Good morning -
I wonder how popular it would be for a pastor or Christian leader to declare that the United States is destined to be conquered by Al Qaeda? I think I already know the answer: such comments would be met with ridicule and the bearer of such bad news would be subject to public humiliation and hatred. But what if he was right?
Jeremiah the prophet was called to such an unpopular task:
"In the beginning of the reign of Zedekiah the son of Josiah, king of Judah, this word came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying-- thus says the LORD YHWH to me--"Make for yourself bonds and yokes and put them on your neck, and send word to the king of Edom, to the king of Moab, to the king of the sons of Ammon, to the king of Tyre and to the king of Sidon by the messengers who come to Jerusalem to Zedekiah king of Judah. Command them to go to their masters, saying, 'Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, thus you shall say to your masters, "I have made the earth, the men and the beasts which are on the face of the earth by My great power and by My outstretched arm, and I will give it to the one who is pleasing in My sight. Now I have given all these lands into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, My servant, and I have given him also the wild animals of the field to serve him. All the nations shall serve him and his son and his grandson until the time of his own land comes; then many nations and great kings will make him their servant." (Jeremiah 27:1-7)
Declaring that Israel and Judah would be conquered by Nebuchadnezzar was not good news. And, as is often the case, the tendency is to "shoot the messenger" of bad news. Chapter twenty-six records that Jeremiah narrowly escaped death because of a previous message of judgment. We learn later in the book of Jeremiah, and from history, that he was not so fortunate.
Standing for and declaring God's word can be unpopular and even dangerous, but the priority remains regardless of how it is received:
"preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires, and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths." (2 Timothy 4:2-4).
Let me challenge and encourage you to "stay the course", regardless of how you are received. It is not uncommon to be praised one minute and ridiculed the next for how we live and speak. Regardless of the tide of popularity, stay faithful and strong. God's word remains, no matter how it is received, and so do those who stand on it and declare it.
Seeking to stand strong in uncertain times,
Pastor Steve
I wonder how popular it would be for a pastor or Christian leader to declare that the United States is destined to be conquered by Al Qaeda? I think I already know the answer: such comments would be met with ridicule and the bearer of such bad news would be subject to public humiliation and hatred. But what if he was right?
Jeremiah the prophet was called to such an unpopular task:
"In the beginning of the reign of Zedekiah the son of Josiah, king of Judah, this word came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying-- thus says the LORD YHWH to me--"Make for yourself bonds and yokes and put them on your neck, and send word to the king of Edom, to the king of Moab, to the king of the sons of Ammon, to the king of Tyre and to the king of Sidon by the messengers who come to Jerusalem to Zedekiah king of Judah. Command them to go to their masters, saying, 'Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, thus you shall say to your masters, "I have made the earth, the men and the beasts which are on the face of the earth by My great power and by My outstretched arm, and I will give it to the one who is pleasing in My sight. Now I have given all these lands into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, My servant, and I have given him also the wild animals of the field to serve him. All the nations shall serve him and his son and his grandson until the time of his own land comes; then many nations and great kings will make him their servant." (Jeremiah 27:1-7)
Declaring that Israel and Judah would be conquered by Nebuchadnezzar was not good news. And, as is often the case, the tendency is to "shoot the messenger" of bad news. Chapter twenty-six records that Jeremiah narrowly escaped death because of a previous message of judgment. We learn later in the book of Jeremiah, and from history, that he was not so fortunate.
Standing for and declaring God's word can be unpopular and even dangerous, but the priority remains regardless of how it is received:
"preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires, and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths." (2 Timothy 4:2-4).
Let me challenge and encourage you to "stay the course", regardless of how you are received. It is not uncommon to be praised one minute and ridiculed the next for how we live and speak. Regardless of the tide of popularity, stay faithful and strong. God's word remains, no matter how it is received, and so do those who stand on it and declare it.
Seeking to stand strong in uncertain times,
Pastor Steve
posted by steve @ 11:55 AM
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