Trample Under Foot

Jeremiah 12:6-17
 - 6 -   Even your brothers, members of your own family, have turned against you. They plot and raise complaints against you. Do not trust them, no matter how pleasantly they speak.
 - 7 -   "I have abandoned My people, My special possession. I have surrendered My dearest ones to their enemies.
 - 8 -   My chosen people have roared at Me like a lion of the forest, so I have treated them with contempt.
 - 9 -   My chosen people act like speckled vultures, but they themselves are surrounded by vultures. Bring on the wild animals to pick their corpses clean!
 - 10 -   "Many rulers have ravaged My vineyard, trampling down the vines and turning all its beauty into a barren wilderness.
 - 11 -   They have made it an empty wasteland; I hear its mournful cry. The whole land is desolate, and no one even cares.
 - 12 -   On all the bare hilltops, destroying armies can be seen. The sword of the LORD devours people from one end of the nation to the other. No one will escape!
 - 13 -   My people have planted wheat but are harvesting thorns. They have worn themselves out, but it has done them no good. They will harvest a crop of shame because of the fierce anger of the LORD."
 - 14 -   Now this is what the LORD says: "I will uproot from their land all the evil nations reaching out for the possession I gave My people Israel. And I will uproot Judah from among them.
 - 15 -   But afterward I will return and have compassion on all of them. I will bring them home to their own lands again, each nation to its own possession.
 - 16 -   And if these nations truly learn the ways of My people, and if they learn to swear by My name, saying, 'As surely as the LORD lives' (just as they taught My people to swear by the name of Baal), then they will be given a place among My people.
 - 17 -   But any nation who refuses to obey Me will be uprooted and destroyed. I, the LORD, have spoken!"

Hebrews 10:29-39

 - 29 -   Just think how much worse the punishment will be for those who have trampled on the Son of God, and have treated the blood of the covenant, which made us holy, as if it were common and unholy, and have insulted and disdained the Holy Spirit who brings God's mercy to us.

 - 30 -   For we know the One who said, "I will take revenge. I will pay them back." He also said, "The LORD will judge His own people."

 - 31 -   It is a terrible thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

 - 32 -   Think back on those early days when you first learned about Christ. Remember how you remained faithful even though it meant terrible suffering.

 - 33 -   Sometimes you were exposed to public ridicule and were beaten, and sometimes you helped others who were suffering the same things.

 - 34 -   You suffered along with those who were thrown into jail, and when all you owned was taken from you, you accepted it with joy. You knew there were better things waiting for you that will last forever.

 - 35 -   So do not throw away this confident trust in the Lord. Remember the great reward it brings you!

 - 36 -   Patient endurance is what you need now, so that you will continue to do God's will. Then you will receive all that He has promised.

 - 37 -   "For in just a little while, the Coming One will come and not delay.

 - 38 -   And My righteous ones will live by faith. But I will take no pleasure in anyone who turns away."

 - 39 -   But we are not like those who turn away from God to their own destruction. We are the faithful ones, whose souls will be saved.

Meat, Vegetables, and Teaching

Romans 14:1-23

 - 1 -   Accept other believers who are weak in faith, and don't argue with them about what they think is right or wrong.

 - 2 -   For instance, one person believes it's all right to eat anything. But another believer with a sensitive conscience will eat only vegetables.

 - 3 -   Those who feel free to eat anything must not look down on those who don't. And those who don't eat certain foods must not condemn those who do, for God has accepted them.

 - 4 -   Who are you to condemn someone else's servants? Their own master will judge whether they stand or fall. And with the Lord’s help, they will stand and receive his approval.

 - 5 -   In the same way, some think one day is more holy than another day, while others think every day is alike. You should each be fully convinced that whichever day you choose is acceptable.

 - 6 -   Those who worship the Lord on a special day do it to honor Him. Those who eat any kind of food do so to honor the Lord, since they give thanks to God before eating. And those who refuse to eat certain foods also want to please the Lord and give thanks to God.

 - 7 -   For we don't live for ourselves or die for ourselves.

 - 8 -   If we live, it's to honor the Lord. And if we die, it's to honor the Lord. So whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord.

 - 9 -   Christ died and rose again for this very purpose--to be Lord both of the living and of the dead.

 - 10 -   So why do you condemn another believer? Why do you look down on another believer? Remember, we will all stand before the judgment seat of God.

 - 11 -   For the Scriptures say, "'As surely as I live,' says the LORD, 'every knee will bend to Me, and every tongue will confess and give praise to God. '"

 - 12 -   Yes, each of us will give a personal account to God.

 - 13 -   So let's stop condemning each other. Decide instead to live in such a way that you will not cause another believer to stumble and fall.

 - 14 -   I know and am convinced on the authority of the Lord Jesus that no food, in and of itself, is wrong to eat. But if someone believes it is wrong, then for that person it is wrong.

 - 15 -   And if another believer is distressed by what you eat, you are not acting in love if you eat it. Don't let your eating ruin someone for whom Christ died.

 - 16 -   Then you will not be criticized for doing something you believe is good.

 - 17 -   For the Kingdom of God is not a matter of what we eat or drink, but of living a life of goodness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.

 - 18 -   If you serve Christ with this attitude, you will please God, and others will approve of you, too.

 - 19 -   So then, let us aim for harmony in the church and try to build each other up.

 - 20 -   Don't tear apart the work of God over what you eat. Remember, all foods are acceptable, but it is wrong to eat something if it makes another person stumble.

 - 21 -   It is better not to eat meat or drink wine or do anything else if it might cause another believer to stumble.

 - 22 -   You may believe there's nothing wrong with what you are doing, but keep it between yourself and God. Blessed are those who don't feel guilty for doing something they have decided is right.

 - 23 -   But if you have doubts about whether or not you should eat something, you are sinning if you go ahead and do it. For you are not following your convictions. If you do anything you believe is not right, you are sinning.

Romans 15:1-2

 - 1 -   We who are strong must be considerate of those who are sensitive about things like this. We must not just please ourselves.

 - 2 -   We should help others do what is right and build them up in the Lord.

1 Timothy 4:1-5
 - 1 -   Now the Holy Spirit tells us clearly that in the last times some will turn away from the true faith; they will follow deceptive spirits and teachings that come from demons.
 - 2 -   These people are hypocrites and liars, and their consciences are dead.
 - 3 -   They will say it is wrong to be married and wrong to eat certain foods. But God created those foods to be eaten with thanks by faithful people who know the truth.
 - 4 -   Since everything God created is good, we should not reject any of it but receive it with thanks.
 - 5 -   For we know it is made acceptable by the word of God and prayer.

If someone believes it is wrong, then for that person it is wrong.
It is wrong to eat something if it makes another person stumble.

Keep it between yourself and God. 

Blessed are those who don't feel guilty for doing something they have decided is right. 

But if you have doubts about whether or not you should eat something, you are sinning if you go ahead and do it. For you are not following your convictions. If you do anything you believe is not right, you are sinning.

Be careful what you teach.

Make sure what you say is Bible truth.

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