Saturday, June 11, 2011

Don't Shoot the Messenger

I was watching the weather this morning.
The young meteorologist described a day 
of rain and storms which will clear
the way for less humidity and 
a very wonderful few days ahead.

It struck me that these individuals
come on television or radio every day
and share the forecast.
Whatever it might be.

Popular or not.

I mean how effective would it be if
they just told us what we wanted to hear
every day?
I would put my order in for 75 degrees and
sunny nearly every day.
But they could tell me that just to make
me happy and it wouldn't make it true.
If there happened to be a day when 
tornadoes were a threat I would definitely want
to have the option of knowing.
I would not want them tickling my 
ears with tales of sunny blue skies on that day.

Of course I made a leap from this 
analogy.  One that was inspired by a 
forum I recently joined.
We were talking about churches.
I'm so glad to be in a fellowship that 
preaches the truth....
not a false gospel which is 
soothing to the ears allowing its 
hearers to falsely float along without
really knowing their need of a personal 
Savior.  The message that we are sinners
is not popular but it did not originate with us.
It is the message of our Creator God.
Just as the meteorologist cannot change the 
facts about what will happen in the atmosphere
each day....so we cannot change the message
in the Word of God.

Please don't shoot the messenger.

From Romans 3:
As it is written:   
 “There is no one righteous, not even one;
 11 there is no one who understands;
   there is no one who seeks God.
12 All have turned away,
   they have together become worthless;
there is no one who does good,
   not even one.”[b]



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

John 3:16
For God so loved the world
that he gave his one and only Son,
that whoever believes in him shall 
not perish but have eternal life.

Matthew 25:31-46
31 “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, 
and all the angels with him, 
he will sit on his glorious throne. 
32 All the nations will be
gathered before him, 
and he will separate the people
one from another as a shepherd 
separates the sheep from the goats.  
33 He will put the sheep on his right
and the goats on his left.
   34 “Then the King will say 
to those on his right, 
‘Come, you who are blessed 
by my Father; 
take your inheritance, 
the kingdom prepared for you 
since the creation of the world. 
35 For I was hungry and you 
gave me something to eat, 
I was thirsty and you 
gave me something to drink, 
I was a stranger and you invited me in,  
36 I needed clothes 
and you clothed me, 
I was sick and you looked after me, 
I was in prison and you came to visit me.’
   37 “Then the righteous will answer him, 
‘Lord, when did we see you hungry 
and feed you, 
or thirsty and give you 
something to drink? 
38 When did we see you 
a stranger and invite you in, 
or needing clothes and clothe you?  
39 When did we see you sick or in 
prison and go to visit you?’
   40 “The King will reply, 
‘Truly I tell you, whatever
you did for one of the least of these
brothers and sisters of mine, 
you did for me.’
   41 “Then he will say to those on his left,
‘Depart from me, you who are cursed,
into the eternal fire prepared 
for the devil and his angels.  
42 For I was hungry and you 
gave me nothing to eat, 
I was thirsty and 
you gave me nothing to drink, 
43 I was a stranger and you 
did not invite me in, 
I needed clothes and you 
did not clothe me, 
I was sick and in prison
and you did not look after me.’
   44 “They also will answer,
‘Lord, when did we see you 
hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing
clothes or sick or in prison, 
and did not help you?’
   45 “He will reply, 
‘Truly I tell you, 
whatever you did not do for
one of the least of these, 
you did not do for me.’
   46 “Then they will go away 
to eternal punishment,
but the righteous 
to eternal life.”

7 comments:

Tracy said...

Great post, and and VERY good analogy!

Vee said...

Yes, an excellent analogy. We do, too often, like to shoot the messenger. Hope you don't get any darts today. :D

Elena said...

Amen, dear sister!

Debbie said...

There's a lot of truth in whta you said. I enjoyed reading this.

tea time and roses said...

Beautifully said Becky. We are indeed living in a feel good society. And as you said, In many arenas I am afraid the church too is caught up in the same. It is the truth, the "whole" truth that makes one free. Lovely post dear friend.

Happy weekend to you and your family♥

Smiles♥

Beverly

Gayla said...

What a great post. It is true that we like to hear what we want to hear, but what we need to hear? That is going to be the voice of God... It may be a soothing voice that doesn't let us beat ourselves up over something. Or it may be a voice that tells us just what we need to SEE... and we're looking hard the other way. Thanks for your comments on my blog. They make my day. I'm excited about my candle order, too!!!! Hugs...

Theresa said...

Oh how true! Sometimes the truth ISN'T what we WANT to hear but what we NEED to hear! Have a blessed day my friend, HUGS!