More Than A Bunch Of Rules

 

By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and observe His commandments. For this is the love of God that we keep His commandments, and His commandments are not burdensome.

1 John 5:2-3

The best way to save yourself a lot of grief and get along better with people is to observe the Ten Commandments. We sometimes think the Ten Commandments are a bunch of thou shall not rules, but they are much more than that. The Ten Commandments show us how to honor God and how to treat other people.

When God is in His proper place in our lives and when we treat others with love and respect as God intends for us to do, we are at peace with ourselves and God. 

Check out the Ten Commandments at Exodus 20.

Jesus Is The Same

 

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.

Hebrews 13:8

Even if we drift away from Jesus, He is still waiting to welcome us back. He did not come to condemn us, He came to love us. Jesus, who called you the day you asked Him into your heart, still loves you and looks after you. Nothing will ever change that.

Lift your hands to the heavens and call His name, Jesus. Feel His presence wrap around you in love.

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.

God Is In The Forgiveness Business

 

Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

For the law of Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and death.

Romans 8:1-2 

Man is in the condemnation business. God is in the forgiveness business.

Manna Again

 

"We remember the fish which we used to eat free in Egypt, the cucumbers and the melons and the leeks and the onions and the garlic, but now our appetite is gone.  There is nothing at all to look at except this manna.”

…When the dew fell on the camp at night, the manna would fall with it.

Numbers 11:5-6, 9

When Moses led the Israelites out of Egypt to freedom, God provided everything they needed.  He gave them free food, manna.  The manna fell from heaven every day and all the people had to do was gather it, prepare it and eat. 

However, the people complained about the food and lamented that they had better food in Egypt, all the while forgetting that they were slaves and brutally treated and nearly worked to death.  They lost sight of what their journey was really about – getting to the Promised Land, the land of milk and honey. 

When we set out on a journey at God’s direction, we need to remember what the big purpose is and be willing to sacrifice a little comfort to get there.  It is not until we are at the end of our journey that we can see the whole picture of God’s plan. 

And, there is not a better place to be than the Promised Land.  

 

Enjoy your journey. 

In The Beginning

 

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

He was in the beginning with God.

All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being. 

In Him was life and the life was the light of men.

John 1:1-5

What is so powerful about this scripture is that even a child can read it and experience the power of God’s Word. 

We gain sense of the vastness of God’s plan for us.  He planned from the beginning for us to know Him.  God reveals Himself through His word, and His Son, Jesus, redeems us and reclaims us as God’s own children. 

 

In the beginning God already knew you, get to know Him. 

The Harvest Is Plentiful

 

Jesus was going through all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every kind of disease and every kind of sickness.

Seeing the people, He felt compassion for them, because they were distressed and dispirited like sheep without a shepherd.

Then He said to His disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Therefore beseech the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into this harvest.”

Matthew 9:35-38  

 

Jesus saw many needy people and He ministered to everyone of them.  He understood that it was not only the physical bodies which needed healing but also those who were suffering from distress.  

 

We need not be doctors to minister to the needs of the sick or those who are distressed.  We can listen and show compassion and consideration and pray with those who are suffering.  We can direct people to those who can help them.  All this is the least we can do. 

 

Remember, Jesus calls us to help others. 

 

Wait Patiently

I waited patiently for the Lord;

And He inclined to me and heard my cry.

He brought me out of the pit of destruction, out of the miry clay.

And He set my feet upon a rock making my footsteps firm.

He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God;

Many will see and fear

And will trust in the Lord.

 

Psalm 40:1-3

God gives us courage to wait out the bad times.  We survive not by yelling, swearing and taking our anger out on the world, but by patiently waiting to see what God is going to do.  

 

It is when we come through tough times, still standing in our faith that others witness the power of God.