10 Commandments devotional

Ok, Sundays lesson was the 10 Commandments. How many have you broken this week? Be honest! I know, too many to count like me. Hey, and I am having a good week.
Just kidding. I do want you to think about the following:
1. Thou shalt have no other Gods before me. – What Gods do you have? Why? How have these false Gods taken your eyes off the true God? God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. Remember, Buddha can’t help you. John Smith can’t help you. Muhammad can’t help you. Dali Lama can’t help you. Oh, each may have some good sayings. Each may have some good things about them. However, only Creator God can save you. Only Creator God can heal you. Only Creator God is listening when no one else cares. Get my point.
2. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image. – Idols. We all struggle at some point with idols. What is it about an idol. I think Randall made the statement Sunday that you can touch it. See it. I think that is exactly our problem. We must have more faith. Faith that even though we can’t touch with our hand we can believe in his nail scared hand. Faith that even though we can’t rub a fat little belly like on Buddha we can read in the Word about the nail pierced side. Don’t let the cross become an idol, but if you need a picture, that is it. Christ on the cross. Dying for you and me. Now that is worthy of worship.
3. Thou shalt not take the Lords name in vain. – Ok, as I said Sunday, this is not just cursing. It is also making a mockery of our Gods name. Let’s not be a part of either.
4. Remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy. – Each of you know that we celebrate Sunday as the Sabbath. Thus, we remember. Our focus must be to keep it holy. Use the day as a day of rest to refocus each week on the cross. Re-focus on the gift of salvation that God has given. Re-focus our lives towards worship.
5. Honor your father and mother so that you may have a long life. – God took this serious. A commandment with a promise!
6. Do not murder. – Hey, not just the actual killing of my physical body. Have you murdered someone in thought? Have you murdered someone’s reputation?
7. Do not commit adultery. – Yes, the actual act of adultery. I don’t have to go into much detail. However, it goes further. It’s a mental thing too. I told you Sunday that a lot of physical acts of sin (drugs, adultery, murder) begin in the mind. Adultery can be committed only in the mind. Yes, this is sin. This too will cause you problems. You can’t be the daddy/mother/husband/wife that you should be if you mentally you are somewhere else with someone else.
8. Do not steal. – Stealing a personal item. Stealing the joy. Taking something that is not yours from someone else without permission.
9. Do not give false testimony against your neighbor. – Stop gossiping!
10. Do not covet your neighbor’s house. Do not covet your neighbors wife, his male/female slave, his ox/donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor. – We live in a generation that covets. Oh, we may not admit it, but we (you and me) do. “I wish my house…..” “ I wish my job paid……..” “my life is not as good as his/hers because…….” True satisfaction in life is found in a relationship with Christ.
Re-read Ex. 20: 1-17. Helps to remember and ponder.
Remember that God gave us these commandments not to confine us. He gave us these to provide freedom. Freedom in HIM! When we are completely focused on him and following these rules for our life it takes a lot of the problems/questions away. We will sometimes look at rules as binding. Taking away our freedom. Keeping us from having “fun.” However, the commandments open us up to a life that is truly FUN. Liberation in Christ!
Have a great week. Wedding seminar this weekend. You can still come. Donna is making………I mean Donna and I will be there. Hey, Will is going to my folks for the night. How long is the class going to last? (Sorry honey, I thought that was funny.)
Be salt and light.
God bless,
MB