Romans 6:12-14 (NLT)
12 Do not let sin control the way you live; do not give in to sinful desires. 13 Do not let any part of your body become an instrument of evil to serve sin. Instead, give yourselves completely to God, for you were dead, but now you have new life. So use your whole body as an instrument to do what is right for the glory of God. 14 Sin is no longer your master, for you no longer live under the requirements of the law. Instead, you live under the freedom of God’s grace.

In the first part of Romans 6 Paul addressed those who believed they would be blessed more by grace by continuing to sin and receive more grace for each sin. He asked the question, “Well then, should we keep on sinning so that God can show us more and more of his wonderful grace?” His response was, “Of course not!” Grace was given to free us from the control of sin. No longer could one say, “I might as well keep sinning, I have already sinned once.” No the purpose of being free was to stop sin and to live a life pleasing to God. God’s grace provided freedom, freedom to live a new life no longer held back by past actions.

The grace of God in our lives is unmerited. God gives us His grace to set us free from sin. For God so loved, cherished, valued, endeared, found precious the people of the world that God Himself gave the only perfect sacrifice for sin; His son Jesus Christ. The salvation from sin is a gift of grace from God because of His love for us. No longer does one have to give up because they fear the failure in their lives from sin. No longer does sin hold the controlling power. No longer does one have to believe they must earn God’s grace. Grace is a gift, a free gift for all those who will accept it. Have you accepted God’s free gift of grace? If you have accepted God’s grace does your life reflect the grace you have been given? There was a man who had a servant that attended to him faithfully. The servant was not a slave, nor was he indebted to the man he served. Instead the man had given the servant freedom from his enemies who sought to kill him. The servant served because of his appreciation for what had been done for him. God gave us freedom from our enemy Satan so that we might live an eternal life with God. How should we serve the God who loves us?

Luke 6:32-34 (NLT)
32 “If you love only those who love you, why should you get credit for that? Even sinners love those who love them! 33 And if you do good only to those who do good to you, why should you get credit? Even sinners do that much! 34 And if you lend money only to those who can repay you, why should you get credit? Even sinners will lend to other sinners for a full return.

Luke chapter 6 offers many lessons from Jesus. One such lesson is on loving those who may be considered enemies in some cases. Jesus asks some questions for thought about who one should love. His final statement to those who are listening is “You must be compassionate, just as your Father is compassionate.”

The movie Fireproof is about a young couple struggling in their marriage. The marriage reaches a breaking point when the wife is ready to divorce the husband. The husband seeks the guidance of his father who offers him a plan to follow in hopes of rescuing his marriage. The husband commits to follow his father’s plan for 40 days. Each day the husband is given a new thought, a new task, and a new Bible verse that will help him show love for his wife. However, his wife rejects his good attempts time after time. Frustrated he returns to his father and poses the question to him about how does a person love someone who rejects them time after time. The father stands by a cross and reminds his son Jesus always loves us even when we reject Him time after time. We are to go and do likewise.

Proverbs 2:6
6 For the LORD giveth wisdom: out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding.

Hebrew tabuwn, understanding in that one has the skill or the intelligence to understand. Hebrew dah’ath,, knowledge, which is gained through perception or skill. Hebrew chokmah, wisdom, which is administered as a skill with prudence. Understanding, knowledge and wisdom are each different. One builds upon the other, with wisdom being granted from the Lord.

1 Kings 4 it says, And God gave Solomon wisdom and understanding exceeding much, and largeness of heart, even as the sand that is on the sea shore. The verses continue saying, “Solomon's wisdom was greater than the wisdom of all the men of the East, and greater than all the wisdom of Egypt. He was wiser than any other man, including Ethan the Ezrahite—wiser than Heman, Calcol and Darda, the sons of Mahol. And his fame spread to all the surrounding nations. He spoke three thousand proverbs and his songs numbered a thousand and five. He described plant life, from the cedar of Lebanon to the hyssop that grows out of walls. He also taught about animals and birds, reptiles and fish. Men of all nations came to listen to Solomon's wisdom, sent by all the kings of the world, who had heard of his wisdom.” Man has the capacity to learn. He can take that capacity to learn and gain understanding of many things. Yet to apply them correctly he must seek wisdom from God. There are some intelligent people in this word, yet they can give some very bad advice. Wisdom is divinely from God given to lead with good purpose.

Ecclesiastes 12:12-14 (NLT)
12 But, my child, let me give you some further advice: Be careful, for writing books is endless, and much study wears you out. 13 That’s the whole story. Here now is my final conclusion: Fear God and obey his commands, for this is everyone’s duty. 14 God will judge us for everything we do, including every secret thing, whether good or bad.

These are the concluding words of King Solomon in Ecclesiastes as he pondered life, its meaning and its purpose. He sums up by saying there is a lot that can be done in life, but we should have fearful respect for God; obeying what God commands. One day every secret, good or bad, will be revealed when God’s judgment is pronounced.

In 2 Timothy 4, the Apostle Paul gives us these words, “I solemnly urge you in the presence of God and Christ Jesus, who will someday judge the living and the dead when he appears to set up his Kingdom: Preach the word of God. Be prepared, whether the time is favorable or not. Patiently correct, rebuke, and encourage your people with good teaching. For a time is coming when people will no longer listen to sound and wholesome teaching. They will follow their own desires and will look for teachers who will tell them whatever their itching ears want to hear. They will reject the truth and chase after myths. But you should keep a clear mind in every situation. Don’t be afraid of suffering for the Lord. Work at telling others the Good News, and fully carry out the ministry God has given you.” The words of Paul are just as sound today. There are those who are not listening to or obeying God. Instead they long to hear someone tell them words that are pleasing to their ears and justify their sinful actions. They want to believe in their own truths and not the truths of God. God will look at our deeds secret or otherwise and will judge us for our actions. But the Good News is that God offers grace and mercy through Jesus Christ and provides salvation for our sins. Give thanks to Christ who died that we might be free from the penalty that sin brings.

Matthew 20:20-23 (NLT)
20 Then the mother of James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to Jesus with her sons. She knelt respectfully to ask a favor. 21 “What is your request?” he asked. She replied, “In your Kingdom, please let my two sons sit in places of honor next to you, one on your right and the other on your left.” 22 But Jesus answered by saying to them, “You don’t know what you are asking! Are you able to drink from the bitter cup of suffering I am about to drink?” “Oh yes,” they replied, “we are able!” 23 Jesus told them, “You will indeed drink from my bitter cup. But I have no right to say who will sit on my right or my left. My Father has prepared those places for the ones he has chosen.”

The question posed by the mother of James and John came right after Jesus had told the disciples of his future death. Jesus said to them, “Listen,” he said, “we’re going up to Jerusalem, where the Son of Man will be betrayed to the leading priests and the teachers of religious law. They will sentence him to die. Then they will hand him over to the Romans to be mocked, flogged with a whip, and crucified. But on the third day he will be raised from the dead.” Understanding Jesus would come back to claim His kingdom the mother ask favored places for the sons. But Jesus responded to the sons and not the mother asking if they would be able to endure the suffering Jesus was about to endure. Even with their answer of YES, Jesus let them know there was a place for them, but the Father alone would choose the places that were prepared.

Jeffrey Dahmer was a serial killer. His murders were gruesome, involving rape, torture, dismemberment, and cannibalism. His first victim was beaten to death with a barbell from his home. Dahmer then buried his victim in the back yard. In 1994 Dahmer was beaten to death by another inmate. A question I have often heard is, “If someone like Jeffrey Dahmer placed his faith in Jesus Christ as His savior, even after all the horrible acts he committed; would Dahmer go to heaven?” In the book of Acts the Apostle Peter spoke to a crowd of people. Their hearts were touched by the message of salvation offered by God through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. The people asked the apostle, “What must we do?” Peter replied, “Each of you must repent of your sins and turn to God, and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins. Then you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” That day 3,000 people turned to Christ. Peter didn’t say, now those who have committed these sins can’t be forgiven and those who have committed these sins are ok. No, the message was repent, turn to God and be baptized because of your faith in Jesus Christ. According to Minister Roy Ratcliff, Jeffrey Dahmer appeared to sincerely follow those actions prior to his death. He repented of His sins, he placed his faith in Christ, and he had a desire to be baptized to show his commitment to Jesus. Dahmer did exactly what the Apostle Peter said should be done for salvation. Has a place been prepared for Dahmer in heaven, according to God’s word it has; but only the Father knows the place he will be given.

Ephesians 2:8-10 (KJV)
For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

Paul tells us that our salvation is not the product of any natural abilities, but instead is a gift of God. The salvation gained from God excludes any boasting we might do about ourselves, but instead points to the love, mercy and grace of God. God created us a new person in Jesus Christ that we might be able to live out the good things God planned for us from the beginning.

There are those who believe life is like a bank account. When good deeds are performed deposits are made and when sin is committed withdrawals are made and at the end of life the bank account will be reviewed. For me that would be a very frustrating life. How does one know if the good deeds outweigh the sins? How does one know how much good must be performed? How does one know if the wrong sin might put them in spiritual bankruptcy? How does one know if it there might be a need for 10 atta boys to make up for one oops, I sinned? It becomes a self judging way of life where one might even start to delude themselves. They will begin to believe they are doing good just to feel like the balance of good and sin is working out. The words of Ephesians tell us salvation is a gift of God and not something we can earn by carrying a bank account of deeds. Our only option is a faith in Christ that wipes clean any sin, past, present or future. The same faith allows us to carry out the good works God intended us to perform. Are you living by faith or by works? I pray you read the words of Ephesians 2:8-10 to see how God wants you to live.

Hebrews 4:12-13 (NLT)
12 For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires. 13 Nothing in all creation is hidden from God. Everything is naked and exposed before his eyes, and he is the one to whom we are accountable.

In these verses the apostle reminds us God has given us His word expressed through the lives and writings of many men and women. The words are able to dissect our lives to help us see what is right and what is wrong. While many may fool themselves into thinking no one will know if they follow God’s desires; their life is always open and exposed to God.

A man once told me he had a habit of visiting web sites at work that he knew was inappropriate. He said anytime someone passed by he would quickly flip the screen so no one could see what he was looking at. In his mind he thought no one knew the things he was doing. Then one day he was called into his boss’s office and asked to explain the websites he had visited. It seems the company had recorded the history of his computer after suspecting he was doing something inappropriate. Plenty of times we think we are hiding our sins from others, but often we are deceiving ourselves. God always sees our sin and sometimes it is revealed to others to see. Take God’s word to heart and use it as a guide to live your life and let it be open for others to observe. Alcoholics Anonymous as a part of their recovery process says a person should be willing to be open about their faults and also be willing to take a fresh inventory of those things they need help with. May God help keep you accountable in your life so that you live a pleasing and good life.

Luke 23:39-43(NLT)
39 One of the criminals hanging beside him scoffed, “So you’re the Messiah, are you? Prove it by saving yourself—and us, too, while you’re at it!” 40 But the other criminal protested, “Don’t you fear God even when you have been sentenced to die? 41 We deserve to die for our crimes, but this man hasn’t done anything wrong.” 42 Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your Kingdom.” 43 And Jesus replied, “I assure you, today you will be with me in paradise.”

Jesus was in a great amount of pain after being beaten, tortured and suffering nailed to a cross. A criminal being crucified next to Jesus started tormenting Him, but the other criminal who was also being crucified took up for Jesus and asked the other man if he didn’t fear God? The man asked for Jesus to remember him. In the midst of Jesus’ pain and suffering Jesus gave comfort to the God fearing criminal by saying, “I assure you, today you will be with me in paradise.”

There were three different men suffering and dying on a cross. One criminal wanted to lash out at Jesus because of his own pain. It is so easy to strike out when we are in pain. We want to inflict on others the same suffering we are going through. Much like an animal who has been wounded they turn on anyone who might be trying to help them. The other criminal wanted to comfort Jesus because he realized Jesus was sharing his pain. The man asked Jesus that He might remember him showing his faith in Christ. Jesus in His suffering and pain gave comfort back to the God fearing criminal. Jesus gave him the promise and hope of being in paradise with Him. There are many groups that come together to share pain. AA has members who support each other in their alcohol struggles. Cancer groups give each other comfort as they share the same affliction reminding each other they are carrying the same burden in hope. Paul gave us several words on encouraging each other through pain. Hebrews 3:13, “But encourage one another day after day, as long as it is still called “Today”, so that none of you will be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.” 1Thessalonians 5:11, “Therefore encourage one another and build up one another, just as you are also doing.” And finally in Romans 15:5, “Now may the God who gives perseverance and encouragement grant you to be of the same mind with one another according to Christ Jesus.” Instead of letting your pain torment you and others let it be an encouragement to those who need to hear words of comfort.

Zechariah 10:2 (NLT)
2 Household gods give worthless advice, fortune-tellers predict only lies, and interpreters of dreams pronounce falsehoods that give no comfort. So my people are wandering like lost sheep; they are attacked because they have no shepherd.
Matthew Henry Suggests, �Gracious things and glorious ones, very glorious and very gracious, were promised to this poor afflicted people in the foregoing chapter; now here God intimates to them that he will for these things be enquired of by them, and that he expects they should acknowledge him in all their ways and in all his ways towards them�and not idols that were rivals with him for their respects.� Their gods were not able to predict rain, not the source of weather. Those who were diviners propagated the lies and told false stories hoping to encourage the listener. The people followed blindly fortune tells, sorcerers, magicians and the like because they comforted themselves with vanities instead of following the one true God who was their shepherd.
Every day I pass several locations advertising Psychic Readings. These Psychic Readers are able to lure in customers, because the customer does not know where to turn for help. The more the person believes, the more the gypsy knows the customer is hooked. She will to try to get as much information out of you as possible, and then decide how much you've bought into her scam and how bad you perceive your own problem. Once hooked you may become a victim of the �you've been cursed" scam, which goes a little something like this: "You've been cursed, and because I do God's work I need to use my powers to lift this curse off of you once and for all so that you can enjoy the life and love that God meant you to enjoy," Darkness has kept from you this love. I'm going to reunite you with your love, this love that's separated by this darkness. But I'm going to have to do some very special work and prayer on this in order to remove this darkness..." and then they go on to tell you how much this will cost. The Bible tells us to stay away from such people. We should instead look to God and Christ for answers to life�s questions. For they are our true shepherd who protect, and lead us to the green pastures of our life..

Ezekiel 44:10-14 (NLT)
10 And the men of the tribe of Levi who abandoned me when Israel strayed away from me to worship idols must bear the consequences of their unfaithfulness. 11 They may still be Temple guards and gatekeepers, and they may slaughter the animals brought for burnt offerings and be present to help the people. 12 But they encouraged my people to worship idols, causing Israel to fall into deep sin. So I have taken a solemn oath that they must bear the consequences for their sins, says the Sovereign Lord. 13 They may not approach me to minister as priests. They may not touch any of my holy things or the holy offerings, for they must bear the shame of all the detestable sins they have committed. 14 They are to serve as the Temple caretakers, taking charge of the maintenance work and performing general duties.
In regards to the Temple, the Lord is master of the house. The Lord is ready to setup the temple again and is taking an inventory of His servants, priests, and workers to determine who will continue in the positions they had and who will find themselves placed somewhere else accordingly. The consequences of their sin changed the roles of their ministries.
In December of 2005, 19-year-old Jonathan Baldino was caught while attempting to buy electronic merchandise from retail stores at extreme discounts. Police say he downloaded a program from the Internet that allowed Baldino to print out barcode labels for a $24.99 CD player, and then attached them to more advanced music systems retailing for $249.99. He was eventually caught when a security guard noticed him paying $4.99 for an iPod worth $149.99. After his arrest, Baldino pleaded with police for his release. In a written statement, he said: "Please let me go, for I am terribly sorry! I'm only a kid, help me out � I just want to go home! I did this not knowing the serious penalty that lies behind it. Please!" His plea was ignored by police, who charged him with a class 5 felony for forgery and two counts of misdemeanor theft. (FoxNews.com, 12-6-05) You can be sorry for your sin and ask for forgiveness, but it does not remove the consequence of the sin. There may still be pain to endure once confession is made and forgiveness received. God is true and just and will forgive our sins, but as Ezekiel says, �They must bear the consequences for their sins, says the Sovereign Lord.�

Mark 3:5-6 (NLT)
5 He looked around at them angrily and was deeply saddened by their hard hearts. Then he said to the man, �Hold out your hand.� So the man held out his hand, and it was restored! 6 At once the Pharisees went away and met with the supporters of Herod to plot how to kill Jesus.
Jesus had gone into the synagogue on the Sabbath, the holy day of the week. Jesus noticed a man who needed his hand healed. Knowing it was the Sabbath Jesus was waiting for the religious leaders to attack Him for performing works. Jesus turned to his critics and asked, �Does the law permit good deeds on the Sabbath, or is it a day for doing evil? Is this a day to save life or to destroy it?� But they wouldn�t answer him. Jesus became angry and sad that those who were suppose to help others would deny good acts even on a day meant to worship God.
Jesus was fully God and fully man. Jesus had all the emotions each of us carry. In these verses we find Jesus was angry towards the religious leaders for their strict rules, which placed burdens and hardships on people. Yet even in anger Jesus points out the truth without allowing the anger to overtake Him. He asked questions and waited on answers, but never once was His words driven by sin. Many of us experience anger in our lives. Anger is an emotion God gave us to recognize when injustices are being committed. Righteous anger allows us to speak out for the good of others. Paul wrote, �Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath: Neither give place to the devil.� King Solomon said, �Control your temper, for anger labels you a fool.� So anger has its place, but it is something to keep in check so that it does not result in sin. Pray God would show you the difference between righteous anger and anger which is provoked by our own flesh.

Psalm 91:14-16 (NLT)
14 The Lord says, �I will rescue those who love me. I will protect those who trust in my name. 15 When they call on me, I will answer; I will be with them in trouble. I will rescue and honor them. 16 I will reward them with a long life and give them my salvation.�

Some believed Moses wrote this psalm while others feel it was written by King David. The nature of the psalm is a writ of protection for those who love and believe in the Lord. It was a resolution by the psalmist to remember the Lord�s protection in times of trouble. It was also a reminder of an eternal life with God through His gracious salvation.

Salvation is the deliverance from the power of sin. The Bible tells us sin brings about a death that is physical as well as spiritual. So for God to deliver us from sin through the salvation offered through His son Jesus we are given a reward of a long life spent with God. And God promises this reward saying He will rescue those who love Him and place their trust in Him. Even when fighting through the difficulties of life, God says He will be there to rescue us. Give thanks to our Lord who protects, rescues and saves.

2 Corinthians 4:1-2 (NLT)
1 Therefore, since God in his mercy has given us this new way, we never give up. 2 We reject all shameful deeds and underhanded methods. We don�t try to trick anyone or distort the word of God. We tell the truth before God, and all who are honest know this.

These are the words of Paul to the Corinthians. He later speaks of us as fragile jars that hold great treasure. Those treasures come from following Christ. We give up deeds which bring us shame. We dispose of methods that are underhanded and designed to bring wrongful gain. We tell the truth without deceit, trickery or distortion. We do this because we want to be truthful and honest before God.

A friend shared a sign someone had hand written and left attached to a bus stop. The sign read, �IF YOUR PRODUCT WAS ANY GOOD YOU WOULDN�T NEED SEXISM TO SELL IT.� There is a lot of truth to that sign. A good product does not need distorted words or trickery to sell the product. A good product is known by its reputation and will sell. If we live Christian life the way it is meant to be then we don�t need deceitful tactics to prove anything to others. Our honest life before God shows the worth of our faith. We can tell the truth and others listen because they know we are being honest before God. Remember when people would say, �Swear to God you are telling the truth!� There is something to be said about being honest before our Lord and Savior. People know a commitment of honesty to God is a commitment of honesty to all.

Ezekiel 33:30-33 (NLT)
30 �Son of man, your people talk about you in their houses and whisper about you at the doors. They say to each other, �Come on, let�s go hear the prophet tell us what the Lord is saying!� 31 So my people come pretending to be sincere and sit before you. They listen to your words, but they have no intention of doing what you say. Their mouths are full of lustful words, and their hearts seek only after money. 32 You are very entertaining to them, like someone who sings love songs with a beautiful voice or plays fine music on an instrument. They hear what you say, but they don�t act on it! 33 But when all these terrible things happen to them�as they certainly will�then they will know a prophet has been among them.�

These words were spoken to Israelites held captive in Babylon. These people were a testament to God�s grace and sparing mercy. Yet they had not fully given themselves to the Lord. These verses are rebukes to help them understand they were only pretending to follow religious ways, because they were not sincere about living out God�s desire for their lives. They were reminded that one day something terrible would happen and then they would recall the words of the prophet who spoke for God.

Police investigators will often sift through trash of a suspect trying to determine their actions. They will open up their bank accounts and look where money has been spent. They will examine the suspects� actions to see what type of life they are living. What if God opened up your trash; what would he find? What would God think about where you have been spending your money? Are you letting the words of God entertain you or are you serious about what he desires for your life? Don�t just listen to God�s words, act upon them so that good fruit will be produced in your life. Don�t wait until sometime terrible happens to ask yourself, �Where is God?�

2 Corinthians 5:18-21 (NLT)
18 And all of this is a gift from God, who brought us back to himself through Christ. And God has given us this task of reconciling people to him. 19 For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people�s sins against them. And he gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation. 20 So we are Christ�s ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, �Come back to God!� 21 For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ.

As these verses talk about reconciliation they speak of an undeniable privilege as well as a duty. Reconciliation assumes there has been a breach of friendship that has caused separation. Sin is the object which causes the breach between God and man. God the creator justly has a right to be offended by the sin filled heart of the creation. Yet God reaches out through Christ to reconcile us, the world, to Him. It is that reconciliation that is an undeniable privilege which we can accept or reject. If we accept the wonder message of reconciliation then it becomes out duty to plead with others to return to God.

Billiy Graham said, �The number one problem in our world is alienation, rich versus poor, black versus white, labor versus management, conservative versus liberal, East versus West . . . But Christ came to bring about reconciliation and peace.� Our sinful hearts set us against God and also set us against one another. God sought reconciliation with the world. It was not the world trying to return to God, but God offering forgiveness that we might return to Him. God gave His Son Jesus to bring about reconciliation and peace so we could also reconcile and find peace with others. Do you know the loving grace of God�s reconciliation? If you do, share it with someone who needs it. Share it with someone who needs to be reconciled to God.

Psalm 33:4 (KJV)
4 For the word of the LORD is right; and all his works are done in truth.
Psalm 33 is a psalm of praise to the Lord. The exact author is not known. Whoever the penman their purpose was to give praise to the Lord and recognize God�s wonderful qualities. In verse 4 the penman states the word of the Lord is right, which is the Hebrew word Yashar. Yashar means that which is straight, level, right, pleasing, correct, straightforward, upright, fitting, proper and righteous. The qualities of God�s word bring truth into all that He does.

If you were standing before God having a conversation one thing you could count on is there would be no deception or lies. What God says is true and the actions He brings forth out of His words are also true. How often do you have conversations with others where you question their intent or wonder whether their words are true? What about their actions, do they line up straight with the truth of their words? Have you ever sat in a sales presentation listening to all the wonderful adjectives describing a product only to find out the product doesn�t live up to the quality of the words? People may let you down because their words do not always lead to acts of truth. People may make promises they do not keep. People may even deceive with clever words which sound truthful, but upon examination those words lead in false directions. It is why like the psalmist we should give praise to the Lord for His truthfulness in both words and actions. The word of the Lord is right and all his works are done in truth! Give praise to the Lord for He is just, right and holy!!!

Luke 6:28 (NLT)
28 Bless those who curse you. Pray for those who hurt you.

These are the words of Jesus reminding us not to bring hatred into our hearts. Instead bless those who might curse us and pray for those who would hurt us.

These are difficult words to live by. If someone hurts us often we want to hurt them back. If someone is unkind, we don�t want to show kindness. Instead we usually return what we receive. Yet Jesus told us to pray for those who hurt us. Our sinful flesh wants to follow the rule an eye for an eye. Jesus even told us �You have heard the law that says the punishment must match the injury: �An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.� But I say, do not resist an evil person! If someone slaps you on the right cheek, offer the other cheek also.� Thinking of recent tragedies that have taken place these are very hard words indeed. We need to remember the wisdom of God is greater than our wisdom. Pray for those who have been hurt, but also pray for those who have inflicted the pain.

James 2:5-11 (NLT)
5 Listen to me, dear brothers and sisters. Hasn�t God chosen the poor in this world to be rich in faith? Aren�t they the ones who will inherit the Kingdom he promised to those who love him? 6 But you dishonor the poor! Isn�t it the rich who oppress you and drag you into court? 7 Aren�t they the ones who slander Jesus Christ, whose noble name you bear? 8 Yes indeed, it is good when you obey the royal law as found in the Scriptures: �Love your neighbor as yourself.� 9 But if you favor some people over others, you are committing a sin. You are guilty of breaking the law. 10 For the person who keeps all of the laws except one is as guilty as a person who has broken all of God�s laws. 11 For the same God who said, �You must not commit adultery,� also said, �You must not murder.� So if you murder someone but do not commit adultery, you have still broken the law.

Written by James, the half brother of Jesus, James points out how some favor the rich while ignoring the poor. James also points out that Jesus said the poor will be the ones to inherit the Kingdom of Heaven. He notes this action as sin and points out if a person commits even one sin they have broken God�s law and therefore considered a sinner. By committing the sin they have been judged by God a sinner, just as adulterers and murderers have also been judged sinners.

It is sad to say that even in the Christian church there are those who will show partiality to some while placing condemnation on others. These people judge by their own standards. They make statements to support their own beliefs. Instead of following God�s word they fail to see their own sin, their own flaws, and their own need for grace. They believe their good deeds to be superior to others; yet they fail to remember God said all our good works are but filthy rags. There are none of us who measure up to God; nor are there any of us without sin. We all need understanding. We all need love. We all need grace and mercy. Christ offers this to all who believe in Him. Make sure we are following Christ by extending love, grace and mercy to others who are also in need.

1 Corinthians 8:9-13 (NLT)
9 But you must be careful so that your freedom does not cause others with a weaker conscience to stumble. 10 For if others see you�with your �superior knowledge��eating in the temple of an idol, won�t they be encouraged to violate their conscience by eating food that has been offered to an idol? 11 So because of your superior knowledge, a weak believer for whom Christ died will be destroyed. 12 And when you sin against other believers by encouraging them to do something they believe is wrong, you are sinning against Christ. 13 So if what I eat causes another believer to sin, I will never eat meat again as long as I live�for I don�t want to cause another believer to stumble.

Paul wrote to the Corinthians about whether it was right to eat food that had been sacrificed to idols and then prepared as a meal. While there were Christians strong in their faith who understood there was only one God in this world; there were also some Christians who did not have that same strong faith. In their weakness they might struggle as to whether this practice was right or wrong. Paul contended the struggle might lead them away from Christ. Paul warned those with a strong faith not to let their liberty in Christ be taken for granted that they might influence the thoughts of others who were weak.

Responsibility is essential when freedom is abundant. In the United States we are granted freedom of speech, but that does not mean we are free to say any and everything. For instance a person cannot stand up on a plane and yell out �There is a bomb on the plane�. While they are granted freedom of speak; their words could cause great fear and panic. People may get hurt as they try to escape. So freedom comes with responsibility to choose wisely. We have a freedom in Christ from sin and we do not want to take that freedom lightly. Choose carefully your actions such that they would not have a negative impact on others and hurt their walk with Christ.

2 Samuel 11:26-27 (NLT)
26 When Uriah�s wife heard that her husband was dead, she mourned for him. 27 When the period of mourning was over, David sent for her and brought her to the palace, and she became one of his wives. Then she gave birth to a son. But the Lord was displeased with what David had done.

The wife of Uriah was Bathsheba. King David had an affair with Bathsheba prior to her husband being killed and she became pregnant. Uriah was one of the King�s trusted me and was gladly serving the King for his nation. Uriah was so faithful to his country he would not even return to his home when he had the opportunity. Instead he wanted to rejoin the men who were in battle. David planned Uriah�s death, which allowed him to take Bathsheba as a wife and hide her pregnancy.

Veterans Day is an annual holiday celebrated the 11th of November. The holiday commemorates the brave and heroic efforts of veterans. These men and women have served proudly for our country. They are ready to give their lives to protect the freedom we have. In some wars these Veterans have been taken for granted because politics came before the honor of these soldiers. Our country must not put these heroic men and women in harm�s way just so politicians can accomplish their own political agenda. Instead they should be allowed to fight with dignity. Christ also died to protect our freedom. God knew the hearts of men and God fulfilled His plan of salvation through politics of the day. Selfish men, leaders who wouldn�t stand firm allowed Christ to die. While that was God�s plan we need to be careful man�s plan doesn�t allow selfishness to put our soldiers in harm�s way. Pray for our soldiers on this Veteran�s day remembering some have given their lives so we can be free, while other are also willing to do the same.