Just wanted to throw a couple of points out there to chew on...
First, a note about "the Lord's day"; that there are well-meaning Christians who work on both Saturdays and Sundays. Their understanding of Jesus' saving works for them brings them to believe that doing so is a good thing (Romans 14 comes to mind, besides which, do we not all depend on emergency services on the weekends?). Might the "mark" have little to do with whether or not one works on the Lord's day?
The other thing is an observation on identifying "the beast". Jesus himself says that "about that day or hour no-one knows" (Matt. 24). People have also been misidentifying the beast since last millennium, if not the millennium before that. Perhaps someone will get that right one day. Perhaps s/he will get it right for the wrong reasons?
I hate putting a needle into your bubble,BUT Messaih Yeshua is OUR REST,
not the sabbath.
Sabbath keeping is leagalism,and James says if you break one,you break them all.
So then you must keep ALL of the law,not just one.
Oh,and yes a believer can work on the weekends without any repercussion from GOD Almighty.
Remember Messiah is the FULFILLMENT of the Sabbath,anyone in Messiah HAS already fulfilled the Sabbath.
Heb 3:11 so I swore in My wrath, They shall not enter into My rest." LXX-Psalm 94:7-11; MT-Psalm 95:7-11
Heb 3:12 Watch, brothers, lest perhaps there shall be in any one of you an evil heart of unbelief in withdrawing from the living God.
Heb 3:13 But exhort yourselves each day, as long as it is being called today, that not any of you be hardened by the deceit of sin.
Heb 3:14 For we have become partakers of Christ, if truly we hold the beginning of the assurance firm to the end;
Heb 3:15 as in the saying, "Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts, as in the provocation." Psalm 95:7,8 MT
Heb 3:16 For hearing, some provoked Him, but not all those coming out of Egypt through Moses.
Heb 3:17 But with whom was He angry forty years? Was it not with the ones sinning, whose corpses fell in the wilderness?
Heb 3:18 And to whom did "He swear" "they would not enter into His rest," except to those not obeying? LXX-Psa. 94:11; MT-Psa. 95:11
Heb 3:19 And we see that they were not able to enter in because of unbelief.
Heb 4:1 Therefore, let us fear lest perhaps a promise having been left to enter into His rest, that any of you may seem to come short.
Heb 4:2 For, indeed, we have had the gospel preached to us, even as they also; but the Word did not profit those hearing it, not having been mixed with faith in the ones who heard.
Heb 4:3 For we, the ones believing, enter into the rest, even as He said, "As I swore in My wrath, they shall not enter into My rest," though the works had come into being from the foundation of the world. LXX-Psa. 94:11; MT-Psa. 95:11
Heb 4:4 For He has spoken somewhere about the seventh day this way, "And God rested from all His works in the seventh day." Gen. 2:2
Heb 4:5 And in this again, "They shall not enter into My rest." MT-Psalm 95:11
Heb 4:6 Therefore, since it remains for some to enter into it, and those who formerly had the gospel preached did not enter in on account of disobedience,
Heb 4:7 He again marks out a certain day, saying in David, Today (after so long a time, according as He has said), "Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts." MT-Psalm 95:7, 8
Heb 4:8 For if Joshua gave them rest, then He would not have afterwards spoken about another day.
Heb 4:9 So, then, there remains a sabbath rest to the people of God.
Heb 4:10 For he entering into His rest, he himself also rested from his works, as God had rested from His own. LXX-Psa. 95:11; Gen. 2:2
Heb 4:11 Therefore, let us exert ourselves to enter into that rest, that not anyone fall in the same example of disobedience.
Heb 4:12 For the Word of God is living, and powerfully working, and sharper than every two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of both soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge of the thoughts and intentions of the heart;
Heb 4:13 and there is no creature unrevealed before Him; but all things are naked and laid open to His eyes, with whom is our account.
Heb 4:14 Then having a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast the confession.
Heb 4:15 For we do not have a high priest not being able to sympathize with our weaknesses but One having been tried in all respects according to our likeness, apart from sin.
Heb 4:16 Therefore, let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy, and we may find grace for timely help.
~The Mark of the Beast has nothing to do with a specific commandment of God, it has to do with every commandment from God. The Mark of the Beast in the last days will be put on anyone who is obedient to anything that clearly supersedes ANY command of God, making it of no effect. It could be argued that it will be the Catholic treatment of the 2nd commandment not to make or bow to idols, but the point is, it "could be" any of them. If we yield ourselves to serve God, we will follow Him and keep His commandments. If we yield ourselves to follow men, or to follow Satan, in clear revolt against scripture, then we receive the mark of the beast.
Mark 7
9And he said unto them, Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition. 10For Moses said, Honour thy father and thy mother; and, Whoso curseth father or mother, let him die the death: 11But ye say, If a man shall say to his father or mother, It is Corban, that is to say, a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me; he shall be free. 12And ye suffer him no more to do ought for his father or his mother; 13Making the word of God of none effect through your tradition, which ye have delivered: and many such like things do ye.
~I personally believe that it will come down to the 4th commandment, seeing as how it is really the only one where the majority of Protestant and Catholic Christians put man-made traditions in the place of God's commandment. I don't think it's any coincidence that in the last days, the Angel in revelation is calling us to worship God, our Creator, and the 4th commandment is almost quoted word for word. God instituted the 4th commandment as a memorial of His creation.
Revelation 14
6And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people, 7Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.
Exodus 20
11 For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day, and hallowed it.
Revelation 14
11And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name. 12Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.
~The verse in James is not talking about the old covenant laws like circumcision, and I'm sure Gracenotworks would not say that adultery or murder is no longer sin, or that if we follow those commandments we're committing legalism, but I'll let him clarify his position. I just assume that Gracenotworks does not murder people. Sin is the transgression of the law, and as new creatures in Christ, we are not supposed to sin...thank God for His grace given thru Christ, or we'd all be lost...
James 2
8If ye fulfil the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, ye do well: 9But if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin, and are convinced of the law as transgressors. 10For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all. 11For he that said, Do not commit adultery, said also, Do not kill. Now if thou commit no adultery, yet if thou kill, thou art become a transgressor of the law. 12So speak ye, and so do, as they that shall be judged by the law of liberty.
1 John 2
1My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: 2And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world. 3And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. 4He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. 5But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him. 6He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked. 7Brethren, I write no new commandment unto you, but an old commandment which ye had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word which ye have heard from the beginning.
1 John 3
4Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.
John 5:14
Afterward Jesus findeth him in the temple, and said unto him, Behold, thou art made whole: sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee.
John 8:11
She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.
Romans 6
1What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? 2God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? 3Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? 4Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. 5For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection: 6Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. 7For he that is dead is freed from sin. 8Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him: 9Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him. 10For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God. 11Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. 12Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. 13Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God. 14For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace. 15What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid. 16Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness? 17But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you.
~Jesus saves and transforms us. In order to be made acceptable to God, we must bear the fruits of a changed life. Obedience to God is the most important thing.
~Now, as a disclaimer, I do not think it is currently, or was historically, a test for Christians(protestant or catholic) to perfectly follow God in all things. We're expected to be striving toward that goal, but we "only know in part", and "knowledge passes away", knowing and following all truth is not required for salvation. A person like the thief on the cross can be accepted by God with only the realization that Jesus is Lord and He was sacrificed for his sins. I fully believe that heaven will be filled with people who did not follow God perfectly in all things(David is a great example). However, if God brings knowledge to a person(i.e, the knowledge God sent to David thru Nathan the prophet), and that person rejects the light, they are held accountable and are considered disobedient. So, in the last days, if the distinction between a saint and sinner is that one accepts the light from God to keep every commandment, and one rejects the light to keep every commandment, the rebellious person will not be accepted. There are other "commandment" tests as well. If a person accepts that every commandment should be kept, but relies on their own righteousness, or is unmerciful to other people, they will also not be accepted. So it's not just one commandment, it's really a humble attitude of obedience toward the leadership of God that will keep us sealed. If we rebel against the leadership of God in any way, we will not be accepted and we will receive the mark of the beast.
Sure is great to be back after such a long unintentional absence. How all is well with you?
I agree that the mark of 'The Beast' and/or Revelation can be a very touchy/hard subject because everyone has their own perceptions on it.
Now as far as the 'Sabbath' goes, I must admit that I have been wrestling with whether I should keep it or not, however I must inform that after many searching, reading and comparing and prayer, I am leaning towards that days are not more important than actions. That would be my next subject.
Thank you so much for your input and I look forward to hearing from you again in Part2.
Though there are SOME points that I don't agree with / or the way it was presented by the above writter,
It did helped me questions and get to the conclusion why "The Ten Commandments" is one that should no longer be seen as a ritual/task, but something that we know to be true.
�"This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, says the Lord, I will put My laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them."�Heb. 10:16.
If I really think about it, I ( believer of Yeshua) am still following the commandments because it's still very applicable today in order to live a life according to G-d's will. The commandments also allows me to be well with my brethren.
"Do not think that I have come to revoke The Written Law or The Prophets; I am not come to revoke but to fulfill."
Matthew 5:17
Now;
I truly believe that the only issue that most have with the commandments is but one, which is the 4th.
In conclusion, I am studying to see if Yeshua did indeed keep that 4th commandment and if he did. . . Then I will see if the issue was keeping the the true Sabbath and not what was ADDED to it by man.
If I have confused you, than forgive me because my mind is working overtime and it is late. However ever I would appreciate a prayer for more enlightenment.
Hey Mark, I think you could add these verses to your disclaimer;
Rom 13:8 Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law.
Rom 13:9 For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Thou shalt not covet; and if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
Rom 13:10 Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.
Rom 13:8 Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law.
Rom 13:9 For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Thou shalt not covet; and if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
Rom 13:10 Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.
Matthew 22
36Master, which is the great commandment in the law? 37Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. 38This is the first and great commandment. 39And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. 40On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.
You're absolutely right, and love is supposed to be the motivation for all that we do for our fellow man and for God. If we do any of it for any other reason, to earn our way to heaven, or to impress God, then we have fallen into the same trap as the pharisees. The caveat is that love propels us to do things for people, to show our love. Simply saying that we love someone is worthless without the actions to back it up. We cannot simply tell someone who is starving to be filled. We would not want to commit adultery against someone we truly love. We would not want to murder someone that we love. And also, if someone we love asks us for something, surely we would desire to do that for them if it was in their best interest. In the context of the fourth commandment, God gave that to man as a gift, a shining symbol of equality and love. In asking us to obey Him, all He asked was for us to take a break, and let others take a break as well, to reflect on and enjoy our relationship with Him as our creator. The jews built a lot of rules around that commandment, and while Jesus was here, He cleared up what the Sabbath was about. It's about helping and healing and resting, not about stressful gain-seeking, or hiding in a house for fear of moving a stick. God instituted this as a blessing, and commanded us to obey. We will not want to disobey Him if we love Him, we will at least attempt to follow His commands in whatever fashion He's convicting us to follow them. His commands though, not a tradition of man. I'm not sure what ways God would accept obedience to the 4th commandment. It could be argued that we can choose 1 day in the week to observe as our Sabbath. It also doesn't have to be the day we go to church on. I'm more inclined to stick with the 7th day of the week though, it's probably the most uninterrupted measure of time since creation. Even changing dates doesn't affect the weekly cycle, calendar dates don't change the order of the days of the week. While there are recorded historical date changes, it's always something like "Monday, December 13 to Tuesday, December 19", not two Mondays in a row. I don't think it is a coincidence that the 7 day cycle has survived. If it did not survive, then God could not have honestly expected us to obey the commandment like He asked, so He has protected the weekly cycle through the ages. That's a pretty major argument in favor of the Sabbath. Also, it's proudly proclaimed by the Catholic church that they moved the solemnity of the Sabbath to the first day of the week, and they use that as proof that the Catholic Church had the power of God on earth, to change a commandment of God and set up a tradition of man in it's place.
http://www.british-israel.ca/weekly_cycle.htm
In An Abridgment of the Christian Doctrine,
Q. How prove you that the church hath power to command feasts and holy days?
A. By the very act of changing the Sabbath into Sunday, which Protestants allow of; and therefore they fondly contradict themselves, by keeping Sunday strictly, and breaking most other feasts commanded by the same church.
Q. How prove you that?
A. Because by keeping Sunday, they acknowledge the church�s power to ordain feasts, and to command them under sin; and by not keeping the rest [of the feasts] by her commanded, they again deny, in fact, the same power.
�Rev. Henry Tuberville, D.D. (R.C.), (1833), page 58.
In A Doctrinal Catechism,
Q. Have you any other way of proving that the Church has power to institute festivals of precept?
A. Had she not such power, she could not have done that in which all modern religionists agree with her. She could not have substituted the observance of Sunday the first day of the week, for the observance of Saturday the seventh day, a change for which there is no Scriptural authority.
�Rev. Stephen Keenan, (1851), p. 174.
In the Catechism of the Council of Trent,
The Church of God has thought it well to transfer the celebration and observance of the Sabbath to Sunday!
�p 402, second revised edition (English), 1937. (First published in 1566)
In the Augsburg Confession,
They [the Catholics] allege the Sabbath changed into Sunday, the Lord�s day, contrary to the decalogue, as it appears; neither is there any example more boasted of than the changing of the Sabbath day. Great, they say, is the power and authority of the church, since it dispensed with one of the ten commandments.
�Art. 28.
�For centuries millions of Christians have gathered to worship God on the first day of the week. Graciously He has accepted this worship. He has poured out His blessings upon Christian people as they have sought to serve Him. However, as one searches the Scriptures, he is forced to recognize that Sunday is not a day of God�s appointment� It has no foundation in Scripture, but has arisen entirely as a result of custom,� says Frank H. Yost, Ph.D. in The Early Christian Sabbath.
11And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name. 12Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.
GNWS:
Mark,in verse 12 the Greek word for the English word,KEEP is
As believers we are to keep watch over and guard the Word of GOD from being changed.
The Pharisees changed or rather exchanged the Word of GOD Almighty for the traditions of men.
Mark 7:3 For the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they wash the hands with the fist, holding the tradition of the elders.
Mark 7:4 And coming from the market, if they do not immerse themselves, they do not eat. And there are many other things which they received to hold: dippings of cups, and of utensils, and of copper vessels, and couches.
Mark 7:5 Then the Pharisees and scribes questioned Him, Why do your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders, but eat bread with unwashed hands?
Mark 7:6 And answering, He said to them, Well did Isaiah prophesy concerning you, hypocrites; as it has been written: "This people honors Me with the lips, but their heart is far away from Me;
Mark 7:7 and in vain they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men." Isa. 29:13
Mark 7:8 For forsaking the commandment of God, you hold the tradition of men: immersings of utensils and cups, and many other such like things you do.
Mark 7:9 And He said to them, Well do you to set aside the commandment of God so that you may keep your tradition?
IF GOD Almighty expects believers to keep the Law of GOD,then what was the purpose for Yeshuas death upon Calvary.
Faith in Messiah FREES a person form having to KEEP the commandments of GOD.
John 8:36 Therefore, if the Son sets you free, you are free indeed.
People will say that is heresy,but what was the purpose for the death of Yeshua,to set His people free from the WRATH of GOD,free from the bondage to sin.
Messiah paid in full,COMPLETELY FULL ALL of my SIN DEBT.and I do not have
to do anything in order to receive that freedom apart from FAITHING into Messiah.
A person could commit adultery,or murder,and STILL be FORGIVEN
BECAUSE, ALL of that persons sins HAVE been completely paid in full;
YET why would a person want to do those things.
NOW Mark,you and many others talk about PHYSICAL,sin,YET what about the Spiritual SINS people commit EVERYDAY in their own being.
Matthew 5:27 You have heard that it was said to the ancients: "Do not commit adultery." Ex. 20:14; Deut. 5:18
Mat 5:28 But I say to you, Everyone looking at a woman to lust after her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.
HOW about STEALING,the person which says they work a FULL eight hours of work each day,only to find that person takes an extra few minutes each day during their breaks,and lunch.
How about going to the bathroom,and staying there to talk on the phone,maybe taking a few pieces of paper each day,or a pen,or pencil without asking.
Now about WORSHIP,when believers meet together,GOD Almighty tells believers how He wants us to meet,and to Worship HIM,yet the people do not want GOD Almighty's way,they meet however the so called pastor wants them to meet,IS this not SIN ( Missing the Mark which GOD Almighty establishes to Worship Him).
1Corinthians 14:26 Then what is it, brothers? When you come together, each one of you has a psalm, he has a teaching, he has a language, he has a revelation, he has an interpretation. Let all things be for building up.
1Co 14:27 If one speaks in a language, let it be by two or three at the most, and in turn, also let one interpret.
1Co 14:28 And if there is no interpreter, let him be silent in the assembly, and let him speak to himself and to God.
1Co 14:29 And if there are two or three prophets, let them speak, and let the others discern.
1Co 14:30 But if a revelation is revealed to another sitting by, let the first be silent.
1Co 14:31 For you can all prophesy one by one, that all may learn, and all may be encouraged.
1Co 14:32 And the spirits of prophets are subject to prophets.
1Corinthians 14:33 For God is not of confusion, but of peace, as in all the assemblies of the saints.
Mark says:
iThe verse in James is not talking about the old covenant laws like circumcision, and I'm sure Gracenotworks would not say that adultery or murder is no longer sin, or that if we follow those commandments we're committing legalism, but I'll let him clarify his position. I just assume that Gracenotworks does not murder people. Sin is the transgression of the law, and as new creatures in Christ, we are not supposed to sin...thank God for His grace given thru Christ, or we'd all be lost...
GNWS:
I have answered this in the above Scriptures,YET IF a person thinks they can OBEY the commandments of GOD Almighty,they will find they cannot,that is why I NEED YESHUA to saving me.
IF a person could completely obey the commandments of YHWH,they would not need faith in Yeshua,as He is the ONLY person which is able to completely OBEY the commandments of GOD Almighty
So, are you saying that we cannot and should not obey the commandments of God?
Jesus died to forgive our sins, not to absolve us from following Him or God. I also never said we must follow the commandments perfectly. I'm saying that as a new creature changed by Christ's sacrifice and striving to follow and become like Him, obeying the commandments are the fruits of new heart. If we willfully rebel against the commandments of God, then we do not love Him or our fellow man.
Here is what I think the commandments look like under Christ/Grace. They are still valid and meant to be followed, except that instead of trying to please God like the Pharisees did, we follow them out of love for God and love for our fellow man. Having love as the motivation for following the commands of God/Jesus makes them all spiritual commandments.
1 If we love God, we will not worship false gods.
2 If we love God, we will not make images to worship the creation instead of the creator.
3 If we love God, we will not claim to be following God and then bring reproach to His name by living a life of rebellion against Him.
4 If we love God, we will recognize His role as Creator by following His command to cease from our worldly pursuits.
5 If we love our godly father and mother, we will not bring dishonor to them.
6 If we love our neighbor, we will not murder them.
7 If we love our neighbor, we will not tear apart their family.
8 If we love our neighbor, we will not steal from them.
9 If we love our neighbor, we will not willfully misrepresent them.
10 If we love our neighbor, we will not lust after their possessions or families.
Can you tell me which physical or spiritual commandments you consider to be legalism if they're followed, or which commandments you think it's ok not to obey anymore?
So, are you saying that we cannot and should not obey the commandments of God?
GNWS:
Mark,as i had written before,the English word 'OBEY' really is a Greek word tereo which does not mean to obey,rather it means to keep an eye upon,or to keep from being changed,as the Word of GOD.
G5083
τηρέω
tēreō
tay-reh'-o
From τηρός teros (a watch; perhaps akin to G2334); to guard (from loss or injury, properly by keeping the eye upon; and thus differing from G5442, which is properly to prevent escaping; and from G2892, which implies a fortress or full military lines of apparatus), that is, to note (a prophecy; figuratively to fulfil a command); by implication to detain (in custody; figuratively to maintain); by extension to withhold (for personal ends; figuratively to keep unmarried): - hold fast, keep (-er), (ob-, pre-, re) serve, watch.
G2334
θεωρέω
theōreō
theh-o-reh'-o
From a derivative of G2300 (perhaps by adverb of G3708); to be a spectator of, that is, discern, (literally, figuratively [experience] or intensively [acknowledge]): - behold, consider, look on, perceive, see. Compare G3700.
Now let us look into the commandments of GOD Almighty,and let us see where people miserably fall short and NEED Messiah to save them.
1.Exodus 20:1 And God spoke all these words, saying,
Exodus 20:2 I am Jehovah your God, who has brought you out from the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage.
Exodus 20:3 You shall not have any other gods before Me.
May we say that IF a person spends more time with someone or something else OTHER then GOD Almighty,this person has made a god/idol of someone or something else.
How much time is spent watching T.V.
What about time with the computer,phone,ipod.
Now how about listening to music,what about hobbies,sports,maybe shopping.
2.Exodus 20:4 You shall not make a graven image for yourself, or any likeness in the heavens above, or in the earth beneath, or in the waters under the earth;
Exodus 20:5 you shall not bow to them, and you shall not serve them; for I am Jehovah your God, a jealous God,
Let us look at the graven images people make,and even wear,some around their necks.
How about a CROSS,many people wear these and have no idea what the cross is about,or what happened by the cross of Messiah.
A dove,some 'churches' have a image of a dove,they say this represents the Holy Spirit ( Luk_3:22 and the Holy Spirit came down in a bodily form as a dove upon Him. And there was a voice out of Heaven, saying, You are My Son, the Beloved; in You I have been delighting.)
Not one person in this life has ever seen the Holy Spirit as He is,we have descriptions of what He is like concerning His character,attitude,and His personality,yet the Word of GOD gives no mention as to what He looks like.
3.Exodus 20:7 You shall not take the name of Jehovah your God in vain; for Jehovah will not leave unpunished the one who takes His name in vain.
Most people will never understand this,they believe when someone says G-D da-n,they think they have used the name of GOD in vain,WRONG.
GOD is a title,this is not the name of GOD Almighty,His name is YHWH.
To take the name if YHWH in vain is to take His name as though it is empty.
Some people use the name of JESUS for their own gain.
Strong's Concordance
shav: emptiness, vanity
Original Word: שָׁוְא
4.Exodus 20:8 Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy;
To be holy means to be set apart unto GOD Almighty.
In Yeshua the Sabbath has already been fulfilled,AND EACH day is the day GOD Almighty has made,so EACH day is unto the GOD Almighty.
Remember Messiah is our rest,not the Sabbath.
Hebrews 4:7 He again marks out a certain day, saying in David, Today (after so long a time, according as He has said), "Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts." MT-Psalm 95:7, 8
Hebrews 4:8 For if Joshua gave them rest, then He would not have afterwards spoken about another day.
Hebrews 4:9 So, then, there remains a sabbath rest to the people of God.
Hebrews 4:10 For he entering into His rest, he himself also rested from his works, as God had rested from His own. LXX-Psa. 95:11; Gen. 2:2
Mark,i could go on,but do you not see the futility in TRYING to keep the commandments,also there are about 300 commandments of Yeshua,did you not know that.
I would suggest that you and others would enter into Messiah's rest.
Remembe, it is not by OBEYING the commandments of GOD Almighty that a person is saved,ONLY by Grace,and that through Faith in Yeshua,and YESHUA ONLY.
