LESSONS LEARNED: LISTEN TO YOUR LOVED ONES
My son David has always been able to express himself beautifully, even as a child. I recently conveyed my wish that he could bottle and sell his writing ability. He responded by saying he has heard there are things called books and blogs that serve such a purpose. Sarcasm is his second gift. 😊
Whenever Gary and I are going to be travelling anywhere for an hour or more, we like to listen to the Bible being taught by people like John MacArthur. John has been the pastor of Grace Community Church, a non-denominational church in Sun Valley, California since February 9, 1969. His verse-by-verse Bible teaching is available free of charge online at https://www.gty.org/ in a variety of formats.
I sometimes share with David what we have learned. A couple of days ago he suggested, “Perhaps your travel blog could have a spiritual element about lessons you’re drawing from your Bible studies… it’s a combination of things you seem to gravitate towards.” I think that’s a great idea. Hopefully you will agree.
My father was a church planter, evangelist, and pastor. I started attending church when I was still in the womb. If the doors were open, I was there. As a child I attended Sunday school every week and Bible Camp or Daily Vacation Bible School every summer. Sometimes dad pastored two churches at the same time, and I was present for his Bible teaching every Sunday morning, afternoon, and evening, as well as at Bible Study, Prayer Meeting and Youth Group during the week. When dad attended annual conferences at the Bible school from which he had graduated, his family was in the seats with him. When I left home I thought I knew everything I needed to know about God’s word. I was wrong. I know and live by it far too little, as you are probably well aware.
Studying the Bible now often gives rise to questions I had never before considered, or sheds new light on answers I thought I already knew. We are currently learning insights from the book of Daniel, about how this young man of noble birth in Jerusalem was taken into captivity at age 14 or 15 by king Nebuchadnezzar. Daniel served the king and his successors with loyalty and great ability until the time of the Persian conqueror Cyrus. During all that time Daniel remained true to the God of Israel, even when it endangered his life. In return, God remained faithful to Daniel.
The first example of Daniel’s determination to keep God’s laws was when he asked to be allowed to eat only vegetables and drink only water, rather than partake of the food and wine that was served at the king’s table. That food had been part of pagan ritual and included animals and cooking methods Daniel had been taught were unclean.
Why are Christians permitted to eat such animals. Is it no longer a sin? Did God change those animals in such a way that they are no longer unclean?
First, God never said eating certain animals is a sin. The food laws he laid out in the Old Testament are simply part of the Old Covenant, which is the “working relationship” between God and Israel, defined by oaths of fidelity and obedience. God would give Israel blessings of the land, fertility, and prosperity so long as Israel was faithful to God’s teaching, which included adherence to cleanliness laws, food laws, and separation laws. Disobedience would lead to curses and punishment.
Jesus’ birth, life, death, and resurrection marked the beginning of a New Covenant, which is God’s promise to us all, whether Jew or Gentile, that He will forgive sin and restore communion with anyone whose heart believes in His Son, Jesus Christ. The law is no longer written on stone (i.e. the Ten Commandments), but is instead written on the hearts of believers as we are indwelt by the Holy Spirit (as foretold in Jeremiah 31:31-34 and reiterated in Hebrews 8:8-12).
It was demonstrated in the Old Testament that we can never meet God’s standards on our own, so Jesus came to earth and paid the price for our failures. We have been freed from the law by God’s grace and mercy, if we only believe. What an amazing plan of salvation!