10 Commandments
1. I am your God
2. You cannot serve any other gods
3. You cannot use the name of God in vain
4. Keep the Sabbath holy
5. Honour you father and mother
6. Do not murder
7. Do not commit adultery
8. Do not steal
9. Do not bear false witness against people
10. Do not covet what others have
These are:
1. Ten ways to lead
a successful and happy long life
2. Ten things your
kids need to know
3. Ten things that should
not be overstepped if possible
God gave Moses the Ten Commandments on Mount Sinai to serve as
principles of moral behaviour for the human race. The Ten Commandments of God
are the foundation of the moral code and legal system of justice for Western
civilization.
* (Please note that breaking the 10 commandments does not lead to you
losing your salvation or right to go to heaven. I am also aware that wagering
our salvation on how well we adhere to the Law of the Old Testament would mean
that we are putting ourselves under a curse. Jesus freed us from the curse of
the Law (which is eternal death). That said, Jesus said that if we love each
other, we would automatically do these things.
What are fence laws?
Fence laws are human laws that usually seem like “a good idea at the
time”, and are created to ensure that we do not break God’s laws. In other
words… we make more rules to keep God’s rules. The irony is that in doing so,
we are taking over the role of the Holy Spirit who is suppose to be our Helper,
and all these “fence laws” do nothing but steal our joy.
A good example from the conservative churches would be dancing. Some
churches say that you should not dance because it COULD lead to sex… God never
said that we should not dance… ever… In fact, when David danced and was
criticised by his wife for it being provocative and idiotic, God made her
barren.
2 Samuel 6:5 & 14-16,
20-23 (AMP)
5 And David and all
the house of Israel played before the Lord with all their might, with songs,
lyres, harps, tambourines, castanets, … …14 And David danced before the
Lord with all his might, clad in a linen ephod [a priest’s upper garment].
15 So David and all
the house of Israel brought up the ark of the Lord with shouting and with the
sound of the trumpet.
16 As the ark of the
Lord came into the City of David, Michal, Saul’s daughter [David’s wife],
looked out of the window and saw King David leaping and dancing before the
Lord, and she despised him in her heart.
…20 Then David
returned to bless his household. And [his wife] Michal daughter of Saul came out
to meet David and said, How glorious was the king of Israel today, who stripped
himself of his kingly robes and uncovered himself in the eyes of his servants’
maids as one of the worthless fellows shamelessly uncovers himself!
21 David said to
Michal, It was before the Lord, Who chose me above your father and all his
house to appoint me as prince over Israel, the people of the Lord. Therefore
will I make merry [in pure enjoyment] before the Lord.
22 I will be still
more lightly esteemed than this, and will humble and lower myself in my own
sight [and yours]. But by the maids you mentioned, I will be held in honor.
23 And Michal the
daughter of Saul had no child to the day of her death.
Another favourite of the Charismatic church movement is that nobody is
allowed to drink alcohol, NOT EVEN WHEN CELEBRATING COMMUNION! This is ridiculous!
Psalm 104 (AMP)
14 He causes vegetation to grow for the
cattle, and all that the earth produces for man to cultivate, that he may bring
forth food out of the earth—
15 And wine
that gladdens the heart of man, to make his face shine more than oil, and
bread to support, refresh, and strengthen man’s heart.
Ecclesiastes 9 (AMP)
7 Go your way, eat your bread with joy, and drink your wine with a cheerful heart
[if you are righteous, wise, and in the hands of God], for God has already
accepted your works.
8 Let your garments be always white [with
purity], and let your head not lack [the] oil [of gladness].
9 Live
joyfully with the wife whom you love all the days of your vain life which
He has given you under the sun—all the days of futility. For that is your
portion in this life and in your work at which you toil under the sun.
Proverbs 20:1 (AMP)
Wine is a mocker, strong drink a riotous brawler;
and whoever errs or reels because of it
is not wise.
Proverbs 23:33 (AMP)
30 Those who tarry long at the wine, those who
go to seek and try mixed wine.
31 Do not look at wine when it is red, when it
sparkles in the wineglass, when it goes
down smoothly.
32 At the last it bites like a serpent and
stings like an adder.
33 [Under
the influence of wine] your eyes will behold strange things [and loose
women] and your mind will utter things turned the wrong way [untrue, incorrect,
and petulant].
In other words, for those who have the ability to stay
righteous when drinking wine, do so until you are happy, NOT until you turn
into a reeling brawler or a husband that stops loving his wife…
PS I love the fact that
even in the Bible we are warned against mixing our alcohol, LOL. (Prov. 23:30)
What keeps us in the
sheepfold?
That which keeps us in the sheepfold is not supposed to be a human made
fence. God is our shield, Jesus is our Shepherd and the Holy Spirit is our
Helper with Love as our compass – this protective force, covers all our needs.
If Joy is lacking in
anything you do…
Check whether you are not perhaps helping God do His work instead of
letting God help you do His work.
Joy is a “fruit”, or a natural by-product of the Holy Spirit.
Galatians 5:22-23 (AMP)
22. But the fruit of the [Holy] Spirit [the work which His presence within accomplishes] is love, joy (gladness), peace, patience (an even temper, forbearance), kindness, goodness (benevolence), faithfulness, Gentleness (meekness, humility), self-control (self-restraint, continence). Against such things there is no law [that can bring a charge].
Let’s ask Jesus what He
thinks of the commandments…
Mark 12:28-33 (AMP)
28 Then one of the
scribes came up and listened to them disputing with one another, and, noticing
that Jesus answered them fitly and admirably, he asked Him, Which commandment is first and most
important of all [in its nature]?
29 Jesus answered, The
first and principal one of all commands is: Hear, O Israel, The Lord our God is one Lord;
30 And you shall love the Lord your God out of and
with your whole heart and out of and with all your soul (your life) and out of and with all your mind (with your faculty of thought and your moral
understanding) and out of and with all
your strength. This is the first and principal commandment.
31 The second is like
it and is this, You shall love your
neighbor as yourself. There is no
other commandment greater than these.
32 And the scribe said
to Him, Excellently and fitly and admirably answered, Teacher! You have said
truly that He is One, and there is no other but Him;
33 And to love Him out
of and with all the heart and with all the understanding [with the faculty of
quick apprehension and intelligence and keenness of discernment] and with all
the strength, and to love one’s neighbor as oneself, is much more than all the
whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.
And as for keeping God’s
law…
It is as the theme song of the movie “Love actually” says…”All you need
is LOVE… Pap a da da da!”
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