The Ten Commandments 2022, 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 to memorize in order. They were not given to us for our kids to learn how to say in order in Sunday School. In Deuteronomy 11, God Makes it clear.

“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, whatever, someone offends you in some way. What do you do? You now have a choice. Here are two possible scenarios to think about.

First, you could get mad, and yell something like "God Damn You." Or something like "Jesus H Christ, drop dead already." You get the point. Now that person goes on with their life. Say they are channel surfing or scanning 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 had. YOU have a responsibility to watch what you say and how you say it. There is power in Words. Being a Child of God, you have 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, from 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, 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 a lot about God, by spending time with your Brothers and Sisters in Christ. You can also feed your Spirit. It can, and will, make you stronger. Not only can God communicate with you in your Prayer Closet, by use of His Word, but He can communicate with you through others. You would be surprised what you learn when you are actually helping others. Even if it doesn't seem like it at the time.

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

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

In Deuteronomy.....

"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, you 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

You see, it was Man that made the Rules and Regulations, you should not pick crops, considered work, on the Sabbath Day. Jesus told them that HE is Lord over the Sabbath, and what He does, or 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, 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, 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.

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

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

Book of Isaiah, Chapter 53

 Chapter 53

1 Who has believed what he has heard from us?

    And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?

2 For he grew up before him like a young plant,

    and like a root out of dry ground;

he had no form or majesty that we should look at him,

    and no beauty that we should desire him.

3 He was despised and rejected by men,

    a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief;

and as one from whom men hide their faces

    he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

4 Surely he has borne our griefs

    and carried our sorrows;

yet we esteemed him stricken,

    smitten by God, and afflicted.

5 But he was pierced for our transgressions;

    he was crushed for our iniquities;

upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace,

    and with his wounds, we are healed.

6 All we like sheep have gone astray;

    we have turned—every one—to his own way;

and the Lord has laid on him

    the iniquity of us all.

7 He was oppressed, and he was afflicted,

    yet he opened not his mouth;

like a lamb that is led to the slaughter,

    and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent,

    so he opened not his mouth.

8 By oppression and judgment he was taken away;

    and as for his generation, who considered

that he was cut off out of the land of the living,

    stricken for the transgression of my people?

9 And they made his grave with the wicked

    and with a rich man in his death,

although he had done no violence,

    and there was no deceit in his mouth.

10 Yet it was the will of the Lord to crush him;

    he has put him to grief;

when his soul makes an offering for guilt,

    he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days;

the will of the Lord shall prosper in his hand.

11 Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see and be satisfied;

by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant,

    make many to be accounted righteous,

    and he shall bear their iniquities.

12 Therefore I will divide him a portion with the many,

    and he shall divide the spoil with the strong,

because he poured out his soul to death

    and was numbered with the transgressors;

yet he bore the sin of many,

    and makes intercession for the transgressors.

The Ten Commandments 2022, The Law of God, 1, 2

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

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

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

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

"My son, keep thy father's commandment, and forsake not the law of thy mother: Bind them continually upon thine heart, and tie them about thy neck. When thou goest, it shall lead thee; when thou sleepest, it shall keep thee; and when thou awakest, it shall talk with thee. For the commandment is a lamp; and the law is light; and reproofs of instruction are the way of life: " Proverbs 6:20-23

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

You can find them in.

Exodus 20:1-17

"And God spake all these words, saying, I am the Lord thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. Thou shalt have no other gods before me.

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

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.

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.

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

Thou shalt not kill.

Thou shalt not commit adultery.

Thou shalt not steal.

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. "

Also in Deuteronomy 5

Now these commandments given to us by God Himself, are simple to understand. They are not something to be learned how to say in order in Sunday school. Nor something we should look at and say, yeah, makes sense. They are something given to us by God, to keep always.

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

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

"I am the Lord thy God, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage. Thou shalt have none other gods before me." Exodus 20:2-3

It seems pretty simple.

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

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

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

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

"There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death."

"For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father." Romans 8:1-2,15

God is the one that sets you free. Jesus is the one that paid the price. Yes. God DID bring you out "from the house of bondage."

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

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

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

"Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.

Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven." Matthew 5:17-20

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

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

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

Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee; Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift.

Agree with thine adversary quickly, whiles thou art in the way with him; lest at any time the adversary deliver thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and thou be cast into prison. Verily I say unto thee, Thou shalt by no means come out thence, till thou hast paid the uttermost farthing.

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.

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.

Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth: But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloak also. And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain. Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away.

Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same? And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so? Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect."

Jesus did not come to do away with The Law. He enhanced it. He summed them up this way

"Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets." Matthew 22:36-40

Churches, religions, get so caught up in the teaching of their traditions, that they lose track of God Himself. They teach things that are contrary to God. In some cases, they leave God out altogether. God is also not some old man, sitting on a throne, waiting to throw you in hell. Get to know the real God. Our Father. Worship Him alone.

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

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

"And when the people saw that Moses delayed to come down out of the mount, the people gathered themselves together unto Aaron, and said unto him, Up, make us gods, which shall go before us; for as for this Moses, the man that brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we wot not what is become of him. And Aaron said unto them, Break off the golden earrings, which are in the ears of your wives, of your sons, and of your daughters, and bring them unto me. And all the people brake off the golden earrings which were in their ears, and brought them unto Aaron.

And he received them at their hand, and fashioned it with a graving tool, after he had made it a molten calf: and they said, These be thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt. And when Aaron saw it, he built an altar before it; and Aaron made proclamation, and said, To morrow is a feast to the Lord. And they rose up early on the morrow, and offered burnt offerings, and brought peace offerings; and the people sat down to eat and to drink, and rose up to play.

And the Lord said unto Moses, Go, get thee down; for thy people, which thou broughtest out of the land of Egypt, have corrupted themselves: They have turned aside quickly out of the way which I commanded them: they have made them a molten calf, and have worshipped it, and have sacrificed thereunto, and said, These be thy gods, O Israel, which have brought thee up out of the land of Egypt. And the Lord said unto Moses, I have seen this people, and, behold, it is a stiffnecked people:

Now therefore let me alone, that my wrath may wax hot against them, and that I may consume them: and I will make of thee a great nation." Exodus 32:1-10

God is serious about this folks. He was ready to destroy the Jewish people that He brought out of bondage in Egypt. Then Moses convinced God to repent. Can you imagine? Moses is telling God to repent....11-14

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

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

Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, thy servants, to whom thou swarest by thine own self, and saidst unto them, I will multiply your seed as the stars of heaven, and all this land that I have spoken of will I give unto your seed, and they shall inherit it for ever. And the Lord repented of the evil which he thought to do unto his people."

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

In.

Deuteronomy 4:15-19

"Take ye therefore good heed unto yourselves; for ye saw no manner of similitude on the day that the Lord spake unto you in Horeb out of the midst of the fire: Lest ye corrupt yourselves, and make you a graven image, the similitude of any figure, the likeness of male or female, The likeness of any beast that is on the earth, the likeness of any winged fowl that flieth in the air, The likeness of any thing that creepeth on the ground, the likeness of any fish that is in the waters beneath the earth:"

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

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

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

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

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

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

God is the same way. Remember the key? Jesus. "I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." Not this saint or that one. Not Mary. Not the statue of Jesus, but Jesus Himself. That Statue of whatever has no life in it. It will do you no good. Neither will any other than Jesus Himself. Mary, the prophets, John, Paul, Peter, whatever, were for a time, and are now in heaven with God. Just like you will be when you leave. So they can not do anything for you themselves. Let alone their likenesses.

Paul told the early Church when a dispute arose about forcing gentiles {Non-Jews} to be circumcised and follow the law, That all the gentiles needed to do to be saved is believe in Jesus and keep God's commandments,

"Since we have heard that some persons have gone out from us and troubled you with words, unsettling your minds, although we gave them no instructions,  it has seemed good to us, having come to one accord, to choose men and send them to you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul, men who have risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

We have therefore sent Judas and Silas, who themselves will tell you the same things by word of mouth. For it has seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay on you no greater burden than these requirements: that you abstain from what has been sacrificed to idols, and from blood, and from what has been strangled, and from sexual immorality. If you keep yourselves from these, you will do well. Farewell.." Acts 15:24-29

Also in.

Jeremiah 10:1-25

"Hear the word that the Lord speaks to you, O house of Israel. Thus says the Lord:

“Learn not the way of the nations, nor be dismayed at the signs of the heavens because the nations are dismayed at them, for the customs of the peoples are vanity. A tree from the forest is cut down and worked with an axe by the hands of a craftsman. They decorate it with silver and gold; they fasten it with hammer and nails so that it cannot move.

Their idols are like scarecrows in a cucumber field, and they cannot speak; they have to be carried, for they cannot walk. Do not be afraid of them, for they cannot do evil, neither is it in them to do good.”

There is none like you, O Lord; you are great, and your name is great in might. Who would not fear you, O King of the nations? For this is your due; for among all the wise ones of the nations and in all their kingdoms there is none like you. They are both stupid and foolish; the instruction of idols is but wood! Beaten silver is brought from Tarshish, and gold from Uphaz. They are the work of the craftsman and of the hands of the goldsmith; their clothing is violet and purple;  they are all the work of skilled men. But the Lord is the true God; he is the living God and the everlasting King. At his wrath the earth quakes, and the nations cannot endure his indignation.

Thus shall you say to them: “The gods who did not make the heavens and the earth shall perish from the earth and from under the heavens.” It is he who made the earth by his power, who established the world by his wisdom, and by his understanding stretched out the heavens. When he utters his voice, there is a tumult of waters in the heavens, and he makes the mist rise from the ends of the earth. He makes lightning for the rain, and he brings forth the wind from his storehouses. Every man is stupid and without knowledge;  every goldsmith is put to shame by his idols, for his images are false, and there is no breath in them. They are worthless, a work of delusion; at the time of their punishment they shall perish. Not like these is he who is the portion of Jacob, for he is the one who formed all things, and Israel is the tribe of his inheritance; the Lord of hosts is his name.

Gather up your bundle from the ground, O you who dwell under siege!
For thus says the Lord: “Behold, I am slinging out the inhabitants of the land  at this time, and I will bring distress on them, that they may feel it.”

Woe is me because of my hurt! My wound is grievous. But I said, “Truly this is an affliction,  and I must bear it.” My tent is destroyed, and all my cords are broken; my children have gone from me, and they are not; there is no one to spread my tent again and to set up my curtains. For the shepherds are stupid  and do not inquire of the Lord; therefore they have not prospered, and all their flock is scattered.

A voice, a rumor! Behold, it comes! a great commotion out of the north country to make the cities of Judah a desolation, a lair of jackals.

I know, O Lord, that the way of man is not in himself, that it is not in man who walks to direct his steps. Correct me, O Lord, but in justice; not in your anger, lest you bring me to nothing.

Pour out your wrath on the nations that know you not, and on the peoples that call not on your name, for they have devoured Jacob; they have devoured him and consumed him, and have laid waste his habitation."

Again, what the Word is telling us is that these things, created by man, will perish with time. A fire will consume that statue as well as it will destroy anything else. It will not protect you. It will not benefit you in any way. Only the true and living God can, and will.

The Word makes it even easier to understand in 1 Thessalonians 1:9-10

"For they themselves report concerning us the kind of reception we had among you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come."

We'll wrap it up today with...

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

This is he who came by water and blood—Jesus Christ; not by the water only but by the water and the blood. And the Spirit is the one who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth. For there are three that testify: the Spirit and the water and the blood; and these three agree. If we receive the testimony of men, the testimony of God is greater, for this is the testimony of God that he has borne concerning his Son. Whoever believes in the Son of God has the testimony in himself. Whoever does not believe God has made him a liar, because he has not believed in the testimony that God has borne concerning his Son.  And this is the testimony, that God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.  Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.

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

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

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

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

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

Coming up next time is Part Two, where we will discuss:

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

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

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. "because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will 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

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

Book of Isaiah, Chapter 52

 Chapter 52

The Lord's Coming Salvation

1 Awake, awake,

    put on your strength, O Zion;

put on your beautiful garments,

    O Jerusalem, the holy city;

for there shall no more come into you

    the uncircumcised and the unclean.

2 Shake yourself from the dust and arise;

    be seated, O Jerusalem;

loose the bonds from your neck,

    O captive daughter of Zion.

3 For thus says the Lord: “You were sold for nothing, and you shall be redeemed without money.” 4 For thus says the Lord God: “My people went down at the first into Egypt to sojourn there, and the Assyrian oppressed them for nothing. 5 Now therefore what have I here,” declares the Lord, “seeing that my people are taken away for nothing? Their rulers wail,” declares the Lord, “and continually all the day my name is despised. 6 Therefore my people shall know my name. Therefore in that day they shall know that it is I who speak; here I am.”

7 How beautiful upon the mountains

    are the feet of him who brings good news,

who publishes peace, who brings good news of happiness,

    who publishes salvation,

    who says to Zion, “Your God reigns.”

8 The voice of your watchmen—they lift up their voice;

    together they sing for joy;

for eye to eye they see

    the return of the Lord to Zion.

9 Break forth together into singing,

    you waste places of Jerusalem,

for the Lord has comforted his people;

    he has redeemed Jerusalem.

10 The Lord has bared his holy arm

    before the eyes of all the nations,

and all the ends of the earth shall see

    the salvation of our God.

11 Depart, depart, go out from there;

    touch no unclean thing;

go out from the midst of her; purify yourselves,

    you who bear the vessels of the Lord.

12 For you shall not go out in haste,

    and you shall not go in flight,

for the Lord will go before you,

    and the God of Israel will be your rear guard.

He Was Pierced for Our Transgressions

13 Behold, my servant shall act wisely;

    he shall be high and lifted up,

    and shall be exalted.

14 As many were astonished at you—

    his appearance was so marred, beyond human semblance,

    and his form beyond that of the children of mankind—

15 so shall he sprinkle many nations.

    Kings shall shut their mouths because of him,

for that which has not been told them they see,

    and that which they have not heard they understand.

Introduction to the Ten Commandments, 2022

 Coming up here at T.A.G.

Hey folks,

Happy New year to ya. I hope you all had a good and safe celebration of the end of 2021 and the beginning of this new year. The New Year. New beginning. Clean slate. A chance to begin anew. A time when we make new year resolutions. Promises to improve our lives and to make things better for ourselves and our families.

You are going to hear all kinds of things. You may even say some of them yourself. "I promise to lose weight." "Eat less, or healthier." "I promise to quit smoking, drinking, and swearing." Yes, I know there is a joke there somewhere. "Work less?" "Spend more time with the family?" "Go to church more?" "Be a better person?" ETC.

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

Proverbs:1-3

"My son, keep my words, and lay up my commandments with thee. Keep my commandments, and live; and my law as the apple of thine eye. Bind them upon thy fingers, write them upon the table of thine heart."

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

"My son, forget not my law; but let thine heart keep my commandments: For length of days, and long life, and peace, shall they add to thee. Let not mercy and truth forsake thee: bind them about thy neck; write them upon the table of thine heart:" Proverbs 3:1-3

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

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

Understanding the Ten Commandments is more than just counting. 1,2,3,4,5,,6,7,8,9,10. " For the length of days, and long life, and peace, shall they add to thee." Did you know that? God even gives us a promise. Follow My Law, and live.

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

Proverbs 6:20-23

"My son, keep 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: "

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

"For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous." 1 John 5:3

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

"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. He saith unto him, Which? Jesus said, Thou shalt do no murder, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Honour thy father and thy mother: and, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

The young man saith unto him, All these things have I kept from my youth up: what lack I yet? Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me." Matthew 19:16-21

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

"Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.

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

For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven." Matthew 5:17-20

IF you love Jesus, you MUST follow the Ten Commandments.

John 14:15-16

"If ye love me, keep my commandments. And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;"

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

"If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love." John 15:10

So you see how important it is to not only know what they are but to KNOW what they are. It is really hard to follow something if you have no idea what it is you are supposed to follow. So for the next five times we get together, we will go into an in-depth study of these, the Forgotten Laws of God, The Ten Commandments.

I remember a long time ago when I was first Saved and one came to me asking me about the Ten Commandments. I remember thinking "Everyone knows them." Well, it was at that moment that I learned, not everyone does. To the lost, the simple things of God, are not so simple. To the religious, the simple things of God, are not always so simple. To the child of God, sometimes it is in that simplicity, that we get lost.

Won't you join us, and get back to the basics. Just like with anything else, if you do not have a solid foundation, you can, and will, be moved. The Law of God is alive and well. The Law of God is to not only be learned but followed. It has not changed. It will not be done away with. Whatever, and however, man, attempts to discard it, does not mean it is not still there, and that God will not hold you blameless for ignoring it.

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

Peter