Daily Reading

Romans 13-14

Today we learn how to be a responsible citizen. Becoming a Christian doesn't mean our life on earth ends - it's just the end of our slavery to sin. We still need to live in this world, but now we are called to make a difference. So how do we do that?

Live responsibly & be a good citizen. Follow the laws of your government, for they are in place to keep order. Pay your taxes, pay your bills, & respect your leaders. Here in the United States of America, we have the freedom to protest, to vote, & to hold our government accountable. So stand up for what is right. Vote every time you have the opportunity. And vote wisely - pay attention to those who are running for office, do they have a godly agenda? Pray for those in office, even if you don't agree with them. For God has a hand in all that happens.

Don't run up debt! In our culture this is especially important. Debt brings back slavery & who wants to live in that? So safe up for what you want, only use a credit card if you are going to pay it off in full each month. Don't get so absorbed in day to day life that you forget about God! Put Him first & everything else will fall into place. And NEVER forget to love. Everything comes down to this - love other people as well as you love yourself.

And here Paul comes to talk about what I like to call heaven & hell issues. What are heaven & hell issues? Those that deal with Salvation & they are very few. Basically, believing that Jesus is the Messiah, that He died to take your place & forgive your sins, that He is the Son of God and the ONLY way to heaven. Believing that the Bible is the True, Unfailing Word of God. And believing that salvation is a free gift from God that cannot be earned. That's about it. All the other stuff - regarding what you can eat or drink, when the rapture will happen & how, which translation of the Bible is best, whether Saturday or Sunday is the true Sabbath, if someone should be dunked, sprinkled, or immersed in Baptism - these are not heaven or hell issues. There is some interpretation here & we should not get ourselves all worked up & argue over "the right way" to do things. As Paul says, "There are good reasons for either way. So, each person is free to follow the convictions of conscience." Some Christians believe that women should not wear make-up or pants. Others believe that Christians should never play cards or listen to music with drums. Some don't eat pork, or even meat. It's about your relationship with God & it's about their relationship with God. So, stop criticizing your neighbor for his relationship. Focus on your own relationship & understand that other's have their reasons for doing what they do. Your job is to single-mindedly serve Christ. Help others with encouraging words; don't drag them down by finding fault. And by all means, if something bugs someone else, don't do it in their presence. Don't flaunt your believes in the their face. For example, my parents eat kosher - meaning they eat according to the laws in the Bible - no pork, no shellfish, etc. I don't eat kosher - I believe that everything is OK to eat. However, I don't eat pork or shellfish in front of my parents, but because I love them & don't want to do anything that would make them feel uncomfortable. Another example, my husband's grandfather doesn't think Christians should play cards because it is too much like gambling. I love to play gin rummy (& I hate to gamble), but I would never ask him to play because I know how he feels about it. Instead, we play other games & we have wonderful times together. So don't insist upon your way - think of the other person's feelings & convictions & find ways to enjoy your time together.

Read Proverbs 23:19-35

All things in moderation - especially in food & drink.
Honor your parents.
Stay pure.