Those who live by a Moral Authority or under attack

 Jeremiah 23:33-40

 I do recall my first time to be called a Bible-thumper it totally caught me off guard because I had little understanding of the meaning.  I should have asked what he meant by the term: Bible-thumper, but that is not what I did?  In that, I did not ask, and my brother-in-law is now dead I can only look at how others define the term.  Webster Dictionary: Definition of Bible–thumper as: “an overzealous advocate of Christian fundamentalism.” Definition of Bible-thumper as: “One who uses the Bible to attack/defame others' characters instead of as a guide to proper living. These people tend to be depressingly ignorant of anything else except the Bible and behavior as expected by the religious.”  And shall we end this foolishness with Wikipedia: “Someone perceived as aggressively imposing their Christian beliefs upon others.”  In that, I did not enquire of Ray’s meaning of the term, and I do regret that my answer was no, and by definition listed above my reply was on the spot.

Jeremiah was the target of most of the people, the leaders, and the false prophet.  The word on the street was this crazy young Jeremiah only tells us how he wants us to live, and he is passing it off as a word from God.  But do not listen to him just make little of him or fun of him by asking what new burden of the Lord are you bringing on us today.  I’m sure there were people in Jeremiah’s time like in ours who try to talk over the one speaking, yelling liar, liar.

It has been my observation that leaders and individuals who rebel against a moral authority will always attack the one who is ruled by that authority.  Stand for the sanctity of life, for a baby unborn or the life of an elderly adult and watch what happens in the area of personal attacks.  Or take a moral stand against the new transgender movement and see how long it takes for the member of a small but powerful group to attack your person.

Often others who go by the title of Christian attack the Christian family for standing for what they believe, along with the media.  Maybe a reminder is needed from the letter to the Ephesians, chapter 6:10-13, “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm.”

You will find God’s message in verse 33, “When one of this people, or a prophet or a priest asks you, ‘What is the burden of the Lord?’ you shall say to them, ‘You are the burden, and I will cast you off, declares the Lord.”

My hope is that you will read verses 36-40; it never goes well for the person who belittles God or his spokesman.  Our God does not change, He is the same today as He was in the beginning, and He changes not.

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice