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For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit, and to us, to lay no greater burden on you than these necessary things: that you abstain from things sacrificed to idols, from blood, from things strangled, and from sexual immorality, from which if you keep yourselves, it will be well with you. Farewell. Acts 15:28–29 WEB.

After Jesus ascended to heaven and the gospel began to spread, gentiles (non-Jewish people) heard the message, and some of them came to Jesus. They started out joyful and free, so glad to be saved, but soon men came and taught them: "Unless you are circumcised and keep the law of Moses like us, you cannot be saved." This became such a sharp dispute that the Apostles had to meet in Jerusalem to resolve the matter. The letter above was their verdict. The Apostles said: "We should not make it difficult for those turning to God" (Acts 15:19).

What an interesting statement for the first church to have penned: "We should not make it difficult for those turning to God" because some people were. There seems to be an invisible force, like a gravitational pull, that draws the church back toward legalism. In Acts 15, it was legalistic Christians telling the new converts that they were not saved unless they became like them. Yet, we cannot earn our salvation with good works. Salvation is a free gift that we only have to accept, and good works should follow it.

I once went on a road trip for forty days with a preacher who was a mentor of mine. I carried his bible and books and luggage for him and ran errands as needed while we visited town after town and church after church. Sometimes he preached that morning in one city and that evening in another. We covered about fifteen states together.

I never spoke. I just observed, and made sure no one stole the tires off our truck. As an outsider, I began noticing that some of the churches we visited seemed too exclusive for non-members to visit at all. There was a lot outside, but not many came in. Many churches were filled with an aging population and had not had a new convert, who was not a family member, in years. Actually, they were not filled at all. They were mostly empty.

Now, it could be because I was traveling with a preacher that carried a heavy prophetic anointing, and the people were on their best behavior when he visited. Yet, I could not help but get the impression that they felt they were "Super Christians." People who had to pay their dues over the years and a newcomer could only be one of them if they had done likewise. They seemed to feel they had God locked in a box and only shared Him with whom they deemed worthy. I thought it was so strange because the last church we visited thought God was locked in their box.

Yet, God always appears outside of the little boxes we build Him, for He is not a pet. So many times, I have watched God start using a sinner who just got saved while the "holier-than-thou" bunch sat on the bench and watched. Some will tell you that you need to get your life in order first, then you can join the church. When in reality, if you will just come to the Lord Jesus Christ right now as you are, then He will give you the grace to clean your life up and guide you through living it.

If you are a follower of Jesus, make it easy for others to come to know Him as well. Let Him convict them and clean them up in His time. He did it for you, and He will do it for them. Drop the rule set and focus on introducing them to a Friend. He will ultimately decide who goes to heaven, not us. If you are not yet a follower of Jesus: accept my apologies for how He has been presented. For Jesus is much more forgiving, loving, considerate, warm, and kind than His followers are sometimes.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, I pray that You fill my life with abundant grace and help me see beyond the traditions of men. Please send Your rain on my life, and make me moldable and teachable. I want to be a part of what You are doing today and to know You more deeply. Don't pass me by, Lord. In the name of Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen!

Note: "Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray.” James 5:13 ~ If you have a prayer need, we are here for you! We and the prayer team are ready to lift you up at our private prayer page: RHM Prayer Network. If you are interested in joining the prayer team, here is how to get started Prayer Partners.