Not Welcome

If I asked this question to a group of people, (How does it make you feel when you are not wanted or welcome?)  I am sure that people would respond differently; some wouldn’t care and others would act like it didn’t even matter and some would probably be hurt, others would probably be angry.  What about you?  Have you ever been in a situation where you felt unwanted or not welcome?  It is likely everybody has felt this way at some point in their lives.

If you are a believer, you probably know personally what it feels like to be shunned and not wanted around at times.  When people are shunned and feel they’re not accepted, isolation seems to be the thing that many people resort to instead of trying to make new friends; many just don’t seem to think it is worth the effort.  We live in a world where there seems to be very little trust, the news is mostly bad news about violence in some way or another and many neighbors don’t even trust one another in many cases.  Love is the only answer to this problem; we have got to start loving one another and reaching out to one another with genuine love and if we don’t agree with everything they say we need to love them anyway.  If you do that and you are still rejected, love them anyway.  

I know a man who was rejected by His own people but that didn’t stop Him from loving them because His love is unconditional and if you receive Him as your Lord and Savior, He will never leave you or forsake you.  The only way you will ever get loose of Him is if you choose to walk away and reject Him.  This man is Jesus Christ, God’s only begotten Son.

Let me give you some scriptures to read from God’s Holy Word that have to do with being rejected.

Hebrews 13:5-6, “Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.”

If you are a believer, the Lord will never reject you and He will always be your helper!!

Philippians 4:6-7, “Be careful for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”  

We can be anxious for nothing because the Lord is for us and not against us.           

Psalms 55:22, “Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved.”

Now read Romans 8:28, “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.”

Jesus is a true friend that will always love you and He knows what it is like to be rejected also but He never stopped loving the people that rejected Him and we should not either.  Read:

Mark 3:1-6, “And he entered again into the synagogue; and there was a man there which had a withered hand. And they watched him, whether he would heal him on the sabbath day; that they might accuse him. And he saith unto the man which had the withered hand, Stand forth. And he saith unto them, Is it lawful to do good on the sabbath days, or to do evil? to save life, or to kill? But they held their peace. And when he had looked round about on them with anger, being grieved for the hardness of their hearts, he saith unto the man, Stretch forth thine hand. And he stretched it out: and his hand was restored whole as the other. And the Pharisees went forth, and straightway took counsel with the Herodians against him, how they might destroy him.”

These were the people that Jesus came to save because He loved them and they wanted to destroy Him.

Luke 4:29, (These were the religious leaders) “And rose up, and thrust him out of the city, and led him unto the brow of the hill whereon their city was built, that they might cast him down headlong.”

Thy rejected Him and wanted to kill Him.

John 1:11, “He came unto his own, and his own received him not.”

More rejection

John 5:43, Jesus speaking, “I am come in my Father's name, and ye receive me not: if another shall come in his own name, him ye will receive.”  

Jesus knew rejection and He knows how it feels and how you feel if you are rejected.  If you are a believer cast all your cares upon Him for He cares for you!!

Now read Hebrews 4:16, “Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.”

I have given you something to think about!  You will never find greater love than this, that a man would lay down his life for a friend.  Now think of Jesus, He laid His life down, not for just His friends but also for His enemies; that is what you call a true friend with unconditional love.  If you want to experience this kind of love and have not invited Jesus into your heat, reject your sin and turn away from it and sincerely ask the Lord to forgive you of your sins and to cleanse you from all unrighteousness and to be you Lord and Savior and to fill you with His perfect peace, love and joy.  Then find a congregation that will help you to grow in your new faith and start growing and start thanking and praising the Lord for he is worthy!!