One Story That Leads to Jesus, Day 299
Romans 13
13Everyone must submit to governing authorities. For all authority comes from God, and those in positions of authority have been placed there by God.G3956G5590G5293G5242G1849G1063G2076G3756G1849G1508G575G2316G1161G1849G5607G1526G5021G5259G2316 2So anyone who rebels against authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and they will be punished.G5620G498G1849G436G1296G2316G1161G436G2983G1438G2917 3For the authorities do not strike fear in people who are doing right, but in those who are doing wrong. Would you like to live without fear of the authorities? Do what is right, and they will honor you.G1063G758G1526G3756G5401G18G2041G235G2556G2309G1161G3361G5399G1849G4160G18G2532G2192G1868G1537G846 4The authorities are God's servants, sent for your good. But if you are doing wrong, of course you should be afraid, for they have the power to punish you. They are God's servants, sent for the very purpose of punishing those who do what is wrong.G1063G2076G1249G2316G4671G1519G18G1161G1437G4160G2556G5399G1063G5409G3756G3162G1500G1063G2076G1249G2316G1558G3709G1519G4238G2556 5So you must submit to them, not only to avoid punishment, but also to keep a clear conscience.G1352G318G5293G3756G3440G1223G3709G235G2532G4893G1223 6Pay your taxes, too, for these same reasons. For government workers need to be paid. They are serving God in what they do.G1063G1223G5124G1223G5055G5411G2532G1063G1526G2316G3011G4342G1519G5124G846 7Give to everyone what you owe them: Pay your taxes and government fees to those who collect them, and give respect and honor to those who are in authority.G591G3767G3956G3782G5411G3588G5411G5056G3588G5056G5401G3588G5401G5092G3588G5092 8Owe nothing to anyone—except for your obligation to love one another. If you love your neighbor, you will fulfill the requirements of God's law.G3784G3367G3367G1508G25G240G1063G25G2087G4137G3551 9For the commandments say, "You must not commit adultery. You must not murder. You must not steal. You must not covet." These—and other such commandments—are summed up in this one commandment: "Love your neighbor as yourself."G1063G3431G3756G3431G5407G3756G5407G2813G3756G2813G5576G3756G5576G1937G3756G1937G2532G1536G2087G1785G346G1722G5129G3056G1722G25G4675G4139G5613G1438 10Love does no wrong to others, so love fulfills the requirements of God's law.G26G2038G3756G2556G4139G3767G26G4138G3551 11This is all the more urgent, for you know how late it is; time is running out. Wake up, for our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed.G2532G5124G1492G2540G3754G2235G5610G2248G1453G1537G5258G1063G3568G2257G4991G1452G2228G3753G4100 12The night is almost gone; the day of salvation will soon be here. So remove your dark deeds like dirty clothes, and put on the shining armor of right living.G3571G4298G1161G2250G1448G659G3767G659G2041G4655G2532G1746G3696G5457 13Because we belong to the day, we must live decent lives for all to see. Don't participate in the darkness of wild parties and drunkenness, or in sexual promiscuity and immoral living, or in quarreling and jealousy.G4043G2156G5613G1722G2250G3361G2970G2532G3178G3361G2845G2532G766G3361G2054G2532G2205 14Instead, clothe yourself with the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ. And don't let yourself think about ways to indulge your evil desires.G235G1746G2962G2424G5547G2532G4160G3361G4307G1519G4561G1939
Romans 14
14Accept other believers who are weak in faith, and don't argue with them about what they think is right or wrong.G770G4102G4355G1161G3361G1519G1261G12532For instance, one person believes it's all right to eat anything. But another believer with a sensitive conscience will eat only vegetables.G3303G3739G4100G5315G3956G1161G770G2068G30013Those who feel free to eat anything must not look down on those who don't. And those who don't eat certain foods must not condemn those who do, for God has accepted them.G1848G3361G2068G1848G2068G3361G2532G2068G3361G2068G3361G2919G2068G1063G2316G4355G8464Who are you to condemn someone else's servants? They are responsible to the Lord, so let him judge whether they are right or wrong. And with the Lord's help, they will do what is right and will receive his approval.G5101G1488G4771G2919G245G3610G2398G2962G4739G2228G4098G1161G2476G1063G2316G2076G1415G2476G846G24765In the same way, some think one day is more holy than another day, while others think every day is alike. You should each be fully convinced that whichever day you choose is acceptable.G3303G3739G2919G2250G3844G2250G1161G3739G2919G3956G2250G4135G1538G4135G1722G2398G35636Those who worship the Lord on a special day do it to honor him. Those who eat any kind of food do so to honor the Lord, since they give thanks to God before eating. And those who refuse to eat certain foods also want to please the Lord and give thanks to God.G5426G2250G5426G2962G2532G5426G3361G2250G2962G5426G3756G5426G2068G2068G2962G1063G2316G2168G2532G2068G3361G2962G2068G3756G2532G2316G21687For we don't live for ourselves or die for ourselves.G1063G3762G2257G2198G1438G2532G3762G599G14388If we live, it's to honor the Lord. And if we die, it's to honor the Lord. So whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord.G1063G1437G5037G2198G2198G2962G1437G5037G599G599G2962G1437G5037G2198G3767G1437G5037G599G2070G29629Christ died and rose again for this very purpose—to be Lord both of the living and of the dead.G1063G1519G5124G5547G2532G599G2532G450G2532G326G2443G2961G2532G3498G2532G219810So why do you condemn another believer? Why do you look down on another believer? Remember, we will all stand before the judgment seat of God.G1161G5101G2919G4771G2919G4675G80G2228G2532G5101G1848G4771G1848G4675G80G1063G3936G3956G3936G968G554711For the Scriptures say, "'As surely as I live,' says the LORD, 'every knee will bend to me, and every tongue will confess and give praise to God.'"G1063G1125G1473G2198G3004G2962G3754G3956G1119G2578G1698G2532G3956G1100G1843G231612Yes, each of us will give a personal account to God.G3767G686G1538G2257G1325G3056G4012G1438G231613So let's stop condemning each other. Decide instead to live in such a way that you will not cause another believer to stumble and fall.G2919G3767G2919G240G3371G235G2919G5124G3123G3361G5087G4348G2228G4625G8014I know and am convinced on the authority of the Lord Jesus that no food, in and of itself, is wrong to eat. But if someone believes it is wrong, then for that person it is wrong.G1492G2532G3982G1722G2962G2424G3754G3762G2839G1223G1438G1508G3049G5100G1511G2839G1565G283915And if another believer is distressed by what you eat, you are not acting in love if you eat it. Don't let your eating ruin someone for whom Christ died.G1161G1487G4675G80G3076G1223G1033G3765G4043G3765G26G2596G622G3361G1565G4675G1033G5228G3739G5547G59916Then you will not be criticized for doing something you believe is good.G3361G3767G5216G18G98717For the Kingdom of God is not a matter of what we eat or drink, but of living a life of goodness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.G1063G932G2316G2076G3756G1035G2532G4213G235G1343G2532G1515G2532G5479G1722G40G415118If you serve Christ with this attitude, you will please God, and others will approve of you, too.G1063G1722G5125G1398G5547G2101G2316G2532G1384G44419So then, let us aim for harmony in the church and try to build each other up.G1377G686G3767G1377G3588G1515G2532G1519G240G3619G24020Don't tear apart the work of God over what you eat. Remember, all foods are acceptable, but it is wrong to eat something if it makes another person stumble.G1752G1033G2647G3361G2041G2316G3956G3303G2513G235G2556G444G2068G1223G434821It is better not to eat meat or drink wine or do anything else if it might cause another believer to stumble.G2570G3361G5315G2907G3366G4095G3631G3366G1722G3739G4675G80G4350G2228G4624G2228G77022You may believe there's nothing wrong with what you are doing, but keep it between yourself and God. Blessed are those who don't feel guilty for doing something they have decided is right.G2192G4771G4102G2192G2596G4572G1799G2316G3107G2919G3361G1438G1722G3739G138123But if you have doubts about whether or not you should eat something, you are sinning if you go ahead and do it. For you are not following your convictions. If you do anything you believe is not right, you are sinning.G1161G1252G2632G1437G5315G3754G3756G1537G4102G1161G3739G3956G3756G1537G4102G2076G266
Psalms 139
139[For the choir director: A psalm of David.] O Lord, you have examined my heart and know everything about me.H5329H4210H1732H3068H2713H30452You know when I sit down or stand up. You know my thoughts even when I’m far away.H3045H3427H6965H995H7454H73503You see me when I travel and when I rest at home. You know everything I do.H2219H734H7252H5532H18704You know what I am going to say even before I say it, Lord.H4405H3956H3068H30455You go before me and follow me. You place your hand of blessing on my head.H6696H268H6924H7896H37096Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too great for me to understand!H1847H6383H6383H7682H32017I can never escape from your Spirit! I can never get away from your presence!H3212H7307H1272H64408If I go up to heaven, you are there; if I go down to the grave, you are there.H5266H8064H3331H75859If I ride the wings of the morning, if I dwell by the farthest oceans,H5375H3671H7837H7931H319H322010even there your hand will guide me, and your strength will support me.H3027H5148H3225H27011I could ask the darkness to hide me and the light around me to become night—H559H2822H7779H3915H216H115712but even in darkness I cannot hide from you. To you the night shines as bright as day. Darkness and light are the same to you.H2822H2821H3915H215H3117H2825H21913You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s womb.H7069H3629H5526H517H99014Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it.H3034H3372H6395H6381H4639H5315H3045H396615You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion, as I was woven together in the dark of the womb.H6108H3582H6213H5643H7551H8482H77616You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed.H5869H7200H1564H5612H3789H3117H3335H25917How precious are your thoughts about me, O God. They cannot be numbered!H3365H7454H410H6105H721818I can’t even count them; they outnumber the grains of sand! And when I wake up, you are still with me!H5608H7235H2344H6974H575019O God, if only you would destroy the wicked! Get out of my life, you murderers!H6991H7563H433H5493H1818H58220They blaspheme you; your enemies misuse your name.H559H4209H6145H5375H772321O Lord, shouldn’t I hate those who hate you? Shouldn’t I despise those who oppose you?H8130H3068H8130H6962H861822Yes, I hate them with total hatred, for your enemies are my enemies.H8130H8503H8135H34123Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts.H2713H410H3045H3824H974H3045H831224Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life.H7200H6090H1870H5148H1870H5769
Dublin, OH
These—and other such commandments—are summed up in this one commandment: "Love your neighbor as yourself."G1063
