Tag: ten commandments

Envy the Backbone of America

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I’ve never really thought much about envy and how it plays such a big role in our culture. And just like myself, many Christians may be harboring this sin within themselves without even realizing it. But before I go into what envy is, let’s look at it from a different view. If you ever listened to the song by Waylon Jennings, Luckenbach Texas, you may relate. A portion of the chorus reads;

We’ve been so busy keepin’ up with the Jones, four car garage and we’re still building on.

See what I mean?

In the past the phrase, keeping up with the Jones, was acceptable. Today, we don’t even sugarcoat it. But it’s the desire, longing, or lusting after what someone else has, or, something even better. And envy can cause feelings of discontent, resentment, bitterness, jealousy and even hate.

But there is another word for envy many of us miss and it’s the word Covet. The very definition of Coveting is a desire, craving or yearning for what someone else possesses. Whether it’s wealth, a new home, a new car, owning your own business, traveling, buying new furniture, or the perfect dream job, it’s the very act of wanting what someone else has.

But God warned us against this in His 10 commandments. However, we know those who believe in Christ Jesus and follow Him keep these commandments by the Spirit which God has given us. It’s Grace through Faith. But look at the scripture which reads;

You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, not his male servant, nor his female servant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that is your neighbor’s.

Yes, God told from the very beginning that we should not lust, long, yearn or desire anything that our neighbor possesses. Unfortunately, many Christians have missed the connection between these two words.

But what’s even more surprising is how these words have now evolved into today’s terminology as, our passions, desires, aspirations, goals, and our best life now.

Please don’t put off repenting of this sin, because when we fail to repent of these things, it can hinder our walk with Christ…

God bless you!

Sermon on the Mount Message

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When Jesus began His ministry He went to the lost sheep of Israel, the Jewish people. And He taught them so differently than any of their past or present teachers that they were astonished. You see the culture accepted many false teachings from the scribes and Pharisees because they had no others to teach them. While they followed the High Priest and others, their lifestyle reflected a hardened heart. But when Jesus appeared and began His ministry His words cut deep.

So what exactly did Jesus teach at the Sermon of the Mount?

Jesus took one of the ten commandments, you shall not murder and expanded on it. He took this law and explained a deeper truth they had never heard. He spoke on the issue of anger and how it can lead to other offenses. Jesus tells us to reconcile ourselves (forgive) to the person and then offer your sacrifice to God.

Another ten commandment Jesus expanded on was, you shall not commit adultery and again explained it to the people in a way they had never heard before. He taught it’s not just the very act of adultery, but, it’s also when a man or woman looks at another with lust in their heart. And of course, He teaches a remedy for lust.

He also taught the Law stated a man could divorce his wife by giving her a certificate of divorce. But Jesus explains this was written because of their hard hearts. Because God had made them male and female from the beginning and when a man leaves his parents home he is to be joined to his wife and the two are united into one. It’s also why Jesus tells His disciples, whoever divorced His wife and married another, he commits adultery against her.

Jesus taught against making vows against heaven cause it’s God’s throne, by earth, it’s His footstool, by Jerusalem, it’s the city of the Great King or even by one’s head since we can’t change it’s color. But simply say yes, or no.

Jesus expanded on the commandment, Love your neighbor and taught we should love our enemies also. To do good to those who persecute us, bless those who curse you, and pray for those who spitefully use you. To turn the other cheek without exacting our own revenge and to lend to others, if they ask, without expecting anything in return.

He also taught on the right way to do good deeds, taught on Prayer and fasting, the correct way to store up treasures and not to judge others. He taught about the Golden Rule, the Narrow Gate, the Tree and it’s Fruit, True Disciples and building on a solid foundation.

All these things were taught in a way which they had never heard. Which caused many of the people to be convicted in their heart by what they heard, meaning, their hearts was open and receptive to the words of Jesus, but also rendered them guilty over their wrongdoing, their sin.

And it’s this same conviction today which leads one to repent, turn from their ways and turn to the Son of God, Jesus.

How do we turn from our ways, from sin?

First understand, we all sin making all of us sinners, and, there’s a heavy penalty for that sin and it’s death. But there is hope, there is a way out, by believing in the Son of God, Jesus. The Lord Jesus was sent by God to dwell among mankind (in the flesh), who taught we needed to repent of our sin, taught we should live a righteous life and turn back to God. Jesus became our atonement for sin and was sacrificed on a cross for our sins. Then on the third day, Jesus was raised.

Romans 3:10 – As it is written: There is none righteous, no, not one.

Romans 3:23 – For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.

Romans 5:8 – But God demonstrated His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Romans 6:23 – For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Romans 10:9,10 – That if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth He confesses, resulting in salvation.

God wants us to humble ourselves before Him, to get on our knees and confess every sin, every wrongdoing we can think of. Because nothing is done in secret, He knows all, sees all and hears all and He knows our hearts.

What Did Jesus Say?

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My journey through the scriptures led me to a place which has me questioning a remark Christ made during His sermon on the mount. During His teaching, He says;

Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the Kingdom of Heaven,
but only he who does the will of My Father in Heaven. Many will say to Me
on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your
name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them
plainly, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me you workers of lawlessness!’

Matthew 7:21-23

What did Jesus mean by this? To me the clue lies in His statement, which is, “he who does the will of My Father in Heaven.” And look what else he says, “depart from Me you workers of lawlessness.”

What is God’s will and why does Jesus call them workers of lawlessness?

Lawlessness is going against God’s Law, which means, those who don’t keep His commandments along with His ordinances and statues are considered lawbreakers. So what exactly does this mean? To answer this I revisited the scriptures found in Ezekiel which states;

I will give you a new heart an put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. I will put MY Spirit within you and cause you to walk in MY Statues, and you will keep MY Judgments and do them.

Ezekiel 36:26,27 (ISR)

From this scripture alone, we can see, God is VERY serious about walking in His Statues and His Judgments. He wants us to follow His commands and do what is right. In fact, He tells us that His Spirit will cause us to walk in His Laws and we will keep His Judgments and we will do them.

Which means, once we repent of our sins, and believe in Jesus as the Son of God, as the Christ, who came to set us free by becoming the sacrifice and paying the penalty of death, we’re given a new heart and a new Spirit, the Spirit of God. But something else I found during my study, the scriptures read;

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?

1 John 5:1-5

You see, the Apostles never taught that the commandments weren’t to be followed, it was quite the opposite. What they taught was that our FAITH and belief in Christ Jesus, Yeshua, as the Son of God would give us a new heart and a new Spirit so we could keep God’s law. To illustrate this point, look at the very words of one of the three angels written in the Book of Revelation, which reads;

Here is the patience of the saints; here are those who keep
the commandments of God AND the faith of Jesus.

Revelation 14:12

Notice what one of the three Angels said, those who KEEP God’s commandments AND the FAITH of Jesus. Meaning, this isn’t optional, it’s non-negotiable! But to illustrate this even further, let’s examine the very words of Jesus which He provided at the end of Revelation, which reads;

Blessed are those who do His commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter through the gates into the city. But outside are dogs and sorcerers and sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and whoever loves and practices a lie.

Revelation 22:14,15

So ask yourself, am I being guided by the Holy Spirit to follow God’s commands, OR, am I following a false doctrine which is twisted by man and emphasizes a belief that the Law was nailed to the cross? Because, Jesus states himself, nothing will pass from the Law until heaven and earth pass away.

Please understand, I’m NOT suggesting we follow the Law as the Jewish people did, no, what I’m trying to say is, it’s OUR FAITH in CHRIST which makes us SPIRTIUALLY keep GOD’s LAW.

But the BELIEF that the LAW was nailed to the cross is NOT biblical, per Jesus. And that’s my whole point.

Understanding Colossians 2:14

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For those of us who live in the Western world we need to remember, Jesus (Yeshua) is Jewish, so, everything He does will be inline with the Jewish culture. So let’s dive into the issue of Colossians 2:14 that many Christians misunderstand. For one to fully grasp this, I’ll post the scripture from several different Bibles which will make it easier to comprehend. The scripture states;

Colossians 2:14 NASB – Having canceled the certificate of death consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the Cross.

Colossians 2:14 NKJB – Having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.

Colossians 2:14 AMP – Having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of legal demands [which were in force] against us and which were hostile to us. And this certificate He has set aside and completely removed by nailing it to the cross.

Colossians 2:14 ISR 1998 – Having blotted out the certificate of debt against us – by the dogmas – which stood against us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the stake.

Colossians 2:14 Peshitta (Aramaic) – And He has blotted out by His authority the bill of our debts which was adverse to us and He took it from the midst and nailed it to the cross.

When Western people read this scripture they automatically think it’s referring to God’s Law, the 10 commandments that was nailed to the cross. But ask yourself, does it make sense that God would put HIS LAW within us, write it on our hearts and mind as part of the NEW COVENANT, yet, have HIS people disregard His Commandments? Does that make any sense at all?

Let’s examine and break this scripture down.

God’s Law, the ten commandments, were taught in every synagogue on the Sabbath and we know from scripture that Paul stated multiple times that the Law is Holy. So when Paul states, “having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of legal demands” OR “dogmas” OR “handwriting of requirements” he’s referring to the laws, the decrees that the Pharisees, Scribes along with the Roman rulers, Pharaoh, added on top of God’s law. Making it impossible to follow God’s Commandments. Remember, the Roman rulers were the Beast system during that time.

And, if you continue reading you’ll soon realize just “why” the Apostle Paul stated to the people, why do you submit yourself to decrees, such as, Do not handle, do not taste, do not touch! He was making a point, which was, these are man’s rules, not God’s. Jesus came to remove that penalty for breaking God’s Law NOT to remove the ten commandments. They were NEVER nailed to the cross, only the commandments of men, their decrees, their dogma and legal demands.

For those who are wondering about the statement made, “So let no one judge you in food or in drink, or in regard to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbat”. At that time the Church was being attacked by Orthodox Judaism stating the Jewish people had to be circumcised, had to celebrate other feast and sabbaths that were NOT given by God not to mention the celebrations the Roman Empire inflicted. So Paul was making it clear to the people that when you accept Yeshua as the Lord and believe in Him He would remove the penalty of death, and give them the Holy Spirit so they would be able to follow God’s Law spiritually. This is also the reason Jesus went off on the Scribes and Pharisees when He spoke the many WOE’s against them. But to the crowds and to His disciples He says;

“The scribes and Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. So practice and observe everything they
tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach. 
They tie up heavy, burdensome loads and lay them on men’s shoulders, but they
themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them.

Matthew 23:1-4

While the Ten Commandments are still valid, it is the Holy Spirit which guides, teaches and helps us to walk in them avoiding sin. Of course, Jesus also stated;

Jesus declared, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.

Matthew 22:37-40

But to further clarify my point, lets review the words Jesus said when He made the statement;

Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets. I have not come to abolish them, but to fulfill them. For I tell you truly, until heaven and earth pass away, not a single jot, not a stroke of a pen, will disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished.

Matthew 5:17,18

Jesus tells us in simple dialect, the Law and the Prophecies are still valid and will not disappear until heaven and earth pass away. The Law is still valid because they help us determine what sin is and the Holy Spirit helps us to walk in righteousness which helps us avoid breaking them. But, as with everything, God gives us free will so we can choose to ignore the Holy Spirit and break the law, especially, when we choose to follow man!

But don’t take my word for it, STUDY the SCRIPTURES for yourself and KNOW what they say because there are many false Christ and false teachers in the world today.

The New Covenant

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As a believer I know Christ is the center of the New Covenant. He paid the highest price by becoming the sacrifice for the penalty of our sin. The scriptures I’m referring to read;

Now as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and after blessing it broke it and gave it
to the disciples, and said, ‘Take, eat; this is My body.’ And He took a cup, and when He
had given thanks He gave it to them, saying, ‘Drink of it, all of you, for this is
My blood of the Covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sin.

Matthew 26:26-28

Christ told us to receive forgiveness of sin we must believe in Him and the blood He shed on the cross. Because it’s through Him that our sins are forgiven so we can have everlasting life, but, only when we believe. The scriptures read;

For God so loved the world that He gave His only Begotten Son, that
whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

John 3:16

Once we believe what then? Jesus provides more information when He was speaking to Nicodemus, He explained, that to enter the Kingdom of God one must be born of water and the Spirit because the Spirit gives new life. The scripture reads;

Jesus answered, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and
the Spirit, he cannot enter the Kingdom of God. That which is born of the
flesh is flesh, and that which is born of Spirit is spirit.

John 3: 5,6

The Holy Spirit renews us, teaches us, guides us, helps us during our prayer time, helps us to praise God, and keeps us focused on the Lord. But, the Holy Spirit has another important task, He helps us to walk in Faith so we can keep God’s Law. Keeping God’s Law is extremely important because God announced long ago, in the days of Jeremiah, in the days of King David, in the days of Isaiah and in the day of Ezekiel, what He would do through the New Covenant, which says;

Behold, days are coming, declares the LORD, “When I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah, not like the one covenant which I made with their fathers on the day I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke, although I was a husband to them”, declares the LORD.

Jeremiah 31:31,32

In these scriptures you can see how the LORD plainly states He is making a new covenant. Originally, it was with the house of Israel and the house of Judah, but, seeing the Lord was rejected by His own He turned to the gentiles. This is why we receive the blessing of the covenant. But read what Ezekiel also stated;

Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new Spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put My Spirit within you and bring it about that you walk in My statues, and are careful and follow My ordinances.

Ezekiel 36:26,27

Since we know the LORD does NOT change, why would HE state that the people would follow HIS statues and are careful to follow HIS ordinances if they were nailed to the cross? That makes NO sense. But to provide additional information read what the Apostles stated;

Therefore, it is my judgment that we do not cause trouble for those from the Gentiles who are turning to God, but we write to them that they abstain from things contaminated by idols, from acts of sexual immorality, from what has been strangled, and from blood.

Acts 15:19,20

When Christians read these couple of scriptures they seem to believe this is all we are responsible in keeping, but, that is false doctrine. You see, what many miss is the words which are spoken afterwards, which reads;

For the Law of Moses has been read for a very long time in the synagogues
every Sabbath, and his words are preached in every town.

Acts 15:21 (GNT)

As you can see in this scripture the Apostles are stating that new believers can learn the Law that was given by Moses by going to the synagogues on the Sabbath because it is taught in every town. The Law was NOT nailed to the cross, and as I’ve stated over and over, to understand what was being written one needs to understand a little of the Jewish culture.

We were given God’s Spirit to help us walk in His Law, to do righteousness and follow His ways, but, we can choose to go against the Spirit and that my brothers and sisters leads to sin.

Should We Follow The Ten Commandments?

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Many Christians today believe that we are no longer under the law, or what’s better known as the Ten commandments. They believe they were nailed to the cross when Jesus was crucified and we’re no longer obligated to it. But, before I share my thoughts on this let’s look at what the Ten Commandments actually are which is found in Exodus 20:3,17

  1. Thou shalt have no other gods before me.
  2. 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:
  3. 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.
  4. 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.
  5. Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.
  6. Thou shalt not kill.
  7. Thou shalt not commit adultery.
  8. Thou shalt not steal.
  9. Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor.
  10. Thou shalt not covet thou 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 tht is thy neighbour’s.

So if you notice majority of the commandments are already used in our society today, at least they were. For example; killing, stealing and lying in a court case, or to law enforcement, are crimes which would get you thrown into jail. Disobeying your mother and father has consequences and often lead to punishment. And committing adultery creates trust issues, hurt feelings and often affected others which could lead to breakups. Then there’s the issue of not taking the name of the Lord thy God in vain, and, where I was raised, you just didin’t do that. Which brings me to the very first commandment, no other gods before me. America was built on God, in fact, our money is printed with, in God we trust.  So having said all of this, why is it so difficult for many Christians to believe that the Ten Commandments aren’t relevant today? Let’s take a  look and see what Jesus has to say about it.

Do not think I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. Therefore anyone who sets aside one of the least of these commands and teaches others accordingly will be called least in the Kingdom of Heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the Kingdom of Heaven. For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you certainly will not enter the Kingdom of Heaven.

Matthew 5:17,19(NIV)

Couple of things I want to point out. First, Jesus says until heaven and earth disappear, not one letter, not the least stroke of a pen will disappear from the law until EVERYTHING is accomplished. This is the scripture many Christians use to justify abandoning the Law because their argument is Jesus accomplished what he set out to. He was sacrificed on the cross, therefore, the Law was no longer valid. But, if you continue reading the scriptures Jesus goes on to say unless your righteousness exceeds the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will NOT enter the Kingdom of Heaven.

For me it’s pretty simple, the Ten Commandments are just as relevant today as they were when God gave them to Moses. Yes, we are saved by grace through Jesus Christ, but the law, makes us better people! Jesus Christ saves us but it is the law that prevents additional sin and this is why it’s so important to follow them. Plus, Jesus also said in Matthew 22:37 the greatest command is to love the Lord our God with all our hearts, all our soul and all our mind. But notice what he says in verse 40, On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets. Because if you “truly” love the Lord you’ll follow his commands.

If more of us followed these commandments today our world wouldn’t be in such a decline!

But, that’s just my thoughts……