Hey do you know the age requirement to be elected US President? Is it 55: 40: 45; Or is it 35. On the lighter side; Why do people wear shamrocks on St Patrick's Day??? Well I don't know about you but because regular rocks are too heavy for me... Ha Ha ha
Tuesday 2/21
Prov. 28:10 "Those who lead good people along an evil path will fall into their own trap, but the honest will inherit good things."
The warning of this verse is be cautious when you find others striving to learn more truths from God, be sure to guide them into the simple truths of the Word. The temptations of our world is to seek self glory, rather than humility before a mighty God. We are to help them focus of Christs eternal atonement for mankind & then to recognize His loving work on our behalf.
This was the failure of the Pharisees, when coming into contact with unlearned Gentile people, they pointed them to the works of the Law rather than beginning with Christ as Savior. Which in turn brings us to a humbling & realization of our need for Him. Rather they got caught up with all the works.
Paul was traveling that path, when He came into contact with true glory of God and His need for a new way.
He became blinded, and brought up short, then he began to understand his need for recognizing the amazing love of God, brought to him by a loving, saving Christ. Once he came To this understanding, all of His ritual, practices, became clear as to their benefits. They were reminders of the extent of God's love for Him. It changed His whole perspective.
Rather than killing & imprisoning these crazy Christ followers, he joined forces with them to declared the great gift of eternal life shed abroad in his heart first, and then poured out for all to enjoy. This simple message was the message that he began to declare onto the many nations that his missionary journeys. Not the Jewish works of the law, in order to gain acceptability to God, but rather an understanding of God's loves for all who would receive this perfect payment for sin in Christ, then the desire became surrender of to the teachings of the Old Testament law, in order to gain a full understanding of God & His Way.
We need this surrender, our realization of our standing before a Mighty Savior, Our sinfulness & His perfect work of Atonement for our sin. Once we recognize these important things, then we can begin to understand & experience His work for our sin on the cross. Before that understanding, they find themselves working to be acceptable to God, whether through baptism, church attendance, prayers, sacrifices, etc. etc. All of these, outside of our surrender for Christ's saving work for our sin, are an evil path. Though they have the appearance of holiness, even yet without our realization of our sinful condition, we can never understand the wonderful Grace of God.
Paul's blinding experience caused his life to totally change course. From human works, obedience to the law, full course redirection, to a halting submission to Christ & His salvation poured out for us. Once he stood in the whole work of salvation through Christ, not dependent in any way on his works, no matter how religious they may have appeared, felt, or even have seemed. Surrender, is the key, brokenness is the way to salvation, its way of total salvation for us sinful, degraded sinners is the free gift to eternal life.
Just as Paul, all those things got in the way of simple, childlike faith. So Go With God for as we come to a fresh, simple understanding of His saving work for us, our blind eyes become healed, and our lives are given enlightenment to salvation, coming to us through no other way. Just like the childrens song, No other way, that leads to heaven.
Smartypants Lindsay is right. 35.