Seasoned with fire

[toad]

“Christ has made of death a narrow starlit strip between companionships of yesterday and reunions of tomorrow. Like butterflies precious memories dance along that trail.”
WILLIAM JENNINGS BRYAN

Words of Jesus recorded in Mark 9:49-50 NKJV
“For everyone will be seasoned with fire, and every sacrifice will be seasoned with salt. Salt is good, but if the salt loses its flavor, how will you season it? Have salt in yourselves, and have peace with one another.”

I came across this Scripture in my reading and I gave thought to how as Christians we come under fire. It seems like there is a large portion of the media and Hollywood that shy away and even come against Jesus and those who accept Him as Savior and follow His teachings. Well have I got the Good News for them, a little fire just makes things better. Before the clay pot is fired its not much good for anything. It might be pretty and have a perfect form, but it can’t hold anything without interacting with it and melting. The fire makes it solid and useable. May I learn to accept the testing I go through and use the fire to become solid and useful. By acceptance............ God is able to do for me what I could not do for myself…………….toad

[dave47]

Sorry to read what you say about Hollywood and the media.The impression i always get over here(England) is that Christianity is on the upturn in the States.Over here our faith is constantly put down and church attendances have declined sharply in the last few years.I feel we are a welcoming nation and tolerant of other faiths but yet we are rubbished in our own back yard.Still we know what we believe is right for us and our kids and onward we go.

[best]

Originally Posted by dave47

I feel we are a welcoming nation and tolerant of other faiths ...

Being tolerant of other beliefs...be they Christian or not isn't the problem. The problem comes when acceptance is asked for and just about required or else. Acceptance and tolerance are not the same thing. The more the world becomes PC, the more acceptance is demanded. Stay the course. Hold firm to the truth because we are in a time of being tested by the fire. I can tolerate the beliefs of others but that doesn't mean I need be accepting of what they believe. Being polite to others is not the same as being accepting or agreeing with them.
We are to be in the world not of the world. Yes this is a time of testing. Hold firm to the faith and keep your faith in the Good News... Jesus has risen.