying for you since we first heard about you. We ask God to give you complete knowledge of His will and to give you spiritual wisdom and understanding. 10 Then the way you live will always honor and please the Lord, and your lives will produce every kind of good fruit. All the while, you will grow as you learn to know God better and better. Colossians 1:9-10

The Best Witness To God’s Existence….

God’s word, the Good News, the Gospel, changes lives. The best evidence of that should be the way you live yours. If God rescues believers from the eternal destiny of Hell, if He replaces our stony hearts with ones of flesh, and if God gives us new eyes to see and ears to hear (spiritually), then shouldn’t our response to Him be one of loyalty, gratitude, and surrender? Any thing less would be a contradiction. Sometimes it’s not so much huge changes, but subtle ones. Not “rock star concert” attention getting differences, but small, consistent differences in who you once were, and now are not. The best witness to God’s existence and His amazing grace is a transformed life. Never forget this.

6 This same Good News that came to you is going out all over the world. It is bearing fruit everywhere by changing lives, just as it changed your lives from the day you first heard and understood the truth about God’s wonderful grace. Colossians 1:6

The True Secret Of Contentment…..

The true secret of contentment is being in and doing God’s will. Trusting God in all circumstances makes dealing with life’s struggles a little easier. The hope that’s infused in us by His Spirit anchors our soul. It helps us weather the storms. It’s what sets us apart from those who have no hope. Jesus strengthens us when we need it most, and helps us when all hope seems lost. He is the Author and Perfecter of our faith. Praise God for this wonderful gift. Contentment is only received through God’s grace. Thank Him today for all that you’ve made it through.

11 Not that I was ever in need, for I have learned how to be content with whatever I have. 12 I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little. 13 For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength. Philippians 4:11-13

What We Put Into Our Minds….

I find that if I start my day pursuing worldly things, seeing who won a sporting event, or a debate, or get caught up in issues of the day, my attitude goes South in a hurry. But when I start my day reading God’s word, and meditating on His will, my attitude is more positive and clear to accomplish the day’s tasks at hand. Don’t get me wrong, I read God’s word every day, but when I don’t do it first (making it the priority), my spirit suffers (even if it’s for a few minutes out of order). I’m not requiring you to do the same, because it can become a “religious activity”. My point is what I put into my mind first, usually dictates my attitude for the rest of the day. It’s what my priorities are, that determines the altitude at which I will soar each day. If my mind is on the problems of the world, my attitude will be grounded, moving along with obstacles I’ll have to maneuver around. If my mind is filled with God’s word, I’ll soar above the earth, getting to my destination much faster. And the views will make the journey more memorable. Give God the attention He deserves (and we need), and you’ll find your attitude much better than any alternative you give attention to. What we put into our mind is what we will find coming out of our mouths and actions. Start with God, and His priorities will become your priorities.

8 And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. 9 Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me–everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you. Philippians 4:8-9

Failure To Find Peace….

As the world medicates itself in its failure to find peace, Christians have the answer. Peace is found no where else, but in Jesus. Worry, anxiety, stress, and strife all can be lessened and coped with when we tell God what we need and thank Him for all He has done. It’s His peace the world longs for, and yet never finds because it looks for it in the wrong places. If you long for the kind of peace that guards your heart and mind, then seek out the God of the Bible whole-heartedly. You’ll not only find peace for your soul, but you’ll secure your eternal resting place in Him. What more could you ask for?

6 Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank Him for all He has done. 7 Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-7

Toot My Own Horn….

I’ve never been one to “toot my own horn”. I don’t like undeserved attention. Don’t get me wrong, I like attention, but usually only from those I’m closest to (and that’s a very small number). There are times I catch myself talking selfishly, and I think, “is this really necessary?”. I’m human and all humans have the tendency to exaggerate, but I try my best to not make something appear to be better than it really is. Some people call it being negative. My wife calls me “her bubble burster”, and that’s okay. But I like to think of it as being “real”. I find myself sometimes taking great pride in this, and that’s when I have to stop myself, because I know I’m not the reason for the conversation. I try to talk highly about qualities people possess that exalt God. I try to promote beauty in God’s creation. That way, it’s not about me. Humility is a hard concept to grasp, and I know I don’t have the best grip on it yet. But it doesn’t stop me from continuing to view humility as one of the highest virtues to pursue. I’ve got a long way to go, but it’s good to know God has given me a good start.

2 Let someone else praise you, not your own mouth–a stranger, not your own lips. Proverbs 27:2

How Did I Get Myself In This Predicament?

People often ask themselves, “how did I get myself in this predicament?” It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure it out. You’ll even find Christians in this category. They will say, “I don’t feel close to God”. When we stop praying, reading God’s word daily, thinking about Him moment by moment, how can we expect to be following Him? How can we expect to be blessed? How can we expect to have confidence in our future? Or even have Hope? We get ourselves in situations that are uncomfortable by our own doing. When we refuse to listen to God, we plant trees that produce inedible fruit. We plant schemes that not only bring harm to ourselves, but promote others to do the same. If a farmer plants corn in his field and expects wheat to grow there instead, he’s only fooling himself. We reap what we sow. Without God, we will reap the fruit of our own schemes. Personal responsibility plays a major role in life here on earth, even if we refuse to acknowledge it. Why not be the farmer who plants corn and expects corn to grow? It’s exactly what happens when we follow God, we may not know the details of His ways, but we certainly know the outcome. His glory and our blessings are the fruit of planting God’s word in our hearts.

19 Listen, all the earth! I will bring disaster on My people.It is the fruit of their own schemes, because they refuse to listen to Me. They have rejected My word. Jeremiah 6:19

If God’s Ways Are Antiquated And Irrelevant…

Christians have the answer to life’s problems. It’s all found in Jesus. If God’s ways are antiquated and irrelevant in today’s views, then that’s exactly what I want to follow. God’s ways never change even if the world’s views do.

16 This is what the Lord says: “Stop at the crossroads and look around. Ask for the old, godly way, and walk in it. Travel its path, and you will find rest for your souls. But you reply, ‘No, that’s not the road we want!’ Jeremiah 6:16

If You Can’t Beat Them, Join Them….

I can’t help but think of politicians when I read the scripture below. The amount of wealth these compromising politicians have gained since being elected is staggering. For example, one long time politician entered Congress with an annual salary of $165,000, and net worth of $350,000. Now their net worth is $450 million. This is just one example of many politicians who have “sold out” to the world. Sadly, they are from both political parties. They’re the Epitome of the saying, “if you can’t beat them, join them”. Saying things to appease people is flat out wrong, when it comes to getting votes. It’s a power thing. Yet we live in a world that promotes it. We live in a world that is more impressed with outside appearances than what lies in the heart. If God disciplined Judah with exile, what’s stopping Him from doing the same for America? Are we any different? Undeserving? Do yourself a favor today, ask God for discernment, to help you decipher truth from all the lies. Then apply it in every aspect of your life. You may not find excitement and immediate happiness in doing so, but you’ll save yourself a lot of pain and suffering when you do. You won’t be deceived. And most importantly, you’ll rest peacefully at night knowing God honors those that honor Him.

13 “From the least to the greatest,their lives are ruled by greed.From prophets to priests,they are all frauds.14 They offer superficial treatments for My people’s mortal wound.They give assurances of peace when there is no peace.15 Are they ashamed of their disgusting actions? Not at all–they don’t even know how to blush!Therefore, they will lie among the slaughtered.They will be brought down when I punish them,”says the Lord. Jeremiah 6:13-15

Be Careful To Stay Connected…

We must always be careful to stay connected to God. If we don’t our old nature will arise and find ourselves living with the consequences of being disconnected with Him. Rebellion is our natural state. And rebellion can be very subtle, sometimes not even realizing how far we’ve wandered away. Unless we surrender to God’s Spirit, we will always scorn the word of the Lord. Like it or not, it’s just the way it is. True salvation is a process. We are instantly saved, but it’s the sanctification process that proves it’s authenticity. It’s a journey that we will never arrive until Heaven. Our goal is to move closer to Jesus. And that does take work, dying to self every day.

10 To whom can I give warning?Who will listen when I speak?Their ears are closed,and they cannot hear.They scorn the word of the Lord.They don’t want to listen at all. Jeremiah 6:10

What Will You Do When The End Comes?

For those that refuse to acknowledge God, for those that like America the way it currently is, for those that give false testimonies, and for those that see themselves as their own small god, I have one question for you: what will you do when the end comes? We all need to contemplate this question, to make sure we have an answer that will rescue us from the consequences of our sin.

23 But My people have stubborn and rebellious hearts.They have turned away and abandoned Me.24 They do not say from the heart,‘Let us live in awe of the Lord our God,for He gives us rain each spring and fall, assuring us of a harvest when the time is right.’25 Your wickedness has deprived you of these wonderful blessings.Your sin has robbed you of all these good things. 26 “Among My people are wicked men who lie in wait for victims like a hunter hiding in a blind.They continually set traps to catch people.27 Like a cage filled with birds,their homes are filled with evil plots.And now they are great and rich.28 They are fat and sleek, and there is no limit to their wicked deeds.They refuse to provide justice to orphans and deny the rights of the poor.29 Should I not punish them for this?” says the Lord.“Should I not avenge Myself against such a nation?30 A horrible and shocking thing has happened in this land–31 the prophets give false prophecies,and the priests rule with an iron hand.Worse yet, My people like it that way!But what will you do when the end comes? Jeremiah 5:23-31

Why America Has Fallen….

If some ever asks you why America has fallen, you can simply answer them by saying, “America has rejected God, and replaced Him with foreign gods”.

18 “Yet even in those days I will not blot you out completely,” says the Lord. 19 “And when your people ask, ‘Why did the Lord our God do all this to us?’ you must reply, ‘You rejected Him and gave yourselves to foreign gods in your own land. Now you will serve foreigners in a land that is not your own.’ Jeremiah 5:18-19

23 But My people have stubborn and rebellious hearts.They have turned away and abandoned Me.24 They do not say from the heart,‘Let us live in awe of the Lord our God,for He gives us rain each spring and fall,assuring us of a harvest when the time is right.’25 Your wickedness has deprived you of these wonderful blessings.Your sin has robbed you of all these good things. Jeremiah 5:23-25

No Place In Our Own Heart….

In today’s turbulent times, I see a lot of anger and hatred almost everywhere I look. Turn on the news and there’s nothing but hatred and resentment for our current president (just one example). You see protests everywhere. You see violence in our streets. With all of this going on, one might get a little depressed. One might lose hope. Evil will always be present on this earth (until God makes it right). The heart of man is evil, selfish, and seeks to please no one more than himself. People will always search for honesty, truth, and justice. But until one comes to God with true contrition, and repents, there will always be rebellious, hard-hearted people hell-bent on fighting against God and His followers. It’s in our nature. We must remember we have this same ability in us (to be stubborn, to rebel), and it’s only through God’s Spirit that we’ve been freed from the power to do evil. There will always be strife, rebellion, and violence in the world, but it’s our job to make sure it has no place in our own heart, that way God can use us to reach those that are destined to be His.

 “Run up and down every street in Jerusalem,” says the Lord.“Look high and low; search throughout the city!If you can find even one just and honest person,I will not destroy the city.2 But even when they are under oath,saying, ‘As surely as the Lord lives,’they are still telling lies!” 3 Lord, You are searching for honesty.You struck Your people,but they paid no attention.You crushed them,but they refused to be corrected.They are determined, with faces set like stone;they have refused to repent. 4 Then I said, “But what can we expect from the poor?They are ignorant.They don’t know the ways of the Lord.They don’t understand God’s laws.5 So I will go and speak to their leaders.Surely they know the ways of the Lordand understand God’s laws.”But the leaders, too, as one man,had thrown off God’s yoke and broken His chains. Jeremiah 5:1-5

The Intangible Form Of Blessing….

I find myself at times scratching my head when I witness people doing really, really stupid things. That includes older people, people in power, and people I thought were mature. Then it hits me when I’m trying to figure out the “why?”. The reason people repeat doing stupid stuff is because they don’t know God. They think they know better (don’t we all at times) and evil always comes out of selfish desires. How can an ungodly person be expected to be godly? They can’t. I’m not making excuses for these people, I’m just explaining the “why” behind their behavior. There are always going to be consequences for people’s actions; it’s just a matter of learning from them. We can make those mistakes and learn from our own guilt and regret, but we can also learn from others’ mistakes not having to suffer like them ourselves. The key is knowing God. We all have done stupid things in our lives, the only difference is God allows those that know Him to learn from them and not repeat them, while others who don’t know God, live in a perpetual state of repeating the same stupid mistakes over and over. Fixing ourselves is impossible without God’s help. This is just one more under-appreciated benefit that the believer has in God that falls in the intangible form of blessing.

22 “My people are foolish and do not know Me,” says the Lord. “They are stupid children-who have no understanding. They are clever enough at doing wrong, but they have no idea how to do right!” Jeremiah 4:22

The Tip Of Our Tongue……

There’s a reason Americans swear on the Bible when they are in a court of law. It’s to testify to truth, justice, and righteousness. When you make an oath (swear by using God’s name), your testimony becomes a blessing to others. And more importantly, you honor God by allowing people to see God’s goodness, giving them reason to praise Him. If you’ve already thought about those who lie under oath, what do you think is the outcome of their false testimony? The exact opposite of course: lies, injustice, and unrighteousness. And that leads to giving people reason to question and curse God. And that does a disservice for everyone involved. Blessing and curses are all available at the tip of our tongue. Our closeness to God determines if our testimonies will bless or curse. And it will also determine if we can discern the level of honesty in others’ testimonies. Today, choose to honor God by speaking truth; you’ll become a blessing and honor to God, and at the same time, give others reason to do the same.

1 “O Israel,” says the Lord, “if you wanted to return to Me, you could. You could throw away your detestable idols and stray away no more.2 Then when you swear by My name, saying, ‘As surely as the Lord lives,’ you could do so with truth, justice, and righteousness. Then you would be a blessing to the nations of the world, and all people would come and praise My name.” Jeremiah 4:1-2

Salvation Will Only Come….

Salvation will never arrive on Air Force One. Nor will it be found in money, fame, power, physical health, legislation, mandates, education, political parties, or on the Moon or Mars. Salvation will only come through faith in Jesus.

Only in the Lord our God will Israel ever find salvation. Jeremiah 3:23c

Pseudo Piety….

The problem with “being religious” is, in the acting out our “pseudo piety”, we forget genuine humility involves dying to self. Submission to God’s will means abandoning our own. We can’t serve two masters. The only possible solution to this dilemma is to make God’s Will be our will, that way our desires will be His desires. Religiosity, when it comes right down to it, is pretending to serve God but wanting His glory (recognition) for ourselves.

4 Yet you say to Me, ‘Father, You have been my guide since my youth. 5 Surely You won’t be angry forever! Surely You can forget about it! ‘So you talk, but you keep on doing all the evil you can.” Jeremiah 3:4-5

Self-Preservation….

Reading through Jeremiah chapter 1 we come to a truth that modern day Christians seemed to have forgotten. In a politically correct world, speaking truth is offensive. And trying to be accommodating, Christians have watered down the Gospel. If we as Christians believe it’s true, why do we hold back? According to Jeremiah, God’s word (His truth) tears down what needs to be tore down. It uproots what needs to be uprooted. It also builds up and plants. God’s word accomplishes what it is set out to do. Why then do we refrain from promoting that message? Stopping what is set out to fix? We do it out of pure selfishness. We don’t want to offend, or better yet, want to be “not liked” by others. This “self-preservation” does more harm than good. I mean if we stop the gospel from reaching hurting souls, we are a hindrance. We are in effect acting as if we are an enemy of God, not a follower of Him. How can we claim Him to be Lord, if we water down His message? Understand that if we withhold truth in speaking with others, we are not living by faith. And we do not trust God. God’s word accomplishes what it supposed to. And if that means offending others, then I guess they needed to be offended. It’s the enemy of PRIDE. It’s not the people that speak truth that offends, it’s the truth itself, confronting a person in the wrong that offends. It’s built into our DNA. Shame, regret, guilt are all part of the process. If God’s word doesn’t offend evil, selfish behavior, then the recipient of His message has been blotted out of His book of life, and there is no hope for that soul. As harsh as it sounds, God is in control, not us. Political Correctness is a worldly thing. And it’s proof we are worldly minded when we give into it. Speaking God’s truth without watering it down is our duty. And it’s proof when we speak it, Who really is Lord in our lives.

4 The Lord gave me this message: 5 “I knew you before I formed you in your mother’s womb.Before you were born I set you apartand appointed you as My prophet to the nations.” 6 “O Sovereign Lord,” I said, “I can’t speak for You! I’m too young!”7 The Lord replied, “Don’t say, ‘I’m too young,’ for you must go wherever I send you and say whatever I tell you. 8 And don’t be afraid of the people, for I will be with you and will protect you. I, the Lord, have spoken!” 9 Then the Lord reached out and touched my mouth and said, “Look, I have put My words in your mouth!10 Today I appoint you to stand upagainst nations and kingdoms.Some you must uproot and tear down, destroy and overthrow. Others you must build up and plant.” Jeremiah 1:4-10

Intimidation…

How many times have you allowed yourself to be intimidated by others because of your faith? Honestly, I can answer quite of few times in my past. Either being a teacher and having that “it’ll cost you your job if you witness here” mentality, or “don’t offend or I’ll lose business” thoughts, I’ve faced them. I get it. But there comes a time in our life when we have to make the decision “is Jesus Lord of my life?”. If He is Lord, then we have no choice but to share with others the hope we have. We cannot continue to hold inside and refrain from sharing the Answer to the world’s problems. As Jesus said (my paraphrase), “we can fear man who can kill the body then do no more, or we can fear God, Who can kill the body and cast our souls into Hell”. We have a choice. The one thing I’ve realized is that intimidation is life fear. The word conjures up more than what actually happens. It’s used more to manipulate than actually cause harm. Instead of looking at it’s evil potential, try to look at it as a test. It’s an opportunity God is giving us to share the Good News. It’s the solution to man’s problem. It’s exactly what a hurting soul needs to hear. That’s why Satan uses intimidation to stop us from doing it. Yes, if you lose your job, and that is a possibility, but maybe your job isn’t what you’re supposed to be doing. Maybe God has better for you. The only thing I know is the older I get the bolder I get when it comes to my faith. Maybe it’s because I’m into God’s word every day, or maybe He’s rewarding me for trusting Him. All I know is I’m less intimidated now than I was in the past. I know truth is powerful. And I know most people don’t know what I know. So with that said, it’s easier to speak and share Jesus to others. I know His power will overcome any obstacle in my path. I know being empowered by His Spirit allows me to do more than I could ever do on my own. And I know it’s His purpose for every single person on this earth to be given the chance to know Him. So with all of that, I don’t see intimidating practices as powerful and effective as I once did. Speaking boldly, overcoming intimidation, is a sign to the intimidators that if they continue trying to silence truth, they will end up suffering for it, and it’s a sign that truth speakers are saved. Seek God daily. Trust Him. And ask Him to empower us with His Spirit so when intimidation comes, it won’t prevent you from speaking truth (with gentleness and respect), giving this wonderful gift of grace to someone desperately seeking answers and searching for hope. Intimidation comes straight from the devil. And he knows he is a defeated foe.

27 Above all, you must live as citizens of heaven, conducting yourselves in a manner worthy of the Good News about Christ. Then, whether I come and see you again or only hear about you, I will know that you are standing together with one spirit and one purpose, fighting together for the faith, which is the Good News. 28 Don’t be intimidated in any way by your enemies. This will be a sign to them that they are going to be destroyed, but that you are going to be saved, even by God Himself. 29 For you have been given not only the privilege of trusting in Christ but also the privilege of suffering for Him. 30 We are in this struggle together. You have seen my struggle in the past, and you know that I am still in the midst of it. Philippians 1:27-30