“You Shall Not Give False Testimony against Your Neighbor” Exodus 20:16 Ask any parent and they will tell you the habit of lying begins at a very early age. David writes in Psalm 58, “Even from birth the wicked go astray; from the womb they are wayward and speak lies.” Obedience to this commandment is one of our … Read More
You Shall Not Steal
The Ten Commandments 8th “You Shall Not Steal” Exodus 20:15 If you have stuck with me over the last 8 newsletters, you will know that these commandments are rarely taken at face value. The Eighth Commandment is no exception. Of course it is a sin to break into our neighbors’ home and take what is not ours; but … Read More
The Seventh
The Ten Commandments 7th: “You Shall Not Commit Adultery” Exodus 20:14 Here is another commandment that seems easy at first glance. “Do not cheat on my spouse.” Duh. Easy. No problem. Check. But, according to the Bible and Jesus’ teachings, we do not need to be married or in a committed relationship to be in danger of committing … Read More
Alexxis: A Story of Compassion at Work
Compassion in the Dominican Republic Alexxis, 20 from the Dominican Republic is unlike his peers and friends from the neighborhood. He has a future. He has hope. “A lot of the kids I grew up with are in gangs or worse. They don’t have future.” Alexxis wants to be a lawyer and a pastor. You can see the pastor in … Read More
The Sixth Commandment
“You Shall Not Murder” Exodus 20:13 Why do we need a LAW for this? God speaks about murder several times in the bible. (Deut. 19:1-14, Numbers 35, Genesis 9:6) By the way, He is against it. You thought this was an easy commandment didn’t you? Slam dunk! No issue! No question! But What About: • What about Hateful Anger? • … Read More
The Ten Commandments
The 5th “Honor Your Father & Mother” “Honor you father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you.” (Exodus 20:12) This is the first of a series of six commandments that show us how to love others. Did you notice that this is the first commandment with a promise … Read More
Remember the Sabbath
The Ten Commandments 4th “Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it Holy” “Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your manservant or maidservant, nor your animals, nor the … Read More
The Ten Commandments: The Third
The Ten Commandments “You Shall Not Misuse the Name of the Lord” (The third commandment) God’s name is special and should be treated respectfully. Unfortunately, many use His name as a “curse” and not with the awe and reverence He deserves. He is telling us that the way we use His name tells Him how we feel about Him. … Read More
The Ten Commandments – Two/Second
The Ten Commandments Two/Second “Do Not Make an Idol for Yourself” The Israelites, fresh out of Egypt, thought it was quite normal to create a “golden calf” (Exodus 32) to represent the God that had just delivered them from slavery. They wanted God to have a “face”. They may have thought the calf was a form of worship, but God … Read More
The Ten Commandments
One/First “Do Not Have Other gods but Me” God is reminding us here that all power and majesty are His. We are to have reverence and deep respect to only Him. This commandment is not just about false religions and pagan gods. God tells us that ANYTING that we put before God causes us to sin (break a commandment). I … Read More
Is the sky falling?
Are we going crazy? It kind of feels like the world is going insane. I can’t remember a time in my twenty-seven years of life when there seemed to be this much turmoil locally and around the globe. Now, something I want to be VERY careful of is not to contribute to what I refer to as the “sky is falling” narrative … Read More
What Good are the Ten Commandments?
The Bible tells us that on our own, we cannot keep Ten Commandments, or laws. We need a Savior to forgive our sins. God designed the laws to build a relationship between Himself and us. A relationship that would be built on faith and not the obedience to the law itself. We need Him. Do we really need to be told … Read More