Thus says the LORD of hosts: Do not listen to the words of the prophets who prophesy to you; they are deluding you. They speak visions of their own minds, not from the mouth of the LORD. They keep saying to those who despise the word of the LORD, "It shall be well with you"; and to all who stubbornly follow their own stubborn hearts, they say, "No calamity shall come upon you."

For who has stood in the council of the LORD so as to see and to hear his word? Who has given heed to his word so as to proclaim it?

Jeremiah 23:16-23

In 1517 Martin Luther nailed his Ninety-Five These to the door of the castle door in Wittenberg. Luther became known as a reformer, and we remember his bold stand as a turning point in church history. Luther's passion was to get the church to stop selling forgiveness through indulgences, which allowed the people to sin intentionally in exchange for money. Long before Luther, the prophet Jeremiah felt the power of God's Word in his own heart. He too refused to allow God's truth to be compromised.

Living for God is about grace and forgiveness, but it is also about boldly standing for the truth. Having God's Word in our heart does not always result in warm, pleasant feelings. Sometimes His truth becomes a blazing fire that causes us to challenge corruption - even though we may be attacked for it.

It is better to declare the truth and be rejected

than to withhold it just to be accepted.

Our Daily Bread - December 7, 2004