For I tell you that Christ became a servant to the circumcised to show God's truthfulness, in order to confirm the promises given to the patriarchs, and in order that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. - Romans 15:8-9

Reading the Bible, especially the Old Testament, can be odd. The majority of the story is about the Jews and their struggle to follow God. As Gentiles sometimes we don't know how we connect to the story. Is God even interested in us? Or are we just some kind of afterthought?

Though he slay me, I will hope in him; yet I will argue my ways to his face. This will be my salvation, that the godless shall not come before him. - Job 13:15-16 (ESV)

So today is Friday the 13th. It's the day that no one is supposed to feel lucky. Fortunately, for you our family celebrated it a week early, so none of you have anything to worry about. It's been quite a week around here...

Seriously if we believe God, we know that He is the one who rules over everything including both the universal story and our personal one. In the trenches of life, that is often hard to see and harder to understand. Awful things happen to us. Evil things are done. Life falls apart. Permanent damage is done. How do we try to understand this? What do we do when the pieces of life don't fit?

May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. - Romans 15:5-6 (ESV)

We tend to have our list of really bad sins. We are careful to avoid those. Often we don't even want to talk about them, but if we do talk about them, we point them out in others and in our world to gawk at their failure.

The faith that you have, keep between yourself and God. Blessed is the one who has no reason to pass judgment on himself for what he approves. But whoever has doubts is condemned if he eats, because the eating is not from faith. For whatever does not proceed from faith is sin. - Romans 14:22-23 (ESV)

In the classic Disney movie, on his journey to become a real boy, Pinocchio is given a guide and friend Jiminy Cricket, who is to be his living conscience. This little creature is there throughout the move to advise, direct, and warn. At various times he is heeded and ignored. In the end, we are left with the classic phrase, 'Let your conscience be your guide.' But is that good advice? Should we be listening to our conscience? Will it every steer you wrong? What happens if we consistently ignore it? Or what happens if it constantly makes us feel guilty?

Therefore let us not pass judgment on one another any longer, but rather decide never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of a brother. - Romans 14:13 (ESV)

One of the persistent problems in church is self-righteousness. We easily recognize that in the New Testament. The Pharisees are the easily despised villains of the gospels. They go around spending time looking religious and looking down on those that don't, but they are driven by position, power, and pride.

And all who believed were together and had all things in common. And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved. - Acts 2:44 –47 (ESV)

There are some amazing pictures for what God does when He saves us. He redeems us. He frees us. He rescues us. He pays our debt. He adopts us. The first few lets us see what God has done for us and between Him and us. However, that final one adds another dimension. We are called, not only to Him, but also into a family. We (together) are His kids.