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March 08, 1999, Monday
Do many people believe that the Gospel is a list of rules
that we must keep and follow? What management plan does God
have for a believer and should the believer exercise wisdom
as he cares for his responsibilites? What choices do mangers
have to make that affect their long term profitability?
Luke tells us of the dialogue between the apostles while
they searched to understand God's plan of salvation that
was free and open to all people, not only to the Jews---
"Then all the multitude kept silent and listened carefully
to Barnabas and Paul declaring how many miracles and many
wonders God had worked through them among the Gentiles"
(Acts 15:12). God owns the preaching of the pure gospel to
the Gentiles without the law of Moses. When our hearts and
consciences are purified from the guilt of sin, we are freed
from the burdens some try to lay on the disciples of Christ.
To press the legalism of ritual law on new believers is to
undo what God has done. His miraculous work frees us.
Luke tells us that Jesus declared that the believer is now
free to make wise decisions. He compared the wisdom of an
unbeliever to manage an owner's accounts with the wisdom a
believer should have to manage accounts and to be faithful-
And Jesus went on to say, "And so I tell you: make friends
for yourselves with worldly wealth, so that when it gives out,
you will be welcomed in the eternal home. Whoever is faithful
to manage small matters will be faithful in large ones; and
whoever is dishonest to manage small matters will be dishonest
in large ones" (Luke 16:9-10). The freedom that the apostles
discussed did not give liberty to break the law, only to live
by a higher standard (law of grace) than what the law provided.
Jesus declared that a person has to make a decision who he
will serve. Many scoffed at the wisdom of His statments--
"No servant can be the slave of two masters; such a slave
will hate one and love the other or will be loyal to one
and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money"
When the Pharisees heard all this, they made fun of Jesus,
because they loved money (Luke 16:13-14). Jesus told another
parable that explained what the love of money caused people
to do--And the owner of the vineyard said, 'What shall I do?
I will send my beloved son; perhaps they will respect him'
(Luke 20:13). The mangers of this vineyard did not want to
pay the owner his rightful share and they killed the son of
the owner of the vineyard thinking they would become heirs
to the property. But they were found out and the unrighteous
plan was not successful, they suffered eternal punishment
for the heinous crime.
Let us remember who is the God that makes all things
possible. Yahweh is the God Jehová, there is no other
god like Him. Jehová is the Lord of Miracles. He alone
has the power to Manage our life. He alone was
Mortified by a death that had no power. He used
His power to overcome sin and death for us. Lift your
hands to Him and Praise Him today for the power and
purpose of His miracles today!
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