NO EYE FOR AN EYE

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In Christ, Mark

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The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

"Anyone who strikes a man and kills him shall surely be put to death. However, if he does not do it intentionally, but God lets it happen, he is to flee to a place I will designate. But if a man schemes and kills another man deliberately, take him away from My altar and put him to death.”

"Anyone who attacks his father or his mother must be put to death.”

"Anyone who kidnaps another and either sells him or still has him when he is caught must be put to death.”

"Anyone who curses his father or mother must be put to death.”

"If men quarrel and one hits the other with a stone or with his fist and he does not die but is confined to bed, the one who struck the blow will not be held responsible if the other gets up and walks around outside with his staff; however, he must pay the injured man for the loss of his time and see that he is completely healed.”

"If a man beats his male or female slave with a rod and the slave dies as a direct result, he must be punished, but he is not to be punished if the slave gets up after a day or two, since the slave is his property.”

"If men who are fighting hit a pregnant woman and she gives birth prematurely but there is no serious injury, the offender must be fined whatever the woman's husband demands and the court allows. But if there is serious injury, you are to take life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burn for burn, wound for wound, bruise for bruise.”

"If a man hits a manservant or maidservant in the eye and destroys it, he must let the servant go free to compensate for the eye. And if he knocks out the tooth of a manservant or maidservant, he must let the servant go free to compensate for the tooth." Exodus 21:12-27

"You have heard that it was said, 'Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth. 'But I tell you, Do not resist an evil person. If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also." Matthew 5:38-39

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

We live in a world filled with potential for conflict and it seems that rarely a day goes by when we don’t see, read or hear about confrontations between people that often results in injury or death.

To deal with these matters, we have justice systems which serve to protect those who are victimized and punish their offenders, systems that share a purpose of maintaining balance and fairness within the societies we live in while acting as a deterrent to future crimes.

As we look at these systems in different countries, we see that although they share a desire for justice, how they go about administering it can be very different.

For example, the United States has a system that was designed to ensure everyone gets a fair trial, sometimes by a jury of their peers who are carefully selected to ensure they can make an impartial decision based on the evidence presented in the case. And in regard to the matter of murder, individual states are allowed to determine whether or not they want to have the death penalty as a possible option when murder is involved in a case.

Japan, Singapore, and Kenya are just a few of the nations that hang criminals and the charge doesn’t necessarily have to be murder. In Iran, people can be stoned to death as punishment for offenses like adultery. Other nations have executed people for embezzlement, political offences, abduction, religious affiliation, and homosexuality.

So one thing is certain. There is no world standard when it comes to handling justice and especially matters of capital punishment. That’s why it’s so important to turn to God’s word on the matter for if we place His word first in considering matters of justice, we can ensure universal consistency and equality.

So what does His Word say?

Well, as we see in our continued study of Exodus, chapter 21, we find God instructing His people on the subject of justice, addressing instances of murder and assault.

We read where any acts of premeditated murder would be met with the death penalty but if the killing was accidental, then the assailant would be permitted to flee to a city of refuge where they could remain safe (Numbers 35:6-34)

We also see where God’s law puts some teeth into the fifth commandment ("Honor your father and your mother") by saying one would be put to death for even cursing their parents. Indeed, the Lord was serious when it came down to giving respect to the father and mother who raised their children.

Additionally, we see the subject of compensation also addressed in this passage as God didn’t mandate the death penalty for incidents where the victim survives. What He did mandate was appropriate compensation for the victim to be given by their attacker.  This includes one of the most common utterances amongst people who demand justice in society, both past and present:

"An eye for an eye".

God’s word in Exodus authorizes this when warranted, saying:

"But if there is serious injury, you are to take life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burn for burn, wound for wound, bruise for bruise."

Indeed in the days of the Old Testament, family retribution was widely practiced as family members felt they had just cause to avenge either the death or violation of their loved ones. We saw an example of this taken to extremes earlier in the Book of Genesis (chapter 34) when Simeon and Levi avenged the rape of their sister Dinah by killing every man in Shechem. In this example, we find justice administered as an eye for an eye and then some.

And so we see that there’s no question that the Bible endorses the death penalty in the Old Testament and this law remained in effect into New Testament times when Jesus addresses the matter of justice Himself. He didn’t change the law in regard to capital punishment because murder wasn’t to be tolerated and was result in death to the offender. But what we see Jesus striking out at was the principle of an eye for an eye as well as other prominent injustices the people were dealing with. Look again at what He had to say here:

"You have heard that it was said, 'Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth. 'But I tell you, Do not resist an evil person. If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also." Matthew 5:38-39

The words of Jesus are clear here and they aren’t optional. He gave us a command to “turn the other cheek”, another phrase in our lexicon but one we struggle with. This is because our human nature (aka our flesh) screams out reflexively to get even when someone wrongs us. We’re to respond in kind when mistreated.

But Jesus doesn’t subscribe to this principle. He demands that we don’t fight back but rather not to “resist an evil person” and it wasn’t just that He told us to do it. He also showed us.

Go back to the garden of Gethsemane where Jesus was praying prior to His arrest. As His disciple Judas appeared with the armed mob sent by the chief priests and elders of the people, you’ll remember that Jesus was betrayed by Judas with a kiss, a kiss which served as the signal for the crowd to take Him into custody.

As this happened, you’ll recall that Peter drew his sword to defend His Master and cut off one man’s ear.

How did Jesus respond?

We know He took the man’s ear and put it back on his face, healing him instantly. He then rebuked Peter, ordering him to put his sword away before saying this:

“...all who draw the sword will die by the sword. Do you think I cannot call on my Father, and He will at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels? But how then would the Scriptures be fulfilled that say it must happen in this way?"

At that time Jesus said to the crowd, "Am I leading a rebellion, that you have come out with swords and clubs to capture Me? Every day I sat in the temple courts teaching, and you did not arrest Me. But this has all taken place that the writings of the prophets might be fulfilled." Matthew 26:52-56

Believe me, Jesus knew that what was happening to Him was unjust but He still went forward without resistance because He knew His destiny, that He would have to die for all of mankind, bearing their sins on the cross.

Through His actions, Jesus showed us He was (and is) truly the Prince of Peace, not the Prince of Retaliation and Retribution.

Here’s one more example for us to consider for after His arrest and unfair conviction, Jesus was sent to Pontius Pilate who had Him flogged before His crucifixion.

Go back and look at this account. You won’t see where Jesus lashed out at His assailants when He was being beaten and then forced to carry His own cross to His execution place. Rather, He practiced what He preached and turned the other cheek to His attackers and executioners, showing us how to do it so we can follow His lead as Christian disciples today. This won’t happen by solely relying on our strength but all things are possible when we lean on the Lord’s power and the strength of the Holy Spirit.

The next time you feel violated in some way and want to scream out for justice or seek revenge (i.e. an eye for an eye), look to the cross and remember the words and actions of Jesus, our Lord and Savior, the Prince of Peace, the One who suffered and died for all who would place their belief in Him, the One who always practiced what He preached.

Through Him, we won’t answer any retaliatory call of an eye for an eye because if Jesus could turn the other cheek given what He endured, so can we.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Feel free to leave a comment and please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it. Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.

ARE YOU EARMARKED FOR CHRIST?

Can I pray for you in any way?

Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.

In Christ, Mark

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** Follow The Christian Walk on Twitter @ThChristianWalk

** Like posts and send friend requests to the author of The Christian Walk, Mark Cummings on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/mark.cummings.733?ref=tn_tnmn

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The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

“These are the laws you are to set before them: If you buy a Hebrew servant, he is to serve you for six years. But in the seventh year, he shall go free, without paying anything. If he comes alone, he is to go free alone; but if he has a wife when he comes, she is to go with him. If his master gives him a wife and she bears him sons or daughters, the woman and her children shall belong to her master, and only the man shall go free.”

"But if the servant declares, 'I love my master and my wife and children and do not want to go free,' then his master must take him before the judges. He shall take him to the door or the doorpost and pierce his ear with an awl. Then he will be his servant for life.”

"If a man sells his daughter as a servant, she is not to go free as menservants do. If she does not please the master who has selected her for himself, he must let her be redeemed. He has no right to sell her to foreigners, because he has broken faith with her. If he selects her for his son, he must grant her the rights of a daughter. If he marries another woman, he must not deprive the first one of her food, clothing and marital rights. If he does not provide her with these three things, she is to go free, without any payment of money."

Exodus 21:1-11

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

If you’re a faithful reader of this blog, you’ll know that I haven’t shied away from writing from the while Bible, even difficult passages as the one we find from the opening eleven verses of Exodus, chapter 21. For it’s here that we find God turning from the standards of the Ten Commandments and His reinforcing words on proper worshipping to deliver a series of other commandments that would specifically address others matters of Israelite living, beginning with the matter of slavery. While this is a harrowing subject to touch on, doing research on these verses help us to see an awesome truth that God is conveying here, despite the thorny subject.

Before I get started, it’s important to keep something in mind as we study God’s word day in and day out. For I’m sure that you have seen that a passage can be read once, conveying a certain understanding, and then render new revelations of knowledge when it is read again. Sometimes these two (or even more) understandings are interrelated but in other instances, they could be distinct truths. Either way, the important take away is that God is always revealing new things through His word via the power and moving of the Holy Spirit who brings us discernment as we study the Word.

So with this, we go back to our verses for today and we need to begin by understanding the cultural norms of the Israelites as they traveled from Egypt toward Canaan.

You’ll recall that over 600,000 people were on the exodus led by Moses and they departed an oppressive enslavement in Egypt. The people of God knew all about what slavery looked like and how it could operate within a culture and so it wouldn’t be of much surprise if it would be incorporated into their own culture at some point. It was into that space that we find God giving firm guidance, specifically in regard to an Israelite purchasing a fellow Hebrew. This typically would happen when someone owed a debt to someone that they couldn’t pay off and sadly, we read where daughters even had to be sold into slavery in some cases.

No matter the person, God’s commands are clear. Slavery wasn’t a license to mistreat another Israelite. If someone had to become a slave, they were to be treated well and not have to live in an enslaved environment forever unless they chose to do so. In fact, the scriptures tell us that slaves were to be set free after six years of service, not sent away with nothing but given enough by their master to make sure they could survive on their own afterwards.

So is there anything in this passage that we can use as a life application point?

I believe there is if we think about it, a revealed truth that connects to our Savior Jesus.

For going back to our verses for today, we read that a slave could decide to not go free and stay connected to their master. If they made this choice, we read where their ear would be pierced with an awl, a small pointed tool often used to poke holes in leather. The awl would be driven through the ear and into the door post of the master’s residence as a symbolic mark of the slave’s connection to the master and his house.  Of interest, this act ended up in a more recent term you might have heard before, “earmarking”. By definition, it means "designating something for a specific use or owner."

Now, although this hurts to even think about it, possibly a very crude introduction to later ear piercing, this wound, once healed, would serve as a sign of perpetual dedication, devotion and commitment, a sign that a servant made the choice to give up their freedom to remain in service to their master.

Fast forward over 1,500 years later when God’s one and only Son, a man named Jesus, lived his entire life as a servant to others, always willing to put them before Himself. Throughout His time on earth, He never failed to heal, teach, guide, correct, and, of course, love others. This last point is of critical importance because the Word of God makes it clear that we love only because He first loved us and spared us from our sins, dying in our place at Calvary.

So how does this connect to the earmarking that the slaves of Israel would have to encounter if they chose servitude over freedom?

Because Jesus willfully gave Himself up to His Master, His Father in Heaven who sent Him to be the Lamb who would take away the sin of the world (John 1:29). His obligation took Him all the way to the cross and rather than choose to leave His Master and go free, He willfully took on the agony of crucifixion, allowing Himself to be nailed to a wooden cross, therefore "earmarking" Himself as mankind’s Savior.

Indeed, it is by His wounds that we are healed (Isaiah 53:5)

Friends, we can’t comprehend the depth of this kind of love, a love that would cause one to lay his life down for his friends (John 15:13). It’s a love also known as “agape love”, a sacrificial love that we can’t fathom because none of us were deserving of the Father’s favor and yet, He willingly sacrificed His Son Jesus in our place so that we could live, not just now but forever.

So how should we respond to this?

As disciples of Jesus, we should choose to follow His lead and trade freedom for the opportunity to be enslaved to the Lord, our Master and Maker, serving Him faithfully and obediently until the day that He calls us home. We should show by the way we live that we have been "earmarked" for Jesus, willfully carrying out His will, word and way every day. I’m convinced that if we do this, we will not only be living in full submission to God and His Son but also in an ever present state of gratitude and thanksgiving for what they have done for us.

All this brings us to a couple questions:

Does our life show that we are enslaved to sin and the devil who convinces us that we are free to do whatever we want through a world that offers so much to choose from?

Or are we earmarked for Christ, living in a way that shows we are enslaved to the Lord, our holy divine Master?

You can only be one or the other. The first has you on the road to Hell with its everlasting torment and suffering but you can choose a different path, the path of salvation through belief in Jesus. It may cost you your worldly freedom but the promise of eternal life in Heaven with its glory and joy is going to be worth it. I pray you’ll be there one day with me.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Feel free to leave a comment and please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it. Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.

HONOR GOD AND HIM ALONE

Can I pray for you in any way?

Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.

In Christ, Mark

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** Follow The Christian Walk on Twitter @ThChristianWalk

** Like posts and send friend requests to the author of The Christian Walk, Mark Cummings on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/mark.cummings.733?ref=tn_tnmn

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The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

Then the Lord said to Moses, "Tell the Israelites this: 'You have seen for yourselves that I have spoken to you from Heaven: Do not make any gods to be alongside Me; do not make for yourselves gods of silver or gods of gold.’"

“’Make an altar of earth for Me and sacrifice on it your burnt offerings and fellowship offerings, your sheep and goats and your cattle. Wherever I cause My name to be honored, I will come to you and bless you. If you make an altar of stones for Me, do not build it with dressed stones, for you will defile it if you use a tool on it. And do not go up to My altar on steps, lest your nakedness be exposed on it.'"

Exodus 20:22-26

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

In the closing verses of Exodus, chapter 20, we find God speaking His first words to His people after giving them His Ten Commandments, again using Moses as His messenger:  

“'You have seen for yourselves that I have spoken to you from Heaven: Do not make any gods to be alongside Me; do not make for yourselves gods of silver or gods of gold.’"

“’Make an altar of earth for Me and sacrifice on it your burnt offerings and fellowship offerings, your sheep and goats and your cattle. Wherever I cause My name to be honored, I will come to you and bless you. If you make an altar of stones for Me, do not build it with dressed stones, for you will defile it if you use a tool on it. And do not go up to My altar on steps, lest your nakedness be exposed on it.'"

As we see, these words from God were basically a review of the first and second commandments along with some additional instructions as He demanded that they should “have no other gods before” Him and not make any idol to worship, no “gods of silver or gods of gold”. This point of emphasis shows us that this was one of God’s main concerns for His people.

Why?

I believe there were two main reasons.

First, God knew that the people of Israel had encountered and would later encounter cultures who observed different religious systems, systems that were polytheistic (a worship of multiple gods) in nature. Obviously, this was in stark contrast to the monotheistic faith that He demanded from the Israelite people.

The Lord knew that this would present a constant temptation for His people to divert their devotion in other directions, particularly toward other false gods and the idols constructed to represent them. This could include the Israelites actually fashioning idols of their own out of gold or silver, an act that would be absolutely unacceptable to the One who made it clear that He was a "jealous God" (Exodus 20:5).

We need to keep in mind that God’s demands here are just as applicable now as they were in Old Testament times. For the world offers us more than a few “gods” and “idols” that seek to draw our mind’s attention and heart’s affection from the only One worthy of them. He is just as jealous for us as He was the Israelites more than 2,000 years ago.

The second reason I believe God underscored these two commands was that He already knew the people were going to break them before they did it.

Now, you might ask yourself why God would say anything if He knew the people weren’t going to listen anyways and be disobedient but He wanted to get His words on record so He could rebut any suggestion that they hadn’t been told before once they sinned.

Unfortunately, we will see that the very fear of God that the people experienced at Mount Sinai, the very fear from being tested that kept them from sinning, would not last and soon they will decide to pursue their own desires over God’s. Sadly, this too still holds true today.

There’s one more important aspect of this passage to consider beyond the matter of not worshipping other gods and idols. For we see that the Lord expected the people to be in a proper spirit of worship. We read where He instructs them to “make an altar”, providing specific instructions on how it was to be constructed. He then tells them to “sacrifice burnt offerings and fellowship offerings” on their constructed altar using their sheep, goats and cattle before sharing these wonderful words of assurance:

"Wherever I cause My name to be honored, I will come to you and bless you."

We need to remember that the Israelite altars, when built and used in accordance with God’s standards, were His prescribed holy places of sacrifice and worship. It was there that His name would be honored and as He promised, He would come to them and bless them when they were obedient to doing what He commanded.

So what does all this mean to us?

We should be hypersensitive toward using every situation possible in our lives to lift up the Lord so that He and He alone is honored.  

If we’re at home, praise and honor Him, especially around your family. If you’re single, no one else might see you but He does.

If we’re out at the store shopping or at the supermarket getting groceries, praise and honor Him.

If we’re at work, praise and honor Him. Let your co-workers know He is number one in your life.  

If we’re driving in our cars, praise and honor Him. Listening to Christian music while on the road definitely helps this cause.

Indeed, we should be seeking to honor God’s name wherever we might find ourselves through our every action, word, and thought. For when we are doing this, He has promised His blessings to be upon us just as we are blessing Him with our full respect.

In the end translation, God is so good, all the time. And as the scriptures tell us, He is the Provider of “every good and perfect gift from above" (James 1:17). There is nothing impossible for Him and there isn’t anything beyond the works of His hands (Luke 1:37). And His steadfast love for us endures forever (1 Chronicles 16:34).

And so the question is:

Why in the world would anyone want to honor or worship anyone or anything else?

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Feel free to leave a comment and please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it. Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.

PASSING THE TEST

Can I pray for you in any way?

Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.

In Christ, Mark

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** Follow The Christian Walk on Twitter @ThChristianWalk

** Like posts and send friend requests to the author of The Christian Walk, Mark Cummings on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/mark.cummings.733?ref=tn_tnmn

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The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

"Moses said to the people, "Do not be afraid. God has come to test you, so that the fear of God will be with you to keep you from sinning."

The people remained at a distance, while Moses approached the thick darkness where God was."

Exodus 20:20-21

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

Before moving on with our study of Exodus, chapter 20, I wanted to revisit verses 20 and 21 because there is one other matter to address beside trusting God and not being afraid as a result. This is the matter of testing.

Look again at the words from God spoken to the Israelite people through Moses:

"God has come to test you, so that the fear of God will be with you to keep you from sinning."

This verse offers us a great deal of insight and wisdom into how we are to live each and every day as God’s children and Christ’s disciples for here’s a spiritual truth we need to keep in mind.

God is watching and assessing us every day.

Indeed, as we awake and journey through life day by day, we face a multitude of experiences, some good and some bad, some requiring us to make decisions, some requiring us to react and respond, some requiring us to love, some requiring us to listen, some requiring us to help others, I could go on and on, but you get the point.

No day goes by that we aren’t presented with circumstances and situations that will require us to act, speak, or think in whatever way we choose.

So how will we choose to behave in the midst of whatever our situation might be?

The answer to the question is largely dependent on one’s principles, attitudes and beliefs, and these are dictated by whether someone is living for the world’s ways or the Lord’s.

If one lives for the world’s ways, then they are operating in Satan’s domain and the litmus test of compliance with these ways is found in how often a person gives into and acts on the world’s sinful enticements.

Conversely, God assesses people by how well they remain obedient to His word, will and way. No way of the world is sanctioned by God and although we, believers who are His children, are in the world, we aren’t expected to be of it. Rather, our Lord has called us to a higher standard and way of living that will always run counter to the world’s ways. And if the fear and respect for our God is truly in us, then we won’t dare give into temptation.

In other words, "the fear of God will be with (us) to keep (us) from sinning."

Need some reinforcing scripture verses to support the ideals in this message?

Consider these words from the first chapter of James:

"Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him. When tempted, no one should say, "God is tempting me." For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death." Vv.12-15

 Yes, life is challenging, many times so tough that we’re not sure what to do, but in those times, we need to remember that God is with us and tells us this over and over again:

"Do not be afraid."

Friends, while we are living in the here and now, we can’t afford to turn our minds from the truth that we aren’t living our best life yet. Not even close. For while this temporary, earthly existence is hard and can bring a lot of suffering and heartache, a bright future that is free of any and all afflictions still is ahead. Our belief in Jesus assures this as death loses its sting and the grave gives way to salvation and eternity, the “crown of life that God has promised to those who love him" as stated by James, Jesus’ half brother.

My brothers and sisters, is this not good news for us today?

We have a God who has promised to never leave us nor forsake us, a God that has told us that He would never give us a burden we couldn’t bear, a God who has told us that nothing is impossible with Him, and a God who is always with us, loving us unconditionally as a parent does their child. And if God is with us, what in life can stand against us? For we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. (Romans 8:31b. 37)

So what is our appropriate response to this God who protects us, comforts us, heals us, guides us, loves us and, yes, tests us.

How about this plea from the Psalmist David, a man the scriptures tell us was after God’s own heart:

"Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. Psalm 139:23-24

Putting the Lord first in all we do and placing our full trust and faith in Him will always put our hearts in a place where they will always pass His testing.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Feel free to leave a comment and please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it. Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.

DO NOT BE AFRAID

Can I pray for you in any way?

Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.

In Christ, Mark

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

** Follow The Christian Walk on Twitter @ThChristianWalk

** Like posts and send friend requests to the author of The Christian Walk, Mark Cummings on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/mark.cummings.733?ref=tn_tnmn

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The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

When the people saw the thunder and lightning and heard the trumpet and saw the mountain in smoke, they trembled with fear. They stayed at a distance and said to Moses, "Speak to us yourself and we will listen. But do not have God speak to us or we will die."

Moses said to the people, "Do not be afraid. God has come to test you, so that the fear of God will be with you to keep you from sinning."

The people remained at a distance, while Moses approached the thick darkness where God was.

Exodus 20:18-21

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

Picture yourself among the people of Israel that followed Moses out of Egypt.

You have watched the Lord divide the Red Sea so you could pass through on dry land, you then watched God crash the walls of water down on the Egyptian ruler, Pharaoh, and his pursuing army, eliminating your enemy in incredible fashion.

You saw God change bitter water to water that was drinkable with a piece of wood and then took it one miraculous step higher by bringing water from a rock to make sure you didn’t die from dehydration in the wilderness.

When you became hungry, He sent quail and manna from Heaven to nourish you.

And you saw how He delivered you in the midst of an attack of the Amalekites, keeping you safe and sheltered from danger and harm.

Indeed, you have made it through so much to be at this place and time, at the foot of Mount Sinai and in the presence of the Almighty God who has displayed His amazing, unmatched power to you all through your exodus.

It’s here that your leader Moses has gone up the mountain and into the presence of your God and as you stand and await his return, having been warned to not step onto the mountain unless you wanted to experience God’s judgment.

So you wait and as you do, you see that the sky begins to loudly rumble with thunder and flash with lightning. Out of this, you hear a trumpet sounding off but can’t see any evidence of a player. The great mountain before you gets immersed in smoke.

It had to be an incredibly frightening scene and so it’s easy to understand why the Israelites began to tremble in fear.

And then, Moses comes to them.

What a relief this must have been to these fearful people of Israel. They long for some word from their leader that might give them comfort and assurance in the midst of their trepidation, a trepidation that had to bring some questions rising to their minds.

Was God angry with us to the place where we’re going to perish like Pharaoh and his army?

Could God lift up the mountain as He did the seas and then send it crashing down on us?

Unsure of what was about to happen, we find the Israelites crying out to Moses, saying:

"Speak to us yourself and we will listen. But do not have God speak to us or we will die."

 And with that, we see Moses working to put his brothers and sisters at ease with four simple words:

“Do not be afraid."

Are these words you need to hear today as you face your own life circumstances, circumstances that can often include trials and challenges, uncertainties, poor health, brokenness, or any other form of hardship? Any one of them could lead someone to fear tomorrow or their future.

And so if you are experiencing anxieties, fears, stresses, or worries today, know that the Word of the Lord is speaking to you. Your God is just a prayer away and He longs to hear from you, addressing whatever you’re going through with the same four words Moses spoke at Mount Sinai:

“Do not be afraid."

Of interest, this message is spoken a whopping 65 times in the Bible, always at a time when the listener was in dire need of consolation and hope.

In the New Testament, we also find important words, words that I have always called God’s prescription for stress, anxiety, worry and fear. Speaking through the Apostle Paul as He writes to the church in Philippi, He says:

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:6-7

Essentially, God is saying to us:

"Don’t try to shoulder all of life’s burdens as if you have no source of help. Just trust Me. Have faith in Me for I am all capable, all powerful, and all willing. There is nothing beyond the work of My Almighty Hands so lay everything at My feet and leave them there. I can handle it. Lift up your needs to me in prayer and let Me deal with what is weighing you down, setting yourself free to be able to do My will and fulfill My purposes. If you do as I command, you will experience liberation and peace through Me, a peace unlike no other, a peace that transcends all understanding. And once you get to that place, a place of divine relief, I will give protection to your heart and mind.”

Friends, my prayer today is that you will first be obedient to this command and then gain all that your Lord is promising you.

It all starts with you trusting Him and choosing to not be afraid.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Feel free to leave a comment and please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it. Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.

BE SATISFIED

Can I pray for you in any way?

Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.

In Christ, Mark

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

** Follow The Christian Walk on Twitter @ThChristianWalk

** Like posts and send friend requests to the author of The Christian Walk, Mark Cummings on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/mark.cummings.733?ref=tn_tnmn

** Become a Follower of The Christian Walk at http://the-christian-walk.blogspot.com

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

"You shall not covet your neighbor's house. You shall not covet your neighbor's wife, or his manservant or maidservant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor." Exodus 20:17

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

Today, we come to the last of God’s Ten Commandments that were handed down to the Israelite people from God through Moses. This final command deals with the matter of coveting and a look at the dictionary will render the following definition of the verb "covet":

1. To wish for earnestly.

2. To desire (what belongs to another) inordinately or culpably.

3. To feel inordinate desire for what belongs to another.

In the case of the nation of Israel, God demanded that they weren’t to covet (or desire) "anything that belongs to (a) neighbor." This included their home, wife, servants, or livestock.

It’s interesting to note that this final commandment of the ten actually serves as a reinforcement to a few of the others already mentioned. For coveting what another has can lead to adultery, stealing, and even murder. And using the political example from yesterday’s message, a candidate that is behind in an election race could covet the position so much that they would be willing to bear false witness against their opponent.

The point is that people will often do almost anything to get what they want, even if means sinning in the process. After all, at its core this is what coveting is, a sin and a violation of God’s tenth command.

So the questions our message asks us include:

Do you covet or have you ever coveted?

Have you ever envied another because they seemed to have more than you?

Have you ever found yourself wishing you could be another person just to have what they have, whether that be fame, good looks, success, wealth, or love?

Frankly, I think we’ve all been guilty of this if we’re honest. The enemy loves to put us in a place where we’re not satisfied with what the Lord has given. And so instead of just being thankful, we choose to yearn and yearn for more.

So why do we do this? Why do we covet despite the Lord telling us not to?

I think the simple answer is that we are in the world, even if we are not of it. And this world we live in is a "me and I" society where people typically only care about themselves and this leads to a selfish heart, a selfish heart that wants it all, even if it has to be at the expense of someone else.

Indeed, we are a people who simply can’t be content with what the Lord has blessed us with. Too often, people develop an insatiable appetite for more and more things, possessions that they feel will make them feel fulfilled but in the end, they only end up wanting more still. And here’s the thing, these possessions people obsess over are fleeting. No one can take anything with them when death comes and this worldly life ends. This is why Jesus had this to say in His Sermon on the Mount which we have touched on in previous messages:

“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. Matthew 6:19-20

So given that this is a problem that impacts a large majority of people in the world, to include Christian believers, how do we deal with this problem of being covetous?

Here are two tips:

1. Appreciate what the Lord has provided and give thanks.  

When we seriously step back and take account of our lives and the lives of our families, we can either yearn for more than what we have or count all the many blessings God has given us. Two very different life attitudes and the Lord would expect us to choose the latter for when we do, we will find ourselves happy and grateful rather than dissatisfied and complaining.

2. Simplify your life.

Friends, we get so caught up in materialism that we forget our Christian spiritualism. Possessions - or the quest for them – can take us over and begin to possess us if we’re not careful. And when this pursuit of the things of the world reaches a fever pitch, turning into an obsession, we can start down the road of coveting and its negative consequences.

Go back to the words of Jesus on treasures from Heaven versus treasures on earth and you will find Him ending this exhortation with the following:

For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. v.21

The point He makes here is that if your heart is set on material things, then you’ll be on a perpetual hunt for more and more worldly treasures. But, if your heart is truly on Him (Jesus), then He and He alone is your treasure and you will cherish Him more than anything else in life.

One thing’s for certain, Jesus didn’t get caught up in materialism.

Why?

Because His heart was one with His Father God’s. His Father was His treasure and this is what led Him to live as He did. Jesus’ magnificent obsession was to obediently carry out the will of His Father, a will that have Him willingly suffer and die so to save all sinners who would place their belief in Him. Had He only cared about Himself, coveting life, Jesus would have chosen self preservation. Thanks be to God He didn’t for none of us would be with hope today if He had.

So let’s give thanks for the greatest gift we have today as Christian believers, the gift of eternal life that we did nothing to earn. Rather, it comes to us through Christ free because of God’s love and grace. And with this, let us vow to simplify our lives, fully realizing that having Jesus as our treasure is all we really need, a truth that eradicates covetousness.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Feel free to leave a comment and please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it. Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.

SPEAK TRUTH

Can I pray for you in any way?

Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.

In Christ, Mark

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

** Follow The Christian Walk on Twitter @ThChristianWalk

** Like posts and send friend requests to the author of The Christian Walk, Mark Cummings on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/mark.cummings.733?ref=tn_tnmn

** Become a Follower of The Christian Walk at http://the-christian-walk.blogspot.com

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

"You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor." Exodus 20:16

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

I have a confession to make.

I really dislike politics. I always have and given the way elected officials conduct themselves, whether left or right, there’s nothing happening that is changing my attitude on this matter.

I think what really turns me off the most is that there’s so much dishonesty that happens. It seems like it’s almost a prerequisite to be put into office.

A lot of this dishonest behavior comes in the way of trying to smear or discredit other law makers or even the president of the country. The disrespectful rhetoric is embarrassing and unprofessional, no matter what side of the aisle it comes from. And to make matters worse, it isn’t just politicians who are in on this for we see how our media has just become an arm of whatever political side the network aligns with. The days of civil discourse and debate seem dead and I’m not sure we can ever get back to a place where people can differ in opinion and still get along, even cooperating from a bipartisan standpoint so to collaborate on making our nation better.

Unfortunately, this problem has gotten so bad that when elections happen, candidates spend more time and money trying to publicly degrade their opponent than they do to tell us how they will actually make things better for their constituency if given the opportunity to serve. The verbal attacks in the last presidential election led to an assassination attempt on one vying for office.

Indeed, politics in America today is an exercise in verbal and information guerilla warfare between the two major parties. Acidic words are tossed back and forth freely from one party to the other, continuously stoking the flames of dissent while failing to lend proper attention to the real matters they should be concerned with.

So what should be the litmus test for whether or not someone should be elected to serve?

I think we can start by ensuring they can meet the ninth of God’s Ten Commandments at a minimum.

"You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor." Exodus 20:16

Here’s what constitutes false testimony, using our handy dandy dictionaries:

1. Slander. (a) The utterance of false charges or misrepresentations which defame and damage another's reputation or (b) a false and defamatory oral statement about a person. Synonyms include libel and defame.

2. Gossip. A person who habitually reveals personal or sensational facts about others.

3. Lying. Words marked by or containing falsehoods.

4. False accusation. A false charge of wrongdoing.

5. Smear. An unsubstantiated charge or accusation against a person or organization.

Besides politics, there are plenty of other places where we see people break this commandment by giving false testimony about another. Maybe you, like I, have been guilty of it at one time or another, intentionally using our words to try and damage the reputation of another person.

God wants us to see just how sinful this is. For when we are dishonest in speaking about someone else, we use words as weapons, willfully seeking to degrade, defame, insult, embarrass, or damage someone. As Christians, we need to understand that there is no part of Jesus in any of it and so the time to stop the behavior is right now for we are not only slandering others but tainting the very character of our Savior through our actions.

Remember that Jesus said He is the Way and the Truth and the Life (John 14:6). He is perfect truth and there is no falsehood in Him. So if we’re going to claim to be one with Him, then we need to display ourselves as truth-filled and truth-committed disciples.

When we do this, guess what happens?

Our days of spreading false testimony will be over.

Indeed, when we allow Jesus to influence our words then and only then can we keep our tongues under control, tongues that we find the scriptures give specific attention to. It (the tongue) is portrayed as an instigator of transmitting evil. Consider this discourse from James, the half-brother of Jesus:

"Likewise the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell. All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and creatures of the sea are being tamed and have been tamed by man, but no man can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God's likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be." James 3:5-10

Indeed, my brothers and sisters, using our mouths to utter false testimony against our neighbor should not be.

Let’s all dedicate ourselves to do something about it and rededicate ourselves to speak nothing but truth through the Truth, Jesus.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Feel free to leave a comment and please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it. Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.

HAVE YOU EVER STOLEN FROM ANOTHER?

Can I pray for you in any way?

Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.

In Christ, Mark

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

** Follow The Christian Walk on Twitter @ThChristianWalk

** Like posts and send friend requests to the author of The Christian Walk, Mark Cummings on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/mark.cummings.733?ref=tn_tnmn

** Become a Follower of The Christian Walk at http://the-christian-walk.blogspot.com

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

"You shall not steal." Exodus 20:15

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

At face value, this eighth commandment would seem pretty easy to interpret. This is because we most often attach the word "steal" to when someone takes something that belongs to another person.

Indeed, through the ages we have found people to rob money from others. Maybe it’s taking a few dollars from someone you know who leave their wallet in a place of easy access out of trust.

More sophisticated thieves might become skilled in picking a person’s pocket or stealing a purse. I am getting set to travel abroad this fall and just read an article on the tactics that shoplifters are using, usually around popular tourist attractions.

Ramping this to another level, we have criminals out there who don’t hesitate to pull out a gun and demand a person hand over their money or even their car in some cases. To not comply can have deadly consequences.  

Then there are shoplifters who steal items from a store without paying. The property they steal still belongs to the store because they haven’t purchased the item and if they are successful, the store takes a loss and typically those losses result in higher prices paid by honest customers.

Finally, there is the matter of cyber-stealing through identity theft or shrewdly gaining our credit card information so to make purchases that get the victim gets billed for. Withdrawals are also sometimes made where people lose precious funds from their bank accounts.

Yes, there are no shortage of ways that we find people violating the eighth of the ten commandments given by God and this all leads up to a simple question:

Have you ever stolen anything?

Before you answer that, let’s dig a little deeper into this matter, the matter of taking unlawfully taking something away from another.

For stealing isn’t always about tangible, material items, is it?

When writers commit plagiarism, they steal another person’s music or words.

When a person intentionally tries to harm another either physically or emotionally, they rob the victim of their, often along with their joy, happiness, and peace.

When someone murders another, they steal away a life and leave a gaping hole in the hearts of all who loved them.

When anyone abuses or neglects someone else, they steal away the victim’s dignity and self esteem.

When someone commits adultery, they steal a spouse and their love away from the one who is their rightful life partner.

And when we willingly lie to another, we steal their trust.

So again, I ask:

Have you ever stolen everything?

As we have seen in previous messages on God’s great commandments, we all fall way short of meeting God’s expectation for our lives. Thankfully, gaining eternal life isn’t dependent on perfect adherence to God’s law because no one would qualify for salvation. Everyone would be hopeless in this life with Hell in their future.

This should all the more bring us to a place where we give all thanks and praise to our Savior Jesus, the Lamb of God who took away the sin of the world through willingly giving Himself up as an atoning sacrifice on the cross of Calvary (John 1:29). Truly, by His wounds we are healed (Isaiah 53:5) as He set every one of His disciples free from our certain condemnation (John 8:36, Romans 8:1). Through Him, all Christian believers are placed on a narrow path of righteousness that leads to life everlasting.

If you have placed your belief in Jesus, He has freed you from your sin captivity and brought you the glory and blessings of His redemption. It’s the greatest gift that God offers every man and woman on earth and given its value, you can see where Satan tries to steal it away. The good news is that the enemy will never gain the victory over anyone who is in Christ Jesus. Every single disciple is secure forever in Him.

Given this, do you know Jesus in your life or have you allowed Satan to steal Him away from your heart?

If so, rejoice and be glad because I am here to assure you that what has been stolen can be reclaimed. For when it comes down to it, your Father God is your Maker and Master. You belong to Him and He is your rightful Owner. Given this, He stands ever at the ready to take you back to Him, bring you to His Son for salvation, and ensure that the devil will never be able to take you away because you will have come a true child of God, a co-heir to the Kingdom with His Son, and therefore, one of His most prized and valuable possessions.  

God’s message is clear.

There’s no need to steal or allow yourself to be stolen because in our Lord, we have everything we could ever hope for and all we could ever need.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Feel free to leave a comment and please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it. Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.