Command #5 - Dealing With Mom and Dad

Honor your father and mother, that you may have a long, good life in the land the Lord your God will give you. (Exodus 20:12 TLB)

This command can present a great challenge to the believer as some parents do not command respect by their conduct – we would be more inclined to disrespect them if solely responding to their behavior. But our heavenly Father, knowing the fallen nature of man and specifically of our parents toward us, still directs that we are to honor them.

How? Well, firstly, we honor God’s command. Second, we honor the position moreso than the person in the position. When they are in need – we honor. When they are frail – we honor. When they are wrong – with Godly wisdom, we honor. When they are permissive. When they are limiting. When they are inclusive. When they are exclusive. When they are present. When they are absent. In all these circumstances, we honor them. And the promise of our perfect Father is that we will have a long, good life.

As you and I sit here today, we are both aware of circumstances that may make this command seem impossible. Abuses and wrongs have been heaped upon some of us by the very ones who were supposed to love and care for us. Without sounding trite or indifferent, let me share with you from the depths of my heart that our heavenly Father loves you. He knows the horror that some have endured at the hands of their parents. And He says that you are beloved and precious in His sight. You are of great value to Him. So much so, that He sacrificed His own son on your behalf, so that, if you’d like, you could choose to be in loving relationship with Him both here on earth and in heaven eternally. He will walk with you through this life, giving you joy, strength and wisdom, if you will let Him.

You are loved, dear one. And if you have a parent (or parents) who dropped the ball, know that your heavenly Father loves you and will never turn His back on you.

The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. (Deuteronomy 31:8)

So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience (Colossians 3:12)

Command #4 - Remember the Sabbath

[Earnestly] remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy (withdrawn from common employment and dedicated to God). Six days you shall labor and do all your work, But the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God…For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. That is why the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it [set it apart for His purposes]. (Exodus 20:8-11 AMP)

God made the Sabbath – the 7^th day – holy. It is His directive to the children of Israel, and to us, as His children, to take care to keep it holy. The Sabbath is to be observed as a day of rest, as a day set apart to honor God, and a day to be spent in holy exercises.

God, in the creation account, is seen to have worked six days. And on the seventh day, He took rest. The honoring of the Sabbath is a memorial of that work and a way in which we recognize and honor the God who created this world – the only one to be worshipped.

Do you have a Sabbath which you observe? A day set apart for rest, the honoring of God, and to be spent in holy activities – different than any other day of your week?

It is a challenging idea to think of setting aside one day out of our busy week for consecration. There is so much to be done…to attend to. But I encourage you, as I encourage myself, to pursue a Sabbath observation if you are not already doing so. I will admit that I find that to be very challenging. I will also confess that I intend to be much more intentional and proactive in my week to set aside a Sabbath day in obedience to and honor of our precious Father.

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Command #3 - Honoring God's Name

You shall not use or repeat the name of the Lord your God in vain [that is, lightly or frivolously, in false affirmations or profanely]; for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes His name in vain. (Ex 20:7 AMP)

The honoring of God’s name is a weighty matter. As I am on this journey to know God better and to increase in intimacy with Him, I’ve been awed by the inconceivable nature of how He relates to us. He is the only One who is holy. He is perfect. He is the sovereign God – there is no one who compares to Him. He is righteous. All knowing. All seeing. He is our Creator. Yet, somehow this awesome Being desires one-on-one, daily relationship with us! What?!?!?!

So the command to honor His name bears even more weight with me, than the other commands. While I desire an intimate, personal, even familiar relationship with the Father, I do not ever want to reduce Him to the status of being like a “homey” I can holla at however I want to or whose name I throw out there without reverence and respect.

Here are some of Matthew Henry’s thoughts on this command:

We have here,

(1.) A strict prohibition: Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain. It is supposed that, having taken Jehovah for their [the children of Israel’s] God, they would make mention of his name (for thus all people will walk every one in the name of his god); this command gives a needful caution not to mention it in vain, and it is still as needful as ever. We take God’s name in vain, [1.] By hypocrisy, making a profession of God’s name, but not living up to that profession… [2.] By covenant-breaking; if we make promises to God, binding our souls with those bonds to that which is good, and yet perform not to the Lord our vows, we take his name in vain (Mt. 5:33 ), it is folly, and God has no pleasure in fools (Eccl. 5:4 ), nor will he be mocked, Gal. 6:7 [3.] By rash swearing, mentioning the name of God, or any of his attributes, in the form of an oath, without any just occasion for it, or due application of mind to it, but as a by-word, to no purpose at all, or to no good purpose. [4.] By false swearing, which, some think, is chiefly intended in the letter of the commandment; so it was expounded by those of old time. Thou shalt not forswear thyself, Mt. 5:33. One part of the religious regard the Jews were taught to pay to their God was to swear by his name, Deu. 10:20. But they affronted him, instead of doing him honour, if they called him to be witness to a lie. [5.] By using the name of God lightly and carelessly, and without any regard to its awful significancy.

2.) A severe penalty: The Lord will not hold him guiltless…The sinner may perhaps hold himself guiltless, and think there is no harm in it, and that God will never call him to an account for it. To obviate this suggestion, the threatening is thus expressed, God will not hold him guiltless, as he hopes he will; but more is implied, namely, that God will himself be the avenger of those that take his name in vain, and they will find it a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

LENT!!!!!

If you know me, you know I'm a huge Lent fan. Also a fan of Advent, but it's not about that right now.
Anyway, posts have been sparse but I could not let this day come and go without acknowledging it and passing on this great article I read this morning.
If you have questions about Lent, this article will be very helpful. And if you are quite familiar with Lent, I still believe this article will be valuable.
I will be posting soon to continue our Ten Commands series.
Grace & Peace to you!

Lent 101

Lent is a season of the Christian Year where Christians focus on simple living, prayer, and fasting in order to grow closer to God.
When is Lent?
It's the forty days before Easter. Lent excludes Sundays because every Sunday is like a little Easter. Basically, it's about one-tenth of a year (like a tithe of time). Mardi Gras is the day before Lent, which begins with Ash Wednesday. This year it's from February 18-April 5 (Easter) 2014.
Mardi Gras? What does that have to do with JESUS??
Mardi Gras means "Fat Tuesday." It refers to the day before Lent starts. Since Lent always starts on a Wednesday, the day before is always a Tuesday. And it's called "Fat" or "Great" because it's associated with great food and parties.
In earlier times, people used Lent as a time of fasting and repentance. Since they didn't want to be tempted by sweets, meat and other distractions in the house, they cleaned out their cabinets. They used up all the sugar and yeast in sweet breads before the Lent season started, and fixed meals with all the meat available. It was a great feast! Through the years Mardi Gras has evolved (in some places) into a pretty wild party with little to do with preparing for the Lenten season of repentance and simplicity. Oh well. But Christians still know it's origin, and hang onto the true Spirit of the season.
So the real beginning of Lent is Ash Wednesday?
Yes. Ash Wednesday, the day after Mardi Gras, usually begins with a service where we recognize our mortality, repent of our sins, and return to our loving God. We recognize life as a precious gift from God, and re-turn our lives towards Jesus Christ. We may make resolutions and commit to change our lives over the next forty days so that we might be more like Christ. In an Ash Wednesday service, usually a minister or priest marks the sign of the cross on a person's forehead with ashes.
Why ashes?
In Jewish and Christian history, ashes are a sign of mortality and repentance. Mortality, because when we die, our bodies eventually decompose and we become dust/ dirt/ash/whatever. Repentance, because long ago, when people felt remorse for something they did, they would put ashes on their head and wear "sackcloth" (scratchy clothing) to remind them that sin is pretty uncomfortable and leads to a sort of death of the spirit. This was their way of confessing their sins and asking for forgiveness.
Where do the ashes come from?
On what we now call Palm Sunday, Jesus rode a donkey into Jerusalem while people waved palms and cheered him on. Less then a week later, Jesus was killed. The palms that were waved in joy became ashes of sorrow. We get ashes for Ash Wednesday by saving the palms from Palm Sunday, burning them, and mixing them with a little water (like tears) or oil. It's symbolic.
What do Christians do with ashes?
At an Ash Wednesday service, folks are invited to come forward to receive the ashes. The minister will make a small cross on your forehead by smudging the ashes. While the ashes remind us of our mortality and sin, the cross reminds us of Jesus' resurrection (life after death) and forgiveness. It's a powerful, non-verbal way that we can experience God's forgiveness and renewal as we return to Jesus.
So what is LENT?
At Jesus' baptism the sky split open, the Spirit of God, which looked like a dove, descended and landed on Jesus, and a voice from heaven said, "This is my Son, My Beloved, with whom I am pleased." Afterward, as told in Matthew 4:1-11, Jesus was sent into the wilderness by the Spirit. Where he fasted and prayed for 40 days. During his time there he was tempted by Satan and found clarity and strength to resist temptation. Afterwards, he was ready to begin his ministry.
(Speculation)
Maybe Jesus needed some time with God to sort through the major changes happening in his life. Maybe needed to get away from family, friends and the familiar routine in order to see God (and himself) more clearly. Perhaps he wantedÊ some intentional time with God as he searched for direction and answers like you. Like Jesus, we may need to take some serious time to pray and listen for God.
Why "DO" Lent? How do I start?
Are you searching for something more? Tired of running in circles, but not really living life with direction, purpose or passion? It's pretty easy to get caught up in the drama of classes, relationships, family, and work. Our lives are filled with distractions that take us away from living a life with Christ. We try to fill the emptiness inside us with mindless TV, meaningless chatter, stimulants, alcohol, too many activities or other irrelevant stuff. We run away from life and from God.
Lent is a great time to "repent" -- to return to God and re-focus our lives to be more in line with Jesus. It's a 40 day trial run in changing your lifestyle and letting God change your heart. You might try one of these practices for Lent:
FASTING: Some people have been known to go without food for days. But that's not the only way to fast. You can fast by cutting out some of the things in your life that distract you from God. Some Christians use the whole 40 days to fast from candy, tv, soft drinks, cigarettes or meat as a way to purify their bodies and lives. You might skip one meal a day and use that time to pray instead. Or you can give up some activity like worry or reality tv to spend time outside enjoying GodÕs creation. What do you need to let go of or "fast" from in order to focus on God? What clutters your calendar and life? How can you simplify your life in terms of what you eat, wear or do?
SERVICE: Some Christians take something on for Christ. You can collect food for the needy, volunteer once a week to tutor children, or work for reform and justice in your community. You can commit to help a different stranger, co-worker or friend everyday of Lent. Serving others is one way we serve God.
PRAYER: Christians also use Lent as a time of intentional prayer. You can pray while you walk, create music or art as a prayer to God, or savor a time of quiet listening. All can be ways of becoming more in tune with God.

Christians from many different traditions celebrate Lent. How will you use the time to grow closer to God?

Top Ten List: THINGS YOU CAN TRY FOR THE LENTEN SEASON

10. Try an electronic fast. Give up TV, Guitar Hero, texting, tweeeting, e-mail and all things electronic for one day every week. (or everyday of Lent!) Use the time to read & pray.
9. Start a prayer rhythm. Say a prayer every time you brush your teeth, hear an ambulance, or check your e-mail. Before you text someone, pray for them.
8. Read one chapter in the Bible each day. (Matthew's a good book to start with. Psalms, too.)
7. Forgive someone who doesn't deserve it (maybe even yourself.)
6. Give up soft drinks, fast food, tea or coffee. Give the money you save to help folks in Haiti or others in crisis.
5. Create a daily quiet time. Spend 30 minutes a day in silence and prayer.
4. Cultivate a life of gratitude. Write someone a thank you letter each week and be aware of how many people have helped you along the way.
3. Be kind to someone each day.
2. Pray for others you see as you walk to and from classes or drive to and from work.
1. Volunteer one hour or more each week with a local shelter, tutoring program, nursing home, prison ministry or a Habitat for Humanity project.

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Rev. Penny Ford is the pastor of a small UMC church in Carrollton, Alabama. She loves playing trains and going for walks with her 3 year old son, Jamieson.


http://www.upperroom.org/lent101