First Thought.

Worshiping God.

Thoughts on a quote- continued…

"I can safely say, on the authority of all that is revealed in the Word of God, that any man or woman on this earth who is bored and turned off by worship is not ready for heaven." — Whatever Happened to Worship? A.W. Tozer

Bored? Turned off, by worship? Then you're worshiping all wrong. Right? What creates boredom?

We're going to grab a dictionary definition.

In a nutshell, it is- tedium, monotony, dullness, a feeling of being bored. So what is bored? Definition- tired of and slightly annoyed by a person or situation that is not interesting, exciting, or entertaining. Uninterested. And we all know what being turned off towards something means- it doesn't interest you, in fact, it might repulse you.

This quote of Tozer's speaks about being turned off and bored by worship, so in effect, those who are not interested, not excited, and possibly repulsed by worship are not ready to live with our Savior when He returns to take us back to heaven with Him.

How many people put on an act of worshiping God by going to church? By completing a Bible study once a day, week, month, year? How many people proclaim their worship of God but it goes only as far as their mouth speaking the words, and no further? How many say they love God, but live without any interest in worshiping God? God knows all about those who will speak empty words, but whose hearts are far from Him.

Yesterday I mentioned our waking up and our first cognizant thought being turned towards God. Is it possible? Yes, it's possible. However, Satan will be right there invested in turning your mind elsewhere- like the fact you don't want to be awake, you want ten more minutes of sleep. Maybe he'll direct your attention to the coffee brewing and just waiting for you to get a cup so you can really start the thinking part of your day. Perhaps you'll be thinking about what lies ahead in your day- a test at school, a project at work. Maybe you've got other really important things going on- a fight with a friend, an annoyance towards a spouse, kids who are going to be very grumpy when you get them out of bed and start their days. All these things and a million more are legitimate thoughts to have as we live day to day in a world that rarely stays stagnant in routine- life and it's changing events are constantly happening.

Training our thoughts to seek God first should be our very first act of worship towards God every single day without fail. If tomorrow morning when you wake up your very first thought after recognizing you're awake isn't about God, then as soon as you do remember you wanted it to be about God- make it about God and keep at it until He becomes your first thought. Once God becomes your first thought in the morning, remember you'll need to continue the trend and on days you are distracted start over by pulling your mind to Him. Just give Him your will, let Him have you and your life, place it ALL in His hands. It is true that things bad or good, are going to happen to us all the time, and in those bad and good times we need to know that we've placed ourselves in God's will- without any comprehension of the whys and wherefores, but in trusting His will to be done in your life, as it will and is done in heaven.

Isn't that a part of what is known commonly as the Lord's Prayer from the book of Matthew?

Mat 6:10 Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.

Talk of the coming kingdom of God and then God's will being done in earth as it is in heaven. Yes, it's right there, that desire for God's will to be done. And when we want God's will to be done we are putting our own will after His will- not before it.

More on all of this tomorrow….yes, I'm going to say it… by the WILL of God!

Ready for Heaven (Jesus' Return)

Thoughts on a quote- continued…

"I can safely say, on the authority of all that is revealed in the Word of God, that any man or woman on this earth who is bored and turned off by worship is not ready for heaven." — Whatever Happened to Worship? A.W. Tozer

Not ready for heaven, not ready for the return of Christ.

God set aside one day in every seven days to worship. The day God set aside is called the Sabbath- the rest day. Jesus kept the rest day perfectly, worshipping His Father in all He did on that day.

Jesus' life was one of worship towards the Father. It is very easy to say that Jesus lived for the Father. There wasn't a single breath Jesus took that wasn't breathed for the Father. Even in all His growing years, from infant to adult and all the way to the year He began His ministry- the outward revelation of His truth was lived for the Father.

For thirty years Jesus lives His life as the son of Mary and Joseph. He had siblings and extended family- cousins, uncles, aunts. During those thirty years Jesus lived with the knowledge of His Father in heaven- when He was twelve years old He was accidentally left in Jerusalem and when His parents rushed back to find Him, He had this to say--

Luk_2:49 And he said unto them, How is it that ye sought me? wist ye not that I must be about my Father's business?

Jesus was doing this--

Luk 2:46 And it came to pass, that after three days they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the doctors, both hearing them, and asking them questions.

Luk 2:47 And all that heard him were astonished at his understanding and answers.

Luk 2:48 And when they saw him, they were amazed: and his mother said unto him, Son, why hast thou thus dealt with us? behold, thy father and I have sought thee sorrowing.

He was sitting among doctors in the temple- listening and asking questions. Those He had been talking to were astonished at His comprehension of all that was being discussed. He was clearly very learned for one so young, and not of those living day in and day out around the temple. This boy came from nowhere, a remote, rural place and here He was talking about things only a well-learned person should be able to talk about. Jesus was going about HIS FATHER'S BUSINESS at twelve years old. However, it wasn’t time for Him to continue in this way.

Luk 2:49 And he said unto them, How is it that ye sought me? wist ye not that I must be about my Father's business?

Luk 2:50 And they understood not the saying which he spake unto them.

Luk 2:51 And he went down with them, and came to Nazareth, and was subject unto them: but his mother kept all these sayings in her heart.

Luk 2:52 And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man.

Mary and Joseph didn't understand what Jesus meant about being about His Father's business- for all intents and purposes, Joseph was Jesus' father. They took Him back home and He was still required to listen to Him, and be subject to them as any twelve year old should be.

From then on, Jesus' wisdom only increased as He grew up. Jesus became a man that was favored not only by God- His Heavenly Father but by all around him.

Jesus' life was one of pure holiness and He worshiped God perfectly.

We have so much information given to us about Jesus' ministry during the three years before His death. His example was a perfect one and He worshiped on the Sabbath day as He'd done His entire life from infancy to adulthood. He shunned the traditions forced upon the Sabbath, but He did NOT break the Sabbath commandment, He couldn't, it would be completely and utterly impossible for Him to do so and remain sinless. He couldn't murder, steal, lie, and remain sinless, and right there with those commandments to be kept was the Sabbath commandment.

Worshiping God.

Recognize every day God's role in our lives. What role is that? Creator, from everlasting to everlasting, without beginning and without end, all-knowing, all-powerful. Supreme overall. The director of our paths, our lives. The One whose will is best for us. I could go on, you know I could, but let's pause here for a bit.

If at the moment our eyes open, no, let's amend that. If at the moment we are aware we are awake - eyes opened or not- we turn our thoughts first and foremost to God- is that a form of worship? It is, isn't it? It is a recognition of God's place in our lives. It's giving Him the glory, the honor, the praise in recognizing Him as having complete supremacy over us. Our choosing to place Him first, before all other thoughts that vie for our attention.

Worshiping God.

More on this tomorrow by the grace, and mercy, the will of our LORD and SAVIOR now and forever!!!!!!!

Creaturehood.

And- '…not feeling of our createdness but feeling of our "I can safely say, on the authority of all that is revealed in the Word of God, that any man or woman on this earth who is bored and turned off by worship is not ready for heaven." -- Whatever Happened to Worship? A.W. Tozer

Worship.

I've been studying a bit lately and one thing I've just barely started into was explaining the difference between 'createdness' and 'creaturehood'. 

They state the following- 'In the one case you have the fact of having been created; in the other, the status of the creature.'

And- '…not feeling of our createdness but feeling of our creaturehood, that is, the consciousness of the littleness of every creature in face of that which is above all creatures.'  (Excerpts from- The Idea of the Holy - An Inquiry Into the Non-Rational Factor in the Idea of the Divine and Its Relation to the Rational By Rudolf Otto)

The feeling of our CREATUREHOOD.

Do you know that saying- 'The world doesn't revolve around you.'? Guess what? It's true. How can that be? You ask. You have to ask, don't you? I mean we are the center of our own existence. We can't help but exist to ourselves first and foremost and then decide what to do with our existence, that's on us too, making choices. However, if we choose to believe that we are not creatures with a living, very real Creator then that's on us. The power of choice is extremely powerful. We are constantly making choices in all we do. Even when we say we have no choice, we do have a choice. The world doesn't revolve around any of us in reality, and yet to us, we are living in our own sphere of the world. No other can occupy your place in existence. There was a time before you existed, the time you exist, and for others- not you- time you no longer exist as an awake, aware, sentient being. All thought ceases when you no longer are a living being. Your body is but a husk, a decaying husk at that point. As soon as your heart stops and your lungs stop, and your blood stills inside your veins, arteries, organs, things will begin to decay if not revived pretty quickly (unless you are frozen but that's iffy too).  If you are not ultimately revived to the point air is filling your lungs, and your heart is pumping blood through your body, then you begin the process of decay. Your body cools down losing all heat, your cells start to decompose. Even if you are embalmed you will still decay, only slower. Eventually, you will turn to nothing but dust. That husk has no more thoughts about its existence, none. You lived, then you died.  Back to the bit about the world revolving around you. In some sense, it does revolve around us, in the sense of our awareness of existing in the world.

Our Creator- the one who willed us to exist - because we most certainly did not will ourselves into existence- has been the Creator for ALL of us. Every single person that takes breath into their lungs has been given that breath by the Creator.  You scoff and quickly go on to explain it's all a physical, mechanical thing this breathing in air and has nothing to do with a Creator. You are allowed to believe that- remember you have the power of choice at your disposal.

We can choose to believe we are creatures that exist in a state of creaturehood, or we can choose to believe we are here, by magical means where nothing created something- which is completely and utterly ludicrous.

What does all this have to do with our worship? Remember the quote above?

"I can safely say, on the authority of all that is revealed in the Word of God, that any man or woman on this earth who is bored and turned off by worship is not ready for heaven." -- Whatever Happened to Worship? A.W. Tozer

Bored or turned off by worship. If you are bored with worship you may still recognize your creaturehood, but if you are turned off by worship you may not even recognize your creaturehood. When we recognize, fully recognize our creature status shouldn't we live in awe of our Creator?

That we have cognizant thought which allows us comprehension of our existence and the existence of the One who designed us and brought us to life, is so awe-inspiring that we should only marvel at this truth. Giving honor, giving glory, giving praise, worshiping and reverencing the power, the love, the existence of the One who honored us with existence, is the very least we must do. Life and not only life but eternal life is offered to us all, by our Creator.

Our Creator did NOT stop at giving us this temporary life, this temporary existence. Our Creator wants us to comprehend that each of us has been created with the possibility of a life that will never stop existing again. We will never enter the stasis of a long death sleep, our consciousness protected in this sleep by our Creator, not ever again. We are given time and opportunity to gain the eternal by sheer faith-hoping for the unseen, believing in the sacrifice of the only begotten Son of God, who as Creator as well, became a Redeemer from all the evil that exists in our world.

Col 1:12 Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light:

Col 1:13 Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son:

Col 1:14 In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins:

Col 1:15 Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature:

Col 1:16 For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:

Col 1:17 And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.

Col 1:18 And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.

Col 1:19 For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell;

Col 1:20 And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven.

Col 1:21 And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled

Col 1:22 In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight:

Col 1:23 If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven…

More on this tomorrow by the GRACE and WILL of our God! Now and Forever, through Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior, our Creator!

Infinite Importance- the Sabbath.

'Christianity, if false, is of no importance, and if true, of infinite importance.'

 C. S. Lewis

On the seventh day- God rested.

Gen 2:1  Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. 

Gen 2:2  And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made. 

Gen 2:3  And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made. 

Seven days, we mimic the seven days in our weeks and for most people that's as far as it goes. The count of seven days. On the Jewish calendar they call the days differently-  First Day, Second Day, Third Day and so on until Shabbat (God's Rest Day- which is the Seventh Day). The first day corresponds to our Sunday, the second to Monday and so on until Saturday - the seventh day.

The activity that comprised creation was work- active work. The words were spoken and the work took place. So few words for so much work.

Gen 1:11  And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth: and it was so. 

The sheer number of grass species that exist is astounding. According to wikipedia there are about 12,000 species!  When God spoke the words of creation- in those word were something so profoundly incomprehensibly amazing we can scarcely begin to understand. It's easy to say on the third day God created grass, and in our mind's eye pops up a lawn of grass, or  field of green grass, or a hill covered in grass. However there were created over 12,000 different kinds of grass in those words of creation. 

We see again- in our mind's eye- that God speaks and instantly a thing appears. With this our belief - we who can imagine speaking things into existence could make so much happen. God did make so much happen but our generalization of everything can instantly take away from the comprehension of the sheer majesty involved.

Even this…

Gen 1:1  In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. 

Gen 1:2  And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. 

Gen 1:3  And God said, Let there be light: and there was light. 

Gen 1:4  And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness. 

Gen 1:5  And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day. 

While we want the instant to occur and it does, the whole of creation escape us.

A nothingness, then a heaven and an earth.  An earth with no form, empty, liquid deep. Over this dark, shapeless mass of liquid called into existence the Spirit of God moved and then spoke light into reality. Light was separate from dark, and so the first dark void of formless earth was night - no light, and the light became day. 

Did this all occur in a moment of time, a split second between thought and spoken word? Did it truly take an expanse of time ruled by what we use as our days the time the earth takes to rotate bringing it into the light of the distant sun? The sun at this point doesn't even exist. This day is purely the time allotted to it by God for His spoken word to create. And yes, I imagine it as a genie granting an instant wish no matter that the thing wished for might in all actually take a lot of time to create - an example- the wish for a huge mansion to live in. Instantly there, but to truly create that mansion would take months, years to complete.

Why all this speculation and such? Because we need to comprehend the work of creation in order for us to comprehend the rest day allotted.

Let's assume for a moment you can fully understand all that was created- the entire system we know as universe. And if you're knowledgeable in science-fiction, some would claim multiverses- multiple universes. Which could lead to infinityverses - a never ending existence of universes. For now, let's go back to just one universe.  In our one universe we have --

"Universe is the name that we use to describe the collection of all the things that exist in space. It is made of many millions of millions of stars and planets and enormous clouds of gas separated by a gigantic empty space. Astronomers can use telescopes to look at very distant galaxies."  (Simple Wikipedia)

All things that exist in space. And we can see out so far into space now with advance technology that we can comprehend on the smallest level the magnitude of creation.

All that exists was created, and the creation took place in six days of which we now know as days with the earth rotating once each day so that part of it at different times enter the light of the sun, and part enters the darkness from the lack of light from the sun. These we call days. My day is later than the designated day for those let's say in England. Their sun sets earlier than my sun, ( all the same sun ) their position enters the darkness before mine. The time we designate as a new day 12am (in darkness) is different for each of us. For England is may be five hours earlier than for me here in the USA all depending on the odd thing of daylight savings time and such.  They can say happy new year before I can, time being what it is.

In truth God chose Jerusalem as His promised land, and it all comes from thereabouts.  The Garden of Eden's location is unknown, guarded in such a way none can know. I like to imagine God wouldn't stray too far from the original home of our first ancestors to the promised land, but what do I know.

We have creation and we have no creation- which is rest.

Six days we work, we live our lives according to our own interests.

One day we are to rest in God's finished work, we are to live in God's interest.

Some shut out the entire world and enter into a zombie-fied existence of doing absolutely as little as possible- they might as well be in bed sleeping for all of 24 hours- this they call God's rest.  However we know that God would have us do His WILL on this day of His rest. Any other day we are doing our will with God directing our paths should we allow, but this day we should seek to do only God's will.  Is it God's will we eat? Yes, it could be unless you are called to fast. Is it God's will you interact with others? Yes, it could be unless you are called to solitude. God's will is a constantly flowing, living, breathing action that we must allow for without the strictures of traditions past down pointing to things fulfilled. The honoring of the Sabbath day in which we are to do no work, is our holding fast to seeking God's will upon that day and setting aside our own will.

We need to know the will of God- and we do know to have Him first and foremost is paramount and others after Him next, and ourselves last. We must remind ourselves of this all important truth constantly, and more than ever we gain a reminder on the Sabbath day how much this has to be if we would belong wholly to God for eternity.

May we be blessed with any and all comprehension we need to be wholly God's now and forever!!!!!!!

We Would Be Yours, Christ Jesus. Healed or Not Healed According to Your Will.

Repent and be healed?

How many people do you suppose Jesus and His Apostles preached repentance to and then set about healing them? How many did they heal first then preach repentance after the healing?  Maybe someday we'll know the actual number, or maybe someday it won't matter a bit. I like to imagine it was a lot- whole villages, whole towns, whole cities, of people. We know 5000 people sat down to listen to Jesus and He fed them miraculously. Out of those 5000, how many do you suppose sought healing?

Today and throughout time I imagine people have been sick.  As soon as we sinned sickness took over us. Decay began inside our bodies where it was never supposed to be. A few days ago or so I posted a study that included the fact of the extensive changes our bodies had to have undergone upon sinning. Serious extensive changes that if we really take time to think about would shock most of us. We were NOT created to decay. We were NOT created to die at all. We were NOT created to be sick.  The bodies we were given were magnificent creations. Our hearts were not formed within our chests with the intention of ever being able to be faulty in any way. Veins, arteries, muscle, bone, all of this was created in us perfectly, without flaw. We were never intended to be cut, to bleed, to have blood that could leave our bodies. We simply were NOT created to have finger and toe nails that would need trimming, hair that would need cutting, bodily wastes in need of expelling, we were NOT created for these things.  All these transformations were sin induced. Seriously, every flawed thing about us that can possibly bring us shame, pain, and ultimately death was NOT how we were intended to live.  The first parents were meant to live in a luxurious garden with access to a tree of life.  Do you for one moment think they had to worry about the wastes their bodies would expel and the germs in that waste? No and no. The changes sin brought to our bodies was instantaneous and horrible. Is it any wonder Adam and Eve knew they were suddenly naked?  They'd been changed! The light of God that had given them all they needed had been stripped from them. No longer could they live in perfection. They now had bodies which would decay and all that meant. Bodies subject to death from any number of ways. Bodies that could be starved, dehydrated, frozen, overheated, any number of internal organs could cease to function properly. Veins could burst, arteries could clog, blood could be lost to the point of death. Air could be trapped in the lungs with no way to expel it, or expelled and no way to inhale it. Death by countless means was now possible where before they'd sinned it was impossible. Cellular disorder, growths inside our bodies, I could go on and on about the number of ways we can ultimately die. Also, there are ways too numerous for us to be sick, maimed, and so on.

When we are changed to immortality upon the return of our Savior, Jesus Christ we will be given the bodies intended for us to inhabit and they will bear little resemblance to what we look like now. 

Healing. Jesus healing people by the thousands was truly miraculous- no other since His ministry upon earth has been able to heal as He healed so wondrous, so constant. The Apostles could heal but they did not heal the sheer number of people that Jesus healed.

Oh, that I could grab hold of my sister, her daughter, her husband - my husband, my daughter, my son, my sisters, my brothers and place them on a mat large enough to fit them all and lower that mat down before the Savior, entreating Him, imploring Him, begging him to please heal them all! To let the oil of healing anoint them all, and allow the Holy Spirit to move upon them removing the demons, healing the sicknesses, repairing all the damage that needs to be repaired. I can't bring them before the Savior, He no longer walks the earth in ministry. I can't seek Him out in a nearby town as His glorious fame as a physician spreads far and wide.  I can come to Him through the Holy Spirit's intercession and plead for the touch of the Savior, and I do this, I do. I ask that ultimately let all healing take place in such a way that it leads each person closer and closer to Christ. I don't know the plans God has for people. I don't know if one severe health crisis is what it will take to break the stony heart from someone and restore it with a heart of flesh knowing Christ as Savior. I have no way of knowing the ends from the beginnings of people, I can only pray and believe God's will is being done in ways I cannot see, or comprehend at all.

All glory, all power, all praise and honor, with all thanksgiving, and all love to our God, our Father in heaven, the only begotten Son, the Holy Spirit - all three Gods, may they forever reign in all truth, in all love.

Amen!!!!!!!

Healing.

Luk 10:9  And heal the sick that are therein, and say unto them, The kingdom of God is come nigh unto you. 

Healed then taught.

Healed. More and more as people around me, and I, myself, start to experience the pains of aging I think about healing. Not that I haven't thought about it before, I have a chronically ill daughter that I've longed to be healed of her many chronic illnesses for a long time. She was born premature and not just premature but a tiny premature. Let me explain- she was born 9 weeks early, though by her size it appeared she was born much earlier than that, all the fetal charts say 28 weeks and not 31 weeks. I wanted to dispute the 31, but I have a sonogram at six weeks where she is perfectly on track for the time frame given. So somewhere along the line my unborn baby girl stopped growing like she should and by the time she was born 9 1/2 weeks early, she was only as big as she should have been at 28 weeks. I'm sure all that had something to do with the many chronic illnesses she suffers so terribly with. So, yes, healing has been something constantly on my mind for loved ones. I suppose it is this way for most people though. We mostly all have extended family, and barring that at least friends even if they are only on the internet friends. The point being here the need for healing is a constant in our lives.

When Jesus ministered on earth for three years a very large part of that ministry was spent healing people. He gave his apostles the power to heal others as well. He taught them the need for fasting and praying for certain healing that wasn't easily done. There was talk as well about oil and healing.

Jas_5:14  Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord

Mar 6:12  And they went out, and preached that men should repent. 

Mar 6:13  And they cast out many devils, and anointed with oil many that were sick, and healed them. 

Oil anointing, prayer, preaching repentance, all this goes hand in hand.

Jesus preached constantly as he healed.

Oh, to be able to take oil and preach repentance, and pray over those around me who are suffering so very terribly! Oh, for the healing of the many sicknesses, the many demon induced sicknesses, the emotional, the mental… we need healing!

If only I could heal the sick and tell them the kingdom of God is nigh to them. Let me rephrase that. If only GOD could heal the sick using me if needed in any capacity to help this happen just as He told the apostles to go and heal the sick and tell the people God is nigh to them.

God's grace is sufficient for me, I have to believe this and I have to pray, God help my unbelief.

Right now I long for special healing for my sister, Elizabeth and her daughter, Rayne-  and so many others. Lord please.

Heart of the Law.

What is the common theme in all the following verses-

Ecc 12:13  Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter:

Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. 

Our WHOLE duty is to Fear God and Keep His Commandments.

Joh 6:28  Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God? 

Joh 6:29  Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye BELIEVE on him whom he hath sent. 

Jesus said-

Mat_19:17  … but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments.

Mat 19:18  He saith unto him, Which? Jesus said, Thou shalt do no murder, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, 

Mat 19:19  Honour thy father and thy mother: and, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. 

Mat 19:20  The young man saith unto him, All these things have I kept from my youth up: what lack I yet? 

Mat 19:21  Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me. 

Mat 5:17  Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. 

Mat 5:18  For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. 

Mat 5:19  Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 

Mat 22:36  Master, which is the great commandment in the law? 

Mat 22:37  Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. 

Mat 22:38  This is the first and great commandment. 

Mat 22:39  And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. 

Mat 22:40  On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets. 

Whose Son Is the Christ?

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 13:11  And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed. 

Rev 14:12  Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus. 

Rev 12:17  And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ. 

1Jn 5:1  Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God: and every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him. 

1Jn 5:2  By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments. 

1Jn 5:3  For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous. 

1Jn 5:4  For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. 

1Jn 5:5  Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God? 

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The common theme is LOVE. When we love as God intends us to love, we NATURALLY keep the royal law- the commandments of God- the ten commandments. It's true. There is so much talk of Jesus teaching love and not law, but the truth of the matter is you can't separate the two, not when we are talking about the royal law, the ten commandments given by God Himself and placed in the Ark of the Covenant as no other law was. Jesus spoke the words pointing to the royal law as the great law. Jesus said all the law hangs on two - loving God and loving others.

Jesus lived this love perfectly.

Jesus wants us to live this love perfectly through Him.

Jesus wants us to recognize the love in the law.

When we take love out of the law we are left with nothing.

You see, when Jesus talked to the rich young man about keeping the law, the rich young man told Jesus he did that from his youth. Then Jesus grabbed the law and put heart into it to see if the rich young man comprehended the love of the law and not the formality. He told the rich young man to go sell all that he had and give it to the needy. The rich young man went away sorrowing, not able to part with his riches. The rich young man did not see the love in the law only the mere form of it. No, he didn't hurt anyone, didn't steal from anyone, didn't covet anything, didn't lie, didn't dishonor his parents, didn't worship other gods, didn't bow down to other gods, didn't speak of God in vain, and he remembered the Sabbath day to keep it holy- all these wonderful things he did- but not from a place of love.  As the law was opened up to him and its heart revealed, he rejected the heart of the law.

Saying you love God and love others but not keeping His royal law, the ten commandments is making yourself a liar.

Keeping the royal law, the ten commandments and not loving God and not loving others, is making yourself a liar.

The two are intertwined and this was revealed in the life of our Lord and Savior- Jesus Christ.

Lord, as our eyes are opened to Your truth, enable us to keep Your truth as we need to, as we long to, as we hope to. We believe, help our unbelief. We would be known by You, Lord. We would be known by You as those who love You and desire to know and keep the heart of the law, Your law. Guide us, help us, live in us and change us!

All in the name of Jesus Christ, now and forever!!!!!!!