Staying Young In God!

titus2inaction.blogspot.com

When we think of Christians today, the image of youth automatically springs to mind. But there are many seniors in this category, and God is equally concerned about them. In fact, seniors have much to reflect on, as they have spent their youth working,  then were married and perhaps had children; while slowly sliding into the “aged” category.

Now being old is not a disease, as much of our youth obsessed society makes it out to be. Contrarily, seniors should represent wisdom, as they grow in maturity and become examples to the younger generation. With age also comes responsibility, as the Bible tells us. Titus 2:2-5 points out that “mature” (elder) Christians “should be sober, dignified, and temperate, sound in faith, love and fortitude.. The older women, similarly, should be reverent in their demeanour, not scandalmongers or being slave to excessive drinking. They must also uphold the high standard of teaching younger women to be loving wives and mothers, to be temperate, chaste, busy at home and kind, respecting the authority of their husbands. Then the gospel will not be brought into disrepute.”

To do all the above, the standards of the older Christian must be of the highest calibre in order to be examples and teachers. This is considered a blessing to share and cannot be given until it is learned. So rather than “retire” and spent time chasing pursuits to please the self, senior Christians can actually change “professions” and share more, volunteer and pray, study, meditate and fast. Just because your body gets older, does not mean your spiritual life has to slow down.

The senior Christian eyars may be spent sharing and helping others to grow. The maturity gained over many years of life should not be misspent idly, but rather, used to help younger Christians grow up faster in Christ. Use this time, and your new profession, to make the most of helping others, and ultimately, pleasing God.

Does Rom. 14:5-6 Do Away With The Sabbath?

timwalkerjr.com

Some have asked whether Romans 14:5-6, says that it makes no difference to God which days we keep holy. Actually, these verses do not concern ANY days which must be kept holy. This is proved by the context of the entire chapter.

Paul admonished the saints at Rome to receive the “weak in the faith” and not to sit in judgment of them (verse 1). Some of those recently converted, not yet having grown strong in the faith, refused to eat meat and subsisted mainly on vegetables.

Paul explains why in another one of his letters. Most of the available meat had been offered to idols. Some gentiles who had been converted and had come out of idolatry still held some superstitious beliefs. They thought that idols actually had power over their lives. Therefore, “some with conscience of the idol” ate meat “as a thing offered unto an idol” (I Cor. 8:7).

But why did Paul break into his dissertation about eating meat or refraining from eating it and mention “day”? Notice the answer in the New King James translation of this passage: “One person esteems one day above another; another esteems every day alike. Let each be fully convinced in his own mind. He who observes the day, observes it to the Lord; and he who does not observe the day, to the Lord he does not observe it. He who EATS, EATS to the Lord, for he gives God thanks; and he who does not EAT, to the Lord he does not EAT, and gives God thanks” (Rom.
14:5-6, RAV).

Not only were there weak converts who were afraid of eating meat offered to idols, but there were others who customarily abstained from a particular food — they practiced a semifast or abstained from foods on certain days. Others regarded all days alike as far as eating was concerned.

The whole matter involved abstention on particular days. The question was, “To eat or not to eat!” It was merely a question of the days upon which many voluntarily abstained from certain foods. Paul was not referring to God’s Holy Days, and there is nothing here referring to the Sabbath.

Jesus said that we should fast before God and not be seen or let it be known by others unnecessarily (Matt. 6:16). But Jews and gentiles both practiced semifasts on particular days of each week or month. The Jews customarily fasted “twice in the week” (Luke 18:12). They also fasted during certain months (Zech. 7:4-7). The Jews were divided on the matter. The gentiles also were divided over when to abstain from certain foods. These things are mentioned in “Hasting’s Encyclopedia of Religion and Ethics.”

In God’s sight, it does not matter when one abstains or fasts — but it does matter that we do it with a right heart.
Paul wanted the brethren to live at peace with one another and not argue or judge each other over their human opinions.

The Bible elsewhere teaches very plainly which days God made holy and commands us to KEEP holy.