The Ten Commandments 2023, The Law of God, 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 Family Plan is easy to understand. One man, one woman, come together, as one flesh.

"Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh." Genesis 2:24

Marriage is now and has always been,  and sorry if it offends you, but will always be one man, and one woman. It doesn't matter what we say about it. That IS God's plan for marriage. One man and one woman, for LIFE.

"My son, attend unto my wisdom, and bow thine ear to my understanding: That thou mayest regard discretion, and that thy lips may keep knowledge. For the lips of a strange woman drop as an honeycomb, and her mouth is smoother than oil: But her end is bitter as wormwood, sharp as a two-edged sword. Her feet go down to death; her steps take hold on hell. Lest thou shouldest ponder the path of life, her ways are moveable, that thou canst not know them.

Hear me now therefore, O ye children, and depart not from the words of my mouth. Remove thy way far from her, and come not nigh the door of her house: Lest thou give thine honour unto others, and thy years unto the cruel: Lest strangers be filled with thy wealth; and thy labours be in the house of a stranger; And thou mourn at the last, when thy flesh and thy body are consumed, And say, How have I hated instruction, and my heart despised reproof; And have not obeyed the voice of my teachers, nor inclined mine ear to them that instructed me!

I was almost in all evil in the midst of the congregation and assembly. Drink waters out of thine own cistern, and running waters out of thine own well. Let thy fountains be dispersed abroad, and rivers of waters in the streets. Let them be only thine own, and not strangers' with thee. Let thy fountain be blessed: and rejoice with the wife of thy youth. 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. And why wilt thou, my son, be ravished with a strange woman, and embrace the bosom of a stranger?

For the ways of man are before the eyes of the Lord, and he pondereth all his goings. His own iniquities shall take the wicked himself, and he shall be holden with the cords of his sins. He shall die without instruction; and in the greatness of his folly he shall go astray." Proverbs 5:1-23

Also ...

"My son, keep thy father's commandment, and forsake not the law of thy mother: Bind them continually upon thine heart, and tie them about thy neck. When thou goest, it shall lead thee; when thou sleepest, it shall keep thee; and when thou awakest, it shall talk with thee.

For the commandment is a lamp; and the law is light; and reproofs of instruction are the way of life: To keep thee from the evil woman, from the flattery of the tongue of a strange woman. Lust not after her beauty in thine heart; neither let her take thee with her eyelids. 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.

Can a man take fire in his bosom, and his clothes not be burned? Can one go upon hot coals, and his feet not be burned? So he that goeth in to his neighbour's wife; whosoever toucheth her shall not be innocent.

Men do not despise a thief, if he steal to satisfy his soul when he is hungry; But if he be found, he shall restore sevenfold; he shall give all the substance of his house. But whoso committeth adultery with a woman lacketh understanding: he that doeth it destroyeth his own soul.

A wound and dishonour shall he get; and his reproach shall not be wiped away. For jealousy is the rage of a man: therefore he will not spare in the day of vengeance. He will not regard any ransom; neither will he rest content, though thou givest many gifts."Proverbs 6:20-35 

"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.

"Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery: But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart. 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. 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.

It hath been said, Whosoever shall put away his wife, let him give her a writing of divorcement: 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." Matthew 5:27-33

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 others, 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 recognized in the Word.

Death. Obviously.
Fornication. Adultery.

And then you have this...

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

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. 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." 1 Corinthians 7:12-15

Now notice the first thing I want you to understand is this. "But to the rest speak I, not the Lord," This is what Paul said. 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 a 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 was 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 to follow His plan for marriage, even if you 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 holiest and most honorable thing you can do. Two in it as one. A lifelong friend, helper, comforter, playmate, ETC. Why do you think marriage is under such attack? Think about it.

What if I told you there is a THIRD way to commit Adultery?

Spiritual adultery. These all, idolatry, covetousness, and apostasy are spoken of as spiritual adultery. Some examples are Jeremiah 3:6, 8-9, and Ezekiel 16:32,  Hosea 1:2-3, Revelation 2:22.  An apostate church is an adulteress according to Isaiah 1:21, Ezekiel 23:4, 7, 37, and the Jews are described as “an adulterous generation” in Matthew 12:39, and in Revelations 12.

Is God concerned about adultery? I think so. 

"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 the "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 intention 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. It doesn't matter what you think of it. What society says about it. What does God say about it?

"If a man steals an ox or a sheep, and kills it or sells it, he shall repay five oxen for an ox, and four sheep for a sheep.  If a thief is found breaking in and is struck so that he dies, there shall be no bloodguilt for him, but if the sun has risen on him, there shall be bloodguilt for him. He shall surely pay. If he has nothing, then he shall be sold for his theft. If the stolen beast is found alive in his possession, whether it is an ox or a donkey or a sheep, he shall pay double." Exodus 22:1-4,5,6

Again, pretty cut and dry here. If you steal something outright, you are violating this commandment. You are a thief. You are guilty under the Law.

Theft of services

"If a man causes a field or vineyard to be grazed over, or lets his beast loose and it feeds in another man's field, he shall make restitution from the best in his own field and in his own vineyard."  

Ever "dine and dash?" Ever take a taxi, and not pay for it? Ever get "free" cable? Use someone else's phone or the internet, without their permission? You are guilty of this commandment. You are a thief. You are guilty under the Law.

Destruction

"If fire breaks out and catches in thorns so that the stacked grain or the standing grain or the field is consumed, he who started the fire shall make full restitution."

It really does not matter why. Say you are jealous? Say you do not feel that someone who has something should have it. If you can't have it no one will? You decide to destroy what they have. You are a thief. You are guilty under the law.

"You shall not steal; you shall not deal falsely; you shall not lie to one another. You shall not swear by my name falsely, and so profane the name of your God: I am the Lord. You shall not oppress your neighbor or rob him. The wages of a hired worker shall not remain with you all night until the morning.." Leviticus 19:11-13

There are many ways to steal. If you agree to buy something from someone, and you know that the cost of it is low, yet you tell them the cost is great, 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 it off. They get images 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.

"Will man rob God? Yet you are robbing me. But you say, ‘How have we robbed you?’ In your tithes and contributions. You are cursed with a curse, for you are robbing me, the whole nation of you.

Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need." Malachi 3:8-10

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.

Do you want to know if God is serious about this?

"But a man named Ananias, with his wife Sapphira, sold a piece of property, and with his wife's knowledge he kept back for himself some of the proceeds and brought only a part of it and laid it at the apostles' feet. But Peter said, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back for yourself part of the proceeds of the land?  While it remained unsold, did it not remain your own? And after it was sold, was it not at your disposal? Why is it that you have contrived this deed in your heart? You have not lied to man but to God.”

When Ananias heard these words, he fell down and breathed his last. And great fear came upon all who heard of it. The young men rose and wrapped him up and carried him out and buried him.

After an interval of about three hours his wife came in, not knowing what had happened. And Peter said to her, “Tell me whether you sold the land for so much.” And she said, “Yes, for so much.” But Peter said to her, “How is it that you have agreed together to test the Spirit of the Lord? Behold, the feet of those who have buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out.”  Immediately she fell down at his feet and breathed her last. When the young men came in they found her dead, and they carried her out and buried her beside her husband." Acts 5:1-10

"While it remained unsold, did it not remain your own? And after it was sold, was it not at your disposal? Why is it that you have contrived this deed in your heart? You have not lied to man but to 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 work. 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 at a local mall. I started 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 the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need." It really does work.

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

 "Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest work with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with anyone in need." Ephesians 4:28

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 neighbor." 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 believed He rose from the dead. 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 you shall confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in your heart that God hath raised him from the dead, You shall 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, comment, questions, give testimonials, or just say "Hi," the Email is opntalk@gmail.com

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

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

Book of Luke, Chapter 11

 Chapter 11

1 Now Jesus was praying in a certain place, and when he finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples.” 2 And he said to them, “When you pray, say:

“Father, hallowed be your name.

Your kingdom come.

3 Give us each day our daily bread,

4 and forgive us our sins,

    for we ourselves forgive everyone who is indebted to us.

And lead us not into temptation.”

5 And he said to them, “Which of you who has a friend will go to him at midnight and say to him, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves, 6 for a friend of mine has arrived on a journey, and I have nothing to set before him’; 7 and he will answer from within, ‘Do not bother me; the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed. I cannot get up and give you anything’? 8 I tell you, though he will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend, yet because of his impudence he will rise and give him whatever he needs. 9 And I tell you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 10 For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. 11 What father among you, if his son asks for a fish, will instead of a fish give him a serpent; 12 or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? 13 If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”

Jesus and Beelzebul

14 Now he was casting out a demon that was mute. When the demon had gone out, the mute man spoke, and the people marveled. 15 But some of them said, “He casts out demons by Beelzebul, the prince of demons,” 16 while others, to test him, kept seeking from him a sign from heaven. 17 But he, knowing their thoughts, said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and a divided household falls. 18 And if Satan also is divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand? For you say that I cast out demons by Beelzebul. 19 And if I cast out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore they will be your judges. 20 But if it is by the finger of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you. 21 When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own palace, his goods are safe; 22 but when one stronger than he attacks him and overcomes him, he takes away his armor in which he trusted and divides his spoil. 23 Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.

Return of an Unclean Spirit

24 “When the unclean spirit has gone out of a person, it passes through waterless places seeking rest, and finding none it says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’ 25 And when it comes, it finds the house swept and put in order. 26 Then it goes and brings seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they enter and dwell there. And the last state of that person is worse than the first.”

True Blessedness

27 As he said these things, a woman in the crowd raised her voice and said to him, “Blessed is the womb that bore you, and the breasts at which you nursed!” 28 But he said, “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and keep it!”

The Sign of Jonah

29 When the crowds were increasing, he began to say, “This generation is an evil generation. It seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah. 30 For as Jonah became a sign to the people of Nineveh, so will the Son of Man be to this generation. 31 The queen of the South will rise up at the judgment with the men of this generation and condemn them, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and behold, something greater than Solomon is here. 32 The men of Nineveh will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and behold, something greater than Jonah is here.

The Light in You

33 “No one after lighting a lamp puts it in a cellar or under a basket, but on a stand, so that those who enter may see the light. 34 Your eye is the lamp of your body. When your eye is healthy, your whole body is full of light, but when it is bad, your body is full of darkness. 35 Therefore be careful lest the light in you be darkness. 36 If then your whole body is full of light, having no part dark, it will be wholly bright, as when a lamp with its rays gives you light.”

Woes to the Pharisees and Lawyers

37 While Jesus was speaking, a Pharisee asked him to dine with him, so he went in and reclined at table. 38 The Pharisee was astonished to see that he did not first wash before dinner. 39 And the Lord said to him, “Now you Pharisees cleanse the outside of the cup and of the dish, but inside you are full of greed and wickedness. 40 You fools! Did not he who made the outside make the inside also? 41 But give as alms those things that are within, and behold, everything is clean for you.

42 “But woe to you Pharisees! For you tithe mint and rue and every herb, and neglect justice and the love of God. These you ought to have done, without neglecting the others. 43 Woe to you Pharisees! For you love the best seat in the synagogues and greetings in the marketplaces. 44 Woe to you! For you are like unmarked graves, and people walk over them without knowing it.”

45 One of the lawyers answered him, “Teacher, in saying these things you insult us also.” 46 And he said, “Woe to you lawyers also! For you load people with burdens hard to bear, and you yourselves do not touch the burdens with one of your fingers. 47 Woe to you! For you build the tombs of the prophets whom your fathers killed. 48 So you are witnesses and you consent to the deeds of your fathers, for they killed them, and you build their tombs. 49 Therefore also the Wisdom of God said, ‘I will send them prophets and apostles, some of whom they will kill and persecute,’ 50 so that the blood of all the prophets, shed from the foundation of the world, may be charged against this generation, 51 from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah, who perished between the altar and the sanctuary. Yes, I tell you, it will be required of this generation. 52 Woe to you lawyers! For you have taken away the key of knowledge. You did not enter yourselves, and you hindered those who were entering.”

53 As he went away from there, the scribes and the Pharisees began to press him hard and to provoke him to speak about many things, 54 lying in wait for him, to catch him in something he might say.

The Ten Commandments 2023, The Law of God, 5, 6

Honor your mother and Father

Thou shalt not kill.

"Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee." Exodus 20:12

Here is God's plan for the Family. Children grow, leave their mother and father, join together, and become one.

"Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh." Genesis 2:24

And so the cycle goes. But it is important to realize that children are a gift from God.

"Lo, children are an heritage of the Lord: and the fruit of the womb is his reward. As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth. Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them: they shall not be ashamed, but they shall speak with the enemies in the gate." Psalm 127:3-5

Also in Psalms...

"Blessed is every one that feareth the Lord; that walketh in his ways. For thou shalt eat the labour of thine hands: happy shalt thou be, and it shall be well with thee.

Thy wife shall be as a fruitful vine by the sides of thine house: thy children like olive plants round about thy table. Behold, that thus shall the man be blessed that feareth the Lord. The Lord shall bless thee out of Zion: and thou shalt see the good of Jerusalem all the days of thy life. Yea, thou shalt see thy children's children, and peace upon Israel." Psalm 128:1-6

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

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

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

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

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

"Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as it is fit in the Lord.

Husbands, love your wives, and be not bitter against them.

Children, obey your parents in all things: for this is well pleasing unto the Lord.

Fathers, provoke not your children to anger, lest they be discouraged." Colossians 3:18-21

So let's look at this. Also in Ephesians.

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

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

"Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;" Ephesians 5:25

Your wife is the mother of your greatest gift, obviously, I'm talking to the men here, your children. She is to be loved and honored. She should not have to go out there in the world and deal with the things YOU, as the husband should be doing. You should be out there, toiling and sweating, working hard, to supply for your family.

This is also the reason God did not invent daycare. It was never his intent to send your child off to strangers to raise. But I understand, again, we live in a 24/7 society, and money is needed to simply survive. If the man is unable to earn enough, then the woman is forced to help out in that area. But that was never God's intent.

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

But then God commands the parent, to honor their children. Treat them with love and kindness. Teach them the ways they should go, according to the Will and Word of God. Then, when they grow, they will not have deep-seated anger or hatred towards you.

"He answered and said unto them, Well hath Esaias prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, This people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men, as the washing of pots and cups: and many other such like things ye do.

And he said unto them, Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition. For Moses said, Honour thy father and thy mother; and, Whoso curseth father or mother, let him die the death: But ye say, If a man shall say to his father or mother, It is Corban, that is to say, a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me; he shall be free. And ye suffer him no more to do ought for his father or his mother; Making the word of God of none effect through your tradition, which ye have delivered: and many such like things do ye." Mark 7:6-13

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

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

"Thou shalt not kill." Exodus 20:13

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

"And God blessed Noah and his sons and said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth. The fear of you and the dread of you shall be upon every beast of the earth and upon every bird of the heavens, upon everything that creeps on the ground and all the fish of the sea. Into your hand they are delivered. Every moving thing that lives shall be food for you. And as I gave you the green plants, I give you everything. 

But you shall not eat flesh with its life, that is, its blood.  And for your lifeblood I will require a reckoning: from every beast I will require it and from man. From his fellow man I will require a reckoning for the life of man.

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

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

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

We are made in the image of God. Our mind is the thing that makes us, us. Our intelligence, will, emotions, desires, reasoning, ETC. fashioned after God the Father. Our flesh, after Jesus, the flesh of God. Then our soul. What lives on when the flesh dies, after the Holy Spirit. Three, yet one.

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

There are four primary ways to end human life.

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

In Psalms...

"For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother's womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them.

How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them! If I would count them, they are more than the sand. I awake, and I am still with you." Psalm 139:13-18

Remember, God made us. He created us. He created you. You were fashioned per God's Will. You are, the way you are, for a reason. You are the most important thing on Earth to God. You are.

Premeditated Murder

In Numbers...

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

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

Justifiable Killing

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

Accidental Death

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

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

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

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

So what is this City of Refuge thing? Let's say you are driving down the road. A child, say 9 years old, darts out in front of you. You are doing everything right. Going the speed limit. Wearing your seat belt. Being observant. But the child runs right in front of your car. There is absolutely NOTHING you can do. You strike that child with your car, and you kill that child.

Now the Police come, investigate, and find you innocent of any wrongdoing. You are not even arrested for anything. There was nothing you could have done to prevent the death of the child. I can not even imagine that. You are indeed innocent. However, the family of that child, may not be forgiving towards you. They may indeed seek to kill you, even though it was an accident. So God set up cities, where someone in this type of situation, could go to escape the wrath of the family of the lost loved ones. If they killed you, would they be guilty of murder? Of course. You are innocent. So they would be arrested and charged with murder and would indeed be guilty and worthy of death themselves. That would not change the fact you are dead already.

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

God understands and makes a very CLEAR distinction between Accidental Death and Murder. He also lets us know, that the taking of the life of a murderer, IS a justifiable killing.

Abortion.

It is said, for every 1,000 live births in the U.S., 219 pregnancies end with a murdered child, through abortion. Yes, abortion IS the murder of innocent life. I understand some do not want to accept that. I understand that we had a group of people in black robes, in the sixties, say that a woman can "choose" to murder her child. That doesn't make it right. Just because something is legal in the country, doesn't mean it's OK. No one has the "right" to murder an innocent child. No one. Thankfully that has been overturned and we are starting to win that battle. 

God knows you before you are you. You are YOU because God said so. Remember the five steps of an Anointed Life? God foreknows you, sets up a destiny, a plan, and purpose for you and calls you to accept it, justifies you, and then glorifies you.

We talked about this before. You are fashioned according to God's Will. Remember...

""For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother's womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them.

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

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

"When men strive together and hit a pregnant woman, so that her children come out, but there is no harm, the one who hit her shall surely be fined, as the woman's husband shall impose on him, and he shall pay as the judges determine." Exodus 21:22-25

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

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

God is talking about an unborn child here. God says that if men strive to hurt a woman "with child," or do so with the intent to harm that child, they are guilty of the murder of the most innocent of life. If they interfere with God's plan, then the price is simple. If God said, you will have two legs and two arms, and man interferes with that, causing the child to be born with only one arm, then the one that caused it, is required to give up theirs. That is how important that God sees the unborn. His greatest gift to us, save salvation itself, is children. Of course, abortion is murder. The murder of the most innocent of all life.

Next time we will be discussing Commandments 7 "Thou shalt not commit adultery." and 8 "Thou shalt not steal." You may be surprised to find that you may be guilty of both. The only way to ensure that you are forgiven of these, and all sins, is to be adopted into the Family of God.

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 believed He rose from the dead. 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 you shall confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus, and shall believe in your heart that God hath raised him from the dead, you shall 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, comment, questions, give testimonials, or just say "Hi," the Email is opntalk@gmail.com

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

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

Book of Luke, Chapter 10

 Chapter 10

Jesus Sends Out the Seventy-Two

10 After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them on ahead of him, two by two, into every town and place where he himself was about to go. 2 And he said to them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest. 3 Go your way; behold, I am sending you out as lambs in the midst of wolves. 4 Carry no moneybag, no knapsack, no sandals, and greet no one on the road. 5 Whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace be to this house!’ 6 And if a son of peace is there, your peace will rest upon him. But if not, it will return to you. 7 And remain in the same house, eating and drinking what they provide, for the laborer deserves his wages. Do not go from house to house. 8 Whenever you enter a town and they receive you, eat what is set before you. 9 Heal the sick in it and say to them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’ 10 But whenever you enter a town and they do not receive you, go into its streets and say, 11 ‘Even the dust of your town that clings to our feet we wipe off against you. Nevertheless know this, that the kingdom of God has come near.’ 12 I tell you, it will be more bearable on that day for Sodom than for that town.

Woe to Unrepentant Cities

13 “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes. 14 But it will be more bearable in the judgment for Tyre and Sidon than for you. 15 And you, Capernaum, will you be exalted to heaven? You shall be brought down to Hades.

16 “The one who hears you hears me, and the one who rejects you rejects me, and the one who rejects me rejects him who sent me.”

The Return of the Seventy-Two

17 The seventy-two returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in your name!” 18 And he said to them, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. 19 Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall hurt you. 20 Nevertheless, do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.”

Jesus Rejoices in the Father's Will

21 In that same hour he rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and said, “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children; yes, Father, for such was your gracious will. 22 All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows who the Son is except the Father, or who the Father is except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.”

23 Then turning to the disciples he said privately, “Blessed are the eyes that see what you see! 24 For I tell you that many prophets and kings desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.”

The Parable of the Good Samaritan

25 And behold, a lawyer stood up to put him to the test, saying, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” 26 He said to him, “What is written in the Law? How do you read it?” 27 And he answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.” 28 And he said to him, “You have answered correctly; do this, and you will live.”

29 But he, desiring to justify himself, said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” 30 Jesus replied, “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among robbers, who stripped him and beat him and departed, leaving him half dead. 31 Now by chance a priest was going down that road, and when he saw him he passed by on the other side. 32 So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. 33 But a Samaritan, as he journeyed, came to where he was, and when he saw him, he had compassion. 34 He went to him and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he set him on his own animal and brought him to an inn and took care of him. 35 And the next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, ‘Take care of him, and whatever more you spend, I will repay you when I come back.’ 36 Which of these three, do you think, proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers?” 37 He said, “The one who showed him mercy.” And Jesus said to him, “You go, and do likewise.”

Martha and Mary

38 Now as they went on their way, Jesus entered a village. And a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house. 39 And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet and listened to his teaching. 40 But Martha was distracted with much serving. And she went up to him and said, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me.” 41 But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, 42 but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.”

The Ten Commandments 2023, The Law of God, 3, 4

 "You shall therefore lay up these words of mine in your heart and in your soul, and you shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall teach them to your children, talking of them when you are sitting in your house, and when you are walking by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates, that your days and the days of your children may be multiplied in the land that the Lord swore to your fathers to give them, as long as the heavens are above the earth."

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

“See, I am setting before you today a blessing and a curse: the blessing, if you obey the commandments of the Lord your God, which I command you today, and the curse, if you do not obey the commandments of the Lord your God, but turn aside from the way that I am commanding you today, to go after other gods that you have not known." Deuteronomy 11:26-28

Last time we talked about Commandments One, and Two. Have no other Gods before God, and Do not Commit Idolatry. Today we will be discussing Commandments Three and Four.

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

There are a few different ways, but here are the three ways most common, that you can take the Lord's name in vain. They are:

To Curse
To Denounce
To Swear By

To Curse

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

"Now an Israelite woman's son, whose father was an Egyptian, went out among the people of Israel. And the Israelite woman's son and a man of Israel fought in the camp, and the Israelite woman's son blasphemed the Name, and cursed. Then they brought him to Moses. His mother's name was Shelomith, the daughter of Dibri, of the tribe of Dan. And they put him in custody, till the will of the Lord should be clear to them.

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

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

Two, words have power. God created all that is, was, or ever will be, with words. The Word declares, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was at the beginning with God. All things were made by him, and without him was not anything made that was made." Later, "And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us." Jesus told us, "Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away." You as a Child of God?

"For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith." Mark 11:23

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

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

Now let's say you say something like "God bless you." Or "Jesus loves you." Now when that person is channel surfing or scanning the Internet, or walking down the street, when they come onto one of those corner preachers. They hear or see, "God so loved the world, He gave his only begotten Son." "Jesus Saves" Or something to that effect. They may actually remember YOU. Instead of just ignoring it, YOU pop into their head. They think to themselves, "Oh yeah, like that person I cut off, or bumped and then cursed out. Whatever. They were so calm about it. I would want to rip someone's head off if they did that to me, yet, they blessed me? What is this all about anyway?" They learn the Truth and are now saved. Do you know it? Nope. Will you even meet that person again? Nope. But what you did and what you said at that moment in time, made all the difference in the world to that person.

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

After all, Jesus told us

"Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven." Matthew 18:18

To Denounce

Jesus told us

"But he that shall blaspheme against the Holy Ghost hath never forgiveness, but is in danger of eternal damnation." Mark 3:29

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

To Swear By

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

"Again, ye have heard that it hath been said by them of old time, Thou shalt not forswear thyself, but shalt perform unto the Lord thine oaths: But I say unto you, Swear not at all; neither by heaven; for it is God's throne: Nor by the earth; for it is his footstool: neither by Jerusalem; for it is the city of the great King.

Neither shalt thou swear by thy head, because thou canst not make one hair white or black. But let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil." Matthew 5:33-37

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

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

"Remember the Sabbath Day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: But the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it." Exodus 20:8-11

Now this one is one of those that have been completely forgotten. It has also been twisted, changed, and some can not even understand what it means, the lack of teaching. First, Saturday is now and has always been, the Sabbath. That is what Saturday means. Sabbath Day. Sunday is now, and always has been, the first day of the week. So if you want to go by the letter of the Law, you should be keeping Saturday as the Sabbath.

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

1 - Pray, and spend time with God.

You should, of course, Pray to God always. But when you have more than that five minutes before you go to work, school, or whatever it is you are doing, you should spend more time with Him. We have learned that God is the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. The Lord of Lords and the King of Kings. He is the Creator of all that is, was, and ever will be. He is now, also, your Daddy.

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

2 - Read the Bible.

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

3- Go to Church.

You can learn much about God, by spending time with your brothers and sisters in Christ. You can also feed your spirit. It can, and will, make you stronger. Not only can God communicate with you in your prayer closet, by use of His Word, but He can communicate with you through others. You would be surprised by what you learn when you are actually helping others. Even if it doesn't seem like it at the time.

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

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

In Deuteronomy.....

"You shall not add to the word that I command you, nor take from it, that you may keep the commandments of the Lord your God that I command you." Deuteronomy 4:2

Where in the Word, does GOD say, you can not walk more than 3637 feet on the Sabbath? It doesn't. Nowhere in the Word, does GOD say, Thou shalt eat, or not eat, this or that on the Sabbath. Nowhere in the Word does GOD say, that you can change this or that, according to your concept.

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

"At that time Jesus went on the sabbath day through the corn; and his disciples were an hungred, and began to pluck the ears of corn and to eat. But when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto him, Behold, thy disciples do that which is not lawful to do upon the sabbath day.

But he said unto them, Have ye not read what David did, when he was an hungred, and they that were with him; How he entered into the house of God, and did eat the shewbread, which was not lawful for him to eat, neither for them which were with him, but only for the priests? Or have ye not read in the law, how that on the sabbath days the priests in the temple profane the sabbath, and are blameless?

But I say unto you, That in this place is one greater than the temple. But if ye had known what this meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice, ye would not have condemned the guiltless. For the Son of man is Lord even of the sabbath day." Matthew 12:1-14

Jesus told them that HE is Lord over the Sabbath, and what He does, or what those who have His Spirit in them do is not a violation. But the Sabbath is for man. Continuing...

"And when he was departed thence, he went into their synagogue: And, behold, there was a man which had his hand withered. And they asked him, saying, Is it lawful to heal on the sabbath days? that they might accuse him.

And he said unto them, What man shall there be among you, that shall have one sheep, and if it fall into a pit on the sabbath day, will he not lay hold on it, and lift it out? How much then is a man better than a sheep? Wherefore it is lawful to do well on the sabbath days.

Then saith he to the man, Stretch forth thine hand. And he stretched it forth; and it was restored whole, like as the other. Then the Pharisees went out, and held a council against him, how they might destroy him."

Again, Jesus told them the truth. All that was there knew, was that they would indeed rescue the sheep on the Sabbath. But their traditions still say it is against the law, so they were still angry and sought to kill Jesus for violating their traditions. Their religion. Then in Mark.

"He answered and said unto them, Well hath Esaias prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, This people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men, as the washing of pots and cups: and many other such like things ye do.

And he said unto them, Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition." Mark 7:6-9

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

In Luke...

"And it came to pass also on another sabbath, that he entered into the synagogue and taught: and there was a man whose right hand was withered. And the scribes and Pharisees watched him, whether he would heal on the sabbath day; that they might find an accusation against him.

But he knew their thoughts, and said to the man which had the withered hand, Rise up, and stand forth in the midst. And he arose and stood forth.Then said Jesus unto them, I will ask you one thing; Is it lawful on the sabbath days to do good, or to do evil? to save life, or to destroy it? And looking round about upon them all, he said unto the man, Stretch forth thy hand. And he did so: and his hand was restored whole as the other." Luke 6:6-10

Then

"And he was teaching in one of the synagogues on the sabbath. And, behold, there was a woman which had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bowed together, and could in no wise lift up herself. And when Jesus saw her, he called her to him, and said unto her, Woman, thou art loosed from thine infirmity. And he laid his hands on her: and immediately she was made straight, and glorified God.

And the ruler of the synagogue answered with indignation, because that Jesus had healed on the sabbath day, and said unto the people, There are six days in which men ought to work: in them therefore come and be healed, and not on the sabbath day." Luke 13:10-17

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

You see, even today, there are many people in organized religions that feel that they are the highest power. The final authority. That THEY are the is-all and end-all of all things. Here is Jesus telling them, NO. They are not, God IS.

"The Lord then answered him, and said, Thou hypocrite, doth not each one of you on the sabbath loose his ox or his ass from the stall, and lead him away to watering? And ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan hath bound, lo, these eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the sabbath day?

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

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

Number 4 - REST!!!

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

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

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

To recap a bit here. The Sabbath is made for YOU. It is a day of rest. Pray, and spend time with God. Read the Word, and spend time with God. Go to Church, and spend time with God and others whom you can learn from and grow from. Last? Actually REST.

These first Four Commandments are simple to understand.

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

Jesus Himself summed them all up with this.

 "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment." Matthew 22:37-38

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

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

"Oh heavenly Father, Lord God. I am a sinner. I know this. I know there is nothing I can do to change that. But I know you can. I accept Jesus's sacrifice for me. I believed He rose from the dead. 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 you shalt confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in your heart that God hath raised him from the dead, you shall 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, comment, ask questions, give testimonials, or just say "Hi," the Email is opntalk@gmail.com

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

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

Book of Luke, Chapter 9

 Chapter 9

Jesus Sends Out the Twelve Apostles

9 And he called the twelve together and gave them power and authority over all demons and to cure diseases, 2 and he sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal. 3 And he said to them, “Take nothing for your journey, no staff, nor bag, nor bread, nor money; and do not have two tunics. 4 And whatever house you enter, stay there, and from there depart. 5 And wherever they do not receive you, when you leave that town shake off the dust from your feet as a testimony against them.” 6 And they departed and went through the villages, preaching the gospel and healing everywhere.

Herod Is Perplexed by Jesus

7 Now Herod the tetrarch heard about all that was happening, and he was perplexed, because it was said by some that John had been raised from the dead, 8 by some that Elijah had appeared, and by others that one of the prophets of old had risen. 9 Herod said, “John I beheaded, but who is this about whom I hear such things?” And he sought to see him.

Jesus Feeds the Five Thousand

10 On their return the apostles told him all that they had done. And he took them and withdrew apart to a town called Bethsaida. 11 When the crowds learned it, they followed him, and he welcomed them and spoke to them of the kingdom of God and cured those who had need of healing. 12 Now the day began to wear away, and the twelve came and said to him, “Send the crowd away to go into the surrounding villages and countryside to find lodging and get provisions, for we are here in a desolate place.” 13 But he said to them, “You give them something to eat.” They said, “We have no more than five loaves and two fish—unless we are to go and buy food for all these people.” 14 For there were about five thousand men. And he said to his disciples, “Have them sit down in groups of about fifty each.” 15 And they did so, and had them all sit down. 16 And taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven and said a blessing over them. Then he broke the loaves and gave them to the disciples to set before the crowd. 17 And they all ate and were satisfied. And what was left over was picked up, twelve baskets of broken pieces.

Peter Confesses Jesus as the Christ

18 Now it happened that as he was praying alone, the disciples were with him. And he asked them, “Who do the crowds say that I am?” 19 And they answered, “John the Baptist. But others say, Elijah, and others, that one of the prophets of old has risen.” 20 Then he said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” And Peter answered, “The Christ of God.”

Jesus Foretells His Death

21 And he strictly charged and commanded them to tell this to no one, 22 saying, “The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised.”

Take Up Your Cross and Follow Jesus

23 And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. 24 For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it. 25 For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses or forfeits himself? 26 For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words, of him will the Son of Man be ashamed when he comes in his glory and the glory of the Father and of the holy angels. 27 But I tell you truly, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God.”

The Transfiguration

28 Now about eight days after these sayings he took with him Peter and John and James and went up on the mountain to pray. 29 And as he was praying, the appearance of his face was altered, and his clothing became dazzling white. 30 And behold, two men were talking with him, Moses and Elijah, 31 who appeared in glory and spoke of his departure, which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem. 32 Now Peter and those who were with him were heavy with sleep, but when they became fully awake they saw his glory and the two men who stood with him. 33 And as the men were parting from him, Peter said to Jesus, “Master, it is good that we are here. Let us make three tents, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah”—not knowing what he said. 34 As he was saying these things, a cloud came and overshadowed them, and they were afraid as they entered the cloud. 35 And a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is my Son, my Chosen One; listen to him!” 36 And when the voice had spoken, Jesus was found alone. And they kept silent and told no one in those days anything of what they had seen.

Jesus Heals a Boy with an Unclean Spirit

37 On the next day, when they had come down from the mountain, a great crowd met him. 38 And behold, a man from the crowd cried out, “Teacher, I beg you to look at my son, for he is my only child. 39 And behold, a spirit seizes him, and he suddenly cries out. It convulses him so that he foams at the mouth, and shatters him, and will hardly leave him. 40 And I begged your disciples to cast it out, but they could not.” 41 Jesus answered, “O faithless and twisted generation, how long am I to be with you and bear with you? Bring your son here.” 42 While he was coming, the demon threw him to the ground and convulsed him. But Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit and healed the boy, and gave him back to his father. 43 And all were astonished at the majesty of God.

Jesus Again Foretells His Death

But while they were all marveling at everything he was doing, Jesus said to his disciples, 44 “Let these words sink into your ears: The Son of Man is about to be delivered into the hands of men.” 45 But they did not understand this saying, and it was concealed from them, so that they might not perceive it. And they were afraid to ask him about this saying.

Who Is the Greatest?

46 An argument arose among them as to which of them was the greatest. 47 But Jesus, knowing the reasoning of their hearts, took a child and put him by his side 48 and said to them, “Whoever receives this child in my name receives me, and whoever receives me receives him who sent me. For he who is least among you all is the one who is great.”

Anyone Not Against Us Is For Us

49 John answered, “Master, we saw someone casting out demons in your name, and we tried to stop him, because he does not follow with us.” 50 But Jesus said to him, “Do not stop him, for the one who is not against you is for you.”

A Samaritan Village Rejects Jesus

51 When the days drew near for him to be taken up, he set his face to go to Jerusalem. 52 And he sent messengers ahead of him, who went and entered a village of the Samaritans, to make preparations for him. 53 But the people did not receive him, because his face was set toward Jerusalem. 54 And when his disciples James and John saw it, they said, “Lord, do you want us to tell fire to come down from heaven and consume them?” 55 But he turned and rebuked them. 56 And they went on to another village.

The Cost of Following Jesus

57 As they were going along the road, someone said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.” 58 And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.” 59 To another he said, “Follow me.” But he said, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.” 60 And Jesus said to him, “Leave the dead to bury their own dead. But as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God.” 61 Yet another said, “I will follow you, Lord, but let me first say farewell to those at my home.” 62 Jesus said to him, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.”