Monday; December 2

Have you ever found yourself doing something seemingly innocent and then found out it was against the law?  Have you ever never given something a second thought only to realize your omission was a violation?  I realize there are a lot of people who knowingly and willfully violate the law, but I would imagine most of us have either mistakenly omitted or committed an act that made us lawbreakers.  Folks, there are a lot of laws out there, we are bound to miss (or misinterpret) some of them.  

The reason I bring this up isn’t to complain about our legal system as much as it is to remind us of the value of the New Testament between God and His people.  As the transition was being made, Christians were urged to let go of the Old Testament filled with rules and regulations and adopt a focus on the grace and mercy found in Christ Jesus.  James warned the early believers, “For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of all.” (James 2:10); then Paul encouraged them, “Therefore there is now no condemnation at all for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death.” (Romans 8:1-2).  

Periodically, we will hear people who try to bind some principles of the Old Testament on Christians, but before we go back to the olden days, let’s remember that the new way is a better way because it is based on forgiveness and clemency.  There are a lot of ordinances in the Law of Moses and there is a lot of freedom in Christ Jesus.  Which appeals to us the most:  regulation or remission? 

Think About It!


Popular posts from this blog

Tuesday; November 29

The biblical story of the Good Samaritan has changed our world. Notice I didn’t say that it had change religion or even Christianity, it has influenced the world. There are very few people who don’t know the moral of Jesus’ parable about the Good Samaritan. In fact, the phrase has become a common description of everyday people doing good to their neighbors. While Jesus’ parable from Luke 10 shares several spiritual lessons, one of the most practical is that good can be done by anyone. You don’t have to be a church official to do good, it is not only possible for each one of us to help, it is required of all of us. If a Samaritan can be good, so can we! After presenting the parable, Jesus asked the man who had originally asked the question about being a good neighbor which character in the story was a good neighbor, “… he said, ‘The one who showed mercy toward him.’” at which point, the discussion from theoretical to personal, “Then Jesus said to him, ‘Go and do the same.’” (Luke...
Read more

Thursday; January 12

The other day I was watching a television show that used a rather common term applied to overcoming challenges. When organizations experience unexpected setbacks – especially when they lose key people – they rely upon the concept of “Next Man Up”. In essence, when our starters (or stars) go down, effective organizations rely upon their next levels to step into the vacancy. While this is an effective response, have we given much thought as to how we prepare to be the “next people up”? First, we must know our job. Even when we aren’t the primary players, we need to be preparing ourselves to be ready when we get the opportunity to shine. Second, we must do our best when we get the chance. Knowledge is important but what turns potential into talent is effort. Yet, maybe the most underappreciated aspect of this concept is a willingness avoid excuse-making and whining about the unfairness of our situation. When we complain about the circumstances that caused the need for replacements...
Read more

Monday; September 25

When I was a youngster, I remember hearing about this thing called the Generation Gap. I was a little bit too young to be active in the social movements of the 1960s, but I do remember listening to the challenges the generations were experiencing way back then. Interestingly, now that I have been on both sides of the aging process, I have to admit that the Gap of the 1960s was nothing new. With the development of each generation comes conflict. The young people don’t feel like the older people understand them and the older folks tend to believe their input is being underappreciated. Too often trust is the casualty when two generations collide. The sad thing is that it doesn’t have to be this way. When we can capture the innovation and energy of the younger folks and harness the wisdom of those who have been around for a while we can develop a winning combination. No, we won’t always see things eye-to-eye nor will we necessarily speak the same emotional language, but when we app...
Read more