Rabbi Schneider - There's a Blessing for Boldness
Baruch Hashem, beloved, I'm in Israel. This may be the spot where Yeshua preached the most famous sermon in the Bible of His, the Sermon on the Mount.
Now, I don't know that this is the spot. We just know this is the general area where He preached the sermon from the mount from. And I've been preaching a series of programs on the Beatitudes, which are the first part of the Sermon on the Mount. And the last Beatitude that I was preaching on was when Yeshua was talking about those that were blessed because they were persecuted. And then He continued on by saying, Blessed are those that are insulted because of the Kingdom of God.
The very next thing that He says, continuing on from there in Matthew Chapter five is this. You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt has become tasteless, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and be trampled underfoot by men.
And then it goes on to say, you are the light of the world. And lights are not meant to be hidden, but lights are meant to be put on a lamp stand, giving light to all for everyone that can see them. The point is, beloved, we're not to be afraid of persecution.
Jesus said there's a blessing that comes when we're willing to be bold enough and outspoken enough in the Earth for the Kingdom of God. To not be ashamed of our faith in Him, to not be ashamed of our love and our testimony. Jesus said, Blessed are you when people persecute you because of your love for Me. And when men say evil about you and insult you because of your love, for Me.
Great is your reward in heaven. And then He said, You're the salt of the earth. What does that mean? Salt is something that changes the taste of any food that you're eating. You put salt on chicken. You put salt on corn on the cob. You put salt on anything that's going to change the flavor.
Beloved, You should change the flavor of every relationship you have with the presence of Jesus, by the words you speak and the actions you have. Not your actions only and not your words only, but your words and your actions are the salt and the light which Jesus commanded you and I to deliver and change the spiritual atmosphere wherever we go. And if we'll do that and truly be His disciples and followers, Yeshua said, Great will be your reward in heaven.