Christianity Oasis Forum

[cimi]

November 16
Saturday


TO WHOM
IT IS DUE

READ:
Romans 13:1-10
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Render therefore to
all their due: taxes to
whom taxes are due,
customs to whom
customs, fear to whom
fear, honor to whom
honor. __Romans 13:7
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My husband and I live in a rural area surrounded by farms where this slogan is popular: "If you ate a meal today, thank a farmer." farmers definitely deserve our gratitude. They do the hot, hard work of tilling soil, planting seeds, and harvesting the food that keeps us from starving to death.

But every time I thank a farmer, I also try to remember to offer praise to God, for He is the One responsible for producing the food we eat. He gives light, sends rain, and creates the energy within the seed that gives it the strength to push through the soil and produce fruit.

Although the earth and everything in it belong to God (Ps. 24:1), He has chosen humans to be its caretakers. We are responsible to use the earth's resources as He would use them__to do His work in the world (115:16). And just as we are stewards of God's physical creation, we also are stewards of His design for society. We do this by respecting those He has placed in authority, by paying taxes, by giving honor to those who have earned it, and by continuing to pay our debt of love (Rom. 13:7-8). But one thing we reserve for God: All praise and glory belong to Him, for He is the One who makes everything possible (Ps. 96:8). __Julie Ackerman Link

```````````````````````Sing praise to God who reigns above,`````````````````````
`````````````````````````````The God of all creation,`````````````````````````
````````````````````````the God of power, the God of love,````````````````````
```````````````````````the God of our salvation. __Schultz`````````````````````
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God's unsearchable ways
deserve our unbounded praise.

********************************Today's Bible Reading __ Romans 13:1-10*****************************

1 Let every soul be subject
to the governing authorities .
for there is not authority
except from God, and the
authorities that exist are
appointed by God.

2 Therefore whoever resists
the authority resists the
ordinance of God, and those
who resist will bring
judgment on themselves.

3 For rulers are not a terror
to good works, but to evil.

Do you want to be unafraid
of the authority? Do what is
good, and you will have
praise from the same. 4 For
he is God's minister to you
for good. But if you do evil,
be afraid; for he does not
bear the sword in vain; for
he is God's minister, and
avenger to execute wrath on
him who practices evil.

5 Therefore you must be
subject, not only because of
wrath but also for
conscience' sake. 6 For
because of this you also pay
taxes, for they are God's
ministers attending
continually to this very
thing. 7 Render therefore to
all their due: taxes to whom
taxes are due, customs to
whom customs, fear to
whom fear, honor to whom
honor.

8 Owe no one anything
except to love one another,
for he who loves another has
fulfilled the law. 9 For the
commandments...are all
summed up in this saying,
namely, "You shall love
your neighbor as yourself."

10 Love does no harm to a
neighbor; therefore love is
the fulfillment of the law.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>INSIGHT<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

Built into the ancient Hippocratic Oath for medical ethics (written
about 400 BC) is the intention that physicians do no harm. In today's
reading, we see how Pagan Greeks had stumbled upon a truth that
would later be divinely revealed in the New Testament: "Love does no
harm to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law: (v.10).