Freedom To Serve

All things are lawful for me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but all things edify not. (1 Cor 10:23 KJV)

Just because something is lawful or maybe we can just get away with it does not mean it's a good thing for us or anyone else. Protests are lawful; but, when they get out of hand destroying the property of lives of others they definitely do not edify anything. They do not help us grow as a community or country. They only divide us and bring more problems.

As Christians, we know that we are free in Christ; but, we also know that by his ultimate sacrifice we have been freed to serve God and one another. As Christians, we ought to consider if our actions; although, they may serve and please us, do they help anyone else in any way or do they harm the people around us?

When Jesus died on the cross he died for us. He gave the ultimate gift of his life so that we might live life and not destroy one another.

God's Peace - Pr. J.

Free To Serve

For it is God’s will that by doing right you should silence the ignorance of the foolish. As servants of God, live as free people, yet do not use your freedom as a pretext for evil. (1 Peter 2:15-16 NRSV)

Just because we are free does not mean that we are free to do anything we want if it will harm others or ourselves. We belong to God. We are to care for all of his creation. We are to do what is right so that others may not use our actions to justify their own harmful actions or lifestyles. 

Over twenty years ago, I decided to quit drinking. It did me no good. My drinking also did not do anyone around me any good. The day I decided to quit was the day that I heard a loved one, who drank daily beginning at noon, say:  "Nothing wrong with a few drinks. Even Judy drinks." That floored me. I rarely drank. I do not believe that it is a sin to have an occasional drink or two. But, here was someone, that I loved, who used the few drinks that I did have every now and then as justification for them to live every day of their life inebriated. Bogus, for sure. But, I wasn't going to be someone else's excuse for destroying their lives. I quit. They, sadly, did not.

St. Paul wrote in his first letter to the Corinthians:

 “All things are lawful for me,” but not all things are beneficial. “All things are lawful for me,” but I will not be dominated by anything. (1 Cor 6:12)

and

“All things are lawful,” but not all things are beneficial. “All things are lawful,” but not all things build up. Do not seek your own advantage, but that of the other. (1 Cor 10:23-24)

If what you do, even though it is lawful, will harm others and you are aware that it will hurt others then, please, just stop. We are free. We are free to seek not only those things that will be to our own advantage; but, free to seek the advantage for others, as well. We are not to use that freedom as a pretext for evil; as a pretext to harm others or ourselves.

God's Peace - Pr. J

Sabbath Rest

“Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns. For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy."  (Exodus 20:8-11 NIV)

I woke up this morning realizing that I actually rested on the Sabbath for a change. Over the years, I have purposely tried to keep the Sabbath; but, I there is usually work or something that needs to be done every Saturday. Yesterday, God blessed me with a day with real time to spend time with Him and in private devotion to Him. It is a good thing for us to be able to keep the Sabbath.  Sometimes, we are able to keep the Sabbath on Saturday. Sometimes, we are not able to. Whatever day we are able to rest in the Lord, it is important that we do so. God rested on the seventh day from all of His work. We need to find a time and a day to rest from our work as well.

Years ago when my husband was logging, every now and then, he would get this crazy idea that he would have to work on Sundays instead of going to our place of worship. It never failed! The equipment would break down and he'd lose even more time fixing it, as well as a whole lot of money.

When confronted by the Pharisees and the teachers of the law about healing a man and his disciples picking some heads of grain to eat on the Sabbath, he said, “I ask you, which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to destroy it?” and "The Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath." In Mark 2:27, he said to them, "The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.

I don't believe that my husband was being punished for working on Sunday. But, the reality is that we need to find time to rest in the Lord. Working seven days a week is just not good for anyone. Things happen when we get tired and worn out. We make more mistakes than usual. God gave us a day of rest and the best place to rest is in Him.

The Sabbath is a gift to us. May God help us to be good stewards of our day of rest and use it wisely.

God's Peace - Pr. J

Taxes

     Tell us then, what is your opinion? Is it right to pay the imperial tax to Caesar or not?”
     But Jesus, knowing their evil intent, said, “You hypocrites, why are you trying to trap me? Show me the coin used for paying the tax.” They brought him a denarius, and he asked them, “Whose image is this? And whose inscription?”
     “Caesar’s,” they replied.
     Then he said to them, “So give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.” 
                                                          Matthew 22:17-21

The income tax season is almost over and I am just getting to it. Tax season spans about one third of the year. Then, there are those summer property taxes due as well and can't forget quarterly estimated taxes, either. It does not bother me all that much to pay taxes. I am just not thrilled with the filing of the income and estimated taxes. I do not like having to think so hard about money. I am prone to procrastination when it comes to getting them done.

Jesus was asked by the Pharisees if it was lawful to pay taxes to an emperor. This was a trick question. In reality, if he said yes, the Pharisees would probably construe it to mean that it was okay to pay homage to someone other than God. If he said no, he would be denying the authority of the emperor to rule in this world. They were confounding the two kingdoms. Jesus responded by asking who's face was on the coin that the they paid this tax with. They brought forth a coin with Caesar's face. Then pay to Caesar what is Caesar's he told them.

We may find discomfort in parting with our savings to pay the taxes the government requests or demands. But, do not worry. You are a child of the Kingdom of God. God will provide and because He provides so well for us, we remember to love and serve Him above all things. Honor him by doing what is right for this world and most of all so that He might be glorified in all that we say and think and do. Pay to Caesar what is Caesar's; but, do not neglect to give to God what is God's.

Heavenly Father, we thank you for your Kingdom where all debts have been paid for us by the blood of your beloved Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

God's Peace - Pr. J