Opinion
In the Gospel of Mark 9:42ff Jesus talks about tying a milestone to your neck so you could drown, and cut off your hand, cut off your foot, pluck out your eyeball if any of them cause you to sin.
Say what! This is Old Testament law. Why would Jesus say these things since He came to fulfill the law, not force the law down our throats.
The reason is quite clear. In Verse 50 He confirms the message, “Be at peace with one another.” He wants to make the point about the very grace offered by God through faith in Jesus.
At one time in my life, before following my call to serve the Lord, I was the guy who would stand up in front of major accounts all over the world on behalf of the company I worked for. At the time, it was the largest telecommunication company in the world and I would in fact take the bullet for the company.
That was my job really. Take the responsibility for whatever problems our major customers had. I knew when I travelled to China, Singapore, Japan, Europe, all parts of Asia and Africa, and especially the Middle East, that when I got there, I was in the midst of customers who were angry and wanted their pound of flesh.
And many of those customers hate Americans so much, they would destroy us if they could. That is because a large percentage of the world do not understand what freedom and equality really means. They look at you with a murderous rage, wishing we would just cease to exist … maybe even thinking of how they might carry it out. There is no grace when there is hate! And those who don’t know Jesus cannot understand what grace is.
Jesus says that if you cause a little one to sin, then it is off with the hand, off with the foot, and out with eye. You mess up, and you pay the price big time. Certainly, Jesus never meant this be to be taken literally, but suppose we read it that way and acted accordingly.
What would the prison system in our country look like? Most of the prisoners would not be there because they would have been put to death at the town square every Friday like they do in Saudi Arabia.
Many would walk around with no hands, feet, tongues, whatever, because they would have had justice take place the Friday after they were sentenced. In that country justice is carried out publicly and immediately. No grace there and no appeal process! But in Christ, there is grace, and many cannot comprehend what grace is.
What Jesus really meant here is that the only way to sacrificial peace is through the grace he offered us on the cross. Thank God we have grace.
Over the past few weeks we’ve talked about how the tongue gets us into trouble, how peace can only be achieved through the cross and today we talk about what it is going to take to bring justice to a country that is moving away from the grace offered by a man who experienced the worst that Rome had to dish out and yet offered eternal life through His sacrifice.
Remember that phrase – “Father forgive them”? In the USA and more importantly Lake County as we recover from the summer fires, we can never let hate take over our freedom nor our love for Jesus or for each other.
For now, at least, there is still grace, there is still forgiveness, there is still a sense that justice can be served not by chopping off people's’ limbs, but by offering the peace which surpasses all human understanding. The grace of God through faith in Jesus Christ. That simply means reaching out to help people recover from the devastation!
Please join us this Sunday for our quarterly country gospel service. Wear your cowboy hats, boots, western shirts, whatever you’ve got, and join us for a service that is truly a Gospel blessing.
Worship is at 11 a.m. followed by a hot lunch for all immediately afterward.
All are welcome, so come as you are!
Chris DelCol is pastor of First Lutheran Church in Lucerne, Calif. The church is located at 3863 Country Club Drive, telephone 707-274-5572. Email Pastor Chris atThis email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .
Say what! This is Old Testament law. Why would Jesus say these things since He came to fulfill the law, not force the law down our throats.
The reason is quite clear. In Verse 50 He confirms the message, “Be at peace with one another.” He wants to make the point about the very grace offered by God through faith in Jesus.
At one time in my life, before following my call to serve the Lord, I was the guy who would stand up in front of major accounts all over the world on behalf of the company I worked for. At the time, it was the largest telecommunication company in the world and I would in fact take the bullet for the company.
That was my job really. Take the responsibility for whatever problems our major customers had. I knew when I travelled to China, Singapore, Japan, Europe, all parts of Asia and Africa, and especially the Middle East, that when I got there, I was in the midst of customers who were angry and wanted their pound of flesh.
And many of those customers hate Americans so much, they would destroy us if they could. That is because a large percentage of the world do not understand what freedom and equality really means. They look at you with a murderous rage, wishing we would just cease to exist … maybe even thinking of how they might carry it out. There is no grace when there is hate! And those who don’t know Jesus cannot understand what grace is.
Jesus says that if you cause a little one to sin, then it is off with the hand, off with the foot, and out with eye. You mess up, and you pay the price big time. Certainly, Jesus never meant this be to be taken literally, but suppose we read it that way and acted accordingly.
What would the prison system in our country look like? Most of the prisoners would not be there because they would have been put to death at the town square every Friday like they do in Saudi Arabia.
Many would walk around with no hands, feet, tongues, whatever, because they would have had justice take place the Friday after they were sentenced. In that country justice is carried out publicly and immediately. No grace there and no appeal process! But in Christ, there is grace, and many cannot comprehend what grace is.
What Jesus really meant here is that the only way to sacrificial peace is through the grace he offered us on the cross. Thank God we have grace.
Over the past few weeks we’ve talked about how the tongue gets us into trouble, how peace can only be achieved through the cross and today we talk about what it is going to take to bring justice to a country that is moving away from the grace offered by a man who experienced the worst that Rome had to dish out and yet offered eternal life through His sacrifice.
Remember that phrase – “Father forgive them”? In the USA and more importantly Lake County as we recover from the summer fires, we can never let hate take over our freedom nor our love for Jesus or for each other.
For now, at least, there is still grace, there is still forgiveness, there is still a sense that justice can be served not by chopping off people's’ limbs, but by offering the peace which surpasses all human understanding. The grace of God through faith in Jesus Christ. That simply means reaching out to help people recover from the devastation!
Please join us this Sunday for our quarterly country gospel service. Wear your cowboy hats, boots, western shirts, whatever you’ve got, and join us for a service that is truly a Gospel blessing.
Worship is at 11 a.m. followed by a hot lunch for all immediately afterward.
All are welcome, so come as you are!
Chris DelCol is pastor of First Lutheran Church in Lucerne, Calif. The church is located at 3863 Country Club Drive, telephone 707-274-5572. Email Pastor Chris at
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- Written by: Pastor Chris DelCol
With football season kicking off and Major League Baseball’s playoff season right around the corner, fans nationwide are looking to get into the spirit by representing their teams with the newest gear.
Many online retailers boast they have the largest selection of “official” merchandise at the lowest prices. However, some websites may be scams and trying to con consumers out of their money.
In 2017, there were more than 1,600 sporting good retail complaints filed on BBB Scam Tracker.
Complaints included consumers refund/exchange issues, customer service issues, and in some cases failing to receive their merchandise at all. It is important to note that some of the proceeds from the sale of authentic merchandise fund scholarships, charities, and youth programs.
Furthermore, the quality of counterfeit merchandise may be a drawback as well. Many of the laws that protect consumers from harmful chemicals and toxic substances in fabrics are ignored by counterfeiters, nor do they offer standard warranties to protect buyers that are harmed or unsatisfied.
Help protect your blind side by following these BBB tips when shopping online:
· Be wary of deals that seem too good to be true. If the price of an item is significantly less than what it is on other well-known retailers’ sites, this is a red flag that indicates a possible scam.
· Research the company before you purchase. If you want to make a purchase from a company you haven’t heard of before. Check www.BBB.org to see if they have a BBB Business Profile, or BBB Scam Tracker to see if anyone else has reported them as a scam. Look for contact information on their website and a robust social media presence to help determine if they are legitimate.
· Never wire money or use a prepaid debit card as payment. Both payment types are often requested by scammers and, once you’ve paid, there is no way to get your money back. Instead, make online purchases with your credit card and only on secure (https) websites.
· Learn to spot a fake site. Make sure that the team names and the URL address don’t have misspellings. Do a search online to see if anyone has reported the site on BBB Scam Tracker or online generally.
· Know how to find the business. Always look for contact information and a physical location on any shopping Web site. If the physical address of the business is not visible on the site, this is a red flag.
· Touch base with the business. Call the customer service number to make sure that someone answers before you pay. Ask them to tell you more about the company. Also, ask the representative about refunds and exchanges.
Evan Arnold-Gordon works for the Better Business Bureau serving the San Francisco Bay Area and Northern Coastal California
Many online retailers boast they have the largest selection of “official” merchandise at the lowest prices. However, some websites may be scams and trying to con consumers out of their money.
In 2017, there were more than 1,600 sporting good retail complaints filed on BBB Scam Tracker.
Complaints included consumers refund/exchange issues, customer service issues, and in some cases failing to receive their merchandise at all. It is important to note that some of the proceeds from the sale of authentic merchandise fund scholarships, charities, and youth programs.
Furthermore, the quality of counterfeit merchandise may be a drawback as well. Many of the laws that protect consumers from harmful chemicals and toxic substances in fabrics are ignored by counterfeiters, nor do they offer standard warranties to protect buyers that are harmed or unsatisfied.
Help protect your blind side by following these BBB tips when shopping online:
· Be wary of deals that seem too good to be true. If the price of an item is significantly less than what it is on other well-known retailers’ sites, this is a red flag that indicates a possible scam.
· Research the company before you purchase. If you want to make a purchase from a company you haven’t heard of before. Check www.BBB.org to see if they have a BBB Business Profile, or BBB Scam Tracker to see if anyone else has reported them as a scam. Look for contact information on their website and a robust social media presence to help determine if they are legitimate.
· Never wire money or use a prepaid debit card as payment. Both payment types are often requested by scammers and, once you’ve paid, there is no way to get your money back. Instead, make online purchases with your credit card and only on secure (https) websites.
· Learn to spot a fake site. Make sure that the team names and the URL address don’t have misspellings. Do a search online to see if anyone has reported the site on BBB Scam Tracker or online generally.
· Know how to find the business. Always look for contact information and a physical location on any shopping Web site. If the physical address of the business is not visible on the site, this is a red flag.
· Touch base with the business. Call the customer service number to make sure that someone answers before you pay. Ask them to tell you more about the company. Also, ask the representative about refunds and exchanges.
Evan Arnold-Gordon works for the Better Business Bureau serving the San Francisco Bay Area and Northern Coastal California
- Details
- Written by: Evan Arnold-Gordon
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