Running On Empty, Emotionally

Do you have a Succubus or Vampire in your life?

I'm willing to bet, the odds are, you do. No. I'm not talking about a Female Demon sucking out all your life force through Sex. Nor am I talking about a Creature of the Night, sucking your Blood. You know who I'm talking about. You know them well. Sometimes, when they call, you don't answer. Sometimes, when you see them coming, you cringe, walk the other way, sometimes hide.

You "How are ya today?" Them "Well, you know. My Wife left me, my Truck got Repoed, and my Dog died." Them "Well, you know that Medical issue." Them "My drunk Husband. He is treating me like a Dog. Just got fired again." This is not just one time. This is every time. Even if something is going good, they will say something like "I know this is not going to last. Woe is me. Nothing good ever happens to me."

These people never stop to consider, how you are doing. Even if they ask, and you start to say something, they turn it around to be about them again. You know who I'm talking about. You know their names. They will drain you. They will, if you allow them to, suck the life right out of you. Especially, if you do actually care about them. A loved one, Family member, life long friend. ETC.

Now this effect is even more profound, if at the beginning of you dealing with them, you are already Emotionally drained. If you are running on empty before they start draining you, the effects will be worse. You may even start to join them in "outside" influences. Drinking, Drugs, Sex, so on. Why?

Because thoughts lead to actions. When you start to think on something, you allow the Temptation to take hold. Let's say you were once an Alcoholic. Or a Smoker. Or someone that used to look at Porn. You give it up. You really want to remain free of this bondage in your life. God sets you free from it. Yet, you spend time talking with these types of people that usually have other issues as these, it puts an imagine in your head. Does that make you revert back to it? No. How you chose to deal with it is what matters.

You could immediately reject that thought, cast it out of your head. Or, you can dwell on it. Remember how much fun you think you had when you were doing these things. You remember the taste, the feelings, the "good times" with friends or whatever, that you can associate with them. Then your mind will start telling you how good you have been, and that there is nothing wrong with one Joint. There is nothing wrong with one Beer. People Smoke and Drink everyday. There is nothing wrong with checking out just one Picture. No one will know. Then you do it. One leads to two, leads to you being right back where you started.

Another aspect of being Emotionally drained is Depression. The end result of Depression is Death. The end result of all Sin is Death. Remember, the works of the flesh, or the fruit of the flesh if you will, are these:

 "Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God." {Galatians 5:19-21} 

The works of the flesh manifest, which means, the thoughts you are having, become actions. Those actions become Sin. That Sin, keeps you from the promises of God.

Why do you think so many Cops drink, or worse? Why do you thing so many Counselors do drugs? Why do you think so many Pastors fall? They spend their entire time, days and nights, dealing with the Dark Side of Humanity. If you are not well founded and continuously recharging yourself, if you are Physically, Emotionally, and Spiritually {Which we will talk about next time} drained. You do not stand a chance.

A Pastor is dealing with Adultery, Porn, Drugs, Alcohol , Violence, and various other things just like the Cop, and the Counselor. Then all of a sudden, little Jenny shows up. Those Pants might be a little too tight. But, uh, they look good. Those Shirts may be a bit too relieving, uh, is she wearing a Bra? But, uh, they look good. The Shirts. The Shirts. She always likes to give me a hug at the end of Church. I love her hugs. She smells so nice. She always tells me I look good. And then there was that Camp last summer.... The next thing you know, you see in the News, Pastor Dumdum has been caught having a ten year affair with little Jenny.

This is why the Word tells us to allow your thoughts to be on good things. These are manifest into good things. Continuing in this same passage....

"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another."

Remember, nothing you see, or are dealing with, is new. 

"No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it." {1 Corinthians 10:13}

Remember what James said? 

"Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man: But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death."{James 1:13-15}

Peter wrote this 

"For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For whoever lacks these qualities is so nearsighted that he is blind, having forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins."{2 Peter 1:5-9}

So how do you keep the right mind. One, if you have negative people in your life, that you do not need to deal with, then simply don't. I know this sounds harsh. But if you have someone in your life that is constantly draining you, you need to move on. They will be miserable with or without you. You are not responsible for their Happiness. 

Something else that may seem harsh? The Word tells us that we should remove them from the Body of Christ. I'm not making this up. "I appeal to you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught; avoid them." {Romans 16:17} "Now we command you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you keep away from any brother who is walking in idleness and not in accord with the tradition that you received from us."{2 Thessalonians 3:6 }

Actually, Excommunication is not just justified, but is commanded in The Word. So if God tells us to do away with, or have noting to do with a Brother, does he want you dealing with such a person? In other words, if someone is in need, you should help them. If they receive the help, and CHANGE their ways, GREAT. If not, then there is nothing more you can or should do for them. Jesus told us this...

"If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses. If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector."{Matthew 18:15-17}

Why? Because they will drain you. They will infect you. They will bring you to their level. You must not allow this to happen. How do you Emotionally recharge? It's actually easier than you think. Simply think "Happy."

Philippians 4:

7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

8 Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.

9 Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you.

You, unlike the World, have the ability to overcome anything. You have God as your Ally. You have God as your Daddy. Help those in need. Show them The Way. If they chose not to listen, do not worry about them, nor for them, any longer. You have done what you could. Let their problems be their problems. Let your Joy, be your Joy.

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}

Running On Empty, Physically

The Body is your Vehicle

So you go buy a new Vehicle from a dealer. You get it with no miles. A full tank of gas. A full reservoir of cooling fluid. Full engine of oil. You get in, turn the key, and drive off the lot. You're thrilled. Excited. Happy. You're driving you new Vehicle. One mile. Then two. Before you know it, the first hundred. Then all of a sudden, it starts to sputter and buck. Then you come to a rolling stop.

What happened? You ran out of gas. You were running on empty. You failed to supply your Vehicle with what it needs to keep going. Let's say you DO gas up. Eventually, it will over heat. Why? Your engine needs coolant. If you fail to keep up with that, eventually, it will over heat, and it will blow a rod, or something to that effect. It just will not go any more.

So you get the gas and coolant thing down, but eventually, it will sputter, and buck, and die, because you did not keep up with the oil. Your engine is running on empty. Eventually, it will seize up. You must keep your Vehicle from running on empty.

You need to look at your Physical Body the same way. If you do not get enough rest, it will not work the best it can. If you do not drink the right fluids, it will not work the best it can. If you do not eat the right things, it will not work the best it can.  Eventually, it will break down, and in some cases, if neglected long enough, it will simply stop working.

Rest.

One of the most common ways to neglect you body is sleep. The lack of. The lack of rest. Why do you think God gave us the Fourth Commandment?

Exodus 20:

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.

Remember how to keep the Sabbath? Read the Bible, spend time with God. Pray, spend time with God. Go to Church, spend time with God. REST. The last one, is perhaps the most important of all. We live in a 24-7 Society. We need this now. We must do that yesterday. I remember being in New York City on Business one time, when I walked the Lawyer to the corner to get a Taxi. I remember it was like one in the morning. The whole time I was standing there, I smelled Spaghetti. She got in the Taxi and left, I turned around, and there it was. A 24 Hour Italian Restaurant. Of course I did what any rational person would do. I went in and ate Spaghetti at 1:30 in the morning.

Point is, our bodies, like it or not, need REST. We need sleep. If in the Commandment, God tells us "For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day" Rested on the seventh day. GOD rested. If God needed to rest, do you think you are better than He?

There are very effective forms of Torture that use Sleep Deprivation. Eventually, the person being tortured no longer cares about anything except sleep. One story I read from Russia, they conducted a experimental drug that kept people awake. In the end, the people went mad and even cannibalized each other and even themselves.

Now I'm not entirely sure if the magic number is 8 hours. However, everyone needs sleep. Take the time out and get what you need to fully operate to your fullest potential. I joke all the time and say, Dreamland is my second favorite place to be. OK. That's only half joking. I do love Dreams.

Fluids.

Just like your Vehicle, your Body can and will overheat. You can suffer from Dehydration, Heat Stress which can lead to Heat Exhaustion {Heavy sweating, Extreme weakness or fatigue, Dizziness, Confusion, Nausea, Clammy or Moist Skin, Pale or flushed complexion, Muscle cramps, Slightly elevated body temperature, Fast and shallow breathing} If not treated, you can suffer a Heat Stroke {Hot and dry Skin or profuse Sweating, Hallucinations, Chills, Throbbing Headache. High body Temperature, Confusion/Dizziness, Slurred Speech} If the Body Temperature is not brought down and the person suffering is not re-hydrogenated, they can and will die quickly.

The right fluids are necessary. Water is the most abundant resource we have here on Earth. We are made up of over 50 percent Water. Actually, According to Dr. Jeffrey Utz, Neuroscience, Pediatrics, Allegheny University, "Babies have the most, being born at about 78%. By one year of age, that amount drops to about 65%. In adult men, about 60% of their bodies are water." So it stands to reason that God gave us, what? Water. Yeah I know, not my favorite either. But you NEED Water.

What about Milk, Juice, Soda, Coffee, Alcohol, and the rest? Again, if you use reason, what do Babies drink? What does a Female body naturally produce? There are around 27 verses in The Word, talking about Milk. Did God not promise Moses

"So I have come down to deliver them from the power of the Egyptians, and to bring them up from that land to a good and spacious land, to a land flowing with milk and honey, to the place of the Canaanite and the Hittite and the Amorite and the Perizzite and the Hivite and the Jebusite."{Exodus 3:8}

Juice stands to reason is good for you if it is natural. Coffee, Soda, Alcohol? Well, some studies show they are bad for you. Some, that they are good for you. Coffee is Natural. Soda was a Medicine. Alcohol? There are about 75 Verses in The Word about Alcohol. But does it forbid it? No. What God warns us about all throughout His Word is being Drunk. Not Drinking. As a matter of fact, Jesus's first Miracle was turning Water to Wine at a Wedding. Paul told Timothy "Drink no longer water, but use a little wine for thy stomach's sake and thine often infirmities." {1 Timothy 5:23} So in moderation, God is fine with Alcohol. But you should not totally substitute it for Water. Get the point?

Food

Now this one can be tricky. God said,

"Every moving thing that liveth shall be meat for you; even as the green herb have I given you all things. But flesh with the life thereof, which is the blood thereof, shall ye not eat." {Genesis 9:3-4}

Then? Well, then, God then goes in to this lengthy list in Leviticus 11, Cows OK. Pigs not. Fish OK, Shellfish not. So on. "Whatsoever parteth the hoof, and is clovenfooted, and cheweth the cud, among the beasts, that shall ye eat."{Leviticus 11:3} What do these Animals eat? Yup. Grass. Natural things.

But then Peter saw the vision of things coming from Heaven for him to eat, among them were Pigs and such, and God told Him to eat them. {Acts 10:9-16} Peter argued with God and said never. God said to Peter "What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common." {Acts 10:15} Paul said it was Lawful for him to eat anything. Jesus told us to give God thanks for everything we receive. As long as we do this, it is not UNLAWFUL for us to eat Pork.

However, if all you eat daily is Bacon Sandwiches, you will most likely get sick. Look at what God told us we could and should eat. You've heard that "You are what you eat." Right? When you eat an Animal, you are eating everything that they have eaten. What would you rather eat, Natural stuff like Grass, Vegetables, and fruit. Or something that eats dead and rotten corpses, and feces. You get the point.

This is our Vehicle through this magical journey called Life. We have an Owner's Manual If we take care of our Vehicle, it will last a long time. If not, it will break down and eventually, just stop running. Take some time and learn what the Manual says about your Vehicle. It will work much better. Oh, and even the good stuff, can be bad for us if prepared wrong. Do not FRY everything in sight, and do not eat raw meats. ETC.

God does not tell us these things to be mean. "Go to Bed. Don't drink the things you like. Never eat Bacon." He tells us these things, for our own good, and so that we can be well, and we can be around for a nice long life. Take care of your Body. You only have one. Until the time comes.

Next time we will be talking about running on empty Emotionally. Do you have a Succubus, or Vampire in your Life? Are you more concerned with others, than you are with yourself? Are you living a lie? That's next time.

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 Power of One

Would God use you to reach only one person?

We just talked about being led by The Spirit. I said this.

"I've sat down here. I have had a plan to talk about Peter walking on Water with Jesus. Or that Paul was the first Pope, not Peter. All of a sudden, I'm being led to talk about Adultery. But I do not want to talk about that, I want to talk about Peter. See, what I do not know, is that in the Ukraine, I'm using Ukraine because apparently, TAG is pretty popular there, there is someone right now going about their life. They are thinking about having an affair. They come home, and they sit at their computer. Surf the Web, and find TAG. They start reading about Adultery. They correct their thoughts, and do not do it. Same person. "stumbles" across TAG, reads about Peter. They go have the affair. They get caught, killed, their Wife is arrested or killed, or kills herself, their Children are left alone.

Wait, are you saying that, God will plan out a Message specifically for one person? Yup. You may only see one person reading. Or one person come to your Church. Or be able to witness to just one person. But what if that one person is the next Billy Graham. The next Pastor Rod Parsely. What if that one person is the next Saint Paul. If that one person, walks in, or by, or reads, whatever, and you are not talking about something that get's their attention, then what benefit would it be?"

Paul is a GREAT example. Actually, Ananias is a perfect example. You can find the story of Ananias in Acts 9. Saul is on the road to Damascus. Why? He was going there to hunt down God's Chosen People. He was going there to find Children of God, who proclaim Jesus is Lord. He is going there to rip them from their homes. To abuse them, kill them, and to bring them into bondage. To enslave these "Malcontents." These "Blasphemers." These "Heretics."

Saul is not a nice guy. He was there when Stephen, "a man full of faith and of the Holy Ghost," with a "face of an angel," did "great wonders and miracles among the people." Because Stephen Preached Jesus as Lord, Saul was there when Stephen was killed. "And cast him out of the city, and stoned him: and the witnesses laid down their clothes at a young man's feet, whose name was Saul."{Acts 7:58} Saul "was consenting unto his death." {Acts 8:1} Saul rose in power and position doing the same things. Think Hitler.

Now we find Saul traveling on the Road to Damascus to continue his "mission." When Jesus Himself appeared before Saul who repented, and become a new person, also became blind at the sight. Jesus tells him to continue to Damascus and he will learn what to do there. Now we meet Ananias.

Acts 9:

9 And he was three days without sight, and neither did eat nor drink.

10 And there was a certain disciple at Damascus, named Ananias; and to him said the Lord in a vision, Ananias. And he said, Behold, I am here, Lord.

11 And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the street which is called Straight, and enquire in the house of Judas for one called Saul, of Tarsus: for, behold, he prayeth,

12 And hath seen in a vision a man named Ananias coming in, and putting his hand on him, that he might receive his sight.

13 Then Ananias answered, Lord, I have heard by many of this man, how much evil he hath done to thy saints at Jerusalem:

14 And here he hath authority from the chief priests to bind all that call on thy name.

15 But the Lord said unto him, Go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel:

16 For I will shew him how great things he must suffer for my name's sake.

Can you even imagine this. Here is a Faithful and Just Man named Ananias, minding his own business, doing what he thinks is God's Will, when God comes to him and says "Go heal Saul." He must of been like, What? Wait. You mean this Monster that is slaughtering and enslaving anyone who believes in the name of Jesus, is coming here to do the same, and you want me to go TO him? Wait, wait, wait. You said he was blind. GREAT. Couldn't have happened to a better person. You want me to heal him? Wait. You know he has the Authority, and the power of Government and Church to KILL me. Yet, you want me to go and heal him?

I bet you this is not what Ananias had planed for that day. Maybe work? Maybe wash the cloths. Maybe just a nice relaxing day off. But go to a butcher, who is looking for HIM, to help him? To heal him? Yeah, not on the top of his list.

Now it does not say that Ananias was a Healer, Preacher, or anything but and ordinary, Faithful, Believing, God Fearing Man. He was so Faithful, that God called him and he said, "Here I am." It does not tell us that he was a great Saint. Just that he was "a certain disciple at Damascus, named Ananias." This may have been the only time that Ananias did anything "Note Worthy?" Or anything we would consider important.

We have discussed this list before. All these people, even today, would most likely be looked down upon, and rejected by the Church. A Drunk. An Old Man. Two Kids. A Day Dreamer. A Lair. A Stutterer. A guy with long hair who would be considered a Womanizer. A Prostitute. A Denier and a Hothead. A Murder. ETC. But let's now put names to these people.

Noah was a drunk. Abraham was too old. Jeremiah and Timothy were too young. Isaac was a daydreamer Jacob was a liar. Moses had a stuttering problem. Samson had long hair and was a Womanizer. Rahab was a Prostitute. Peter was a Hothead who denied Christ three times. Paul was Saul. Think of some of the others. Leah was ugly. Gideon was afraid. David had an Affair and was a Murderer. Elijah was suicidal. Isaiah preached naked. Jonah ran from God. The Disciples fell asleep while Praying. Martha worried about everything. The Samaritan woman was Divorced, more than once. Matthew was a Tax Collector. The list goes on.

However, in all these cases, they came to hear the Truth. Wither by God Himself, or through others. Now they have become those that changed the World. Those that we consider "GREAT Saints" The Holiness of the Holy, Children of God. People to Teach about and Learn from what they did and said.

So here you are. One of these people show up in your life. Are they not good enough to hear the Truth? Would you rather not talk to them? What would be the point? See above. Not to mention this little tidbit. 

"Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares."{Hebrews 13:2}

I know Pastors that Dream of having a Million Person Congregation. They want to look out every time they Preach and see a sea of faces looking back. Is that more Pride than desire for spreading the Word? It doesn't take a Million people. God can, and usually does, use just one. This is why

1 Peter 3:

12 For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers: but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil.

13 And who is he that will harm you, if ye be followers of that which is good?

14 But and if ye suffer for righteousness' sake, happy are ye: and be not afraid of their terror, neither be troubled;

15 But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:

16 Having a good conscience; that, whereas they speak evil of you, as of evildoers, they may be ashamed that falsely accuse your good conversation in Christ.

And in 2 Timothy 4 "Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long suffering and doctrine." As Ananias woke up that day not knowing that he would be called of by God to Heal Paul, you do not know who may walk into your life today. Are you ready?

But I do not know how to quote the Scripture by Chapter and verse. Doesn't matter. I'm not a Preacher. Doesn't matter. I'm nobody important. Doesn't matter. Why did God chose ME? Doesn't matter. Why this person or that? Doesn't make sense. Doesn't matter. When Ananias asked God why Saul? God answered " for he is a chosen vessel unto me." It doesn't matter if you get it or not. God has a plan and a purpose for everyone.

Because of one Person, Mankind fell. Because of one Person, Mankind was Saved. Because of one Person, Mankind found Grace and Salvation. Because of one person, A Nation was born. The New Testament was written. The World was changed. Because of the power of One, God shows us His Power and His Grace. Are you a failure, if during your whole life, you only reach one person? I suppose it all depends on who that one person is. Never under estimate the Power of One.

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}

Allowing the Spirit to Lead

It's not about you.

Ever makes plans and have everything seem to be against you carrying them out? Something always comes up. The best laid plains, yet, something else takes precedence. Getting a tax refund? A Bonus at Work? Oh we are going to do this, or that, or go on Vacation, or, whatever. Car breaks down. Refrigerator goes bust. Things happen where you now need to spend the money in other ways. Plan a Vacation? It rains.

This is also why you should never "Swear By" anything. You tell someone, "We will do this on Wednesday." They say, "Are you sure?" You say something like "I swear on my kid's life." Or, think about this one, "Cross my heart, hope to die, stick a needle in my eye." Understand it or not, you just entered into a Covenant with that person. Wednesday comes, and for some reason, you cannot uphold your end of the deal, you just placed yourself in a position to be Maimed and killed. You just condemned your Kid to death.

Always let your Yes be Yes, and your No be No. As for promising Tomorrow?

James 4:

13 Go to now, ye that say, To day or to morrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain:

14 Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.

15 For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that.

Proverbs 27:1 tells us "Boast not thyself of to morrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth." Jesus told us "Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof."{Matthew 6:34} The thing is, Tomorrow is never guaranteed. Ever.

Think about that. True story. Mr. and Mrs. Glass were visiting. Mrs. Glass just got done meeting my Trainee. She just told him a Joke. Next thing we knew was we were standing over both, waiting for the Ambulance, watching Mr. Glass melt down and Mrs. Glass Pass on. Tomorrow is never guaranteed. Family members of "Mr. Smith" say things like, "It was all of a sudden. Out of nowhere. He was never sick. He never smoked, or anything." Tomorrow is never guaranteed. 3000 people woke up on a Tuesday, the 11th of September, 2001 and went about their normal routines, when all of a sudden, they were no more. Tomorrow is never guaranteed.

But what about today? Think about Tuesday, September 11th, 2001. Everyone woke up that day. Did their routines. Went off to work and school. Then at 8:13am, everything changed. Everything in the entire Country, changed. You see, we do not know what is going to happen in the next hour. You may not even finish reading this. We do not know.

But it doesn't have to be a major life or death moment. On Thursday, May 8th, 2014, on my way home, my pressure light came on. By the time I got home, I had a flat tire. I spent some time in the evening changing it to a spare. Had to get a new Tire. Time and money that I had no intention of spending.

Speaking of car problems. I remember one day, years ago now, I was driving with a Brother in Christ when we had car problems. He said, "Something is telling me to go 'here' to get it fixed." I said. "No look. We will go 'there'." We went "there" and "there" was nothing more than an empty building. It was totally gone. So we ended up going where my Brother was led to. Should have just done that to begin with. Turned out to be an easy fix.

We have no idea what will happen tomorrow, tonight, in the next few minutes. But you know who does? God. When Jesus told us, "Take therefore no thought for the morrow." He was wrapping up a message that we are to totally trust God. We should rely on God. Have Faith in God. To take care of our daily needs. God does know what Tomorrow will bring. He does know what will happen in the next few minutes. Even if you do not. So as a Child of God, you must rely on Him.

I was in a Church, where every message started out with the Pastor saying "The Message I entitled." "I, I, I...me, me, me." I left that Church, because it became clear, that it was all about the Pastor. Not God. Not His Message. Not the Spirit. I've been in Churches where the Spirit moved in miraculous ways. Where the Pastor intended on talking about this, then all of a sudden, the Message changed to that.

I've sat down here. I have had a plan to talk about Peter walking on Water with Jesus. Or that Paul was the first Pope, not Peter. All of a sudden, I'm being led to talk about Adultery. But I do not want to talk about that, I want to talk about Peter. See, what I do not know, is that in the Ukraine, I'm using Ukraine because apparently, TAG is pretty popular there, there is someone right now going about their life. They are thinking about having an affair. They come home, and they sit at their computer. Surf the Web, and find TAG. They start reading about Adultery. They correct their thoughts, and do not do it. Same person. "stumbles" across TAG, reads about Peter. They go have the affair. They get caught, killed, their Wife is arrested or killed, or kills herself, their Children are left alone.

Wait, are you saying that, God will plan out a Message specifically for one person? Yup. You may only see one person reading. Or one person come to your Church. Or be able to witness to just one person. But what if that one person is the next Billy Graham. The next Pastor Rod Parsely. What if that one person is the next Saint Paul. If that one person, walks in, or by, or reads, whatever, and you are not talking about something that get's their attention, then what benefit would it be?

Romans 8, talking about the difference in walking in the Flesh and Walking in the spirit, says "For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God." "Led by the Spirit." Not just going to Church when you feel like it. Not doing what YOU think is right. "Led" by the Spirit.

Noah was just trying to strive and survive when God said "build a boat." Moses was minding his own business, when God set a bush on fire and spoke to him. David, a little runt keeping Sheep in the field was "Led" to challenge a Giant Warrior with a Sling and three Rocks. Peter was Fishing when Jesus walked by. Matthew was working, collecting Tax money. When God calls you to do something, you do that, you see what can and does happen. Now, however, you are so much better than all of these. Why?

John 14:

16 And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;

17 Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.

18 I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.

19 Yet a little while, and the world seeth me no more; but ye see me: because I live, ye shall live also.

20 At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you.

Jesus goes on to tells us that "The Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you."

Then in....

John 16:

5 But now I go my way to him that sent me; and none of you asketh me, Whither goest thou?

6 But because I have said these things unto you, sorrow hath filled your heart.

7 Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you.

8 And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:

9 Of sin, because they believe not on me;

10 Of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more;

11 Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged.

12 I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now.

13 Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.

14 He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you.

15 All things that the Father hath are mine: therefore said I, that he shall take of mine, and shall shew it unto you.

16 A little while, and ye shall not see me: and again, a little while, and ye shall see me, because I go to the Father.

A lot of new Children of God, misunderstand what Jesus said, when He said this. "Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!"{Matthew 7:7-11}

They think, "OK. I want a million dollars." Or "I want a Mansion." Or "I want a Lamborghini." Or even, "I want a Church with a million member Congregation." When they do not receive such things, they get angry, and or, discouraged. 

Problem is,

"Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not. Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts. Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God. Do ye think that the scripture saith in vain, The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy? But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble. Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded. Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up."{James 4:2-10}

Do you have food on the table? Do you have a car in the driveway? Do you have a roof over your head? If God tells you to cross to the other side to do this or that, He will part the Seas. He will endow you with powers that you cannot imagine. You will see Mountains vanish from your sight. You will see walls fall down. Entire empires will fall at your feet. But if you decide to go the other way? God is not with you. The key here is "Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts." Paul tells us, "There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit."{Romans 8:1}

Also in his letter to the Churches in Galatia.

"This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would. But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law. Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another."{Galatians 5:16-26}

If you are living according to Faith, in the Will of God, allowing the Spirit to Comfort, Teach, Lead, you are in His Will. "For at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light" {Ephesians 5:8 } "Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil."{Ephesians 5:15-16}

If you allow The Spirit to Lead you, you will always be in the Grace of God. In His Will. Under His Authority. You will have His Power and Authority working on His behalf, in your behalf. If you are Led by The Spirit to do this or that? Do it. Understand that it is THEN that you have the full authority and power of God, working in your life.

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 Strange Glory of Ordinary Things

Special Guest, Pastor John Piper,

Clyde Kilby was born September 26, 1902. He may have been my most influential teacher when I was in college. But then again it may have been Stuart Hackett. Kilby was a romantic—like C. S. Lewis. Hackett was a rationalist—like C. S. Lewis. One taught literature, the other taught philosophy. One taught me to see with the eyes of a poet. The other taught me the ubiquitous relevance of the law of non-contradiction.

I thank God for both of them. I believe what they saw was right and wise. But Kilby went deeper, I think. That’s not a criticism of the philosopher. It’s a statement about who we are as human beings. We are meant to reason because God is rational. And we are meant to rejoice because of the glory we see. But the reason serves the rejoicing. The thinker and analyzer in us is meant to protect the poet and lover.

On this his birthday I thought you might like to taste the joyful healthfulness of Kilby’s soul. On October 22, 1976, he gave an unforgettable lecture at First Covenant Church in Minneapolis. I went because I wanted to hear, after eight years, the man who taught me to look at trees.

That night he pled with us to stop seeking mental health in the mirror of self-analysis, but instead to drink in the remedies of God in nature. He was not naïve. He knew of sin. He knew of the necessity of redemption in Christ. But he would have said that Christ purchased new eyes for us as well as new hearts.

His plea was that we stop being unamazed by the strange glory of ordinary things. He ended that lecture in 1976 with a list of resolutions. As a tribute to my teacher and a blessing to your soul, I offer them again for your joy.

Ten Resolutions For Mental Health

1. At least once every day I shall look steadily up at the sky and remember that I, a consciousness with a conscience, am on a planet traveling in space with wonderfully mysterious things above and about me.

2. Instead of the accustomed idea of a mindless and endless evolutionary change to which we can neither add nor subtract, I shall suppose the universe guided by an Intelligence which, as Aristotle said of Greek drama, requires a beginning, a middle and an end. I think this will save me from the cynicism expressed by Bertrand Russell before his death when he said: “There is darkness without, and when I die there will be darkness within. There is no splendor, no vastness anywhere, only triviality for a moment, and then nothing.”

3. I shall not fall into the falsehood that this day, or any day, is merely another ambiguous and plodding 24 hours, but rather a unique event, filled, if I so wish, with worthy potentialities. I shall not be fool enough to suppose that trouble and pain are wholly evil parentheses in my existence, but just as likely ladders to be climbed toward moral and spiritual manhood.

4. I shall not turn my life into a thin, straight line which prefers abstractions to reality. I shall know what I am doing when I abstract, which of course I shall often have to do.

5. I shall not demean my own uniqueness by envy of others. I shall stop boring into myself to discover what psychological or social categories I might belong to. Mostly I shall simply forget about myself and do my work.

6. I shall open my eyes and ears. Once every day I shall simply stare at a tree, a flower, a cloud or a person. I shall not then be concerned at all to ask what they are but simply be glad that they are. I shall joyfully allow them the mystery of what Lewis calls their “divine, magical, terrifying and ecstatic” existence.

7. I shall sometimes look back at the freshness of vision I had in childhood and try, at least for a little while, to be, in the words of Lewis Carroll, the “child of the pure unclouded brow, and dreaming eyes of wonder.”

8. I shall follow Darwin’s advice and turn frequently to imaginative things such as good literature and good music, preferably, as Lewis suggests, an old book and timeless music.

9. I shall not allow the devilish onrush of this century to usurp all my energies but will instead, as Charles Williams suggested, “fulfill the moment as the moment.” I shall try to live well just now because the only time that exists is now.

10. Even if I turn out to be wrong, I shall bet my life on the assumption that this world is not idiotic, neither run by an absentee landlord, but that today, this very day, some stroke is being added to the cosmic canvas that in due course I shall understand with joy as a stroke made by the architect who calls himself Alpha and Omega.

John Piper is the Pastor for Preaching at Bethlehem Baptist Church in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He grew up in Greenville, South Carolina, and studied at Wheaton College, where he first sensed God's call to enter the ministry. He went on to earn degrees from Fuller Theological Seminary and the University of Munich. For six years he taught Biblical Studies at Bethel College in St. Paul, Minnesota, and in 1980 accepted the call to serve as pastor at Bethlehem. John is the author of more than 30 books, and more than 25 years of his preaching and teaching is available free at desiringGod.org. John and his wife, Noel, have four sons, one daughter, and an increasing number of grandchildren.

The Ten Commandments Revisited 9,10

Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour.
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.

Welcome back. Today we will wrap up our in depth study of the Ten Commandments. These are the all but forgotten Laws of God. They are not something little Johnny and Suzy should learn how to say in order in Sunday School. They are not a nice Biblical story. When someone asked you, what are the Ten Commandments, you should not say something like, "Have no other God but God, Uh, don't kill, uh, don't cheat on your Wife. Yeah that's a bad one. Uh, oh yeah, don't steal." You need to KNOW what these are. As a Child of God, these are given to you, not to make your life more difficult, but easier, and to keep you from the snares of the Devil.

Today we will be talking about Commandments 9, and 10

Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour.

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.

Then we will wrap it up, the same way Jesus did at the end. Let's get to it..

"Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour." {Exodus 20:16}

Now first, as we talked about before, with Commandment 6, if you bear false witness against someone, not only can you hurt them, you can also cause them to be put to death. Look at what they did to Jesus.

Let's look at Deuteronomy 19

Deuteronomy 19:15-20

15 One witness shall not rise up against a man for any iniquity, or for any sin, in any sin that he sinneth: at the mouth of two witnesses, or at the mouth of three witnesses, shall the matter be established.

16 If a false witness rise up against any man to testify against him that which is wrong;

17 Then both the men, between whom the controversy is, shall stand before the Lord, before the priests and the judges, which shall be in those days;

18 And the judges shall make diligent inquisition: and, behold, if the witness be a false witness, and hath testified falsely against his brother;

19 Then shall ye do unto him, as he had thought to have done unto his brother: so shalt thou put the evil away from among you.

20 And those which remain shall hear, and fear, and shall henceforth commit no more any such evil among you.

We can see all throughout the Word, of those falsely accusing innocent people. Adam accused Eve. Satan accused Job. The Jews accused Jesus. ETC. But False Accusations is not the only way you can bear false witness.

Lets say you overhear someone talking about someone. They say this or that. You now, without knowing if it's true or not, repeat that of which you heard about that person. It's not true. Yet, now that person is hurt or has to deal with the consequences of the lie you took part in.

"Did you hear Sally is sleeping with the Boss?" What you don't know is Sally isn't. You see, the Boss has a medical issue, and Sally has a relative with the same issue, and is very educated in ways to help. They became friends and Sally helps the "Boss" from time to time with his condition. There is nothing wrong or seedy about their relationship.

Now the Rumor get's to the "Corporate Office" and both are fired. Or now the Rumor gets back to Sally's Husband or the "Boss's" Wife, and it wrecks their Families and their lives. Never gossip. Even if Sally is sleeping with the "Boss," it's none of your concern. Deal with each other with love. Would you want others walking around talking about you? Treat others as you would like to be treated.

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. {Exodus 20:17}

So why is this important? Isn't "keeping up with the Jones" normal? Maybe. But why does God want you to avoid this. Because of what it can lead to. In...

1 Kings 21:

1 And it came to pass after these things, that Naboth the Jezreelite had a vineyard, which was in Jezreel, hard by the palace of Ahab king of Samaria.

2 And Ahab spake unto Naboth, saying, Give me thy vineyard, that I may have it for a garden of herbs, because it is near unto my house: and I will give thee for it a better vineyard than it; or, if it seem good to thee, I will give thee the worth of it in money.

3 And Naboth said to Ahab, The Lord forbid it me, that I should give the inheritance of my fathers unto thee.

4 And Ahab came into his house heavy and displeased because of the word which Naboth the Jezreelite had spoken to him: for he had said, I will not give thee the inheritance of my fathers. And he laid him down upon his bed, and turned away his face, and would eat no bread.

5 But Jezebel his wife came to him, and said unto him, Why is thy spirit so sad, that thou eatest no bread?

6 And he said unto her, Because I spake unto Naboth the Jezreelite, and said unto him, Give me thy vineyard for money; or else, if it please thee, I will give thee another vineyard for it: and he answered, I will not give thee my vineyard.

7 And Jezebel his wife said unto him, Dost thou now govern the kingdom of Israel? arise, and eat bread, and let thine heart be merry: I will give thee the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite.

8 So she wrote letters in Ahab's name, and sealed them with his seal, and sent the letters unto the elders and to the nobles that were in his city, dwelling with Naboth.

9 And she wrote in the letters, saying, Proclaim a fast, and set Naboth on high among the people:

10 And set two men, sons of Belial, before him, to bear witness against him, saying, Thou didst blaspheme God and the king. And then carry him out, and stone him, that he may die.

11 And the men of his city, even the elders and the nobles who were the inhabitants in his city, did as Jezebel had sent unto them, and as it was written in the letters which she had sent unto them.

12 They proclaimed a fast, and set Naboth on high among the people.

13 And there came in two men, children of Belial, and sat before him: and the men of Belial witnessed against him, even against Naboth, in the presence of the people, saying, Naboth did blaspheme God and the king. Then they carried him forth out of the city, and stoned him with stones, that he died.

14 Then they sent to Jezebel, saying, Naboth is stoned, and is dead.

15 And it came to pass, when Jezebel heard that Naboth was stoned, and was dead, that Jezebel said to Ahab, Arise, take possession of the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite, which he refused to give thee for money: for Naboth is not alive, but dead.

16 And it came to pass, when Ahab heard that Naboth was dead, that Ahab rose up to go down to the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite, to take possession of it.

17 And the word of the Lord came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying,

18 Arise, go down to meet Ahab king of Israel, which is in Samaria: behold, he is in the vineyard of Naboth, whither he is gone down to possess it.

19 And thou shalt speak unto him, saying, Thus saith the Lord, Hast thou killed, and also taken possession? And thou shalt speak unto him, saying, Thus saith the Lord, In the place where dogs licked the blood of Naboth shall dogs lick thy blood, even thine.

20 And Ahab said to Elijah, Hast thou found me, O mine enemy? And he answered, I have found thee: because thou hast sold thyself to work evil in the sight of the Lord.

21 Behold, I will bring evil upon thee, and will take away thy posterity, and will cut off from Ahab him that pisseth against the wall, and him that is shut up and left in Israel,

22 And will make thine house like the house of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, and like the house of Baasha the son of Ahijah, for the provocation wherewith thou hast provoked me to anger, and made Israel to sin.

23 And of Jezebel also spake the Lord, saying, The dogs shall eat Jezebel by the wall of Jezreel.

24 Him that dieth of Ahab in the city the dogs shall eat; and him that dieth in the field shall the fowls of the air eat.

25 But there was none like unto Ahab, which did sell himself to work wickedness in the sight of the Lord, whom Jezebel his wife stirred up.

26 And he did very abominably in following idols, according to all things as did the Amorites, whom the Lord cast out before the children of Israel.

27 And it came to pass, when Ahab heard those words, that he rent his clothes, and put sackcloth upon his flesh, and fasted, and lay in sackcloth, and went softly.

28 And the word of the Lord came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying,

29 Seest thou how Ahab humbleth himself before me? because he humbleth himself before me, I will not bring the evil in his days: but in his son's days will I bring the evil upon his house.

So Ahab coveted Naboth's field, which lead to bearing false witness, with lead to the Murder of Naboth . 

In...

2 Samuel 11:

1 And it came to pass, after the year was expired, at the time when kings go forth to battle, that David sent Joab, and his servants with him, and all Israel; and they destroyed the children of Ammon, and besieged Rabbah. But David tarried still at Jerusalem.

2 And it came to pass in an eveningtide, that David arose from off his bed, and walked upon the roof of the king's house: and from the roof he saw a woman washing herself; and the woman was very beautiful to look upon.

3 And David sent and enquired after the woman. And one said, Is not this Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite?

4 And David sent messengers, and took her; and she came in unto him, and he lay with her; for she was purified from her uncleanness: and she returned unto her house.

5 And the woman conceived, and sent and told David, and said, I am with child.

6 And David sent to Joab, saying, Send me Uriah the Hittite. And Joab sent Uriah to David.

7 And when Uriah was come unto him, David demanded of him how Joab did, and how the people did, and how the war prospered.

8 And David said to Uriah, Go down to thy house, and wash thy feet. And Uriah departed out of the king's house, and there followed him a mess of meat from the king.

9 But Uriah slept at the door of the king's house with all the servants of his lord, and went not down to his house.

10 And when they had told David, saying, Uriah went not down unto his house, David said unto Uriah, Camest thou not from thy journey? why then didst thou not go down unto thine house?

11 And Uriah said unto David, The ark, and Israel, and Judah, abide in tents; and my lord Joab, and the servants of my lord, are encamped in the open fields; shall I then go into mine house, to eat and to drink, and to lie with my wife? as thou livest, and as thy soul liveth, I will not do this thing.

12 And David said to Uriah, Tarry here to day also, and to morrow I will let thee depart. So Uriah abode in Jerusalem that day, and the morrow.

13 And when David had called him, he did eat and drink before him; and he made him drunk: and at even he went out to lie on his bed with the servants of his lord, but went not down to his house.

14 And it came to pass in the morning, that David wrote a letter to Joab, and sent it by the hand of Uriah.

15 And he wrote in the letter, saying, Set ye Uriah in the forefront of the hottest battle, and retire ye from him, that he may be smitten, and die.

16 And it came to pass, when Joab observed the city, that he assigned Uriah unto a place where he knew that valiant men were.

17 And the men of the city went out, and fought with Joab: and there fell some of the people of the servants of David; and Uriah the Hittite died also.

18 Then Joab sent and told David all the things concerning the war;

19 And charged the messenger, saying, When thou hast made an end of telling the matters of the war unto the king,

20 And if so be that the king's wrath arise, and he say unto thee, Wherefore approached ye so nigh unto the city when ye did fight? knew ye not that they would shoot from the wall?

21 Who smote Abimelech the son of Jerubbesheth? did not a woman cast a piece of a millstone upon him from the wall, that he died in Thebez? why went ye nigh the wall? then say thou, Thy servant Uriah the Hittite is dead also.

22 So the messenger went, and came and shewed David all that Joab had sent him for.

23 And the messenger said unto David, Surely the men prevailed against us, and came out unto us into the field, and we were upon them even unto the entering of the gate.

24 And the shooters shot from off the wall upon thy servants; and some of the king's servants be dead, and thy servant Uriah the Hittite is dead also.

25 Then David said unto the messenger, Thus shalt thou say unto Joab, Let not this thing displease thee, for the sword devoureth one as well as another: make thy battle more strong against the city, and overthrow it: and encourage thou him.

26 And when the wife of Uriah heard that Uriah her husband was dead, she mourned for her husband.

27 And when the mourning was past, David sent and fetched her to his house, and she became his wife, and bare him a son. But the thing that David had done displeased the Lord.

So David coveted Bathsheba, which lead to Uriah being killed for the Sin of David. It also cost David the life of his Son. You see, when you start coveting something, it then leads to other Sins. This is why God told us in....

Leviticus 19:

18 Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself: I am the Lord.

Jesus put it to us this way. In....

Matthew 22:

35 Then one of them, which was a lawyer, asked him a question, tempting him, and saying,

36 Master, which is the great commandment in the law?

37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.

38 This is the first and great commandment.

39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.

And in....

Romans 13:

8 Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law.

9 For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Thou shalt not covet; and if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

10 Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.

Who is your neighbor?

Luke 10:

25 And, behold, a certain lawyer stood up, and tempted him, saying, Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?

26 He said unto him, What is written in the law? how readest thou?

27 And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself.

28 And he said unto him, Thou hast answered right: this do, and thou shalt live.

29 But he, willing to justify himself, said unto Jesus, And who is my neighbour?

30 And Jesus answering said, A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, which stripped him of his raiment, and wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead.

31 And by chance there came down a certain priest that way: and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side.

32 And likewise a Levite, when he was at the place, came and looked on him, and passed by on the other side.

33 But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion on him,

34 And went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him.

35 And on the morrow when he departed, he took out two pence, and gave them to the host, and said unto him, Take care of him; and whatsoever thou spendest more, when I come again, I will repay thee.

36 Which now of these three, thinkest thou, was neighbour unto him that fell among the thieves?

37 And he said, He that shewed mercy on him. Then said Jesus unto him, Go, and do thou likewise.

I can almost hear some of you saying it now. You meant to tell me, that we could have summed all this up, this now Five Part Series, and all the pages written, explaining the Ten Commandments, we could have summed it all up with..

"Have no other Gods but God."
"Love thy Neighbor as yourself."

Yup.. Then Jesus gave us a new Commandment. A bit of Clarification if you will. "A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another." {John 13:34} How did Jesus Love us? While we were yet Sinners, He laid down his very life for us. 

So now you understand why. If you have no other God before God, you will not worship before Idols. You will not take His name in vain. You will obey His commandments. If you love your Neighbor as yourself, you will treat them how you would want to be treated. You would not steal from yourself, you would not lie about yourself. You would not kill yourself. You would be content with what you have.

You see, the forgotten Laws, The Ten Commandments, were truly NOT given to make our lives more difficult, but they were given to us to make our lives easier, and to keep us from the snares of the devil.

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 7, 8

Thou shall not commit Adultery
Thou shall not steal.

"Thou shalt not commit adultery."{Exodus 20:14}

The concept is simple. The God Plan is easy to understand. One Man, one Woman, Come together, as one Flesh.

Genesis 2:

24 Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.

Marriage is now, and has always been, one Man, and one Woman. Doesn't matter what we say about it. That IS God's plan of marriage. One Man and one Woman, for LIFE. In...

Proverbs 5:

1 My son, attend unto my wisdom, and bow thine ear to my understanding:

2 That thou mayest regard discretion, and that thy lips may keep knowledge.

3 For the lips of a strange woman drop as an honeycomb, and her mouth is smoother than oil:

4 But her end is bitter as wormwood, sharp as a two-edged sword.

5 Her feet go down to death; her steps take hold on hell.

6 Lest thou shouldest ponder the path of life, her ways are moveable, that thou canst not know them.

7 Hear me now therefore, O ye children, and depart not from the words of my mouth.

8 Remove thy way far from her, and come not nigh the door of her house:

9 Lest thou give thine honour unto others, and thy years unto the cruel:

10 Lest strangers be filled with thy wealth; and thy labours be in the house of a stranger;

11 And thou mourn at the last, when thy flesh and thy body are consumed,

12 And say, How have I hated instruction, and my heart despised reproof;

13 And have not obeyed the voice of my teachers, nor inclined mine ear to them that instructed me!

14 I was almost in all evil in the midst of the congregation and assembly.

15 Drink waters out of thine own cistern, and running waters out of thine own well.

16 Let thy fountains be dispersed abroad, and rivers of waters in the streets.

17 Let them be only thine own, and not strangers' with thee.

18 Let thy fountain be blessed: and rejoice with the wife of thy youth.

19 Let her be as the loving hind and pleasant roe; let her breasts satisfy thee at all times; and be thou ravished always with her love.

20 And why wilt thou, my son, be ravished with a strange woman, and embrace the bosom of a stranger?

21 For the ways of man are before the eyes of the Lord, and he pondereth all his goings.

22 His own iniquities shall take the wicked himself, and he shall be holden with the cords of his sins.

23 He shall die without instruction; and in the greatness of his folly he shall go astray.

Also in....

Proverbs 6:

20 My son, keep thy father's commandment, and forsake not the law of thy mother:

21 Bind them continually upon thine heart, and tie them about thy neck.

22 When thou goest, it shall lead thee; when thou sleepest, it shall keep thee; and when thou awakest, it shall talk with thee.

23 For the commandment is a lamp; and the law is light; and reproofs of instruction are the way of life:

24 To keep thee from the evil woman, from the flattery of the tongue of a strange woman.

25 Lust not after her beauty in thine heart; neither let her take thee with her eyelids.

26 For by means of a whorish woman a man is brought to a piece of bread: and the adultress will hunt for the precious life.

27 Can a man take fire in his bosom, and his clothes not be burned?

28 Can one go upon hot coals, and his feet not be burned?

29 So he that goeth in to his neighbour's wife; whosoever toucheth her shall not be innocent.

30 Men do not despise a thief, if he steal to satisfy his soul when he is hungry;

31 But if he be found, he shall restore sevenfold; he shall give all the substance of his house.

32 But whoso committeth adultery with a woman lacketh understanding: he that doeth it destroyeth his own soul.

33 A wound and dishonour shall he get; and his reproach shall not be wiped away.

34 For jealousy is the rage of a man: therefore he will not spare in the day of vengeance.

35 He will not regard any ransom; neither will he rest content, though thou givest many gifts.

"But whoso committeth adultery with a woman lacketh understanding: he that doeth it destroyeth his own soul." When you find the one you love. Your soul mate. The one you love more than anything else on Earth. They become, and are, part of you. You are one. To go out and give yourself to another, in the most intimate way, that should be reserved for only your Spouse, is not just playing some kind of game, it is the most hurtful and evil thing you can do to your other half. It's NOT just sex. It's not just fooling around. It is the deepest hurt you can possibly cause, to the one, you claim to love the most.

Is it just sex? How about if I told you, you do not even have to commit that actual act to be guilty of Adultery in God's eyes. In...

Matthew 5:

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.

So what is Jesus saying here? Sin always starts in the heart, mind, then deeds. He is telling you that if you start looking at another, undressing them in your mind, or fantasizing about them, it's not harmless, normal, behavior. It is planting a seed to be harvested later. You have committed Adultery already.

So what about Divorce? Is Divorce legal in the sight of God. Jesus tells us there is ONE reason, that Divorce would be recognized by God. Adultery. If you really want to get technical, there are three ways the obligation you have to another is nullified, and is recognized in the Word.

Death. Obviously.

Fornication. Adultery.

And then you have this....

1 Corinthians 7:

12 But to the rest speak I, not the Lord: If any brother hath a wife that believeth not, and she be pleased to dwell with him, let him not put her away.

13 And the woman which hath an husband that believeth not, and if he be pleased to dwell with her, let her not leave him.

14 For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband: else were your children unclean; but now are they holy.

15 But if the unbelieving depart, let him depart. A brother or a sister is not under bondage in such cases: but God hath called us to peace.

Now notice the first thing I want you to understand it THIS. "But to the rest speak I, not the Lord" Paul said this. Makes sense. I understand it. If you are the Child of God in your home, and even if your Spouse doesn't believe, you cover them. They become "Clean" because of you. But if they leave, Paul tells us we should let them go. So that they do not corrupt the whole house.

Accept what you will when it comes to Divorce. Jesus said, Adultery? No problem. Anything else is sin. Regardless of what man says. Or you can cling to what Paul says about a non-believer leaving. This is why The Word tells us we should never be "unequally yoked together with unbelievers." {2 Corinthians 6:14} Most of the time, it does not end well. However, if neither of you were Children of God when you Married, and now you accept Christ after, and they chose to reject Him, you as a new Creature, no longer guilty nor responsible for your old self. I get that. But I would not go out and find someone who is not of God, and decide to Marry that person. You do so at your own Peril and God will require YOU follow His plan for Marriage, even if they do not wish to. Be careful.

Marriage, if done the right way, is a Blessing from God. The wrong way, could become a nightmare. It is not to be taken lightly. Next to Salvation, Marriage is the most Holy and honorable thing you can do. After forming the first Man, what was God's first gift to him? Woman. Marriage. Two in it as one. A life long Friend, helper, comforter, playmate, ETC. Why do you think Marriage is under such attack? Think about it.

"Thou shalt not steal."{Exodus 20:15}

Do you? Do you steal? Are you sure? There are three primary ways to steal. One, outright. The taking of something that does not belong to you. Money, property, ETC. The second way to steal is Theft of Services. You take advantage of something that is provided for a cost, yet, you chose not to pay for it. The third, is Destruction.

Outright.

It doesn't matter to God if you use the word "Borrow." If it is not your property, and it is not permitted for you to take it, you are stealing it. Even if your attention is to give it back. You are still stealing it. What about those pens you took home from work? What about that food you ate at the end of your shift at a Restaurant, when it is company policy to dispose of it, not consume it? What about that ten dollars that you took from the one who has millions? In any of this, you are stealing. What does God say about it? In...

Exodus 22:

1 If a man shall steal an ox, or a sheep, and kill it, or sell it; he shall restore five oxen for an ox, and four sheep for a sheep.

2 If a thief be found breaking up, and be smitten that he die, there shall no blood be shed for him.

3 If the sun be risen upon him, there shall be blood shed for him; for he should make full restitution; if he have nothing, then he shall be sold for his theft.

4 If the theft be certainly found in his hand alive, whether it be ox, or ass, or sheep; he shall restore double.

Again, pretty cut and dry here. If you steal something outright, you are violation this Commandment. You are a Thief. You are guilty under the Law.

Theft of Services.

5 If a man shall cause a field or vineyard to be eaten, and shall put in his beast, and shall feed in another man's field; of the best of his own field, and of the best of his own vineyard, shall he make restitution.

Ever "Dine and Dash?" Ever take a taxi, and not pay for it? Ever get "Free" Cable? Use someone else's phone or Internet, without their permission? You are guilty of this Commandment. You are a Thief. You are guilty under the Law.

Destruction

6 If fire break out, and catch in thorns, so that the stacks of corn, or the standing corn, or the field, be consumed therewith; he that kindled the fire shall surely make restitution.

It really does not matter why. Say you are jealous? Say you do not feel that someone who has something should have it. You decide to destroy what they have. You are a Thief. You are guilty under the law.

In....

Leviticus 19:

11 Ye shall not steal, neither deal falsely, neither lie one to another.

12 And ye shall not swear by my name falsely, neither shalt thou profane the name of thy God: I am the Lord.

13 Thou shalt not defraud thy neighbour, neither rob him: the wages of him that is hired shall not abide with thee all night until the morning.

There are many ways to Steal. If you agree to buy something from someone, and you know that the cost of it is great, yet you tell them the cost is low, just to make a profit, you are a Thief. If you are in charge of protecting someone else's property, and you allow it to be stolen, God calls you a Theft. You are guilty under the Law.

There is one more way you can be considered a Thief in the eyes of the Lord. This one has been so convoluted, so twisted, that whenever someone discusses this, people turn off. They get imagines of a Preacher with a Mic in one hand, and the other outstretched hand, seeking money. But the Word tells us, that if you do NOT Tithe, you ARE guilty of being a Thief. You are stealing from God Himself. In.....

Malachi 3:

8 Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings.

9 Ye are cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed me, even this whole nation.

10 Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.

It is extremely rare, that a Millionaire does nothing but serve the Lord. Most of the time, it is average, everyday folks that are called to serve. A Church, should be concerned with Teaching of course, feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, ETC. In order to do that, they need money.

You want to know if God is serious about this? Lets look in...

Acts 5:

1 But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession,

2 And kept back part of the price, his wife also being privy to it, and brought a certain part, and laid it at the apostles' feet.

3 But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land?

4 Whiles it remained, was it not thine own? and after it was sold, was it not in thine own power? why hast thou conceived this thing in thine heart? thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God.

5 And Ananias hearing these words fell down, and gave up the ghost: and great fear came on all them that heard these things.

6 And the young men arose, wound him up, and carried him out, and buried him.

7 And it was about the space of three hours after, when his wife, not knowing what was done, came in.

8 And Peter answered unto her, Tell me whether ye sold the land for so much? And she said, Yea, for so much.

9 Then Peter said unto her, How is it that ye have agreed together to tempt the Spirit of the Lord? behold, the feet of them which have buried thy husband are at the door, and shall carry thee out.

10 Then fell she down straightway at his feet, and yielded up the ghost: and the young men came in, and found her dead, and, carrying her forth, buried her by her husband.

"Whiles it remained, was it not thine own? and after it was sold, was it not in thine own power? why hast thou conceived this thing in thine heart? thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God." You see, he sold it for a certain amount. All he would have had to do, was say, here is my Tithe, which IS ten percent, and here is my Offering, which is anything more. He lied. He said, we sold it for this much. His Wife did the same. By doing so, they lied and stole from God.

You may or may not believe me. I have no way to prove it to you. However, the Laws of Tithing and Giving works. That ninety percent will go far further than that one hundred percent ever will. When I was first saved, I was a Security Guard working for a local Mall. I starting obeying this Law, and started giving as much as I could. When I walked away, as I talked about in MY Story, I was a Hotel Manager.

The more I gave, the more I received. As Malachi said "Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it." It really does work.

When I walked away, my excess became a negative. Fast. Now these things do not happen over night. Try it. God will see where your heart is, and He WILL bless you. It really does work.

Now I do want to caution you of this as well. Pray over your Tithes and Offerings. Ask God what HE wants you to do. If you are in a dead church, or a church that is misusing the Tithes, God may want you to instead give your Tithe and Offerings to a Food Pantry. Or some other way.

If your Tithe is, say $100 dollars, you go and buy $100 dollars worth of sandwiches and go down to where the hungry are, and feed them, you are still doing God's Will. It doesn't have to go to a Preacher that is using it to pay for his new Corvette. Just saying. In..

Ephesians 4:

28 Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth.

Trust me, this really does work. I'm living proof of it. Try it. Ask God to show you what this is all about. You WILL be Blessed.

We will wrap it up next time with "Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour." and "Thou shalt not Covet,,,." We will also discuss how it is that Jesus summed all these up as two. Plus how the new Commandment Jesus gave us, plays into all this. But if you are not a Child of God, then none of this matters to you at all.

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}