The Ten Commandments Revisited 3, 4

"Therefore shall ye lay up these my words in your heart and in your soul, and bind them for a sign upon your hand, that they may be as frontlets between your eyes. And ye shall teach them your children, speaking of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, when thou liest down, and when thou risest up." 

The Ten Commandments were not given to us to memorize in order. They were not given to us for our kids to learn how to say in order in Sunday School. In Deuteronomy 11, God Makes it clear....

Deuteronomy 11:

23 Then will the Lord drive out all these nations from before you, and ye shall possess greater nations and mightier than yourselves.

24 Every place whereon the soles of your feet shall tread shall be yours: from the wilderness and Lebanon, from the river, the river Euphrates, even unto the uttermost sea shall your coast be.

25 There shall no man be able to stand before you: for the Lord your God shall lay the fear of you and the dread of you upon all the land that ye shall tread upon, as he hath said unto you.

26 Behold, I set before you this day a blessing and a curse;

27 A blessing, if ye obey the commandments of the Lord your God, which I command you this day:

28 And a curse, if ye will not obey the commandments of the Lord your God, but turn aside out of the way which I command you this day, to go after other gods, which ye have not known.

Last time we talked about Commandments One, and Two. Have no other Gods before God, and do not commit Idolatry. Today we will be discussing Commandments Three, "Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain" and Four, "Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.",

"Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain; for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain."{Exodus 20:7}

There are three ways that you can take the Lord's name in vain. They are:

To Curse
To Denounce
To Swear By

To Curse

Do you really 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, if you are a child of God, and you call out His name, He is going to be there. So whatever you say, actually means something. If you do not mean it, then why say it? In:

Leviticus 24:

10 And the son of an Israelitish woman, whose father was an Egyptian, went out among the children of Israel: and this son of the Israelitish woman and a man of Israel strove together in the camp;

11 And the Israelitish woman's son blasphemed the name of the Lord, and cursed. And they brought him unto Moses: (and his mother's name was Shelomith, the daughter of Dibri, of the tribe of Dan:)

12 And they put him in ward, that the mind of the Lord might be shewed them.

13 And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,

14 Bring forth him that hath cursed without the camp; and let all that heard him lay their hands upon his head, and let all the congregation stone him.

15 And thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel, saying, Whosoever curseth his God shall bear his sin.

16 And he that blasphemeth the name of the Lord, he shall surely be put to death, and all the congregation shall certainly stone him: as well the stranger, as he that is born in the land, when he blasphemeth the name of the Lord, shall be put to death.

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 God Head and authority. You turn Him into a figure of speech with your words.

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 in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing 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." You as a Child of God?

Mark 11:

23 For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith.

So 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, whatever, 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 or scanning a Magazine, or walking down the street, when the come onto 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 hearing the truth. They die.

Now lets say you say something like "God bless you." Or "Jesus loves you." Now when that person is channel surfing or scanning a Magazine, or walking down the street, when the come onto 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 may actually remember YOU. Instead of just ignoring it, YOU pop into their head. They think to themselves, "Oh yeah, like that person I cut off, or bumped and then cursed out. {Whatever} They were so calm about it. I would want to rip someones head off if they did that to me, yet, they Blessed me? What is this all about anyway?" They learn the Truth, and are now saved. Do you know it? Nope. Will you even meet that person again? Nope. But what you said in that moment in time, made all the difference in the world to that person.

YOU are a Child of God. YOU have the Spirit of God in you. YOU have the same power and authority as Christ Himself had. YOU have a responsibility to watch what you say and how you say it. There is power in Words. Being a Child of God, you have ever more power. Be careful. God does not take His name being used in vain lightly.

After all, Jesus told us "Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven." {Matthew 18:18}

To Denounce

Jesus told us "But he that shall blaspheme against the Holy Ghost hath never forgiveness, but is in danger of eternal damnation." {Mark 3:29} 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...." As a matter of fact, God does not want you searing by anything. In...

Matthew 5:

33 Again, ye have heard that it hath been said by them of old time, Thou shalt not forswear thyself, but shalt perform unto the Lord thine oaths:

34 But I say unto you, Swear not at all; neither by heaven; for it is God's throne:

35 Nor by the earth; for it is his footstool: neither by Jerusalem; for it is the city of the great King.

36 Neither shalt thou swear by thy head, because thou canst not make one hair white or black.

37 But let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil.

So we are talking, and you say "Promise?" If 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 shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: But the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it." {Exodus 20:8-11}

Now this one is one of those that have been completely forgotten. It has also been twisted, changed, and some can not even understand what it means, from the lack of teaching. First, Saturday, is now, and has always been, the Sabbath. That is what Saturday means. The 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 be keeping Saturday as the Sabbath.

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

1 - Pray, spend time with God.

You should of course Pray to God always. But when you have more than that five minutes before you go to work, school, or whatever it is you are doing, you should spend more time with Him. We have learned 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. He is now, also, your Daddy.

You want to know who God is? Spend time with Him. Talk to Him. Tell Him what is happening in your life. Share with Him your hopes and dreams. Let Him know what your concerns are. Ask Him why this or that is. Ask Him to teach you His way. His plan for you. Just talk to Him.

2 - Read the Bible.

One way you can get to know who God is, is read His Word. Spend extra time in the Word. Don't just scan over it, but actually digest it. Get to fully understand what it means. Talk with God while you are doing it. Ask Him 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.

3- Go to Church.

You can learn a lot about God, by spending time with your Brothers and Sisters in Christ. You can also feed your Spirit. It can, and will, make you stronger. Not only can God communicate with you in your Prayer Closet, by use of His Word, but He can communicate with you through others. You would be surprised what you learn, when you are actually helping others. Even if it doesn't seem like it at the time.

The ideal concept of the Sabbath, is to do nearly nothing. That is why the early Church picked Sunday to gather. You rest on Saturday, the Sabbath, the last day of the week. You start your week on the first day, gathering together to worship God. Now, if you only have one day, and it is Sunday, I'm not sure God will be too upset with you about you going to Church on your Sabbath. Even if it is more than 3637 feet.

What's that? What is 3637 feet? That is a Sabbath Day's journey. Some religions have decided that if you go more than that, then you are considered working on the Sabbath, and in turn, you are in violation of the Law.

In.....

Deuteronomy 4:

2 Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish ought from it, that ye may keep the commandments of the Lord your God which I command you.

No where in the Word, does GOD say, you can not walk more than 3637 feet on the Sabbath. No where in the Word, does GOD say, Thou shalt eat, or not eat, this or that on the Sabbath. No where in the Word does GOD say, that you must wash your hands before you eat, nor, does it tell you you can change this or that, according to your concept.

As a matter of fact. Jesus did quite a bit on the Sabbath Days.

Matthew 12:

1 At that time Jesus went on the sabbath day through the corn; and his disciples were an hungred, and began to pluck the ears of corn and to eat.

2 But when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto him, Behold, thy disciples do that which is not lawful to do upon the sabbath day.

3 But he said unto them, Have ye not read what David did, when he was an hungred, and they that were with him;

4 How he entered into the house of God, and did eat the shewbread, which was not lawful for him to eat, neither for them which were with him, but only for the priests?

5 Or have ye not read in the law, how that on the sabbath days the priests in the temple profane the sabbath, and are blameless?

6 But I say unto you, That in this place is one greater than the temple.

7 But if ye had known what this meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice, ye would not have condemned the guiltless.

8 For the Son of man is Lord even of the sabbath day.

You see, it was man that made the Rules and Regulations, you should not pick crops, considered work, on the Sabbath Day. They also created the Law of eating with unwashed hands. Jesus told them that HE is Lord over the Sabbath, and what He does, or those who has His Spirit in them do, is not a violation. But the Sabbath is for man. Continuing...

9 And when he was departed thence, he went into their synagogue:

10 And, behold, there was a man which had his hand withered. And they asked him, saying, Is it lawful to heal on the sabbath days? that they might accuse him.

11 And he said unto them, What man shall there be among you, that shall have one sheep, and if it fall into a pit on the sabbath day, will he not lay hold on it, and lift it out?

12 How much then is a man better than a sheep? Wherefore it is lawful to do well on the sabbath days.

13 Then saith he to the man, Stretch forth thine hand. And he stretched it forth; and it was restored whole, like as the other.

14 Then the Pharisees went out, and held a council against him, how they might destroy him.

Again, Jesus told them the truth. All that were there knew, that they would indeed rescue the Sheep on the Sabbath. But THEIR Traditions still say it is against the Law, so they were still angry and sought to kill Jesus for violating their Traditions. Their Religion. Then in....

Mark 7:

6 He answered and said unto them, Well hath Esaias prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, This people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me.

7 Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.

8 For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men, as the washing of pots and cups: and many other such like things ye do.

9 And he said unto them, Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition.

What Jesus is saying to them is that they should be following what God says, more so, than what they have decided is their Traditions. It is far more important to do good on the Sabbath, or any day, than it is to blindly follow man-made Traditions.

In...

Luke 6:

6 And it came to pass also on another sabbath, that he entered into the synagogue and taught: and there was a man whose right hand was withered.

7 And the scribes and Pharisees watched him, whether he would heal on the sabbath day; that they might find an accusation against him.

8 But he knew their thoughts, and said to the man which had the withered hand, Rise up, and stand forth in the midst. And he arose and stood forth.

9 Then said Jesus unto them, I will ask you one thing; Is it lawful on the sabbath days to do good, or to do evil? to save life, or to destroy it?

10 And looking round about upon them all, he said unto the man, Stretch forth thy hand. And he did so: and his hand was restored whole as the other.

Then in...

Luke 13:

10 And he was teaching in one of the synagogues on the sabbath.

11 And, behold, there was a woman which had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bowed together, and could in no wise lift up herself.

12 And when Jesus saw her, he called her to him, and said unto her, Woman, thou art loosed from thine infirmity.

13 And he laid his hands on her: and immediately she was made straight, and glorified God.

14 And the ruler of the synagogue answered with indignation, because that Jesus had healed on the sabbath day, and said unto the people, There are six days in which men ought to work: in them therefore come and be healed, and not on the sabbath day.

OK, first, it seems funny to me that the Ruler of the Synagogue was not even amazed that the Woman was healed. But was angry that Jesus healed her on the Sabbath. He was so blind with indignation that Jesus violated his Religion and did what HE {The Ruler} did not authorize.

You see, even today, there are many in Organized Religions that feel that they are the Highest Power. The final authority. That THEY are the is all and end all of all things. Here is Jesus telling them, NO. They are not, God IS.

15 The Lord then answered him, and said, Thou hypocrite, doth not each one of you on the sabbath loose his ox or his ass from the stall, and lead him away to watering?

16 And ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan hath bound, lo, these eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the sabbath day?

17 And when he had said these things, all his adversaries were ashamed: and all the people rejoiced for all the glorious things that were done by him.

No, I did not forget number 4. Remember, I said there are 4 ways to keep the Sabbath Holy. Number 4 is the simplest, and yet, for many, the hardest one to keep. Ready? Are you sure?

Number 4 - REST!!!

Yup. REST. We have turned life, into a 24/7 life. Work, School, even Play. We need this NOW. We got to get that NOW. If you want to work for some companies, you have to work 24/7. Overnights, Holidays, Weekends. You do not have a choice in some cases.

You know what happens if you go full bore 24/7? You run out of gas. You wear out you 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 til we can't go anymore.

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

So to recap a bit here. The Sabbath is made for YOU. It is a day of rest. Pray, spend time with God. Read the Word, spend time with God. Go to Church, spend time with God and others that you can learn from and grow from. The Last? Actually 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 His Name in vain.
4-Remember the Sabbath, and keep it Holy.

Jesus Himself summed them all up with this "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great 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 own 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?

Do you know Jesus as your Savior? Have you been adopted into the Family of God? If not, say this Prayer. Right now. Wherever you may be. Say it in your own words, and do not doubt in your heart. God will hear you. He will send the Spirit of Life to you. Let us Pray..

"Oh heavenly Father, Lord God. I am a sinner. I know this. I know there is nothing I can do to change that. But I know you can. I accept Jesus's sacrifice for me. I repent my sins. Please send the Spirit of Adoption into my life. Help me to get to know the real you. Save me. Please. In the name of Jesus, Amen!"

That's it. It really is that simple. Now go tell someone what you have just done. "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved." {Romans 10:9} You need to find a Church that God leads you to, and be Baptized the way Jesus said to be. You are now a Child of God. A new Creature. You "have put off the old man with his deeds, and have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him." {Colossians 3:10}

If you want to tell me, or comment, question, give testimonials, or just say "Hi," the Email is opntalk@gmail.com

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all. Amen. {2 Corinthians 13}

The Ten Commandments Revisited. 1, 2

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

Teaching our Children the list, The Ten Commandments, in Sunday school , is not a bad thing. Understanding that Commandment 6 says Thou shall not Kill, is a good thing. Knowing that Commandment 5 is the first with Promise, is a good thing. However,,,

"The Lord our God is one Lord: And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes. And thou shalt write them upon the posts of thy house, and on thy gates." {Deuteronomy 6:4-9}

Understanding the Ten Commandment, is more than just counting. 1,2,3,4,5,,6,7,8,9,10.

"My son, keep thy father's commandment, and forsake not the law of thy mother: Bind them continually upon thine heart, and tie them about thy neck. When thou goest, it shall lead thee; when thou sleepest, it shall keep thee; and when thou awakest, it shall talk with thee. For the commandment is a lamp; and the law is light; and reproofs of instruction 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 more easy. 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 And God spake all these words, saying,

2 I am the Lord thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.

3 Thou shalt have no other gods before me.

4 Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.

5 Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me;

6 And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.

7 Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain; for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.

8 Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.

9 Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work:

10 But the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates:

11 For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.

12 Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.

13 Thou shalt not kill.

14 Thou shalt not commit adultery.

15 Thou shalt not steal.

16 Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour.

17 Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour's.

Also in....

Deuteronomy 5:

6 I am the Lord thy God, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage.

7 Thou shalt have none other gods before me.

8 Thou shalt not make thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the waters beneath the earth:

9 Thou shalt not bow down thyself unto them, nor serve them: for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me,

10 And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me and keep my commandments.

11 Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain: for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.

12 Keep the sabbath day to sanctify it, as the Lord thy God hath commanded thee.

13 Six days thou shalt labour, and do all thy work:

14 But the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, nor thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thine ox, nor thine ass, nor any of thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates; that thy manservant and thy maidservant may rest as well as thou.

15 And remember that thou wast a servant in the land of Egypt, and that the Lord thy God brought thee out thence through a mighty hand and by a stretched out arm: therefore the Lord thy God commanded thee to keep the sabbath day.

16 Honour thy father and thy mother, as the Lord thy God hath commanded thee; that thy days may be prolonged, and that it may go well with thee, in the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.

17 Thou shalt not kill.

18 Neither shalt thou commit adultery.

19 Neither shalt thou steal.

20 Neither shalt thou bear false witness against thy neighbour.

21 Neither shalt thou desire thy neighbour's wife, neither shalt thou covet thy neighbour's house, his field, or his manservant, or his maidservant, his ox, or his ass, or any thing that is thy neighbour's.

Now these Commandments given to us by God himself, are simple to understand. They are not something to be learned 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, a lot of our Churches today, have stopped actually teaching them. What do they mean? Are they really important? That is the failure of many of our Churches to teach them. People have a basic understanding, Have faith in God, don't kill, uh, don't cheat on your spouse. Oh and love your mom and dad. Or something like that. Right? Wrong.

So what do they mean? If it is, and it is, more important to actually 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 thy God, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage. Thou shalt have none other gods before me."{Exodus 20:2-3}

Seems pretty simple.

Genesis 1:

1 In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.

Genesis 2:

7 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.

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 that 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 casual as, say, Santa Clause or the Easter Bunny. He IS God.

"But I was never in Egypt. I was never in Bondage. So this does not really apply to me." Wrong. You were in the worse Bondage you could ever be in. The Bondage of Sin and Death. It was God that, through Jesus, set you free from that. "There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death." "For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father."{Romans 8:1-2,15} God is the one that set you free. Jesus is the one that 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 to the equation. Some in society say it's OK to believe in whatever god you chose. If that big Purple Bunny in your back yard 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 in lieu of the teaching of 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....

Matthew 5:

17 Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.

18 For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.

19 Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

20 For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.

Jesus then went on to explain, not only does He fulfill the Law, He enhances it.

21 Ye have heard that it was said of them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment:

22 But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire.

23 Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee;

24 Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift.

25 Agree with thine adversary quickly, whiles thou art in the way with him; lest at any time the adversary deliver thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and thou be cast into prison.

26 Verily I say unto thee, Thou shalt by no means come out thence, till thou hast paid the uttermost farthing.

27 Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery:

28 But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.

29 And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell.

30 And if thy right hand offend thee, cut it off, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell.

31 It hath been said, Whosoever shall put away his wife, let him give her a writing of divorcement:

32 But I say unto you, That whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery: and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced committeth adultery.

33 Again, ye have heard that it hath been said by them of old time, Thou shalt not forswear thyself, but shalt perform unto the Lord thine oaths:

34 But I say unto you, Swear not at all; neither by heaven; for it is God's throne:

35 Nor by the earth; for it is his footstool: neither by Jerusalem; for it is the city of the great King.

36 Neither shalt thou swear by thy head, because thou canst not make one hair white or black.

37 But let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil.

38 Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth:

39 But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also.

40 And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloak also.

41 And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain.

42 Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away.

43 Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy.

44 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;

45 That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.

46 For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same?

47 And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so?

48 Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.

Jesus did not come to do away with The Law. He enhanced it. He summed them up this way "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets." {Matthew 22:36-40}

Churches, Religions, get so caught up in the teaching of their traditions, that they lose track of God Himself. They teach things that are contrary to God. In some cases, they leave God out all together. God is also not some old man, sitting on a throne, waiting to throw you in 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.

"Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me; And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments." {Exodus 20:5-7}

Exodus 32:

1 And when the people saw that Moses delayed to come down out of the mount, the people gathered themselves together unto Aaron, and said unto him, Up, make us gods, which shall go before us; for as for this Moses, the man that brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we wot not what is become of him.

2 And Aaron said unto them, Break off the golden earrings, which are in the ears of your wives, of your sons, and of your daughters, and bring them unto me.

3 And all the people brake off the golden earrings which were in their ears, and brought them unto Aaron.

4 And he received them at their hand, and fashioned it with a graving tool, after he had made it a molten calf: and they said, These be thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.

5 And when Aaron saw it, he built an altar before it; and Aaron made proclamation, and said, To morrow is a feast to the Lord.

6 And they rose up early on the morrow, and offered burnt offerings, and brought peace offerings; and the people sat down to eat and to drink, and rose up to play.

7 And the Lord said unto Moses, Go, get thee down; for thy people, which thou broughtest out of the land of Egypt, have corrupted themselves:

8 They have turned aside quickly out of the way which I commanded them: they have made them a molten calf, and have worshipped it, and have sacrificed thereunto, and said, These be thy gods, O Israel, which have brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.

9 And the Lord said unto Moses, I have seen this people, and, behold, it is a stiffnecked people:

10 Now therefore let me alone, that my wrath may wax hot against them, and that I may consume them: and I will make of thee a great nation.

God is serious about this folks. He was ready to destroy the Jewish people that He brought out of Bondage in Egypt. Then Moses convinced God to Repent. Can you imagine? Moses is telling God to Repent....

11 And Moses besought the Lord his God, and said, Lord, why doth thy wrath wax hot against thy people, which thou hast brought forth out of the land of Egypt with great power, and with a mighty hand?

12 Wherefore should the Egyptians speak, and say, For mischief did he bring them out, to slay them in the mountains, and to consume them from the face of the earth? Turn from thy fierce wrath, and repent of this evil against thy people.

13 Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, thy servants, to whom thou swarest by thine own self, and saidst unto them, I will multiply your seed as the stars of heaven, and all this land that I have spoken of will I give unto your seed, and they shall inherit it for ever.

14 And the Lord repented of the evil which he thought to do unto his people. 

 So because of Moses, again, the Jews were Saved from utter destruction.

In..

Deuteronomy 4:

15 Take ye therefore good heed unto yourselves; for ye saw no manner of similitude on the day that the Lord spake unto you in Horeb out of the midst of the fire:

16 Lest ye corrupt yourselves, and make you a graven image, the similitude of any figure, the likeness of male or female,

17 The likeness of any beast that is on the earth, the likeness of any winged fowl that flieth in the air,

18 The likeness of any thing that creepeth on the ground, the likeness of any fish that is in the waters beneath the earth:

That Statue of Mary? That Statue of Jesus Himself? The Cross? None of these things have any life in them.

19 And lest thou lift up thine eyes unto heaven, and when thou seest the sun, and the moon, and the stars, even all the host of heaven, shouldest be driven to worship them, and serve them, which the Lord thy God hath divided unto all nations under the whole heaven.

Can you say Astrology? Horoscopes and such? I have known people that 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 save. When you look upon them, you are looking at a Creation. They are to God, what the most beautiful building is to man. They are Created things. They have no life in them.

I'm a pretty big guy. I have even been told that when I am in my Gym gear, all black, with my Sunglasses on, I look evil. Very intimidating so I'm told. So you are my neighbor. You are going out of town. You decide, I will take a picture of this guy. I will blow it up to life size, and I will place it, right inside my front door. This way, when a Thief comes in, he will see the big guy in Black, he will get scared and run away. My house will be protected.

So you do this. The Thief comes. He kicks the door in and sees the life size imagine of me standing there. He gets startled. But he is a brave Thief. He takes a second look and realizes, it not real. So he steals your stuff, and takes the imagine of me with him. You wonder what happened?

Now you are going out of town, you come to ME. You ask ME to watch your house. I agree. The Thief comes and kicks in your door. This time, I really am there. I seize him and protect your home. The difference? I'm real. I'm alive. I have the ability to do whatever I chose. That imagine of me? It's dead. There is no life in it.

God is the same way. Remember 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.

Paul told the early Church, when a dispute arose about forcing Gentiles {Non-Jews} to be Circumcised and follow the Law, That all the Gentiles needed to do to be saved is believe on Jesus and keep God's Commandments, In....

Acts 15:

18 Known unto God are all his works from the beginning of the world.

19 Wherefore my sentence is, that we trouble not them, which from among the Gentiles are turned to God:

20 But that we write unto them, that they abstain from pollutions of idols, and from fornication, and from things strangled, and from blood.

21 For Moses of old time hath in every city them that preach him, being read in the synagogues every sabbath day.

22 Then pleased it the apostles and elders with the whole church, to send chosen men of their own company to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas; namely, Judas surnamed Barsabas and Silas, chief men among the brethren:

23 And they wrote letters by them after this manner; The apostles and elders and brethren send greeting unto the brethren which are of the Gentiles in Antioch and Syria and Cilicia.

24 Forasmuch as we have heard, that certain which went out from us have troubled you with words, subverting your souls, saying, Ye must be circumcised, and keep the law: to whom we gave no such commandment:

25 It seemed good unto us, being assembled with one accord, to send chosen men unto you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul,

26 Men that have hazarded their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

27 We have sent therefore Judas and Silas, who shall also tell you the same things by mouth.

28 For it seemed good to the Holy Ghost, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things;

29 That ye abstain from meats offered to idols, and from blood, and from things strangled, and from fornication: from which if ye keep yourselves, ye shall do well. Fare ye well.

Also in....

Jeremiah 10:

1 Hear ye the word which the Lord speaketh unto you, O house of Israel:

2 Thus saith the Lord, Learn not the way of the heathen, and be not dismayed at the signs of heaven; for the heathen are dismayed at them.

3 For the customs of the people are vain: for one cutteth a tree out of the forest, the work of the hands of the workman, with the axe.

4 They deck it with silver and with gold; they fasten it with nails and with hammers, that it move not.

5 They are upright as the palm tree, but speak not: they must needs be borne, because they cannot go. Be not afraid of them; for they cannot do evil, neither also is it in them to do good.

6 Forasmuch as there is none like unto thee, O Lord; thou art great, and thy name is great in might.

7 Who would not fear thee, O King of nations? for to thee doth it appertain: forasmuch as among all the wise men of the nations, and in all their kingdoms, there is none like unto thee.

8 But they are altogether brutish and foolish: the stock is a doctrine of vanities.

9 Silver spread into plates is brought from Tarshish, and gold from Uphaz, the work of the workman, and of the hands of the founder: blue and purple is their clothing: they are all the work of cunning men.

10 But the Lord is the true God, he is the living God, and an everlasting king: at his wrath the earth shall tremble, and the nations shall not be able to abide his indignation.

11 Thus shall ye say unto them, The gods that have not made the heavens and the earth, even they shall perish from the earth, and from under these heavens.

12 He hath made the earth by his power, he hath established the world by his wisdom, and hath stretched out the heavens by his discretion.

13 When he uttereth his voice, there is a multitude of waters in the heavens, and he causeth the vapours to ascend from the ends of the earth; he maketh lightnings with rain, and bringeth forth the wind out of his treasures.

14 Every man is brutish in his knowledge: every founder is confounded by the graven image: for his molten image is falsehood, and there is no breath in them.

15 They are vanity, and the work of errors: in the time of their visitation they shall perish.

16 The portion of Jacob is not like them: for he is the former of all things; and Israel is the rod of his inheritance: The Lord of hosts is his name.

17 Gather up thy wares out of the land, O inhabitant of the fortress.

18 For thus saith the Lord, Behold, I will sling out the inhabitants of the land at this once, and will distress them, that they may find it so.

19 Woe is me for my hurt! my wound is grievous; but I said, Truly this is a grief, and I must bear it.

20 My tabernacle is spoiled, and all my cords are broken: my children are gone forth of me, and they are not: there is none to stretch forth my tent any more, and to set up my curtains.

21 For the pastors are become brutish, and have not sought the Lord: therefore they shall not prosper, and all their flocks shall be scattered.

22 Behold, the noise of the bruit is come, and a great commotion out of the north country, to make the cities of Judah desolate, and a den of dragons.

23 O Lord, I know that the way of man is not in himself: it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps.

24 O Lord, correct me, but with judgment; not in thine anger, lest thou bring me to nothing.

25 Pour out thy fury upon the heathen that know thee not, and upon the families that call not on thy name: for they have eaten up Jacob, and devoured him, and consumed him, and have made his habitation desolate.

Again, 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 as 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. In...

1 Corinthians 8:

1 Now as touching things offered unto idols, we know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge puffeth up, but charity edifieth.

2 And if any man think that he knoweth any thing, he knoweth nothing yet as he ought to know.

3 But if any man love God, the same is known of him.

4 As concerning therefore the eating of those things that are offered in sacrifice unto idols, we know that an idol is nothing in the world, and that there is none other God but one.

5 For though there be that are called gods, whether in heaven or in earth, (as there be gods many, and lords many,)

6 But to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him.

7 Howbeit there is not in every man that knowledge: for some with conscience of the idol unto this hour eat it as a thing offered unto an idol; and their conscience being weak is defiled.

8 But meat commendeth us not to God: for neither, if we eat, are we the better; neither, if we eat not, are we the worse.

9 But take heed lest by any means this liberty of yours become a stumblingblock to them that are weak.

10 For if any man see thee which hast knowledge sit at meat in the idol's temple, shall not the conscience of him which is weak be emboldened to eat those things which are offered to idols;

11 And through thy knowledge shall the weak brother perish, for whom Christ died?

12 But when ye sin so against the brethren, and wound their weak conscience, ye sin against Christ.

13 Wherefore, if meat make my brother to offend, I will eat no flesh while the world standeth, lest I make my brother to offend.

The word make it even easier to understand in....

1 Thessalonians 1:

9 For they themselves shew of us what manner of entering in we had unto you, and how ye turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God;

10 And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come.

We'll wrap it up today with...

1 John 5:

1 Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God: and every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him.

2 By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments.

3 For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.

4 For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.

5 Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?

6 This is he that came by water and blood, even Jesus Christ; not by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit that beareth witness, because the Spirit is truth.

7 For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one.

8 And there are three that bear witness in earth, the Spirit, and the water, and the blood: and these three agree in one.

9 If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater: for this is the witness of God which he hath testified of his Son.

10 He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself: he that believeth not God hath made him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son.

11 And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.

12 He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.

13 These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.

14 And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us:

15 And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him.

16 If any man see his brother sin a sin which is not unto death, he shall ask, and he shall give him life for them that sin not unto death. There is a sin unto death: I do not say that he shall pray for it.

17 All unrighteousness is sin: and there is a sin not unto death.

18 We know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not; but he that is begotten of God keepeth himself, and that wicked one toucheth him not.

19 And we know that we are of God, and the whole world lieth in wickedness.

20 And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know him that is true, and we are in him that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life.

21 Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen.

Coming up on Wednesday 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."

Do you know Jesus as your Savior? Have you been adopted into the Family of God? If not, say this Prayer. Right now. Wherever you may be. Say it in your own words, and do not doubt in your heart. God will hear you. He will send the Spirit of Life to you. Let us Pray..

"Oh heavenly Father, Lord God. I am a sinner. I know this. I know there is nothing I can do to change that. But I know you can. I accept Jesus's sacrifice for me. I repent my sins. Please send the Spirit of Adoption into my life. Help me to get to know the real you. Save me. Please. In the name of Jesus, Amen!"

That's it. It really is that simple. Now go tell someone what you have just done. "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved." {Romans 10:9} You need to find a Church that God leads you to, and be Baptized the way Jesus said to be. You are now a Child of God. A new Creature. You "have put off the old man with his deeds, and have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him." {Colossians 3:10}

If you want to tell me, or comment, question, give testimonials, or just say "Hi," the Email is opntalk@gmail.com

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all. Amen. {2 Corinthians 13}

Christ in You, Special Guest Max Lucado

Special Guest Max Lucado

Paul said, "It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me" (Gal. 2:20). The apostle sensed within himself not just the philosophy, ideals, or influence of Christ but the person of Jesus. Christ moved in. He still does. When grace happens, Christ enters. "Christ in you, the hope of glory" (Col. 1:27).

For many years I missed this truth. I believed all the other prepositions: Christ for me, with me, ahead of me. And I knew I was working beside Christ, under Christ, with Christ. But I never imagined that Christ was in me.

I can't blame my deficiency on Scripture. Paul refers to this union 216 times. John mentions it 26 times. They describe a Christ who not only woos us to himself but "ones" us to himself. "Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God" (1 John 4:15, emphasis mine).

No other religion or philosophy makes such a claim. No other movement implies the living presence of its founder in his followers. Muhammad does not indwell Muslims. Buddha does not inhabit Buddhists. Hugh Hefner does not inhabit the pleasure-seeking hedonist. Influence? Instruct? Entice? Yes. But occupy? No.

Yet Christians embrace this inscrutable promise. "The mystery in a nutshell is just this: Christ is in you" (Col. 1:27 MSG). The Christian is a person in whom Christ is happening.

We are Jesus Christ's; we belong to him. But even more, we are increasingly him. He moves in and commandeers our hands and feet, requisitions our minds and tongues. We sense his rearranging: debris into the divine, pig's ear into silk purse. He repurposes bad decisions and squalid choices. Little by little a new image emerges. "He decided from the outset to shape the lives of those who love him along the same lines as the life of his Son" (Rom. 8:29 MSG).

Happy Easter. Rejoice and Be Glad

"Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live" {John 11:}

Easter is not about a Bunny, with my namesake, hopping down a Bunny trail, giving candy and colored eggs to little kiddies.

John 11:

24 Martha saith unto him, I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day.

25 Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:

26 And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?

It's not about baskets filled with Toys.

"Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures"{1 Corinthians 15:1-4}

It's not about coloring Eggs with your Kids.

"For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:" {Romans 3:23-24}

It IS all about the Love, God had, and still does have, for us. So great a Love that.. "But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." {Romans 5:7-9}

Matthew 27:

1 When the morning was come, all the chief priests and elders of the people took counsel against Jesus to put him to death:

2 And when they had bound him, they led him away, and delivered him to Pontius Pilate the governor.

3 Then Judas, which had betrayed him, when he saw that he was condemned, repented himself, and brought again the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders,

4 Saying, I have sinned in that I have betrayed the innocent blood. And they said, What is that to us? see thou to that.

5 And he cast down the pieces of silver in the temple, and departed, and went and hanged himself.

6 And the chief priests took the silver pieces, and said, It is not lawful for to put them into the treasury, because it is the price of blood.

7 And they took counsel, and bought with them the potter's field, to bury strangers in.

8 Wherefore that field was called, The field of blood, unto this day.

9 Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremy the prophet, saying, And they took the thirty pieces of silver, the price of him that was valued, whom they of the children of Israel did value;

10 And gave them for the potter's field, as the Lord appointed me.

11 And Jesus stood before the governor: and the governor asked him, saying, Art thou the King of the Jews? And Jesus said unto him, Thou sayest.

12 And when he was accused of the chief priests and elders, he answered nothing.

13 Then said Pilate unto him, Hearest thou not how many things they witness against thee?

14 And he answered him to never a word; insomuch that the governor marvelled greatly.

15 Now at that feast the governor was wont to release unto the people a prisoner, whom they would.

16 And they had then a notable prisoner, called Barabbas.

17 Therefore when they were gathered together, Pilate said unto them, Whom will ye that I release unto you? Barabbas, or Jesus which is called Christ?

18 For he knew that for envy they had delivered him.

19 When he was set down on the judgment seat, his wife sent unto him, saying, Have thou nothing to do with that just man: for I have suffered many things this day in a dream because of him.

20 But the chief priests and elders persuaded the multitude that they should ask Barabbas, and destroy Jesus.

21 The governor answered and said unto them, Whether of the twain will ye that I release unto you? They said, Barabbas.

22 Pilate saith unto them, What shall I do then with Jesus which is called Christ? They all say unto him, Let him be crucified.

23 And the governor said, Why, what evil hath he done? But they cried out the more, saying, Let him be crucified.

24 When Pilate saw that he could prevail nothing, but that rather a tumult was made, he took water, and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, I am innocent of the blood of this just person: see ye to it.

25 Then answered all the people, and said, His blood be on us, and on our children.

26 Then released he Barabbas unto them: and when he had scourged Jesus, he delivered him to be crucified.

27 Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the common hall, and gathered unto him the whole band of soldiers.

28 And they stripped him, and put on him a scarlet robe.

29 And when they had platted a crown of thorns, they put it upon his head, and a reed in his right hand: and they bowed the knee before him, and mocked him, saying, Hail, King of the Jews!

30 And they spit upon him, and took the reed, and smote him on the head.

31 And after that they had mocked him, they took the robe off from him, and put his own raiment on him, and led him away to crucify him.

32 And as they came out, they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name: him they compelled to bear his cross.

33 And when they were come unto a place called Golgotha, that is to say, a place of a skull,

34 They gave him vinegar to drink mingled with gall: and when he had tasted thereof, he would not drink.

35 And they crucified him, and parted his garments, casting lots: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, They parted my garments among them, and upon my vesture did they cast lots.

36 And sitting down they watched him there;

37 And set up over his head his accusation written, This Is Jesus The King Of The Jews.

38 Then were there two thieves crucified with him, one on the right hand, and another on the left.

39 And they that passed by reviled him, wagging their heads,

40 And saying, Thou that destroyest the temple, and buildest it in three days, save thyself. If thou be the Son of God, come down from the cross.

41 Likewise also the chief priests mocking him, with the scribes and elders, said,

42 He saved others; himself he cannot save. If he be the King of Israel, let him now come down from the cross, and we will believe him.

43 He trusted in God; let him deliver him now, if he will have him: for he said, I am the Son of God.

44 The thieves also, which were crucified with him, cast the same in his teeth.

45 Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land unto the ninth hour.

46 And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?

47 Some of them that stood there, when they heard that, said, This man calleth for Elias.

48 And straightway one of them ran, and took a spunge, and filled it with vinegar, and put it on a reed, and gave him to drink.

49 The rest said, Let be, let us see whether Elias will come to save him.

50 Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost.

51 And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent;

52 And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose,

53 And came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many.

54 Now when the centurion, and they that were with him, watching Jesus, saw the earthquake, and those things that were done, they feared greatly, saying, Truly this was the Son of God.

55 And many women were there beholding afar off, which followed Jesus from Galilee, ministering unto him:

56 Among which was Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James and Joses, and the mother of Zebedees children.

57 When the even was come, there came a rich man of Arimathaea, named Joseph, who also himself was Jesus' disciple:

58 He went to Pilate, and begged the body of Jesus. Then Pilate commanded the body to be delivered.

59 And when Joseph had taken the body, he wrapped it in a clean linen cloth,

60 And laid it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn out in the rock: and he rolled a great stone to the door of the sepulchre, and departed.

61 And there was Mary Magdalene, and the other Mary, sitting over against the sepulchre.

62 Now the next day, that followed the day of the preparation, the chief priests and Pharisees came together unto Pilate,

63 Saying, Sir, we remember that that deceiver said, while he was yet alive, After three days I will rise again.

64 Command therefore that the sepulchre be made sure until the third day, lest his disciples come by night, and steal him away, and say unto the people, He is risen from the dead: so the last error shall be worse than the first.

65 Pilate said unto them, Ye have a watch: go your way, make it as sure as ye can.

66 So they went, and made the sepulchre sure, sealing the stone, and setting a watch.

Matthew 28:

1 In the end of the sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulchre.

2 And, behold, there was a great earthquake: for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it.

3 His countenance was like lightning, and his raiment white as snow:

4 And for fear of him the keepers did shake, and became as dead men.

5 And the angel answered and said unto the women, Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified.

6 He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay.

7 And go quickly, and tell his disciples that he is risen from the dead; and, behold, he goeth before you into Galilee; there shall ye see him: lo, I have told you.

8 And they departed quickly from the sepulchre with fear and great joy; and did run to bring his disciples word.

9 And as they went to tell his disciples, behold, Jesus met them, saying, All hail. And they came and held him by the feet, and worshipped him.

10 Then said Jesus unto them, Be not afraid: go tell my brethren that they go into Galilee, and there shall they see me.

11 Now when they were going, behold, some of the watch came into the city, and shewed unto the chief priests all the things that were done.

12 And when they were assembled with the elders, and had taken counsel, they gave large money unto the soldiers,

13 Saying, Say ye, His disciples came by night, and stole him away while we slept.

14 And if this come to the governor's ears, we will persuade him, and secure you.

15 So they took the money, and did as they were taught: and this saying is commonly reported among the Jews until this day.

16 Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, into a mountain where Jesus had appointed them.

17 And when they saw him, they worshipped him: but some doubted.

18 And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.

19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:

20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

This is what Easter is all about. Nothing else matters. That Bunny is not going to save you. Those eggs may rot. If left alone, that Chocolate will melt, or turn bad. But if you accept the Spirit of Adoption, where you may cry "Abba Father" Then Jesus tells us, "I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen."

Do you know Jesus as your Savior? Have you been adopted into the Family of God? If not, say this Prayer. Right now. Wherever you may be. Say it in your own words, and do not doubt in your heart. God will hear you. He will send the Spirit of Life to you. Let us Pray..

"Oh heavenly Father, Lord God. I am a sinner. I know this. I know there is nothing I can do to change that. But I know you can. I accept Jesus's sacrifice for me. I repent my sins. Please send the Spirit of Adoption into my life. Help me to get to know the real you. Save me. Please. In the name of Jesus, Amen!"

That's it. It really is that simple. Now go tell someone what you have just done. "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved." {Romans 10:9} You need to find a Church that God leads you to, and be Baptized the way Jesus said to be. You are now a Child of God. A new Creature. You "have put off the old man with his deeds, and have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him." {Colossians 3:10}

If you want to tell me, or comment, question, give testimonials, or just say "Hi," the Email is opntalk@gmail.com

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all. Amen. {2 Corinthians 13}

Raising Kids For Christ

Understanding what "Abba Father" actually means.

When I was a kid, I knew little to nothing. But what I did know was Grandma. Grandma Dot. Whatever Grandma said, was. Period. She was my Protector. Comforter. The Source for needs. The very definition of Love. I understood what Love is, not the concept, but the reality, because Grandma Loved me.

Now that I have grown, and have two Boys, Josh and Eli, with a Baby Girl on the way this June, I now fully understand the concept. Like I as a child, my Boys look at me as the is all and end all. I AM their Protector. Comforter. The Source for needs. The very definition of Love.. They KNOW if Daddy says, it is so. No question. No doubt. No fear.

They are two totally different people. Josh is 8. He is who he is. He truly cares about people. If I tell him to "Say Thank you" he usually will walk up to the person and give them a hug. He "knows" when people are sad. He will ask what is wrong. He will listen to what they say. He will hug them and tell them it will be alright. He is a very sensitive young man, who sees the world in a certain way. Eli? Eli is a bulldozer. He plows through life without fear or care. He wants something, he is going to get it. He is not a big hugger. If he does not know you, he may or may not talk to you. But they both know that I am Daddy, and whatsoever I say, is. I'm sure that my baby girl will be her own person as well. But she, like them, will know Daddy.

I helped raise my Niece Selina. She is now 22. I want to share with you a story that just happened a couple of years ago. First, Selina always looked at me as a Father. I still to this day will introduce her as my Daughter. She can tell you the Three times I ever actually yelled at her. Her whole life. But the one thing she knew, and still does, is if Daddy said, it was so. Yes means Yes. No means No. And I'm smarter than her. I was to her, a Protector. Comforter. A Source for needs, along with her Mother.

One day we took a trip. We went to do something that turned out to be pretty lame. On the way back we discovered this other thing, which seems would be so much better. So without thought, I said, "You know, I could call in to Work tomorrow. We could do this, then head home." She lit up. But then I got to think about it. I would have to call off of Work, something I nearly NEVER do. My Wife would have to call off. Selina would miss school. So I said, "No. We better go. We can come here next year." She did not talk to me the rest of the way home. She did not talk to me for over two weeks. She was so very hurt by this, that she was in tears for days. It cut her to the core. Why? Because Daddy said, it was NOT so. 20 years at the time. Her whole life. This NEVER happened. EVER. Until that day.

You see, just like Selina, whatever I say to my boys, it is so. This experience with Selina taught me to make even that much more sure. So I am very careful as to what I say. Because no matter what, to the point of me having to lay down my very life, it will be so.

Just an example of someone with this mentality, learning to watch what they say, and the consequences?

Mark 6:

20 For Herod feared John, knowing that he was a just man and an holy, and observed him; and when he heard him, he did many things, and heard him gladly.

21 And when a convenient day was come, that Herod on his birthday made a supper to his lords, high captains, and chief estates of Galilee;

22 And when the daughter of the said Herodias came in, and danced, and pleased Herod and them that sat with him, the king said unto the damsel, Ask of me whatsoever thou wilt, and I will give it thee.

23 And he sware unto her, Whatsoever thou shalt ask of me, I will give it thee, unto the half of my kingdom.

24 And she went forth, and said unto her mother, What shall I ask? And she said, The head of John the Baptist.

25 And she came in straightway with haste unto the king, and asked, saying, I will that thou give me by and by in a charger the head of John the Baptist.

26 And the king was exceeding sorry; yet for his oath's sake, and for their sakes which sat with him, he would not reject her.

27 And immediately the king sent an executioner, and commanded his head to be brought: and he went and beheaded him in the prison,

28 And brought his head in a charger, and gave it to the damsel: and the damsel gave it to her mother.

Jesus told us this as well.

Matthew 5:

33 Again, ye have heard that it hath been said by them of old time, Thou shalt not forswear thyself, but shalt perform unto the Lord thine oaths:

34 But I say unto you, Swear not at all; neither by heaven; for it is God's throne:

35 Nor by the earth; for it is his footstool: neither by Jerusalem; for it is the city of the great King.

36 Neither shalt thou swear by thy head, because thou canst not make one hair white or black.

37 But let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil.

Point is, if you let your Yes be Yes, and your No be No, there will be no confusion or doubt. You say, and not only your kids, but everyone that knows you, will KNOW it is as you said. Selina was hurt, not because she really wanted to do that other thing, but because my Yes, which has been that way her whole life, was now No. She became confused and hurt that this happened. Doubt crept in. Anger and sadness took the place of knowing and without thought, Trust.

I've got good news for you. God will NEVER do what I did. God's Yes, is ALWAYS Yes. God's No is ALWAYS No. God will never lie. Not intentionally, nor unintentionally. God is ultimate Love. You will NEVER have the same type of experience with God, that Selina had with me. Ever. This is why you must become as Children. Total Trust. Total Love. No Doubt. No Fear. Not even a Thought that God may not be what His Word says. Jesus told us this..

Matthew 18:

2 And Jesus called a little child unto him, and set him in the midst of them,

3 And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.

4 Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

This is the relationship God wants to have with us. "Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is." {1 John 3:1-2} "And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty." {2 Corinthians 6:18}

Now for those of you who do not have Children, this may be a bit more difficult for you to understand. I did not fully get it either until I had Children. But now I do, I find myself catching glimpses of the total and completely unconditional Love that God has for us. I see these in my relationship with my Boys. I remember coming home one day, and finding out Eli did something he should not do. It was something we were working on. I remember this day, and it is seared into my memory, I will remember it always. I was angry and disappointed in what Eli did. We went into the other room so I could talk with him. I remember him looking up into my eyes, with a single tear in his, and saying "Don't be angry with me Daddy." I melted. I absolutely melted. There are no words. I IMMEDIATELY forgave him. I hugged him and told him I love him.

God is not some white hair, bearded, bitter old man, sitting on a throne, just waiting to throw you in Hell for slipping up. He is total, and absolute Love. If my heart, being evil, melted at my boy saying "Don't be angry with me Daddy." How mush more will God, who is Holy, forgive us when we ask.

You see, this is a teachable moment. Not just for me. But for me to teach my Boys about God. And the nature of His Love for us. The nature of the relationship He wants to have with them. Some of our Churches have dumbed down the message, and pumped up the volume, when attempting to reach the youth in their Congregation. They separate the Children and sing songs and teach them how to say the Books of the Bible in order. Or how to recite the Ten Commandments. They have them color Noah's Ark pictures. Sing "Jesus loves me this I know, for the Bible tells me so." Then when they get a bit older, they go in and sit in the Service and hear the Pastor yelling "HELL!!! FIRE!!!! BRIMSTONE!!!! You are EVIL!!!!!" What happened to Jesus loves me?

There is nothing wrong with a Noah’s Ark themed Nursery. There is nothing wrong with a Rock Concert for Christ. There is nothing wrong with Pizza Parties, ETC. However, are you teaching them that God loves them as much, if not even more so, than you love them? That God wants to be their Father. Not a concept nor idea. Not a legality written force to be dealt with. But Daddy. Just simply put, Daddy.

Kids are not stupid. They are little sponges. They will learn from what you do. Perhaps even more so, than what you say. Let them see that YOU see, God as your Daddy. Let them see the Newborn, and the Old Man, sitting in the Pews. Explain to them that there is nothing that that Newborn, will ever do, nothing that, that Old Man did, nothing that they can or will ever do, that will cause God to reject them. No Sin. You must teach them what it truly means to be Adopted. Explain to them what Jesus meant when He said this.

Matthew 7:

7 Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:

8 For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.

9 Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone?

10 Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent?

11 If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?

We have to teach our Children, what the Ten Commandments actually mean, not just how to say them in order. We have to teach our Children what the Covenant between God and Noah FOLLOWING the Flood, means, not just simply we were evil enough for God to Repent He made us to the point of destroying His own Creation. We have to teach our Children that God is LOVE. That He loves them. He wants them to be His Children, fully. He wants to be their Father, fully. We have to teach them that they are NOT worthy of God's Love or Salvation, yet He loves them anyway and Jesus came and died for them, while they were yet Sinners, and in the middle of their Sin.

If we decide we do not like our Kid's Music, Dress, or things of this nature, we need to discuss it with them. Tell them why. Show them why. Explain that it may not be the wisest thing to do. Instead of simply Forbidding them to listen to this or that, dress like this or that, act like this or that, we must show them why. Explain God. Explain Jesus. Explain the Devil. Teach them The Word of God, not merely how to recite the Books in order. Remember, Godliness conduct is always the result of an inward Faith working itself out. Not the other way around. You can not "work" your way to Godliness. You can not become "holy" by being "Legally Sound". Religion in of itself, is NOT Salvation.

If you truly seek them to "put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness."{Ephesians 4:22-24} you must first Teach them what the Adoption is all about. And Why. God so loves them so. They can not be truly converted until this happens. They cannot ever please God, until this happens. There is no other way.

Do you know Jesus as your Savior? Have you been adopted into the Family of God? If not, say this Prayer. Right now. Wherever you may be. Say it in your own words, and do not doubt in your heart. God will hear you. He will send the Spirit of Life to you. Let us Pray..

"Oh heavenly Father, Lord God. I am a sinner. I know this. I know there is nothing I can do to change that. But I know you can. I accept Jesus's sacrifice for me. I repent my sins. Please send the Spirit of Adoption into my life. Help me to get to know the real you. Save me. Please. In the name of Jesus, Amen!"

That's it. It really is that simple. Now go tell someone what you have just done. "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved." {Romans 10:9} You need to find a Church that God leads you to, and be Baptized the way Jesus said to be. You are now a Child of God. A new Creature. You "have put off the old man with his deeds, and have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him." {Colossians 3:10}

If you want to tell me, or comment, question, give testimonials, or just say "Hi," the Email is opntalk@gmail.com

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all. Amen. {2 Corinthians 13}