The Greatest Commandment

"Thou shalt have no other gods before me."

What does this actually mean? Are you Violating this Commandment daily? Do you understand that as long as you do, you are not in God's Grace? I'm going to ask you some very direct questions here. You may even become offended. But these are questions you really need to ask yourself.

Do you???????

Do you love your Spouse more than anything in the World?
Do you love your Children more than anything in the World?
Do you love your Parents more than anything in the World?
Do you love your Hobby more than anything in the World?
Do you love your Job more than anything in the World?

Do you?

These are the easy questions. I have a few more.

Do you love money more than anything in the World?
Do you love the Lotto more than anything in the World?
Do you love Coffee, Beer, or Cigarettes, more than anything in the World?
Do you love food more than anything in the World?

"OK, OK, enough with the questions. What are you getting at?"

"Thou shalt have no other gods before me."{Exodus 20:3}

So, do you?

Oh you go to your closet and put on your best Sunday Cloths and you go off to Church on Sundays. Then you go back to the same closet and take them off after Church. What then? What is it in your life that takes full priority? What is the REAL god in your life?

Your Wife come to you and says, "We have been going to Church for like five Sundays in a row here. Do you think we can maybe miss this Sunday? There is this Antique Store that just opened up I think would be fun to check out this Sunday, but it's like three hours away. Think we can go?"

So you think about it. You love your Wife. You want to make her happy. Then you think, WOW. We really have been pretty good. We HAVE really gone the last five Sundays in a row. "Yeah, OK."

Church is having a Revival this Wednesday night. "Oh? Oh no. Sorry. My little Susie has a Dance Practice." "Little Johnny has a Game." Oh, we have to go to my Mom's on Wednesday. It really means a lot that we go to Dinner there every Wednesday." "I have to work." ETC.

God, brought your Mom and Dad together. Formed you in the Womb. Called you to be His Child. Saved you from the Grave, Death, and Hell. He has become your Daddy, and you His Child. Do you??

"O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is;" {Psalms 63:1}

Do you thirst for God? Do you hunger? Do you long for God? Or is He just a Concept and an Idea to you? Is He truly GOD in your life, or is He a Weekend Excursion? A distraction in your otherwise chaotic World? Are you a "Weekend Warrior" or are you truly a Child of God?

"But wait, are you saying that if I love my Family more than anything else in the World, I am NOT being a Good Christian?" I'm not saying it..

"He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me."{Matthew 10:37}

Luke wrote that Jesus made it even more plain than this..

"If anyone comes to Me, and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be My disciple." {Luke 14:26}

"Wait, I'm confused. Did not God create the Family? Is one of the Commandments NOT 'Honor your Father and Mother.' How can I Honor them and Hate them, at the same time?"

Jesus said "He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me" Jesus tells us that if we come to Him, yet we hold onto the past, we are not worthy of being His Disciple. Remember what He told the one asking Him to go bury his Father, or the one that said, let me go say goodbye?

"Jesus said unto him, Let the dead bury their dead: but go thou and preach the kingdom of God. And another also said, Lord, I will follow thee; but let me first go bid them farewell, which are at home at my house. And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God."{Luke 9:60-62}

The point is, God must become the most important part of your Life. God's Plan and Purpose for you and your life, must take over. Jesus even told us that because of Him, Earthly Families will break up. Remember Jesus said...

"Suppose ye that I am come to give peace on earth? I tell you, Nay; but rather division: For from henceforth there shall be five in one house divided, three against two, and two against three. The father shall be divided against the son, and the son against the father; the mother against the daughter, and the daughter against the mother; the mother in law against her daughter in law, and the daughter in law against her mother in law."{Luke 12:51-53}

Why? Because not everyone will accept the Truth. Not everyone will Hear God's Word. Not everyone will be Saved. As in the World, where some reject the Truth, God, and God's Word, and Hate you for no other reason than for the Name of Jesus, so will some in your own Families. But Jesus tells us we should not worry about those. We need only Follow Him and do our Father's Will.

"Truly I tell you, no one who has left home or wife or brothers or sisters or parents or children for the sake of the kingdom of God will fail to receive many times as much in this age, and in the age to come eternal life." {Luke 18:29-30}

So am I saying you should not honor your Family? No. Of course not. However, The God Plan for Family, like it or not, accept it or not, is, was, and always will be this.

God, Head of Man.
Man, Head of Family.
Woman, Head of Children.

God must come first. If God leads you, no matter who you may be, to do something, and the rest of the Family rejects it, go with God. He overrides EVERYTHING. and everyone else. If you lose Family, or anything else, because you chose to put God first, He promises, even up to and including your very Life, you will "receive many times as much in this age, and in the age to come eternal life."

Most of us do not really have to worry about this. Sad truth is, most of us do not have to worry about this, because we do not share the Truth, with our Families. We do not want to risk it. We do not want them to think of us as strange. Ever think about that? We will go out into the World, and we will spread the Gospel, yet, those we love the most, we remain silent and allow them to live their lives without Hope? Those we love the most, should be those we want to, give the Gift of the Gospel the most? Yes? No?

If you want a Happy Family life, the easiest way to get there is to simply follow God's Plan. However, even with Family, you must put God first. You cannot ever allow your Wife, Husband, Kids, Mother, Father, or anyone else, to become your god. You must put God first. Next time we will be talking about how a Hobby can become as a god. Work? How some peoples J.O.B.s have become their G.O.D.s.

Truth is, there is not a person on Earth, that is worthy to be Worshiped. No. Not one. We are all Created by a God that is the Creator of all that is, was, or ever will be. We are all equally yoked with the Sin of the Flesh. We are all Creatures with the same, single, and only, Hope, in ever lasting Life, being that of the acceptance of the Sacrifice of Jesus. Even Jesus Himself rejected Worship of Himself. Remember what Jesus said..

"And, behold, one came and said unto him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life? And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments." {Matthew 19:16-17}

Also recorded in Mark, and in Luke, that Jesus gives this admonishment. If Jesus Himself, the Holy One of God, the Sinless One. The Savoir, God in the Flesh, refused to be said to be Good, or Worshiped, then whom do you feel is greater than He? There is no one.

Do not ever make the mistake of turning a Family Member, no matter how much you may love them, into a god. Obviously, do not put anyone, in that Position. Not the Rich, Famous, Religious Leaders, or anyone else. There is but one God. There is but one Mediator. His name is Jesus. Follow Him.

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}