Book of Deuteronomy Chapter 31

 Chapter 31

Joshua to Succeed Moses

1 So Moses continued to speak these words to all Israel. 2 And he said to them, “I am 120 years old today. I am no longer able to go out and come in. The Lord has said to me, ‘You shall not go over this Jordan.’ 3 The Lord your God himself will go over before you. He will destroy these nations before you, so that you shall dispossess them, and Joshua will go over at your head, as the Lord has spoken. 4 And the Lord will do to them as he did to Sihon and Og, the kings of the Amorites, and to their land, when he destroyed them. 5 And the Lord will give them over to you, and you shall do to them according to the whole commandment that I have commanded you. 6 Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the Lord your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you.”

7 Then Moses summoned Joshua and said to him in the sight of all Israel, “Be strong and courageous, for you shall go with this people into the land that the Lord has sworn to their fathers to give them, and you shall put them in possession of it. 8 It is the Lord who goes before you. He will be with you; he will not leave you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed.”

The Reading of the Law

9 Then Moses wrote this law and gave it to the priests, the sons of Levi, who carried the ark of the covenant of the Lord, and to all the elders of Israel. 10 And Moses commanded them, “At the end of every seven years, at the set time in the year of release, at the Feast of Booths, 11 when all Israel comes to appear before the Lord your God at the place that he will choose, you shall read this law before all Israel in their hearing. 12 Assemble the people, men, women, and little ones, and the sojourner within your towns, that they may hear and learn to fear the Lord your God, and be careful to do all the words of this law, 13 and that their children, who have not known it, may hear and learn to fear the Lord your God, as long as you live in the land that you are going over the Jordan to possess.”

Joshua Commissioned to Lead Israel

14 And the Lord said to Moses, “Behold, the days approach when you must die. Call Joshua and present yourselves in the tent of meeting, that I may commission him.” And Moses and Joshua went and presented themselves in the tent of meeting. 15 And the Lord appeared in the tent in a pillar of cloud. And the pillar of cloud stood over the entrance of the tent.

16 And the Lord said to Moses, “Behold, you are about to lie down with your fathers. Then these people will rise and whore after the foreign gods among them in the land that they are entering, and they will forsake me and break my covenant that I have made with them. 17 Then my anger will be kindled against them in that day, and I will forsake them and hide my face from them, and they will be devoured. And many evils and troubles will come upon them, so that they will say in that day, ‘Have not these evils come upon us because our God is not among us?’ 18 And I will surely hide my face in that day because of all the evil that they have done, because they have turned to other gods.

19 “Now therefore write this song and teach it to the people of Israel. Put it in their mouths, that this song may be a witness for me against the people of Israel. 20 For when I have brought them into the land flowing with milk and honey, which I swore to give to their fathers, and they have eaten and are full and grown fat, they will turn to other gods and serve them, and despise me and break my covenant. 21 And when many evils and troubles have come upon them, this song shall confront them as a witness (for it will live unforgotten in the mouths of their offspring). For I know what they are inclined to do even today, before I have brought them into the land that I swore to give.” 22 So Moses wrote this song the same day and taught it to the people of Israel.

23 And the Lord commissioned Joshua the son of Nun and said, “Be strong and courageous, for you shall bring the people of Israel into the land that I swore to give them. I will be with you.”

24 Then Moses had finished writing the words of this law in a book to the very end, 25 Moses commanded the Levites who carried the ark of the covenant of the Lord, 26 “Take this Book of the Law and put it by the side of the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God, that it may be there for a witness against you. 27 For I know how rebellious and stubborn you are. Behold, even today, while I am yet alive with you, you have been rebellious against the Lord. How much more after my death! 28 Assemble to me all the elders of your tribes and your officers, that I may speak these words in their ears and call heaven and earth to witness against them. 29 For I know that after my death you will surely act corruptly and turn aside from the way that I have commanded you. And in the days to come evil will befall you, because you will do what is evil in the sight of the Lord, provoking him to anger through the work of your hands.”

The Song of Moses

30 Then Moses spoke the words of this song until they were finished, in the ears of all the assembly of Israel:

The Ten Commandments 2026, The Law of God, 5, 6

Honor your mother and Father.

Thou shalt not kill.

Let us pray. Heavenly Father, Lord God, we come before you with thanksgiving. All the praise and glory be to you, God, as you know, we are doing an in-depth study of your Word and of the Ten Commandments. Today, we examine five and six. Please, Father, give us eyes to see, ears to hear, and the ability to understand what you wish us to know. In Jesus' name, Amen!

"Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land that the LORD your God is giving you." Exodus 20:12

Here is God's plan for the family: Children grow, leave their parents, join together, and become one.

"Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh." Genesis 2:24

And so the cycle goes. However, it is essential to recognize that children are a gift from God.

"Behold, children are a heritage from the LORD,

The fruit of the womb is a reward.
Like arrows in the hand of a warrior
are the children of one's youth.

Blessed is the man who fills his quiver with them!
He shall not be put to shame
when he speaks with his enemies in the gate." Psalm 127:3-5

Also in Psalms.

"A Song of Ascents.
Blessed is everyone who fears the LORD,
Who walks in his way!

You shall eat the fruit of the labor of your hands;
You shall be blessed, and it shall be well with you.

Your wife will be like a fruitful vine within your house.
Your children will be like olive shoots around your table.

Behold, thus shall the man be blessed
who fears the LORD.

The LORD bless you from Zion!
May you see the prosperity of Jerusalem
all the days of your life!

May you see your children's children!
Peace be upon Israel!" Psalm 128:1-6

This is why it is so outrageous whenever you hear of a parent abusing their own children. A child is the most precious gift one can have. You need to teach them all things. How you teach them is how they will go.

"Train up a child in the way he should go;
even when he is old, he will not depart from it." Proverbs 22:6

However, be aware of this one thing. If you lead by example, they will follow. They will do more like you DO than what you say.

Then they will grow, and they will find another. They will become one with them. In turn, in your later years, when you need help, it has always been God's plan that your children will be there for YOU. It is a man who created nursing homes. Man created ways to avoid this obligation. God's plan is that family is the most important thing here on earth, next to doing His Will.

Some read this, and they may even teach it to their children. See, God says you honor me and obey me. Men also read this and say to their wives, See, God says you submit to me and do whatever I say. That's not true. None of it.

"Wives, submit to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. Husbands, love your wives, and do not be harsh with them. Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord. Fathers, do not provoke your children, lest they become discouraged." Colossians 3:18-21

So let's look at this, also in Ephesians.

"Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. "Honor your father and mother" (this is the first commandment with a promise), "That it may go well with you and that you may live long in the land." Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord." Ephesians 6:1-4

Husbands and Wives are what? Yup. One flesh. We are to love and respect each other. Is Man the head of the house? Yup. No doubt about it. But that means that MAN is responsible for all in the house. He is responsible for his wife, his children, and yes, himself. Wives? Equal to the Husband? Yup. They are. They are to raise the children and care for the house. I know, I know, some of you may not like that. But that is because you misunderstand the meaning.

"Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her," Ephesians 5:25

Your wife is the mother of your greatest gift—your children. Men need to understand that she deserves love and honor. She should not have to face the world and handle challenges that you, as her husband, should be addressing. You should be the one toiling, sweating, and working hard to provide for your family.

This is also why God did not create daycare. It was never His intention for children to be raised by strangers. However, I understand that we live in a 24/7 society and that money is often necessary for survival. If a man cannot earn enough, the woman may be compelled to contribute financially. But this was never God’s intent.

Then, God commands the child to honor their father and mother. To obey them because, believe it or not, they know better than you for the most part. First, they gave you life. Like with God Himself, that alone should be worthy of your honor. Second, they care about and for your every need. Perhaps not your every want, but your every need. Now that you have grown, it's your turn to care for them.

But then God commands parents to honor their children, treat them with love and kindness, and teach them how they should behave according to God's Will and Word. Then, when they grow, they will not have deep-seated anger or hatred toward you.

"And he said to them, 'Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written, 'This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.' You leave the commandment of God and hold to the tradition of men."

And he said to them, "You have a fine way of rejecting the commandment of God in order to establish your tradition! For Moses said, 'Honor your father and your mother'; and, 'Whoever reviles father or mother must surely die.' But you say, 'If a man tells his father or his mother, "Whatever you would have gained from me is Corban"' (that is, given to God), then you no longer permit him to do anything for his father or mother, thus making void the word of God by your tradition that you have handed down. And many such things you do." Mark 7:6-13

So what does that mean? Nursing Homes, Money, Private Care. Etc. Instead of meeting our obligations according to God, we created loopholes. Jesus said that it is not good enough. We need to meet our obligations.

Just like all the rest of the Commandments given to us by God, these are not to make our lives more difficult, but to make our lives easier and to keep us from the snares of the devil. Honor your Father and Mother, for God says that is the right thing to do. But make no mistake about it, Parents, you are to honor your kids, husbands, and wives, and each other. Family is the most important thing to God. It should be to us as well.

"Thou shalt not kill." Exodus 20:13

First, the translation here is poor. It should be, "Thou shalt not commit murder." We kill things all day long—weeds, trees, mosquitoes, ants, animals for food, etc. What God is concerned about in this commandment is the taking of innocent human life. In Genesis 9:1-6

"And God blessed Noah and his sons and said to them, 'Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth. The fear of you and the dread of you shall be upon every beast of the earth and upon every bird of the heavens, upon everything that creeps on the ground and all the fish of the sea. Into your hand they are delivered.

Every moving thing that lives shall be food for you. And as I gave you the green plants, I give you everything. But you shall not eat flesh with its life, that is, its blood. And for your lifeblood I will require a reckoning: from every beast I will require it and from man. From his fellow man, I will require a reckoning for the life of man.

"Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed, for God made man in his own image."

So you see, God makes a very clear distinction between the two things here. First, the killing of anything but man is OK with God. He gave us all the things to meet our needs. He is also the one who set up the Death Penalty. "He who sheds man's blood, shall by man, his blood will be shed." That is how important God sees the life of human beings. Remember, in Genesis 1:26, God tells us this.

"Then God said, 'Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth."

We are made in God's image. Our mind is what makes us. Our intelligence, will, emotions, desires, reasoning, etc., are fashioned after God the Father. Our flesh, after Jesus, is the flesh of God. Then, our spirit, which lives on when the flesh dies, is after the Holy Spirit. Three, yet one.

Now remember, we all sin and come short of the glory of God. We were so evil that God sought to destroy us all and start over until He found Noah faithful. He sets up this death penalty, this cost for innocent life, AFTER the flood.

There are four primary ways to end human life.

Premeditated Murder
Justified Killings
Accidental Death
Abortion, yes, Abortion is the murder of an innocent Life.

In Psalms.

"For you formed my inward parts;
You knitted me together in my mother's womb.

I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.
Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well.

My frame was not hidden from you,
when I was being made in secret,
intricately woven in the depths of the earth.

Your eyes saw my unformed substance;
In your book, were written,
every one of them,
the days that were formed for me,
When there was yet none of them.

How precious to me are your thoughts,
O God! How vast is the sum of them!

If I were to count them,
they are more than the sand.
I awake, and I am still with you." Psalm 139:13-18

God created us according to His will. You are uniquely designed for a purpose and hold great importance to God above all else.

Premeditated Murder

In Numbers.

"But if he struck him down with an iron object, so that he died, he is a murderer. The murderer shall be put to death. And if he struck him down with a stone tool that could cause death, and he died, he is a murderer. The murderer shall be put to death. Or if he struck him down with a wooden tool that could cause death, and he died, he is a murderer. The murderer shall be put to death. The avenger of blood shall himself put the murderer to death; when he meets him, he shall put him to death. And if he pushed him out of hatred or hurled something at him, lying in wait, so that he died, or in enmity struck him down with his hand, so that he died, then he who struck the blow shall be put to death. He is a murderer. The avenger of blood shall put the murderer to death when he meets him." Numbers 35:16-21

Pretty clear-cut here. If you murder someone intentionally, for their dying, you are guilty of murder, and God says you should be put to death.

Justifiable Killing

A justifiable killing is anything commanded by God. The killing of a murderer. The killing of a sinner of other sins. In a war sanctioned by God. This sort of thing.

Accidental Death

"But if he pushed him suddenly without enmity, or hurled anything on him without lying in wait or used a stone that could cause death, and without seeing him dropped it on him, so that he died, though he was not his enemy and did not seek his harm, then the congregation shall judge between the manslayer and the avenger of blood, in accordance with these rules. And the congregation shall rescue the manslayer from the hand of the avenger of blood, and the congregation shall restore him to his city of refuge to which he had fled, and he shall live in it until the death of the high priest who was anointed with the holy oil.

But if the manslayer shall at any time go beyond the boundaries of his city of refuge to which he fled, and the avenger of blood finds him outside the boundaries of his city of refuge, and the avenger of blood kills the manslayer, he shall not be guilty of blood. For he must remain in his city of refuge until the death of the high priest, but after the death of the high priest, the manslayer may return to the land of his possession. And these things shall be for a statute and rule for you throughout your generations in all your dwelling places." Numbers 35:22-29

So God understands that stuff happens. He understands that you may place yourself in a position where you cause the death of another, unintentionally, by accident. So he set up the trial by jury system.

"If anyone kills a person, the murderer shall be put to death on the evidence of witnesses. But no person shall be put to death on the testimony of one witness." Numbers 35:30

So what is this City of Refuge thing? If you kill someone accidentally, the Police come, investigate, and find you innocent of any wrongdoing. You are not even arrested for anything. There was nothing you could have done to prevent the death of the person. I can not even imagine that. You are indeed innocent. However, the family of that person may not be forgiving towards you. They may indeed seek to kill you, even though it was an accident.

God set up cities, where someone in this type of situation could go to escape the wrath of the family of the lost loved ones. If they killed you, would they be guilty of murder? Of course. You are innocent. So they would be arrested and charged with murder and would indeed be guilty and worthy of death themselves. That would not change the fact that you are dead already.

God, in His wisdom, set up places that you could go, free from this, some may even say understandable, the wrath of the family of the person you killed. So you would not be murdered yourself. In today's world, you may have to take it upon yourself to move. I would. Far away from the family of the person I killed. Even though I would be guiltless.

God understands and makes a very CLEAR distinction between accidental death and murder. He also lets us know that the taking of the life of a murderer IS a justifiable killing.

Abortion.

Even though abortion is becoming illegal in many states, thank God, it is said, that for every 1,000 live births in the U.S., 219 pregnancies end with a murdered child, through abortion. Yes, abortion IS the murder of innocent life.

I understand some do not want to accept that. I understand that we had a group of people in black robes, in the sixties, say that a woman can "choose" to murder her child. That doesn't make it right. Just because something is legal in the country doesn't mean it's OK. No one has the "right" to murder an innocent child. No one. Thankfully, that has been overturned, and we are starting to win that battle.

God knows you even before you come into being. You are who you are because God ordained it. Remember the five steps of an Anointed Life? First, God foreknows you; then, He establishes a destiny, a plan, and a purpose for you. He calls you to accept this path, justifies you, and ultimately glorifies you.

You are created the way God wants you to be. You have blue eyes, brown eyes, you are this tall, you are right-handed, or left-handed. You are the way you are because God fashioned you that way, for a reason. When does life begin? I say BEFORE conception. No doubt, at conception. You are a plan. Then conception happens, and you become a physical life.

Think about this. We are all born into sin. We all sin and fall short of the glory of God. Now, picture that child who has not been born yet. It is murdered before they get the chance to be born. They are completely sinless. They are PURE. Completely innocent. God takes this very seriously. In Exodus.

"When men strive together and hit a pregnant woman, so that her children come out, but there is no harm, the one who hit her shall surely be fined, as the woman's husband shall impose on him, and he shall pay as the judges determine. But if there is harm, then you shall pay life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burn for burn, wound for wound, stripe for stripe." Exodus 21:22-25

The accidental death of an unborn child is even punishable according to God. Of course, if the intent IS to harm the unborn, then one is guilty of murder. Here is one of those passages that is constantly misunderstood. In many cases, it is taught incorrectly.

"But if there is harm, then you shall pay life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burn for burn, wound for wound, stripe for stripe."

God is speaking about an unborn child here. He says that if men try to harm a woman "with child" or do so with the intention of hurting that child, they are guilty of murdering the most innocent life. If they interfere with God's plan, the penalty is clear. For example, if God designed a person to have two legs and two arms, and man interferes, causing the child to be born with only one arm, the one responsible must give up their own. This shows how highly God values the unborn. His greatest gift to us, aside from salvation, is children. Of course, abortion is murder—the murder of the most innocent of all life.

Next time we will be discussing Commandments 7 "Thou shalt not commit adultery," and 8 "Thou shalt not steal." You may be surprised to find that you may be guilty of both. 

The email, if you wish to contact me, is truthbygod1@gmail.com

May the comfort of the Holy Spirit, and the peace of our Lord Jesus be with you all. May God bless and be with you, always.

Until next time, be blessed, be a blessing, and Jesus is Lord!

Book of Deuteronomy Chapter 30

 Chapter 30

Repentance and Forgiveness

1 “And when all these things come upon you, the blessing and the curse, which I have set before you, and you call them to mind among all the nations where the Lord your God has driven you, 2 and return to the Lord your God, you and your children, and obey his voice in all that I command you today, with all your heart and with all your soul, 3 then the Lord your God will restore your fortunes and have mercy on you, and he will gather you again from all the peoples where the Lord your God has scattered you. 4 If your outcasts are in the uttermost parts of heaven, from there the Lord your God will gather you, and from there he will take you. 5 And the Lord your God will bring you into the land that your fathers possessed, that you may possess it. And he will make you more prosperous and numerous than your fathers. 6 And the Lord your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your offspring, so that you will love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, that you may live. 7 And the Lord your God will put all these curses on your foes and enemies who persecuted you. 8 And you shall again obey the voice of the Lord and keep all his commandments that I command you today. 9 The Lord your God will make you abundantly prosperous in all the work of your hand, in the fruit of your womb, and in the fruit of your cattle and in the fruit of your ground. For the Lord will again take delight in prospering you, as he took delight in your fathers, 10 when you obey the voice of the Lord your God, to keep his commandments and his statutes that are written in this Book of the Law, when you turn to the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul.

The Choice of Life and Death

11 “For this commandment that I command you today is not too hard for you, neither is it far off. 12 It is not in heaven, that you should say, ‘Who will ascend to heaven for us and bring it to us, that we may hear it and do it?’ 13 Neither is it beyond the sea, that you should say, ‘Who will go over the sea for us and bring it to us, that we may hear it and do it?’ 14 But the word is very near you. It is in your mouth and in your heart, so that you can do it.

15 “See, I have set before you today life and good, death and evil. 16 If you obey the commandments of the Lord your God that I command you today, by loving the Lord your God, by walking in his ways, and by keeping his commandments and his statutes and his rules, then you shall live and multiply, and the Lord your God will bless you in the land that you are entering to take possession of it. 17 But if your heart turns away, and you will not hear, but are drawn away to worship other gods and serve them, 18 I declare to you today, that you shall surely perish. You shall not live long in the land that you are going over the Jordan to enter and possess. 19 I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Therefore choose life, that you and your offspring may live, 20 loving the Lord your God, obeying his voice and holding fast to him, for he is your life and length of days, that you may dwell in the land that the Lord swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them.”

The Ten Commandments 2026, The Law of God, 3 & 4

"You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain, for the LORD will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain."

"Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor, and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. On it, you shall not do any work, you, or your son, or your daughter, your male servant, or your female servant, or your livestock, or the sojourner who is within your gates. For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day. Therefore, the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy."

Let us pray. Heavenly Father, Lord God, we come before you with thanksgiving and praise today, all the praise and glory be to you, God. We are doing an in-depth study of your Word of the Ten Commandments. Today, we examine three and four. Please, Father, give us eyes to see, ears to hear, and the ability to understand what you wish us to know. In Jesus' name, Amen!

Last time, we discussed Commandments One and Two: Have no other Gods before God and Do not Commit Idolatry. Today, we will discuss Commandments Three and Four.

"You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain, for the LORD will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain." Exodus 20:7

There are several ways to take the Lord's name in vain. Here are the three most common methods:

To Curse
To Denounce
To Swear By

To Curse

Do you mean that if someone curses, God "will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain"? Yup. But it's just words. Or a figure of speech. What's the big deal? The big deal is that if you are a child of God and call out His name, He will be there. Whatever you say actually means something. If you do not mean it, then why say it?

"Now an Israelite woman's son, whose father was an Egyptian, went out among the people of Israel. And the Israelite woman's son and a man of Israel fought in the camp, and the Israelite woman's son blasphemed the Name, and cursed.

Then they brought him to Moses. His mother's name was Shelomith, the daughter of Dibri, of the tribe of Dan. And they put him in custody, till the will of the LORD should be clear to them.

Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, "Bring out of the camp the one who cursed, and let all who heard him lay their hands on his head, and let all the congregation stone him. And speak to the people of Israel, saying, Whoever curses his God shall bear his sin. Whoever blasphemes the name of the LORD shall surely be put to death. All the congregation shall stone him. The sojourner as well as the native, when he blasphemes the Name, shall be put to death." Leviticus 24:10-16

Is God serious? Why? One, to use His name in vain is a sign of disrespect. He is God. Yet, using His name in vain, by cursing, you bring Him to nothing. You denounce His Godhead and authority. You turn Him into a figure of speech with your words.

Two, words have power. God created all that is, was, or ever will be, with words. The Word declares,

"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was true at the beginning with God. All things were made by him, and without him was not anything made that was made." Later, "And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us." Jesus told us, "Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away."

Think about this. You are a child of God. You have the Spirit of God in you. You are driving in traffic, working, walking down the street, or whatever, and someone offends you in some way. What do you do? You now have a choice. Here are two possible scenarios to think about.

First, you could get mad and yell something like "God damn you." Or something like "Jesus H Christ, drop dead already." You get the point. Now that person goes on with their life. Say they are channel surfing, scanning the Internet, or walking down the street when they come upon one of those corner preachers. They hear or see, "God so loved the world, He gave his only begotten Son." "Jesus Saves," Or something to that effect. They ignore it and move on. They go the rest of their lives never accepting the truth. They die.

Consider the impact of saying something like, "God bless you" or "Jesus loves you." When that person is channel surfing, browsing the Internet, or walking down the street and encounters a street preacher, they might hear the words, "God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son," or "Jesus saves," and those messages resonate with them.

At that moment, they might remember you. Instead of dismissing those words, your kindness may come to mind. They might think, "Oh yeah, that person I cut off or bumped into and cursed at. They remained calm while I reacted so harshly. Why did they bless me?" This could prompt them to reflect on their actions and beliefs, potentially opening their heart to the truth and leading them to salvation.

Do you know if this will happen? No. Will you ever meet that person again? No. But what you said and did in that moment made a significant difference in their life.

You are a child of God, and the Spirit of God dwells within you. You possess the same power and authority as Christ Himself. It is your responsibility to be mindful of what you say and how you express it. Words hold power, and as a child of God, your words carry even greater significance. Be cautious, for God does not take the misuse of His name lightly.

After all, Jesus told us

"Truly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven." Matthew 18:18

To Denounce

Jesus told us

"Truly, I say to you, all sins will be forgiven the children of man, and whatever blasphemies they utter, but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin,” for they were saying, "He has an unclean spirit." Mark 3:28-30

Blaspheme? "the act of insulting or showing contempt or lack of reverence for God; the act of claiming the attributes of deity; irreverence toward something considered sacred." Simply put, if you reject Him, you reject Jesus. If you reject Him, He cannot save you. You will die in your sin.

To Swear By

In other words, saying something like this. "I swear to God, I will....." Or, "By God, I will...." God does not want you swearing by anything.

"Again, you have heard that it was said to those of old, 'You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform to the Lord what you have sworn.' But I say to you, Do not take an oath at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, or by the earth, for it is his footstool, or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. And do not take an oath by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black. Let what you say be simply 'Yes' or 'No'; anything more than this comes from evil." Matthew 5:33-37

We are talking, and you say, "Promise?" I say, "I swear to God." What if I do not fulfill my promise? What if I do not keep my word? What then? What can I possibly do to God? God wants your Yes to be Yes, and your No to be No.

So to recap. Do not curse, denounce, or swear by God or His name. Honor Him, and respect Him. He is God, and again, He will not hold those blameless that do.

"Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor, and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. On it, you shall not do any work, you, or your son, or your daughter, your male servant, or your female servant, or your livestock, or the sojourner who is within your gates. For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day. Therefore, the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy." Exodus 20:8-11

Now, this one has been completely forgotten. It has also been distorted and altered, and some cannot even comprehend its meaning due to a lack of proper teaching. First, Saturday is now and has always been the Sabbath. That is what Saturday means—Sabbath Day. Sunday is now and always has been the first day of the week. So, if you want to go by the letter of the Law, you should keep Saturday as the Sabbath.

How do you "Keep it Holy?" There are three ways you can "Keep it Holy."

1 - Pray, and spend time with God.

You should always pray to God. However, when you have more than just five minutes before going to work, school, or whatever else you are doing, take that extra time to spend with Him. Understand that God is the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the Lord of Lords, and the King of Kings. He is the Creator of all that is, was, and ever will be. And now, He is also your Father.

Do you want to know who God is? Spend time with Him. Talk to Him. Share what is happening in your life—your hopes and dreams, and your concerns. Ask Him about anything that puzzles you and seek His guidance on His plans for you. Just engage in conversation with Him.

2 - Read the Bible.

One way you can get to know who God is is by reading His Word. Spend extra time on the Word. Don't just scan it, but digest it. Get to fully understand what it means. Talk with God while you are doing it. Ask God how this could be, or the reason for that. Allow the conversation to be a two-way conversation. You may be surprised. God can and will communicate with you.

The ideal concept of the Sabbath is to engage in nearly nothing. This is why the early church chose Sunday as a day for gathering. You rest on Saturday, the Sabbath, which is the last day of the week. Then, you begin your week on the first day, coming together to worship God.

If you do not have a choice and find yourself working on the Sabbath, is this an unforgivable sin? No. As a matter of fact. Jesus did quite a bit on the Sabbath days.

"At that time, Jesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath. His disciples were hungry, and they began to pluck heads of grain and eat. But when the Pharisees saw it, they said to him, "Look, your disciples are doing what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath." He said to them, "Have you not read what David did when he was hungry, and those who were with him: how he entered the house of God and ate the bread of the Presence, which it was not lawful for him to eat nor for those who were with him, but only for the priests?

Or have you not read in the Law how on the Sabbath the priests in the temple profane the Sabbath and are guiltless? I tell you, something greater than the temple is here. And if you had known what this means, 'I desire mercy, and not sacrifice,' you would not have condemned the guiltless. For the Son of Man is lord of the Sabbath."

He went on from there and entered their synagogue. And a man was there with a withered hand. And they asked him, "Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?"--so that they might accuse him. He said to them, "Which one of you who has a sheep if it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will not take hold of it and lift it out? How much more value is a man than a sheep! So it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath." Then he said to the man, "Stretch out your hand." And the man stretched it out, and it was restored, healthy like the other. But the Pharisees went out and conspired against him, how to destroy him." Matthew 12:1-14

Jesus told them that He is Lord over the Sabbath, and what He does, or what those who possess His Spirit do, is not a violation of the Sabbath. The Sabbath is meant for man. Everyone present understood that it is indeed acceptable to rescue a sheep on the Sabbath. However, their traditions still deemed it against the law, which is why they were angry and sought to kill Jesus for allegedly violating their customs. Their religion was getting in the way of understanding His message.

Then in Mark.

“And he said to them, 'Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written, "'This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.' You leave the commandment of God and hold to the tradition of men." And he said to them, "You have a fine way of rejecting the commandment of God in order to establish your tradition!" Mark 7:6-9

Jesus is telling them that they should prioritize following God's teachings over adhering to their own traditions. It is much more important to do good on the Sabbath, or any day, than to blindly follow man-made customs.

Then

"Now he was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath. And behold, there was a woman who had had a disabling spirit for eighteen years. She was bent over and could not fully straighten herself. When Jesus saw her, he called her over and said to her, "Woman, you are freed from your disability. And he laid his hands on her, and immediately she was made straight, and she glorified God.”

It's amusing to me that the ruler of the synagogue wasn't even surprised by the woman's healing. Instead, he was angry that Jesus performed the miracle on the Sabbath. His indignation stemmed from the belief that Jesus had violated his religious rules without his approval.

“But the ruler of the synagogue, indignant because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath, said to the people,

"There are six days in which work ought to be done. Come on those days and be healed, and not on the Sabbath day." Then the Lord answered him, "You hypocrites! Does not each of you on the Sabbath untie his ox or his donkey from the manger and lead it away to water it? And ought not this woman, a daughter of Abraham whom Satan bound for eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath day?" As he said these things, all his adversaries were put to shame, and all the people rejoiced at all the glorious things that were done by him." Luke 13:10-17

Even today, many people within organized religions believe they are the ultimate authority, viewing themselves as the highest power—the "be-all and end-all" of all things. Yet here is Jesus telling them, "No, you are not; God is."

Now, I haven't forgotten about number 3. As I mentioned earlier, there are three ways to keep the Sabbath holy. Number 3 is the simplest, yet for many, it is the hardest to uphold. Are you ready to hear it? Are you sure?

Number 3 - REST!!!

Yes, we need to take a break. Life has become a non-stop cycle—work, school, and even leisure. There’s a constant pressure to get things done immediately. In some situations, working for certain companies requires a 24/7 commitment, including overnight shifts, holidays, and weekends. Unfortunately, in these cases, you often don’t have a choice.

Do you know what happens if you go full bore 24/7? You run out of gas. You wear out your body. You can end up killing yourself. We end up training ourselves to go on four hours of sleep, overcome tiredness with caffeine and other, uh, assistance, and we go till we can't go anymore.

We must learn to REST. Just simply STOP! Just relax. You need time to spend learning the really important things, and your body needs time to recharge. Learn how to REST.

To recap a bit here. The Sabbath is made for YOU. It is a day of rest. Pray, and spend time with God. Read the Word, and spend time with God. Last? REST.

These first Four Commandments are simple to understand.

1-Have no other gods before God.
2-Do not commit Idolatry.
3-Do not take the Name of the Lord God in vain.
4-Remember the Sabbath, and keep it Holy.

Jesus Himself summed them all up with this.

"And he said to him, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment." Matthew 22:37-38

God will not take a back seat to anyone or anything. He loved you so much that even though you were a sinner, Jesus came and died for you. He loves you so much that even though you still sin daily, He cleanses you with His blood. He has become your Father, and you, His child. You must put Him first, above and before all. Who do you serve? The creature, or the Creator?

The email, if you wish to contact me, is truthbygod1@gmail.com

May the comfort of the Holy Ghost, and the peace of our Lord Jesus be with you all. May God bless and be with you, always.

Until next time, be blessed, be a blessing, and Jesus is Lord!

Book of Deuteronomy Chapter 29

 Chapter 29

The Covenant Renewed in Moab

1 These are the words of the covenant that the Lord commanded Moses to make with the people of Israel in the land of Moab, besides the covenant that he had made with them at Horeb.

2 And Moses summoned all Israel and said to them: “You have seen all that the Lord did before your eyes in the land of Egypt, to Pharaoh and to all his servants and to all his land, 3 the great trials that your eyes saw, the signs, and those great wonders. 4 But to this day the Lord has not given you a heart to understand or eyes to see or ears to hear. 5 I have led you forty years in the wilderness. Your clothes have not worn out on you, and your sandals have not worn off your feet. 6 You have not eaten bread, and you have not drunk wine or strong drink, that you may know that I am the Lord your God. 7 And when you came to this place, Sihon the king of Heshbon and Og the king of Bashan came out against us to battle, but we defeated them. 8 We took their land and gave it for an inheritance to the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of the Manassites. 9 Therefore, keep the words of this covenant and do them, that you may prosper in all that you do.

10 “You are standing today, all of you, before the Lord your God: the heads of your tribes, your elders, and your officers, all the men of Israel, 11 your little ones, your wives, and the sojourner who is in your camp, from the one who chops your wood to the one who draws your water, 12 so that you may enter into the sworn covenant of the Lord your God, which the Lord your God is making with you today, 13 that he may establish you today as his people, and that he may be your God, as he promised you, and as he swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob. 14 It is not with you alone that I am making this sworn covenant, 15 but with whoever is standing here with us today before the Lord our God, and with whoever is not here with us today.

16 “You know how we lived in the land of Egypt, and how we came through the midst of the nations through which you passed. 17 And you have seen their detestable things, their idols of wood and stone, of silver and gold, which were among them. 18 Beware lest there be among you a man or woman or clan or tribe whose heart is turning away today from the Lord our God to go and serve the gods of those nations. Beware lest there be among you a root bearing poisonous and bitter fruit, 19 one who, when he hears the words of this sworn covenant, blesses himself in his heart, saying, ‘I shall be safe, though I walk in the stubbornness of my heart.’ This will lead to the sweeping away of moist and dry alike. 20 The Lord will not be willing to forgive him, but rather the anger of the Lord and his jealousy will smoke against that man, and the curses written in this book will settle upon him, and the Lord will blot out his name from under heaven. 21 And the Lord will single him out from all the tribes of Israel for calamity, in accordance with all the curses of the covenant written in this Book of the Law. 22 And the next generation, your children who rise up after you, and the foreigner who comes from a far land, will say, when they see the afflictions of that land and the sicknesses with which the Lord has made it sick— 23 the whole land burned out with brimstone and salt, nothing sown and nothing growing, where no plant can sprout, an overthrow like that of Sodom and Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboiim, which the Lord overthrew in his anger and wrath— 24 all the nations will say, ‘Why has the Lord done thus to this land? What caused the heat of this great anger?’ 25 Then people will say, ‘It is because they abandoned the covenant of the Lord, the God of their fathers, which he made with them when he brought them out of the land of Egypt, 26 and went and served other gods and worshiped them, gods whom they had not known and whom he had not allotted to them. 27 Therefore the anger of the Lord was kindled against this land, bringing upon it all the curses written in this book, 28 and the Lord uprooted them from their land in anger and fury and great wrath, and cast them into another land, as they are this day.’

29 “The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things that are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law.

The Ten Commandments 2026, The Law of God, 1, 2

We need to know these, not just memorize them in order.

Let us pray. Heavenly Father, Lord God, we come before you with thanksgiving. All the praise and glory be to you. God, we are doing an in-depth study of your Word of the Ten Commandments. Today, we begin with Commandments one and two. Please, Father, give us eyes to see, ears to hear, and the ability to understand what you wish us to know. In Jesus' name, Amen!

Teaching our children the Ten Commandments in Sunday school is not bad. Understanding that Commandment 6 says Thou shalt not murder is a good thing. Knowing that Commandment 5 is the first with a promise is beneficial. However,

"Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates." Deuteronomy 6:4-9

Understanding the Ten Commandments is more than just counting. 1 through 10.

"My son, keep your father's commandment,
and forsake not your mother's teaching.
Bind them on your heart always;
tie them around your neck.

When you walk, they will lead you.
when you lie down, they will watch over you;
And when you awake, they will talk with you.

For the commandment is a lamp and the teaching a light,
and the reproofs of discipline are the way of life, " Proverbs 6:20-23

The Ten Commandments were not given to man to make man's life more difficult. To refrain man from the things he loves. They were given to man to make man's life easier. To keep him from the snares of the devil. Understanding, not only what they are, but what they mean, is crucial to every child of God's growth and well-being.

You can find them in.

Exodus 20:1-17

"And God spoke all these words, saying, 'I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.’ You shall have no other gods before me.

You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and the fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments.

You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain, for the LORD will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain.

Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor, and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. On it, you shall not do any work, you, or your son, or your daughter, your male servant, or your female servant, or your livestock, or the sojourner who is within your gates. For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day. Therefore, the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.

"Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land that the LORD your God is giving you.

You shall not murder.
You shall not commit adultery.
You shall not steal.

You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.

You shall not covet your neighbor's house; you shall not covet your neighbor's wife, or his male servant, or his female servant, or his ox, or his donkey, or anything that is your neighbor's."

Also in Deuteronomy 5

These commandments given to us by God Himself are simple to understand. They are not something for our children to learn how to say in order in Sunday School. Nor something we should look at and say, yeah, makes sense. They are something given to us by God, to keep always.

The sad thing is, many of our churches today have stopped actually teaching them. What do they mean? Are they really important? That shows the failure of many churches to instruct them. People have a basic understanding, believe in God, don't kill, uh, don't cheat on your spouse. Oh, and love your mom and dad. Or something like that. Right?

What do they mean? If it is, and it is, more important to know what they mean than simply what they are, then what do they mean? This is what we will be looking at.

"I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. "You shall have no other gods before me." Exodus 20:2-3

It seems pretty simple.

"In the beginning, God created heaven and the earth." Genesis 1:1

"And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and man became a living soul." Genesis 2:7

God is. He is the Alpha and the Omega. The beginning and the end. He is the Lord of Lords and the King of Kings. He is the great "I Am." He is the one who created all things. He is a God of Love. He IS Love. He is God. Not some made-up thing. Not some concept or idea. Not something to take as casually as, say, Santa Claus or the Easter Bunny. He IS God.

"But I was never in Egypt. I was never in bondage. So this does not apply to me." Wrong. You were in the worst bondage you could ever be in. The bondage of sin and death. It was God who, through Jesus, set you free from that.

"There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

“For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, 'Abba! Father!" Romans 8:1-2,15

God is the one who sets you free. Yeshua, or as translated Jesus, is the one who paid the price. Yes. God did bring you out "from the house of bondage."

Why is the truth of God diminishing? Becoming a concept and idea more so than reality? Many reasons. One of the main ones is that some have stopped teaching who He is.

The "theory" of evolution has replaced God in our schools. Even though evolution minus God is both scientifically and mathematically impossible, they forbid the possibility of including God in the equation. By doing so, you eliminate the very science you claim to love. It becomes junk science. Some in society say that it's OK to believe in whatever god you choose. If that big Purple Bunny in your backyard is your god. Good for you. We will say that it is equal to the God of the Bible. It's all good.

Even some of our churches have stopped teaching who God is. Instead, they are teaching man-made traditions called religion. What does God say about this or that? "The church says." Yeah, well, the commandments say. "But Jesus came and taught us another way." No, he didn't. Jesus even warned us about that. He told those religious leaders of the day.

"Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished.

Therefore, whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven." Matthew 5:17-20

Jesus then went on to explain that not only does He fulfill the Law, but He also enhances it. 21-48

Anger

"You have heard that it was said to those of old, 'You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.' But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, 'You fool!' will be liable to the hell of fire. So if you are offering your gift at the altar and remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift. Come to terms quickly with your accuser while you are going with him to court, lest your accuser hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the guard, and you be put in prison. Truly, I say to you, you will never get out until you have paid the last penny.”

Lust

“You have heard that it was said, 'You shall not commit adultery.' But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart. If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body be thrown into hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body go into hell.”

Divorce

“It was also said, 'Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce.' But I say to you that everyone who divorces his wife, except on the ground of sexual immorality, makes her commit adultery, and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.”

Oaths

“Again, you have heard that it was said to those of old, 'You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform to the Lord what you have sworn.' But I say to you, Do not take an oath at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, or by the earth, for it is his footstool, or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. And do not take an oath by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black. Let what you say be simply 'Yes' or 'No'; anything more than this comes from evil.”

Retaliation

“You have heard that it was said, 'An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.' But I say to you, Do not resist the one who is evil. But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if anyone would sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well.  And if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles.” 

Love Your Enemies

“You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Don't even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect."

Jesus did not come to abolish the Law. He came to fulfill it. He enhanced it. Churches and religions often get so caught up in teaching their traditions that they lose sight of God Himself. They teach things that go against God's truth.

In some cases, they even leave God out completely. God is not some old man sitting on a throne, waiting to cast you into hell. Get to know the real God—Our Father. Worship Him alone.

When we forget God, it then becomes easy, and perhaps even human nature, to create and worship Idols.

"You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and the fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments." Exodus 20:4-6

Once again, seems pretty simple to understand. God is serious about this, folks. He was ready to destroy the Jewish people whom He brought out of bondage in Egypt. They created a golden Calf while Moses was on the mountain receiving the Commandments. Then Moses convinced God to repent. Can you imagine? Moses is telling God to repent.

In Deuteronomy 4:15-19

"Therefore, watch yourselves very carefully. Since you saw no form on the day that the LORD spoke to you at Horeb out of the midst of the fire, beware lest you act corruptly by making a carved image for yourselves, in the form of any figure, the likeness of male or female, the likeness of any animal that is on the earth, the likeness of any winged bird that flies in the air, the likeness of anything that creeps on the ground, the likeness of any fish that is in the water under the earth.”

That statue of Mary? That statue of Jesus Himself? The cross? None of these things has any life in them.

"And beware lest you raise your eyes to heaven, and when you see the sun and the moon and the stars, all the host of heaven, you be drawn away and bow down to them and serve them, things that the LORD your God has allotted to all the peoples under the whole heaven."

Can you say Astrology? Horoscopes and such? I have known people who will not leave their homes until they find out what their horoscopes say about their day. The sun, moon, and stars will not protect you, nor keep you safe. When you look at them, you are looking at a creation. They are to God what the most beautiful building is to man. All of them are just created things. They have no life in them.

The key? Jesus. 

"I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father but by me."

Not this saint or that one. Not Mary. Not the statue of Jesus, but Jesus Himself. That Statue of whatever has no life in it. It will do you no good. Neither will any other than Jesus Himself. Mary, the prophets, John, Paul, Peter, whatever, were for a time, and are now in heaven with God. Just like you will be when you leave. So they can not do anything for you themselves. Let alone their likenesses. What the Word is telling us is that these things, created by man, will perish with time. A fire will consume that statue as well, and it will destroy anything else. It will not protect you. It will not benefit you in any way. Only the true and living God can, and will.

We'll wrap it up today with this.

"Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who loves the Father loves whoever has been born of him. By this, we know that we love the children of God when we love God and obey his commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome. For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?

This is he who came by water and blood—Jesus Christ; not by the water only but by the water and the blood. And the Spirit is the one who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth. For there are three that testify: the Spirit and the water and the blood; and these three agree. If we receive the testimony of men, the testimony of God is greater, for this is the testimony of God that he has borne concerning his Son.

Whoever believes in the Son of God has the testimony in himself. Whoever does not believe God has made him a liar, because he has not believed in the testimony that God has borne concerning his Son. And this is the testimony that God gave us: eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.

I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life. And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him.

If anyone sees his brother committing a sin not leading to death, he shall ask, and God will give him life to those who commit sins that do not lead to death. There is sin that leads to death; I do not say that one should pray for that. All wrongdoing is sin, but there is sin that does not lead to death.

We know that everyone who has been born of God does not keep on sinning, but he who was born of God protects him, and the evil one does not touch him.

We know that we are from God, and the whole world lies in the power of the evil one.

And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true; and we are in him who is true, in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life. Little children, keep yourselves from idols." 1 John 5

Coming up next time is part two, where we will discuss:

3 - "Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain."

4 - "Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy."

If you want to comment, ask questions, give testimonials, or just say "Hi," the Email is truthbygod1@gmail.com

May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen. 2 Corinthians 13

Introduction to the Ten Commandments, 2026

  Coming right up here at T.A.G.

Hey folks,

Why not start the year by learning what the Law of God is? Seriously. Do you know the forgotten Laws of God? Does your church teach them? I'm not talking about knowing where to find them in the Bible. I'm not talking about how to say them in order. Do you know them? Do you know what they are? Do you, or our nation, violate them daily? Is it that big a deal to know them and to follow them?

“My son, keep my words
and treasure up my commandments with you;
keep my commandments and live;
keep my teaching as the apple of your eye;
bind them on your fingers;
write them on the tablet of your heart.” Proverbs 7:1-3

Does that sound like knowing how to say them in order? What about this?

"My son, do not forget my teaching,
But let your heart keep my commandments,
for the length of days and years of life
and peace they will add to you.

Let not steadfast love and faithfulness forsake you;
bind them around your neck;
write them on the tablet of your heart." Proverbs 3:1-3

Teaching our children the Ten Commandments in Sunday school is not bad. Knowing that Commandment 5 is the first with a promise is good. Understanding that Commandment 6 says "Thou shalt not kill" is good. Bad translation. Should be “murder,” but we will get to that. However,

"Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be in your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and your gates." Deuteronomy 6:4-9

Understanding the Ten Commandments is more than just counting. 1 to 10. “For the length of days and years of life and peace, they will add to you.” Did you know that? God even gives us a promise. Follow My Law, and live.

It's not just memorizing them. It's not just doing one study on them. God tells us this.

Proverbs 6:20-23

"My son, keep your father's commandment
and forsake not your mother's teaching.
Bind them on your heart always;
tie them around your neck.

When you walk, they will lead you.
when you lie down, they will watch over you;
And when you wake up, they will talk with you.

For the commandment is a lamp and the teaching a light,
and the reproofs of discipline are the way of life,"

The Ten Commandments were not given to man to make man's life more difficult. To refrain man from the things he loves.

"By this, we know that we love the children of God when we love God and obey his commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome." 1 John 5:2-3

When asked what we must do to be saved, what did Jesus tell us?

"And behold, a man came up to him, saying, 'Teacher, what good deed must I do to have eternal life?’ And he said to him, ’Why do you ask me about what is good? There is only one who is good. If you would enter life, keep the commandments.’ He said to him, ‘Which ones?’ And Jesus said, ‘You shall not murder, You shall not commit adultery, You shall not steal, You shall not bear false witness, Honor your father and mother, and You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’

The young man said to him, ‘All these I have kept. What do I still lack?’ Jesus said to him, ‘If you would be perfect, go, sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.’ When the young man heard this, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions." Matthew 19:16-22

Jesus put the Law of God ahead of even Himself. He told us this.

"Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished.

Therefore, whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven." Matthew 5:17-20

If you love Yeshua, or Jesus as translated, you must follow the Ten Commandments.

"If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you." John 14:15-17

Believe it or not, the Ten Commandments were given to man to make man's life easier. To keep him from the snares of the devil. Understanding, not only what they are, but what they mean, is crucial to every child of God's growth and well-being. If we keep them?

"As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love. These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full." John 15:9-11

You see how important it is not only to know what they are but also to understand what they mean. It is really hard to follow something if you have no idea what you are supposed to follow. Therefore, for the next few weeks, when we get together, we will go into an in-depth study of these, The Forgotten Laws of God, which are The Ten Commandments.

I remember a long time ago, when I was first saved, someone approached me to ask about the Ten Commandments. I thought, "Everyone knows them." But in that moment, I realized not everyone does. For those who are lost, the basic teachings of God are not so straightforward. For the religious, these simple truths can also become complicated. And for the child of God, it is sometimes in that simplicity that we can become lost.

Won't you join us as we return to the basics? Just like anything else, if you don't have a solid foundation, you can and will be swayed. The Law of God is alive and well. It is meant not only to be learned but also to be followed. It has not changed, and it will not be abolished. No matter how individuals attempt to disregard it, that does not mean it is absent or that God will hold you blameless for ignoring it.

May the comfort of the Holy Spirit and the peace of our Lord Jesus be with you all. May God bless and be with you, always.

Peter