Today
we were doing our daily Bible reading. We were studying Acts 15.
There
were some Jewish guys (aka the Pharisees) who said to the Greek friends of Paul
and Barnabas, “If you want to be a Christian you have to be circumcised
and obey the laws of Moses.” Some of these laws say no eating pig or
shrimp or lobster. So according to these guys, Christians can't eat these
things, but I like to eat hot dogs and I am a Christian. I also like to eat
shrimp which my mom makes really good. So you know I can't resist it when it is
in front of me.
The
law talks about not trimming beards. I don't have one but my dad trims his
every morning-he shaves, but sometimes not on Saturday. And another law is “no
tattoos”. I don't have one but a lot of Christians that I know do. One of my
friends is even a tattoo artist.
As
I read it in the Bible, being a Christian is just having a personal
relationship with Jesus Christ and confessing he is Lord. That’s what it says
in Romans 10:9-10. Of course once we have the personal relationship, then we
will want to do the things that make him happy.
These
Jewish guys in Acts 15 are trying to say to be a Christian is Jesus +
something else. It's like Jesus
plus “no piercings”. Or Jesus plus
“reading the Bible every day”. I mean that's not the truth at all.
I
have disobeyed those laws many times but I always ask God to forgive my sins
and I am still a part of God’s family (aka a Christian). So the
Pharisees added more rules about being Christian than Jesus says in the Bible.
I am so glad James and his friends decided that we don't have to be Jews
because I am part Japanese. I love cheeseburgers, I love ribs, especially how
my friend Tracy makes them. And love shrimp- its the best. Arielle
Posted by: |