This Sunday service Pastor (Mrs) Silvia Lia Leigh preached another sermon in the series titled ‘Love is The New Commandment’. Her main scriptures were taken from the books of Mattew 26:1-16, and John 12:1-8.

THE AGAPE LOVE OF GOD

In Greek, there are three words for love. Eros refers to sexual love. Philio refers to friendly attachment. Agape means unconditional sacrificial love. In the New Testament, the word Love appears about 200 times, and it is always ‘agape’ love. This Love is not just a feeling. It is the highest, most pure form of love, born not out of natural attraction or obligation, but a willful choice and a command to be obeyed.  It is the unselfish, pure, powerful, and sacrificial love that desires the best in another person. This love is best expressed as the Fatherly Love of God for human beings. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” (Jn 3:16). This is the Gospel: God the Father sent God the Son to become a Man and die on behalf of sinners, to save them. This agape Love of God ignites love in the heart of the believers. It also helps them to love their ‘neighbors’ as they love themselves. The unbelievers may be religious, but they do not know this agape love. It is a gift given only to the children of God, who are saved by grace and thru faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Agape love is a sacrificial love that saves, unites, and heals. It is the love of God that we see through the cross of Jesus Christ. This love saves and restores humanity in the face of sin and death. “Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends” (Jn 15:13). Because we are born sinners, agape love does not come naturally to us. But because God is Love, as His children, we learn how to love God and people. The description of love appears in 1 Corinthians 13. These are the basic attributes of agape love: It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, and it keeps no record of wrongs. Love is unconcerned with the self and concerned with the greatest good of another. Agape love requires faithfulness, commitment, courage, strength, wisdom, faith, and sacrifice. When we love others, we do it expecting nothing in return from them. Love trusts God alone to respond and reward the sacrifice. Selah!

THE DANGER OF HYPOCRISY

One of Love’s greatest enemies is the religious spirit of hypocrisy. Jesus warned His disciples: “Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy” (Lk 12:1). This is the warning of love! Hypocrisy is defined as the practice of pretending to believe something that you don’t really believe. It is a ‘double standard’ behavior that contradicts what you claim to believe or to feel. Hypocrisy is acting. It is a cover up. For example, you hate The Bible, but you come to church and sing praises to God. Or you hate somebody, but you greet him with a forced smile. Hypocrisy is dangerous because it is powered by seducing spirits, who kill, steal, and destroy. Nothing destroys your testimony as a Christian more than hypocrisy. Once people discover that you are ‘pretending’, they will never listen to you. For love is always faithful and true. “Faithful are the wounds of a friend, But the kisses of an enemy are deceitful” (PV 27:6). Hypocrisy leads to betrayal. The greatest traitor among men is Judas Iscariot. He sold Jesus for 30 silver coins, the price of a slave. In the Garden, he led soldiers to arrest His Master whom he identified with a kiss. “Now His betrayer had given them a sign, saying, “Whomever I kiss, He is the One; seize Him.” 49 Immediately he went up to Jesus and said, “Greetings, Rabbi!” and kissed Him. 50 But Jesus said to him, “Friend, why have you come?” Then they came and laid hands on Jesus and took Him” (Matt 26:48-50). Even at this tragic moment, Jesus still loved Judas and called him ‘friend’. Amazing love!

Living the Christian life is not easy. There is always a danger of becoming a hypocrite. For example, you know God’s Word, but you are slow in applying it practically in your life. Truth must be obeyed, totally, instantly, and joyfully. Truth obeyed produces roots and fruits in your heart. It starts to grow. It establishes your heart in the faith. Truth ignored will fade away from your memory and will judge you before God. Many people like to come to church. They love the music, the general peaceful and joyful atmosphere. They are emotionally attracted to the Gospel. But they have not welcomed the Gospel. The Word has not produced roots in their hearts. There are no visible fruits expressed in a changed holy character. This is hypocrisy. Listen to God: “As for you, son of man, the children of your people are talking about you beside the walls and in the doors of the houses; and they speak to one another, everyone saying to his brother, ‘Please come and hear what the word is that comes from the Lord.’ 31 So they come to you as people do, they sit before you as My people, and they hear your words, but they do not do them; for with their mouth they show much love, but their hearts pursue their own gain. 32 Indeed you are to them as a very lovely song of one who has a pleasant voice and can play well on an instrument; for they hear your words, but they do not do them. 33 And when this comes to pass—surely it will come—then they will know that a prophet has been among them” (Ezekiel 33:30-33). You can deceive men, but not God.

How do we defeat hypocrisy? First, recognize it and confess it. Then pray that God helps you to repent. Repentance is God’s gift. It is a work of grace. Go to the Cross. Gaze long on Christ Crucified. Jesus did not act on the Cross. He really died there. In the wilderness, when the rebellious people died from poisonous snakes, God told Moses to make a copper snake on a pole. God said that anyone who is bitten by a snake should look at that metal snake lifted high, and he shall live (Nu 21:8, 9). Jesus said that in the same way, He will be lifted from the earth on a Cross. He will take the sins of men upon Himself and die on that cross. He will become a curse that people may live. Love manifests in the Old and the New Testament. Love is as Old as eternity and as new as time. “And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15 that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. 16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” (Jn 3:14-16). As Moses… so the Son of Man! The Ten Commandments have become the New Commandment of Love! To see love, go to the Cross. Jesus says: “Look to Me, and be saved, all you ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other” (Is 45:22). This is the look that brings eternal life and healing. This is not a casual look. It is a long gaze that triggers spiritual understanding and faith in Jesus. This look ignites God’s fire in your heart. This look will kill your flesh, purify your soul, and will make you worship God alone! Come, let us go and see Jesus! Look- Love- Life! Halleluiah!

RELIGION BYPASSES LOVE

“But woe to you Pharisees! For you tithe mint and rue and all manner of herbs and pass by justice and the love of God. These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone” (Lk 11:42). Our Lord condemned the Pharisees, the religious rulers. He said that because they love praise from men, everything they do is for men to see them as religious. They pay their tithes even from the herbs in the garden. But ‘they pass by justice and the love of God’. The word ‘pass by’ is also translated to ignore, to neglect, to bypass or to disregard. They ignore the justice of God. They do not hate and punish sin. They do not encourage the oppressed. Also, they do not practice the Love of God. They are greedy haters, oppressors, and proud people. Our Lord did not condemn the ‘sinners’, but He cursed these religious people. This is the warning of Love!

LOVE’S SONG IN DISAPPOINTMENT

“Now, let me sing to my Well-beloved a song of my Beloved regarding His vineyard: My Well-beloved has a vineyard on a very fruitful hill. 2 He dug it up and cleared out its stones and planted it with the choicest vine. He built a tower in its midst, and also made a winepress in it; So, He expected it to bring forth good grapes, but it brought forth wild grapes. 3 “And now, O inhabitants of Jerusalem and men of Judah, Judge, please, between Me and My vineyard. 4 What more could have been done to My vineyard that I have not done in it? Why then, when I expected it to bring forth good grapes, did it bring forth wild grapes? 5 And now, please let Me tell you what I will do to My vineyard: I will take away its hedge, and it shall be burned; And break down its wall, and it shall be trampled down. 6 I will lay it waste; It shall not be pruned or dug, but there shall come up briers and thorns. I will also command the clouds that they rain no rain on it.” 7 For the vineyard of the Lord of hosts is the house of Israel, and the men of Judah are His pleasant plant. He looked for justice, but behold, oppression; For righteousness, but behold, a cry for help” (Isaiah 5:1-7).

People who know God are both in awe of Him and in love with Him. Isaiah was that type of man. He has an intimate relationship with God. He speaks about His Beloved, who is God. Then God speaks by Himself. Isaiah feels what God feels. God hates evil. Isaiah hates evil too. If you love God, you must be passionately in love with Him. You will understand God’s anger and sadness coming from rejection. Our mistakes come from our low view of God. In the Old Testament, God’s love was bestowed on a country, Israel. God made a covenant with Israel to be together. But Israel broke God’s Commandments and heart. Since Christ died on the Cross and the Holy Spirit was poured down, the Church is now the object of God’s special love to men. Israel was called the wife of Jehovah. The Church is called the Bride of Christ. The wedding will be in the future when all things will reach their fulfilment. For now, we experience the romance of being in a mystical unity with Christ, the Head of the Church.

How does God love us?

*God’s love is total! The farmer tries his best for his vineyard. He chooses the best place, prepares the soil, surrounds the place, and builds a watchtower to protect his vineyard from enemies. He could do no more than this. Lesson: God the Father has given us everything. He has given us His Son, His Love, His Word, His Spirit, and all that we need for life and godliness. Love now waits for her harvest. But there is none… 

*God’s disappointment is total! Love is totally disappointed. With all the labor and care, there are no good fruits. The covenant curses between God and man shall manifest as drought, defeat, and wasted opportunities (read the curses of disobedience in Deuteronomy 28). The Lover (God) punishes Israel for the breaking of the covenant. He is totally justified to do that. Then, Isaiah surprises the people by saying that the vineyard is the house of Israel, the Temple, and the religious leaders in particular. God said that He will stop the worship and destroy His house. God said that one of the sweet fruits He was looking for was Justice. Justice is the state where people are treated fairly. The good people are rewarded, and the lawless ones are punished. God was expecting justice in the land, especially from the religious leaders. But He only found oppression and corruption. God was also looking for the sweet fruit called righteousness (godly character and behavior) but all He found was oppression. He heard the weak cry of help from the fainting victims. This is the cry of domestic violence victims, and others. Their hurt, their pain happened mostly in the church. But the cry of the oppressed was not heard by the leaders. Lesson: God hears your cry long before men hear it. Heaven listens to you! God will close a church just because of the cry of the oppressed in its midst.

Jesus uses this song for His parable of the Tenants in Matthew 21:33-46. But He focuses mostly on the wicked vinedressers. At harvest time, the Master sent to collect his share. But the wicked tenants beat and kill their master’s servants. Finally, they kill the Master’s Beloved Son. Jesus said that Isaiah ‘saw His glory’ in advance and spoke about the Beloved’s rejection in this song (Jn 12:41). Lesson: When we receive the Word of God, and we refuse to apply it, we are like the wicked tenants. When we disobey God’s Word, we crucify the Son of God all over again. Jesus said: ‘I am the true vine’ (Jn 15:1). In other words, He said: ‘I am the true Israel’. Jesus obeyed God’s Law. Jesus is fruitful. We too are fruitful because we are in Him. The key to success as a branch is in fruit bearing. God chose Israel to do good works. Israel refused to obey God. Now, the Church is to produce expected fruits, or good works for the glory of God. Lesson: even with all the labor of love, nobody knows the future of a plantation. Let me say this respectfully, not even God knows the future of His investments in us. This is one way to understand God’s disappointment. “Hope deferred makes the heart sick, But when the desire comes, it is a tree of life” (PV 13:12). The word deferred means postponed, delayed hope. The word ‘sick’ means ‘weak’ heart. In spite of all His labor of love and high hopes, the vineyard produced only sour grapes, unfit to make sweet wine for the King.

THE GOOD WORK OF LOVE (Matt 26:1-16; Jn 12:1-8)

“Now it came to pass, when Jesus had finished all these sayings, that He said to His disciples, 2 “You know that after two days is the Passover, and the Son of Man will be delivered up to be crucified.” 3 Then the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders of the people assembled at the palace of the high priest, who was called Caiaphas, 4 and plotted to take Jesus by trickery and kill Him. 5 But they said, “Not during the feast, lest there be an uproar among the people.” 6 And when Jesus was in Bethany at the house of Simon the leper, 7 a woman came to Him having an alabaster flask of very costly fragrant oil, and she poured it on His head as He sat at the table. 8 But when His disciples saw it, they were indignant, saying, “Why this waste? 9 For this fragrant oil might have been sold for much and given to the poor.” 10 But when Jesus was aware of it, He said to them, “Why do you trouble the woman? For she has done a good work for Me. 11 For you have the poor with you always, but Me you do not have always. 12 For in pouring this fragrant oil on My body, she did it for My burial. 13 Assuredly, I say to you, wherever this gospel is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be told as a memorial to her.” 14 Then one of the twelve, called Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests 15 and said, “What are you willing to give me if I deliver Him to you?” And they counted out to him thirty pieces of silver. 16 So from that time he sought opportunity to betray Him” (Matt 26:1-16).

“Six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus was who had been dead, whom He had raised from the dead. 2 There they made Him a supper; and Martha served, but Lazarus was one of those who sat at the table with Him. 3 Then Mary took a pound of very costly oil of spikenard, anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped His feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the oil. 4 But one of His disciples, Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, who would betray Him, said, 5 “Why was this fragrant oil not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?” 6 This he said, not that he cared for the poor, but because he was a thief, and had the money box; and he used to take what was put in it. 7 But Jesus said, “Let her alone; she has kept this for the day of My burial. 8 For the poor you have with you always, but Me you do not have always” (Jn 12:1-8)

This event happened in the last week in the life of Jesus. It was just one week before the nails would be hammered in His hands. From now on, Love and Hatred, faith and unbelief, light and darkness will be divided forever. Jesus divides people. Jesus divides sheep from goats. He did not come to bring peace to the world, but a sword. Some men love and others hate Jesus. In this story there are two people who are symbols of this division between love and hatred. These are Mary and Judas. How can Jesus’ teaching produce a Mary and a Judas? It is the same today. People who listen to the words of Jesus become either saved or religious hypocrites. Here we learn that worship always has priority. In Luke 7, there is a similar story. Jesus was invited to the house of Simon of Leper. Surely this one was an ex-leper because a leper could not stay in the town. He was healed by Jesus. He invited Jesus to honor Him. But the Pharisees became angry when the ‘sinful’ woman worshipped Jesus with her tears. This expensive fragrant oil was used as room perfume or during burials, to cover the smell of the bodies. It was imported from India or China.

These are the five groups of people: Mary, Judas, the crowds, the religious Pharisees, and the true believers. Study them! Mary brought an alabaster flask containing a very costly perfumed oil. He poured it on the head of Jesus. Judas was the first one to complain that this is a waste of money (Jn 12:4-6). The other disciples followed his lead and also complained. They thought that Mary should have sold this perfume and give the money to the poor. Jesus rebukes them saying: “Why do you trouble the woman? For she has done a good work for Me” (Matt 26:10). This is only the second time somebody on earth gives Him an expensive gift. The first time it was when He was born. The wise men brought Him gifts fir for a king: gold, myrrh, and frankincense. Now Mary does the same. Jesus appreciates it. He tells the disciples that Mary is sensitive to the Holy Spirit when they are not. With the eyes of the Spirit, she saw His death coming and prepared His Body for burial. Only Love can see the future and act on it. Twelve times Jesus told His disciples that He will soon die, but they rejected the Word. Jesus said that worshipping Him is a greater love than taking care of the poor. This is a deep revelation. It is part of the preaching of the true Gospel. Loving Jesus is always first. Out of the overflow of that love, we then love men and give to the poor. Many churches have reversed the order. They preach what is called ‘the social gospel’ or ‘the prosperity gospel’ where the needs of men take preeminence. This is a serious error, and it grieves the Holy Spirit. Mary reminds us that worshipping Jesus is ‘a good work for Jesus’. It is a work that is highly rewarded by God. It becomes a true memorial to the glory of God even after we go to heaven. Love cannot be bought or sold. “Love cannot be drowned by oceans or floods. It cannot be bought–any offer would be scorned no matter how great” (SS 8:7; CEV).

Because the disciples were focused on money, they too saw Love as waste. But Jesus knows the value of Love. He receives Mary’s worship as ‘a good work’ done for Him alone. The words ‘good work’ is also translated as a beautiful and noble deed. Jesus promised that when the true Gospel is preached, Love will speak too. Love has a voice, and a fragrance no religious speech can quench. Lesson: Let nothing trouble you! It does not matter what men say, it does not matter what you feel, worship God with all your heart! Let the fire burn. Let the incense rise. Even right now… Jesus receives from your heart your love for Him. Your good work for Jesus will be remembered eternally!

Jesus calls Judas ‘a devil’ (Jn 6:70). He was greedy, materialistic, worldly, ambitious, and wicked. The more people loved Jesus, the more he hated Jesus because he was disappointed in Jesus. He was serving Jesus only to make money. The other disciples complained about the ‘waste’ of worship. Judas led them. Judas had leadership qualities. The other disciples trusted him. The fragrant oil was about 300 denarii. At that time, a worker’s day job was paid 1 denary. Mary’s oil is about the payment for a year’s job. Judas asked for 30 pieces of silver, about 4 times less than Mary’s expensive oil. Worship is the most expensive form of love. The closer you are to the truth, the more you shall be judged. If you are a thief, the worst place to be is in the church. By accepting Mary’s anointing Jesus confirmed that He will die and be buried. This act of worship was the last straw for Judas. He knew that Jesus would die and there is no more money for him. So, he chose to betray Jesus! Lesson: people can become proud and fall at the point of their strengths! Selah! A pastor, a worship leader, can become proud because of his success in ministry, and if he does not repent, he can fall. “Therefore, let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall” (1 Cor 10:12). Selah!

The crowds in the room were superficial seekers. They wanted entertainment, to see the two people connected with the miracle: Jesus and Lazarus. The next day they shouted Hosannah. After that they shouted Crucify Him. Then we see the Pharisees who wanted to kill both Jesus and Lazarus. In the Jewish tradition, the only time women enter is to serve the food, not to interrupt the meal. Mary pours the oil on Jesus’ head or feet. The oil covers His body, head to toes. The extravagance of Mary is judged by men as a waste. They said that the money should be given to the poor. Worship is seen as waste. They criticized her sharply. They were very rude to her. Jesus said, ‘she did what she could’ (Mk 14:8). In other words, Mary does not have an army to defend me; she was not a lawyer to argue My case to the Sanhedrin… but she did what she could… She worshipped Me. This woman anointed Jesus for His burial. The Body was Jesus was not thrown into the common grave with the criminals. The Father did not allow the body of His Son to see corruption (Ps 16:10). He was buried with the rich (Is 53:9). The women came on the Resurrection day to complete the anointing of His body. But He was not there. Mary alone had the privilege to do that even before He died. Jesus said that she has done a good work for Me. Wherever the Gospel is preached, the act of this woman will be remembered. Jesus said I will make sure that her act of love will never be forgotten. In the day when the wicked betrayed Jesus, we see the glimpse of true love. Love shines through the shadows of unbelief and selfishness! Worship the Lord!

This Sunday service Pastor (Mrs) Silvia Lia Leigh preached another sermon in the series titled ‘Love is The New Commandment’. Her main scriptures were taken from the books of Isaiah 40:3-8; 1 Peter 1:22-25, John 16:5-11.

THE WORK OF THE HOLY SPIRIT – HE JUDGES THE LOVELESS WORLD

“But now I go away to Him who sent Me, and none of you asks Me, ‘Where are You going?’ 6 But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart. 7 Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you. 8 And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: 9 of sin, because they do not believe in Me; 10 of righteousness, because I go to My Father and you see Me no more; 11 of judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged” (Jn 16:5-11).

Just before the Cross, Jesus told His disciples that He will send the Holy Spirit, who will come in His name. The Holy Spirit is a Person, is God, and the greatest Helper the believer has. He is the Spirit of Love, Truth, and Freedom. Jesus said: “And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” 33 They answered Him, “We are Abraham’s descendants, and have never been in bondage to anyone. How can You say, ‘You will be made free’?” 34 Jesus answered them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin. 35 And a slave does not abide in the house forever, but a son abides forever” (Jn 8:32-35). The way the Holy Spirit makes a believes free, is by adopting him in Christ. A son is free. The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of adoption and freedom. “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. 15 For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father” (Rom 8:14,15). Glory!

God the Father has planned salvation. He is in heaven. God the Son became a Man to execute the plan of salvation on earth. He is now also in heaven. The Holy Spirit is the only God on earth now. His main work is the glorify Jesus Christ. He makes salvation real to us through His Word. Without the Holy Spirit no man understands the Bible, no man can believe in Jesus. The Holy Spirit has many other functions. He leads believers into Truth and helps them to love. He gives them the power to run the race, to persevere to the end. Jesus said that the world cannot accept the Holy Spirit (Jn 14:17). The world is the system of men who ignore or oppose God and live like God does not exist. The Holy Spirit ‘convicts the world of sin, of righteousness and judgment’. In Greek, the word ‘convict’ means to expose, proving to be guilty, to rebuke, or to discipline.  

Jesus said that the Holy Spirit ‘testifies’ about Him. The Holy Spirit does not attract attention upon Himself. He directs all attention to the Lord Jesus Christ. He glorifies Jesus. “But when the Helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify of Me. 27 And you also will bear witness, because you have been with Me from the beginning” (Jn 15:26, 27). By testifying of Jesus, of His Words, of His Person and His work of salvation on behalf of sinners, the Holy Spirit will prove wrong all who hate and reject Jesus. Darkness is proved to be evil when the light starts to shine. There are two opposing kingdoms: The world, with its ruler, the devil and the Kingdom of God whose King is Jesus. You cannot see the contrast between these two kingdoms except God’s light starts to shine. The revelation of Jesus Christ rebukes and condemns the world. Love condemns hatred, truth condemns lies, light condemns the darkness of sin.

Historically, the first time the Holy Spirit convicted the sinners was on the Day of Pentecost, when Peter was preaching. “Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Men and brethren, what shall we do?” 38 Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit” (Ac 2:37, 38). This conviction of the Holy Spirit is described as ‘they were cut to the heart’. In Greek, the word ‘cut’ is a violent word. It means to pierce thoroughly, to be stung (like by a serpent), to agitate violently, with anxiety, fear of judgment, and godly sorrow for their sins. Without this deep work of the Holy Spirit, these men will mock and reject Peter. But now, they were speechless. They were paralyzed with the fear of God. See how the Holy Spirit works as the Helper. He helps Peter to preach, to do ministry and see fruits in it. It manifested as salvation of souls. Peter became a fisher of men, as Jesus promised him. Since then, the Holy Spirit has been doing the same work in all sinners who gave their lives to Christ. Nothing and nobody else can do this work, except the Holy Spirit. Only the Holy Spirit can convict and later, comfort! Glory!

The Holy Spirit convicts the world about three things: sin, righteousness, and judgment.

*Conviction of sin: ‘Because the world does not believe in Jesus’. The Holy Spirit exposes and confronts the world’s unbelief and lack of love. Unbelief in Jesus is the greatest sin. The Holy Spirit does not only tell sinners about their sin. He ‘convicts’ them about their sins, proving that they are going to hell. In the past, sinners were judged by the Law, by the Ten Commandments. For example, if you are a murderer, you go to hell because of murder. If you are an adulterer, you go to hell because of adultery. But now, since Jesus died on the Cross, the judgment is not based on what sinners do or don’t do. The judgment now is given based on your rejection of the Lord Jesus Christ. Unbelief is now the reason why a sinner goes to hell. It is not because he is an adulterer, but because he has rejected the Savior. In the past, Law was the judge. Now, Love is the judge! Sin is found in the rejection of a relationship with the Lover of your soul. “If anyone does not love the Lord [does not obey and respect and believe in Jesus Christ and His message], he is to be accursed. Maranatha (O our Lord, come)!” (1 Cor 16:22). Practically, hating and rejecting Jesus is proved by hating our ‘neighbors’. These were men in need, and we had resources to help them. But we choose not to. This hatred of men is a sin against Judge Love. The Holy Spirit gives us all we need to prove our love for Jesus by helping and loving our neighbors. Even if you do not have money to give, you can at least pray for them who need help. Those who go to heaven, praise, and pray without ceasing. They are blessed! Selah!

*Conviction of righteousness, ‘because I go to My Father, and you see Me no more’. Righteousness means right standing before God. A sinner cannot ‘stand’ before a Holy God. As darkness cannot stand before Light, as sin cannot stand before Holiness, so hatred cannot stand before Love. Jesus became Man. He lived to show us what righteous living is. Practically, righteousness means Christian character, manifested in thoughts, words, and deeds. Only the Holy Spirit can work this type of righteousness, and only in a sinner who is saved by grace. This is called the process of sanctification, by which the believer becomes holy like God. Jesus became sin so that He can give us His Righteousness. This is called ‘imputed’ righteousness. The word ‘imputed’ means to credit something to another’s account. It is an exchange or a transfer (of money, for example). God used the infinite ‘account’ of Christ, to credit grace into our bankrupt account as sinners. This is the basis of our salvation, by grace and through faith. Because of God’ grace, and by faith in Christ crucified and resurrected, we are now freely justified by God. We do not merit it and we did not earn it by our good works. It is the gift of God. From the moment of justification, the believer starts to work out his salvation, by behaving righteously. Therefore, righteousness is always connected with a Person, our Lord, and Savior Jesus Christ. “For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him” (2 Cor 5:21). “But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God—and righteousness and sanctification and redemption” (1 Cor 1:30).

The world lacks both imputed and imparted (sanctifying) righteousness. The Holy Spirit convicts the religious world. He is like a wind who blows away our self- righteousness. “All our righteousnesses are like filthy rags; We all fade as a leaf, And our iniquities, like the wind, Have taken us away” (Is 64:6). God’s Righteousness now is through faith in Jesus and His Gospel. For the believer, his righteousness is not by obeying the Law, but by faith in Christ. “But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, 22 even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe” (Rom3:21,22).

*Conviction of judgment, because ‘the ruler of this world is judged’. The Holy Spirit convicts the world of God’s judgment on sin. The first person to be judged was the devil. At the Cross, Jesus died on behalf of sinners, to save them from the bondage to the devil. At the Cross, the devil was ‘cast out’. Judge Love has condemned to death the chief Hater, the devil! The sinner who has faith in Jesus, by the grace of God, is free from the bondage of sin, and of Satan. He is also free from the curse of the Law. The Cross draws people to Jesus. “Now is the judgment of this world; now the ruler of this world will be cast out. 32 And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all peoples to Myself.” 33 This He said, signifying by what death He would die” (Jn 12:31-33). By His death, Jesus destroyed the power of the devil over men. “Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, 15 and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage” (Heb 2:14, 15). The Holy Spirit exposes the fact that the devil is a defeated foe. He is already judged. There is no redemption for the devil. One day, the devil will be permanently destroyed. “And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever” (Rev 20:10). It is only by the Holy Spirit that we can believe this promise that will manifest in the future. By the resurrection of Jesus, the kingdom of the devil among men was totally destroyed. The sinners who reject Christ and insist to stay with the devil, will join him in hell. Religion cannot save you! No man can save you! Give your life to Christ!     

LOVE FREES YOU FROM THE CURSE OF THE LAW

“For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse; for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who does not continue in all things which are written in the book of the law, to do them.” 11 But that no one is justified by the law in the sight of God is evident, for “the just shall live by faith.” 12 Yet the law is not of faith, but “the man who does them shall live by them.” 13 Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”), 14 that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith” (Gal 3:10-14).

Apostle Paul says that in Christ we become free from sin and from the curse of the Law. God gave man His Law. God said: if you obey all My Commandments, I will bless you. If you break even one of My Commandments, I will curse you. In The Book of Deuteronomy 28 we read the blessings and obedience and the curses that follow the breaking of God’s Law. The curses manifest as sickness, poverty, defeat, loneliness, breaking of marriage, scattering in the world, lack of identity, no peace, no joy, fear of the future and many others. It is a fearful list. It is only in Christ, that we can be free from the curse of the Law. Meditate on the price Christ had to pay to give us this freedom, healing, and deliverance.  

To be free from the curse of the Law means at least two things: First, we are not under the Law. We are free from its (impossible) demands. The Law is not our Master or Judge anymore. Secondly, we shall not be judged on Judgment Day. The Law basically refers to the Ten Commandments. We are born sinners. The Law was our master. No sinner can obey God’s Law. The Law has no mercy. If you break one, you have broken all the Laws. Christ died to redeem us from the curse of the Law. To ‘redeem’ means to pay for the freedom of a slave. As sinners, we were slaves under the Law. In Christ, we do not have to obey the former master, the Law. We are now free from it. The Law does not require faith or love, only obedience. We now live by faith in Jesus. Jesus said: “Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill” (Matt 5:17). Jesus perfectly obeyed God’s Law. That is the meaning that He fulfilled the Law. He is the only Man who obeyed God’s Law. He obeyed the Law actively all His life. He also obeyed the Law passively, when He chose to become sin and die for us. In this way He pleased God and accomplished what God intended when He gave man His Law. Because we are free from the curse of the Law, we shall not face God on His judgment seat. We shall not be judged based on the Law. “The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Cor 15:56, 57). Because we are free from the curse of the Law, we lose the fear of death and judgment. The Law is now in our hearts, and we shall be judged according to the Law of Love. But even though Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, we are not totally free from the Law itself. For example, ‘you shall not murder’ is a law that stands to the end of time, for all people, everywhere. Nine out of the Ten Commandments are repeated in the New Testament. Christians are not lawless. They have received the Holy Spirit so that they can now obey God’s Law, like Jesus did! Amen!

FREE TO LOVE AND FREE TO SERVE

“For you, brethren, have been called to liberty; only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. 14 For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” 15 But if you bite and devour one another, beware lest you be consumed by one another! 16. I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. 17 For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. 19 Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, 20 idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, 21 envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. 24 And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. 26 Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another” (Gal 5:13-26).

Jesus died so that we are free from the bondage of sin and of the Law. This liberty is God’s gift to us. Liberty has two main enemies: legalism and license. Legalism is responsibility without freedom. License is freedom without responsibility. Both these extremes are wrong.

*Legalism is bondage to the Law. Legalists believe that they can obey the Law to be saved and go to heaven. They believe that they receive God’s approval because of their obedience. They believe that they can earn their salvation by doing good work. They focus more on obeying God’s Law than on a relationship with God. They add to God’s Law other human rules and regulations and count them as divine.

*License is another extreme. License is defined as freedom of action, but with disregard of any law. It is loose behavior and abuse of freedom. For example, some say that having sexual relationships with many people is ‘free love’. But this cannot be love. The reason is because love is always responsible and careful not to hurt others. The danger for Christians is that the freedom we have in Christ becomes ‘an opportunity for the flesh’ to manifest (Gal 5:13). In Greek, the word ‘opportunity’ means ‘a starting point’. It is a military term describing the base for the operation. Do not allow the freedom in Christ to become a foothold from where the devil will attack you. The devil tries to convince the believer to allow him to have a little space in his life. From there, he attacks with greater sins. The result is that believers backslide. They become wild in behavior, totally lacking discipline. They think that grace is given to indulge in sinful activities without any guilt. That is a form of spiritual slavery! Christ died to free us FROM SIN, not free TO SIN. The freedom from the Law is given so that we Love and serve one another in Love (Gal 5:13). The purpose of Freedom in Christ is love and serving others! If you hate men and refuse to serve them, you are taking your freedom for granted. The Holy Spirit is a free Spirit. “Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty” (2 Cor 3:17). The Holy Spirit does not help those who practice legalism or license. God helps only those who use their freedom to love others, and to serve them for Christ’s sake.

The Holy Spirit brings at least two kinds of freedom to the believer:

*Freedom from sin. “Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh” (Gal 5:16). To walk in the Spirit means to listen and obey the Holy Spirit. It means to live in the realm of grace. The promise is clear: if you abide in this realm of grace, ‘you shall not sin’. This describes the process of sanctification by which you become holy, like Christ. This sanctification is not by obeying any Law but by obeying the voice of a Person, God, the Holy Spirit. Sanctification is not mechanical. It is a relationship with God based on His leading. This freedom from sin releases the believer to be able to love and to serve others. Freedom from sin is not only negative. It is not enough to say: ‘I do not commit adultery’. You have to do more than that. You have to use the strength you wasted on past adultery to love others and serve them now. Love is the fulfillment of the Law. This ‘walk’ is total freedom from the guilt of sin and experiencing pure heavenly love!

*Freedom from the curse of the Law so that now, you keep the Law and Love people! The Law could not save sinners. The Law was a Teacher, a Tutor, who drove us to Christ. Once we knew Christ, the Law was not necessary again to be our teacher. “Before faith came, we were kept under guard by the law, kept for the faith which would afterward be revealed. 24 Therefore the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith. 25 But after faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor” (Gal 3:23-25). The Law did not disappear. In Christ, our liberty is not lawless. The sinner was UNDER THE LAW. Now, the believer is Christ, is ABOVE the Law, but not lawless. The Law is now a street of gold. Step by step, the Christian walks on the Law. The Holy Spirit leads him and empowers him to obey the Law. As a sinner, the Law was a rod to punish him. Now, the Law is a road that leads him to heaven. This walk of obedience is powered by Love. Jesus: “If you love Me, keep My commandments” (Jn 14:15). As you can see, the Law cannot save (cannot justify) but the Law helps in sanctification!!! We are therefore free from the bondage of the Law. But now, the Holy Spirit uses the Law to help us exercise our freedom to love, and not go astray into legalism or license. Now, faith in Christ uses the Law to make spiritual progress in sanctification. “There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. 2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death. 3 For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh, 4 that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit” (Rom 8:1-4). God’s Law is like a pair of ice skates. If you walk with them on the grass, you will fall. But if you use them on ice, you will glide easily, quickly, and beautifully! Oh, the Wisdom of God!!!

In a believer, there is a war within. The flesh and the Spirit are mortal enemies. The Holy Spirit helps the believer kill sin in the flesh. This is the road to spiritual maturity. The Holy Spirit cannot make peace with the flesh. It does not just arrest the flesh as a prisoner of war. The Spirit arrests and kills its prisoner. Then, finally, there is peace. Against the fruit of the Spirit, including Love, there is no Law (Gal 5:23). This is because the Holy Spirit is never lawless. His fruit is manifested as obedience to the Law of Christ, which is Agape Love!

LOVE IS LIKE A WIND

“The voice of one crying in the wilderness: “Prepare the way of the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God. 4 Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill brought low; The crooked places shall be made straight and the rough places smooth; 5 The glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together; For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.” 6 The voice said, “Cry out!” And he said, “What shall I cry?” “All flesh is grass, and all its loveliness is like the flower of the field. 7 The grass withers, the flower fades, Because the breath of the Lord blows upon it; Surely the people are grass. 8 The grass withers, the flower fades, But the word of our God stands forever” (Is 40:3-8).

“Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit in sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart, 23 having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever, 24 because “All flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of the grass. The grass withers, and its flower falls away, 25 But the word of the Lord endures forever.” Now this is the word which by the gospel was preached to you” (1 Peter 1:22-25).

Love hates sin like no other. Love “thinks no evil; 6 does not rejoice in iniquity but rejoices in the truth” (1 Cor 13:5, 6). Love desires a pure heart for her house. The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Truth and Love. He does a special and specific work of love and grace, preparing the soul for the new life in Christ. We are all born sinners; therefore, we are all proud. Religious pride is the worst. It manifests as hypocrisy. The Holy Spirit comes like a hot dry wind blowing from the desert. Nothing stops Him and nothing can resist Him. This work of withering is necessary to kill the flesh, the pride of life. The farmers burn the wild grass before they use the ground to plant new seeds. In the same way, the Holy Spirit prepares the ground of the heart to be ready to receive the incorruptible seed of life, which is the Word of God. As a farmer cannot plant on a stony ground, the Holy Spirit will not waste the Word in an unprepared proud heart. John the Baptist was that voice crying in the wilderness, prepare the way of the Lord. John did not come with seeds. He came with the baptism of water. John told sinners to repent. That word ‘repent’ is the sound of the withering wind of the Holy Spirit. Grace comes as wind and fire before the glory of God shall be revealed to all men. John prepared the ground the best way he could. He also said that another One will come to ‘finish the work’ of withering before plantation. He said that the Messiah, Jesus, will come and baptize with the Holy Ghost and fire (Matt 3:11). To be baptized means to go down, to be submerged, and die, in the river of water, or in the river of fire. Flesh cannot survive the baptism. Then the soul will rise and be free from the bondage of sin and death.

The withering work of the Holy Spirit has some peculiarities. It comes like a wind from God. Both in Hebrew and in Greek, the word for Wind and for Spirit is the same. First, the wind comes suddenly and unexpectedly, like a thief in the night. Isaiah, the prophet, is surprised too. He says: ‘What shall I cry?’ It is hard to describe the effect of this Wind. The sinner ‘enjoys his life’ when suddenly, things change. He cannot explain how this change came. Suddenly, the things he used to love he now hates. Things he used to be proud of, his beauty, intelligence, achievements, and all success, seem like dung to him now. This is a form of mourning. Jesus said: ‘Blessed are those who mourn for they shall be comforted’ (Matt 5:4). To the natural man, these are strange words… This is a godly sorrow. The man feels like dying. He sees the world, the flesh, for what it truly is. The beauty of man is transitory. Money does not attract him again. Fleshly success looks fragile and dying. The unbelievers still enjoy the things of the world, but this man, feeling the love wind, has lost interest in them. He thinks of death, of judgment, of God. For the first time he says, ‘vanity upon vanity, all is vanity!’ He now sees that he needs a Savior. He desperately seeks the Savior. He has no peace.

Secondly, the withering work of the Holy Spirit is total. It affects the whole personality. We are told that ‘all flesh’ is affected. Under the blow of the Holy Wind, the sinner’s mind loses its interest in dreaming about the world. The emotional attraction towards sin dies. When trying to choose new ways of sin, the will is weakened. Please note that this ‘attack’ is not done by the devil. It is the wind of the Holy Spirit that dries the flesh. The devil wants the sinner to love the world, not to hate it. No man on his own can stop loving sin or the world. The flesh cannot survive this wind. Eventually, the flesh starts to fade and fall away. Pride is gone. Self-righteousness is dead. No rain can revive the fallen flower. No prayer can revive the fading flesh. This is the time when the man bows down and totally surrenders to Jesus. The battle is over.

Thirdly, this work is extremely painful. The flesh fights back against the Spirit and that increases the pain. But flesh can never win. People who say that they are Christians, and have never experienced such pains, cannot be strong believers. Most of the time, they are only religious and not truly saved. The withering work of the Holy Spirit, though painful, is a work of grace. It is the work of Love. It prepares the soul for the revelation of the glory of God in the face of Christ.

Jesus said that salvation is a new work done by the Holy Spirit. A sinner cannot be repaired or improved. A sinner must die to sin. Then the Holy Spirit will give him new life, God’s eternal life. The Holy Spirit blows like the wind, sovereign, free and powerful. “7 Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ 8 The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit” (Jn 3:7, 8). Once this work is done, it is time to plant. Most of the time, God’s Word comes thru preaching. This is a reminder to truly respect the preaching of God’s Word. Jesus plants His Word in the heart. This Word of life stands and endures forever. Hell has tried many times to uproot it but always failed. Nothing can uproot God’s Word planted in a prepared heart. No one can pluck a true believer from the hand of Jesus! Worship the Lord!

MY TESTIMONY

I was born in Romania, about 70 years ago. My husband, Richmond Sisan Leigh, a Nigerian, came to study medicine in Romania. We were classmates. We fell in love, and we got married. After graduation, we came to Nigeria to settle. We have three children. We founded Lily Clinic (now Lily Hospital). We became as they say, ‘rich and famous’ in Warri, Nigeria. Until I became saved in March 1986, I was an atheist. I did not believe that God, devil, heaven, or hell, exist. I did not see a Bible before I came to Nigeria in 1980. I did not attend church. Many people, mostly my patients, tried to preach to me about God, about Jesus, but I totally rejected their words. I was convinced that ‘religion is the opium of the masses’, as we were thought in Romania. In January 1986, something happened to me. For no good reason, I suddenly became depressed. I am generally an optimistic person. But now, I lost my happiness. I was not happy with my achievements (my good marriage, my children, my profession as a doctor, my money and fame). I felt like dying. For the first time in my life, I started thinking of God, of death, of heaven and hell. The words of the people who preached to me hunted me. I asked myself: ‘What if I am wrong? What if God exists? If I die, what will I tell God?’ The idea of God, of Jesus entered as a nail in my mind and I could not remove it. It was a time of terror, hell on earth. The Holy Spirit arrested me, and I could not get free. That is when, for the first time in my life, I prayed. I was totally broken. I wept like a desperate dying woman. I asked Jesus to forgive my sins. Better said, I begged Him to have mercy on me. I did not know the Bible or doctrines, but I just had a feeling the only Jesus can help me. He did! The Holy Spirit suddenly came into my heart and gave me peace. It was a sudden influx of power, peace, and joy I could not imagine human beings experiencing on this earth. I was never the same again. I started reading the Bible like a mad woman. The first sin that the holy Spirit convicted me of the sin of abortion. As a doctor, I did abortion at request. I did not know that it was a sin. The Holy Spirit changed my heart ‘overnight’. I started to love all the unborn babies. I repented. I have never done abortion on any patient since 1986. This is my first victory as a Christian. I started growing spiritually, in favor with God and man. Later, my husband also got saved. We sold our private hospital and started a church called Father’s House Bible Church, in Warri/ Effurun. We became pastors. God blessed our labor of love. To Him be all the glory! Worship the Lord!

This Sunday service Pastor (Mrs) Silvia Lia Leigh preached another sermon in the series titled ‘Love is The New Commandment’. Her main scriptures were taken from the books of 1 John 1:1-10; 2:1-11; Luke 7:36-50;

LOVE IS THE OLD AND THE NEW COMMANDMENT (1Jn 1:1-10; and 1 Jn 2:1-11).

“God is Love” (1 Jn 4:8). God is not just loving in nature. God is Himself Love. We, the believers in Christ, are children of Love. The concept of Love is major in understating Christianity. The whole universe is powered by the engine of Agape Love. The word ‘Love’ appears about 50 times in this short but powerful letter (1 John). Paul was called ‘The Apostle of Grace’. John was called ‘The Apostle of Love’. We shall study this letter and discover the power of Love. Every time the word ‘love’ appears in the New Testament, including in this letter, is always the Greek word ‘agape’. This is the sacrificial love of God, of Jesus. The New Testament never uses the word ‘eros’ (sexual love) or ‘Phileo’ (brotherly friendly feelings). It is always ‘agape’ love. When you look at Christ Crucified, you see Love! May this amazing revelation fill our hearts, in Jesus’ name!

John writes as an apostle of Christ and as a pastor to the church. As an apostle he has the authority to say that He has seen Jesus! He has ‘seen (looked upon) and handled (touched)’ the Living Word of Eternal Life. As a Pastor he writes with great compassion and encourages his flock. He now ‘declares’ the Word of Life to ‘the Brethren’, calling them ‘my little children’. The purpose of this letter, this sermon, or this declaration is twofold: to have fellowship and perfect joy. These blessings are possible only for the true believers in Christ. First, John wants the brethren to experience the intimate fellowship with God the Father, with God the Son, and with one another. Secondly, he wants their joy to be full, fulfilled, complete, and expressed as a powerful overflow. Lesson: knowing God’s Word is not just theory. God’s Word is living and working in our hearts. It changes lives and circumstances. Believing God’s Word is the only way to have intimate joyful loving fellowship with God and with the brethren. The word Gospel means ‘good news’. The Gospel is the story, the testimony of Jesus. Simply said, the Gospel is this: Jesus died and rose again for me! Salvation is always joyful. For a sinner to be saved, that is the most wonderful news he will ever hear. To preach the Gospel with sadness is sin. The Cross is not a tragedy. It is the greatest triumph in the universe. Jesus completely won the victory over sin and death. We share in that victory. We share in His crown. Our faith in Him is our victory. “For everyone born of God is victorious and overcomes the world; and this is the victory that has conquered and overcome the world—our [continuing, persistent] faith [in Jesus the Son of God]” (1 Jn 5:4; AMP). Our joy comes from believing and knowing that though we are in the world, in Christ, we are more than conquerors on earth and sure of heaven’s glory. Because Jesus lives, we live also!

God is light and in Him there is no darkness at all! This light is another word for truth, holiness, and purity. Apostle Paul reminds us that as sinners we used to be ‘darkness’. But now, the life and light of God has entered into our spirits. He commands us to live in the light. “For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light (for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth)” (Eph 5:8, 9). The fruits that grow in the light of God are goodness, righteousness (Christian character) and truth. These fruits can never grow in the darkness of unconfessed sin. God’s Word is Truth. In God there are no lies, no sin, and no deception. John warns us about the deceivers in the church. They claim to have fellowship with God, but they do not practice the truth. They are dangerous rebellious hypocrites. They deceive themselves and others saying that they are saved. But they live in sin and walk in darkness. They are spiritually blind and totally ignorant of God. They lie with confidence to cover their sin. The truth is that we are all born sinners and we also choose to sin. But these false teachers say that they ‘have not sinned’. They claim that they live in the light, but they deny the light, making God a liar. By their hypocrisy they attack God’s character. This is a major sin. God’s Word is not in them. They are not children of God. But because you find them in the church, they can deceive others to follow them in their sin.

Apostle John counsels us ‘not to sin’. “The fear of the Lord is to hate evil” (PV 8:13). To fear God, it means to take His Word seriously. The fear of God is the antidote to prevent and defeat sin. In case ‘we sin’ we have an ‘Advocate’ with God the Father. He is our Lord Jesus Christ, the Righteous. In Greek, the word ‘advocate’ is ‘Paracleton’, the same word used for the Holy Spirit. It is translated as Advocate, Helper, Comforter, Counsellor, or Intercessor. In heaven, Christ pleads our case with God the Father, who is the Judge. Did you know that we have the best defense Lawyer in the whole universe? As the Most Senior Advocate of the Universe, Jesus Christ has never lost any case. He is both our Great High Priest and our sacrifice accepted by God the Father. He is the ‘propitiation’ for our sins. For example, when I sin, Christ tells the Father: ‘yes, Malia has sinned. But I shed My Blood for her. Please forgive her…’ And for Christ’ sake, God forgives me! To ‘propitiate’ it means to appease the wrath of God. Jesus died on our behalf to appease God’s wrath against us because we broke His Law. God hates sin. God is holy. We are saved by grace and through faith in Jesus. Nothing but the Blood of Jesus shed for sinners could atone for sins and give us entrance into this grace by which we now stand. The Love of God is the engine of God’s plan of salvation. This love has been shed into our hearts. “We love Him because He first loved us” (1Jn 4:19). Love is forgiveness! God forgives so that we forgive! Love is an eternal debt to pay to the Lover of our souls!

As God’s children we love God, ourselves, and our neighbors. This love is not just a feeling. It is God’s deep work in our hearts. Love is obedience to God’s Word. The same deceivers say that they know and love God. They praise God with their lips, but they disobey God’s Word. They are liars. Lesson: Love is not just words. It is action and it is fruitful. He who say I love God, will surely obey His Word. God’s love becomes ‘perfected’ in him. It becomes mature, fruitful. This is spiritual maturity. A mature believer walks (behaves) like Jesus. Though we can never be sinless like Jesus, but by habitually obeying God’s Word, and by loving others, we prove that we are Christ’ disciples indeed. Loving others means not to hurt them; it means to actively care for their souls, to help them in any way we can. If any man becomes a mature Christian, this planet will become for him ‘heaven on earth’. This love is the true mark and the proof that Jesus died and rose for sinners on earth. Glory to God!

Love is called both the Old and the New Commandment. It is old because God the Creator is Love. God created and loved Adam and Eve. God warned Cain to repent of his jealousy and hatred. In other words, God commanded Cain to love his brother, Abel. But Cain refused to listen. He did not want to be his ‘brother’s keeper’. So, he killed his brother. The difference between Love and Hate is as much as the distance between heaven and hell. Love is also called a new Commandment because in Christ, it reached the climax of manifestation and fulfilment. Love is always connected with life, truth, wisdom, strength, joy, peace, and freedom. Hatred is always connected with evil, sin, wickedness, failure, spiritual darkness. Love helps others to make progress. Hatred is a stumbling block. Those who hate never make progress in life. They are troublemakers. “Hatred stirs up strife, But love covers and overwhelms all transgressions [forgiving and overlooking another’s faults]” (PV 10:12; AMP). “Above all, have fervent and unfailing love for one another, because love covers a multitude of sins [it overlooks unkindness and unselfishly seeks the best for others]” (1 Pet 4:8; AMP). Hatred keeps grudges alive and fuels the desire for revenge. Love forgives and forgets all the offences against itself. Hatred is blindness, unbelief, and ignorance. The one who hates has no vision for the future. He moves on without a purpose in life. Hatred is always destructive and ends in regret. The love of the Christians towards one another is the most powerful tool for evangelism. In the early church, it turned the world upside down. The believers exercise love towards God and man. Nothing destroys the power of this agape love.

“He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God” (Jn 3:18-21). Jesus said that faith in Him saves a man. Justification is by faith alone. Refusal to believe confirms that the man is born a sinner, and ‘condemned already’. The light of God shone in the darkness thru the Person of Jesus Christ. Sinners have no excuse. They refused to come to the light, to receive their sight and be saved. A spiritual blind man is blind by choice. He is rebellious against God’s light. Spiritual darkness manifests as hatred of Jesus, hatred of the Bible, a refusal to surrender to Jesus and refusal to repent of sins. But a believer humbles himself, surrenders and comes to the light. He believes and obeys God’s Word which is truth. Light and life are twins. The believer becomes spiritually fruitful to the glory of God!

LOVE FULFILS THE LAW

“Render therefore to all their due: taxes to whom taxes are due, customs to whom customs, fear to whom fear, honor to whom honor. Owe no one anything except to love one another, for he who loves another has fulfilled the law. For the commandments, “You shall not commit adultery,” “You shall not murder,” “You shall not steal,” “You shall not bear false witness,” “You shall not covet,” and if there is any other commandment, are all summed up in this saying, namely, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Love does no harm to a neighbor; therefore, love is the fulfillment of the law” (Rom 13:7-10).

The world does not know anything about love. It only knows lust, and it calls lust ‘love’. God’s Law of love is to be obeyed. But sinful man cannot obey it. Thru the Cross, Christ brings a new power of obedience. It is called Love. In Christ, by loving God and man, the believers fulfill God’s Law, and they taste of its sweetness. This obedience makes God happy and gives Him all the glory. Christians alone have the power not only to obey God’s Law, but in Christ, to fulfill it. Fulfilment is the process or the act by which an action comes to its expected end. For example: a promise is made about things in the future. There is a period of time between the promise and the reception of its blessings. Love alone is patient and willing to wait for the fulfilment of the promise. Nothing defeats the power of Love! The adulterer watches to seduce his neighbor’s wife. The thief is looking for doors left unlocked so that he comes in the night to steal from his neighbor. The slanderer is polishing his tongue on how to successfully speak evil against his neighbor. The murderer is happy when his neighbor is sick. He wants him dead so that he can take over his possessions. There is a curse against hating your neighbor. “Woe to him who gives drink to his neighbor, pressing him to your bottle, even to make him drunk, that you may look on his nakedness!” (Habakuk 2:15). For a long time, sinners seem successful and strong. But this is the truth: No evil man can be truly rich or happy. At death, his wealth remains on earth. His soul goes to hell. This is the greatest loss! Selah!

WHAT IS DEBT?

A debt is an amount of money taken now and to be paid later. Debt is an amount of money owed by the borrower and given to the lender. This money is to be returned to the lender with interest, at a particular time. The approval of the loan is based on the worthiness of the borrower. A debt can be mortgage, credit card debt or a personal loan. A secured debt comes with collaterals. If the borrower refuses to pay his debt, the lender will take the collateral. The advantage of a loan is that you can invest in your future. You can start a business, or you can go to school when you don’t have enough money. The disadvantage of a loan is that you have to pay bigger amounts of money later. Having a debt and not being able to pay has consequences: anxiety, depression, financial hardship, family stress, or social stigma. Unpaid debts lead to greater poverty and slavery. Some people who could not pay their debts committed suicide. Spiritually, debt is a form of slavery. Once you borrow from another, you become his slave. His spirit will torment you. “The rich rules over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender” (PV 22:7). Now you see why hating someone increases your debt to him and you become his spiritual slave. It is wicked to take a loan planning not to pay it. A Christian pays his loans. “The wicked borrows and does not repay, but the righteous shows mercy and gives” (Ps 37:21). Unpaid debt leads to greater poverty. We are told to be free from debts. But there is a debt we must continuously pay unto we see Jesus. It’s the debt of love.

“And forgive us our debts, as we have forgiven our debtors [letting go of both the wrong and the resentment]” (Matt 6:12; AMP). ‘Debt’ here means a sin against you, a trespass, something that must be paid. A sin against your neighbor is a sin against God. With time, the debt increases until you cannot pay it again. That is why you ask God to forgive your debts of sin, not ‘because of’ but ‘as’ you forgive others. As you let go of the grudges against other people, you can ask God to forgive your debt to Him, because you too have offended men. Selah!

The command is to love God first, love yourself second, and love your neighbor as yourself. Love should never end with you! There is a romantic love with sexual attraction. That is to be expressed only in the marriage between a man and his wife. But this command of love is greater even than marital love. It is the Love of God poured into the souls of men. In the Parable of the unforgiving servant, the Master forgave him a big debt, just because he confessed his debt and pleaded for mercy (Matt 18:21-35). Later, the same man refused to forgive another who owed him very little. The Master called him back. He rebuked him for his lack of love and compassion because he did not replicate the mercy he had received. He misrepresented his master’s kindness and took his grace for granted. The master threw him in prison where he would be tortured until he paid all his debt.

“Render therefore to all their due: taxes to whom taxes are due, customs to whom customs, fear to whom fear, honor to whom honor. Owe no one anything except to love one another, for he who loves another has fulfilled the law” (Rom 13:7, 8). We are commanded to be free from debts. But there is a debt we must continuously pay unto we see Jesus, face to face. It is the debt of love. What does that mean? We are told to pay all our debts and taxes. As much as possible, as Christians, we avoid taking loans. Do not take a loan and spend the money on yourself. The money belongs to your lender. This command teaches us indirectly to be humble, modest, and satisfied with God’s provision so that we avoid taking loans. It also teaches us to be hard working so that we make a profit also to avoid taking loans. It also teaches us to quickly pay our debts and not increase them. We are to pay our debts towards all men, those who are socially and financially superior, equal, or even inferior to us.

After we pay our taxes to the government, we respect the customs of the nation, and honor those in authority, we are not yet totally free. We must pay the universal debt of love towards all people. Apostle Paul merges here two great principles: Law and Love. Loving others is a sign that we are loved by God. Only a child of God is able to love people. This love towards people is the fulfillment of God’s Law. Once we love people, we don’t need to obey any other law. This is the only law God will use to judge us. No other law is needed beside this law. Christianity is powerful because of this old and new Law of Love. This Law is simple, powerful, and profound. Selah!

*Who is your neighbor? Any person you come into contact with you, day by day; that is your ‘neighbor’. Therefore, you see that love is not a romantic feeling. Love cannot choose its objects. Love is a Law to be obeyed. Love does good to all she encounters, the good, the bad and the ugly. This is how Jesus lived. This is how we are commanded to live. We must pay our debt of love to all we meet. No matter how much money we give somebody, if we do not love that one, we still owe him. If you harm a man, you do not love him. You have increased your debt to that man.

*How do you love your neighbor? To love your neighbor means to put yourself in his position, to understand his situation, and to help him have a better life. Love him as you love yourself. Each man is concerned about his life, family, his health, or his reputation. When you meet a man who has a need, think of him like you are in his position. Do whatever you can to help him. “Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, When it is in the power of your hand to do so. Do not say to your neighbor, “Go, and come back, and tomorrow I will give it,” When you have it with you. 29 Do not devise evil against your neighbor, For he dwells by you for safety’s sake” (PV 3:27-29). Do not ‘withhold’ your love from another if you can do something to help him.   

FORGIVENESS

Forgiveness is defined as the letting go of sin. In the Bible, forgiveness is an act of worship and love, to God and man. This includes forgiving everyone, every time, of everything, as an act of gratefulness to God. Forgiveness acknowledges the sacrifice God made through His Son Jesus who died on the Cross to restore the relationship between God and man. Forgiveness does not mean excusing sin, forgetting the past, permitting repetition of the sinful act against you, or guaranteeing reconciliation with the perpetrator. God has forgiven us our sins, and we forgive others of theirs. As we forgive, we are moving on instead of dwelling on that sin. Forgiveness is Freedom, is Love and Progress in life!

Forgiveness in the Bible means God’s pardon of our sins for Christ’s sake. God does not count our sins against us. Biblical forgiveness requires faith in Jesus, repentance, and confession of sins from our part. One condition to receive forgiveness from God is that we forgive others who sinned against us. Love is the foundation of forgiveness. At the last supper Jesus said: “For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission (forgiveness) of sins” (Matt 26:28). Refusing to forgive is a sin against Jesus and His Blood. If we receive forgiveness from God, we must give it to others who hurt us. Forgiveness means letting go of grudges or seeking of revenge, trusting God for justice. Forgiveness means releasing the other from blame, leaving the painful event in God’s hands, and moving on. When you forgive, you set a prisoner free, but you discover that the real prisoner was yourself. If in the past you had a relationship with the guilty person, you may or you may not continue in that relationship. If you did not have a relationship, there is no need to start one. Forgiveness means that you trust Jesus Christ, the Judge of the living and the dead, to vindicate you. Once you learn how to forgive, you experience true freedom. “He commanded us to preach to the people, and to testify that it is He who was ordained by God to be Judge of the living and the dead. To Him all the prophets witness that, through His name, whoever believes in Him will receive remission (forgiveness) of sins” (Ac 10:42. 43). Forgiveness is the brother of Love. “Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you” (Eph 4:31, 32). Forgiveness and Love must be done as Christ has done.

WORSHIP IS AN ETERNAL DEBT TO BE PAID (Lk 7:36-50).

This is a story that reveals the power of love, the extravagant worship for Jesus. Jesus was invited by Simon, a Pharisee. The Pharisees were religious leaders, always antagonistic to Jesus. They looked for reasons to discredit His words. Just imagine that your enemy invites you to dinner. Will you go? Will you eat at his table? Most people would refuse to go and eat for fear that they will be poisoned. But Jesus went. He sat down with them to eat. It was a room full of men. Suddenly, a woman came in. She was ‘a sinner’, possibly a known prostitute. Nobody invited her. Have you ever been in a room where nobody likes you? No Jew invites a sinner to his table. They believed that her touch alone would defile them for days and they could not go to the temple to pray. Boldy, the woman enters the room, ready to be insulted and driven away by the men. In ancient Israel, it was only the husband that could see his wife’s long hair which was regarded as her naked body. A woman could not be seen with her long hair in public, except she was a prostitute. She came as she was. This nameless woman ignores all men, goes straight to Jesus, and falls at His feet, weeping. The cry was so much that her tears became like a river. She used the tears to wash Jesus’ feet and without a towel, she dries them with her long hair. She kissed His feet and anointed them with expensive fragrant oil she bought in an alabaster box.

The woman lavishes her love on the feet of Jesus. Why His feet? It is because these dusty but precious, beautiful feet brought her mercy, healing, and salvation! “How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, who proclaims peace, who brings glad tidings of good things, who proclaims salvation, who says to Zion, “Your God reigns!” (Is 52:7).

Simon and the other religious men were terribly embarrassed by the emotional show of love especially coming from this ‘sinful’ woman. They criticized Jesus in their hearts for allowing such an open intimate display of love on Him. In their understanding, this woman’s reckless behavior and Jesus’ acceptance of it, was sinful. But what Jesus said, shocked them even more. Not only that Jesus did not rebuke the woman, but He rebukes Simon for his lack of love. Jesus tells him that this woman’s behavior is love in heart and love in action. Simon was the host. He invited Jesus into his house but did not perform the simple duty of a host as it was in ancient Israel. Simon did not give Him water to wash His feet. Simon did not welcome Jesus with a friendly kiss. Simon did not bring oil or cream to anoint His head. This woman’s action is worship coming from the grateful heart of a soul saved by grace.

Simon, by rejecting this woman’s worship, proved that he was not saved. Simon and the rest of the men in the room, were ashamed of Jesus. This shame is sinful and dangerous. In other words, they hated Jesus. Jesus said: “For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words, of him the Son of Man will be ashamed when He comes in His own glory, and in His Father’s, and of the holy angels” (Lk 9:26). The natural man is ashamed of Jesus and His words. This is because man is selfish. Jesus said that if anyone is ashamed of Him in this life, He will pay back with the same ‘coin’ when He comes again, in His heavenly glory. Simon did not know that this woman got saved and forgiven; that she came to pay her great debt of gratitude to Jesus. He did not know that this woman also helped him pay his own debt to Jesus. She did what Simon was supposed to do. He did not understand the greatest Law of Love. How ignorant a religious man can be! Lesson: Religion may invite you to dinner, may give you gifts or money, but religion never loves. Religion is a hater. Jesus said to Simon: “Her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much. But to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little” (Lk 7:47). Jesus connects love with forgiveness of sins. Love is a debt to be paid. All true believers are forgiven people, and they forgive others. They are so broken by the revelation of grace, that they are willing and able to forgive their enemies. Love and forgiveness always go together. The end of this holy chemistry is ‘peace’ with God, peace with yourself and peace with others. Jesus said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you. Go in peace” (Lk 7:50). Love, faith, and peace hold hands and worship Jesus! Worship the Lord!

This Sunday service Pastor (Mrs) Silvia Lia Leigh preached another sermon in the series titled ‘Love is The New Commandment’. Her main scriptures were taken from the book of 1 Corinthians 12:31; 13:1-13; 14:1-5; and Judges 4 and 5.  “When leaders lead…” (Jdg. 5:2).

THE WORDS OF JESUS

When He was on earth, our Lord spoke these words: “Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away” (Mk 13:31). The words ‘pass away’ mean to disappear, to be passed by or ignored. Our Lord says that the present heaven and earth shall be changed and become new. But His Words remain forever. This proclamation reveals the total authority of Jesus Christ. He alone can speak like this. No man can say such a thing. For the past 2000 years, His Words have stayed with supernatural power. His words have become doctrines to be preached, Laws in many countries and a great source of comfort for millions. To God be all the glory!

PRAYER FOR GREATER REVELATION OF GOD’S LAW   

“Call to Me and I will answer you and tell you [and even show you] great and mighty things, [things which have been confined and hidden], which you do not know and understand and cannot distinguish” (Jer 33:3; AMP). “Open my eyes, that I may see Wondrous things from Your law” (Ps 119:18). ‘Wondrous’ means great, difficult, or wonderful. The word ‘open’ means to uncover, to make naked; revelation, to have a clear vision. Only the Holy Spirit can reveal the deep things of God. To see and appreciate the value of God’s love, His kindness and generosity to men in giving His only begotten Son to die for sinners, these are revelation pearls found only in the ocean of God’s Grace. You need the equipment of faith to dive in and find these treasures of the deep. These are hidden from the natural man, from the superficial seeker. These revelations excite our spirits, make us hungry for more of God’s Word and lead us to deeper worship. These revelations are always connected with prayer and come as a response to prayer. No man is able to appreciate the depth and beauty of the Bible except he is born again, Spirit filled and pays the price for spiritual maturity. That man is a true disciple of Jesus. He prays that God will open his eyes to see as God sees. He prays that God will remove the veil of religious ignorance and spiritual blindness. The Apostle Paul prayed for spiritual wisdom saying: “that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him” (Eph 1:17). May we desire not only to know religion, but to experience God’s wisdom, His power of resurrection and the glorious riches available to us in Christ alone! Amen!

THE GOSPEL OF LOVE

Jesus said: “If you love Me, keep My commandments” (Jn 14:15). Love is more than a feeling. Love is intelligent and strong. Love is more than a poet. Love is a soldier, a general in the army. Love does exploits for Jesus. Love leads others to God’s Word! When leaders lead and lovers love, revival will happen! What is Christianity? It is not a human idea, or a philosophy of men. Christianity is Christ. Christianity is the Gospel. What is the Gospel? The word means ‘good news’. The Gospel is the life, death and resurrection of Christ, the Son of God. It is the total victory of Christ over sin and death. The Gospel is the most wonderful news that ever come to planet earth. We are born sinners. We are supposed to die and go to hell. God the Father loved this world. Only Love has the power to create a way and pay the price for salvation. Love leads! God the Father sent His only begotten Son to become Man and die on behalf of sinners. Faith in the Gospel is the only way to be saved and go to heaven. Many people argue about religions, denominations, and creeds. They ask me, how do you know that the Gospel is true? I know because I totally believe the Bible is the Word of God. In the Old Testament, thousands of years before Jesus came, there were many prophecies who said that one day, God will send a Savior. All these prophecies came true in the Person of Jesus Christ. For example, the Bible said that the Messiah will be born in a small city called Bethlehem. He did! The Bible said that He will enter in Jerusalem riding on a donkey. He did! The Bible said that He will be betrayed and sold for 30 silver coins. He did! Look at Jesus! Study His words and His life! He said that He came to bring abundant life. He said that Him and God the Father are one. He is either mad, a liar, or He is truly God. The answer is that Jesus is God! Who is this Man of Galilee? You must receive Him in your heart before you really know Him. Look at His disciples. When He was arrested, they all ran away. They later came and saw Him crucified. They saw Him dead. They took His Body and buried it. On the Third Day He rose from the dead. He sent the Holy Spirit. These depressed and cowardly people suddenly became bold like lions. What is the explanation? They were filled with the Spirit of Christ and became His witnesses preaching His Words. Look at the Apostle Paul. He hated Christ and the Church. He had an encounter with the resurrected Christ, and he was never the same again. He preached the Gospel and died as a martyr. Christianity is the joyful story of Jesus Christ, of eternal life, of God’s Love for men, His resurrection power and amazing grace! If your heart is not bubbling with joy, you are not yet saved.

LOVE IS THE MOST EXCELLENT WAY (1 Cor 12:31; 13:1-13; 14:1-5)

The way of Love is called ‘the more excellent way’. Not everyone has all the gifts. But every believer must passionately desire to know and to walk in the excellent way of love. “But earnestly desire and strive for the greater gifts [if acquiring them is going to be your goal]. And yet I will show you a still more excellent way [one of the choicest graces and the highest of them all: unselfish love]” (1 Cor 12:31; AMP). Spiritual gifts are the reason why many Christians have become proud or jealous of others. Love is the cure for all pride and jealousy. The word ‘excellent’ means the best of all, outstanding, highest quality of character of leadership. All lovers are leaders. We are commanded to ‘pursue love’. Finding love is an active exercise and there is a price to pay. In both Old and New Testament, when man is commanded to Love, his whole person must be involved, body, soul, and spirit. Love is the perfect way of life. Many people talk about love, but few experience it in this life on earth. Selah!

In the Book of 1 Corinthians 13 we see the greatest song of love. It is agape love, the love Jesus displayed on the Cross. Love ‘suffers long’. It is patient, waiting for the prodigals to come back; it endures through times of affliction. Many things break down, but love continues to pray and endures to the end. Love is kind. It does good deeds to others. It is generous with its heart, time, energy, and gifts. Love does not envy, and it is not covetous. It does not steal the blessings of another. Love is happy when God blesses others. Love is humble. It is not proud and does not oppress others. Love is not aggressive in speech, it is not rude, but it is gentle and kind. Love is not selfish. Love thinks of the good of others and not only of herself. Love is not over sensitive or easily provoked. Love never loses its temper and insult others. Love does not think evil. Love is a sister to Truth. Love feeds on God’s Word. It rejoices when she sees the truth. Love is an excellent worship leader. Love is stronger than all hindrances. Love finishes the race. Love never gives up. A baby Christian is only able to receive love. He grows by it. But a mature Christian is able to also give love. More than faith, and wider than hope, Love is the greatest of all. Love never fails! Love is the eternal champion! Glory!

We are commanded to study, seek, and receive spiritual gifts. The best of all gifs is the gift of prophecy. The least of gifts is the gift of tongues. Why is this so? Because Love measures our desire to help others. Tongues are good but we can become selfish using them. This is because speaking in tongues only helps the speaker. But prophecy helps the whole congregation. In the New Testament, prophesy is not just foretelling of future events. It is preaching God’s Word under the anointing of the Holy Spirit. A teacher teaches God’s Word systematically. We need good Bible teachers. But a Christian who has the gift of prophesy, teaches, and preaches with a passion greater than the teacher. He speaks directly to the people’s conscience, stirring them to repent and rise to serve God. In this way the whole church is strengthened and encouraged. Love wants to help many people. That is why love works best thru prophetic anointing. Love for God and man is the fuel for revival. Praise the Lord!

POSSESS YOUR POSSESSIONS

“Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given you, as I said to Moses” (Josh 1:3).  “See, I have set the land before you; go in and possess the land which the Lord swore to your fathers—to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob—to give to them and their descendants after them” (Deut 1:8).

The problem many Christians have is that they only have ‘a head knowledge’ of God’s Word. They know the doctrines, but they do not apply the truth practically in their lives. There is a difference between position and possession. You may have a title, a position, and lack the possession of that title. A title gives you an official position in an organization or in society. But you need to enter and possess that title before you can use the power and the privileges available. It is the same with God’s promises. It is the same with Love. Theory without application only gives you ‘head knowledge’. There is no authority in your testimony. There is no power to produce results. Just before entering the Promise Land, God promises Joshua that ‘every place that the sole of your foot tread upon’ shall be his. Joshua sees the Promised Land across the Jordan. But seeing is not possessing. Joshua needs to walk on that Land before he can claim it as his own. Even today, it’s possible to buy a piece of land without possessing it. You can have the document of ownership in your hand and still not possess or enjoy the property. Once the land is yours, you walk on that land until you know every hill and every valley on it. To possess means to enjoy!

DEBORAH – THE BEE (Judges 4 and 5)

During the Book of Judges, it was a difficult time for Israel. “In those days [when the judges governed] there was no king in Israel; every man did what was right in his own eyes” (Jdg. 21:25). Before God gave His people kings, He gave them judges. They are a symbol of Christ. They prepared the way for the monarchy. The word translated ‘judges’ is not exactly what we know about a court judge. Judges means troubleshooters. Troubleshooting is necessary when something has failed. Like a doctor discovers the diagnoses of a sickness, so, thru systematic approach troubleshooters solve the problem. Lesson: God used the judges to save His people from themselves and from their enemies. The judges become national heroes. There were 12 judges: 6 major and 6 minor judges. Deborah is among the 6 major judges. She is the only female judge mentioned in the Bible. Not all the judges had prophetic gifts. Only Deborah and Samuel function as both prophet and judge in Israel.

Deborah is one of the most important and influential people in the Bible. She has an impressive testimony. She was a wife, a mother, a leader, a prophetess, a judge, a poet, a singer, a songwriter, a worshipper, and a warrior. She is unique because she was a woman. Few women stood openly in the position of a national leader. She is the only woman in the Bible who is known for her faith, wisdom, courage, spirituality, and actions, not because of her relationship with any man, but just because God was with her. Her testimony is that God indeed called her, and, against all odds, she fulfilled her call. Lesson: Obedience to God’s Word is the basis to fulfill destiny. God’s grace is enough for us! No excuses!

Deborah was married to Brother Lapidoth. His name means ‘the shining one’. He may have been a handsome man who dressed well. We do not know more details than this. We do not know if he has encouraged or helped his wife to answer God’s call. Lesson: God’s call must be obeyed. God will make a way. In spite of all her titles and offices, Deborah simply called herself ‘a mother in Israel’ (Jdg. 5:7). This reveals great humility and a love for children, natural and spiritual. Her office as a judge was in the open field, under a palm tree. People from all over the country came to her with their complains. She will counsel them, pray for them, and judge their matters. She was clearly a woman of spiritual authority.

Deborah’s name means ‘the Bee’. Her name is prophetic. The bees are very organized as a family. They have one queen, many workers, male bees, and soldiers. The queen alone reproduces. Each male that impregnates her dies immediately after the act. The queen has total authority in the family. Lesson: As all the other bees follow the queen, so the people of God listen and obey their leaders. Like the bees, believers are humble, faithful, and hardworking. When under attack, all fight to preserve their family. A bee’s sting is painful, but her honey is sweet. God’s people speak the truth that both wounds and heals. “How sweet are Your words to my taste, Sweeter than honey to my mouth!” (Ps 119:103). For 40 years in the wilderness, God fed His people with Manna. It is a symbol of God’s Word that sustains. “And the house of Israel called its name Manna. And it was like white coriander seed, and the taste of it was like wafers made with honey” (Ex 16:31). The bees are wise and prudent. They store the honey for the time of winter. God’s people store His words in their hearts to be used in time of need. Bees make honey not only for themselves but for men to eat. “Pleasant words are like a honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and health to the bones” (PV 16:24). God’s word blesses the soul with peace and the body with health. The Promised Land is a land ‘of milk and honey’. “Oh, that My people would listen to Me, That Israel would walk in My ways! I would soon subdue their enemies And turn My hand against their adversaries. The haters of the Lord would pretend submission to Him, But their fate would endure forever. He would have fed them also with the finest of wheat; And with honey from the rock I would have satisfied you” (Ps 81:13-16). Honey is a symbol of God’s word that gives strength to defeat the enemies and total satisfaction in life! Praise the Lord!

Because God’s people became rebellious, God handed them over to their enemies. God has commanded the people to destroy and take over the land of Canaan, also called the Promised Land. But God’s people became proud and lazy. They did not destroy the Canaanites. They in fact followed them in worshiping their idols. That is when God handed them over to King Jabin, a Canaanite king. People suffered greatly under the oppressive reign of King Jabin whose army general was called Sisera. God’s people cried for mercy. That is when God called Deborah to stand as their leader. She was a judge already. Now she stands as a prophet and national leader. Deborah called one of the Israelites leaders, Barak. He was from the tribe of Naphtali, not known as a tribe of leaders. Deborah told him what God said to her. It was a prophetic word. “Has not the Lord God of Israel commanded, ‘Go and deploy troops at Mount Tabor; take with you ten thousand men of the sons of Naphtali and of the sons of Zebulun; and against you I will deploy Sisera, the commander of Jabin’s army, with his chariots and his multitude at the River Kishon; and I will deliver him into your hand’?” (Jdg 4:6, 7). Apparently, God has called Barak to stand and lead the army against the Canaanites. It seems that he was afraid or doubtful. Deborah confirms God’s call to him. This was God’s call to both Deborah and Barak to wake from slumber of defeat and to lead the armies to victory. Lesson: leaders stand when others are sitting. When leaders lead, people will follow them! God’s call to fight for victory comes with singing praises to God. “Awake, awake, Deborah! Awake, awake, sing a song! Arise, Barak, and lead your captives away, O son of Abinoam!” (Jdg 5:12). Praise warfare wakes men from slumber and get them ready for battle! Praise the Lord!

God reveals the strategy and the sure victory. Barak was to gather 10,000 troops up Mount Tabor to attack Sisera, Jabin’s commander of troops. Barak responded by saying “If you will go with me, I will go; if not I will not go” (Judges 4:8). Deborah agrees to go to battle with Barak and the troops but share with him: “However, there will be no glory for you in the course you are taking, for then the Lord will deliver Sisera into the hands of a woman” (Judges 4:9). It happened the way Deborah predicted. The battle against the Canaanites was won. They had supernatural help. Even the angels helped Israel. The Canaanites, who had stronger military equipment were trapped by God in the flooded river. They all died in the battle. It was a mighty victory for Israel! Lesson: obedience to God’s Word leads to breakthrough and victory! Praise the Lord!

Sisera ran on foot to the tent of a woman called Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite. He wanted to hide there because of a peace treaty the Kenites had with the Canaanites. Jael welcomes Sisera into her tent. It seems that she was alone. He asked for water, and she gave him milk. Exhausted from the battle, as he was sleeping, she used a hammer and drives a tent peg into his head. He dies on the spot. When Barak comes, he sees Sisera dead. He could not take the glory for the victory. That glory went to God alone who used a weaker vessel to kill the enemy.

Jabin oppressed Israel for 20 years. Jabin and Sisera stand for the devil. Jael stands for the believers. The name Sisera means ‘meditation’. He is a symbol of the devil. Jael drove a tent peg into his head and killed him. This is a picture of spiritual warfare. Like the tent peg, God’s Word penetrates and destroys the meditation and plans of the devil against us. “Is not My word like fire [that consumes all that cannot endure the test]?” says the LORD, “and like a hammer that breaks the [most stubborn] rock [in pieces]?” (Jer 23:29; AMP). God sends angels to help us during spiritual warfare. “The kings came and fought, Then the kings of Canaan fought In Taanach, by the waters of Megiddo; They took no spoils of silver. They fought from the heavens; The stars from their courses fought against Sisera. The torrent of Kishon swept them away, That ancient torrent, the torrent of Kishon. O my soul, march on in strength!” (Jdg 5:19-21). God sent angels to help and strength to His people.

Not everyone trusted Deborah’s leadership. Some people quietly stayed behind and did not come to join the army. Barak was from the tribe of Naphtali. God told him to call 10,000 men from the tribes of Naphtali and Zebulun. People from other tribes may come as volunteers. The men from the tribe of Issachar joined the army. Ruben was the eldest son of Jacob. He was supposed to lead others in battle. God did not call the men from the tribe of Ruben to lead. But they were supposed to humble themselves and join the army. But they did not come. They claimed that they were still praying about it. There was ‘great searching of heart’ in their midst. Lesson: there is a time to pray and there is a time for action. When it is time to move, you don’t stay home to pray. The men from the tribes of Dan and Asher claimed to be busy with their ships. But the worse of them were the men from a village called Meroz. Not only that they refuse to come, but they also despised Deborah and Barak as the military leaders. A bitter curse was placed on them. The same angel of the Lord who helped the Israelites win the war curses the people who drew back, who refused to follow Deborah and Barak. “Curse Meroz, said the angel of the Lord, ‘Curse its inhabitants bitterly, Because they did not come to the help of the Lord, To the help of the Lord against the mighty” (Jdg 5:23). The book ends with a prophecy, The lovers of God will be strong like the sun. The ministry of Deborah brought peace to the land for the next 40 years. Amen!

LESSONS FROM DEBORAH’S LIFE AND MINISTRY

Deborah was an uncommon leader because she was a woman. Lesson: God is sovereign in His choice of His servants. Love is creative. Do not limit God. Humble yourself! God decided to call a woman as the spiritual leader of Israel. God can call and use anyone. No matter what men or devils say, God’s call comes with power to perform great deeds. God’s call cannot be stopped or defeated by men. Let go of every inferiority complex. Obey God’s voice. Have 100% faith in God who saved and called you to serve Him. This is a spiritual law: when leaders lead, and lovers love, people will follow. Deborah was not bound by the religious spirit of her day. God spoke to her, and she obeyed. She called Barak and told him what God said. She was not afraid of the enemy. Sisera led an army that had 900 chariots of iron. She was like David facing Goliath. She refused to be intimidated. She trusted God who assured her that the enemy will be defeated. She delivered God’s message to Barak with confidence: ‘Has not the Lord, the God of Israel, commanded you?’ (Jdg. 4:6). Deborah did not fight in the battle, but her presence encouraged Barak and the people of God. Lesson: our presence in the church is encouragement to many. She was an ordinary wife and mother when God called her to ministry. God said: “Awake, awake, Deborah! Awake, awake, sing a song!” (Jdg. 5:12). God woke her like from sleep with a fresh zeal to fight for the freedom of her nation. Lesson: God does not call the equipped. God equips the called! Barak was a humble man of faith (Heb 11:32). Deborah told Barak that ‘there will no glory for you’. Knowing that there will be no fame or glory for him, he still obeyed God and led Israel in battle. Lesson: all glory must go to the Lord!

Use every resource you have. Do not despise the day of little things. Jael used the peg tent and hammer she had at home. Deborah used her love as a mother to intercede for Israel. God blessed her by enlarging the area of authority. She became a mother in Israel, a mother to many spiritual children. The love of a mother is like a fire. She purifies and strengthens the heart of her children. Love is fearless. “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love” (1 Jn 4:18). Love is strong and courageous. “Love is as strong as death” (SS 8:6). Have you seen a mother hen defending her chicks? When Israel abandoned their God, God fought them as an enemy, as a mother bear robbed of her babies. “I will meet them like a bear deprived of her cubs; I will tear open their rib cage, And there I will devour them like a lion. The wild beast shall tear them” (Hosea 13:8). Fear God!

In Deborah we see God’s grace and strength manifested in our weakness. ‘One with God is majority’ (John Knox). This is a spiritual law: When leaders lead, people follow. Deborah was like Paul, who led by example. “And you became followers of us and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Spirit, so that you became examples to all in Macedonia and Achaia who believe” (1 Thess 1:6,7). “Therefore, I urge you, imitate me” (1 Cor 4:16). We are saved from death unto life, not to live comfortably, but to serve the Lord Jesus Christ. “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them” (Eph 2:10). God is not asking you to invent some way to serve Him. Pray for His Plan to be revealed in your life. He will put within you an irresistible desire to do those plans He had already purposed for you. If you pay attention, you’ll see God giving you opportunities to do those things. Deborah was faithful in little things. God trusted her with bigger things. From being a wife and mother to her children, God promoted her. Like Queen Esther, she became a national hero. May you hear God’s call and may you act on it! Even the sky is not the limit for those who love God and serve Him in His Kingdom. Her courage inspired a nation and brought peace to her people for the next 40 years. We bring peace to our nation by leading people to Christ. Jesus is the Captain of our salvation. He can never lose! Follow Him and you will be more than a conqueror. Worship the Lord!

LOVE IS THE NEW COMMANDMENT (2) – THE GIFT OF CONSCIENCE

This Sunday service Pastor (Mrs) Silvia Lia Leigh preached another sermon in the series titled ‘Love is The New Commandment’. Her main scriptures were taken from the book of Mark 12:28-34; Heb 4:11-16; Rom 1:1-16.

LOVE IS THE MOST IMPORTANT COMMANDMENT OF ALL (Mark 12:24-34)

A religious scribe came to ask Jesus a question. This happens at the end of a discussion between Jesus and the Sadducees, who did not believe in the resurrection. They wanted to trap our Lord, but God can never be trapped. Jesus said to them: “Is this not why you are wrong, because you know neither the Scriptures [that teach the resurrection] nor the power of God [who is able to raise the dead]?” (Mk 12:24; AMP). Our Lord clearly rebukes their ignorance of the Word of God. They did not believe in the power of resurrection. In the midst of all these deceived people, a wise man stands. He says: “Which is the first commandment of all?” The word ‘first’ means ‘the principal, the chief, the greatest, the most important commandment of all’. Jesus answers him saying: “The first of all the commandments is: ‘Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. 30 And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ This is the first commandment”. This are direct quotes from the Books of Deuteronomy 6:4-5, and Leviticus 19:18. Lesson: our Lord quotes from the Old Testament. This is a reminder that the Bible is one Book!

Moses told the people of Israel that in the Promised Land, they should obey God’s commands. They will fear God and hate sin. Their obedience will be rewarded with a long, fruitful, and prosperous life. “Now this is the commandment, and these are the statutes and judgments which the Lord your God has commanded to teach you, that you may observe them in the land which you are crossing over to possess, that you may fear the Lord your God, to keep all His statutes and His commandments which I command you, you and your son and your grandson, all the days of your life, and that your days may be prolonged. Therefore hear, O Israel, and be careful to observe it, that it may be well with you, and that you may multiply greatly as the Lord God of your fathers has promised you, ‘a land flowing with milk and honey.’ “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one! You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. “And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates” (Deut 6:1-8). It is the duty of the parents to teach their children God’s laws. Moses says that God’s commands should be written on their hand, forehead, on their doorposts and gates.

First, Jesus says that God is One! All other religions have many idols. Each little god has his own commands to obey. Lesson: it is impossible to be a faithful pagan. Jesus tells them that God is only One and His Word is in the Bible! Christianity is simple! Love is simple! According to our Lord, who is God Himself, LOVE is the most important command of all. “God is Love” (1 Jn 4:8). What God expects is not some religion, but genuine spiritual sacrificial Love, for Him and for other people. The principle of Love as a command is now introduced by our Lord. To be fulfilled, the Ten Commandments direct us to LOVE! What is this particular command? “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.” God says that they should love Him with all their being, body, soul, and spirit. Then Moses says: “And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart.” In other words, the commands are not just some religious activities. They must be obeyed first in the heart. They are spiritual laws. But what happened? Most of Jews obeyed the commands only outwardly. They became very religious, busy with ceremonies in the temple. Most male Jews, even today, when they go for prayers, carry God’s commands in a little black box on their foreheads, called Phylacteries. They write God’s commands on leather strips and wrap them on their arms. They also write God’s commands in a little metal box called Mezuzah and nail it to the doors or their gates. Each time they come home they touch it. They pay the price to teach their children God’s commands. These activities they do habitually, even without thinking about God. They are spiritually detached from God’s Word. This religious behavior leads to pride and hypocrisy. These are the people who resisted Jesus and eventually condemned Him to death.

Jesus then added the second command: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself”. This is a quote from the Book of Leviticus 19:18. “You shall not steal, nor deal falsely, nor lie to one another. And you shall not swear by My name falsely, nor shall you profane the name of your God: I am the Lord. ‘You shall not cheat your neighbor, nor rob him. The wages of him who is hired shall not remain with you all night until morning. You shall not curse the deaf, nor put a stumbling block before the blind, but shall fear your God: I am the Lord. ‘You shall do no injustice in judgment. You shall not be partial to the poor, nor honor the person of the mighty. In righteousness you shall judge your neighbor. You shall not go about as a talebearer among your people; nor shall you take a stand against the life of your neighbor: I am the Lord. ‘You shall not hate your brother in your heart. You shall surely rebuke your neighbor, and not bear sin because of him. You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the children of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the Lord” (Lev 19:11-18). God commands His people, that for His sake, they should be kind and generous with one another. God forbids stealing, lying, cheating, slander, grudging, and gossip. In other words, God commands that you should not hurt or exploit anyone. God positively commands that His people should love their neighbors as themselves. Since then, the Jews obeyed even this command, but only partially. What they understand by the word ‘neighbor’ is a fellow Jew. As in the Parable of the Good Samaritan, they did not regard a Gentile Samaritan as ‘neighbor’. They hated the Gentiles. But Jesus says that any human being in need is a neighbor who is to be loved and helped (Lk 10:29-37). Lesson: It is only by the power of the Holy Spirit that a man can obey God’s command to love God and to love his neighbor! Selah!

We see that LOVE is now the new commandment that fulfills the Ten Commandants. Jesus quotes two different verses from the Old Testament. He did not add anything new to God’s written Word. What is new is that for the first time in the history of mankind, our Lord combines these two verses together. He commands us to love God first and love men second. This is brilliant. Love applies to God first, because He is our creator and God. The result is that God’s love helps us to love ourselves. From the overflow of that love, we now extend it to other people. This is always the correct order: God-you-neighbor! You cannot love people without loving God first. And you cannot love others if you hate yourself. True worship is not just some religious activity. It manifests especially in loving humanity. Here you see that true religion is deeply personal. It is not just some ceremonies in the church. It touches the heart. It makes men to be better men. Unbelievers cannot love God or man. All children of God love their families and neighbors. Lovers are leaders! They change their environment for better! Love is the mark of a true believer. God’s commands are beyond our ability, but if you are willing to obey, God gives you the ability! No more excuses! Selah!

The religious Pharisees have complicated God’s Law with many of their own smaller laws. I read that they added 613 additional laws to the Ten Commandments. Clearly, no man could obey all of these. The ordinary men became confused. “God is not the author of confusion but of peace, as in all the churches of the saints” (1 Cor 14:33). Lesson: In the church, there must be submission and beautiful order. The word confusion means disorder or disturbance. This happens when people are rebellious, proud. They all want to be leaders. They talk at the same time. The church is not a noisy restless crowd. It is like an army where everyone knows his position, submitting one to another in love. This scribe was not supposed to be confused because he was a Pharisee. But he too felt that their laws were too oppressive to the common men. His conscience worried him. See the power of a good conscience! The religious rulers gave the impression that God is a tyrant, a bully, or an oppressor. And this was a lie. Jesus simplified the Law. He introduced the simple commandment of love. It was easy to understand, remember and practice. Love is the primary motive in our relationship with God with men. The commandment of love destroyed the stronghold of religious oppression. That is one reason why the religious rulers hated Jesus and wanted Him dead. It is because He removed their authority in interpreting the law. Selah!

The scribe answered ‘wisely’. He said that Love is greater than all the outward religious ceremonies. He saw the priority and power of love. Jesus was impressed with his answer. He said: “You and not far from the Kingdom of God”. By these words, Jesus now displays love towards him. He gives him the encouragement and the warning of Love! Clearly, Jesus compliments him. Why? Because the man is honest. He spoke his mind. His conscience bothered him and he wanted help. He was not a hypocrite like the majority of the Pharisees. He had the courage to separate himself from their wickedness against Jesus. Many people are too cowards to be honest before Jesus. But this man spoke the truth. Love loves truth! He did not try to trap Jesus in His words like his colleagues. He wanted to know the truth. He was an intelligent man who clearly studied the Word of God. Lesson: any time you see a truly intelligent and honest man, that man will end knowing the only living God. Jesus told him he is ‘not far from the Kingdom.’ That means some people are closer than others from the narrow gate. Like this man, they need to first seek God’s Kingdom and pay the price to enter. They need to repent of sins and surrender to Christ, who is the King of the kingdom. Jesus’ answer is a compliment. It is also a warning. Because a man can die one step away from the gate of heaven. To be almost saved, is to be unsaved. We don’t know if this man became saved or not. But face to face with Jesus, with the King of God’s kingdom, he heard the truth that alone sets free.

Lesson: Many people go to church, seem very committed to religious activities, but are not born again. Many people have postponed entering eternal life, even to their dying hour. This is a warning for all of us, not to postpone giving our lives to Jesus. Because tomorrow is not promised to any man. I pray that you make peace with God today, until you have the assurance of your salvation. It is possible to waste the grace of God. It is possible to go to church, listen to sermons about the grace of God, sing songs about it, and still, not appropriate it in your spirit. “We then, as workers together with Him also plead with you not to receive the grace of God in vain. For He says: “In an acceptable time I have heard you, and in the day of salvation I have helped you.” Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation” (2 Cor 6:1, 2). There is an acceptable time and a day of salvation. That day is today! It is right now! There is a danger of hearing truth and not acting on it. The heart will become hardened. Unbelief is a stronghold. Postponing becomes a spiritual habit. Truth not acted upon starts to fade away from the memory.

GOD’S WORD IS YOUR SURGEON, JUDGE, PRIEST, AND KING

“Let us therefore make every effort to enter that rest [of God, to know and experience it for ourselves], so that no one will fall by following the same example of disobedience [as those who died in the wilderness]. For the word of God is living and active and full of power [making it operative, energizing, and effective]. It is sharper than any two-edged sword, penetrating as far as the division of the soul and spirit [the completeness of a person], and of both joints and marrow [the deepest parts of our nature], exposing and judging the very thoughts and intentions of the heart. And not a creature exists that is concealed from His sight, but all things are open and exposed, and revealed to the eyes of Him with whom we have to give account. Inasmuch then as we [believers] have a great High Priest who has [already ascended and] passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession [of faith and cling tenaciously to our absolute trust in Him as Savior]. For we do not have a High Priest who is unable to sympathize and understand our weaknesses and temptations, but One who has been tempted [knowing exactly how it feels to be human] in every respect as we are, yet without [committing any] sin. Therefore, let us [with privilege] approach the throne of grace [that is, the throne of God’s gracious favor] with confidence and without fear, so that we may receive mercy [for our failures] and find [His amazing] grace to help in time of need [an appropriate blessing, coming just at the right moment]” (Heb 4:11-16; AMP). We are warned against the sin of disobedience to God’s Word. There is no mercy for the unrepentant rebellious sinner. The punishment is that they cannot enter the rest of God. The punishment manifests as slavery to anxiety. Work on earth is never satisfying. That promised rest is found only in Christ, who is also the Living Word of God. You see here that God’s Word is a Person. Only a Person is alive and active. God’s Word enters into man thru his ears and works inside. He works as a surgeon. He judges your thoughts and motives as a judge in his court room. Nobody can stop God’s Word. There is no shield to block it. It is sharp like a double-edged sword used in battle. The Word does a unique, vital, delicate surgery. It separates the soul and the spirit. Nobody else can do this work! Man is a spirit (like God), has a soul and lives in a body. Man is like an egg: The shell is the body, the white is the soul, and the yellow yoke is the spirit. The spirit has the greatest value because it is made from the same ‘material’ as God. It is in the yoke that the seed is. The soul is the personality of the individual man. Next to the human spirit, the soul has value. Lastly, the cheapest of all is the body, made originally from dust. For your information, how much is your dust worth? The human body is made mostly from oxygen, carbon, and hydrogen. The total price for these elements in a corpse is about 5$ (4000 Naira)!!!

The soul is made of three parts: mind (capacity to think rationally), emotions (capacity to feel love, hatred, etc) and the will (capacity to decide, to make choices). At a deeper level than the soul is the human spirit, also divided into three parts: intuition (the spiritual capacity to know something without any evidence or help from the mind), communion (the center that connects with the Holy Spirit and helps us to worship God) and the conscience (the center of knowing what is right and what is wrong). (To remember easier the soul is MEW and the spirit is ICC). “The Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being” (Gen 2:7). Man is a combination of dust and God’s Spirit. God made man from cheap material available on earth. He did not use gold or diamonds to make our bodies. He used dust as Potter uses clay to make beautiful pots. The fragile body is a reminder that God created us humble. To live, we must depend on God. At the end of life, the body goes back to dust. The expensive part of man is the spirit and the soul which are formed thru God’s Breath or Spirit. “But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us. We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed— always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body” (2 Cor 4:7-10).

Lesson: The weakness of the body reminds us of death. Jesus died for us. We died with Him. The power we have, the expensive treasure, is located in our spirit. We look fragile but we are strong. The enemy thinks that he can kill us anytime. We suffer painful trials. We not only survive, but we also become stronger in faith, more like Jesus. God’s child is a mystery the world does not understand and cannot defeat! Selah!

“Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” So, God created man in His own image; in the image of God, He created him; male and female He created them. Then God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth… Then God saw everything that He had made, and indeed it was very good. So, the evening and the morning were the sixth day” (Gen 1:26-28, 31). Originally, the spirit of man, which alone connects with God’s Spirit, was leading him. Intuition told Adam and Eve what to know about God, about life in general. It made them spiritually intelligent and wise. The center of communion helped Adam to always worship God, to love His voice, and His Word. Conscience was the leader in making all decisions. Therefore, the spirit led the soul. The mind, emotions and the will were totally under the leadership of the spirit. The will decided only led by intuition and conscience. The body cooperated with the soul and spirit. It was the perfect God’s design for man on earth. God declared that the creation of man was ‘very good’. To this man God gave His blessing. He gave Adam the power to rule and multiply. Adam and Eve had authority over all the animals including the snake in the Garden. The devil used the snake to tempt Eve. She was not supposed to submit to the counsel of the snake. Why? Because she was in charge. The snake was to be her servant, and not her master. The only person she was to submit to, was God and her husband. By taking the advice from a lower created being, she lowered herself too much. This is sinful, slavery, and false humility. In this way, she submitted to the devil. Adam joined her in her deception. This is called ‘the original sin’. It affected all humanity. God judged them. The snake was cursed to forever stay in the dust.

When sin entered, God’s perfect arrangement in man was damaged. Man still carries the image of God, but that image is broken. In his sinful state, man’s spirit is so weak that it cannot control the soul anymore. The conscience works but it is not perfect as before. The soul was to be under the control of the spirit. The spirit was the king of the castle, the soul was to be the personal servant, and the body was the worker. Now, the soul has rebelled. The personal servant locked the king in his chambers and took control over the workers. Sinful man is now ruled by his own mind, emotions and will. The body obeys the soul and commits sin. The spirit’s voice, the royal conscience, is almost silent, but it still whispers within. What is the solution? The Son of God became Man. He died for sinners, to save their souls. He gave sinners life in their dying spirit. The spirit now rules the soul and the body as it was in the beginning. To be born again is not just some religious decision. God’s Spirit activates the human spirit. Man was dead in sin. He is now made alive again. A child of God needs to learn how to walk led by God’s Spirit. This is a walk of faith led by God’s Word. Every step forward strengthens the conscience, helping the will to make godly decisions. Walk like Jesus!

The Word of God is the only power that can separate the soul and the spirit. The soul has lost the power to silence or manipulate the spirit. The spirit-king now rules in his domain. The Word of God judges all thoughts and decisions thru the conscience. In case you disobey God’s commands, the Word and your conscience will judge you. You must repent. Go to the High Priest, Jesus Christ. He will meet with you at the throne of mercy and grace. He will forgive and cleanse you again. Then you move on doing exploits for Jesus, the Living Word! Halleluiah!    

THE GIFT OF CONSCIENCE (Romans 2:1-16)

Apostle Paul writes here about God’s judgment. It is based on God’s Law. Before Christ, the Jews alone knew the Law. But they took it for granted that just by knowing the Law, they will be free from God’s judgment. But Law must be obeyed. They will be judged according to their knowledge. Lesson: We must be doers of God’s Word and not just hearers. The Gentiles (the non-Jews, people like us) do not know the Law. They are ‘a law to themselves’. What does that mean? God will judge us according to our conscience. Our conscience is now our Judge. Selah!

The word conscience in Latin means ‘science (or knowledge) with somebody’. Conscience helps us to know God and ourselves. Conscience is an inbuilt spiritual sense of knowing what is good and what is bad. It affects the soul of man (his mind, emotions and will). Conscience has also been described as an internal court of law. There is a judge, a guilty person, lawyers, witnesses, and the jury. This internal drama is on and helps us to obey God’s moral laws. Even if the voice of the conscience is silenced for years, it cannot be totally stopped. One day, suddenly, the conscience comes out from its prison and shouts even more. Like God, conscience cannot be bribed or manipulated to change her stand. You either make her your friend or it becomes your enemy. If the conscience is obeyed, peace is restored to the mind. If the warnings of conscience are ignored, the pain of guilt manifests as: anxiety, loss/increase in appetite, losing or gaining weight, sleeplessness, stomach pains, indigestion, being moody or oversensitive, inferiority complex, feeling overwhelmed by life, fear of the future and fear of death, suicidal thoughts. Selah!

Conscience is part of a man’s spirit. The soul of man is made of three parts: the Mind, the Emotions, and the Will. With our soul we think, feel, and make decisions. Inside the soul, there is the spirit. Man’s spirit is also made of three parts: The conscience, intuition, and communion. The center of intuition helps me to know the truth deep within, even without thinking about it. For example, I meet a man. I suddenly ‘know’ that he is an evil man. I can’t prove it, I don’t understand it, but I ‘know’ it. The center of communion is the place that connects with God and helps me to worship God in spirit. Conscience is the center that tells me what is right and what is wrong. We are told that God judges the unbelievers according to their conscience. Even for the Christians, the conscience is a great monitor. Inside your heart you have God’s Law, and God’s Love. These two directly connect with your conscience and faith. “The purpose of the commandment is love from a pure heart, from a good conscience, and from sincere faith” (1Tim 1:5). A good conscience helps you to love God and man. It also increases your faith.

The conscience is a gift from God. It helps man to know the difference between God and the devil, between good and bad and make decisions of moral conduct. Conscience is the greatest protection we have against hypocrisy. Conscience will argue with you when you don’t practice what you know, or what you preach. The conscience warns you when you only study God’s Word theoretically without applying it in daily living. There is no way you can win the battle against your conscience. She will speak and warn you to your grave. This is the greatest lesson: listen and obey your conscience. Never fight your conscience! Obey it! Then you will have peace! Selah!

There are different types of consciences:

*Good, pure conscience, without offence towards God and man.

The believers hold “the mystery of the faith with a pure conscience” (1 Tim 3:9). “I tell the truth in Christ, I am not lying, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Spirit” (Rom 9:1). “Then Paul, looking earnestly at the council, said, “Men and brethren, I have lived in all good conscience before God until this day” (Ac 23:1). “I confess to you, that according to the Way which they call a sect, so I worship the God of my fathers, believing all things which are written in the Law and in the Prophets. I have hope in God, which they themselves also accept, that there will be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and the unjust. This being so, I myself always strive to have a conscience without offense toward God and men” (Ac 24:14-16). The words ‘without offence’ mean a clear, blameless conscience, free from any unrepented sin or guilt. Paul says that in the presence of the Holy Spirit, his conscience bears him witness that he is not a liar. His conscience does not condemn or trouble him. He does not feel guilty. He has peace! His conscience is like a cup that is not damaged. In it, he holds faith, hope, and love.  

*Weak, defiled, easily wounded conscience.

“Therefore, concerning the eating of things offered to idols, we know that an idol is nothing in the world, and that there is no other God but one. For even if there are so-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth (as there are many gods and many lords), yet for us there is one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we for Him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, through whom are all things, and through whom we live. However, there is not in everyone that knowledge; for some, with consciousness of the idol, until now eat it as a thing offered to an idol; and their conscience, being weak, is defiled. But food does not commend us to God; for neither if we eat are we the better, nor if we do not eat are we the worse. 9 But beware lest somehow this liberty of yours become a stumbling block to those who are weak. For if anyone sees you who have knowledge eating in an idol’s temple, will not the conscience of him who is weak be emboldened to eat those things offered to idols? And because of your knowledge shall the weak brother perish, for whom Christ died? But when you thus sin against the brethren, and wound their weak conscience, you sin against Christ. Therefore, if food makes my brother stumble, I will never again eat meat, lest I make my brother stumble” (1 Cor 8:4-13). Love is sensitive not to hurt another man’s conscience. The weak Christian is afraid of idols. If you are a mature believer and you are not afraid to eat food dedicated to idols. That is good. But please be careful! A baby Christian may try to imitate you, but his conscience is weak and will worry him. Love thinks of others and not only of itself. Lesson: For the sake of love, I limit my freedom so that a weaker brother will not fall into sin. Love always thinks of others! “To the pure all things are pure, but to those who are defiled and unbelieving nothing is pure; but even their mind and conscience are defiled. They profess to know God, but in works they deny Him, being abominable, disobedient, and disqualified for every good work” (Tit 1:15, 16).

*Seared conscience

“Now, the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons, speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron, forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from foods which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth” (1 Tim 4:1-3). “A bad conscience is a snake in your heart” (Jewish proverb). A seared conscience is the worst type. In the past, doctors used hot metal to burn the flesh to stop bleeding. This process is called cauterization. The blessing stops but the scar destroys the sensation of feeling. In the same way, a seared conscience has no feeling; it is paralyzed and useless. The sinner does not feel guilty when he commits sin. This is a very dangerous situation. If you resist your conscience for a long time, you can damage it beyond repair. Not only that the conscience does not tell you the truth, but it will now advise you to commit sin and you don’t feel repentant. This process happens through deception of lying demons, using false teachers who preach wrong doctrines. Even the Christians can be affected. They ‘depart from faith’ and backslide. It affects the desire to have a happy marriage. It influences the choice of food. Many strict diets are the result of such lies. To make progress in life, there is a need for spiritual warfare. Paul says: “This charge I commit to you, son Timothy, according to the prophecies previously made concerning you, that by them you may wage the good warfare, having faith and a good conscience, which some having rejected, concerning the faith have suffered shipwreck, of whom are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I delivered to Satan that they may learn not to blaspheme” (1 Tim 1:18-20). Ignoring the voice of conscience damages your faith and testimony as a Christian. Be careful to live with a clean conscience before God and man! That is power! Amen!

Another function of the conscience is to remind man of the last judgment. The pain of a wounded conscience, of remorse or godly sorrow, is the greatest pain of all. The reason why men fear death it is because they already feel the pain of the conscience convicting them of sin. It is said that the greatest things that makes a man know that God exists is when he sees the stars in the night sky and when he discovers that he has a conscience. When a man obeys God’s Law, his conscience is happy. The man feels the presence of God around him. When man disobeys God’s Law, he not only feels the voice of his conscience convicting him of sin, by he feels God is angry with him. The connection between conscience and God’s voice has been observed for ages. The great crisis in life happens when man has to decide the path to move on. The will stands at the junction. There are two options. One according to God’s will, obeying His Law. The other is to disobey God and His Law. Conscience advice and warns the will to take the path of obedience. Often, to obey God and conscience, is totally different than what man likes in his fleshly nature. It may also be different than the opinion of friends and family. But the will of God must be done. That is the only way to please the conscience and have peace. Many of the martyrs chose to die than to disobey their conscience. The saints of old said that when the Holy Spirit convicts a sinner of his sin, He uses the conscience to bring the fear of death. This leads to repentance, confession or sin and salvation.

In the Old Testament, the word ‘conscience’ does not appear. But the actions of the conscience working are there. For example, when Adam and Eve sinned, they hear God’s voice. Their guilty conscience makes them afraid of God and they hide behind the trees. “Then the Lord God called to Adam and said to him, “Where are you?” So he said, “I heard Your voice in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; and I hid myself.” (Gen 3:9,10). All the murderers like Cain, King Saul, King Ahab, King Herod, and even Judas, felt the pangs of a guilty conscience but they chose to suppress it even unto death. For example, when news about Jesus doing miracles came to Herod, he said that Jesus is John the Baptist. Why? Because he killed John trying to please a dancing girl and his guests (Mk 6:14;29). He liked John and regretted killing him. His conscience terrorized him to the hour of his death. But he died unrepentant. This is a horror story and a warning for all!

Conscience is a delicate instrument that must be respected. Church leaders have been guilty of trying to tamper with men’s conscience. The manipulation of conscience can be a destructive force within the Christian community. We should not tamper with our own conscience or the conscience of others. To make people feel guilty using man’s laws in the church is sin. This false guilt is a great burden on many. For example, telling people that not paying tithes, they will go to hell, that is sin. On the other hand, keeping quiet when men commit adultery, giving them false peace, that is also sin. “It is the nature of all hypocrites and false prophets to create a conscience where there is none, and to cause conscience to disappear where it does exist” (M. Luther). The pastor must preach God’s Word without fear or favor. He must be sensitive to the presence of God and his own conscience. He must keep a reasonable social distance between himself and the people he leads. This is to avoid emotional manipulation that damages people’s conscience. A damaged conscience destroys the power to love God and man. Our Lord has warned us of the rise of sin in the last days. “Many false prophets will rise up and deceive many. And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold. But he who endures to the end shall be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come” (Matt 24:11-14). Lawlessness damages the conscience. Love then grows cold.

Who had a guilty conscience? Adam and Eve, Jacob when he cheated on Esau, Joseph’s brothers. David had a guilty conscience when cut Saul’s robe, when he killed Uriah and when he numbered Israel. Peter felt guilty when he denied Jesus. A guilty conscience is hell on earth and points to hell beyond. It is a heavy burden. A man with a guilty conscience is lonely. He has no true friends. He is always hiding. Until we deal with our sin, the conscience will still fight you. How do you feel when you don’t pray for one full day? Or when you use vulgar words? Or when the bank officer gives you more money than he was supposed to give you and you keep silent? Jesus convicted the accusers of the woman by their conscience. They all dropped the stones and went away (Jn 8:9-11).

In the US there is a Conscience Fund. People who feel guilty for cheating the US government of taxes can go to any post office and pay there. The fund was created in 1811 and received US$5 during its first year and over US$5.7million since then. At Niagara Falls there is a place called redemption point. If you swim past that point, you will die. In 1883, an English man called Matthew Webb, a champion swimmer, tried to beat that point. He drowned in the waters. Be careful to obey your conscience! God speaks thru it! “God is wise in heart and mighty in strength. Who has hardened himself against Him and prospered? He removes the mountains, and they do not know when He overturns them in His anger” (Job 9:4, 5). “He who is often rebuked, and hardens his neck, Will suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy” (PV 29:1).

How to repair the conscience? Go to Jesus! It is His gift to you! Repent! Confess your sins to God and man. Conscience can be repaired and trained only by God’s Word. “Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water” (Heb 10:22). “For if the blood of bulls and goats and the ashes of a heifer, sprinkling the unclean, sanctifies for the purifying of the flesh, how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?” (Heb 9:13, 14). Love helps you clear your conscience. Love rejoices with the truth! A good conscience is a soft pillow. It is a continuous heart feast. “having a good conscience, that when they defame you as evildoers, those who revile your good conduct in Christ may be ashamed” (1Pet 3:16). Your conscience should have a loud voice to warn you! No sleeping tablet replaces a clean conscience.  Pray with David: “Have mercy upon me, O God, according to Your lovingkindness, according to the multitude of Your tender mercies. Blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin” (Ps 51:1, 2).

Finally, let Martin Luther speak to us. This was Luther’s defense of his writings at the Diet of Worms in 1521. When accused of blasphemy against the Pope and King, he said: “Unless I am convicted by Scripture and plain reason-I do not accept the authority of popes and councils, for they have contradicted each other-my conscience is captive to the Word of God. I cannot and will not recant anything, for to go against conscience is neither right nor safe. Here I stand, I cannot do otherwise. God help me. Amen!” Worship the Lord!

“Of them the proverbs are true: “A dog returns to its vomit,” and, “A sow that is washed returns to her wallowing in the mud.” (2 Pet 2:22).

I was a sinner for 32 years, a confirmed unbeliever. I did not believe in God at all. I mocked those who did. On the 14th of March 1986, in Warri, Nigeria, I prayed my first prayer to God Almighty and in the name of Jesus. Almost a month later, I was gloriously saved and instantly filled with the Holy Spirit on the 12th of April 1986. The experience is as fresh in my spirit. Time does not have the power to make it less powerful than it was that happy day. The old Lia died. The new Lia became a totally new creation. I became the friend of the God I rejected for so long. Since then, during all these years of trials and temptations, even when I was weak and ignorant, I NEVER had a desire to go back to my unbelief vomit or my mocking mud. The new heart hated what I used to love before. The new heart started loving God’s Word. The new spirit in me had a life of its own. From my inward being I desired to love, to serve the God who saved my soul, and never go back to the world again. Left on my own, maybe I could have fallen, for no man, on his own, is stronger than the devil. But the new spirit in me will just not let me go back. God’s Grace sustained me in my walk with Jesus!

Often, I prayed, especially when I was a baby Christian: “Father in heaven, keep me tight to Your heart. If You see me going back to the world and try to take Your wonderful name in the shameful mud, please stop me before it is too late. Please, take me to heaven. It is better for me to die and go to You, than to disgrace Your name on earth. In Jesus’ name!” This prayer worked for me. Past vomits and muds are gone forever from my spiritual radar. It should be so with ever true child of God.

Lastly, if you are reading these words from the unholy ‘comfort’ of worldly mud, feeding on past foolishness vomited long ago, then stand up now! and run… run… run to Jesus… even if you are dirty and sick, no matter how… run to Jesus who alone has to key of life eternal!!! There is hope for any sinner or backslider who humbles himself and comes to the Lord! He will not cast you away! For there is no other hope! There is no other place to receive mercy and grace in time of need! Come to the Cross! Come to see that Jesus died to pay for your sins! You should be free indeed! God loves you! You can do it! Sinner, brother, sister, come home! I shall pray for you today! In Jesus’ name! Amen!

Love from Malia!

 This Sunday service Pastor (Mrs) Silvia Lia Leigh preached the first sermon in the series titled ‘The New Commandment – Love like Jesus’. Her main scriptures were taken from the book of 1 Cor 13:1-13; Rom 13:8-10; Mark 12:28-34; John 13:31-35; 2 Cor 8:7-9.

THE TEN COMMANDMENTS

The Ten Commandments are ten laws that God Himself gave to the ancient nation of Israel thru His servant Moses. These Biblical principles apply to men’s relationship with God and with one another. If all people on earth keep at least one of these commandments, the world will be a better place. These Commandments were spoken directly by God at Mount Sinai and written by God’s finger on tablets of stone and given to Moses. This act makes them unique in the Bible. These Ten Laws are commands and not suggestions. They are personal, spoken to individuals.

BE STRONG AND VERY COURAGEOUS TO OBEY GOD’S LAW!

“Only be strong and very courageous, that you may observe to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may prosper wherever you go” (Josh 1:7). It is only a Spirit filled believer that can obey God’s Law. The Holy Spirit supplies the power to obey God’s commands. But we have a part to play. God commands us to ‘be strong, courageous, and focused’. Spiritual weakness and confusion cause distraction and rebellion. In Hebrew, the words ‘be strong and courageous’ mean the following, be a man, be a good soldier, be a champion, establish your heart in the faith; be sure and confident; seize, bind, and conquer your enemy and increase your territory. Following the lead of the Holy Spirit, becoming strong in the strength of the Lord, leads to prosperity ‘wherever you go’. Spiritual and material prosperity is your portion, and it must manifest in any place in this world. You don’t need to travel ‘abroad’ to prosper. Bloom where you are planted. In Hebrew, the word ‘prosper’ means wisdom and understanding that leads to success in life. Therefore, if you obey God’s Word, you will become wise, a mentor, a leader of men, and God will prosper you anytime, anywhere. Selah!

WHY DO WE NEED TO STUDY GOD’S LAW?

*The Ten commandments, also called The Law, are part of the Bible. It is the duty and privilege of a believer to study God’s Word, from Genesis to Revelation. Many Christians only study the New Testament. They say that we are no longer under the Law. But that is not totally true. We are not under the Condemnation power of the Law, but we are under the Commanding power of the Law. As believers in Christ, we should not be lawbreakers, even if ignorantly. The Ten Commandments are eternal. These are not just for the Jews. These are God’s commands to all people everywhere to the end of time. Patiently and faithfully, you should study the Old Testament. You will discover the mystery that the Bible is indeed one. And then, you will be encouraged thru God’s Word. “For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope“(Rom 15:4). The Word gives you true hope. Many Christians are too superficial and lazy. We should not be like that! To study God’s Word is a spiritual labor that has amazing benefits. Nothing replaces that!

*Obeying God’s Law is the only way to prove that you are born again because no unbeliever is able to obey God’s commandments. Obedience is achieved only by the power of the Holy Spirit. And the Holy Spirit is given only to the believers in Christ. It is not enough to say: ‘I am a child of God’. Prove it! A man may be religious but if he still lives in sin, breaking God’s commands, that one is a liar. A man cannot act like the devil and claim that he is a Christan. “Whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness. And you know that He was manifested to take away our sins, and in Him there is no sin. Whoever abides in Him does not sin. Whoever sins has neither seen Him nor known Him. Little children, let no one deceive you. He who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous. He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose, the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil. Whoever has been born of God does not sin, for His seed remains in him; and he cannot sin, because he has been born of God” (1 Jn 3:4-9). Selah!

Like the branch of a tree, it is only a child of God that ‘abides’ in Christ. It is only in a child of God that you can find ‘God’s seed’. Because of this internal grace of life called ‘seed’, the believer not only does not desire to sin, but he ‘cannot sin’. He may occasionally fall into temptation and commit sin, but he cannot ‘abide’ in sin. Sin is not his natural habitat anymore. He abides in Christ, who is his salvation and life. The children of God hate sin. If they fall into sin, they still hate it and eventually they repent and come back to God. The children of God and the children of the devil are radically different, especially in the way they look at sin. Unbelievers have the seed of the devil inside them. They manifest especially by their love for sin, their neglect of the Bible and prayer, and hatred against the true believers. God’s children love to obey God’s Word! Selah!

*By obeying God’s Law, we honor and worship God. Jesus said: “If you [really] love Me, you will keep and obey My commandments” (Jn 14:15; AMP). Love manifests as obedience to the truth. This is the meaning of worshipping God ‘in spirit and in truth’ (Jn 4:23). You cannot claim that you worship God with all your heart when you walk in rebellion against His commands. Search your heart! Repent of disobedience if necessary!

*By obeying God’s Law, you defeat the devil in your life and establish your testimony as a believer. The devil is a murderer. He sinned from the beginning of sin. The devil is the first sinner in the universe. In the Garden of Eden, he deceived Eve to break God’s Law. Adam rebelled and joined in his wife’s deception. When Jesus died on the Cross, He destroyed the power of sin and death. He also destroyed the works of the devil. The devil is a liar, the accuser, and slanderer of God’s people. Jesus died to destroy these evil works. As Christians we should not indulge in the works our Master died to destroy. We should not lie, gossip, slander or give false witnesses against others. Jesus became Man and died for sinful men so that He can destroy death, the power of death upon the believers and their bondage of fear. “Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage. For indeed He does not give aid to angels, but He does give aid to the seed of Abraham. Therefore, in all things He had to be made like His brethren, that He might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. For in that He Himself has suffered, being tempted, He is able to aid those who are tempted” (Heb 2:14-18). Christ became man to identify with sinful men and to die for their sins. God the Father accepted His Son’s sacrifice. To prove that He raised Him from the dead. By His death and resurrection, Jesus is now the Lord of all, the living, and the dead. But He is the High Priest only for the believers. He made ‘propitiation’ for the sins of His people. The word ‘propitiation’ means to calm down a god or a person who was angry with you. God hates sin. God was angry when Adam betrayed Him and rebelled against Him. Jesus died on the Cross on behalf of sinners, to honor God’s justice and holiness. Jesus died as an atonement that makes reconciliation between God and man possible.

“For to this end Christ died and rose and lived again, that He might be Lord of both the dead and the living” (Rom 14:9). As God the Son, Jesus has always been the Lord of the Living. By becoming Man, and by His death on the Cross, now Jesus became the Lord of the dead also. This is an extension of His authority. This was not possible, except Jesus became Man and that He died. Because of the Cross, no one can hide in hell and refuse to bow to Jesus. David knew about this revelation. He said: “Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? If I ascend into heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there” (Ps 139:7, 8).

The devil himself, as the chief murderer of the human race, is now under the feet of Jesus. If you believe that Jesus is merciful and that He died for your sins, then it is your duty to surrender your body to Him and worship Him. Paul says: “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God” (Rom 12:1, 2). By doing God’s will, you have destroyed the power of sin in your flesh and the power of the devil over you!

WHAT GOD’S LAW IS NOT SUPPOSED TO DO

God’s Law was not given to save man or to bring him into an intimate relationship with God. God did not send His Commandments to bring us into a relationship with Him. God already had a relationship with His people that started with Abraham. God’s people were people of covenant already. God, as the faithful Covenant Keeper, has promised them blessings and pledged to fulfill them. In the Ten Commandments God introduces Himself as their God. “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage” (Ex 20:2). As you can see, God is their Savior already. He is the One that brought them out of bondage. Therefore, the Law was not given to save them from sin. Later, Apostle Paul says: “knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law; for by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified” (Gal 2:16, 17). Trying to go to heaven by obeying God’s Law is called legalism and that is sin! Selah!

WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF GOD’S LAW?

*The Law brings knowledge. As we study the Law, we now know who God is, what He likes and what He hates. We now know that God hates sin. It is God’s will that once we get saved, we receive the power to love and obey God’s Law. We become disciplined people and holy like God.

*The Law brings the fear of God, which is necessary for us to become wise, humble, and respectful of the God of the universe. When God came down on the mountain to give the Ten Commandments, His presence manifested with great noise, fire, and earthquake (Ex 20:18-21). The people were afraid and ran away. They told Moses to go and meet God by himself then come back to tell them the Law. Here, Moses is a symbol of Jesus Christ, who is the Mediator between God and man. Studying God’s Law does not save from sin, but it gives us the necessary respect for God so that we don’t become over-familiar with Him. There is safety in wisdom. “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, But fools despise wisdom and instruction” (PV 1:7). Selah!

*By the Law of God, we know what sin is and how ugly sin is. Sin is a terrible thing. Nothing less than the Blood of Jesus could atone for it. The Law of God must convict us of sin before we see our need for the Savior. We cannot appreciate the grace of God if we have not been convicted of sin, as lawbreakers. “They must be slain by the Law before they can be made alive by the Gospel” (C. Spurgeon). Because sin has weakened man’s will, no natural man can obey God’s Law. We are born sinners and lawbreakers. Jesus died to bring us out from the condemnation of the Law. Salvation is not by obeying the Law but by faith in the Gospel. “For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh, that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit” (Rom 8:3, 4). Praise the Lord!

*The Law was given to restrain sin. Governments have the power to arrest and punish lawbreakers. The prison may not change their hearts, but they are restrained from committing more crimes “For he is God’s minister to you for good. But if you do evil, be afraid; for he does not bear the sword in vain; for he is God’s minister, an avenger to execute wrath on him who practices evil” (Rom 13:4). Thank God!

*The Law leads us to Christ! This is the greatest work the Law does. The Law did not come with mercy or grace to help us obey it. The Law is a harsh Master, a disciplinarian Teacher or Tutor. It humbles us. It kills our pride and boasting. As we try to obey this Teacher, slowly, we are led to Christ, our Savior. “For Christ is the end of the law [it leads to Him and its purpose is fulfilled in Him], for [granting] righteousness to everyone who believes [in Him as Savior]” (Rom 10:4; AMP). “What purpose then does the law serve? It was added because of transgressions, till the Seed should come to whom the promise was made; and it was appointed through angels by the hand of a mediator. Now a mediator does not mediate for one only, but God is one. Is the law then against the promises of God? Certainly not! For if there had been a law given which could have given life, truly righteousness would have been by the law. But the Scripture has confined all under sin, that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe. But before faith came, we were kept under guard by the law, kept for the faith which would afterward be revealed. Therefore, the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor” (Gal 3:19-25). “The Law leads to the Gospel and the Gospel leads us to Christ” (Charles Wesley).

God’s Law is like a mirror. It shows your stains but cannot wash them. It only makes you sad because you now know that you are unclean. As you pray for something to wash your face, God directs you to a basin filled with Blood drawn from Immanuel’s veins. The Blood of Jesus is the only ‘soap’ that can wash your stains and cleans your conscience. Glory to God! “Have you been to Jesus for the cleansing pow’r? Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb? Are you fully trusting in His grace this hour? Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?” (E. A. Hoffman)

LAW AND GRACE

In the Bible, we discover the greatest separation: It is between Law and Grace. You see it clearly in the story of the adulterous woman who was to be killed according to the Law but was saved by Jesus, by His Grace (John 8:1-12). The Law says adultery is a sin. It also says that anyone who commits adultery should be killed (Ex 20:14; Lev 20:10). By God’s Law, the woman is to be stoned to death. This is what the Pharisees wanted to do. They are filled with religious pride, anger, and envy against Jesus. They came to test Jesus. Silently, Jesus writes something on the ground. Nobody knows what He writes. He is the Judge who takes His time. Nobody can proceed to do anything in His Court until He speaks. None speaks. None moves. His silence is His authority. The courtroom is quiet as a graveyard. His very presence stops all evil men from killing. Then He stands and says: “He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first” (Jn 8:7). The Pharisees wanted to trap Jesus. Now they are trapped by God’s Law. They are criminals at heart. They thought that they were the judges. Now, the true Judge and Lord of all men, both the living and dead, declares His judgment. The Word pierces them and paralyzes them. One by one, the older ones first dropped the stones, and went away. The devil, the accuser of the brethren, has lost this case. Jesus then commands the woman to stop sinning and go free. Grace does not condemn but Grace does not condone sin. It is a great sin to take Grace for granted!

Lesson: It is not enough to know the Law. To please God, you must obey it. But no natural man can obey God’s Law. Sin in the flesh has weakened the will. That is why you see doctors who know that alcohol leads to liver failure, they still drink it. You see lawyers taken to court for breaking the law. That is why financial gurus end up bankrupt, breaking the very laws of prosperity they teach others. You see pastors who preach against sin, and they are caught practicing the same sin. God’s Law is good, but it frustrates the sinner until he surrenders to Christ, who alone can save his soul. The Law says to the man who fell into the gutter: ‘you have fallen’. The Law has no hand to stretch to offer help. But the Gospel always goes inside the gutter to help the fallen man out of it. Grace is available only to the humble man who repents of his sins. Grace gives sinners the power to ‘go and sin no more’. Grace speaks because Blood was shed on the Cross. Praise the Lord!

The Book Pilgrim Proogress written by John Bunyan is the second-best seller after Bible in the whole world. In it you see a man called Christian who travels from the city of destruction to the heavenly Zion. There is a place where Christian goes to the house of the Interpreter. In that house there was a room full of dust. A man is trying to sweep the dust, but the room becomes worse. This dust is the original sin. The more you want to deal with it, the worse it becomes. The broom he uses to sweep is the Law. As he sweeps, the settled dust on the floor rises to fill the whole room. Lesson: you can’t kill sin with the Law. Then a lady comes to sprinkle water. The dust settles back to the floor. It is now wet with the sweet water of God’s grace. Now, the dirt of sin is easily swept away by the broom law. Praise the Lord!

“For [if we are] in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything, but only faith activated and expressed and working through love” (Gal 5:6; AMP). Faith seeks to do God’s will, to obey His Word. Love tells faith what God’s will is. Love gives faith the fuel it needs to trust God for answers to prayers. Love gives faith the power to pray and receive the answers. Because Love never fails, faith will always win.    

KING GRACE BECAME POOR SO THAT LOVE WILL MAKES YOU RICH

This is God’s eternal Word: “The blessing of the LORD makes one rich, And He adds no sorrow with it” (PV 10:22). The word ‘rich’ means godly success and true prosperity.

“But as you abound in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in all diligence, and in your love for us—see that you abound in this grace also. 8 I speak not by commandment, but I am testing the sincerity of your love by the diligence of others. For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich” (2 Cor 8:7-9).

Apostle Paul encourages the believers to give generously to God’s work and to help the needy. He does not command them. He encourages them. He tells them that they should be leaders and examples in spiritual things (faith, knowledge of the Bible, diligence, and love). They should also lead in the practical grace of giving to the needy. That generosity is a fruit of love. The Apostle says that it is right to compare our diligence and faithfulness to that of others. All true mature believers are generous with their resources. The greatest model of giving is God the Father and God the Son. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” (Jn 3:16). “He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?” (Rom 8:32). Love gives! Hatred is stingy! Selah!

See what Jesus had to ‘lose’ to give us salvation and many other blessings. Jesus came down from heaven. Earth was not His real home. Heaven is! The plan of salvation included humiliation. Jesus became a Man on earth. He had no house of His own. Jesus said: “Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head” (Lk 9:58). Most of the time He borrowed from people. He borrowed food, clothing, a coin to give an illustration, a donkey to enter Jerusalem, and finally a tomb to be buried. He had friends who were rich, and they hosted Him sometimes. But He Himself had nothing at all. To save sinners like you and me, Jesus gave up everything. He was crucified naked. He voluntarily gave up His life and all that He had as a Man. He not only became a Man, He became a poor Man. He knows how it feels to lose it all. Why? For the glory of God, for a greater purpose than just having treasures on earth. We are commanded to be like Him. “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Phil 2:5-11).

DESTROYING THE STRONGHOLD OF POVERTY MENTALITY

The subject of material prosperity and poverty is something that interests everybody. This time I am speaking only to believers! As children of God, we must have the mind of Christ. We must view everything thru the eyes of Christ, as it is revealed in the Word of God. We must be careful; there is a danger concerning the doctrine of material prosperity. We must avoid and reject the worldly way of preaching prosperity. We must also avoid and reject the preaching of poverty as it is done in some cults. We do not love or hate money! We love God and hate the devil! The Holy Spirit shall lead us safely into the whole truth. “We need You, Holy Spirit!” 

There are more ‘poor people’ in this world than the ones called ‘wealthy’. But poverty is relative. A hut in your village may be a palace in my village. Let me be more practical… There is something called ‘poverty mentality’. It is a spiritual evil stronghold in your mind. If you are ignorant about it, it will stay there in you for a lifetime. It will affect your thinking in general and your ability to make money in particular. It may have been planted in your youth. It is the devil’s seed. As a child of God, you need to discover this evil plantation, uproot it, and destroy it. The Word of God has greater authority than any idea, imagination, or theory in your mind! This stronghold affects the rich and the poor, the educated and the illiterate. It is a spiritual structure that forms a hindrance in your mind when you want to think about material prosperity in life.

These are some of the characteristics of poverty mentality type of stronghold in the mind:

*You think that money should be kept in ‘fix deposit’; you hate spending money; you feel bad and guilty after spending money.

*You think that the opportunities to make money are limited. You complain that there are no jobs or businesses in Nigeria.

*You think that taking the risk to start a business is too dangerous and that material success is temporary.

*You are afraid to be a leader. When it comes to finances you choose to follow than to lead others to a greater level of prosperity.

*You fear that you’ll never be able to save enough money to feel comfortable in life.

*You love receiving gifts and ‘free money’ from others.

*You daydream about being rich ‘one day’, like winning the lottery or that one day ‘you hammer’ (as we say in Nigeria).

*Your mind set concerning prosperity: you are a consumer and not a creator!

*You have an inferiority complex (feeling apologetic, anxious, or guilty) when it comes to your finances. You always says: “I no get money’.

*You see the world through the lenses of the poor people who hate the rich! You are silently jealous of others who have more money than you.

*You see wealth as a mysterious stranger who is mocking you from afar! For you, to stay poor, is easier than making money!

“A little extra sleep, a little more slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest… then poverty will pounce on you like a bandit; scarcity will attack you like an armed robber” (PV 6:10, 11). In the Bible, Poverty is described as an armed robber that attacks you in the night, when you sleep! Do you love sleep? Be careful! Sleep is a good servant but a bad, selfish master. Do not take sleeping pills! Too much sleep is a sign of sickness, depression or laziness and it will end in poverty. Do you fear armed men coming to attack you at night? The attack of poverty is worse than an EK47. Poverty is a spiritual bandit. It attacks when you sleep, when you relax too much, when you are not watchful and prayerful (ask Samson, he will tell you…). Once poverty pounces on you, it will chain your feet and your hands, blind your eyes, and confuse your mind. It will make you it’s prisoner, it’s servant. It will carry you to its smelly dungeon and steal all your dreams. It will kill the wonder of worship. It will destroy the romance of marriage. You will not be able to move on in life, to make any progress. Your hands will be too weak to do any work. You become easily tired, bored, or restless. You will be blind to opportunities to invest and make money. You become foolish, fearful, and confused when it comes to financial decisions. May God forbid! I pray for you…

Just before the Cross, He remembers the time when He was ‘rich’ in heaven. All glory was His! He owned everything! We can see with the eyes of the Spirit. Jesus is God. He was God in heaven. All angels worshipped Him. He was the richest Person in the universe. He reminds God the Father about the glory He had before He came down to earth. He said: “And now, O Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was” (Jn 17:5). This prayer from Son to Father is a great mystery.

Question: Why did Jesus give up all things? Answer: to make us rich! Have you considered how rich you are? “Count your blessings, name them one by one. It will surprise you what the Lord has done!” Let us count some of the glorious riches you have in Christ Jesus: eternal salvation, peace of mind, joy in your soul, divine health, the privilege of prayer, the power to live a godly life, forgiveness of sins, the opportunity to belong to a local church and serve God there, no more doubts, fears, and bondages; freedom to fulfill destiny; blessings to your family and business, and so many others. How rich has Jesus made us! We have a treasure in heaven that no thief can touch. On earth, we are blessed to be His servants. This poverty mentality is a curse from the devil. But having all these blessings, reminds us to be responsible before God and man. We must love God! We must be generous and willing to bless others. May the grace of giving be our portion! God will reward us! Worship the Lord!

This Sunday service Pastor (Mrs) Silvia Lia Leigh preached another sermon in the series titled ‘The Ten Commandments’. Her main scriptures were taken from the book Exodus 20:1-17; 2 Kings 5:15-27; Luke 12:13-34.

THE TEN COMMANDMENTS – INTRODUCTION

The Ten Commandments are ten laws that God Himself gave to the ancient nation of Israel thru His servant Moses. These Biblical principles apply to men’s relationship with God and with one another. If all people on earth keep at least one of these commandments, the world will be a better place. These Commandments were spoken directly by God at Mount Sinai and written by God’s finger on tablets of stone and given to Moses. This act makes them unique in the Bible. These Ten Laws are commands and not suggestions. They are personal, spoken to individuals.

GOD’S WORD 

“For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven, and do not return there, but water the earth, and make it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the Sower and bread to the Eater, So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, but it shall accomplish what I please, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it” (Is 55:10, 11). God’s Word proceeds from God’s mouth. It goes to the earth like a messenger sent by God. The word ‘void’ means useless, without result, or empty handed. The word ‘prosper’ means to push forward against all hindrance, to be mighty and successful. Even if the preacher is weak as a child, God’s Word in his mouth will never be ‘void’ of power. It will always defeat all opposition and become successful to the glory of God! Let us give thanks to God for the Bible!

THE 10^TH COMMANDMENT – YOU SHALL NOT COVET!

“You shall not covet [that is, selfishly desire and attempt to acquire] your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his male servant, or his female servant, or his ox, or his donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor” (Ex 20:17; AMP). The 10^th Commandment radically forbids every form of covetousness. Covetousness is a very serious sin. It alters the whole personality. “Whoever commits adultery with a woman … destroys his own soul” (PV 6:32). Covetousness is the strong, restless, eager, and excessive desire for wealth. It is extreme greed, a never satisfied lust after material possessions, especially something that belongs to someone else. It is a combination of lust, envy, and greed. Envy is the wicked painful feeling when you wish to have what another person has, and even destroy that person in the process. Greed is a strong selfish desire to have material wealth and power. Both envy and greed are works of the flesh. In the Bible, covetousness is another word for loving the world or loving Mammon. Covetousness is idolatry and makes God angry (Col 3:5) and it is a ticket to hell (1 Cor 6:19). For a believer to be covetous it means that he is backsliding (1 Tim 6:9, 10). A covetous man cannot worship God at the same time. The reason why God gave so many commands for us to take care of the poor and needy is so that we defeat greed by doing good deeds.

The Tenth Commandment is different than the rest because covetousness is hidden in the heart. Covetousness is similar to greed. But there is a difference. Greed desires material possessions. Covetousness also desires material possessions but the ones who belong to another person. Covetousness is connected to sexual lust. A covetous does not lust only after a woman, but he lusts after somebody’s wife. For example, when a man buys a new car, or builds a house, the covetous man cannot be happy for him. He imagines himself driving that very car and living in that particular house. When a man gets married, he can’t be happy for him. Even during the wedding day, he starts to imagine marrying his bride. Covetousness is connected to lust, idolatry, pride, envy, hypocrisy, stealing, adultery, and even murder.  Covetousness is an insult to the All-Sufficient God and His grace given to men. It is an insult to Jehovah Jireh, God, our Provider. A covetous man says in his heart: ‘God does not take care of me. I have to take care of myself.’ A covetous man is bitter and ungrateful. He destroys himself and many others around him.

The opposite of covetousness is contentment. Paul has learned the art of contentment. He was not born with it. He has already learned and mastered it. Apostle Paul does not say that he has no needs. What he says is that by the power of the Holy Spirit he has learned to trust the All-sufficient God until in his spirit, he is satisfied. “The backslider in heart shall be filled with his own ways: And a good man shall be satisfied from himself” (PV 14:14; KJ).  God’s grace is sufficient for a believer. Jesus said to Paul: “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness” (2Cor 12:9). A covetous man is not satisfied with God’s grace alone. Ask yourself, is God’s grace (unmerited favor) enough for you?

Covetousness is called “the mother of sin and the greatest of monsters”, because envy and greed first arise in the heart before they find expression in outward deeds.  Covetousness may not appear as bad as adultery or murder, but in fact it is one of the worst sins because it is a very fruitful root. It produces many other sins. Breaking the Tenth Commandment means breaking them all. The Ten Commandment is the final test of obedience. Covetousness happens when you are ready to pay any price to have something, even when you know that it is against God’s will. We covet when we set our hearts upon something which belongs to another and wish we had it instead of them. It is a common sin among Christians. The reason is because they foolishly compare one with another concerning mode of dressings, cars they drive and other achievements. Comparing with one another leads to competition and covetousness. It is the dangerous road of fools. “For we dare not class ourselves or compare ourselves with those who commend themselves. But they, measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise” (2 Cor 10:12). Most of the time this covetousness is the effect of preaching the so called ‘prosperity gospel’. Under its influence, the people use their faith to pray mostly for material things and not for spiritual gains. Going to church only to hear about how to make money and having no desire for heaven, is a snare to many souls. These people have ‘itching ears.’ They love to hear prophecies about material wealth and have no interest in the true Gospel of Christ Crucified and Resurrected. This is a spiritual Law: as the leader is, so are his followers. As the pastor is, so is his congregation. Ask yourself? Why do you read the Bible? Why do you pray? What do you want to hear when you go to church? Empty religion is a hindrance to true spirituality. The Love of money has wrecked the lives of many believers and made many churches become dens of robbers. May God have mercy! 

The world is the system where human beings live like God does not exist. The devil is the ruler of this world (Jn 14:30). All men are born sinners and they are slaves of sin, under their master, the devil. The world is a great idol. We are born to love the world and to worship its prince. God commands us to stop loving the world and start loving Him. “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world” (1 Jn 2:15, 16). Religion is a cover up for sin, especially for covetousness. Sin dwells in the heart before it manifests as deeds. A covetous man is a worldly man. He only thinks and boasts of the things of this world (his successful business, his achievements …). He does not think or speak about spiritual things. Heaven is too far for him. He does not make plans to go there. He assumes that just by doing some good deeds, he will arrive in heaven. The people around the fire in the courtyard accused Peter of being a disciple of Jesus. They said: “Surely you also are one of them, for your speech betrays you” (Matt 26:73). In the same way, man is betrayed by his speech. A covetous man may hide his greed thru religion, but eventually, he is betrayed by his speech. Covetousness is dangerous. It is a moral sin polluting the whole soul. Men think that just because they provide good things for their families, they are free from this sin. Covetousness chokes the God’s Word in the heart. “The ones that fell among thorns are those who, when they have heard, go out and are choked with cares, riches, and pleasures of life, and bring no fruit to maturity” (Lk 8:14). A covetous man does not grow spiritually. This is a great test, but it takes time to prove it.

Covetousness breaks all the Ten Commandments. The covetous man has many gods. He is always filled with anxiety about his wealth and his future. He dreams big, to fly high, but his wings do not carry him above the earth.  Covetousness is like the captain of a boat who for the sake of money, he takes too many passengers and his boat sinks in the middle of the sea. His only hope is his money and that hope always disappoints.

GEHAZI’S COVETOUSNESS (2 Kings 5:19-27)

In the bible, we see many instances of people coveting. They all ended badly. For example, The false prophet Balaam coveted the money promised by Balak and was ready to curse God’s people. He died an untimely death (Jude 1:11). King Ahab coveted Naboth’s vineyard and killed him (1 Kings 21:1-16). According to the prophesy, Ahab, and his wife Jezebel both died violent, disgraceful deaths. David coveted Bathsheba and also ended up committing murder (2 Samuel 11). His family suffered after that. Achan coveted the fine things of Jericho and ended up stealing them. He and his family were killed for that sin (Joshua 7). God judges and punishes covetousness. “Wealth gained by dishonesty will be diminished, but he who gathers by labor will increase” (PV 13:11). Anaias and Saphira both lied and coveted leadership positions. They were stroked dead by God (Acts 5:1-11).

Naaman was a famous rich general in the Syrian army. But he was leprous. At that time leprosy was incurable. Prophet Elisha healed him miraculously. When Naaman wanted to pay him, Elisha refused. He wanted Naaman to know that Jehovah God healed him. The glory must go to God alone. Lesson: here you see a true servant of God. He does not do ministry for personal gain of fame. As Naaman departed in peace, Elisha’s servant Gehazi, who was also an apprentice in training, ran after him. He lied that his master sent him to take the gift he had previously refused. Naaman gives him money and expensive clothes. Gehazi comes back pretending that he has not gone out. But Elisha has seen in the Spirit realm. He gives his verdict. Because he has taken the gift from Naaman, his leprosy will cling to him and to his family. The curse took immediate effect. Gehazi’s punishment was deserved. He not only lied, but he despised God’s omnipresence, His Word, His holiness, and God’s position as the Judge of all men. He also damaged the testimony of Elisha as a servant of Jehovah. All the Syrians will hear about the miracle and the payment given to the prophet. A fool is someone who loses more than he gains. Gehazi was a fool. What gain is to him to have money, and vineyards, and sheep and oxen when he is a leprous man! He gained money but he lost his health, his family’s health, his reputation, his position as a servant to a great man of God, and possibly, he lost his soul. From that time on, as a leprous, with his family, he had to leave all his friends and live outside the town as an outcast. Naaman lost his sickness and Gehazi picked it. He experienced a reverse miracle. He discovered too late that he can deceive Naaman, but he cannot deceive God or His prophet. Beware of hypocrisy and covetousness! This curse can bring spiritual leprosy to your soul! Oh, you foolish Gehazi! It is better to have a simple coat on a healthy body and a clean conscience! “Those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness and pierced themselves through with many sorrows” (1 Tim 6:9, 10). Lying, covetousness, and stealing are serious sins. The devil is always behind them. God always punishes these sins with visible judgment. Selah!

THE RICH YOUNG RULER (Matt 19:16-30)

A rich young ruler met Jesus. Possibly, he was a member of the Sanhedrin. We are not told that he made his money through fraudulent means. Maybe he was born into a rich Jewish family. He seems humble. He knelt before Jesus as a sign of respect. He recognized that Jesus is a Man of God. He called Him ‘Good Teacher’. Jesus gently rebuked him saying that only God is good. This is because the man did not see Jesus as God, only as a good teacher. He wanted to serve God and go to heaven. He was a good citizen and a religious man since his youth. But he believed in a wrong doctrine, that salvation is by works. He did not understand that salvation is only by Grace and thru Faith in Christ. His question was: “what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?’ He is concerned with ‘doing’. Interestingly, Jesus tells him to ‘keep the Ten Commandments’. Why did Jesus tell him that? It is because the man is still a proud boastful sinner. Jesus tells him to obey the commands that concern the relationship between people. Jesus replaces The Tenth Commandment that forbids covetousness with the fulfilment of it saying, ‘you shall love your neighbor as yourself’. This command can only be obeyed by a true believer in Christ who is Spirit filled. The man says that he has kept these commands. He is deceived and he does not even know it. To prove that this man is lying, Jesus tells him: ‘If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come and follow Me’. Hearing this, the man goes away sorrowful because he could not give up his great wealth. He chose his money instead of Jesus, proving that with all his religious deeds, in his heart, he does not love Jesus. He is not saved. He failed the Tenth Commandment. Therefore, he failed them all. Jesus uses this encounter as a lesson for His disciples. He tells them that it is hard (not impossible) for a rich man to be saved. It is easier for a poor man to have faith in Jesus. The disciples were astonished. What is the lesson? Conviction of sin, godly sorrow that leads to salvation, and faith in the Gospel, is the unique work of the Holy Spirit. No man can save himself and no man can save another man. Material wealth and good deeds cannot save. They may even be a hindrance to the faith necessary for salvation. God’s Law convicts us as lawbreakers. We must make a choice. We cannot serve two masters, God, and mammon. Face to face with Jesus, this young successful man, went back to serve Mammon. The covetousness in his heart was stronger than his desire to go to heaven. See how strong sin is in the human heart. Only Christ can break that stronghold. Peter wanted to know what his gain will be for him leaving his family and business to follow Jesus. Jeus tells him that salvation is by grace and thru faith. Then there is reward for all who have sacrificed pleasures on earth for the sake of Jesus and His Gospel. There is a treasure in heaven for them. God does the accounting. Not only that there is compensation for losses, but a multiplication of reward manifested on earth. Lesson: nobody has followed Jesus and regrated it. Following Jesus and doing God’s work, can only lead to true joy, prosperity, and fulfillment in life. To God be all the glory!

THE PARABLE OF THE RICH FOOL (Lk 12:13-21)

A man came to Jesus asking Him to be the judge between himself and another. Jesus refused the request because it was out of the sphere of His purpose. But this man’s request gave Him an opportunity to warn His disciples about the sin of Covetousness. He then shared with them the parable of the rich fool. There was this wealthy farmer. His land was fruitful. With each harvest he became richer. He decided to destroy his barns and build bigger ones, to store the bigger harvest. His plan was to be so rich that he will have no need to work in the future. He will only rest, eat, drink and be merry. To him, work was a burden. For him, enjoying his wealth and resting is the perfect happy life. But that night God takes his soul. He leaves behind all his wealth. This man is rich for himself and poor towards God. Why did Jesus call this man a fool?

The man is a fool because he only thinks about himself and his riches. He never thinks about God who gave him the power to make wealth. He forgot God! “You shall remember [with profound respect] the LORD your God, for it is He who is giving you power to make wealth, that He may confirm His covenant which He swore (solemnly promised) to your fathers, as it is this day” (Deut 8:18; AMP). This man is a wicked fool because he did not see God as the source of his life and wealth. He did not seek God. He did not care about God. “The fool has said in his heart: There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none who does good. The Lord looks down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there are any who understand, who seek God. They have all turned aside, they have together become corrupt; There is none who does good, No, not one” (Ps 14:1-3). The man is a fool because he trusted his wealth to be happy. He made wealth his god. But material wealth cannot save your soul and cannot give you peace and joy. This man is a fool because he did not know the purpose of his wealth. He did not know that money is to be used to promote God’s Kingdom and help the needy. The man is a fool because he is too selfish. He wants to enjoy his wealth alone. Read his words: there are 6 I, 5 my, and 4 I will. He even calls his soul ‘my soul’. He did not know that God is the owner of his soul. God says: “Behold, all souls are Mine; The soul of the father as well as the soul of the son is Mine; The soul who sins shall die” (Ezekiel 18:4). At the point of death, this foolish man could keep his soul inside his body. He was boasting about things he cannot control. This man is a fool because he was sure about his future when he is not the owner of the future. We are commanded not to boast about tomorrow. “Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit”; whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away. Instead, you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that.” But now you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil. Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin” (James 4:13-17). This man is a fool because he ignored God’s grace as the only way for salvation. The worse mistake he made is that he ignored God for the needs of his soul. He did not think that he may go to hell. He did not make plans to go to heaven. At last, his riches were left behind. They could not help him. What a fool! Selah!

The resurrected Christ warned the believers in the church of Laodicea to repent from trusting their wealth. “And to the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write, ‘These things says the Amen, the Faithful and True Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God: “I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth. Because you say, ‘I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing’—and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked— I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see. As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore, be zealous and repent” (Rev 3:14-19). Selah!

COVETOUSNESS IS A GREAT SIN IN A PASTOR 

Apostle Paul told the Thessalonians that he never preached the Gospel from impure motives. “For you yourselves know, brethren, that our coming to you was not in vain. But even after we had suffered before and were spitefully treated at Philippi, as you know, we were bold in our God to speak to you the gospel of God in much conflict. For our exhortation did not come from error or uncleanness, nor was it in deceit. But as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, even so we speak, not as pleasing men, but God who tests our hearts. For neither at any time did we use flattering words, as you know, nor a cloak for covetousness—God is witness. Nor did we seek glory from men, either from you or from others, when we might have made demands as apostles of Christ. But we were gentle among you, just as a nursing mother cherishes her own children” (1 Thess 2:1-7). God’s servant must preach the true Gospel, free of greed, deceit, or manipulation. The preaching must be done to please God who sent him. He must be faithful to God. He must not be intimidated by his congregation. He must not flatter people to gain their favor and must not work to please men. He must not soften the Gospel. He must preach God’s Word as it is in the Bible, without fear of favor to men. Why? Because God tests the hearts. God tests the motives for ministry, and rewards according to the work done. Men may testify that their pastor does not use flattery. But no man can see inside his heart if there is wicked greed or not. God rewards purity of heart with higher anointing in ministry. No pastor should preach hidden under ‘a cloak of covetousness’. This cloak means an excuse, a pretext, something to hide the real motives of the heart. When a pastor tells the people that he loves them, but at the same time he manipulates them to give him money, that is a coverup, a cloak of covetousness. God sees and God judges! Selah!

BEWARE OF THE FALSE DOCTRINES AND HYPOCRISY OF GREEDY RELIGIOUS RULERS

“Now when His disciples had come to the other side, they had forgotten to take bread. 6 Then Jesus said to them, “Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the Sadducees.” And they reasoned among themselves, saying, “It is because we have taken no bread.” But Jesus, being aware of it, said to them, “O you of little faith, why do you reason among yourselves because you have brought no bread? Do you not yet understand, or remember the five loaves of the five thousand and how many baskets you took up? Nor the seven loaves of the four thousand and how many large baskets you took up? How is it you do not understand that I did not speak to you concerning bread? But beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” Then they understood that He did not tell them to beware of the leaven of bread, but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and Sadducees” (Matt 16:5-12). “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you devour widows’ houses, and for a pretense make long prayers. Therefore, you will receive greater condemnation… Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you cleanse the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of extortion and self-indulgence. Blind Pharisee, first cleanse the inside of the cup and dish, that the outside of them may be clean also. “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but inside are full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness. Even so you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness” (Matt 23:14; 25-28). ‘Extortion’ means to obtain money by threats or force. “Jesus began to say to His disciples first of all, “Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. For there is nothing covered that will not be revealed, nor hidden that will not be known” (Lk 12:1-2). “No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.” Now the Pharisees, who were lovers of money, also heard all these things, and they derided Him. And He said to them, “You are those who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts. For what is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God” (Lk13:10-15)

Our Lord warned us about ‘the leaven’ of religious rulers. This leaven is called hypocrisy. Hypocrisy is false, deceptive behavior. A hypocrite is an actor. He pretends to be a good Christian, but he is greedy and wicked in his heart. He is a handsome thief. She is a beautiful criminal. These religious rulers do not do what they preach. Our Lord’s greatest condemnation was to these religious rulers. As you see, they use religion to steal money from people. Therefore, hypocrisy is a sign of covetousness. It also manifests as preaching false doctrines. A Pharisee loves money in his heart, but he hides that. He wants men to think that he is a generous person who cares for the poor. He is a hypocrite. These people serve Mammon in their hearts but pretend to serve God in the church. These false brethren are not easy to detect. When Jesus confronted them with their hypocrisy, they ‘derided’ Him. To deride it means to mock, to speak with proud contempt. Bullies do that. Politicians often deride one another. Jesus calls this proud religious spirit ‘a leaven’. He commanded His disciples to beware of it. The warning is to reject every form of religious pride, greed, covetousness, and hypocrisy. Like leaven rises the dough, so this demon makes even the believers proud and destroys their testimonies. To stay humble and prayerful under slander or mocking is a great achievement. It is done only by the power of the Holy Spirit.

THE LEAVEN HINDERS THE RACE (Galatians 5:7-18).

The flesh is the part of man that is not under the influence of the Holy Spirit. In other words, the Holy Spirit does not help the flesh, but fights its selfish desires. The flesh tries in vain to obey God’s Law. The Law was not given to save man. It was given to prove that man is a sinner, cannot obey God’s Law and cannot please Him. Once the Holy Spirit fills a believer and takes control in leading him, the flesh becomes weaker and weaker. That is when man can obey God’s Law, not only outwardly, but in his heart. This holy process is called sanctification. Being filled and led by the Holy Spirit is the only way to kill all religious hypocrisy. If you are daily led by the Spirit, you are not under the condemnation of the Law. The work of the Law is to convict of sin and to lead the man to Christ. It is only in Christ, that we become free and strong to obey God’s Law.

The leaven is the religious spiritual pride. It attacks the believer who runs the race by obeying the truth as he carries his cross daily. The leaven comes telling him to use the liberty of Christ to satisfy the desires of the flesh. If he is not careful, he backslides, becoming a religious hypocrite. He looks down on the faithful believers. He still goes to church and worships God, but not with all his heart. He becomes a hindrance to other Christians. He is now a greedy and proud believer. He pleases himself and other men. He does not please God. He gossips and slanders others. He starts quarrels and divides the church. He needs to repent of his sins and come back to the Cross. By the Power of the Spirit, he must kill the desires of the flesh, especially pride, greed, and hypocrisy. These are like weeds that quench the Word of God. Once the weeds are gathered and burnt with fire, the Word in his heart can grow. Love for God and love for man will again bloom like flowers in the springtime. Praise the Lord!

COVETOUSNESS IS IDOLATRY

Covetousness and gossip are some of the most common sins even among the Christians. These days, there is a higher pressure for people to covet things. Technology is improving faster. Every year, there are new phones, cars, and computers. People become jealous of others for having them. The devil deceived Eve. Her sin was a combination of covetousness and desiring the have other gods before God. “If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory. Therefore, put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. Because of these things the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience, in which you yourselves once walked when you lived in them” (Col 3:1-7). Covetousness is idolatry because the greedy man loves money more than God. Covetousness is deceptive. Like pride, it creeps slowly into your heart, and you may be ignorant of it. Lucifer coveted God’s throne and His position. Why is covetousness so terrible? You become ungrateful for the things you have. Secondly, you will never be happy and never satisfied. That is torment. Ask yourself ‘when is enough, enough?’

THE EVIL SPIRIT OF GAMBLING

Gambling is defined as playing a game for money or for property. It means to bet, to take a chance, to expose yourself to danger and proceed in the face of it. Simply put, you risk money to win more money. Gambling is a major international commercial activity, with the legal gambling market totaling an estimated $335 billion in 2009. Gambling is a form of covetousness and a manifestation of the love of money. To be rich quickly without doing any labor is the dream of all sinners. That is the foundation of gambling. The attraction of gambling is entertainment and the love of money. The victims are people who are lazy, covetous, foolish, and ambitious at the same time, a deadly combination. Gambling is the fastest growing addiction in the world. 1/7 teenagers and 1/10 adults that gamble end up as addicted to it. Gambling wrecks homes and marriages. Research done says that poor people spend 13% of their small income on lottery. The rich people spend less than 1% of their income for the same lottery. The poor neighborhoods have the highest number of locations for gambling and lottery. These are sold in poor grocery stores to attract the people who buy food. Many times, a poor man has gone home to his family without food and just with a lottery slip that promises millions. The casinos machines are built in such a way that 80-90% of the winning numbers go to the patron. The chance of winning there is minimal but the attraction of making money without work is very high. Even the few that win, statistics say that they will lose all their money in maximum two years, and they are back to gamble again, ready to sell even their soul to Satan.

Gambling, betting, or lottery are not forbidden in the Bible. But the Bible warns against the love of money. Gambling gives hope to people that by playing a game, they will get rich without working. Gambling in moderation may not be a sin, but it is a waste of money. It is in the same category as going to eat at a very expensive restaurant, buying ‘designer’ dresses or shoes, or buying things you don’t need. In the Bible, God prescribed the casting of lots for some activities like the choosing of the scapegoat or choosing the portions of land for each tribe in the Promised Land. The Apostles cast lots to decide who will replace Judas. But none of these examples applies to casting lots to make money. Why gambling is wicked? When you gamble, you win at the expense of others, who lose money. Gambling encourages laziness, selfishness, and greed. Most gamblers live in anxiety, depression and many commit suicide. The greedy men trouble their families. “He who is greedy for gain troubles his own house, but he who hates bribes will live” (PV 15:27). In reality, gambling is an evil spirit that steals, kills, and destroys.

Gambling violates God’s law because of the following:

1-The foundation and the attraction of it is love of money, which is evil. “Whoever loves money never has money enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with his income” (Ecc 5:10)

2-Gambling encourages laziness. We should work and be good stewards of the income we make. We tithe to God and use the remaining to take care of the family. Any surplus we save is for emergencies in the future. “Lazy hands make a man poor but diligent hands bring wealth” (PV 10:4)

3-Gambling may be entertaining but it is addictive. All addictions are sins. “A man is a slave to whatever has mastered him” (2Pet 2:19)

4-Gambling gives false hopes. “When a wicked man dies, his hope perishes; all he expected from his power come to nothing” (PV 11:7)

5-Gambling does not give glory to God but to the idol of ‘luck or fortune’. There are things in this world that may not be bad in themselves, but they are not beneficial to the kingdom of God and to our testimony as believers. “All things are lawful for me, but all things are not helpful. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any” (1 Cor 6:12).

6-Man was created in the image of God. Gambling spoils that image. It makes a man to be a fool. “Like a partridge that hatches eggs it did not lay is the man who gains riches by unjust means. When his life is gone, they will desert him and in the end he proves to be a fool” (Jer 17:11). Gambling is the backslider’s god and the fantasy of the rebellious.

Gambling in Nigeria is common, especially online sports betting. Nigeria is now home to more than 40 sports betting sites, indicating that about 60 million Nigerians actively participate in sports betting. That’s close to a third of Nigeria’s population. Next to South Africa, Nigeria is the second largest online gambling country in Africa. I read that the biggest betting online site in Nigeria is Bet9ja. Its net Worth 2023 is estimated at $1 billion. We pray for revival in Nigeria! God have mercy!

THE CURE FOR COVETOUSNESS

Covetousness is a secret sin of the heart. These are some signs that you are covetous and are under the influence of Mammon: You are always worried about your finances; you are always broke; you buy things on impulse; you are greedy; you are always in debt. These are all negative emotions. The cure for covetousness is genuine repentance. The believer needs faith in Christ crucified and resurrected. He then needs to be filled with the Holy Spirit. The result is Contentment in life. Another way to destroy covetousness is by desiring spiritual things more, by loving God’s Word. Pray for a spiritual mind. Contentment is the opposite of Covetousness. It is defined as quiet happiness and satisfaction in life. It is not an exciting type of happiness. It is a deep stable peaceful joy that is not disturbed by circumstances. You are happy with God and the life He has given to you at the present. Money cannot buy contentment and peace. That is the gift of God. Money is good to buy the basic things of life: food, a roof over your head, paying for education and medical bills. But once you have enough money to pay for these basic needs, money loses the power to make you happy. For a man who has these basic needs supplied, he has to learn how to spend his money to become happier. Greed is a massive hindrance against happiness. Money is meant to be spent not just to be gathered. Giving money to God’s work and helping the needy will produce a new type of happiness that the poor man has never known. This is contentment, fulfillment, and true success in life. He now spends money to gather eternal treasures in heaven. This is true happiness. It is also wisdom. “remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He Himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive” (Ac 20:35). There are many stories of wealthy men who died, and their children foolishly squandered their wealth. They were not wise with their money. This is the truth: the earthly riches will leave us, or we will leave them. Do not be like the rich fool. Think more of heaven than of earth. Be content! Be grateful for your life as it is now, even as you pray for your dreams to come true in the future. May God help us! May we fulfill destiny! Worship the Lord!

(This note and picture is from our daughter Jemine Leigh Oakes)

Many years ago, I had the amazing opportunity to sit with one of my voices of influence at a coffee shop. I had watched her for years, an incredibly successful worship leader, the writer of some of the most renowned worship songs, and here she was, sitting across from me. I wouldn’t let any word she spoke fall to the ground.

She poured life into my heart. To this day I’m so grateful for that moment, but something she said has stayed at the forefront of my life as a worship leader… she said “Jemine, remain faithful, just simply continue to be faithful.”

Recently these words were heavy on my heart and I knew a song was forming in my spirit. I typically stew over words and scripture for each song I write, but this time, the words just poured out.

.2 Timothy 2:13 says “if we are faithless, he remains faithful, for he cannot disown himself.”

My prayer today is that God will always finds us faithful. Whatever you’re doing, on the top of the mountain, or the depths of the valley, in trial, or triumph, let him find you faithful, doing all you do as unto him.

Jesus, find me faithful!

I found this simple and beautiful prayer in the notes of my dear husband, Pastor Richmond Sisan Leigh. This should be about 2010. He was studying ‘heaven’ in the Bible. He was always fascinated with heaven and worship. There is no doubt in my mind that he was saved and that he had the assurance of salvation. He is now in heaven! His faith has finally become sight. I imagine him over there, happy, dressed in white, walking on the streets of gold and ‘gisting’ with Apostle Paul. I also imagine him near the throne of God, worshipping Him forever! This living hope in my heart is now my daily strength! Glory to God!

“Dear Heavenly Father, I thank You for giving me the revelation of heaven, my eternal home. I believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and I know that one day I will see You face to face in heaven. I see in the Bible that there are beautiful things over there. But most of all, I want to go there to be with You and to worship You forever. I pray that You increase my hope and my faith in You. Thank You for writing my name in Your Book of Life! I give You praise forever! In Jesus’ name I pray, amen!”

My name is Silvia Lia Leigh. I was born in Romania almost 70 years ago. At that time Romania was a communist country. Religion was forbidden. We were thought in school that God does not exist; that religion is for the poor illiterate people. I believed that! I grew up in a loving family of four. My parents were teachers in the school which I attended with my younger sister; Adica. My father was also the principal of the school. My parents thought us by example to be kind, respectful, humble and hard working. We did not believe in God, and we did not attend church.
In 1973 I got admission into the Medical School in Timisoara. In my first year I met my husband Richmond, a Nigerian. We were classmates. We fell in love and against all odds we got married. After graduation, in 1980, we moved to Nigeria. We became very successful as medical practitioners. We started a private hospital in Warri Nigeria called “Lily Clinic”. We were very happy. We had three children. We had money and fame. What else could one possibly want? Nothing! Or so I thought…
In 1986 I had a crisis conversion. I met the Lord Jesus Christ. This was purely the grace of God in action because we did not attend any church. This is how it happened…. Before coming to Nigeria I have not seen a Bible. In January of the same year, I became very depressed. I saw nothing good in all my achievements. I even lost my desire to live. This was very strange because I was always an optimistic person. The mysterious depression started after ‘accidentally’ I read a scripture on a pamphlet: “You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart” (Jeremiah 29:13). I did not know who Jeremiah was. The scripture was not explained. But after I read it once, I just could not forget it. It seems like the words got stamped in my mind. I tried to forget it but I could not. After reading it I started thinking of God. I fought the thought, but I failed. It was like He was calling me. I panicked… I have never prayed in my life. Can I start now? A voice said: ‘It is too late for you. Don’t pray!’ Another voice said the opposite: ‘It is never too late to pray. God loves you!’ These voices made me crazy. What voice I am supposed to believe?
Finally, I made my choice. For the very first time in my life, I prayed. It was 14th of March 1986. I said: “God, if You exist, then come down from heaven and change my heart. Make me Your friend! I am tired of doubting You. I am tired of fighting you. But please God, I can’t wait forever for the answer to this prayer. I give You ‘a month’s notice’ to come down from heaven and change my heart. If You come, I promise to be Your friend forever. But if You chose not to come, then let me die in peace. In Jesus’ name I pray, amen!” I did not know the meaning of the name ‘Jesus’ but I heard people pray like that, so I guessed it was the appropriate end to a prayer. Immediately I knew that something ‘good’ had happened to me. Not certain of what, I felt a sense of destiny coming down enveloping my soul.
On the 12th of April, 28 days after this ‘a month’s notice’ prayer, the Holy Spirit came and filled my hungry heart. Like an invisible blood transfusion, I felt LIFE entering my veins. I was alone in the sitting room when this event happened. It was much later that I knew it was called ‘the baptism of the Holy Spirit’. I became a child of God, never to be the same again. I started reading the Bible like a mad woman. This hunger for the Word for God and for prayer continues without interruptions until now. After some time, my husband became saved also. We sold our private clinic and together, we are now in full time ministry. We are the founders and the senior pastors of Father’s House Bible Church in Warri, Nigeria. To God alone be all the glory!
May this testimony ignite in you the desire to be truly saved or to experience revival! In Jesus’ name, amen!
Pastor (Mrs.) Silvia Lia Leigh.

This Sunday service Pastor (Mrs) Silvia Lia Leigh preached another sermon in the series titled ‘The Ten Commandments’. Her main scriptures were taken from the book Exodus 20:1-17; John 8:31-59; Luke 23:36-43

THE TEN COMMANDMENTS – INTRODUCTION

The Ten Commandments are ten laws that God Himself gave to the ancient nation of Israel thru His servant Moses. These Biblical principles apply to men’s relationship with God and with one another. If all people on earth keep at least one of these commandments, the world will be a better place. These Commandments were spoken directly by God at Mount Sinai and written by God’s finger on tablets of stone and given to Moses. This act makes them unique in the Bible. These Ten Laws are commands and not suggestions. They are personal, spoken to individuals.

GOD’S WORD RUNS FAST TO THE EARTH AND DOES GOD’S WILL

“He sends out His command to the earth; His word runs very swiftly. He gives snow like wool; He scatters the frost like ashes; He casts out His hail like morsels; Who can stand before His cold? He sends out His word and melts them; He causes His wind to blow, and the waters flow” (Ps 147:15-18). God Himself sends His Commands to people on earth. His Word runs like a champion, fast and focused. There is no difficulty or delay for the Word going from heaven to earth. Nothing can stop or slow down the Word. “As the lightning that flashes out of one part under heaven shines to the other part under heaven, so also the Son of Man will be in His day. But first He must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation” (Lk 17:24, 25). Because Jesus suffered rejection on earth, and died for sinners on the Cross, God’s Word is now triumphant and fast like lightning. If a man rejects God’s Word, his heart become frozen, and he becomes like an ice statue. But the same Word, like the sun during the springtime of grace, melts the icy heart and the tears of repentance ‘flow’ like the waters. God’s Word kills and makes alive! Selah!

THE 9^TH COMMANDMENT – YOU SHALL NOT BEAR FALSE WITNESS AGAINST YOUR NEIGHBOR! YOU SHALL NOT LIE!

“You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor… You shall not testify falsely [that is, lie, withhold, or manipulate the truth] against your neighbor (or any person)” (Ex 20:16; NKJ; AMP). The 9th Commandment concerns our speech. It is the chief sin of the tongue. It forbids men to speak wicked lies against another to damage his reputation, in order to reduce people’s respect for him. Satan is the principal instigator of it. He deceived Eve through the first lie that was spoken on earth (Gen 3:4). To bear false witness against someone is also called Calumny, Slander, or ‘character assassination’. It is a wicked verbal attack, meant to destroy reputations or friendships. Slander is called ‘Grudges fortified’ or ‘The Devil’s masterpiece.’ “A perverse person spreads strife, And a slanderer separates close friends” (PV 16:28; NASB). A perverse man is someone who distorts the truth. Strife means quarrels. The 9th commandment forbids us from committing any act that might bring undeserved suffering to another person. The focus is on our speech, but not exclusively. Words and deeds that unjustly destroy others’ reputations, harm them in court, or promote evil are prohibited. Another way to break this commandment by teaching false doctrines that damage God’s character and by not honoring the truth. Gossip is also forbidden by this commandment. The words of gossip are ‘sweet’ poison. They stay in the heart and are not easily forgotten. They do great damage. “The words of a whisperer (gossip) are like dainty morsels [to be greedily eaten]; They go down into the innermost chambers of the body [to be remembered and mused upon]” (PV 18:8; AMP). The fleshly tongue is connected with hell fire. It is only by the Holy Spirit that the tongue can be controlled and used for good. “Even so the tongue is a little member and boasts great things. See how great a forest a little fire kindles! And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity. The tongue is so set among our members that it defiles the whole body and sets on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire by hell” (Jam 3:5, 6). Connecting our hearts and tongues with heaven is our prayer! This is God’s command: “But now rid yourselves [completely] of all these things: anger, rage, malice, slander, and obscene (abusive, filthy, vulgar) language from your mouth” (Col 3:8; AMP). Confess this: “I hate and abhor lying, but I love Your law” (Ps 119:163).

Slander is lying and a direct insult to God who is Truth. Jesus said: “I am the Truth” (Jn 14:6). “God is not a man, that He should lie” (Nu 23:19). “God, who cannot lie” (Titus 1:2). God wants His people to love truth. We are commanded to “speak the truth in love” (Eph 4:15). To falsely accuse someone or quote them out of context with the intent to do them harm is wicked. The liar wants to deceive others to believe in his lies. Some political candidates use this tactic against opponents hoping that voters will be tricked into thinking that the accusations are true. This is how politicians deceive and steal followers. Written words used to harm a person’s reputation are called ‘libel’, and spoken words used to harm a person’s reputation are called ‘slander.’ False witnessing is done in public (in a court of justice) or in private (gossiping). Slander is a social sin or a criminal offence. It often leads to court cases. In most countries the Constitution protects the character of man and punishes the slanderer. The Law also tries to balance this with the freedom of speech. Just having a different opinion is not regarded as slander. A vulgar insult spoken in anger is wicked but not considered slander. Slander is always done through wickedness and a desire to destroy another person’s reputation and good name. For example, these are some serious accusations considered as slander: accusing someone to be an armed robber or a witch; accusing a person to be sick with an incurable (mental) disease, accusing someone to be an adulterer, or accusing an athlete that he is taking drugs to win the race. These accusations damage the person’s character and social status. Public persons are more likely to be slandered. A word spoken is not considered slander if: the word proves to be true, the word was only an opinion and not spoken with malice, the victim was not harmed by it or the victim agrees with the word. Generally, it is hard for lawyers to win a case against those who slander.

Slander against God is called blasphemy. It is the act of insulting, cursing, or showing lack of reverence for God. The Third Commandment forbids blasphemy: “You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes His name in vain” (Ex 20:7). This is God’s Law in the Old Testament: “Then you shall speak to the children of Israel, saying: ‘Whoever curses his God shall bear his sin. And whoever blasphemes the name of the Lord shall surely be put to death. All the congregation shall certainly stone him, the stranger as well as him who is born in the land. When he blasphemes the name of the Lord, he shall be put to death” (Lev 24:15. 16). Our Lord said that blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is an eternal sin. “Assuredly, I say to you, all sins will be forgiven the sons of men, and whatever blasphemies they may utter; but he who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness but is subject to eternal condemnation”— because they said, “He has an unclean spirit.” (Mk 3:28-30). “No sin is greater or provokes God’s wrath more than the blaspheming of His Name” (Heidelberg Catechism). Blasphemy remained a criminal offence in England until 2008. In the past, promoting atheism in England could be a crime and was vigorously prosecuted. Presently, almost all countries have removed the laws against blasphemy. In the Muslim countries, blasphemy is still punished with flogging and even with a death sentence.  

GOD HATES PRIDE, LIES, WICKEDNESS, SLANDER AND DIVISION!

“These six things the Lord hates, yes, seven are an abomination to Him: A proud look, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, A heart that devises wicked plans, feet that are swift in running to evil, A false witness who speaks lies, and one who sows discord among brethren” (PV 6:16-19). Liars are wicked fools. “Whoever hides hatred has lying lips, and whoever spreads slander is a fool” (PV 10:18). Those who lie and flatter hate their victims. “A lying tongue hates those who are crushed by it, and a flattering mouth works ruin” (PV 26:28).

God forbids taking His name in vain and slandering the name of people who are created in His image. Slandering men means slandering their creator. While everyone has a fundamental right to freely speak their minds, your freedom of expression is not absolute. Most legal systems set limits on what you can say especially if you make claims about someone that are not true. “A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches, loving favor rather than silver and gold” (PV 22:1). Calumny damages the good name of a person. That damage is stealing from a greater treasure than silver and gold. It injures a man more than stealing from his bank account!    

“Who steals my purse, steals trash,

But he who steals from me my good name,

Robs me of that which not enriches him,

Yet leaves me poor indeed.”

WHY DO PEOPLE SLANDER OTHERS?

Slander is always wicked. It is a manifestation of sin dwelling in the heart. Jealousy, inferiority complex, anger and fear are the main reasons why people lie against others. Most of the time, people slander because they have been deceived to believe a lie. They trust the liar and they repeat the lie. That is why we should not totally trust men, but only God! Another reason people slander it is because they have misunderstood the person. They did not search for the facts, and they jumped to conclusions. Impatience often leads to error. Peer pressure should not lead you into sin! “You shall not circulate a false report. Do not put your hand with the wicked to be an unrighteous witness. You shall not follow a crowd to do evil; nor shall you testify in a dispute so as to turn aside after many to pervert justice” (Ex 23:1, 2).  Selfishness is the root of slander. When you are careless with your words, and you do not feel the pain in another, you will fall into sin. God judges careless (idle) words. Search your heart! Words come from inside your heart. Our Lord said: “Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or else make the tree bad and its fruit bad; for a tree is known by its fruit. Brood of vipers! How can you, being evil, speak good things? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things. But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment. For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned” (Matt 12:33-37).  

GOD’S LAW CONCERNING WITNESSES- SLANDER IS EVIL -SLANDER IS PUNISHED!

The ninth Commandment forbids all lying, but especially trying to deceive others as you damage your neighbor’s name. Trying to bring down a person, destroying his good name so that you raise your own reputation at his expense is sinful. Slander is sin! God hates it! God punishes it! In The Old Testament, if a man commits a sin, the witnesses should bring him to a court presided by priests or judges in the presence of God. Only one witness is not acceptable in court. At least two witnesses must testify. A witness is one who has seen the offence firsthand. A secondhand witness is not accepted. The judges make a careful inquiry about the accusation. If the accusation is true, the judges give the punishment accordingly. If the accusation is false, the victim is freed, and the accusers are condemned. The judges will give the same punishment that the false witnesses wanted for the victim. Slander is called ‘evil’.  “One witness shall not rise against a man concerning any iniquity or any sin that he commits; by the mouth of two or three witnesses the matter shall be established. If a false witness rises against any man to testify against him of wrongdoing, then both men in the controversy shall stand before the Lord, before the priests and the judges who serve in those days. And the judges shall make careful inquiry, and indeed, if the witness is a false witness, who has testified falsely against his brother, then you shall do to him as he thought to have done to his brother; so, you shall put away the evil from among you. And those who remain shall hear and fear, and hereafter they shall not again commit such evil among you. 21 Your eye shall not pity: life shall be for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot” (Deut 19:15-21). A false witness is a wicked liar. He causes much damage to the victim and his family. “A faithful witness does not lie, but a false witness will utter lies” (PV 14:5). “A false witness will not go unpunished, and he who speaks lies will not escape” (PV 19:5). “A man who bears false witness against his neighbor is like a club, a sword, and a sharp arrow” (PV 25:18). Remember how Ananias and Saphira lied to the Holy Spirit, and they died on the spot (Acts 5:1-11). True believers like Joseph, David and Naboth experienced slander. They suffered because of it. They chose not to defend themselves. Like Jesus, they trusted God who vindicated them. Selah!

JOSEPH WAS SLANDERED BY POTIPHAR’S WIFE (Genesis 39:1-23)

Joseph was sold as a slave to Potiphar, an army general in Egypt. He was faithful and wise in the house of his master. Potiphar’s wife tried to seduce him. But Joseph refused saying that this is ‘great wickedness and sin against God’. Rejected by Joseph, she decided to punish him. With Joseph’s robe in her hand, she accused him of trying to rape her. She slandered him to the household servants and to her husband. Joseph was to be killed for such an accusation. But God was with Joseph. He was sent to prison. Joseph did not defend himself. He trusted God. After some years, according to his dream, God promoted him. He became the prime minister of Egypt, the greatest country at the time. Lesson: slander cannot destroy a true believer! “A curse you don’t deserve will take wings and fly away like a sparrow or a swallow” (PV 26:2; CEV).

KING DAVID WAS SLANDERD BY SHIMEI (2 Samuel 16:5-14)

David was falsely accused and persecuted by King Saul. He knows how painful it is when men speak evil against you. Listen to his advice: “Teach me Your way, O Lord, and lead me in a smooth path, because of my enemies. Do not deliver me to the will of my adversaries; For false witnesses have risen against me, and such as breathe out violence. I would have lost heart, unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait on the Lord; Be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart; Wait, I say, on the Lord!” (Ps 27:11-14). Read God’s Word! Having patience, courage, and trust in God is how you respond to false accusations.

The story of Shimei is a sad one. We see that God is merciful even with slanderers. But if they refuse to repent, they will be punished. When Absalom took over the throne, King David, with some faithful followers, ran away from Jerusalem. Shimei, a man from the tribe of Benjamin, and the same family with King Saul, taking advantage of David’s pain, cursed him publicly. He said: “Come out! Come out! You bloodthirsty man, you rogue! The Lord has brought upon you all the blood of the house of Saul, in whose place you have reigned; and the Lord has delivered the kingdom into the hand of Absalom your son. So now you are caught in your own evil because you are a bloodthirsty man!” (2 Sam 16:7, 8). These words were wicked lies. David did not plot to kill Saul to take over his throne the way Absalom was doing. Even when King Saul wanted to kill him, David did not insult or attack the king. One of David’s men wanted to kill Shimei for slandering David. But even in his pain, David refused to defend himself. David said: “Let him curse because the Lord has said to him, ‘Curse David’ … See how my son who came from my own body seeks my life. How much more now may this Benjamite? Let him alone and let him curse; for so the Lord has ordered him. It may be that the Lord will look on my affliction, and that the Lord will repay me with good for his cursing this day” (2 Sam 16:10-12).

David trusted God for justice. After Absalom died, as King David was coming back to Jerusalem, the same Shimei came to bow and asked David for forgiveness. It was clearly a false repentance but because it was a happy day of victory, David forgave him. As he was dying, David told his son Solomon to judge Shimei later. He said: “You have with you Shimei the son of Gera, a Benjamite from Bahurim, who cursed me with a malicious curse in the day when I went to Mahanaim. But he came down to meet me at the Jordan, and I swore to him by the Lord, saying, ‘I will not put you to death with the sword.’ Now therefore, do not hold him guiltless, for you are a wise man and know what you ought to do to him; but bring his gray hair down to the grave with blood” (1 Kings 2:8, 9). As Solomon took over the throne, he called Shimei and commanded him not to leave Jerusalem. He agreed. After three years, Shimei left Jerusalem to capture two of his runaway slaves. People told Solomon that Shimei broke his promise to stay in Jerusalem. “Then the king sent and called for Shimei, and said to him, “Did I not make you swear by the Lord, and warn you, saying, ‘Know for certain that on the day you go out and travel anywhere, you shall surely die’? And you said to me, ‘The word I have heard is good.’ Why then have you not kept the oath of the Lord and the commandment that I gave you?” The king said moreover to Shimei, “You know, as your heart acknowledges, all the wickedness that you did to my father David; therefore, the Lord will return your wickedness on your own head. But King Solomon shall be blessed, and the throne of David shall be established before the Lord forever.” So the king commanded Benaiah the son of Jehoiada; and he went out and struck him down, and he died. Thus, the kingdom was established in the hand of Solomon” (1 Kings 2:42-46). God is patient with sinners but not forever! Selah!

NABOTH IS SLANDERED AND KILLED BY AHAB AND JEZEBEL (1 Kg 21:1-29; 22:29-38; 2 Kg 9:30-37)

The story of how Naboth was killed is a tragedy. King Ahab wanted to buy a plot of land belonging to Naboth. This land was next to his palace in Samaria. Naboth was using it as a vineyard. It was his family inheritance since the Promised Land was divided by Joshua. Because Naboth refused to sell the land, Ahab became angry. His wife Jezebel reminded him that he was the king, and that he had all the powers in the country. Her father was a pagan king. She grew up to believe that all kings and rulers have the right to be oppressors. They could take any land and kill if any refuses them. Ahab was a weak man, but his wife was a strong wicked woman. She took over the matter. She used her husband identity and seal and wrote official letters to the men of Naboth’s village. They were commanded to fast and make a feast, giving the impression that they are religious men serving God. They should ‘promote’ Naboth so that he will not suspect any plot. They should hire two false witnesses who will publicly declare that they heard when Naboth cursed God and the king. At the feast, the men declared Naboth guilty and stoned him to death. They sent a message to Jezebel that they had obeyed all her instructions. Liars and wicked men always walk together. “If a ruler pays attention to lies, all his servants become wicked” (PV 29:12). Jezebel tells her husband that he can take over Naboth’s land. Happily, Ahab goes to inspect the land. Prophet Elijah meets him there are declares that he is a murderer and a thief. Elijah prophesies that both Ahab and Jezebel will die violent deaths at the same spot where Naboth was killed. Ahab repented. Though it was a false repentance, God showed him mercy delaying the punishment to the time of his son. All Ahab’s male descendants died untimely deaths. Ahab and Jezebel died violently on Naboth’s plot.

What are the lessons? Jezebel is dead long ago. But there is a spirit of Jezebel still doing harm in the churches (Revelation 2:18-29). This spirit misleads the Christians to backslide, by worshiping idols and committing adultery. The spiritual Jezebel is wicked, selfish, and bold. She calls herself a prophetess. She uses false prophets in churches. God did not call them. They called themselves. They are ‘ordained’ by the spirit of Jezebel. They sponsor slander and gossip. They oppress and deceive. They hate to humble themselves and repent. They teach false doctrines. They have a form of godliness, but they deny the presence and the power of the Holy Spirit. They send their spies to the churches to investigate the freedom the true brethren have. They mislead believers back to the bondage of sin (Gal 2:4, 5). Jesus died to set us free from sin, from the world and from the devil. Be careful! Freedom can be lost! We are commanded to protect the freedom we have received in Christ (Gal 5:1-10). These false brethren may use magic powers to oppose the pastors who preach truth (2 Tim 3:1-13). They take advantage of the immaturity of young believers, especially the women in the church. Their intent is to keep men foolish and into the bondage of deception. The spirit of Jezebel is the main reason why many believers attend churches but still remain spiritually immature. There is a need for spiritual warfare. We need to be filled with Holy Spirit so that we expose, confront, and destroy the stronghold Jezebel has raised against the knowledge of truth (2 Cor 10:3-6). The Resurrected Christ promised to reward those who defeat the spirit of Jezebel in the church. Their reward is authority over the nations in His name. Also, the champions receive the gift of ‘the morning star’. They become leaders in the church. They shine in the midst of darkness and lead many to righteousness. This authority manifests as genuine revival in the land. Praise the Lord!  

WHAT DO WE DO WHEN WE ARE SLANDERED? LOVE THE SINNER! HATE THE SIN! TRUST GOD FOR VINDICATION!

Jesus said: “You must love your neighbor as you love yourself” (Mk 12:31). Your neighbor has a reputation. It is your duty to defend it as you defend your own. God commands: “You shall not go about as a talebearer among your people; nor shall you take a stand against the life of your neighbor: I am the Lord” (Lev 19:16). A talebearer is a gossip and a slanderer. He divides the people in the church. Friendship is built on trust. Slander (gossip) destroys friendships. You can’t trust one who gossips. “He who goes about as a talebearer reveals secrets; Therefore, do not associate with one who flatters with his lips” (PV 20:19). The slanderer himself has no true friends. People may try to get close to him but soon, they draw back because he talks too much. “An ungodly man digs up evil, and it is on his lips like a burning fire. A perverse man sows strife, and a whisperer separates the best of friends” (PV 16:27, 28). Like a dog digs the ground to find food, so an evil man digs up evil that becomes fire on his lips. Gossip separate friends and is a possible cause for divorce. The victim of slander ends in depression, anger, or even committing suicide. Be careful! Words are powerful. They create or destroy. “Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit” (PV 18:21). Words are like seeds. You speak lies, and death, that is a form of suicide. You speak health, peace and life, your reward is eternal life. Slander is one of the manifestations of sin and evil. “But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away!” (2 Tim 3:1-5). These are religious but wicked people. We are commanded to turn away from them!

When slandered, we trust God to defend us. This is what Joseph, David, and Naboth did. They are symbols of Jesus. “For what credit is it if, when you are beaten for your faults, you take it patiently? But when you do good and suffer, if you take it patiently, this is commendable before God. For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps: “Who committed no sin, nor was deceit found in His mouth”; who, when He was reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously” (1 Peter 2:20-23). We remind ourselves that God reigns forever. He cannot lose any battle. God hates and punishes sin. In Christ we are more than conquerors. We overcome Satan, ‘the accuser of the brethren’ by faith in the Blood of Jesus shed on the Cross for our sins. We also overcome him by the Word of God applied in our lives and becoming a testimony.

“A perverse heart shall depart from me; I will not know wickedness. Whoever secretly slanders his neighbor, him I will destroy; The one who has a haughty look and a proud heart, him I will not endure. My eyes shall be on the faithful of the land, that they may dwell with me; He who walks in a perfect way, he shall serve me. He who works deceit shall not dwell within my house; He who tells lies shall not continue in my presence. Early I will destroy all the wicked of the land, that I may cut off all the evildoers from the city of the Lord” (Ps 101: 4-8). “The proud have forged a lie against me, but I will keep Your precepts with my whole heart” (Ps 119:69). The psalmist says that he will radically separate himself from wicked proud people, from liars, slanderers, and deceivers. Lesson: we do not quarrel or desire the death of any man, no matter how wicked. But we separate ourselves from these people. We pray. We study God’s Word. We apply God’s Word in practical living. We attend a local church and serve God there. We submit to the delegated authority God has placed us under. We remain sensitive to the possibility of deception. We do not trust ourselves or people. We trust God totally. We also trust people who have proved to us, beyond any shadow of doubt that they are godly Spriit filled leaders in the Body of Christ. We do spiritual warfare. We learn to control our tongues. We do not curse, slander, or abuse people, especially our parents, elders, and leaders. We chose to bless and pray for others. We shine God’s light! Praise the Lord!

“Therefore, putting away lying, “Let each one of you speak truth with his neighbor,” for we are members of one another. “Be angry, and do not sin”: do not let the sun go down on your wrath, nor give place to the devil. Let him who stole steal no longer, but rather let him labor, working with his hands what is good, that he may have something to give him who has need. Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you” (Eph 4:25-32). The Bible commands us to stop sinning and lying in particular! This command can only be obeyed by the true believers. All malicious angry speech, unforgiveness and bitterness grieve the Holy Spirit. Repent! Ask the Holy Spirit for forgiveness for grieving Him. Speaking the truth in love imparts grace to others.    

JESUS EXPOSES THE DEVIL AND HIS CHILDREN (John 8:39-47)

We all know of the power of godly lineage. Many people become proud of it. Coming from a good godly family is wonderful. But a good family is not enough to save your soul. Salvation is thru a personal commitment to Christ. The Jews at the time of Jesus are good examples of religious unbelievers. They saw themselves as ‘children of Abraham’ and were boasting about it. At the same time, they rejected Jesus as their Savior. Jesus compares them with Abraham to prove that they were hypocrites. In what way are they different from Abraham?

*In their attitude to Jesus Christ. Abraham recognized and humbly accepted Jesus when He came to visit him with two angels. He welcomed Jesus and called Him ‘Lord’ (Gen 18:3, 32). But the Pharisees opposed Jesus and slandered Him saying that He has a demon (Jn 8:48). A true sign that you are a child of God is that you honor and worship the Second Person of the Holy Trinity, Jesus Christ. None who slanders Jesus is saved.

*In their attitude to God’s Word. Jesus said: “I know that you are Abraham’s descendants, but you seek to kill Me, because My word has no place in you. I speak what I have seen with My Father, and you do what you have seen with your father” (Jn 8:37, 38). Jesus said that He speaks what He has seen and heard from God the Father. But the Jews ‘had no place’ for God’s Word. They rejected Jesus and His Word. Lesson: A true sign that you are saved is that you accept, love, and obey God’s Word.

*In their attitude to good works. Jesus said to them: “If you were Abraham’s children, you would do the works of Abraham. But now you seek to kill Me, a Man who has told you the truth which I heard from God. Abraham did not do this. You do the deeds of your father” (Jn 8:39-41). Abraham welcomed and humbly served Jesus. He and Sarah brought food and water. Abraham was proved right by his faith and the deeds that proceeded from his faith. “And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” And he was called the friend of God. You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only” (Jam 2:23, 24). But these proud Jews were rude to Jesus and to the disciples. Lesson: A true sign that you are saved is that your faith is fruitful and manifests by good works.

Jesus confronts the Jews: “You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do” (Jn 8:44). Many people don’t believe in a devil. But here, you see Jesus clearly believes that there is a devil who has children who reject Jesus. There are two major attributes of the devil: he is a murderer and a liar! We are not told many details about the devil, but we know he was an archangel, created by God. His name was Lucifer, meaning ‘The bearer of light’ or ‘The morning star’. He received power, wisdom, beauty, and authority over other angels. It seems that he was in charge of heaven’s choir. He became proud. He wanted to be worshipped as God. Pride and rebellion are the oldest sins in the universe. God threw him out from heaven to the earth. Some angels followed him, and they are now called demons (Isaiah 14:12-15; Ezekiel 28). The name ‘devil’ means slanderer or accuser. The name ‘Satan’ means adversary, or enemy. He is the enemy of God and of God’s people.

Jesus said that the devil was a murderer from the beginning, that means starting from the Book of Genesis. In the Garden of Eden, the devil lied about God and deceived Eve. She gave Adam to eat from the forbidding fruit. By disobeying God, sin and death entered mankind. The devil is the author of the original sin, and he is the murderer of the human race. This is one of his greatest achievements. Jesus also calls the devil a liar and the father of lies. Everything the devil says is a lie. He has used lies successfully to deceive all men. Deception is his preferred weapon. The devil hates and opposes truth, especially the Gospel. He attacks God’s servants who preach the truth. A preacher needs to be strong and courageous as he preaches the truth. Satan blinds the minds of unbelievers so that they cannot see the truth. His former name Lucifer means ‘The bearer of light’. He hates that God’s people see the light, hear the truth, and become free. Paul says: “Therefore, since we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we do not lose heart. But we have renounced the hidden things of shame, not walking in craftiness nor handling the word of God deceitfully, but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God. But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them. For we do not preach ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord, and ourselves your bondservants for Jesus’ sake. For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ” (2 Cor 4:1-6). Be careful! The devil cannot succeed in defeating a believer except through deception. We are reminded of the need of spiritual warfare. Even if we are deceived by the devil, we cannot lose our salvation. But we can lose rewards, the joy of our salvation and many opportunities for ministry. That is still a great loss! We need to study God’s Word, fast, watch, and pray! In Christ, the victory is sure! Praise the Lord!

WHAT DO WE DO WHEN WE ARE SLANDERED? LOVE YOUR ENEMY!

“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust… Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect” (Matt 5:43-45, 48). To be able to control your tongue is a great spiritual achievement. “For we all stumble in many things. If anyone does not stumble in word, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle the whole body” (Jam 3:2). Selah!

How do we love our enemies? First, you need to have the right view of your enemies. You do not act towards them the way they act towards you. You do not talk to them according to what they say to you, but by the higher command of love from our Lord. See them as blind slaves under the devil. Like Jesus said, ‘they don’t know what they are doing’. Love is the highest motive of any action. And Love never fails! If you answer in anger at their angry words, you have lowered your stand for Jesus. Do not put yourself at their level. Secondly, remember that you don’t have to LIKE them. The command is to LOVE THEM. Talk and behave as a child of God! Do all things for the glory of God! Amen!

THE BLOOD OF JESUS AND THE WORD OF OUR TESTIMONY

“And war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels fought with the dragon; and the dragon and his angels fought, 8 but they did not prevail, nor was a place found for them in heaven any longer. So, the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. Then I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, “Now salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God day and night, has been cast down. And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death. Therefore rejoice, O heavens, and you who dwell in them! Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and the sea! For the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, because he knows that he has a short time… The devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are. And they will be tormented day and night forever and ever” (Rev 12:7-12; 20:10). Jesus promises: “Behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to everyone according to his work. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning, and the End, the First and the Last.” Blessed are those who do His commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life and may enter through the gates into the city. But outside are dogs and sorcerers and sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and whoever loves and practices a lie. “I, Jesus, have sent My angel to testify to you these things in the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, the Bright and Morning Star.” And the Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let him who hears say, “Come!” And let him who thirsts come. Whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely” (Rev 22:12-17)

THE ROBBER WHO GOT SAVED ON THE CROSS (Luke 23:36-43)

The last day of Jesus as a Man on earth was hell on earth. The religious rulers hired false witnesses against Jesus. The Pharisees accused Jesus of blasphemy. They slandered Him (Matt 26:57-68). It was in the midst of lies and abuse that our Lord was crucified. Apart of the few disciples at the foot of the Cross, He was surrounded by wicked religious rulers, by men who tortured Him and slandered Him and blasphemed God. On His way to the Cross, the crowd and the Roman soldiers mocked and slandered Jesus. The devil tried his best to increase the suffering of our Lord. Two robbers were crucified with Jesus. Initially, they both insulted Him (Matt 27:44). Later, one of them repented of his sins. He rebuked the other robber for insulting Jesus. He then asked Jesus to save him. This was true faith. At this time, our Lord was hanging on the Cross, naked, with a crown of thorns on his head, His body and face bleeding. Who can believe that this dying Man is the Savior of the world? One of the robbers did! Hanging on his cross, he got a supernatural revelation of King Jesus and against all odds, he believed. Christ promised him personal and immediate salvation. What a Savior! Worship the Lord!    

This Sunday service Pastor (Mrs) Silvia Lia Leigh preached another sermon in the series titled ‘The Ten Commandments’. Her main scriptures were taken from the book Exodus 20:1-26; 2 Samuel 15:1-17; Matthew 6:19-21;

THE TEN COMMANDMENTS – INTRODUCTION

The Ten Commandments are ten laws that God Himself gave to the ancient nation of Israel thru His servant Moses. These Biblical principles apply to men’s relationship with God and with one another. If all people on earth keep at least one of these commandments, the world will be a better place. These Commandments were spoken directly by God at Mount Sinai and written by God’s finger on tablets of stone and given to Moses. This act makes them unique in the Bible. These Ten Laws are commands and not suggestions. They are personal, spoken to individuals.

I AM WISER THAN MY ENEMIES

“Oh, how I love Your law! I meditate on it all day long. Your commands are always with me and make me wiser than my enemies” (Ps 119:97, 98)

People complain that God’s commands are too harsh. We are fools if we think like that. God has the right to command His creation to live and to do what He wants. These commands are given so that we fear God and that our lives will be better. God’s commands reflect His perfect wisdom.

THE 8^TH COMMANDMENT – YOU SHALL NOT STEAL!” (Ex 20:15)

Stealing is defined as taking the property of another unlawfully, without the owner’s permission or knowledge. Stealing is done secretly or openly, by force. Like a drug, stealing is addictive. Most of the time it is habitual practice. Stealing is the most common crime. Most people go to prison because of stealing. The root of stealing is a combination of greed, laziness, anger, selfishness, and wickedness. A thief is angry against God and man. In every culture, people agree that stealing is wrong, but they still do it. Even the children steal, and they do it without learning how to do it. We are born sinners; we are born thieves. Therefore, we all want to get free things, without working. But God’s Law convicts us all! The commandments are all connected. For example, the 4^th command says: “Six days you shall labor and do all your work” (Ex 20:9). Work is God’s command. Thieves hate work. That is why they steal. Adultery is another form of stealing. You steal another man’s wife, and you destroy the love in that marriage. If you obey one command, it will be easier to obey the other.

God hates stealing, especially when it is done by religious people. “I the LORD love judgment, I hate robbery for burnt offering” (Is 61:8). Stealing is an attack on God’s character. God is sovereign and self-sufficient. He does not need anything to exist and be God. Everything created belongs to God. Stealing is a negative picture saying that God needs something else that He does not have. That is an insult on God! When man steals, he insults Jehovah Jireh who has promised to supply all man’s needs. Stealing connects with the idea of ownership and property. In this world, there are wealthy people and others who are poor. The government also owns property. But God is the real Owner of everything. “The earth is the Lord’s, and all its fullness, the world and those who dwell therein” (Ps 24:1). This verse tells us that planet earth, with all the visible and invisible riches, including all the people alive or buried, belong to Jehovah God. Stealing from man means stealing from God.

Why do people steal? Mostly because of greed. The philosophy of the thief is this: ‘I like that thing. I must have it!’ It is complete selfishness and wickedness. He just does not care about others! That is why, no one can have a genuine fellowship with a thief. A thief divides a family and the church. In the Bible, stealing means taking what belongs to another, or keeping what does not belong to you. “He who is faithful in what is least is faithful also in much; and he who is unjust in what is least is unjust also in much. 11 Therefore if you have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches? 12 And if you have not been faithful in what is another man’s, who will give you what is your own?” (Lk 16:10-12). Our Lord Jesus says that some people have material wealth. He calls that ‘the unrighteous mammon’. Others possess ‘the true riches.’ Because of material wealth, people are divided into two general groups. There are people who own property and ‘work for themselves’ and others who work for them. All over the world, there are landlords, tenants, and slaves. Faithfulness for Christ’ sake in working for another is rewarded by God. The slave becomes free, and the tenant becomes a landlord. At the same time, faithfulness to God in serving Him thru tithes and offerings is rewarded with spiritual anointing and many blessings. The Bible says that God owns everything. He gives us things to enjoy in this life. We are accountable to God for the way we make, and we manage our wealth. The principle of faithfulness is basic. God blesses those who are obedient and faithful to His commands.

OPPRESSION

Oppression is a form of stealing by force. It is defined as the prolonged, unjust, and cruel exercise of authority or power over people. Oppression manifests as persecution, human rights abuse, or controlling people. The oppressive regimes prohibit freedom of speech and of religion. They arrest or kill anyone who revolts against the government. There is gender, economic, racial, social, or religious discrimination. The victims of oppressive powers are all uncomfortable, afraid, and depressed. In Hebrew, the word ‘oppression’ means extortion, unjust gain, fraud, or injury. Extortion means getting something, especially money, through force or threats. Power and wealth gained through oppression is robbery. God is all powerful. He punishes oppressors and helps the victims. “Do not trust in oppression, Nor vainly hope in robbery; If riches increase, Do not set your heart on them. God has spoken once, twice I have heard this: That power belongs to God. Also to You, O Lord, belongs mercy; For You render to each one according to his work” (Ps 62:10-12). God is merciful even with the oppressors, giving them time to repent. If they refuse to repent, God punishes them unexpectedly. “Therefore, thus says the Holy One of Israel: “Because you despise this word, and trust in oppression and perversity, and rely on them, Therefore this iniquity shall be to you like a breach ready to fall, a bulge in a high wall, whose breaking comes suddenly, in an instant” (Is 30:12, 13).

This is a warning to all oppressors!  “Come now, you rich, weep and howl for your miseries that are coming upon you! Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are moth-eaten. Your gold and silver are corroded, and their corrosion will be a witness against you and will eat your flesh like fire. You have heaped up treasure in the last days. Indeed, the wages of the laborers who mowed your fields, which you kept back by fraud, cry out; and the cries of the reapers have reached the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth. You have lived on the earth in pleasure and luxury; you have fattened your hearts as in a day of slaughter. You have condemned; you have murdered the just; he does not resist you” (Jam 5:1-6).

The employers can exploit their workers too by stealing from them. It is a curse for any man, company or nation that does not pay the workers’ salaries or their pensions. Unjust salaries, or paying the salaries late, is stealing and God will judge that sin. “Woe to him who builds his house by unrighteousness and his chambers by injustice, who uses his neighbor’s service without wages and gives him nothing for his work” (Jer 22:13).

PILFERING

Pilfering means stealing little things. “Exhort bondservants to be obedient to their own masters, to be well pleasing in all things, not answering back, not pilfering, but showing all good fidelity, that they may adorn the doctrine of God our Savior in all things” (Tit 2:9,10). This command applies to slaves and their masters. But it also applies to workers and their employers. Pilfering is a particular type of stealing. The workers steal small amounts of money or things, often, again and again. Most of the time, no one notices. For example, people steal the whole roll of toilet paper from a public toilet. Children steal meat from the pot. Workers use the company’s phone or computer for personal needs. Another form of pilfering is stealing time. People pretend to be sick when they are not; or they come late to work and leave before closing time.

KLEPTOMANIA

Kleptomania is a rare mental health condition where a person feels an overpowering, irresistible urge to steal things. People who have this disorder know that stealing is wrong and could get them into trouble, but they can’t stop themselves. Generally, they feel guilt or shame about stealing. Many try to compensate for their sin by returning the stolen items. It happens to people of all ages, starting with children and even to the elderly. It is more common with the females. This form of stealing is not planned. It happens on an impulse. The thief feels excited as he steals, but later, he feels guilty. Many throw the things away because they do not need the stolen things. Most of the people who suffer with this condition have anxiety, depression, and are at a higher risk of suicide. The condition lasts a lifetime. It isn’t dangerous, but it can severely affect the person’s life. The offenders often face legal consequences if caught. Kleptomania can cause personal problems. It is hard for these people to keep a job, or to maintain friendships. There is medication for it. Prayer and counselling also help. This is a good practical advice: never go alone to buy things. Let somebody who knows your weakness accompany you. This is a great help!

KIDNAPPING IS STEALING

Kidnapping and selling the person into slavery is sin and a form of stealing. It means that you steal the person’s freedom. In the Old Testament, kidnapping was punished by death. “He who kidnaps a man and sells him, or if he is found in his hand, shall surely be put to death (Ex 21:16)

BUSYBODIES ARE THIEVES

“But we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you withdraw from every brother who walks disorderly and not according to the tradition which he received from us. For you yourselves know how you ought to follow us, for we were not disorderly among you; nor did we eat anyone’s bread free of charge, but worked with labor and toil night and day, that we might not be a burden to any of you, not because we do not have authority, but to make ourselves an example of how you should follow us. For even when we were with you, we commanded you this: If anyone will not work, neither shall he eat. For we hear that there are some who walk among you in a disorderly manner, not working at all, but are busybodies. Now those who are such we command and exhort through our Lord Jesus Christ that they work in quietness and eat their own bread” (2 Thess 3:6-12). Someone who ‘walks disorderly’ is a thief. The word in Greek means somebody who is a troublemaker, undisciplined, idle, and disruptive. In Nigeria we say that he behaves ‘anyhow’. A busybody is someone who is more interested in the affairs of others and neglects his own. He asks many questions. He offers advice if you want it or not. He is fault finding and enjoys gossip. He is too busy with other things and careless or lazy with his life. The busybodies are rebellious, and they are thieves! Apostle Paul commands us, with the authority he has from the Lord, that we should withdraw from such people. In Greek, the word ‘withdraw’ is a nautical term meaning ‘to shorten the sails’, so that the ship slows down. This is the first step before more discipline may be applied. Anyone who refuses to work, talks too much, dreams big, but does not pay his bills is a dangerous person. He is a thief! Separate from such! Selah!

CHEATING IN BUSINESS

“Diverse weights and diverse measures, they are both alike, an abomination to the Lord” (PV 20:10). “You shall do no injustice in judgment, in measurement of length, weight, or volume. You shall have honest scales, honest weights, an honest ephah, and an honest hin: I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt. ‘Therefore, you shall observe all My statutes and all My judgments and perform them: I am the Lord” (Lev 19:35-37). A hin is a container for liquids of about 5 liters.  “You shall not have in your bag differing weights, a heavy and a light. You shall not have in your house differing measures, a large and a small. You shall have a perfect and just weight, a perfect and just measure, that your days may be lengthened in the land which the Lord your God is giving you. For all who do such things, all who behave unrighteous, are an abomination to the Lord your God” (Deut 25:13-16).

In ancient times people loved to cheat in business. It is the same now. The official authorities cannot control these malpractices. That is why God gives these commandments and warnings, to address the conscience of His people. For example, those who sell take advantage of the ignorance of the buyers and inflate prices. During crises, the sellers increase the prices because the goods are scarce. If the buyer mistakenly pays more than he was supposed to pay, the seller will keep quiet and just pocket the change, or the seller may sell inferior products for the price of the original. Illegal downloading of music over the internet is a common form of theft today.

Cheating in business is common. In many offices, if the bosses are oppressive and demand too much, the employees deceive them so that their performance looks better and so, they keep their jobs. Children cheat their over-demanding parents about their grades. Athletes cheat by taking illegal drugs. Many people sell products online (for example, through Facebook marketplace etc). Scammers are attracted to these sites too. These are some warnings: the scam buyer sends you a fake notification payment. He hopes that you send him the product before you discover the deception. The scam buyer tells you that by mistake he has paid twice, and he is telling you to refund one of the payments. The scam seller sends fake things especially to people in another country. It is hard to reject the product after you have paid for it and for the transport. Advice, buy only from people you know, and sites you trust! Watch and Pray! God sees! God judges!

“You shall not steal, nor deal falsely, nor lie to one another… ‘You shall not cheat your neighbor, nor rob him. The wages of him who is hired shall not remain with you all night until morning” (Lev 19:11, 13). Internet scam (yahoo boys) is stealing. “A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches, loving favor rather than silver and gold” (PV 22:1). Gossiping, slandering others, is stealing their reputation and good name.

Why do people cheat in business? First, because it is quite easy to do and hard to be caught. Secondly, when people want to succeed and fail to do so by honest means, they turn to deception. They think that fake dreams are better than no dreams at all. They see cheating as an exciting adventure. Cheating is learned from others. It is hard but not impossible for a cheater to become an honest worker or for a thief to become a hard-working generous person. Only in Christ there is hope, deliverance, and victory!  

REFUSING TO PAY YOUR DEBTS IS STEALING

“Render therefore to all their due: taxes to whom taxes are due, customs to whom customs, fear to whom fear, honor to whom honor. Owe no one anything except to love one another, for he who loves another has fulfilled the law” (Rom 13:7, 8). “The wicked borrows and does not repay, but the righteous shows mercy and gives” (Ps 37:21). When we refuse, or are late in paying debts, loans, or bills, we are stealing. Refusing to return borrowed goods (books etc) is stealing. “Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in the power of your hand to do so. Do not say to your neighbor, “Go, and come back, and tomorrow I will give it,” when you have it with you” (PV 3:27, 28). Concerning paying taxes, Jesus said: “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” (Mk 12:17). This is the lesson for all: be sensitive to the sin of greed that leads to stealing. None is above God’s Law! God sees and God judges! Selah

MONEY LENDING WITH HIGH INTEREST (USURY) IS STEALING

“If you lend money to any of My people who are poor among you, you shall not be like a moneylender to him; you shall not charge him interest. If you ever take your neighbor’s garment as a pledge, you shall return it to him before the sun goes down. For that is his only covering, it is his garment for his skin. What will he sleep in? And it will be that when he cries to Me, I will hear, for I am gracious” (Exo 22:25-27). “To a foreigner you may charge interest, but to your brother you shall not charge interest, that the Lord your God may bless you in all to which you set your hand in the land which you are entering to possess” (Deut 23:20). “One who increases his possessions by usury and extortion gathers it for him who will pity the poor” (PV 28:8). If you give a loan to somebody in need, be sure that it is not with a wicked mind to exploit that man, to make too much interest from it. Be kind to the poor. You may make interest from others, but not from your brothers (spiritual or natural). This is God’s Law: Lovers of money shall become poor. In the Parable of the Tenants, Jesus commands His disciples to make profit with what they have received. To the lazy wicked servant, He says: “you ought to have deposited my money with the bankers, and at my coming I would have received back my own with interest” (Matt 25:27). Making profit or interest is not a sin. Having a wicked heart when making business and oppressing men to make money, that is sin! Selah!

I read that the Jews do not ask for interest when they loan money to other Jews. It does not matter if they are rich or poor. They give free loans, or they become partners in business. This is part of their history. A Jew can give money as a gift to another Jew and help him in his business. Then they can both share in the profit. But if they take a loan or they give a loan to a non-Jew, they pay the interest. The reason they do so is to obey God’s command and because they see one another as ‘family’. God has blessed the Jews in many ways, especially financially. This is an information taken from the internet: Since the mass immigration some 100 years ago, Jews have become richest religious group in American society. They make up only 2% of US population, but they make 25% of 400 wealthiest Americans.

NOT PAYING TITHES AND OFFERINGS IS STEALING

“Will a man rob God? Yet you have robbed Me! But you say, ‘In what way have we robbed You?’ In tithes and offerings. 9 You are cursed with a curse, for you have robbed Me, even this whole nation. Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be food in My house, and try Me now in this,” Says the Lord of hosts, “If I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you such blessing that there will not be room enough to receive it. “And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, so that he will not destroy the fruit of your ground, nor shall the vine fail to bear fruit for you in the field,” Says the Lord of hosts; “And all nations will call you blessed, for you will be a delightful land,” Says the Lord of hosts” (Mal 3:8-12). Many Christians ignore God’s command to tithe. They say this command is for the Old Testament. Be careful! God never argues with His creation. Christianity is a work of faith. But no matter what man says, God’s Word tells us to tithe. We owe God the first tenth of our pay or profit. When we do not give God His due, we are robbing God.

God promises special spiritual and material blessings to those who tithe. God increases your harvest. God also protects your harvest from ‘the devourer’ (the one who eats your harvest). The testimony of millions who tithe faithfully is a confirmation that God’s Word is true. God protects those who tithe. They do not waste money thru sickness, accidents, stealing or deception. For those who tithe, 90% from their salary or profit, is enough to cover all the bills more than those who keep 100%. Also, God promises that if we tithe, we shall be a blessing to many nations, and never a liability to people. Amen!

Many pastors have over-emphasized tithing. This is the truth: tithe does not save your soul! Tithe is not a passport of a visa to heaven. But tithing has its function. God does not need our money. The money is used to take care of God’s work and house. Paying tithes gives you the confidence that you are a serious spiritual son and not a visitor. God monitors all we do, especially in His house. This is what our Lord said when condemning the religious hypocrites: “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faith. These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone” (Matt 23:23). Jesus is saying is that we should first be concerned with spiritual things like justice, mercy, and faith. Secondly, we should pay our tithes and offerings. There is no argument! Selah!

HYPOCRISY IS STEALING 

“Flee sexual immorality. Every sin that a man does is outside the body, but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body. Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore, glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s” (1 Cor 6:18-20). Jesus died for our sins. He paid for our freedom with His precious Blood. He bought us, body, soul, and spirit with His Blood. The religious hypocrite lives in sin and still attends church. He dishonors His Savior and robs God of His glory. Adulterers in the church are cheating themselves. God will judge them as thieves!   

THE ITEMS MOST STOLEN WHEN THIEVES BREAK INTO A HOUSE

Thousands of homes are broken into every day all over the world. Thieves want to steal objects that are not too bulky and that they can quickly sell for cash. They do not care of the pain they leave behind. The items most stolen are these: cash, jewelry, and wrist watches, electronics, phones, laptops, keys of the cars parked outside, personal IDs, passports, ATM cards, bank statements, or driving licenses. These are used to blackmail or used for identity theft. Thieves break into cars and steal phones, laptops. They also steal your car registration and license plates. They can use these on stolen cars to avoid detection. Rims are tires are easily stolen because they can resell these without fear of being tracked. Stealing from cars is an opportunistic crime. This is good advice: Do not let your valuables in plain sight; close your windows, and always lock your car.  The most common forms of punishment for stealing are jail time, fines, community service, and restitution.

FEELINGS OF THE VICTIMS OF THEFT

After a thief entered and stole property in your house or car, you may feel grieved initially. The thief stole things that have value to you. You may feel angry at the thief or at the police for being too slow in catching the thief. You may experience fear, especially at night, thinking that the thief may come again. Victims of theft lose trust in people generally and it affects their relationships.  

THE DEVIL IS A THIEF

The devil was an archangel called Lucifer. He was created by God. He was in charge of the worship ‘choir’ in heaven. He became proud. He wanted to be God. By refusing to honor God he became a thief. He stole God’s honor. He deceives men so that they will not worship God.  

Also, God created man and gave him dominion over the earth to exercise God’s delegated authority. Through deception the devil stole that dominion. The only way for man to recover what was stolen in through Christ! “The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly” (Jn 10:10). In the Parable of the Sower, Jesus says that if anyone does not understand the Gospel, the devil will steal the word from his heart. “When anyone hears the word of the kingdom, and does not understand it, then the wicked one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is he who received seed by the wayside” (Matt 13:19). In Greek, the Word ‘snatches away’ means to seize as an armed robber. It is our duty to pray for understanding and retaining memory of God’s Word. An idle careless distracted mind supplies food to the devil.   

Judas Iscariot was one of Jesus’ disciples. He was the treasurer of the disciples. He loved money. He was a thief. He yielded to the devil. He betrayed and sold Jesus for three hundred denary. In today’s money, that is between 100 to 3000 US$. It was the price for an ordinary slave.  “Six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus was who had been dead, whom He had raised from the dead. There they made Him supper; and Martha served, but Lazarus was one of those who sat at the table with Him. Then Mary took a pound of very costly oil of spikenard, anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped His feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the oil. But one of His disciples, Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, who would betray Him, said, “Why was this fragrant oil not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?” This he said, not that he cared for the poor, but because he was a thief, and had the money box; and he used to take what was put in it. But Jesus said, “Let her alone; she has kept this for the day of My burial. For the poor you have with you always, but Me you do not have always” (Jn 12:1-8). Judas wanted to sell the worship of Jesus. Be careful with ‘worship leaders’ who sing for money! Judas returned the money to the Pharisees who called these coins ‘blood money’. They rejected the money too. Judas hanged himself. He went to hell not because he was a thief or because he committed suicide. He went to hell because to the end of his life on earth he rejected Christ. Selah!

STEALING IN NIGERIA

Nigeria is known abroad as a place where stealing and corruption is almost a culture. Many Nigerians are very religious and also like to steal. They combine the worship of God with stealing from men. Many people have tried to explain the reasons why stealing is so common. These are some reasons I have found on the internet. Nigerians hate poverty with a passion. They say that poverty has no relatives or friends. At the same time, Nigerians love wealth and visible success. Many pastors preach the so called ‘prosperity Gospel’. It affects the people who attend these churches. They imagine that God overlooks sin in the process of them becoming wealthy. In Nigeria, honesty, modesty in dressing, contentment in life and working hard are not always celebrated. Becoming rich quickly is fashionable.

In Nigeria, stealing is a crime punished by the Law. There is a difference between stealing and robbery. Stealing is the act of taking something from another with the intention to deprive the person of it. Robbery is the illegal taking of a property from a person, in or out of the person’s presence, by use of violence or intimidation. In Nigeria, stealing is punishable by up to 3 years imprisonment. Robbery is punishable by imprisonment of not less than 21 years.

Cybercrimes are crimes committed using the Internet, Computers, and Information Communications Technology. It is a dominant form of criminality perpetrated by Nigerian youths and students. Cybercriminals are called ‘Yahoo Boys’. Nigeria is ranked first in African and third globally in cybercrime. Over 40% of undergraduates and 60% of unemployed graduates in Nigeria are involved. Poverty, lack of opportunities, high unemployment levels, greed, materialism, contemporary youth culture, and extravagant lifestyles drive some to engage in cybercrime. Peer influence plays some role in cybercrime, but joining the crime is willful and not by coercion or chicanery. Parents’ unwillingness to report the crime, as well as their acceptance of the proceeds, suggests that they do approve of cyber-crime. This contributes to its increased rampancy.

This is the sad story of a beautiful country. That is why we pray for revival for Nigeria. “Righteousness [moral and spiritual integrity and virtuous character] exalts a nation, but sin is a disgrace to any people” (PV 14:34; AMP). God the Holy Spirit alone can change men’s hearts to become genuine, mature, fruitful believers. May revival come to this land! Amen!

THE EFFECTS OF STEALING

*FAILURE IN LIFE

Stealing makes God angry. By stealing, we lose God’s protection. For example, Achan stole a Babylonian garment. God was angry. He let His people be defeated in battle. “The Lord said to Joshua: “Get up! Why do you lie thus on your face? Israel has sinned, and they have also transgressed My covenant which I commanded them. For they have even taken some of the accursed things and have both stolen and deceived; and they have also put it among their own stuff. Therefore, the children of Israel could not stand before their enemies, but turned their backs before their enemies, because they have become doomed to destruction. Neither will I be with you anymore unless you destroy the accursed from among you… Then it shall be that he who is taken with the accursed thing shall be burned with fire, he, and all that he has, because he has transgressed the covenant of the Lord, and because he has done a disgraceful thing in Israel” (Josh 7:10-12, 15). Achan refused to confess his sin. That’s why he had to be killed with his family. This is a warning against all rebellious, covetous and thieves. None can hide from God.

*DISGRACE

Disgrace is the portion of the thief and his family. “the thief is ashamed when he is found out” (Jer 2:26).

*POVERTY

The spirit of poverty enters the thief and his family. “People do not despise a thief if he steals to satisfy himself when he is starving. Yet when he is found, he must restore sevenfold; He may have to give up all the substance of his house” (PV 6:30, 31). The thief loses what he has stolen. “Wealth gained by dishonesty will be diminished, but he who gathers by labor will increase” (PV 13:11). You can never become wealthy through stealing. You can deceive men, but you can’t deceive God. God cannot bless stolen money. All unrepentant thieves end in poverty and disgrace!

REPENTANCE AND RESTITUTION

When stealing, God insists on confession of sin, repentance and even restitution.

“If a man steals an ox or a sheep, and slaughters it or sells it, he shall restore five oxen for an ox and four sheep for a sheep. If the thief is found breaking in, and he is struck so that he dies, there shall be no guilt for his bloodshed. If the sun has risen on him, there shall be guilt for his bloodshed. He should make full restitution; if he has nothing, then he shall be sold for his theft. If the theft is certainly found alive in his hand, whether it is an ox or donkey or sheep, he shall restore double” (Exo 22:1-4). If a thief is found breaking in a house or store in the night, the owner can fight and kill the thief. That is not murder. But if the thief breaks in during the day, if the owner kills him, he will be punished for murder. Why? In the night, it is hard to find help. During the day, people will come and help fight the thief. If the thief is caught, he must pay back what he stole and even add to it. If what he has is not enough, the thief becomes the slave to the owner for the next 6 years. By working for the owner, he has redeemed himself from the sin of stealing.

This God’s Law: “The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “Speak to the children of Israel: ‘When a man or woman commits any sin that men commit in unfaithfulness against the Lord, and that person is guilty, then he shall confess the sin which he has committed. He shall make restitution for his trespass in full, plus one-fifth of it, and give it to the one he has wronged” (Nu 5:5-7).

SPIRITUAL STEALING – ABSALOM STOLE THE HEARTS OF GOD’S PEOPLE (2 Sam 15:1-14)

King David committed adultery with Bathsheba and murdered her husband. Why was he not put to death? Because he was the king. There was no tribunal in the country that could judge him. But God judged him. God sent a prophet called Nathan who said: “the sword shall never depart from your house, because you have despised Me, and have taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife” (2 Sam 12:10). Four of David’s sons (his baby with Bathsheba, Amnon, Absalom and Adonijah) died untimely violent deaths.

Absalom was the third son of David. His mother was a pagan princess. He was handsome, proud, and very ambitious. He was a leader, gifted in talking to men. He could flatter them easily. He was also a violent man. He killed his half-brother Amnon, for raping his sister Tamar. He waited for David to punish Amnon. When David did nothing about the crime, he took matters in his hands and killed Amnon in cold blood. It was a premediated murder. He fled to his mother’s country for about 3 years. He manipulated his way back to Jerusalem and back to his father’s heart. He knew the power of visible wealth to influence the people. He provided himself with chariots with horses and an entourage of men. This was the opposite of his father’s more humble life. His strategy was to look humble and helpful. He stood at the gate of the city, He greeted and kissed the people who came to Jerusalem. They needed to see King David to give them justice. Absalom gave them hope that he will give them justice if elected the judge of the land. He flattered the people. “A man who flatters his neighbor Spreads a net for his feet” (PV 29:5). Through these false hopes of justice, flattery, and prosperity, Absalom ‘stole’ the hearts of the people. They believed and followed him. This is how the conspiracy against his father, King David, started. Absalom stole the hearts of men. In Hebrew, the word ‘stole’ it means also to deceive or to kidnap the hearts. He won the love and trust of the people through deception. The people did not know that they were deceived. They forgot about King David and now they were ‘in love’ with Absalom. Most followed him ignorantly and foolishly. They did not see that behind the sweet words of flattery was a criminal, a young prince who was ready to rape and kill his family to gain the throne. Absalom divided the country. Some faithful men stayed with David. There was a war between the two groups. Eventually, Absalom died. He was handsome and gifted. But he had no character to be king. And God was with David!

Like a corrupt politician, Absalom promises men great things. He promises men a good life giving them big hopes. They become proud. Absalom kisses them. Sin kisses to make you proud. Absalom was helped by Ahithophel, David’s friend and counsellor who betrayed his master. He was the Judas of the Old Testament. Like Judas, he too committed suicide.

How did Absalom steal hearts? The heart is God’s place. It is with the heart that man loves God. Absalom represents sin, and the devil. Absalom came with his mighty fancy entourage. Sin has its own pleasure and entertainment. The TV and the pornographic movies, internet, worldly adverts, and fashion are all agents of Absalom. There is a spirit in the churches called ‘Absalom spirit’. How does he manifest? Some Christians who are gifted but proud, rebel against the church’ authority. They imagine that they can preach better than the pastor. They start grumbling. Quietly, they start gathering followers. They divide the congregation. Their victims are people who are not happy with God and with men. They are bitter in life. They want ‘justice’. They don’t care who will give them justice. They don’t care about the methods used to satisfy them. The spirit of Absalom tries to enter thru ‘the gates of hell’. But in a living church he never succeeds. He will be exposed and disgraced. This is what our Lord Jesus Christ said: “I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it” (Matt 16:18).

Pastors can steal sermons from others giving the impression that it is their own. This is the spirit of Absalom who stole his father’s throne.

“I have heard what the prophets have said who prophesy lies in My name, saying, ‘I have dreamed, I have dreamed!’ How long will this be in the heart of the prophets who prophesy lies? Indeed, they are prophets of the deceit of their own heart, who try to make My people forget My name by their dreams which everyone tells his neighbor, as their fathers forgot My name for Baal. “The prophet who has a dream, let him tell a dream; And he who has My word, let him speak My word faithfully. What is the chaff to the wheat?” says the Lord. “Is not My word like a fire?” says the Lord, “And like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces? “Therefore behold, I am against the prophets,” says the Lord, “who steal My words everyone from his neighbor. Behold, I am against the prophets,” says the Lord, “who use their tongues and say, ‘He says.’ Behold, I am against those who prophesy false dreams,” says the Lord, “and tell them, and cause My people to err by their lies and by their recklessness. Yet I did not send them or command them; therefore, they shall not profit this people at all,” says the Lord” (Jer 23:25-32).

Lesson: be sensitive and careful in detecting the poison of rebellion in a family or in the church. The devil divides to conquer. Submit to God and to the delegated authority. If you believe that the pastor lives in sin and preaches wrong doctrines, quietly leave that church, and look for another. Do not join rebellious proud troublemakers. God deals harshly with rebellious spirits. Before the creation of man, the devil rebelled against God. He is a rebellious proud liar, and a thief. His followers end in tragedy. Never forget this: God always punishes rebellion! Selah!

WORK TO PUT BREAD ON THE TABLE! BE GENEROUS!

“The thief [who has become a believer] must no longer steal, but instead he must work hard [making an honest living], producing that which is good with his own hands, so that he will have something to share with those in need” (Eph 4:28; AMP).

From this scripture we see that even the born-again Christian may not stop stealing immediately. Sanctification is a process. The Christian must pray for the strength to resist and conquer the power of sin. If a man says he is saved and he continue to steal habitually, that one is not yet saved. A child of God may fall unto sin, once or more than once, but he does not dwell habitually in sin. A man steals because he is idle and lazy. He also steals because he hates hard work. Now, things must change. No more laziness. The man must work hard to pay the bills! A thief does not appreciate the hard work behind the things he steals. That is why most thieves waste their money thru drugs, alcohol, and fornication. The former thief who is now a believer, must learn to work hard. In Greek, the word ‘work’ describes a man who labors hard until he sweats. By working hard, the ex-thief learns the honor and respect of honest labor. He also discovers that God blesses the work of his hands. He will make good money. He will have more than enough to share with others who are in need. A thief is very selfish. He only thinks of himself. He has no feelings of compassion for the victim. Now, the believer learns the power of the unity of the Spirit with others, in his family and in his church.

SOME LESSONS…

First, let us thank God for the Gospel, which is the only power that can save and change sinners. The Gospel is not for good men. It is for sinners like me and you. Because Jesus died for our sins, we have the hope of eternal life! We also have the hope that we can change from wicked sinners into saints. There is no man, religion or power outside the Gospel that can do this miracle of change, that can give man a new beginning.

Justification is by grace and thru faith. It is an instant work done by God. The process of sanctification starts immediately. The Holy Spirit may kill some sins by His power almost instantly. But other sins remain. The baby Christian needs to cooperate with the Holy Spirit and learn how to kill the desires of the flesh. This is a process. It may take some time before you hate stealing and you stop it, even in your heart. Love will move in and will occupy the place of the heart where stealing was. You can now worship God freely!

Paul says that man should work with his hands producing something good and useful. The reason is that hands have been polluted by stealing. Now, the hands must be redeemed for God. May God bless the work of your hands! But stealing is more than taking something with your hands. Wasting another’s time is a form of stealing. During your working hours, you are not supposed to read your Bible or evangelize others. You are paid to do your job. You may not like to hear this, but it is the truth. Be the best example as a worker too! That is a greater form of evangelism! 

This is God’s Word: stop stealing! See that Paul is not saying praying about it. He does not say God will remove stealing from you. Paul commands the believer who is stealing: Stop it! How do you stop it? Look at the sin. See how ugly sin is. See how wicked you are to steal!

Secondly, labor honestly for an honest salary. Do something useful with your hands. The word ‘labor’ is a strong word. It says: ‘work until you get exhausted’. In this way, you will have no time or strength to think about stealing.

As he was getting ready to travel, Paul told the Ephesians elders: “I have coveted no one’s silver or gold or apparel. Yes, you yourselves know that these hands have provided for my necessities, and for those who were with me. I have shown you in every way, by laboring like this, that you must support the weak. And remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive” (Ac 20:33-35). The pagans are always lazy and love pleasure. Christians are always known for their hard work and faithfulness to God and man. God created man to work. A lazy man’s mind becomes weak. A thief is foolish. During every revival people saw work as honorable. Many Christians get wealthy because they work hard, and they do not waste their resources on sinful activities. It is so good to go home in the evening after a busy day at work. It is so good to eat dinner and sleep well.

Lesson: teach your children the value of work. It is sad to see the children of wealthy men who were not trained to work. When their father dies and they inherit a fortune, they waste it all on prodigal living. This is because they are not used to working hard. They cannot maintain the wealth. Remember that we are not the real owners of things on earth. We are stewards. God is the owner. We must give an account for the way we managed the resources entrusted to us. Thieves are irresponsible. Christians are always responsible to God for everything He gives to them.

In the world, only 21% of people love their work. The rest hate their work and their bosses. This hatred produces anxiety, anger, and depression. Before you resign, think, and pray about it. You must be practical. Be mature. Be humble! Think of the benefits of that job you dislike. Don’t resign on an impulse. Learn to be patient and more prayerful. God can change people and circumstances. Find fulfillment not in people or jobs, but in Christ! Remember to care for others. Love the needy people. Help them! You must see both marriage and work as honorable. If not, you will start becoming lazy and distracted. Be careful! You are going to fall into sin!

MY TESTIMONY

These are three scriptures that helped me over the years to fight the spirit of Absalom and stealing: “The king said to Araunah, “No, but I will surely buy it from you for a price; nor will I offer burnt offerings to the Lord my God with that which costs me nothing.” So, David bought the threshing floor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver. And David built there an altar to the Lord and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings. So, the Lord heeded the prayers for the land, and the plague was withdrawn from Israel” (2Sam 24:24. 25).

“Bondservants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh, not with eyeservice, as men-pleasers, but in sincerity of heart, fearing God. And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ. But he who does wrong will be repaid for what he has done, and there is no partiality” (Col 3:22-25).

“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matt 6:19-21). Our Lord commands that we should be wise about our treasures. We are not to lay our treasures on earth… but we should lay them in heaven” Treasures is more than money or material things. It is my attitude to all my possessions and achievements. The world is a system, a lifestyle that is an enemy to the believer. The world says that you should accumulate things and you should struggle for success in life. The treasure of a worldly man is in this earth. He cannot carry it with him after death. Jesus says that this mentality is dangerous. As Christians, how are we to view possessions? Jesus says that we should use what we have (money, material possessions, position in society etc) to make an eternal investment. We can use money to help the poor for Christ’ sake. Jesus sees, appreciates, and rewards all good things done in His name. He says to those who did good: “Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me” (Matt 25:40). God saves and God rewards. Using your possessions to do good for Christ’ sake opens your eternal account in heaven. No thief has access there. The more you deposit there, the stronger your faith will be, the less you feel like a wasteful manager or thief on earth. Your heart connects with your treasure. A heavenly treasure established your heart!

Long ago my husband and I made a covenant with God that if anyone steals our things, that one must surrender to Christ. That is why I do not feel cheated when people steal my things. For me, by paying my tithes and offerings and helping the needy I have been able to conquer the spirit of stealing. I loved my work as a medical doctor. I love my work as a pastor now! God has blessed both my works! Praise the Lord!

FINALLY…

This is God’s eternal Word: “A good name [earned by honorable behavior, godly wisdom, moral courage, and personal integrity] is more desirable than great riches; And favor is better than silver and gold” (PV 22:1; AMP). Invest and build your character more than your bank account! Obey God! He will bless the work of your hands! Serve God in your local church! Pay your tithes and offerings! Learn to be generous! Start sharing! Be grateful for a new beginning! The Lord Jesus said: “It is more blessed to give than to receive!” (Ac 20:35). Worship the Lord!

This Sunday service Pastor (Mrs) Silvia Lia Leigh preached another sermon in the series titled ‘The Ten Commandments’. Her main scriptures were taken from the book Exodus 20:1-26; Genesis 39:1-23; 2 Samuel 11:1-27.

THE TEN COMMANDMENTS – INTRODUCTION

The Ten Commandments are ten laws that God Himself gave to the ancient nation of Israel thru His servant Moses. These Biblical principles apply to men’s relationship with God and with one another. If all people on earth keep at least one of these commandments, the world will be a better place. These Commandments were spoken directly by God at Mount Sinai and written by God’s finger on tablets of stone and given to Moses. This act makes them unique in the Bible. These Ten Laws are commands and not suggestions. They are personal, spoken to individuals.

THE 7^TH COMMANDMENT- YOU SHALL NOT COMMIT ADULTERY

“You shall not commit adultery” (Ex 20:14).

Next to the commandment to preserve life, God commands that we should honor the institution of marriage. Adultery is an attack against the unity of the spirit, against peace, prosperity, and honor in a family. It is the destruction of the bond between husband and wife. God created family to be the basic unit that maintains social order. Adultery destroys that, producing sorrow, confusion, and chaos in the family and society.

Adultery is defined as voluntary consensual sex between a married man or woman and someone he or she is not married to. Some call adultery ‘every man’s battle’. The seventh commandment forbids all forms of sexual sins (fornication, homosexuality, bestiality etc). Sex was created to be a unique experience to bind husband and wife together in what the Bible calls a “one flesh” unity (Matt 19:6). Since God invented sex, He alone sets the rules about it. Sex was designed only for marriage! Period! Any sex outside marriage is sin! Marital sex is between a man and a woman, not two men or two women. Marital sex is the consummation of a lifetime commitment and covenant made between a man and a woman. Because the sexual drive is so powerful, the Bible encourages marriage in order to avoid sexual immorality. Marital sex is to be mutual and frequent so that husband and wife are not tempted to commit adultery. The bodies of a husband and wife belong to each other (see 1 Corinthians 7). God places great importance on human sexuality because marital sex is the most intimate relationship two human beings can have. It is a picture of the intimacy God created us to enjoy with Him. Marital sex is the only sexual expression approved by our Creator. It is a sacred gift enjoyed only by husband and wife. We should guard our hearts and eyes from any outside temptations that try to stain or steal sexual intimacy. Pornography, extramarital affairs, and promiscuity damage the beauty and lower the value God has given the sexual act.

In many countries, adultery is not a crime. But adultery is a sin. Adultery is another word for cheating; it is cheating on your spouse with another person. To cheat means to deceive in order to get what you want. Adultery is always connected with lies. Adultery is extra marital sex. It is also premarital sex done by two people who are engaged and ready to marry. In many ancient cultures, adultery was seen as a crime. The punishment was severe including social disgrace, flogging in public, or death penalty. The punishment was applied mostly to the women and sometimes to the men. For the past 200 years, most of the western countries have de-criminalized adultery. But even in these countries, adultery has legal consequences. It may be a ground for divorce, property settlement, the custody of children or denial of alimony. In the Islamic countries under the Sharia Law, the punishment for adultery is stoning to death. In many cultures, adultery with the king’s wife or the wife of his eldest son is considered treason. Treason is the crime of attacking the king or a state authority to which you owe allegiance. For example, King Henry VIII accused his wife, Queen Anne Boleyn of adultery. She was decapitated for treason. There are other legal consequences of adultery. For example, it may affect the paternity of the child. The ‘innocent’ husband is forced to love and take care of children that are not his own. This creates great emotional pain and interferes with the inheritance of the children. In many countries, children born from adultery have suffered socially. In many cultures, adultery is equated to crime, capable of inciting murders. About 22% of all people worldwide confessed to having committed adultery. America, England, Thailand, are counted as the most adulterous countries in the world. The countries that have the least cheaters are Iceland (9%), Greenland, and Ireland. In the Roman empire, a married man could have sex with a female slave or an unmarried woman. It was not considered a crime. The reason why the empire fell was love for pleasure, breakdown of religion and family values.  

The truth is that most couples marry expecting faithfulness from the spouse. When adultery happens, it is seen as a serious breach of trust and commitment made to each other. Love is damaged sometimes beyond repair. Both husband and wife suffer feelings of guilt, jealousy, shame, and depression. Research shows that 53% of all marriages that experienced adultery end in divorce, even with therapy. It means that 47% of marriages survive the trauma of adultery but the road to recovery is extremely painful and long. As Christians we say that nothing is impossible for God. Thru fasting, prayers, the study of God’s Word, asking for help from a mature Christian, attending a living church are all tools to help.  

It also involves spiritual warfare. There are other negative consequences of sexual sins. Adultery is a source of sexually transmitted diseases to the couple. The ‘innocent’ victim gets sick with chronic incurable diseases. That adds another trauma to the marriage. Historically, male adultery is more acceptable by the society. Female adultery often resulted in extreme domestic violence, including murder of the woman, her lover, or both, committed by her jealous husband. Adultery is a tragedy!

Honor killings are often connected to accusations of adultery. Honor killing is the murder of a person, by a family member, trying to protect what they see as the dignity of their family. Honor killings are connected to religion, or caste system. Most often, it involves the murder of a woman or a girl by male family members, because they believe that the victim has brought shame upon the family name, by committing different sins, especially, adultery. Honor killings continue to be practiced in some parts of the world, mostly in South Asia and the Middle East and immigrant communities in Europe, Canada, and the U.S. In some parts of the world, honor killings enjoy considerable public support. In the western Law, honor killings are condemned as a serious human rights violation especially to the women.

WHY DID GOD COMMAND THAT WE SHOULD NOT COMMIT ADULTERY? BECAUSE GOD INVENTED MARRIAGE! (Genesis 2 and 3)

God created the man and the woman. God invented marriage. It was to be between one man and one woman. The husband is the leader of the home, and the wife is his helpmeet. Together, they are a mirror of God’s image. Animals do not marry. They are not God’s image on earth. Only human beings reflect the glory of the Creator God. The first marriage ceremony happened before sin entered. It is God’s perfect will that people marry and have godly children. God created a perfect environment for Adam and Eve. The Garden of Eden had many trees ‘pleasant to the sight and good for food’ (Gen 2:9). God told Adam that he can ‘freely eat’ from any of there trees. But he should not eat the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. On the day he eats that fruit, he will die. The devil deceived Eve telling her that she will not die. He made God a liar. Eve looked at the forbidden fruit and saw that “the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise” (Gen 3:6). Remember that all the trees were pleasant to the eyes and good for food. But the devil made this tree look better. Lesson: Sin always looks better than what you already have. Eve wanted to become ‘wise’ but without depending on God for wisdom. This desire to be independent of God led her to fall into sin. She gave it to her husband to eat, and he ate it. This is how sin entered into the human race. It affected them individually and as a married couple. The devil came as a ‘boyfriend’. Eve committed adultery with the devil and damaged her marriage. Because of that, God made some declarations that affect all their descendant and the institution of marriage. Eve will experience pain as a mother. The work of bringing children into the world and training them will be combined with much pain. Thru this pain, she experiences God’s pain as a Father, when she, God’s daughter, broke His heart. This pain will humble her so that she will desire to draw closer to God. She will find healing and fulfillment as a mother only in her relationship with God. She has to learn to submit to her husband, who will ‘rule over her’. She will not be able to lead him into sin, into adultery again. Apostle Paul warns the wives of the danger of making friends with strange men who like the snake of old ‘creep into households and take captive gullible women who are led astray by various lusts’ (2 Tim 3:6). Lesson: Adulterers cannot stand straight. They always creep like snakes. God told Eve that from now on, Adam will be able to resist her deception. The husband loves his wife, but he will be able to resist her seduction and foolishness. God cursed the ground so that work for man will be hard. By working hard to put bread on the table the man will be busy enough. He will not have time or energy to think about adultery. Lesson: Working for God and for man is God’s way of protection against adultery. Selah!

Adultery destroys God’s perfect plan for man. God created marriage and family to be the building blocks for society. God commanded that man should multiply and have dominion over the animals on the earth (Gen 1:26-28). The way the human race will obey God’s command to multiply and have dominion over the earth is mostly thru marriage. God expects godly children born in the honorable institution of marriage that He has ordained. God is the heavenly Witness in marriage. Adultery is still the main cause of divorce. God hates divorce. Adultery is the work of ‘violent, treacherous spirits.’ God sees adultery as a crime of treason. God doesn’t answer the prayers of adulterous people (Mal 2:10-16).

There are two parts to obeying this command. The negative part is simple. Do not commit adultery. Avoid sexual relationships with people outside your marriage. We must avoid anything that will tempt our minds or emotions towards fornication or adultery. We are to avoid watching pornographic movies, sexual suggestive movies, or listen to worldly songs. Songs with ‘baby, baby’ are clearly sexually indecent.  We must live a pure life of moderation. Practice self-control, especially over your eyes. Avoid buying extremely expensive clothes. Dress modestly. God designed we find sexual fulfilment in the boundaries of heterosexual marriage. Satan temps us to look for pleasure outside the marriage bounds. Like Moses, choose to carry the cross with its pain and reject the seasonal pleasures of sin (Heb 11:25).

Fornicators and adulterers often escape man’s punishment. But God knows all people. He promised to punish them, in this world and in the next. Covetousness, also called the love of money, has led many towards adultery. These sins are connected. “Marriage is honorable among all, and the bed undefiled; but fornicators and adulterers God will judge. Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” So, we may boldly say: “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?” (Heb 13:4-6). It is great wisdom to learn sexual and financial contentment in your marriage. Remember that in poverty or riches, God is with you. God’s presence is the shield against sexual lust and desire to be rich without God. Satisfied by God’s grace, man can ‘do’ you nothing. You will not be deceived by men who want you to love money and adultery. God commands His people to be holy like Him, to be spiritually and morally pure. “I am the Lord who brings you up out of the land of Egypt, to be your God. You shall therefore be holy, for I am holy” (Lev 11:45). Sexual purity is a major part of living holy as a disciple of Christ!

One purpose for the institution of Marriage is to avoid fornication and adultery. Marriage is God’s way of protection. “Now concerning the things of which you wrote to me: It is good for a man not to touch a woman. Nevertheless, because of sexual immorality, let each man have his own wife, and let each woman have her own husband. Let the husband render to his wife the affection due her, and likewise also the wife to her husband. The wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband does. And likewise, the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does. Do not deprive one another except with consent for a time, that you may give yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come together again so that Satan does not tempt you because of your lack of self-control. But I say this as a concession, not as a commandment. For I wish that all men were even as I myself. But each one has his own gift from God, one in this manner and another in that. But I say to the unmarried and to the widows: It is good for them if they remain even as I am; but if they cannot exercise self-control, let them marry. For it is better to marry than to burn with passion” (1 Cor 7:1-9).  Adultery destroys the hedge of protection. “He who digs a pit will fall into it, And whoever breaks through a wall will be bitten by a serpent” (Ecc 10:8).

GOD PUNISHES SIN

Sin is bondage to the devil. It is only in Christ, that we become truly free to love God and our family. The devil always works through deception. He is trying to convince you that committing sin is not serious, that God will not punish sin. That is the deception of the devil. How can we be deceived? First, our heart is deceitful. “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; Who can know it? I, the Lord, search the heart, I test the mind, even to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his doings” (Jer 17:9, 10). Secondly, you can be deceived by people who are the agents of the devil. These can be religious people, pastors, or friends. To lose heaven and to gain hell it is the greatest tragedy men can ever experience. Many religious unbelievers deceive themselves by living in sin and attending churches. They think that adultery does not matter to God. God said: “Behold, you trust in lying words that cannot profit. Will you steal, murder, commit adultery, swear falsely, burn incense to Baal, and walk after other gods whom you do not know, and then come and stand before Me in this house which is called by My name, and say, ‘We are delivered to do all these abominations’? Has this house, which is called by My name, become a den of thieves in your eyes? Behold, I, even I, have seen it,” says the Lord. “But go now to My place which was in Shiloh, where I set My name at the first, and see what I did to it because of the wickedness of My people Israel” (Jer 7:8-12). God destroyed his house at Shiloh. The priest Eli and his adulterous sons all died the same day. Selah!

POLYGAMY

Polygamy is a form of marriage when one has more than one mate at the same time. Polygamy is not counted as adultery. It was permitted but not advised in the Old Testament. God commanded the kings in Israel to show self-control even in marriage or wealth. The King “shall not acquire multiple wives for himself, or else his heart will turn away [from God]; nor [for the same reason] shall he acquire great amounts of silver and gold” (Deut 17:17; AMP).

Polygamy is practiced mostly in the West and Central Africa. The countries that have the highest polygamy in the world are Burkina Faso, Mali, Gambia, Niger, and Nigeria. The sharia Law in the Muslim countries allows Polygamy. In the pre-colonial era in Nigeria, polygamous marriage was common. It was practiced mainly for economic reasons and family growth. These days, the number of polygamous marriages has decreased because men do not need many wives and children to work the farm. About 28% of the population in Nigeria, mostly in the northern states, still practice polygamy. In Nigeria is quite fashionable. A man with many wives is seen as wealthy and powerful. Those who argue that polygamy is good say that it is better than adultery. The negative side of polygamy is that these relationships are done mostly for sexual satisfaction and not for spiritual or emotional fulfillment. Generally, the women suffer more. They are at a higher risk of having depression, inferiority complexes and becoming victims of venereal diseases. They have low satisfaction in marriages. It is on record that the regions where polygamy is practiced are poor. Under the civil law, Nigeria does not recognize polygamous unions. However, 12 out of the 36 Nigerian States recognize polygamy. Nigeria practices “a dual system”. This system recognizes two marriages: Islamic/customary (traditional) marriage and statutory marriage. The Islamic/customary marriage allows for polygamy. Under the Islamic law, a man can marry up to four wives. The condition is that the man has the capacity to treat their wives equally. Similarly, men who choose to marry under customary (traditional) law can marry several wives. Statutory marriage or what is referred to as “court marriage”, is a marriage contracted or regulated by the Marriage act. It is the “voluntary union of one man and one wife to the exclusion of others” otherwise known as “monogamy”. The marriage is either celebrated in the marriage registry or in a licensed place of worship which is usually in a church after the issuance of a registrar’s certificate. This kind of marriage is often called a “white wedding”. Once marriage is contracted under the civil law, the man cannot marry another wife. If a person marries someone else while the first marriage subsists, he or she is liable to five years imprisonment.

HOMOSEXUALITY IS SIN!

Homosexuality is defined as sexual or romantic attraction to others of one’s same sex, It is the state of being ‘gay.’ In different cultures, homosexuality has been approved of, tolerated, punished, and banned. There are now 64 countries that criminalize gay sex, many of them in Africa. Countries that have the death penalty for consensual gay sex include Brunei, Iran, Mauritania, Saudi Arabia, Uganda, Yemen, and some northern states of Nigeria. So far, 33 countries in the world recognize same-sex marriages. In Africa, same-sex marriages and civil unions are legal only in South Africa. In Nigeria, homosexuality is illegal. It is punishable with a maximum of 14 years imprisonment. In the northern states that apply the Sharia law, a practicing homosexual may be stoned to death. A survey said that 97% of Nigerians believe that homosexuality is a way of life that society should not accept. This is the second-highest rate of non-acceptance in the world. The estimated homosexual population in Nigeria is about twenty million. The majority of LGBT Nigerians identify as Christian in denominations such as Anglicanism.

The Bible condemns homosexuality as sin. God created humans as male and female and commanded them to multiply on earth and to have dominion over all other created beings (Gen 1:27, 28). Homosexuality rejects God plan and purpose for the creation of man. When Jesus came in human form, He told Abraham that He wants to inspect two cities. Many prayed and cried because of the evil found there (Gen 18:20, 21). Abraham interceded the best he could. But Jesus destroyed the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. They have not been rebuilt till today. Lesson: Even now, there is a cry coming out against cities and nations. It is the cry of intercessors calling God to come and see the suffering sin has brought in the land. In Sodom, men, old and young, were not ashamed of their sexual sins (Gen 19:4). When sin becomes a national ‘treasure’ and in spreads all over the city, God comes down to inspect and judge sin. Homosexuality is sin! There are many contrary voices claiming that being ‘gay’ is normal. But this is God’s Word. “You shall not lie with a male as with a woman. It is an abomination” (Lev 18:22). “For this reason God gave them up to vile passions. For even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature. Likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust for one another, men with men committing what is shameful, and receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due” (Rom 1:26-27). “Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities around them in a similar manner to these, having given themselves over to sexual immorality and gone after strange flesh, are set forth as an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire” (Jude 1:7). As believers, we hate sin but love and pray for the sinners.

WHY DO PEOPLE CHEAT IN AN RELATIONSHIP?

According to surveys, the first reason for committing adultery is anger, a desire for revenge. People are angry at their spouses for not understanding their emotional or physical needs. A quarrel can lead to anger, to adultery and even to murder. Some say that they are falling out of love. The romantic feelings they experienced during the honeymoon are gone. They are ignorant that love is more than feelings. It is a covenant before God. The water can become wine through prayer. The romance in the marriage can be revived. Others cheat because there is an opportunity to do so. They find people who are ‘available’ to commit sin. Many say that they committed adultery just to experience variety. They see adultery as a game, or as fun. Others commit adultery because of an inferiority complex. They feel ugly or rejected. If somebody offers them ‘love’, they go with it thinking that they now become beautiful and sexy. As you see, adultery is a choice. Adultery damages the marriage, but it does not have to end in divorce. The relationship may survive but it takes hard work to repair it. Thru prayer and the study of God’s word, after adultery, the relationship can become stronger and more spiritual. Only a believer in Christ can achieve this testimony of life after death.

SPIRITUAL ADULTERY

God calls Israel His ‘wife.’ As a husband expects his wife to be faithful, so God expects His people to obey His commands and to worship Him only. When God’s people worship other gods, God calls that sin adultery. God is jealous and punishes spiritual adultery. But God is merciful. His Son Jesus Christ died on the Cross to bring His adulterous people back to him. This is the prophetic love story of Hosea. He loved his adulterous wife and redeemed her from her life of sin. See what God is saying about His wayward people: “Therefore, behold, I will hedge up your way with thorns, and wall her in, so that she cannot find her paths. She will chase her lovers, but not overtake them; Yes, she will seek them, but not find them. Then she will say, ‘I will go and return to my first husband, for then it was better for me than now” (Hos 2:6, 7).

ADULTERY AND SHEDDING OF INNOCENT BLOOD DEFILES THE LAND

The shedding of innocent blood and sexual sins ‘defile the land’. “You shall not pollute the land where you are; for blood defiles the land, and no atonement can be made for the land, for the blood that is shed on it, except by the blood of him who shed it. Therefore, do not defile the land which you inhabit, in the midst of which I dwell; for I the Lord dwell among the children of Israel” (Nu 35:33, 34). “Do not defile yourselves with any of these things; for by all these the nations are defiled, which I am casting out before you. For the land is defiled; therefore, I visit the punishment of its iniquity upon it, and the land vomits out its inhabitants” (Lev 18:24, 25). The land can be polluted physically by toxic waste and garbage. It makes the land dangerous and ugly to look at. There are sicknesses connected with environmental pollution. Spiritually, a man or a place can also be polluted. What are the effects of spiritual defilement?

1-Separation from God. He will not answer prayers.

“Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened, That it cannot save; Nor His ear heavy, That it cannot hear. But your iniquities have separated you from your God; And your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He will not hear. For your hands are defiled with blood, and your fingers with iniquity; Your lips have spoken lies, your tongue has muttered perversity” (Is 59:1-3).

2-Poverty. People living in polluted lands do not prosper. They are often sick. “He who covers his sins will not prosper” (PV 28:13).

3-The land ‘vomits’ its inhabitants. The people living in some areas are permanently affected by a spirit of anxiety and fear of untimely death.  

What does it mean the Land vomits its inhabitants? Because of the sins of the people, God says that the land is defiled. God wants to punish the land. But the Land refuses to take the punishment and instead, it will ‘vomit’ (or drive away) the people from it. Selah!

ADULTERY IN THE OLD TESTAMENT

In the Old Testament, adultery is sin and a crime, in the same class as murder. It was punished by death. “The man who commits adultery with another man’s wife, he who commits adultery with his neighbor’s wife, the adulterer, and the adulteress, shall surely be put to death. The man who lies with his father’s wife has uncovered his father’s nakedness; both of them shall surely be put to death. Their blood shall be upon them. If a man lies with his daughter-in-law, both of them shall surely be put to death. They have committed perversion. Their blood shall be upon them. If a man lies with a male as he lies with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination. They shall surely be put to death. Their blood shall be upon them.” (Lev 20:10-13). The adulterer and the armed robber are men of the night, serving the devil. “There are those who rebel against the light; They do not know its ways nor abide in its paths. The murderer rises with the light; He kills the poor and needy; And in the night, he is like a thief. The eye of the adulterer waits for the twilight, saying, ‘No eye will see me’; And he disguises his face. In the dark they break into houses which they marked for themselves in the daytime; They do not know the light” (Job 24:13-16).

“My son, keep your father’s command, and do not forsake the law of your mother. Bind them continually upon your heart; Tie them around your neck. When you roam, they will lead you; When you sleep, they will keep you; And when you awake, they will speak with you. For the commandment is a lamp, and the law a light; Reproofs of instruction are the way of life, To keep you from the evil woman, from the flattering tongue of a seductress. Do not lust after her beauty in your heart, nor let her allure you with her eyelids. For by means of a harlot a man is reduced to a crust of bread; And an adulteress will prey upon his precious life. Can a man take fire to his bosom, and his clothes not be burned? Can one walk on hot coals, and his feet not be seared? So is he who goes into his neighbor’s wife; Whoever touches her shall not be innocent. People do not despise a thief if he steals to satisfy himself when he is starving. Yet when he is found, he must restore sevenfold; He may have to give up all the substance of his house. Whoever commits adultery with a woman lacks understanding. He who does so destroys his own soul. Wounds and dishonor he will get, and his reproach will not be wiped away. For jealousy is a husband’s fury; Therefore, he will not spare in the day of vengeance. He will accept no recompense, nor will he be appeased though you give many gifts” (PV 6:20-35).

Beware of Adultery! Obeying God’s word as taught by his parents will keep a child away from sin. Nothing but God’s Word has this power to protect the emotions. Here the woman is the aggressor in leading men to commit sexual sins. She is called ‘an evil woman’. She has a ‘sweet’ flattering tongue. Flattery is the act of praising someone too much, often in a way that is not sincere, having the desire to gain something from the person. Flattery is the beginning of cheating of adultery. Be careful! “A man who flatters his neighbor [with smooth words intending to do harm] Is spreading a net for his own feet” (PV 29:5; AMP). This evil woman is skilled in seducing men. She knows how to make up her face and how to dress seductively. Even if she is ugly, she looks beautiful. If the man is caught in her net, he will become poor. He will spend all his money on her. He will be reduced to ‘a crust of bread’. The woman’s intent is to destroy his soul. He will feel guilty. This guilt is like fire in his heart. God wants him to confess his sin and repent. If not, he will have no peace. Adultery destroys man’s intelligence and understanding. He becomes a fool. Eventually he will be exposed. His disgrace may last a lifetime. The cheated husband may seek revenge and wish him dead. The husband will not accept money as compensation. This is the sad end of all who commit adultery and do not repent of it. The evil spirit of seduction is extremely proud and stubborn. “This is the way of an adulterous woman: She eats and wipes her mouth, and says, “I have done no wickedness” (PV 30:20). This woman has committed adultery in the secret. In the morning, she ‘wipes her mouth’ leaving no visible trace of her sin in the night. She looks innocent as a virgin. She does not see adultery as wickedness, but as pleasure. In Nigeria, the spirit of adultery is called Jezebel, Mammy water, or Ogbanje spirit. It is only a believer that can win the battle against this wicked spirit that destroys marriages.  

JOB’S COVENANT WITH HIS EYES

Job says: “I have made a covenant with my eyes; Why then should I look upon a young woman? For what is the allotment of God from above, and the inheritance of the Almighty from on high? Is it not destruction for the wicked, and disaster for the workers of iniquity? Does He not see my ways and count all my steps… “If my heart has been enticed by a woman, or if I have lurked at my neighbor’s door, Then let my wife grind for another, and let others bow down over her. For that would be wickedness; Yes, it would be iniquity deserving of judgment. For that would be a fire that consumes unto destruction and would root out all my increase” (Job 31:1-4; 9-12) 

Job hates sin, especially sexual lust, and adultery. He has made a covenant with his eyes before God that he will not look lustfully towards a woman. Why did he do that? Because Job fears God. He knows that God must judge sin. Sexual lust is wickedness, and it connects with lies and deception. It ends in poverty, destruction, and disaster. Sexual sin is the root of working like a slave. The harvest will be rooted out and kill any profit. Adultery is bondage and it leads to poverty. Sexual sins may lead to divorce. Sin begets sin. The wife of an adulterer become a slave to the devil and a concubine to another man. This is a tragedy beyond words and a crime against marriage.  

JOSEPH REFUSED TO COMMIT ADULTERY (Genesis 39)

Joseph in the Old Testament is type of Christ. Nothing bad is said about him. God gave him dreams of future prosperity and leadership. His father, Jacob, loved him more than the rest of his sons. He made for Joseph a robe of many colors, signifying leadership. His siblings hated him because of his dreams, and because of the beautiful robe made by his loving father. They tried to kill him. They eventually sold him as a slave. Potiphar, an officer of Pharoah, bought him as a slave. Potiphar discovered that God is with Joseph. He put him in charge of his household. Potiphar’s wife tried to seduce Joseph. She failed. For refusing her, Jospeh ends in prison. But God is with Joseph even in prison. His gift of leadership manifests there too. His dreams eventually come true. He becomes the Prime Minister of Egypt, the greatest country in the world at that time. Thru his position, he saves his family from hunger and death. He was a handsome man. Beauty, for both men and women, has proven to be a snare of pride. To be handsome and humble at the same time is the work of God’s Spirit. Joseph experienced all the normal passions like any other young man. He was possible lonely. Potiphar’s wife offered him pleasure and prosperity. Refusing her meant prison or death. How was Joseph able to resist and reject the evil spirit of seduction? The first reason why Joseph refused to commit adultery is because he feared God. He believed that God punishes sin. The second reason is because he was a loyal servant to his master who trusted him with all the work in his household. Be careful! This type of attack comes to successful people. The woman was wicked and shameless. She was persistent. Joseph avoided her. When at last she got hold of him, he ran away, leaving the garment behind. He did not stay to explain or talk to her. Lesson: avoid sin if you can. If not, run away! Joseph was grateful and faithful to Potiphar, his master. But he saw adultery as sin against God. To many men, adultery seems like a little sin. Not so for Joseph. He called it ‘great wickedness’.

Lesson: call sin to be wicked! Sin is not a form of pleasure. Joseph ran away from sin! This is God’s Word: “Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them members of a harlot? Certainly not! Or do you not know that he who is joined to a harlot is one body with her? For “the two,” He says, “shall become one flesh.” But he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with Him. Flee sexual immorality. Every sin that a man does is outside the body, but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body. Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore, glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s” (1 Cor 6:15-20). Remember that you belong to Christ. He shed His precious blood for you. Refuse the harlot! Run away from her! Be jealous over your testimony as a child of God! Your body belongs to God! He will protect you!

DAVID COMMITS ADULTERY AND MURDER (2 Samuel 11: 1-5)

King David was a sinner saved by grace. God called him ‘a man after His heart’ (Ac 13:22). David lied, pretended to be someone else, and lusted after women. But the lowest time in his life came when he committed adultery with Barsheba and killed her husband. This sad story is found in 2 Samuel 11 and 12. At this time, David was at his peak. He was 50 years old. He has been a king for 20 years. He was rich and famous. He was married to a number of women and had children. The story starts one ordinary evening. The troops led by general Joab were fighting the Ammonites. Usually, David was with his troops, leading them in battle. Then we read these words: ‘But David remained at Jerusalem.’ He was to be on the field, sleeping in a tent, with his weapons around him. But now, David chose to stay in his palace, relaxing on his rooftop. From over there, he saw a beautiful woman taking her bath. She was Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam and the wife of Uriah, the Hittite, one of David’s loyal men of valor. David called for her and he slept with her. She went back to her house. David thought that the affair was over. Then she sends a message to him saying ‘I am pregnant’. The sin David tried to cover up has ‘found him out’ (Nu 32:23). He calls her husband, Uriah, from the battlefield. He tries to deceive him to sleep with his wife, so that the child will be his. He made him drunk. He bribed him with gifts. But Uriah was too loyal to David as a soldier. Uriah did not go home. He slept at the gate of the palace with David’s servants. Though he was a high-ranking officer and could have used some time of relaxation at home, he refused to go home because the army and God’s ark were in the open fields. Uriah was a foreigner who married a Jewess. But in this dark moment, he was more righteous than King David himself. Failing to deceive Uriah, David decided to kill him. He handed him a letter to give to the general Joab describing how to betray and kill Uriah in battle. Joab was himself guilty of murder. To do David a favor, he obeys his king. This is how good man Uriah dies. “But what David did displease the Lord!” (2Sam 11:27).

What are the steps that led to this horrible sin?

*David was careless with his feet and duties. His feet were supposed to go to the field and fight with the soldiers. This was the season when ‘kings go to battle’. God hates “feet that are swift in running to evil” (PV 6:18). Be careful with your holy responsibilities. Thank God that you go to work and to church. Considered how must God protects you from sexual sins just by going to the house of God and your business?

*David was careless with his eyes. It is not a sin to see a naked woman by mistake. But it is a sin to look at her more than once. It is a sin to gaze long and to imagine her as object of sex. Pornography is sin! David should have done what Job did. Make a covenant with his eyes before God.

David coveted another man’s wife. He broke the 10th commandment even more than he lusted after her. Be careful to repent of covetousness. Be content with what you have. God did not tell Bathsheba to leave David because by now, she is a widow. We are not told if Bathsheba lusted after David or not. At that time, a king had total authority over his subjects. He could kill her for refusing him. David had to take responsibility for their sin. God forgives sin but there are consequences to sin that cannot be avoided. There are three direct consequences inflicted upon David:

1-Violence became part of his family. Nathan said the sword would never depart from David’s house (2 Sam 12:10). This was fulfilled in the successive violent deaths of at least three of his sons—Amnon, Absalom, and Adonijah.

2-Disgrace entered the family. Nathan prophesied to David that his own wives would be humiliated before all Israel (2 Sam 12:11). This was fulfilled when Absalom “lay with his father’s concubines in the sight of all Israel” (2 Sam 16:22).

3-Untimely death. Nathan said the son conceived by David’s sin with Bathsheba will die (2 Sam 12:14, 18). Seven days later the baby died.

Lessons taken from the sin of David: It is easy to fall into sin when you are idle. Jesus commanded: “Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak” (Matt 26:41). The devil knows that the flesh is weak and attacks it. Be faithful to God and diligent in your duties to God and man. God cursed the ground. It is hard to work now. But hard work will keep you busy so that you don’t become idle and sin the more. Thank God for your job and for the opportunity to go to church and serve God! At the end of this bitter experience, David was brought to a complete repentance. And this was the Lord’s goal. David prayed for mercy and forgiveness. He promises God to use his pain to teach others about the terrible effects of sin. Psalm 51 is a great encouragement to many who have fallen into sin and found mercy. “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me away from Your presence, and do not take Your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of Your salvation and uphold me by Your generous Spirit. Then I will teach transgressors Your ways, and sinners shall be converted to You” (Ps 51:10-12).

JESUS SAYS: ADULTERY IS IN THE HEART BEFORE IT MANIFESTS IN THE BODY

“You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart. If your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell. “Furthermore, it has been said, ‘Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce.’ But I say to you that whoever divorces his wife for any reason except sexual immorality causes her to commit adultery; and whoever marries a woman who is divorced commits adultery” (Matt 5:27-32).

Like it was with the sin of murder, the Pharisees saw adultery only as a physical act. Jesus directs our attention to the heart. God looks at the heart, at the root of all sin, at the motives for committing sin. If you commit adultery, the first thing to do is to repent to God. Give your live to Christ. Be filled with the Holy Spirit. That is the only was you can overcome the power of sin. Repentance has to be total. Confess our sins and repent. “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 Jn 1:9).

THE GROUNDS FOR DIVORCE

The Bible gives two clear grounds for divorce: (1) sexual immorality (Matt 5:32; 19:9) and (2) abandonment by an unbeliever (1 Cor 7:15). Even in these two instances, though, divorce is not required or even encouraged. The most that can be said is that sexual immorality and abandonment are grounds (an allowance) for divorce. Confession, forgiveness, reconciliation, and restoration are always the first steps. Divorce should only be viewed as a last resort. If there is domestic violence, drug abuse, mismanagement of finances thru addiction to gambling, and other terrible crimes committed, the wife and the children should leave the house and seek help.

God forgives sin immediately, but consequences remain. Do not be discouraged. Even in the times of Pain, God will not forsake you. His presence, mercy and grace are enough for us. “Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God” (1 Cor 6:9-11). Is there hope for the fornicators, for the adulterers, for the homosexuals, for the drunkards? Are you telling me pastor that there is hope for me? Yes! Give your life to Christ! His Blood washes all sinners who surrender to Him. Cry to God, Son of David, have mercy on me! Ask God to forgive you! Like Jacob, wrestle with God. The greatest thing you can do is to wrestle with God and become a prince with God! Pray! Stand from your knees and walk with God! Be a child of light! Live to the glory of God!

“Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him. Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone. But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death. Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren” (Jam 1:12-16). Do not be weakened. Do not be deceived. The tempter is a liar. Don’t be confused. Do not cooperate with your emotions. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Do not argue with the devil. Run for your life! Do not be disappointed if you suffer for standing for Jesus. Trust God to vindicate you! Sexual purity is powerful purity! God will reward it! Learn to say NO to sin! Be jealous over your testimony! Resist and kill sin for God’s sake alone! You can do it! I pray for you! Worship the Lord!

THE TEN COMMANDMENTS (7)/ YOU SHALL NOT MURDER  

This Sunday service Pastor (Mrs) Silvia Lia Leigh preached another sermon in the series titled ‘The Ten Commandments’. Her main scriptures were taken from the book Exodus 20:1-26; Gen 4:1-15

THE TEN COMMANDMENTS – INTRODUCTION

The Ten Commandments are ten laws that God Himself gave to the ancient nation of Israel thru His servant Moses. These Biblical principles apply to men’s relationship with God and with one another. If all people on earth keep at least one of these commandments, the world will be a better place. These Commandments were spoken directly by God at Mount Sinai and written by God’s finger on tablets of stone and given to Moses. This act makes them unique in the Bible. These Ten Laws are commands and not suggestions. They are personal, spoken to individuals.

THE SIXTH COMMANDMENT – YOU SHALL NOT MURDER

The sixth commandment is short. It is a negative command! It says: “Thou shalt not kill” (Exo 20:13, KJ). The word ‘to kill’ is not the best translation. It truly means ‘to murder’. In Hebrew, the word ‘murder’ is ‘ratsach’. It appears 47 times in the Old Testament. In almost every instance, the word carries the sense of premeditated murder, willful angry aggression to kill, in connection with blood vengeance.

It says: “You shall not commit murder (unjustified, deliberate homicide)” (Exo 20:13; AMP). God’s sixth command tells us to appreciate God as the author of life. God is love! We must not destroy life. Each man has the right to live. Do not cross the boundaries of that right. No matter what anyone has done to us, we are not to hate another human being and wish him dead. We are commanded not to avenge ourselves and kill another. We should respect life! This law does not prohibit the slaughter of animals or fish for food. But it prohibits the torture of men and animals for wicked pleasure.

“Question: What is God’s will for you in the sixth commandment? Answer: I am not to belittle, hate, insult, or kill my neighbor—not by my thoughts, my words, my look, or gesture, and certainly not by actual deeds—and I am not to be party to this in others; rather, I am to put away all desire for revenge. I am not to harm or recklessly endanger myself either. Question: Does this commandment refer only to murder? Answer: By forbidding murder God teaches us that he hates the root of murder: envy, hatred, anger, vindictiveness. In God’s sight all such are disguised forms of murder” (Heidelberg Catechism)

MURDER IN THE WESTERN LAW

In the Western Law murder is a crime, and it is defined as the unlawful killing of a reasonable person with malice aforethought. Murder is classified as manslaughter, first degree, and second degree. The act of murder is carried out with a weapon, a vehicle, poison, or bare hand. Like all criminal acts, the conduct must be undertaken voluntarily. Murder is done with malice aforethought. Malice does not always mean the defendant personally hates the victim. Malice is apparent in three criminal homicide situations: the defendant intends to kill the victim, he intends to cause serious bodily injury to the victim, or the defendant has a depraved heart and does not care if the victim lives or dies. For example, a young man decides to kill someone just to know how it feels like. He drives his car over an old woman and kills her. He does not hate the old woman, but he desires her dead. Another example, a young man wants to date a young woman. She refuses. He attacks her and she becomes unconscious. He carries her to a field outside the town and leaves her there. He is happy saying that this will teach her a lesson. The woman dies of exposure. This is murder done with ‘a depraved heart’ because he does not care if the woman lives of dies.

Manslaughter is the crime of killing a person when the killer did not intend to do it or cannot be responsible for his or her actions, It is the crime of killing someone unintentionally or without having planned to do it. Second degree murder generally includes murders committed with malicious intent but not with premeditation. First-degree murder is the most serious of all. The aggressor planned in his mind for some time on how to kill the victim. The murder is premeditated. A first-degree type of murder is to kill a police officer thru torture and wickedness or killing more than one person. We see that not all murders are equally serious as crimes. Some murderers deserve more punishment than others.

The safest countries in the world are the Nordic countries of Europe: Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Iceland, and Finland. The most dangerous countries in the world are Brazil, South Africa, and Nigeria. Venezuela has the highest crime rate in the world. Nigeria is on the 16^th place. Why is Nigeria crime rate so high? Education in Nigeria has been so much degraded that most youths view it as a waste of money, time, and resources. Due to incessant strikes and other hindrances in the high institutions, majority of the students have embraced cybercrimes, internet fraud (Yahoo boys) and kidnapping. Nationwide, most of the offence cases are related to stealing, cheating, fraud, and false pretenses. Lagos is the largest city in Nigeria and in the whole of Africa. The area called Agege has the highest crime rate in Lagos. The safest city is Abuja.

SUICIDE  

The sixth command is also against suicide. Suicide is killing yourself intentionally. God’s Law is against a man who decides that he does not deserve to live and kills (or tries to kill) himself. Suicide is murder of self. Before God, we have no right to do that. South Korea has the highest rate of suicide in the world. Greece has the lowest. Almost one million people commit suicide in the world each year. It is the 10^th leading cause of death worldwide. More men than women commit suicide, especially during their birthdays. Many gamblers commit suicide. Las Vegas is the suicide capital of gamblers in the world. Why do people commit suicide? Loneliness and debt. These are some risk factors: mental disorders (depression, schizophrenia), alcoholism, or drug addictions. Impulse suicide can happen when under financial stress, breakup of relationships, harassment or bullying. If a man tried to commit suicide and failed, he is at a higher risk to try again.

Suicide and attempted suicide, while previously illegal, are no longer so in most Western countries. About 60% of people who commit suicide hide their plans. They want to do it alone and they do not ask for medical help. Watching violent movies influences young people in committing suicide. For every suicide that results in death there are between 10 and 40 attempted suicides. This is the percentage of deaths by suicide: Africa 0.5%, Asia 1.9%, Americas 1.2%, and Europe 1.4%. These past years suicide bombings have been used as a terrorist tactic.

Nigeria’s rate of suicide is 9,50 % out of 100,000 people. This is one of the highest rates in Africa. The major cause is depression. Suicide or attempted suicide is a crime in Nigeria punishable by one year imprisonment. The Nigerian government has banned Sniper, an insecticide commonly used for suicides. Suicide is often seen as a major tragedy for families and viewed negatively almost everywhere around the world.

Any form of negligence to your body or soul, has a suicide spirit behind it. Take care of yourself! Pray against fear and depression!

In Roman Catholic doctrine, suicide is considered to be unforgivable sin, murder, violating the commandment “Thou shalt not kill”. Historically the church would not hold a burial service for a member that died by suicide. They believe that a man who committed suicide went to hell. The truth is that in the Bible there is no place that says that someone who committed suicide will go to hell. A true man of God, Job, wished he had never been born (Job 3:1, 11; 10:18, 19). Prophet Elijah asked God to let him die (1Kg 19:4). Jonah did his best to die (Jonah 1:12; 4:8, 9). Yes, Judas committed suicide, and he went to hell, but it was because he did not believe in Jesus, and instead betrayed Him, resulting in His death.

EUTHANASIA

Euthanasia, also called mercy killing, is the act of deliberately ending a person’s life to relieve suffering. It is the act or of painlessly putting to death persons suffering from painful and incurable disease. It is allowing them to die by withholding treatment or withdrawing artificial life-support measures. Because there is no specific provision for it in most legal systems, it is usually regarded as either suicide (if performed by the patient himself) or murder (if performed by another). The first countries to legalize euthanasia were the Netherlands in 2001 and Belgium in 2002. In 1997 Oregon became the first state in the United States to decriminalize physician-assisted suicide. Assisted suicide is the act of deliberately assisting another person to kill himself. If a relative of a person with a terminal illness obtained strong sedatives, knowing the person intended to use them to kill themselves, the relative may be considered to be assisting suicide. Both euthanasia and assisted suicide are illegal under English law and regarded as either manslaughter or murder. The maximum penalty is life imprisonment.

The Christian view is that euthanasia is sin. Death is an enemy. “The last enemy that will be destroyed is death” (1 Cor 15:26). Life is a sacred gift from God. “The Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being” (Gen 2:7). God told Israel to “choose life”! “I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live; 20 that you may love the Lord your God, that you may obey His voice, and that you may cling to Him, for He is your life and the length of your days; and that you may dwell in the land which the Lord swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give them” (Deut 30:19, 20). Euthanasia rejects the gift and takes the curse!

ABORTIONS

Abortion is the expulsion of a fetus from the uterus before it has reached the stage of viability (in human beings, is about the 20th week of gestation). An abortion may occur spontaneously, in which case it is also called a miscarriage, or it may be brought on purposefully, in which case it is often called an induced abortion. Induced abortions may be performed for following reasons: to preserve the life of the mother, her physical or mental well-being; to avoid a pregnancy resulted from rape or incest; to prevent the birth of a child with serious deformity, mental deficiency, or genetic abnormality; or to prevent a birth for social or economic reasons (such as the extreme youth of the pregnant female or very poor family). Abortions are done by aspiration, dilation and curettage, injection of saline injection in the uterus to start contractions, hormonal injections etc. They all have side effects. The bigger the pregnancy, the greater the danger for the mother. These are some emotional side effects experienced by women who did abortions: depression, worrying about not being able to conceive again, inferiority complex, guilt, nightmares, and regret.

In the Bible, abortion is a sin of shedding innocent blood. God hates that! Both the mother and the father are guilty, and they need to repent. “These six things the Lord hates, Yes, seven are an abomination to Him: A proud look, A lying tongue, Hands that shed innocent blood, A heart that devises wicked plans, Feet that are swift in running to evil…” (PV 6:16-18). “Egypt shall be a desolation, and Edom a desolate wilderness, Because of violence against the people of Judah, For they have shed innocent blood in their land. But Judah shall abide forever, And Jerusalem from generation to generation. For I will acquit them of the guilt of bloodshed, whom I had not acquitted; For the Lord dwells in Zion” (Joel 3:19-21). Unconfessed sin of abortion is punished by God with ‘desolation’ (loneliness, depression). There is mercy with God!

WARS

War is a state of usually open and declared armed hostile conflict between nations. There are no real victors in a war. Many people die on both sides of the conflict. World War I (1914–1918) resulted in about 20 million deaths. The number of victims of World War II (1939–1945) is estimated to be about 80 million people. Since the end of the second World War, there have been 140 wars on planted earth. Many survive the wars but are wounded. The psychological effects, too, have an impact on the everyday lives of the survivors. They experience post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, fear, and anxiety, affecting civilians and soldiers alike. Another consequence of war is the transformation of national citizens into refugees. There are about 15 million refugees worldwide. Three-quarters live in developing countries. The war has taken away their home and their livelihoods, often long-term. Hunger, malnutrition, and diseases directly threaten the refugees and their children. War is always a bad choice. No one should view war as exciting and wonderful. War must always be a sad moment in the life of a nation. Norman Schwartzkopf, general of the Desert Storm allied forces against Iraq, said, “I would never want to serve under a general who enjoyed war.” A general who hates war is a wise and safe leader. For example, no man who loves to play with guns and love to shoot, should become a police officer. He must be a man of restrain. Remember, to kill another human being is sin against God!

DEATH PENALTY

Death penalty also called capital punishment, is the execution of an offender sentenced to death after conviction by a court of law of a criminal offense. It has been widely employed since ancient times. It was usually prescribed for murder, rape, or treason (betray your country). The methods for death penalty during those ancient times were terrible: the condemned person was put in a bag with a dog and a viper and thrown into the sea; others were forced to fight unto death for the entertainment of people; crucifixion, cutting the man into half while still alive, boiling the man in hot oil, using the guillotine, decapitation, hanging or stoning to death. Sometimes the judge was merciful and exchanged the death penalty with banishment or compensation. In modern times the prison officers kill those condemned to death by lethal injection, electrocution, or hanging. Most countries have banned executions in public or shown on live TV. China executes about 1,000 people annually. Some countries like Belarus, Congo, Iran, Jordan, Nigeria, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Taiwan, Vietnam, and Yemen, execute criminals regularly.

People are divided about the issue of death penalty. Some are pro and some and contra. Those who approve of the death penalty quote the Word of God: “Whoever sheds man’s blood, By man his blood shall be shed; For in the image of God He made man” (Gen 9:6). The Christians usually reject the death penalty. They believe that God alone should kill. For example, King David committed adultery with Uriah’s wife and killed him. He prayed for mercy: “Deliver me from the guilt of bloodshed, O God, The God of my salvation, And my tongue shall sing aloud of Your righteousness” (Ps 51:14). This is what God says: “Vengeance is Mine; I will repay” (Deut 32:35). “Now see that I, even I, am He, And there is no God besides Me; I kill and I make alive; I wound and I heal; Nor is there any who can deliver from My hand” (Deut 32:39). Selah!

CAIN AND ABEL (Gen 4:1-15)

The story of these two brothers shows how fast sin started to manifest. Cain means ‘acquired’. Abel means ‘vapor’, showing how short life is on the earth. Cain is the first murderer. Abel is the first victim who was murdered on the earth. Cain was a farmer. Abel was a shepherd. Both brothers were religious and wanted to bring an offering to God. That is a good desire. But their hearts and motives were different. Cain brought to God an offering from the fruit of the ground. It signifies that he wanted to have a relationship with God thru the work of his hands, and not by faith. The ground has been cursed by God. Therefore, the offering was not acceptable to God. But Abel bought his offering by faith and with all his heart. It was from his firstborn animals and their fat. It was a blood sacrifice, acceptable to God. I am sure that Adam and Eve have told their sons that after they sinned, the fig leaves they used to cover their nakedness were not acceptable to God, that God killed a lamb and used its bloody skin to cover them. Abel believed that God wants the sacrifice of an animal. That points to the Cross of Christ. By faith, he offered the right sacrifice. God received Abel’s sacrifice, but not Cain’s. Cain is jealous on Abel and angry with God. God rebukes Cain. He tells him that his heart is not right and that he should repent before making the sacrifice. Cain refuses to repent and kills his brother. He buries him in the ground but Abel’s blood cries to God for vengeance. God judges Cain. He tells him that from now on, the earth will not produce a harvest as before. As a murderer, Cain will be a restless fugitive and vagabond on the earth. God places a mark upon Cain. No man will kill him. He will live his days to the end. The mark God placed in Cain is a sign of hope and mercy.

Abel is the first man of faith and the first man who pleased God thru his life and death. He is the first symbol of Christ. “By faith Abel offered to God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, through which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts; and through it he being dead still speaks” (Heb 11:4). Abel’s innocent blood cries for vengeance. Christ’s holy Blood speaks mercy. We come to “to Jesus, the Mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling that speaks better things than that of Abel” (Heb 12:24). Mercy is greater than vengeance. “For judgment is without mercy to the one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment” (Jam 2:13). Justice and mercy confront one another in the court room. God is the Judge. The criminal stands condemned. Justice must be done. The Judge must condemn him to death. Suddenly, Mercy stands and pleads for life. And Mercy wins at last. At the Cross, Jesus fulfilled the justice of God. He died on behalf of sinners. He paid for their sins with His Blood. But the Cross is also a revelation of God’s mercy. The throne of Jesus is a throne of mercy and grace. The throne speaks of mercy. The Judge listens. He grants forgiveness and life to the sinner saved by Grace. This is the Gospel of Christ!

Jesus said: “Love your enemies, do good, and lend, hoping for nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High. For He is kind to the unthankful and evil. Therefore, be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful” (Lk 6:35-36). God is Love and God is merciful. As God’s children, we must be the same! Selah!

THE OLD AND THE NEW MAN (Eph 4:17-32)

Lying and uncontrolled anger are the two main sins of the natural man. These sins are able to cause much pain, confusion, and division in a family or a church. The natural man is born and lives in sin. His mind is ignorant, foolish, and his heart (conscience) is spiritually blind. He is ‘past feeling’ (Eph 4:19). The word in Greek is ‘being apathetic’. To be apathetic means that you don’t care about anything. It is emotional boredom, insensitivity, and a lack of enthusiasm. Nothing around you stirs your interest. Boredom, ‘I don’t care’ attitude, is sin! The unbelievers lack any sense of shame when they commit sin. They are without conscience, without fear of God or regard for man, without any perception of the dignity of human nature, the glory of the Divine image in man, or the degradation of sin. This is a picture of the moral destruction caused by sin. Unbelievers are addicted to uncleanness and greediness. They worship self and mammon. They have no interest in serving God. Selah!

Anger is the main cause of murder! Be angry and do not sin! This is God’s command! Anger is a strong feeling you experience when you think that somebody frustrates you or has done you wrong. Anger makes you want to hurt somebody. When angry you scream, or you may become violent. In Greek, the word ‘anger’ means to be provoked, to become exasperated (impatient). The unbelievers try to suppress anger. But they fail. Suppressed anger becomes worse with time and explodes into violent behavior and even crime. Anger is a natural emotion. You can’t suppress anger, but you can control it. Nobody ‘makes you angry’! You make yourself angry! You can control it!

The command is to be angry in a good way and not to be angry in a sinful way. How do we do that? First, we must be angry at sin. To witness sin and not be angry at it, that is sin in itself. The unbelievers are ‘past feeling’. Because their conscience is damaged, their hearts are hardened, they don’t care when they witness sinful things. That is why we are commanded to show the emotion of anger when we witness sin. But we must be careful: be angry at sin and at the devil. Be angry when God’s name is insulted. But do not be angry when your name is insulted.

Do not be angry at people, at the sinners themselves. To be angry at individuals is sin! Do not sin when you are angry. There is a good anger and a sinful anger. Any anger that is above normal anger is called wrath. Any manifestation of wrath is sin. Any anger that cannot be controlled, that is sinful anger. Also, any anger that lasts for too long is a sinful anger. That is why we are commanded that the sun should not go down on your wrath. All angry feelings must be settled in prayer and repentance before evening. Unresolved anger leads to hatred, bitterness, and murder.

Practically, what should we do about angry feelings? Never become moody, bad tempered. Do not be oversensitive, or easily provoked by people. Pray for grace to love people more. Love is not easily provoked (1 Cor 13:5). Never lose your temper during a quarrel to the point that you feel ready to explode. Uncontrolled anger opens the door for the devil to attack your mind. Once the devil enters, a stronghold of bitterness is built. A strong desire to avenge yourself becomes your obsession. That leads to depression, confusion, wickedness, and inability to think straight. You need to repent and also pray for deliverance. This anger is the road to murder. The earlier you repent of it, and change your thinking, the better. Put off the old man of sin and put on the new man in Christ. May the Cross work in your life!

God’s anger is not an emotion. Because God is holy, He hates sin! The greatest manifestation was seen on the Cross, when God killed His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, who became sin for us. Remember, that God is merciful. “The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in mercy” (Ps 103:8). As a Man Jesus was angry with the religious rulers, with the hypocrites, and those who rejected His Gospel. He overturned the tables in the temple because the people only cared about making money and did not care for God.   

JESUS’ SERMON ABOUT ANGER – CHRIST FULFILLS THE LAW

“Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled. Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven. “You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder, and whoever murders will be in danger of the judgment.’ But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment. And whoever says to his brother, ‘Raca!’ shall be in danger of the council. But whoever says, ‘You fool!’ shall be in danger of hell fire. Therefore, if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift. Agree with your adversary quickly, while you are on the way with him, lest your adversary deliver you to the judge, the judge hand you over to the officer, and you be thrown into prison. Assuredly, I say to you, you will by no means get out of there till you have paid the last penny” (Matt 5:17-26).

These words are taken from the Sermon of the Mount preached by our Lord. He addresses some of the Ten Commandments. Six times He says: “you have heard that it was said to those of old… But I say to you…” Jesus does not compare The Ten Commandments with His teaching. He contrasts the Ten Commandments with the wrong interpretation of the Law by the Pharisees. He exposes them as religious hypocrites and reveals the true meaning of the Law. Remember that Jesus came to ‘fulfill the Law’. It means that He alone has obeyed the God’s completely. Only a child of God can obey the Law by the power of the Holy Spirit, having a righteousness that exceeds the righteousness of the Pharisees.

The Pharisees were guilty of reducing the power of the Law. For example, the Ten Commandments simply says: “You shall not murder”. But the Pharisees added ‘and whoever murders will be in danger of judgment’. These words are from another scripture “Whoever kills a person, the murderer shall be put to death on the testimony of witnesses; but one witness is not sufficient testimony against a person for the death penalty. Moreover, you shall take no ransom for the life of a murderer who is guilty of death, but he shall surely be put to death” (Nu 35:30, 31). By adding these words, they reduced the power of the Commandment. They say that a man must physically kill someone before he can be called a murderer. They say that the commandment is connected with the Law court. It is the human judges that declare if a man is a murder or not. Most people have not killed another man and they do not feel convicted by the sixth commandment. But Jesus said the commandment ‘you shall murder’ is from God and not from man. God alone judges if we obey it or not. The Pharisees only care about man’s judgment. They don’t care about God’s judgment at all. By this, they have reduced the authority of God and His Law. They put themselves in place of God. That is sin!

Jesus says that a man can kill another in his heart, thru his thoughts and words. Murder dwells in the heart. “A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks” (Lk 6:45). It is not enough to read the Law. You must obey the Spirit of the Law. Jesus always looks at the motive of actions. He connects causeless anger in the heart against another with murder. To be angry, to hate another, to desire another to die, to be bitter towards another, wickedness, and unforgiveness, all these emotions are classified as murder. Anger can be expressed through wicked words of insult. To call somebody ‘Raca’ or ‘you, fool’ is criminal. Speaking wickedly against another destroys his reputation, faith, shakes his confidence and peace of mind. Jesus says that insults are crimes. Killing does not only refer to the body but also to the soul and spirit.

Some say, why does Jesus prohibit us from insulting other men when He called the Pharisees ‘blind guides and fools’ (Matt 23:16, 17). Jesus is the Judge of all the earth. He came to bring salvation, but the Pharisees rejected Him and His grace. As the Messiah He has the right to send all unbelievers to hell. He alone can call them fools! But we should not insult people because we are not God! We must hate sin. We must have compassion on the sinner. Never hate people!!! Love people! “We know that we have passed from death to life because we love the brethren. He who does not love his brother abides in death. Whoever hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him” (1 Jn 3:14, 15). Anger betrays a fool. “Do not hasten in your spirit to be angry, for anger rests in the bosom of fools” (Ecc 7:9).

The sixth command is not only negative. It is not enough to say, ‘I don’t hate my enemy’. You are supposed to humble yourself and do all you can to make peace and reconcile with him. If you lack the desire to reconcile with your enemy, you cannot worship God. Pray for the grace to love your enemy! The Holy Spirit will convict you of the sin of not wanting peace. When you go to church and you want to worship, you will not have peace. God x-rays your heart as you want to worship Him. “My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth. And by this we know that we are of the truth and shall assure our hearts before Him. For if our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and knows all things. Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence toward God. And whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do those things that are pleasing in His sight” (1 Jn 3:18-22). “If I regard iniquity in my heart, The Lord will not hear” (Ps 66:18). If you have not tried to make peace with your enemy, God will not answer your prayer. Jesus says you must leave your gift at the altar and go back to make peace with your enemy. Jesus says that God can wait!!! Selah! “When a man’s ways please the LORD, He makes even his enemies to be at peace with him” (PV 16:7). Trying to make peace with your enemy will clear your conscience before God. Then God will receive your sacrifice of praise and answer your prayers. This is amazing!

God’s command not to murder, takes away from you the right for personal vengeance. You cannot apply ‘jungle justice’. You cannot take the law into your hands. Only the state can seek justice on your behalf. You have no right to decide who lives and who dies. Never forget, like glory belongs to God, vengeance belongs to God. Pray to God. Trust God to vindicate you. God’s sixth command comes so that you show restrain in all your actions. Be patient, calm, and wise especially under provocation. Do not associate or marry angry people. “Make no friendship with an angry man, And with a furious man do not go” (PV 22:24)

The Bible makes it hard for someone to kill another. For example, only one witness is not enough to kill a suspected criminal man. “Whoever is deserving of death shall be put to death on the testimony of two or three witnesses; he shall not be put to death on the testimony of one witness” (Deut 17:6). If the leaders in a community do not agree concerning a suspected murderer, they should take the case to the priests at a place God chooses. This will give more time to cool off tempers so that men will not kill another by mistake (Deut 17:8-13). The idea of appeal comes from the ancient Mosaic Law. The Law ‘an eye for an eye’ (Lev 24:19-21) was not given to punish excessively. It was to show restrain in the judgment. If a man blinded another of one eye, the attacker should not be killed. That will be excessive punishment. The restraint is to prevent over-punishment. He will only lose one eye. God told His people to build some cities called cities of refuge. If a man killed another, he could run and hide there. The leaders over there will judge the case (Deut 19:1-13). If the man killed another unintentionally, he will be free. If the man committed premeditated murder, he must be sentenced to death. This procedure was necessary so that men will not kill in anger.

God’s command reminds us that life is sacred. Think of it! Life is a gift from God. We should appreciate it. Whether you are poor or rich, you are valued by God. God loves not only your souls, but even your bodies. Love God and Love your neighbor! Love is the fulfillment of the Law. “Love does no wrong to a neighbor [it never hurts anyone]. Therefore [unselfish] love is the fulfillment of the Law” (Rom 13:10). The only hope in a tragedy is to introduce the element of Love. This is the Gospel. God sent His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, to die for sinners. Forgiveness and reconciliation with your enemy is an urgent matter. “Agree with your adversary quickly” (Matt 5:25). Remember, God is waiting for you! Humble yourself! Repent before God and man. Make peace! Make restitution as you are led by the Holy Spirit. To the glory of God and for your own good! Our Lord understood how this command spreads in many directions. He shows us how a strategy of hope, reconciliation and love that can work in the midst of tragedy. There is pain in the sixth commandment; it admits that we can harm each other. Jesus is not satisfied to simply show the limits of that harm, but He warns us. He says that if you’re on your way with an offering, and you discover that your neighbor, brother, or sister, has something against you, then go back and make peace with that one. Reconcile with man! The word ‘to reconcile’ in Greek means “to bring a new element into an ancient crisis.” A new element causes a change in that crisis. It’s a catalyst. That new element is the agape love that Christ died to gives to us. The Lord gives us the strategy of love in the face of tragedy that lies behind the sixth commandment. “A gift in secret pacifies anger, And a bribe behind the back, strong wrath” (PV 21:14). “A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger” (PV 15:1). The Gospel of Christ Crucified and resurrected is God’s gift given in secret!

OVERCOME EVIL

“Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep. Be of the same mind toward one another. Do not set your mind on high things but associate with the humble. Do not be wise in your own opinion. Repay no one evil for evil. Have regard for good things in the sight of all men. If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men. Beloved do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord. Therefore “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; If he is thirsty, give him a drink; For in so doing you will heap coals of fire on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good” (Rom 12:14-21).

Apostle Paul explains the Sermon of the Mount. He commands that during persecution, you should pray for and bless your enemies. You should not curse them. Paul knows that sin can multiply. It begets more sin. Anger produces more anger. Cursing produces more cursing. It is a vicious circle. He says that you should rejoice with those who rejoice and weep with those who weep. Pray for sensitivity and understanding. You must feel what your enemy feels. Then you will have compassion for him. Peace can be maintained even among people that are different than you. Understanding the pain of others gives you more patience, wisdom, and love towards them. It is only the humble children of God who can love like this. Anger opens the door to the devil. Refusing to be angry when under attack opens the door to God to step in and judge the matter. Let God vindicate you. He is the Judge of all. He never makes mistakes. Paul says that if your enemy is hungry, feed him. This may mean physical food or spiritual food. Your enemy is starving for some little love or encouragement. Give him that hope. You may save his life. You will be surprised at the miracle of change. The fire on his head means that his conscience will worry him to repent. It may also mean that a new hope, a new warmth of fire will come to him. He will change from an enemy into a friend. By doing that, you have won the battle. To the glory of God!

REJECTING GOD’S WORD IS A CRIME/ THE DEVIL IS A LIAR AND A MURDERER

Jesus says: “I know that you are Abraham’s descendants, but you seek to kill Me, because My word has no place in you. I speak what I have seen with My Father, and you do what you have seen with your father.” They answered and said to Him, “Abraham is our father.” Jesus said to them, “If you were Abraham’s children, you would do the works of Abraham. But now you seek to kill Me, a Man who has told you the truth which I heard from God. Abraham did not do this. You do the deeds of your father.” Then they said to Him, “We were not born of fornication; we have one Father—God.” Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love Me, for I proceeded forth and came from God; nor have I come of Myself, but He sent Me. Why do you not understand My speech? Because you are not able to listen to My word. You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it. But because I tell the truth, you do not believe Me. Which of you convicts Me of sin? And if I tell the truth, why do you not believe Me? He who is of God, hears God’s words; therefore, you do not hear, because you are not of God” (Jn 8:37-47)

THE HIRELING IS A CRIMINAL

Jesus says: “The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly. “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep. But a hireling, he who is not the shepherd, one who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees; and the wolf catches the sheep and scatters them. The hireling flees because he is a hireling and does not care about the sheep.  am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep and am known by My own. As the Father knows Me, even so I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep” (Jn 10:10-15)

LES MISERABLES BY VICTOR HUGO

Victor Hugo wrote a great novel, Les Miserables. The novel opens with a young man named Jean Valjean, who had been unjustly imprisoned for seven years for a small offense (he stole a loaf of bread). He left prison with rage in his soul. He hates all men. He wants to avenge himself. His anger builds and builds. One night he goes into the home of Father Welcome, a bishop. He’s given a meal, and the bishop invites this fugitive to spend the night. While everyone is sleeping, John Valjean sees some silver candlesticks and silver cutlery. He steals the cutlery and goes into the street. The policemen catch him. They recognize the cutlery as belonging to the bishop. They bring Valjean back. When the bishop sees him with the cutlery, he sees something deeper than anyone else sees. He sees hope! The bishop stands for Christ. Surprisingly, he tells the policemen that Jean Valjean didn’t steal the cutlery; he says that he gave it to him. He asks Valjean why he didn’t take the candlesticks, too. Jean Valjean starts trembling. He takes the two candlesticks mechanically, confused. The bishop says: ‘Now, go in peace. And when you return, my friend, it is unnecessary to pass through the garden, for you can always enter, day or night, by the front door, which is only latched.’ Then, turning to the policemen the bishop says, ‘Gentlemen, you can now go’. They did so. Jean Valjean looks pale, as if he were on the point of fainting. The bishop walks to him and says in a low voice, ‘Never forget that you have promised to me to use this money in becoming an honest man.’ Jean Valjean has no recollection of such a promise. He stands silent …. Do you notice what’s happening here? The Bishop’s good word is giving Jean Valjean a new hope, a new motivation power for his life. This is what the gospel does. It brings a new view of life into an ancient cycle. Then the bishop says: ‘Jean Valjean, my brother, you no longer belong to evil but to good. I have bought your soul. … I withdraw it from black thoughts and the spirit of perdition and give it to God’. Jean Valjean is a changed man. He lives as a true Christian to the end of his life. He helps and saves many people. What a story! Worship the Lord!

This Sunday service Pastor (Mrs) Silvia Lia Leigh preached another sermon in the series titled ‘The Ten Commandments’. Her main scriptures were taken from the book Exodus 20:1-26; Luke 15:11-32

THE TEN COMMANDMENTS – INTRODUCTION

The Ten Commandments are ten laws that God Himself gave to the ancient nation of Israel thru His servant Moses. These Biblical principles apply to men’s relationship with God and with one another. If all people on earth keep at least one of these commandments, the world will be a better place. These Commandments were spoken directly by God at Mount Sinai and written by God’s finger on tablets of stone and given to Moses. This act makes them unique in the Bible. These Ten Laws are commands and not suggestions. They are personal, spoken to individuals.

THE FIFTH COMMANDMENT – HONOR YOUR FATHER AND YOUR MOTHER

“Honor (respect, obey, care for) your father and your mother, so that your days may be prolonged in the land the LORD your God gives you” (Ex 20:12; AMP). This is the fifth commandment among the Ten Commandments. The first four guide us in our relationship with God. This is the first command about our relationship with other people. It starts with family relationships. The main reason why we honor our parents is because we want to be like Jesus, to honor God, our Heavenly Father! The benefit of honoring our parents is that God blesses us with land and long life. “Home is the university of life with parents as the professors, children as students, and life as the lab” (Adrian Rogers).

The Dictionary says that ‘honor’ means to regard someone with great respect or high esteem. You honor the one you like and admire. Honor is having a good name. A good reputation goes with honor. Honor is a privilege. Honor brings happiness, pride, and pleasure. Honor is gained thru excellent moral character and great achievements. There is no deceit in an honorable man.  First, we are commanded to honor God. Then, we honor our parents, our spiritual leaders, and others. Honoring God is done by obeying His Word, praying, attending church activities, submitting to the delegated spiritual authority, and living a life that gives glory to God. Marriage is an honorable institution (Heb 13:4). A humble man with a clear conscience is honorable. “Humility comes before honor” (PV 15:33). Serving Jesus is rewarded with honor from heaven. Disobeying God’s Word means dishonoring God. That brings a curse. God says: “those who honor Me I will honor, and those who despise Me will be insignificant and contemptible” (1Sam 2:30; AMP). Jesus says: “If anyone serves Me, let him follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also. If anyone serves Me, him My Father will honor” (Jn 12:26). Only a true Christian can honor and serve God! Selah!

What does it mean to “honor thy father and mother?” We honor our parents as we obey them, show them respect, and accept their authority. This is God’s command to guide the relationship between parents and children. “Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. “Honor your father and mother,” which is the first commandment with promise: “that it may be well with you and you may live long on the earth.” And you, fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord” (Eph 6:1-4). The children obey their parents ‘in the Lord’. This means that both the children and their parents are saved. They are one in Christ. They must behave as children of God. Because Jesus obeyed God the Father, the children must behave like Jesus. This is the right, holy thing to do. The parents have the responsibility to train and disciple their children as pastors in the family. They should not use excessive force, rude language, discrimination, or manipulation, so that the children will not be ‘provoked’. Wrong parenting makes the children become angry and bitter towards their parents and rebellious against all authority in general. The parents are the first teachers and pastors of the children. Before a child is eight years old, the foundation of his behavior in life has been laid. Selah!

To honor it means to respect, to appreciate, to value, to take into consideration, to be polite, to admire or to make allowances. How do we honor our parents? Pray for them. Greet them. Appreciate them speaking with kind words. Tell them that you love them. Words are powerful. To honor your father, it means you love your mother. To honor your mother, it means you love your father. Love your siblings. Remember that Love is practical. Help them financially. Buy gifts for them. Love means to listen. Listen to their stories. Ask them sometimes for their opinion. Even if you disagree, do not be rude to them. Do not argue with them. Speak well of your parents to other people. Never gossip them to your friends. Ask how you can help them. You honor your parents by making a habit of honoring older people in general. “You shall rise before the gray headed and honor the presence of an old man and fear your God: I am the LORD” (Lev 19:32). Honoring your parents is being respectful in words and action. Please note that honor is giving respect not only for merit but also for their position, or office. For example, you may disagree with your president or king, but you still respect his office or throne. Therefore, children of all ages should honor their parents, regardless of whether or not their parents “deserve” that honor. Selah!

Make and spend quality time with your parents. Time is so expensive. Call them on the phone or visit them. Remember their birthdays and anniversaries. Call them, send a gift or at least a recharge card. These things are appreciated so much more as your parents age. Help them without being bossy. One of the best ways to help them is to show them how to use the media (Facebook, whatsup etc). Many older people do not know how to use media tools. Be patient with them as you teach them. Talk to them in love and with wisdom. If they demand too much from you, and their needs affect your marriage, then gently but firmly set boundaries. Be sure that your spouse understands your commitment to your parents. Help her to do the same for her own parents. Honor your parents in law too. Be in the unity of the Spirit. As they age, your parents may become ‘childish’. Please, do not treat them as children. They remain your parents until their last breath. Do not compare them with other ‘better’ parents. God never makes mistakes. These two are YOUR PARENTS. Don’t ever make fun of them. At their age they do not understand joking language. Never insult or mock them! Not even in your mind! Honor them in your heart, mind, and language! It does not matter if they are rich or poor, educated or not. They are your parents and God commands you to respect them.

Remember the time you were a small boy (girl). How your mum stayed with you the whole night when you were sick. Your father bought you gifts and was happy with your good grades in school. They were not paid to take care of you! They are your life foundation. God gave them to you as a grace gift. Also remember that none is perfect. Only Jesus Christ is! Your parents tried their best for you. You are now a grown man (woman). Be grateful to God for them! Finally, be the best son (daughter) you can be. Serve God. Marry well. Take care of your family. Get a good education. Get a good job or do a good business. All parents are happy when they see that their children are successful. Selah!

To honor your parents is not an option. It is God’s command, and it must be obeyed. This command applies to small children and adults for as long as they have parents. These commands were never meant to be legalistic, but to draw us closer to God. Honor your father and mother, specifically, means to show respect for the authority in our lives. When we are young, we rely on our parents for food, care, and comfort. As we grow, the natural rebellion in us pushes against their authority. But we must obey God’s Word to honor them Obeying your parents brings blessings. You live long and well. It is a blessing to your descendants who will always serve God. “And Jeremiah said to the house of the Rechabites, “Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: ‘Because you have obeyed the commandment of Jonadab your father, and kept all his precepts and done according to all that he commanded you, therefore thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: “Jonadab the son of Rechab shall not lack a man to stand before Me forever” (Jer 35:18, 19). Jesus told the rich your ruler: “But if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments.” He said to Him, “Which ones?” Jesus said, “‘You shall not murder,’ ‘You shall not commit adultery,’ ‘You shall not steal,’ ‘You shall not bear false witness,’ ‘Honor your father and your mother,’ and, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself” (Matt 19:17-19). Honoring your parents is a sign that you are born again and have eternal life.

DISOBEDIENT CHILDREN ARE PUNISHED BY GOD

God made man. God made relationships. Marriage is God’s idea. Having a family is God’s idea. The way we relate to others in the family reflects our relationship to God. The children learn to submit to authority by obeying their parents. “Cursed is the one who treats his father or his mother with contempt.’ “And all the people shall say, ‘Amen!” (Deut 27:16). “And he who curses his father or his mother shall surely be put to death” (Ex 21:17). “For everyone who curses his father or his mother shall surely be put to death. He has cursed his father or his mother. His blood shall be upon him” (Lev 20:9). A wicked child will not prosper, spiritually and physically. If a child is rebellious to his parents, he will be rebellious to other people. As children grow older their relationship with their parents’ changes. But there is never a time when they are free from honoring their parents. “But if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever” (1Tim 5:8). Neglecting your parents means dishonoring them. This is a sure sign of being an unbeliever. The Bible says: “The eye that mocks his father, and scorns obedience to his mother, the ravens of the valley will pick it out, and the young eagles will eat it” (PV 30:17). Dishonoring your parents (natural or spiritual) causes spiritual blindness.

Rebellious wicked children who don’t care for their parents become foolish and will not make progress in life. This is God’s punishment to them. “And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting… disobedient to parents, undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving, unforgiving, unmerciful; who, knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are deserving of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them” (Rom 1:28-32). God gives them to a ‘debased mind’. “But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents…  having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away! For of this sort are those who creep into households and make captives of gullible women loaded down with sins, led away by various lusts… but they will progress no further, for their folly will be manifest to all, as theirs also was” (2 Tim 3:1-9).

God’s judgment on sin manifests in many ways. Poverty, sickness, and war is common. One of the ways is that there is a reversal of authority. The fathers, the elders, submit to the younger generation. This is a curse. “For behold, the Lord, the Lord of hosts, takes away from Jerusalem and from Judah the stock and the store, the whole supply of bread and the whole supply of water; The mighty man and the man of war, the judge, and the prophet, and the diviner and the elder; The captain of fifty and the honorable man, the counselor, and the skillful artisan, and the expert enchanter. “I will give children to be their princes, and babes shall rule over them. The people will be oppressed, everyone by another and everyone by his neighbor; The child will be insolent toward the elder, and the base toward the honorable” (Is 3:1-5). When the leaders refuse to pay the price for spiritual maturity, God will judge them. They will lose any spiritual authority they had. Children, spiritually immature people, become leaders in the families and churches. This reversal is God’s judgment, and it ends in poverty, and frustration. Selah!

THE AUTHORITY OF THE PARENTS IN ISRAEL

God invented families. God is a God or order in the families. God commands the wife to submit to her husband as Christ totally submitted to God the Father. God commands the husband to sacrificially love his wife as Christ loves the Church. God commands the children to honor their parents. God commands the parents to train the children in the way of the Lord. These are all commands and not suggestions. Only a child of God can truly obey these commands. Obeying these commands results in godly and happy families. The Jewish family consisted not only of father, mother, and their children. A family was also called ‘a household’. There were other people who were included in the household: hired servants, slaves bought with money, concubines of the father, and even foreigners. For example, God commanded Abraham to circumcise all the males in his house, as a sign of the covenant (Gen 17:26, 27). Joshua spoke as the father of his household declaring that they will never serve idols and only the living God. “As for me and my house, we will serve the LORD” (Josh 24:15). You see the great authority the father has over his household. The family submits to the father, spiritually and physically.

The word ‘father’ in the Old Testament, means more than just the male figure in the family. A Father is the ancestral originator of a people. For example, Abraham is called the Father of faith for Israel, Islam, and Christianity (Rom 4:16). Lesson: fathers can be natural or spiritual. We must honor them all. In the Bible, the father is the spiritual and physical leader of the family. In the Old Testament, the father had total authority over his children. For example, a father can sell his children into slavery (Exodus 21:7) or could kill his child. For example, Abraham was ready to kill his son Isaac in obedience to God. But God provided a ram as a sacrifice in the place of his son (Genesis 22). A father could bless or curse his children. For example, Noah got drunk and lie down naked. His younger son Ham saw his father’s nakedness. For dishonoring him, Noah cursed Ham’s son, Canaan. He will always be a slave. Noah’s older sons, Shem and Japhet, covered their father’s nakedness without looking at him. For honoring him, Noah blessed them. Their descendants will prosper and be landlords (Gen 9:18-28). The curse and the blessing remained. Many years later, God’s people conquered the land of Canaan. Selah!

In the same way, Isaac blesses his son Jacob and curses Esau to be a servant to his bother (Genesis 27). God confirms the father’s blessing and cursing on his sons. God said: “Jacob I have loved, but Esau I have hated” (Rom 9:13). Jacob, as he was dying, blessed the sons of Joseph, and his own sons (Gen 48 and 49). Ruben was Jacob’s first son. He could have been the leader of his siblings, but Jacob does not bless him because he committed adultery with one of his wives (Gen 49:3, 4; 35:22). This curse is based on God’s law: “Do not dishonor your father by having sexual relations with your mother. She is your mother; do not have relations with her. Do not have sexual relations with your father’s wife; that would dishonor your father” (Lev 18:7, 8; NIV). Lesson: Dishonoring your mother means dishonoring your father. Selah!

The first duty of the father was spiritual. He is the spiritual leader and priest of the home leading his household to worship God. It was also his duty to provide food and shelter, to maintain order in the home and to discipline the rebellious. The father was to be the best example the children have in a home. A good father and mother were praised and honored. For example, Job was a good father and priest of his home. “So, it was, when the days of feasting had run their course, that Job would send and sanctify them, and he would rise early in the morning and offer burnt offerings according to the number of them all. For Job said, “It may be that my sons have sinned and cursed God in their hearts.” Thus, Job did regularly” (Job 1:5). The mother takes care of the children especially when they are little. She works mostly behind the scenes. She prays and comforts her children who love and appreciate her. “As one whom his mother comforts. So, I will comfort you; And you shall be comforted in Jerusalem” (Is 66:13). A virtuous mother is honored by all. “Her children rise up and call her blessed; Her husband also, and he praises her: “Many daughters have done well, But you excel them all.” Charm is deceitful and beauty is passing, But a woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised. Give her of the fruit of her hands, And let her own works praise her in the gates” (PV 31:28-31).

GOOD MEN- BAD FATHERS

A bad father or mother were seen as a curse to the family and to the descendants. They “may not be like their fathers, A stubborn and rebellious generation, A generation that did not set its heart aright, And whose spirit was not faithful to God” (Ps 78:8). “Thus says the Lord: For three transgressions of Israel, and for four, I will not turn away its punishment, Because they sell the righteous for silver, And the poor for a pair of sandals. They pant after the dust of the earth which is on the head of the poor, And pervert the way of the humble. A man and his father go into the same girl, To defile My holy name” (Amos 2:6, 7). In the Bible, there are good men who are bad fathers. Jacob discriminated among his sons. He loved Joseph more than the rest of the sons. That created division in the family. (Gen 37:3, 4). The priest Eli was also a good man. But he did not discipline his sons who were wicked priests. God punished his family for that (1 Sam 2:11-14). King David was a man after God’s heart. He was a good man, but a bad father.  Both his sons Absalom and Adonijah rebelled against him and wanted to take the throne. Prophet Samuel was one of the most spiritual men in Israel, but his sons were lovers of money (1 Sam 8:1-3).

GOOD SONS

Joseph took care of his aged father, Jacob, and all of his family. He gave them Goshen, the best of the land of Egypt, to settle (Gen 47:11). King David took care of his parents when he was persecuted by King Saul. “Then David went from there to Mizpah of Moab; and he said to the king of Moab, “Please let my father and mother come here with you, till I know what God will do for me.” 4 So he brought them before the king of Moab, and they dwelt with him all the time that David was in the stronghold” (1 Sam 22:3, 4).

WHAT ARE THE RESPONSIBILITES OF THE PARENTS?

The parents are not responsible to always entertain the children and make them happy. There are times when you need to discipline the children and they will be angry. It is not possible to totally control your child. You teach your child what is right. If he disobeys you, there shall be consequences. You need to allow your children to make mistakes and learn from them. Set limits of behavior for your child.  Do not spoil them. Do not allow them to be lazy. Do not do for them what they have to do for themselves. Remember, you are not a perfect parent. You will make mistakes. Forgive yourself. Learn from mistakes. Pray for more grace. Thank God for everything!

What are the responsibilities of Christian parents towards their children? Be an example to them. Bring them to church to be dedicated to God. Pray for them. Read the Bible to them. Bring them to church to attend the services. This is one of the best gifts you give to your children. The fathers are responsible to feed and clothe the children; to pay the house rent, their education or training; and to pay their medical bills.

The parents are responsible to train in the way of the Lord, discipline, and love their children! You must guide your child in life. Make tough decisions and insist your child obeys them. Do not explain every decision you make. Train your child to be independent. He will not always be your ‘baby’. The child needs to imagine life outside your home. It takes wisdom, patience, and grace to train your child to be an adult without being overdependent on you. Life is not easy. Sometimes your child will be a champion and other times he will fail an exam. The greatest gift you give to your child is to walk with him in life. Let the child know that if he ever needs you, he can talk to you. When the children become adults, the relationship changes. It becomes more spiritual. The greatest challenges for older people are weakness of the body and mind, loneliness, fear of poverty, and the fear of death. The children must help the parents with wisdom and love.

HOW TO HONOR YOUR SPIRITUAL FATHER OR MOTHER?

*Support your pastors. Like Aaron and Hur, support your pastor in his weakness (Ex 17:10-13). Do not add unnecessary burdens. Do not make too many demands on their time and effort. Ask your pastor how you can help. Support him with prayer, encouragement, and even financially.

*Recognize your pastors in public. Never insult your pastor. Pray for him. Love him. Send messages of encouragement to him. “And we urge you, brethren, to recognize those who labor among you, and are over you in the Lord and admonish you, and to esteem them very highly in love for their work’s sake. Be at peace among yourselves” (1 Thess 5:12, 13).

*Submit to your pastors and elders. Do it for Christ’ sake! “Obey those who rule over you, and be submissive, for they watch out for your souls, as those who must give account. Let them do so with joy and not with grief, for that would be unprofitable for you” (Heb 13:17). The best way to honor your pastors is to apply the doctrine they preach. Every teacher is happy when the students obey his words.

*Protect your pastor. “Let the elders who rule well be counted worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in the word and doctrine. 18 For the Scripture says, “You shall not muzzle an ox while it treads out the grain,” and, “The laborer is worthy of his wages.” Do not receive an accusation against an elder except from two or three witnesses. Those who are sinning rebuke in the presence of all, that the rest also may fear” (1 Tim 5:17-20). Openly refuse any accusation against an elder in the church if it is coming from only one source. To insult your pastor in public is a serious offence. It is at the same level with dis-honoring your father and mother. Poverty mentality and fear of untimely death will attack your mind. If you are sure that your pastor is living in sin or he preaches false doctrines, quietly leave that church, and look for another.

SPIRITUAL COVERING

Spiritual covering is the idea that a Christian submits not only to God but also to a more mature believer, to his pastor or mentor. The idea is good in general but there are many abuses and mistakes when applied practically. This is the truth: the believer is to submit to God alone! But the teaching about submission in the Body of Christ is also Biblical. We should be “submitting to one another in the fear of God” (Eph 5:21). It is also true that we need to ask for wise counsel from others. But let us be careful. We only need God’s approval and not men’s approval. Many Christians fell into trouble by replacing God with their pastors or prophets. That is wrong. It is to prevent these religious excesses that Jesus said: “Do not call anyone on earth your father; for One is your Father, He who is in heaven” (Matt 23:9). The devil fights humble submission in the Body of Christ. Pride, emotional manipulation, can damage the relationship between a pastor and a younger believer in the congregation. Both the spiritual ‘father’ and the spiritual ‘son’ need to pray that the relationship remains ‘on the altar’, in the Presence of God at all times and no flesh comes in between. Done properly, the spiritual covering of prayer done by your pastors is a great grace gift to the Body of Christ. 

The greatest work Elijah did was not to call God’s fire down. It was to call and mentor the younger generation. Elijah went to heaven in a chariot of fire. He dropped his mantle on Elisha who called him ‘My father, my father’ (2 Kings 2:12). Elisha was the spiritual heir of Elijah. He received a double portion of anointing from Elijah, as an older son receives his inheritance. Elijah did 14 miracles. Elisha did 28 miracles. All fathers want their children to be better. John said: “I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth” (3 Jn 1:4). A true spiritual father is never threatened by his sons’ rise in ministry. But a fake ‘father’ is afraid when the younger ones become more popular and he hinders the progress of his ‘sons.’ A true father loves his sons, prays that they get stronger spiritually and rejoice when they make progress in life and ministry. 

“Remember the Law of Moses, My servant, which I commanded him in Horeb for all Israel, with the statutes and judgments. 5 Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord. And he will turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, And the hearts of the children to their fathers, Lest I come and strike the earth with a curse” (Malachi 4:4-6). These are the last words God spoke in the Old Testament. It will take about 400 years before these words will come to pass. John the Baptist came in the power of Elijah who turned the hearts of Israel from idols towards the living God. John came to introduce the Savior, Jesus Christ. He came to prophetically turn hearts to one another. First of all, John’s words touched and turned the hearts of the fathers who have become hardened and lukewarm. As the fathers slowly turned towards God, and their sons, the sons’ hearts became softer and responded. The gap between generation was closing. The desire to be a family again was revived. This turning is the effect of remembering the Ten Commandments. “Remember the Law of Moses!” Obedience to the Ten Commandments will release rain (revival) on the families. Sons will honor their fathers again. The fathers will spiritually cover their sons with blessings no other man can give. Refusal of the fathers to turn in love towards their sons, and the refusal of the sons to repent of dishonoring their fathers, will bring a curse on the land. May God turn our hearts towards Him and bless families! May revival come!

NOT MANY FATHERS

In the New Testament, we see that fathers (and mothers) are both natural and spiritual. A father is a pastor, an elder, or a spiritually mature Christian. “I have written to you, fathers, because you have known Him who is from the beginning” (1 John 2:13, 14). Paul was a spiritual father to many, among whom were Timothy and Titus. “For even if you were to have ten thousand teachers [to guide you] in Christ, yet you would not have many fathers [who led you to Christ and assumed responsibility for you], for I became your father in Christ Jesus through the good news [of salvation]” (1 Cor 4:15; AMP). In Greek, the word ‘teacher’ is a slave who was hired to take the master’s children to school.  He was not strictly a teacher. He was a boy’s guardian or tutor, a servant who had charge of the life and morals of the boys in a family. He was often a foreigner, educated and willing to work in a home. Apostle Paul said that in a church there are many people who can help you along the way. But there are not many spiritual ‘fathers’ like him, who invested their lives in the spiritual growth of the younger believers. There is a great difference between the harshness of a hireling and the loving tenderness of a father like Paul. The teachers work only for a salary. They do not love their students. But the fathers love their children. Love is the separating factor. The spiritual father is a man whom God has used to lead someone to Christ, and who continues to disciple him. There is a spiritual relationship between a spiritual father and a spiritual son. There are many Christians who only know ‘teachers.’ They have never met a mentor with the authority of a spiritual father. A believer is to honor all workers in the church, but in particular, he must honor those who ‘fathered’ them thru the Gospel.  A spiritual father is the one who loved you enough to invest his life into you, to bring you inside his spiritual home, to raise you up from the mud of immaturity so that you partake from the riches of Christ. The words of a spiritual father go deeper than the words of many teachers. They go into your bone marrow and change your understanding of life. There are many spiritual orphans in the church. They eat food, marry, work for God but they never come to the place of maturity and total peace. Something basic is lacking in them. A father makes a great difference in the life of a spiritual orphan. Honor him!

HOW TO HONOR BAD PARENTS WHO ABUSED THEIR CHILDREN

This is a difficult topic. Because we are born sinners, physical and emotional abuse in the family is common. I read that almost one million children in the United States are abused each year, and 80% of these children are victimized by a parent. This pain is a pain of betrayal. It goes deep. In the absence of the Grace of God, it becomes bitterness. The children who were victims become oppressors themselves. Their own children suffer, and the vicious circle continues. This is the best advice: a child who is abused by his parents should report them to others, or to the police. Once the children become adults, they still need to forgive their parents. Forgiveness is God’s command. Jesus commanded us to love our neighbors as we love ourselves. Our parents are the closest neighbors. Lesson: if your parents were bad, you still need to honor them. You should not insult them. Pray for them, give them money as much as possible but you don’t need to have a close relationship with them.

THE PARABLE OF THE TWO SONS (Matt 21:28-32)

How can you be a good son? According to Jesus, a good son repents of sins and does the will of his father! This is a good parable. Jesus said that a good son is one who knows and does the will of the father. In the parable of the two sons, the father asked each one to work for him. The father here stands for God. The sons stand for sinners whom the God calls. When called, the first son rudely refused. He later repented and went to do the father’s will. He stands for the prostitutes and tax collectors. They openly live in sin. They are not religious. They are not hypocrites. The second son said that he will go but did not go. He stands for the Pharisees and religious people. He speaks good words in public, but he has no desire to please God the Father. People think good of him, but his heart is hard. He is a religious hypocrite. Jesus confronts their sins. But Jesus leaves a door of grace open even to them. Jesus said to them: ““Assuredly, I say to you that tax collectors and harlots enter the kingdom of God before you” (Matt 21:31). Jesus did not say ‘instead of you’. He said ‘before you’. That means there is a chance for them to repent and enter the Kingdom of God! Praise the Lord!

THE PARABLE OF THE PRODIGAL SON (Lk 15:11-32)

This is the story of a wonderful father who has two bad sons. The Father stands for God. The prodigal son stands for the prostitutes and tax collector. These are open sinners. The older brother represents the religious hypocrites. The Father extends His hand of grace to both of them.

GOD THE FATHER AND GOD THE SON

All scriptures point to Jesus. The Holy Spirit glorifies Jesus. He is the Son of God and also the Son of Man. When Jesus was 12 years old, He went with His parents to Jerusalem. At the end of the pilgrimage, He stayed behind in the Temple, discussing with the teachers of the Law. The parents did not know. They had to go back looking for Him. When they found Him, His mother said anxiously: “Son, why have You done this to us? Look, Your father and I have sought You anxiously.” 49 And He said to them, “Why did you seek Me? Did you not know that I must be about My Father’s business?” But they did not understand the statement which He spoke to them” (Lk 2:48-50). They did not understand because Jesus was not calling Joseph ‘father’ but God, His Father. But as a good son, Jesus was obedient to His earthly parents. God blessed this obedience with great favor to God and man. “He went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was subject to them, but His mother kept all these things in her heart. And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men” (Lk 2:51, 52). Jesus grew like any child. From a baby He grew to become a child, a teenager, then a man. The only difference is that He was born without sin. He had no pride, fear, or selfishness. That made His development easier and faster than other children. His wisdom and understanding were perfect according to His age. He grew in favor with men. I think that He repaired the crooked chairs Joseph made. These chairs were the strongest and most beautiful in the city of Nazareth. Joseph no doubt was very proud of his Son. Before Jesus entered His ministry, people appreciated His humility, kindness, and wisdom. Once He started preaching and doing miracles, the religious rulers got angry and jealous, and wanted Him dead. Jesus honored His heavenly Father thru prayers and desiring to do His will.

Jesus worked as a carpenter in Nazareth until He came to the River Jordan to be baptizes by John. It was here that God the Father publicly approved the ministry of Jesus. “Then a voice came from heaven, “You are My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased” (Mk 1:11). This is a great lesson: if Jesus needed approval of His Father before He could start His ministry so much more, we need a spiritual covering to whom we are accountable. “Christ did not glorify Himself to become High Priest, but it was He who said to Him: “You are My Son, Today I have begotten You. As He also says in another place: “You are a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek”; who, in the days of His flesh, when He had offered up prayers and supplications, with vehement cries and tears to Him who was able to save Him from death, and was heard because of His godly fear, though He was a Son, yet He learned obedience by the things which He suffered. And having been perfected, He became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him” (Heb 5:5-9). Jesus is the perfect Son of God and priest. He is our example!

As a Son, Jesus made clear that He and God the Father are always one (Jn 10:30). He said that all the work He is doing is what the Father shows Him to do (Jn 5:16-18). As a Son, Jesus was never ashamed to identify with His Father. That is why the religious rulers wanted to kill Him. In the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus prayed to His Father and submitted to His will. “He went a little farther and fell on His face, and prayed, saying, “O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will” (Matt 26:39).

Our Lord, Jesus Christ, is the best example in all things of life. He was a caring son to his mother Mary. His father Jospeh was a good man too, but it seems he died before Jesus started his ministry. On the Cross, ready to die, Jesus handed over His mother Mary to Apostle John. “Now there stood by the cross of Jesus His mother, and His mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus therefore saw His mother, and the disciple whom He loved standing by, He said to His mother, “Woman, behold your son!” Then He said to the disciple, “Behold your mother!” And from that hour that disciple took her to his own home” (Jn 19:25-27).

God the Father is called ‘The Ancient of Days’ (Daniel 7:9-14). He is seen as an old man, with white hair, seated on the throne in heaven. The Son of Man, Jesus, as a victorious mature Son, comes to the throne of God the Father. He brings the spoils of war gained thru His sacrifice on the Cross. He died to save His people. God the Father is the judge. He destroys the devil. Later, Jesus Himself looks like an old man with white hair. He is the High Priest and Head of the Church. John bows before Him (Revelation 1). Worship the Lord!

“Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish. So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies; he who loves his wife loves himself” (Eph 5:25-28)

What does a wife desire from her husband? The answer to this question is found in the Word of God. I confirm it from my experience as a wife of more than 47 years and also from my experience as a Pastor. One thing is clear: the devil hates successful godly and happy marriages! To have a successful marriage it takes a lot of effort. That is why the spiritually lazy are all unhappily married people. A woman, especially if she is born again, has her own expectations concerning marriage. This is because she reads the Bible and she sees God’s standard concerning the men. She is not happy if her dreams do not come true.

This is our testimony: My husband loves me! I know it because he has proved it to me numerous times. He loves me with words and with action. He prays for me. One of the sweetest times for me it is when my husband calls me ‘out of the blues’ and says: “My wife, let me pray for you…” To me this is the highest form of love in action. I so appreciate it! Recently, having some health issues, my husband’s prayers carried me on. My husband studies the Bible daily. I love it! We discuss the wonderful things we find in the Word of God. He provides for the financial needs of the home. He is not a lazy man at all! I trust him when he promises me things. He does not lie to me. He encourages me and he corrects me when I need both. He is happy when I improve in my character. We rejoice together. He is a good father to our children and a good grandfather. We share in the burden of the ministry. We laugh together, we work together. My marriage was not perfect from the beginning for we were both sinners when we fell in love. But after we became saved, the spiritual fruit started to appear and now our marriage is a garden of the Lord. To God be all the glory!

So, what does a Christian woman desires from her husband?

*Love! The husband must love her in a particular way: ‘even as Christ loves the Church’. This is the greatest love of all. It is not just a seasonal emotion, but a forever sacrificial love.

*Prayer! The husband must pray with and for his wife. Before praying for children, for friends and the extended family, the husband must regularly pray for his wife.

*Cleansing! A godly husband must ‘wash’ his wife with the Word of God. He must study the Bible and pray to have enough ‘water and soap’ to do it regularly!

*Providing! A husband must provide for the wife. He must be an ambassador of Jehovah Jireh in the home.

*Trustworthy! A godly husband must keep his word. He should not lie or give false hopes. He should not promise things he cannot perform. Breaking a promise to the wife means breaking her heart. And that breaking takes a long time to repair. He must be 100% sexually faithful to his wife.

*Communicate! The husband must speak the truth in love! He should be a lover and a leader using good words! They should talk ‘heart to heart’, about everything. Silence is not a good communicator. You may misinterpret the absence of words. My husband and I we talk about everything. We are friends, lovers and co-laborers in ministry.

*Spiritual covering! The husband must take responsibility for the mistakes of his wife. He should not blame her harshly. He must never correct his wife in public or in the presence of their children! This correction is an art. Do not correct in anger, but always in love. Be patient and expect improvement. Rejoice when good changes come.

*A good father! The husband must be a good father to their children.

*Co-laborer! The husband must help carry the wife’s burdens. He must pray to understand his wife. This is not an easy task but with the help of the Holy Spirit he will succeed.

*Rejoice with her! He must make her laugh for laughter is like medicine. He should discuss their finances with her. They should not be greedy or wasteful. They should pay their tithes and offerings in the church.

*Be an encourager! He must encourage her to be all that God wants her to be. He should not expect perfection for no one is perfect. But they should mature spiritually and rejoice in the journey of life. Each season of life is beautiful in the presence of God!

This is a prayer I often pray. It has worked for me. If you have faith, it will work for you! “Lord Jesus, please help me to see You in my husband’s eyes…help me to feel Your touch thru my husband’s hands. Bless our marriage. Bless our home with Your presence. Let the water be changed into wine in our marriage, In Jesus’ name, amen!”

(My husband and I in the picture, during vacation)

(My beloved husband, Richmond Sisan Leigh, has gone to heaven in 2020. But these lessons about marriage are true and can benefit all who believe)

This Sunday service Pastor (Mrs) Silvia Lia Leigh preached another sermon in the series titled ‘The Ten Commandments’. Her main scriptures were taken from the book Exodus 20:1-26; Lk 13:10-17

THE TEN COMMANDMENTS – INTRODUCTION

The Ten Commandments are ten laws that God Himself gave to the ancient nation of Israel thru His servant Moses. These Biblical principles apply to men’s relationship with God and with one another. If all people on earth keep at least one of these commandments, the world will be a better place. These Commandments were spoken directly by God at Mount Sinai and written by God’s finger on tablets of stone and given to Moses. This act makes them unique in the Bible. These Ten Laws are commands and not suggestions. They are personal, spoken to individuals.

GOD’S LAW IS GIVEN TO BLESS AND PROSPER MAN

“Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful; But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night. He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf also shall not wither; And whatever he does shall prosper” (Ps 1:1-3).

God reveals the purpose of giving His Law. He wants man to be blessed!!! Selah! The word ‘blessed’ means to be happy, to be congratulated because you are a champion. This godly man is first described in negative words. He does not walk… not stand… nor sit with unbelievers. He is not slowing down to please the haters of God. He has no close relationship with lawbreakers. He loves God and His Law. God loves the man by giving Him His Law, to study it and prosper by obeying it. In other words, God delights in the prosperity of His children. Do you believe that?

GOD’S WORD IS PURE AND IT PURIFIES THE HEART

“The words of the LORD are pure words, like silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times” (Ps 12:6). “Your word is very pure; Therefore, Your servant loves it” (Ps 119:140). In Hebrew, The word ‘pure’ means to be tried in the fire and proven to be true. “As for God, His way is perfect; The word of the Lord is proven; He is a shield to all who trust in Him” (Ps 18:30). “Every word of God is pure; He is a shield to those who put their trust in Him” (PV 30:5). God’s Word is pure. Even when it passes thru the fire of affliction, God’s Word always remains true. There are no impurities made of lies. What God says, He will surely perform. Men’s words, even when they speak the truth, are mixed with flattery, lies, deception, and foolishness. Not so with God. The Bible is a Book that has passed thru the fire of hatred, persecution, scientific doubts, and literary criticism. But the Bible has lost nothing from its power and purity. The Word of God is faithful. Generation upon generation of saints have proved the truth of the Bible. God’s Word received in faith purifies the heart and makes you spiritually mature! Selah!

THE FOURTH COMMANDMENT

“Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God. In it you shall do no work: you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates. 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. Therefore, the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it” (Ex 20:8-11).

“Observe the Sabbath day, to keep it holy, as the Lord your God commanded you. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God. In it you shall do no work: you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your ox, nor your donkey, nor any of your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates, that your male servant and your female servant may rest as well as you. And remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and the Lord your God brought you out from there by a mighty hand and by an outstretched arm; therefore, the Lord your God commanded you to keep the Sabbath day” (Deut 5:12-15)

The fourth commandment applies to keeping the seventh day holy and dedicated to God. It is the most misunderstood and argued about Commandment. The word ‘Sabbath’ comes from a Hebrew word that means “to rest from labor.” The word ‘holy’ means something that is sacred or dedicated to God. The first time the Sabbath day is mentioned is at the beginning of creation. Elohim finished the work of creation and rested on the 7^th day. God blessed that day. “Thus, the heavens and the earth, and all the host of them, were finished. And on the seventh day God ended His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done. Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made” (Gen 2:1-3). The idea of combining work and rest is God’s idea. It is part of His perfect will for man. When God gave the people Manna, He told them to collect their ‘daily bread’ for six days. They are all to rest from labor on the 7^th day. That day was called Sabbath. “And so it was, on the sixth day, that they gathered twice as much bread, two omers for each one. And all the rulers of the congregation came and told Moses. Then he said to them, “This is what the Lord has said: ‘Tomorrow is a Sabbath rest, a holy Sabbath to the Lord. Bake what you will bake today, and boil what you will boil; and lay up for yourselves all that remains, to be kept until morning.’ ” So they laid it up till morning, as Moses commanded; and it did not stink, nor were there any worms in it. Then Moses said, “Eat that today, for today is a Sabbath to the Lord; today you will not find it in the field. Six days you shall gather it, but on the seventh day, the Sabbath, there will be none.” Now it happened that some of the people went out on the seventh day to gather, but they found none. And the Lord said to Moses, “How long do you refuse to keep My commandments and My laws? See! For the Lord has given you the Sabbath; therefore, He gives you on the sixth day bread for two days. Let every man remain in his place; let no man go out of his place on the seventh day.” So the people rested on the seventh day. 31 And the house of Israel called its name Manna” (Ex 16:22-31). Breaking the Sabbath made God angry. Initially, the Sabbath was not religious. Later, people used the rest to gather, to worship God and study His Word. This commandment is also connected with the Exodus of God’s people from Egypt, from the land of slavery. Celebrating the Sabbath day reminds them that God freed them by His mighty hand (Deut 5:12-15).

When Jesus came, He exposed and broke the legalism associated with the Sabbath. He called Himself the Lord of the Sabbath. He changed the law of rest from a day in the week to the eternal rest found in Him alone. There are 37 recorded miracles that Jesus did. He did seven miracles during the Sabbath. For Israel, Sabbath is Saturday, the last day in the week. Some Christian denominations like Seventh-day Adventists Church, follow the Jewish pattern and they worship God on Saturday. But for the majority of the Christians, our Sabbath is Sunday, the first day of the week, when we celebrate the resurrection of our Lord! Halleluiah! God wants us to make Sunday feel different from the other days of the week by resting from our normal daily routine and dedicating our thoughts and time to Him. The Lord has given the Sabbath day for our benefit and has commanded us to keep it holy. Observing the Sabbath shows our commitment to honor and worship God. It will bring us closer to the Lord and to our family. The Sabbath allows us to rest from our daily routine physical labors and remember the Lord, to worship Him. This is the only commandment that starts with the word ‘remember’. God knows that we tend to forget Him, His Word, and our gathering together in His holy presence. Our memory must be activated to remember God’s Word every Sunday! In the Old Testament, the Sabbath was connected and celebrated God’s work of creation. In The New Testament, Sunday is now the Christian Sabbath. It is the first day of the week. It celebrated the resurrection of our Lord and the New Creation in Christ! The Bible does not say that the Sabbath day (Saturday) should be moved to Sunday. Who changed the day? In 321 A. D. Emperor Constantine the Great issued a law that all people in the Roman Empire should rest from labor on Sunday. In the 4th century, the Council of Laodicea urged Christians to honor Sunday by abstaining from work on that day. Since then, almost all Christians attend church on Sundays.

THE BREAKING OF SABBATH WAS PUNISHED BY DEATH

In the Old Testament the breaking of Sabbath day is punished by death. “Now while the children of Israel were in the wilderness, they found a man gathering sticks on the Sabbath day. And those who found him gathering sticks brought him to Moses and Aaron, and to all the congregation. They put him under guard, because it had not been explained what should be done to him. Then the Lord said to Moses, “The man must surely be put to death; all the congregation shall stone him with stones outside the camp.” So, as the Lord commanded Moses, all the congregation brought him outside the camp and stoned him with stones, and he died” (Nu 15:32-36). This Law does not apply to the believers in Christ anymore. But it

is a reminder of the importance God gives to our gathering together, to rest from labor and worship Him.

HOW DO WE KEEP THE SABBATH DAY HOLY?

1-Prepare for Sunday!

From Monday to Saturday, we work, taking care of our responsibilities and paying our bills. God commanded man to work. God made the Garden, but Adam was to work in it (Gen 2:15). This command was given before sin entered. After the fall, God repeated the command that Adam should work (Gen 3:17-19). Because of sin, work now is more difficult. But work is still honorable. Refusing to work is sin, laziness, and rebellion. “If anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever” (1Tim 5:8). As believers, we prepare for Sunday. This is a spiritual and mental preparation. As we think about going to church on Sunday, we get excited about it. We pray. We clean the house, cook, and prepare our clothes, at the latest on Saturday evening. Sunday lunch after church must be more special than any other lunch. We put off the worries about our daily work. We sleep on time so that we are not tired.

2-We go to church on Sunday morning ready to pray, praise, listen to God’s Word and give offerings. Watching the service online is second-best.

3-We rest from regular work that brings money. We have a different mindset. We keep God at the center of our minds, We are grateful for the gift of rest. We relax at home. We do things as a family. We visit neighbors and friends. We recharge our spiritual and physical batteries.

THE BENEFITS OF REST DURING THE SABBATH DAY

It is observed that people who rest on Sunday live happier and healthier lives. We all need rest from labor. To work without rest is ‘a slave mentality’. A slave always works and never enjoys his life. Working 40-50 hours every week is more than enough to make money. This includes the hours you spend going to and coming from your office and the times you worry about your business. Because of stress, working more than 50 hours a week will bring sickness and decrease your profit. God wants us to work and to enjoy the fruit of our labor. It is true that we rest daily in the evenings, but Sabbath rest is different. It is God’s command and must be obeyed. The rest on Sunday is complete and lasts for a whole day. It is a rest for the body and for the mind. Even the house-helps and the domestic animals rest on Sunday. Observing the Sabbath day becomes a principle of life. It is part of man’s understanding of godly success and prosperity. As we rest on Sunday, we learn that man is more important than his labor. The rest breaks the routine of labor, gives us the fresh desire and the strength to start work again. The rest on Sunday makes the family stronger. But the greatest gain is spiritual. We think of God and remember Him more on Sunday than any other day. God commands His people to rest and think of Him! “Be still, and know that I am God… Stop striving… Stop fighting… Calm down, and learn that I am God… Let go [of your concerns]! Then you will know that I am God… Be in awe and know that I am God” (Ps 46:10). Selah!

SABBATH DAY IS A DELIGHT

“If you turn back your foot from [unnecessary travel on] the Sabbath, from doing your own pleasure on My holy day, and call the Sabbath a [spiritual] delight, and the holy day of the Lord honorable, and honor it, not going your own way or engaging in your own pleasure or speaking your own [idle] words, Then you will take pleasure in the Lord, and I will make you ride on the high places of the earth, and I will feed you with the [promised] heritage of Jacob your father; For the mouth of the Lord has spoken” (Is 58:13, 14; AMP). We should avoid traveling on Sundays. Sabbath is to worship God and improve your family life. On Sunday, more than any other day, we must make God happy. Sunday should be called a spiritual delight, a feast and satisfaction to our souls. We honor God by coming to church. We can fast Monday to Saturday. But we feast on Sundays. This pattern is healthy for the body and the soul. God promises to promote in life those who honor Him on Sundays!

Wicked religious people hate the Sabbath day. They see it as a day when they are cheated in their business. They oppress the needy. God hates that and He promises to punish them. “Hear this, you who trample down the needy, and do away with the poor of the land, saying, “When will the New Moon [festival] be over so that we may sell grain, and the Sabbath ended so that we may open the wheat market, making the ephah [measure] smaller and the shekel bigger [that is, selling less for a higher price] and to cheat by falsifying the scales, so that we may buy the poor [as slaves] for silver [since they are unable to support themselves] and the needy for a pair of sandals, and that we may sell the leftovers of the wheat [as if it were a good grade of grain]?” The Lord has sworn [an oath] by the pride of Jacob, “Surely I shall never forget [nor leave unpunished] any of their [rebellious] acts” (Amos 8:4-7; AMP). To go to church by force, grumbling against your pastor or the sermon, thinking about your business during the Sunday service, is sin. God judges the bad attitude against His holy delightful Sabbath day. Selah!

SOME WORKS PROHIBITED BY THE JEWS DURING THE SABBATH

The Pharisees prohibited many types of work during the Sabbath day. Even today, the orthodox religious Jews abide by these regulations.

1-Carrying items in public

This law prohibits carrying objects in public. They said it is the first and most important law concerning the Sabbath. They say you leave the house with only the clothes on you. They forbid you carrying any bag, or even your house keys. The law does not affect you work indoors. They made this law because God forbade His people to go out and collect (carry) manna during the 7th day (Ex 16:22-31). Jesus healed a lame man during the Sabbath. He told him to carry his matt and walk (Jn 5:8-17). The Pharisees rebuked the man for carrying his matt on Sabbath. They did not rejoice with the miracle. They grumbled about breaking the law. This is a religious legalistic evil spirit.

2-Burning fire

This prohibition was taken from the Book of Exodus. “These are the words which the Lord has commanded you to do: Work shall be done for six days, but the seventh day shall be a holy day for you, a Sabbath of rest to the Lord. Whoever does any work on it shall be put to death. You shall kindle no fire throughout your dwellings on the Sabbath day” (Ex 35:1-3). The Jews say that striking a match, putting on a fire, or smoking a cigar is forbidden during the Sabbath. Because a car burns fuel to move, no Jew drives a car during the Sabbath. A bulb burns a filament to produce light. Therefore, no bulb should be put on during the Sabbath (they leave the light on from Friday). A Jew does not use any electrical appliances during the Sabbath. That also includes using the phone. 

According to them, other works forbidden during the Sabbath: Marrying, divorcing; all writing, erasing, typing; all cooking and baking; washing clothes; sewing; digging in the garden, watering the plants, sowing, reaping; harvesting, building, demolishing a building; slaughtering of any animal. For example, if a mosquito bites you on the Sabbath, you must allow it to do so.  You could not rescue a drowning person on the Sabbath. If a man’s ox fell into the ditch, he could pull it out, but if the man fell in, he had to stay there. This is legalistic interpretation of the law.

SABBATH WAS MADE FOR MAN/ JESUS IS LORD OF THE SABBATH/ EATING ON SABBATH DAY (Matt 12:1-8)

“At that time Jesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath. And His disciples were hungry and began to pluck heads of grain and to eat. And when the Pharisees saw it, they said to Him, “Look, Your disciples are doing what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath!” But He said to them, “Have you not read what David did when he was hungry, he and those who were with him: how he entered the house of God and ate the showbread which was not lawful for him to eat, nor for those who were with him, but only for the priests? Or have you not read in the law that on the Sabbath the priests in the temple profane the Sabbath, and are blameless? Yet I say to you that in this place there is One greater than the temple. But if you had known what this means, ‘I desire mercy and not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the guiltless. For the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath” (Matt 12:1-8). “And He said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath. Therefore, the Son of Man is also Lord of the Sabbath” (Mk 2:27, 28).

The Pharisees accused Jesus’s disciples of breaking the Sabbath Day law by plucking and eating grain from a field. They said this is ‘harvesting’. Jesus confronted them saying that God desires mercy and no sacrifice. The Pharisees did not care about men in need. They were not merciful. They changed the spiritual meaning of the Law for religious ceremonies and burdensome laws. Claiming to love God, they hated people. Jesus says that mercy is supreme. God created man and God takes care of man. God provides for the hungry. Religious spirits misunderstand the Sabbath. God did not forbid all work on the Sabbath day. He forbade only the work that is seen as business, with the intent to make money. That applies to all the Christians, including the pastors. Lesson: No pastor should preach for money, but to honor God who has called him to service and to feed God’s flock. No Christian should think about making money on Sunday. The Pharisees wrongly interpreted the law. Jesus directs them to a story in the Old Testament when David and his followers ate the showbread from the holy place. That bread was to be eaten only by the priests. But the priests gave the holy bread to David and his followers to eat (1 Sam 21:1-6). God did not punish them. Jesus confirms this story saying that what the priests did was right. David was hungry and in need. God is merciful. God knows when people are hungry. He blesses people in need. He feeds them. On Sunday, God feeds His people with His Word. As we see from the miracles Jesus performed on the Sabbath, this is a day we rest from regular labor, we come to church to serve God, and we show mercy to men!

In Egypt, for 400 years, as slaves, God’s people never had a day of rest. God introduced the Sabbath to bless and help men. Sabbath is a lifting of the yoke of labor, not to be an added burden. By eating grains, the disciples did not break the Sabbath Law. It was the wrong legalistic interpretation of the Pharisees who made Sabbath to be an added burden. The problem with the Pharisees is that they did not know the purpose of the law. They enforced external obedience and ignored the internal motivation. They protected the Sabbath day against protecting and helping men, who are created by God. Jesus thought that helping men on the Sabbath is more important than any ceremonial law of behavior during that day. Jesus Himself declared that He is the Lord of the Sabbath. He created it and He has the right to use it as He wishes. This is a matter of authority. Man must submit to the authority of Jesus.

The Sabbath law applies to the Jews of the Old Testament more than any other of the Ten commandments. By healing and helping the needy, Jesus intended to abolish it. The Sabbath Law does not apply to the Christians. It was a “sign” of the Mosaic covenant, as the rainbow was a “sign” of Noah’ covenant and male circumcision was to Abrahamic covenant. By criticizing Jesus, the Pharisees proved to be rebellious against His authority. Lesson: going to church on Sunday is to encounter God’s presence, where there is fullness of joy and liberty. Going to church is not another difficult day in a week, to experience pain, oppression, and depression. Jesus is the Lord of Sabbath. He is God, in charge of our lives every day, including the Sabbath. Jesus is the Lawgiver. He gave the Law of Sabbath. God’s people should rest from labor. He is the Judge of all. He alone understands and interprets the Law of Sabbath. When you come to Jesus, you come to the Supreme Court of the whole universe! The Pharisees accused the Lawgiver of breaking the Law. Their reaction proves that they did not believe in Jesus and did not submit to him. Religion is still the number one enemy to true Christianity!

HEALING THE MAN WITH A WITHERED RIGHT HAND ON THE SABBATH (Matt 12:9-14).

“Now when He had departed from there, He went into their synagogue. 10 And behold, there was a man who had a withered hand. And they asked Him, saying, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?”—that they might accuse Him. Then He said to them, “What man is there among you who has one sheep, and if it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will not lay hold of it and lift it out? Of how much more value then is a man than a sheep? Therefore, it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.” Then He said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” And he stretched it out, and it was restored as whole as the other. 14 Then the Pharisees went out and plotted against Him, how they might destroy Him” (Matt 12:9-14).

This is a story of miraculous healing of a man whose right hand was paralyzed (Lk 6:6). The man could not work. By healing him, the man can now go back to work. Jesus “looked around at them with anger, being grieved by the hardness of their hearts” (Mk 3:5). This is the only place we read that Jesus is angry and grieved at the same time. He loves the sinner but hates his sin. The Pharisees were watching Jesus to see if He will heal that man on the Sabbath. They knew that Jesus is merciful, and He may do that. Their law said that healing is possible during the Sabbath but only if it is a matter of life and death. Healing a withered hand was not an emergency according to them. Religious spirits are oppressors. They hate mercy and grace. Lesson: religious spirits hinder your miracle. They waste your time. Jesus is asking them to be reasonable. They say that they can rescue a fallen sheep without breaking the Sabbath law. But a sick man can wait. Jesus said that man is more important than a sheep. He asked them: “Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?” (Mk 3:4). With all their religion, they were planning to kill Jesus. There was murder in their hearts even on the Sabbath. Jesus commands the sick man: “Step forward… stretch out your hand” (Mk 3:3, 5). He wanted all people to see the miracle. He commanded the man to do what was impossible for him. The man obeyed. His obedient faith manifested. Jesus healed the man without any direct touch, by His sovereign will. Lesson: As the Lord of the Sabbath Jesus can do anything He wants to do during any Sunday service. The effect of the miracle was instant. The sick man rejoiced in his healing. But the Pharisees became crazy with anger and “discussed with one another what they might do to Jesus” (Lk 6:11). This anger is different than the anger of the Lord. This was a sinful anger of jealousy. Their hatred eventually ended in them crucifying Jesus. After this incident, Jesus withdraws to the hills, away from His enemies, to commune with God the Father. Lesson: the withered hand is a symbol of what sin has done to us. It has disfigured us. It has weakened us. We cannot work well. The One whose hands we have pierced is the only One who can save and heal us! Praise the Lord!

WHY WAS THE SABBATH GIVEN?

The Sabbath was given as a sign between God and Israel to mark the exodus from Egypt. It was a sign of His covenant with Israel made through Moses, which was a covenant unique and peculiar to Israel. It has nothing to do with the church. For that reason, the Sabbath day law is never repeated in the listings of the commandments when they are given to the church. The Sabbath Day does not belong to the church age, nor to the New Testament. As Lord of the Sabbath, Jesus did away with it for those living under grace! He fulfilled the Law by replacing the Law of Sabbath with Himself. The rest of one Day a week was replaced with the eternal rest in Christ alone. The Sabbath Day always fell on the Seventh Day. But after Calvary, things were different. Jesus arose from the dead on the FIRST day of the week. The day of Pentecost fell on the FIRST day of the week. The Holy Spirit came on the FIRST day of the week. The early church met to worship on the FIRST day of the week. As Christians, we worship the Lord on the first day, not seventh, which is Sunday. The Sabbath is strictly a Jewish custom and law. It belongs to the dispensation of the Law. Sign between God and Israel, and not the church. It began with Moses but ended with Christ.

CHRIST IS OUR TRUE SABBATH REST

“Come to Me, all who are weary and heavily burdened [by religious rituals that provide no peace], and I will give you rest [refreshing your souls with salvation]. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me [following Me as My disciple], for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest (renewal, blessed quiet) for your souls. For My yoke is easy [to bear] and My burden is light” (Matt 11:28-39; AMP).

Sabbath was given for men to have rest from physical labor. Spiritually, Jesus gives us the perfect rest of salvation. He paid the price on the Cross so that we don’t have to work for our salvation. This rest is a Grace gift. It is received by faith. The religious rulers keep the Sabbath, but they do not have the rest in Christ. They believe that salvation is gained by their works. They believe that you can lose your salvation by not doing all the religious works. This is a common error even among the Christians today.  Leave religious arguments behind and come to Jesus! Be careful of the danger of hypocrisy! Our rest is not in a day but in a Person, our Lord Jesus Christ! We are not under Law, but under Grace. In other words, let’s all of us remember that in the mind of Christ people and their needs come before religious ceremonies. People matter to God. We should understand that God is primarily a God of love, and not a God of Law. Lesson: Love God and love one another!

“So let no one judge you in food or in drink, or regarding a festival or a new moon or sabbaths, which are a shadow of things to come, but the substance is of Christ. Let no one cheat you of your reward, taking delight in false humility and worship of angels, intruding into those things which he has not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind, and not holding fast to the Head, from whom all the body, nourished and knit together by joints and ligaments, grows with the increase that is from God” (Col 2:16-19). Paul lowers the importance of the Sabbath. He places it next to pagan festivals. He says that for the children of God, the Jewish Sabbath is no longer important. The Law of the Sabbath is the shadow of the reality which is Christ Himself. The Pharisees had a spirit of religion. They forbade many things during the Sabbath day, making it a burden. People hated the Sabbath day because of so many restrictions. Christ came to fulfill the Law, including the Law of the Sabbath. The Jews still celebrate the Sabbath every Saturday. From the time Jesus died and resurrected the Christians changed the Sabbath to Sunday, the first day of the week, when they celebrate the Resurrection of the Lord. The Sabbath for Christians is more spiritual.

A CROOKED LIFE MADE STRAIGHT (Lk 13:10-17)

This is a beautiful story of faith and healing during the Sabbath. This woman was very sick, bent over, completely overcame. She could not look up. Her sickness could not be hidden. She was in serious physical pain. Her sickness had spiritual roots. Satan bound her. The word ‘bound’ means to force her and tie her down. She cannot free herself. She was ‘a daughter of Abraham’. In other words, she was a child of God. A Christian cannot be possessed by a demon. But a demon can afflict a child of God with sickness, poverty, or other infirmities, making his life harder. This woman was sick for the past 18 years. If she came to the Synagogue every Sabbath, she came to ‘church’ almost 1000 times before her miracle came. She had not been healed but she still believes in God. She comes to every service even when nobody misses her. She remained faithful and committed to God! Just imagine if that day when Jesus came as a guest, she did not attend the service. Lesson: If you seek God, if you are faithful, God will one day meet you at the point of your need. She had a spirit of infirmity. This word means bodily weakness, like dying. To ‘loose from an infirmity’ is a medical word. Luke, who wrote this story, was a medical doctor. The words describe two steps in a healing: The contracted ligaments of the body became loose, or softer. Then the curved spine, gets straight and strong at once. The miracle restores the body back to normal. What was tight becomes loose, and what was soft becomes strong. Lesson: Our Lord said that by faith we too can bind and lose to bring situations to normal. “Assuredly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven” (Matt 18:18). Amen!

This is God’s promise: “The voice of one crying in the wilderness: “Prepare the way of the Lord Make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill brought low; The crooked places shall be made straight and the rough places smooth; The glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together; For the mouth of the Lord has spoken” (Is 40:3-5). By healing this woman with a crooked spine, the glory of God was revealed thru Christ! Halleluiah!  We are to be free from the deception and crookedness of the world. That “you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world” (Phil 2:15).

Once Jesus healed her, the people in the synagogue started rejoicing. But like the Pharisees, the ruler of the synagogue got angry. He did not care about this woman, if she walks bent over or she is straight, if she comes to church or not. He told the people that if they want a miracle, they have six days to come. He did not want to insult Jesus directly, that is why he abused the crowd. What did the ruler have in mind? The Jewish doctors do not work during the Sabbath except for extreme cases of emergency. But this woman had a chronic problem. She was sick for 18 years. According to their law, she should have waited until the next day to ask Doctor Jesus for a miracle. Lesson: religious spirits see miracles as work. They do not know God’s mercy and grace. They say that Sunday is no time for miracles. They bring doubt in people’s hearts. They grieve the Holy Spirit blocking the way of the supernatural. The ruler of the synagogue did not care for the needs of the people. All he cared about was the religious ceremony and the money in the offering box. Jesus said that Sabbath was created by God as a gift to needy men. Jesus rebuked him calling him a religious hypocrite. This man was this woman’s pastor! No wonder she waited for so long for her miracle! Her pastor did not care for her. Others in the synagogue did not care for her. They saw her as a monster, a cripple, a hopeless case, a woman with an incurable sickness. She had no value in society. This woman suffered much. Now, she does not care anymore if people laugh at her or not. She was looking for her Savior and Healer.

The woman did not speak a word before the miracle. She had a silent deep faith. No need for words. “But when Jesus saw her, He called her to Him and said to her, “Woman, you are loosed from your infirmity. And He laid His hands on her, and immediately she was made straight, and glorified God” (Lk 13:12, 13). Immediately she was made straight and Worshipped God! Jesus saw her with the eyes of love. Sin and sickness bent her over. Jesus was her Creator, Elohim; Jehovah El Shaddai, the God who loves like a mother, loves her crippled baby. What she could not do by herself for 18 years, Jesus did with just one word. Once healed, the first thing the woman did was to praise God. Lesson: Sin bends us down. A sinner has no vision of heaven. The child of God looks up, to Jesus! Like Elijah, he stands before God and man, to praise the living God. The story ends with joy! It is a total victory. God’s name is exulted. The woman joined the choir praising God. God’s enemies (that includes the pastor) were put to shame. And all believers lifted their voices in praise in one accord to God! Hallelujah! Worship the Lord!

“Draw me… Take me away with You… let us hurry!

Let the King bring me into His chambers” (Song 1:4)

‘Draw me closer to You, my Lord…’ This is one of the greatest prayers for a Christian. You may ask: why do I have to pray such a prayer? I already know Jesus Christ. I am a child of God. Why then should I ask the Lord ‘to draw me’? This is because there are many levels of intimacy with the Lord. The Christian life is not stagnant. It is not a lake that slowly evaporates in the heat of a merciless sun. The eternal life is like a river, ever increasing, becoming a flood, until finally it disappears into the ocean of God’s grace. Another reason to pray such a prayer it is because the heart of man is deceitful. You may have your feet close to the throne in heaven and your heart is still looking down to earth, longing for things left behind.

‘Draw me…’ This is called the drawing of Love, the drawing of Grace. Love is like a magnet; its force breaks every chain of the world. It is a royal voice calling you into the chambers of holy things never felt before.

As for me, I am right now sited at His banqueting table and His Banner over me is Love! I have tasted and I now testify that my Lord Jesus is good and strong and sweet. His voice is powerful and gentle at the same time. His song is like a trumpet and like the strings at the same time. In His embrace I finally lose myself, I let go of my fears… of all these unanswered questions bothering my mind. My Lord knows all things concerning me and that is enough for me. He whispers Love to my heart. He breathes Peace to my soul.

This is my morning dose of the Holy Spirit. Just because of the way it started, I know for sure that today is a wonderful day! Let us worship the Lamb upon the Throne!

‘Draw me closer to You, my Lord, until all that is left is You and You alone! In Jesus’ name I pray, amen!’

This Sunday service Pastor (Mrs) Silvia Lia Leigh preached another sermon in the series titled ‘The Ten Commandments’. Her main scriptures were taken from the book Exodus 20:1-26; 1 Kings 18:1-46

THE TEN COMMANDMENTS – INTRODUCTION

The Ten Commandments are ten laws that God Himself gave to the ancient nation of Israel thru His servant Moses. These Biblical principles apply to men’s relationship with God and with one another. These basic laws play a fundamental role in Judaism and Christianity. The Ten Commandments appear in Exodus 20:1-17 and Deuteronomy 5:6-21. The Ten Commandments are also called God’s Law, or simply, ‘The Law’. They are like ‘instructions’ for electronic equipment. If you want to ‘function’ well in this life, study these Laws and obey them. If all people on earth keep at least one of these commandments, the world will be a better place. But the reality is that because all men are born sinners, they are lawless too. They hate God and His Word. That is why there is individual and national sin, which brings much confusion and sorrow. The Ten Commandments have influenced the behavior of people and the law system of humanity more than any other document. History has proven that every man who obeys these commandments and every nation that made them part of their constitution, have become better and more civilized. Every man or nation that rejected them, became worse. This is enough reason for us to study them and obey them. Amen!

GENERAL OBSERVATIONS ABOUT THE TEN COMMANDMENTS (3)

*The Ten Commandments were spoken directly by God at Mount Sinai. They were written by God’s finger on tablets of stone and given to Moses. This act makes them unique in the Bible. These Ten Laws are commands and not suggestions. They are personal, spoken to individuals.

*God speaks to men. He reveals Himself through His written Word, which comes with divine authority. God stands behind His written word!

*We are not told exactly how the Ten Commandments were written on the two stones. Possibly, the first 4 commandments which are about man’s relationship with God, are written on one stone. The next 6, describing man’s relationship with other men, are on the second stone.

*It is men’s responsibility to hear, learn, be careful to keep it in their minds and obey the Ten Commandments. “Hear, O Israel, the statutes and judgments which I speak in your hearing today, that you may learn them and be careful to observe them” (Deut 5:1).

*The Law is given without love, grace, mercy, or power to obey. The Law has no pity for the lawbreaker. That grace is found in Christ alone!

*The Ten Commandments apply to all people everywhere, not only to Israel! Jehovah God is the God of all the earth. “The earth is the LORD’s, and all its fullness, The world and those who dwell therein” (Ps 24:1). God is saying to all men: “I am your only God! Worship Me alone!”

*The authority of the Ten Commandments is not because ‘these laws are good for you’. The authority is based on the fact that God said so! For example, when Moses told Pharoah to let God’s people go into the wilderness, to worship Him, Pharoah proudly said: “Who is the Lord, that I should obey His voice to let Israel go? I do not know the Lord, nor will I let Israel go” (Ex 5:2). Pharoah worshipped Ra and he thought that himself is a god. He will soon know who Jehovah God is, but it was too late! If God speaks, all creation must bow! Nobody can argue with God. He is sovereign! His Word is final. Nobody fights God and wins! The Potter has total right over the clay. God is the Potter, and we are the clay.

*Some say that we don’t need God’s Law; they argue saying that many unbelievers are behaving well and are moral in conduct. But without God, even if you behave well, something vital is missing: the authority and the motivation. Without God’s Word there is no absolute truth. Men decide what is right and what is wrong. But God will never allow man to usurp His authority. From everlasting-to-everlasting God is God!

*God’s Law is written not only on the Tablets of stone but in each man’s heart. God will judge the secrets based on man’s conscience that is connected with God’s Law in his heart (Rom 2:12-16).

THE DOCTRINE OF SIN

In the Bible, sin is defined in four basic ways: Rebellion, Lawlessness, Separation from God and Missing the mark of His glory.

1-Sin is rebellion against God. “Remember! Do not forget how you provoked the Lord your God to wrath in the wilderness. From the day that you departed from the land of Egypt until you came to this place, you have been rebellious against the Lord” (Deut 9:7). Rebellion is defined as organized opposition to authority. Lucifer became proud and rebelled against God. Rebellion and pride are the first sins manifested in the universe.

2-Sin is breaking God’s Law (Lawlessness). “Whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness” (1 Jn 3:4). Lawlessness is defined as breaking the law, illegality, iniquity, disobedience, or wickedness. Because we are born sinners, we are born rebellious against God and His law. Today, most people take pleasure in being rebellious and breaking any law. They disobey all human authority. The people become more wicked. Society is becoming more dangerous. It is a sign of ‘the last days’: “But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5 having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away!” (2 Tim 3:1-5). Learn to ‘turn away’!

3-Sin is separation from God. “Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; Nor His ear heavy, that it cannot hear. But your iniquities have separated you from your God; And your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He will not hear” (Is 59:1, 2).

4-Sin is missing the mark and becoming short of God’s glory. “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Rom 3:23). To fall short means failing to reach a goal, or an expected standard that was hoped for, therefore, causing disappointment. Sin proves that man is not as good as he thinks he is. Because of sin, man fails to satisfy God. Sinful man is ‘a disappointment’ to God. Only in Christ we can be saved.

There are three types of sin: Inherited, imputed, and personal sins.

1-Inerited sin. As children inherit traits from their parents, when Adam sinned, we inherited this disposition to sin.

Lucifer was probably the most beautiful and powerful of all angels in heaven. He became proud. He wanted to be like God, to be worshipped as God (Is 14:12-15). God drove him away from heaven to earth. Some of the angels followed him. They are now called demons. Lucifer is now renamed Satan, or the Devil. He tempted Adam and Eve to rebel against God. He injected into them the poison of rebellion. They too wanted to become ‘like God’. They disobeyed God. This is how sin entered mankind. Adam’s sin is called the Original sin. All men inherit the sin of Adam and are born sinners. “Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin my mother conceived me” (Ps 51:5). Sin has affected all mankind. Thru sin, death entered humanity (Rom 5:12-15). Jesus Christ, the second Person of the Blessed Trinity became Man to die on behalf of sinners. “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Rom 6:23). This is the true Gospel of salvation. Eternal life is possible only by God’s grace, thru faith in Christ Crucified and Resurrected!

2-Imputed sin. Used in both financial and legal settings, the Greek word translated “impute” means “to take something that belongs to someone and credit it to another’s account.” Before the Law of Moses was given, sin was not imputed to man, although men were still sinners because of inherited sin. After the Law was given, sins committed in violation of the Law were imputed (accounted) to them. The ultimate penalty of sin is death. Sin is king in all natural men. All men, from Adam to Moses, were subject to death, not because of their sinful acts against the Mosaic Law (which was not given yet), but because of their own inherited sinful nature. After Moses, men were subject to death both because of inherited sin from Adam and imputed sin from violating the laws of God.

God used the principle of imputation to benefit mankind when He imputed the sin of believers to the account of Jesus Christ, who paid the penalty for that sin—death—on the cross. Imputing our sin to Jesus, God treated Him as if He were a sinner, though He was not, and had Him die for the sins of the entire world. “He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world” (1 Jn 2:2). Christ died on the Cross for our sins. He did not inherit the sin of Adam. He was conceived by the Holy Spirit. He was sinless. Jesus never became a sinner. His human nature was sinless. On the Cross, our sin was imputed upon Him so that His righteousness can be imputed on us. This is the greatest exchange by which sinners are saved. “He (God the Father) made Him (God the Son) who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him” (2 Cor 5:21). Praise the Lord!

3-Personal sins. These are the sins we commit every day, by our choice. These are sins we commit because of our free will. These can be small sins like boasting of self to big sins like murder. Personal sins are the fruits of the inherited sin dwelling in our flesh. All unbelievers shall be judged by God. They must pay the penalty for all their inherited, imputed, and personal sins. The penalty of sin is death. “For the wages of sin is death“(Rom 6:23). Not just physical death but spiritual eternal death in hell (Rev 20:11-15). Because Jesus died for them, the believers in Christ are free from God’s judgment. They have eternal life. They go to heaven and will be with Christ forever. When a believer commits personal sins, the Holy Spirit convicts him of it. He repents and the fellowship with God is restored. As a believer, you can resist the devil and his temptations. You have the power to say ‘no’ to sin. By the power of the Holy Spirit, you die to sin and live to righteousness. This is the royal way of the Cross. This power is available only to the believers in Christ. Once we confess our personal sins to God and ask forgiveness for them, we are restored to perfect fellowship and communion with Him. “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1Jn 1:9). Thank God that all inherited sin, imputed sin, and personal sin have been crucified on the cross and now by faith in Jesus Christ our Savior “we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace” (Eph 1:7).

The following scripture is one of the easiest ways to understand what is. “Whatever is not from faith is sin” (Rom 14:23). All our decisions must be the result of prayer and hearing from God. This is the walk of faith. Any decision made without prayer is sin. Faith in God is king over sin!

THE SECOND COMMANDMENT

“You shall not make for yourself a carved image—any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments” (Ex 20:4-6)

This Commandment forbids idolatry, the making, and the worshipping of images. Idolatry is worshipping a physical object as a god, an excessive attachment or blind devotion to something. “An idol is anything in our lives that occupies the place that should be occupied by God alone. Anything that is central in my life, anything that seems to me essential. An idol is anything by which I live and on which I depend, anything that holds such a controlling position in my life that it moves, rouses, and attracts too much of my time, attention, energy, and money.” (M. L. Jones).

“Cursed is the one who makes a carved or molded image, an abomination to the Lord, the work of the hands of the craftsman, and sets it up in secret. And all the people shall answer and say, ‘Amen!’ (Deut 27:15)

COVETOUSNESS (GREED) IS IDOLATRY

“Therefore, put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry” (Col 3:5). Covetousness (Greed) is idolatry. Greed is defined as a strong never satisfied desire to have more money or material possessions that belong to another, to be used selfishly, while ignoring God and eternal life. Greed is also called the Love of money. “ For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows” (1 Tim 6:10). The rich and the poor can be guilty of worshipping mammon. Jesus said: “No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one and love the other; or else he will hold to the one and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon” (Matt 6:24). Greed puts too much importance on the temporal things, on what the body needs, and too little value on spiritual eternal things! Selah!

TRYING TO MANIPULATE GOD IS IDOLATRY

Idols are deeply offensive to God. God’s name is “I am who I am”, not ‘I am who you want me to be’. Trying to manipulate God to do what you want Him to do is idolatry. Idolatry is worshipping what should be used and using what should be worshipped. Trying to ‘use’ God is idolatry. I want to worship God but there is something in me that wants God to answer my request. Loving God in the midst of pain and disappointment is true worship. God cannot be manipulated. God is to be worshipped. When God does not answer us, we get angry. That is idolatry. You want to ‘use’ God like He is your servant. That is idolatry. Idolatry is replacing the Creator with created things. For example, marriage is a created thing. Marriage is God’s idea so that together, the husband and his wife, can serve God better. Family is a created thing so that the children can grow into an environment to better know God and learn to serve Him. Marriage and family can never be God. Loving the family too much and ignoring God and His Word is idolatry. God punishes idolatry because all idols are deceptive and destructive.

These days, men want to remove God from His throne and put man there. Jesus Christ is the only true image of God! “He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation” (Col 1:15). “He who has seen Me has seen the Father; so how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?” (Jn 14:9). “And he who sees Me sees Him who sent Me” (Jn 12:45). To see Jesus, you need to have your spiritual eyes open, to be born again.

THE DESCENDANTS OF IDOLATERS SUFFER

In the second Commandment God says that he ‘visits’ the sin of the fathers upon the descendants. The word ‘visit’ here means to extract the punishment, to avenge the sin of the fathers upon his descendants. Many people misunderstand these words. God is never unrighteous. He does not randomly punish the children for the sins of their fathers. God says: “The soul who sins shall die. The son shall not bear the guilt of the father, nor the father bear the guilt of the son. The righteousness of the righteous shall be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon himself” (Ezek 18:20). The meaning of this ‘visiting’ of sins is that the children and grandchildren of parents who are involved in idolatry are born with a great disadvantage in life. They learn from their parents to do terrible things. For example, the son of an armed robber or the daughter of a prostitute will grow in an environment where moral evil is practiced daily without the fear of God. For good or for bad, children imitate their parents. It is proved that the children repeat the sins of their parents. Every sin has a domino effect on others. It is hard for these children to rise above the sins of their parents. God punishes idolatry. The children share in this punishment. They suffer poverty and neglect with their parents. Only the Grace of God, faith in the Gospel that can separate the children from the effect of evil in the family. Once born again, the children of sinful parents receive the strength to live differently to the glory of God!

WHY DOES GOD FORBID IDOLATRY?

1-God is Spirit, He is invisible. God forbids the making of any image to represent Him because no image made by man can truly represent God. The making of idols gives a false representation of God. It leads to false worship. That is why God forbids it. God said: “You shall not make idols for yourselves; neither a carved image nor a sacred pillar shall you rear up for yourselves; nor shall you set up an engraved stone in your land, to bow down to it; for I am the LORD your God” (Lev 26:1). Many churches are so beautiful inside. They have paintings and sculptures of Jesus or other saints. But no image can represent God. They are all far below the beauty and glory of God. Images of God do not draw men closer to God. Art, painting, sculpture, are beautiful to express God’s creation. But art cannot represent God well. Idols are limited. God is unlimited.

2- God is the Creator. God does not share His glory with anyone. “I am the LORD; that is My name! I will not yield My glory to another or My praise to idols” (Is 42:8). “For the Lord is great and greatly to be praised; He is also to be feared above all gods. For all the gods of the peoples are idols, but the Lord made the heavens. Honor and majesty are before Him; Strength and gladness are in His place” (1 Chr 16:25-27).

WHY DO PEOPLE LOVE TO WORSHIP IDOLS?

In the history of humanity, idolatry has been the greatest temptation for God’s people. Why is the attraction of idolatry? When men want to be religious but do not want to repent of sin, they end serving idols. Idolatry is easier to practice than worshipping Jehovah God. You make a statue of stone or wood, and you imagine that it is your god. You can bow to it or bring offerings to it. You just believe that the idol loves you and will help you. This worship is in your mind and imagination. For these people God seems far from them. Idolatry is more ‘practical’. Inventing your god is very attractive because you can tell him what to do. There is a relationship between these religious people and their idols. It is a selfish relationship. The idols need you and you need them. The idol does not insist that you should repent of your sins. You can continue in sin and still be religious. In some areas, almost all people serve idols. Idolatry is normal. Nobody will persecute you or discriminate against you. Idolatry is seen as beautiful because you can see the idols. Men may use gold and precious stones to make their idols. They decorate their shrines with flowers and fruits. The lust of their eyes is satisfied. But God is spirit, and He is invisible. You cannot ‘decorate’ God. You cannot control God. You must bow and worship Him alone. Idolatry is connected with sexual sins. Almost all people who worship idols are involved in adultery too. That pleases the flesh. Jezebel is an evil seducing spirit that tempts believers to worship idols and to commit sexual sins. “That woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, to teach and seduce My servants to commit sexual immorality and eat things sacrificed to idols” (Rev 2:20).

These days, not all men worship carved images. Most men pursue mental idols of entertainment, money, fame, or success.

EFFECTS OF IDOLATRY

God commands that we should not fear idols. It is true that idols are nothing, but they connect with demons. Making idols makes God angry. God is jealous. He will punish the idolaters. This is a warning many ignore. God’s Law punishes all idolaters with untimely death. Read Deuteronomy chapter 13 and 28. It is only thru Christ that we are free from such a terrible judgment.

No idolater can prosper. Sin always has consequences. “Thus says the Lord: Do not learn the way of the Gentiles; Do not be dismayed at the signs of heaven, for the Gentiles are dismayed at them. For the customs of the peoples are futile; For one cuts a tree from the forest, the work of the hands of the workman, with the ax. They decorate it with silver and gold; They fasten it with nails and hammers so that it will not topple. They are upright, like a palm tree, and they cannot speak; They must be carried, because they cannot go by themselves. Do not be afraid of them, for they cannot do evil, nor can they do any good” (Jer 10:2-5).

Jehovah God demands exclusive covenant loyalty. As the one true God of heaven and earth, Jehovah cannot and will not tolerate the worship of any ‘other gods’, real or imaginary. In Egypt, God defeated and disgraced all Egyptian gods. God said: “For I will pass through the land of Egypt on that night and will strike all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am the LORD” (Ex 12:12). That is how His people came out from the bondage of Egypt to worship God in the wilderness. To go back to these impotent gods, is the greatest insult to Jehovah. God reminds the people what happened to Pharoah when he opposed God trusting his own gods. In other words, any man, even a believer, who worships an idol ends like Pharaoh.

Be careful! The devil can deceive us! Good things can become idols! For example: the people disobeyed God and Moses. God sent fiery serpents to bite them. Many died. Moses prays. God shows mercy and tells Moses to make a copper snake and to lift it on a pole. Looking at that metal snake, with faith, the victim is healed. That is how the plague ended. Many years later, God’s people started to worship the metal snake Moses had manufactured. King Hezekiah breaks that snake to pieces telling them that it is now an idol (Num 21:6-9; 2 Kg18:4). What God used in the past for healing, the people want to worship now. True worship became idolatry! Selah!

Marriage is good but if you love your spouse more than you love Jesus, that person becomes your idol. Jesus said: “If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple” (Lk 14:26). Jesus cannot teach a man who says is a believer but as a secret idol in his heart. If a man says he is a Christian, and says that he loves the Bible, but he is not reading it, then the Bible has become his idol. Many Christians worship their denomination, or their pastors, alongside God. “Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen” (1 Jn 5:21).

If you worship your wealth in place of God, that is idolatry! If your money makes you proud, that is idolatry! “And you shall remember the Lord your God, for it is He who gives you power to get wealth, that He may establish His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is this day. Then it shall be, if you by any means forget the Lord your God, and follow other gods, and serve them and worship them, I testify against you this day that you shall surely perish. As the nations which the Lord destroys before you, so you shall perish, because you would not be obedient to the voice of the Lord your God” (Deut 8:18-20).

“Moreover, brethren, I do not want you to be unaware that all our fathers were under the cloud, all passed through the sea, all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, all ate the same spiritual food, and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ. But with most of them God was not well pleased, for their bodies were scattered in the wilderness. Now these things became our examples, to the intent that we should not lust after evil things as they also lusted. And do not become idolaters as were some of them. As it is written, “The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play” (1 Cor 10:1-7)

What are the devastating consequences of idolatry? Idolatry makes God angry. He will punish those who are unrepentant and continue in idolatry. God’s judgment on idolatry brings ‘a scattering’ of all good things. It brings pain, poverty, and untimely death. Idolatry blocks the grace and mercy of God. Jonah said: “Those who regard worthless idols forsake their own Mercy. But I will sacrifice to You with the voice of thanksgiving; I will pay what I have vowed. Salvation is of the Lord” (Jonah 2:8, 9). The word ‘regard’ means to pay attention, protect, admire, respect, or serve. The word ‘worthless’ means having no value or usefulness, lacking worth, producing no effect. People who worship idols grieve the Holy Spirit. They abandon God’s mercy and grace towards them. They turn from God who is kind and faithful to emptiness and sure disappointment. All human pursuit apart from seeking God is vanity.

“But our God is in heaven; He does whatever He pleases. Their idols are silver and gold, the work of men’s hands. They have mouths, but they do not speak; Eyes they have, but they do not see; They have ears, but they do not hear; Noses they have, but they do not smell; They have hands, but they do not handle; Feet they have, but they do not walk; Nor do they mutter through their throat. Those who make them are like them; So is everyone who trusts in them” (Ps 115:3-8). Those who make and worship idols become like those idols. They become spiritually deaf, dumb, and weak. Their hands become weak; therefore, the work of their hands will not prosper. They cannot walk by faith. They cannot make fast progress in life. Their soul (mind, emotions and will) becomes weak. The worship of idols is like spiritual suicide! Selah!

TRADITIONAL DEITIES IN NIGERIA

*The Yoruba people in Nigeria are extremely religious. It is believed that the Yoruba have about 6000 deities. Descendants of Yoruba people live in Cuba, Brazil, Haiti, Jamaica, Trinidad, and Tobago and in many countries in Africa. The Supreme God has three manifestations: Olodumare – The God of Creation; Olorun – The God of Heaven; Olofi – The God of the Palace, connecting heaven and earth. Other deities are: Orunmila- the god of wisdom, divination, and destiny; Shango, the god of thunder and lightning; Osanyin, the god of the forest, herbs, and medicine; Aje, the god of wealth; Olokun, the god of the sea; Yemoja, the mother goddess of women.

*The Igbo people call God Chukwu, ‘the Great Spirit’. Chukwu is often referred to as Chineke, the God who creates the Nature. Chukwu is often connected with the sun and called the ‘the Face of God’. Parallel to the idea of Chukwu as a masculine deity associated with the Sun is the idea that the Moon is feminine and closely associated with the goddess Ala, the goddess of Earth. Ala is also the ‘womb’ that holds and nurtures. The Igbo, an agrarian people, regard her as the ‘mother’ of all crops. Before planting and harvesting they hold days of ritual ceremonies to appease Ala so that she will facilitate abundant harvests. The third most important divinity in the Igbo traditional religion is Chi, the spirit believed to inhabit each individual or the soul. Amadioha is a god similar to the god Shango in the Yoruba religion. It is the god of thunder and lightning. He is therefore considered ‘The Owner of the Sky.’ Agwu is a god people fear and respect. They say it is able to cause confusion in the mind of the wise, or to clear confusion in the mind of the simple.

*For the Urhobo and Isoko people Oghene, is the supreme God. They believe he created the world. Oghene is beyond human comprehension and is only known through his actions. Because the Oghene God is so distant and unknown, he has no temples, no priests and no prayers or sacrifices are offered directly to him. Traditional Urhobo people believe they are surrounded by spiritual forces called edjo that can exist in any natural object, be it a tree, a forest, or a body of water. The edjo are unapproachable entities. They are contacted through large wood and clay sculptures that are maintained in remote, often almost inaccessible shrines. A more direct spiritual force is the orhan, a shrine for healing and health. The orhan takes the form of an elaborate clay vessel, usually sunk into the earth, containing herbs and other sacred objects.

*Prior to the arrival of the Europeans, the Itsekiri people believe in Oritse, the Creator and Supreme Being God. The deity most worshipped is called Umalokun, believed to be the god that provides food from the sea.

*For the Ijaw people, the most common name for God is Tamara. It means the Creator. Another name for God is female, Woyengi, meaning ‘our Mother’. An important deity is Egbesu, whose symbols are the leopard and lion. Egbesu is a god of justice or a god of war. One of Egbesu’s laws is patience. An Ijaw person should not be the one to start a fight and should respond only when he must. Ijaw people believe that God is only one, but besides him there are many lower beings: spirits, deceased ancestors, demons, etc. The water spirits are the most worshiped ones.

ELIJAH’S CHALLENGE (1 Kg 18:1-46).

This is the Jewish History: The Jews tended to worship other gods. That is why God sent them into exile. The people from the Northern Kingdom got assimilated with the pagans. The Southern Kingdom was later conquered by Babylon. In Babylon, they repented of idolatry. From the time the Jews came back from Babylon, they never worshipped a visible image of another god. Although the Jews have separated themselves from the worship of images, statues or persons claiming divinity, the tendency toward and practice of magic arts (chants, spells, charms, healing devices, special foods, magical numbers, and many secret rituals) has continued to be found among Jews until today.

God uses prophet Elijah to confront the worship of Baal in Israel. During the time of King Ahab and his wife Jezebel, Elijah declared drought in the whole country as God’s punishment for idolatry. After three years of drought, famine and suffering, Elijah confronts the worshippers of Baal on top of Mount Carmel. The God that ‘answers by fire’ was to be declared God. Baal was totally impotent to help his worshippers. Jehovah proved to be the only God! When Elijah prayed, the fire fell. It was not an ordinary fire! It was the fire of the Lord!!! Lesson: The greatest need in the church today is not money, or gifted men, it is revival, the power from on high or the fire of the Lord. It is the symbol of the presence and power of God. What is the difference between a Spirit filled Christian and a backslider? It is the fire of God! The Christian on fire is passionate, holy, and pure for Jesus! Elijah did some things before the fire fell. To experience revival, we must do the same.

1-The fire fell when the man of God became courageous and confronted sin!

People hate changes. They were blindly following Ahab and Jezebel. Elijah came to them and confronted them: “How long will you falter between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow Him; but if Baal, follow him.” But the people answered him not a word” (1Kg 18:21). The people were brought to a decision because they have suffered for three and a half years. God humbled them. They are now willing to change. Elijah also has learned that he is nothing and God is Everything. God is now ready to use Elijah! Three times we read the words; ‘Elijah is here!’ Revival starts with courageous faith!

2-The fire fell when the altar was rebuilt

Elijah did not use the new altars Jezebel made. The people ignored the old altars. He repaired the old unused altar. Elijah waited until ‘the evening sacrifice’. He wanted to pray and offer the sacrifice at the same time as the worship done in the temple at Jerusalem. He wanted to keep the unity of the Spirit. The altar was made of natural stones, not polished stone (Ex 20:22-26). Lesson: God rejects the work of men for salvation. God wants the worshippers to be humble as they bring sacrifices to Him. The Altar stands for Christ.

3-The fire fell when the sacrifice was presented.

The priests of Baal killed the bull and threw it carelessly on their altar. Confusion followed. But Elijah did everything in order, obeying God’s Word. “And he put the wood in order, cut the bull in pieces, and laid it on the wood” (v 33). Lesson: every piece of our lives is to be surrendered to God. “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God” (Rom 12:1, 2).

4-The fire fell when the water was poured

Because of the drought, more than silver or gold, water was the most expensive thing that day. Elijah commanded: pour water! “Do it a second time,” and they did it a second time; and he said, “Do it a third time,” and they did it a third time. 35 So the water ran all around the altar; and he also filled the trench with water” (v 34, 35). True worship is expensive. Praise is a sacrifice! We must worship God from an overflow of love!

5-The fire fell when prayer was made

Finally, after everything was properly set, Elijah ‘came near and prayed 63 words in English. The words in Hebrew are even less than that. The prayer lasted 20 seconds. He prayed to the point. He did not pray for those who forsook God. He prayed that God would glorify Himself. That is a prayer from a pure heart with 100% faith. Elijah did not want to use God’s fire to become famous. It was all for the glory of God. “And it came to pass, at the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that Elijah the prophet came near and said, “Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, let it be known this day that You are God in Israel, and I am Your servant, and that I have done all these things at Your word. Hear me, O Lord, hear me, that this people may know that You are the Lord God, and that You have turned their hearts back to You again” (1 Kings 18:36, 37). This is one of the greatest prayers in the Bible! Elijah prayed! Elijah prayed to the unchangeable God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel. He prayed that God would vindicate His name, that He is God. He prayed that God would confirm that he, Elijah is God’s faithful servant who has obeyed God’s Word. “The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much” (Jam 5:16). The prophets of Ball prayed for hours but none answered them. Elijah prayed for 20 seconds, and the fire came down.

‘Then’ (and only then), the fire of the Lord came. This is not an ordinary fire. It was the fire that came from God in heaven. Natural fire goes upwards. But this fire came down. It destroyed everything in its path. The fire first consumed the sacrifice, not the wood. Secondly, it consumed the wood, the stones, the dust, and the water. The fire did not fall on the people, but on the sacrifice. Jesus died on the Cross that we may not die. Nothing resists God’s fire. It is the fire of judgment on sin. “Our God is a consuming fire” (Heb 12:29). All the people fell down worshipping and acknowledging that Jehovah is the only God! After this mighty manifestation of God’s presence, the long-awaited rain came on the land! Both in judgment and blessings, God alone is God! Lesson: if we fulfill the conditions, revival will come to this nation! Amen!

Elijah was a man of faith, “who through faith subdued kingdoms, worked righteousness… escaped the edge of the sword” (Heb 11:33, 34). Elijah was like us, with natural weaknesses but he was also a man of prayer. “Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain; and it did not rain on the land for three years and six months. And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit” (Jam 5:17, 18). Too many Christians worship a God that is too small to be the God of the Bible!

The altar and the sacrificed bull on the altar, are symbols of Christ. The Fire of God that consumed all is a proof the God has accepted the altar and the sacrifice on it. Christ crucified is the sacrifice and the Cross is the Altar. The resurrection of Christ proved that God has accepted the sacrifice of His Son. At Pentecost, the Fire came from heaven as proof that God has accepted the sacrifice of Christ and so, the Church was born.

There were seven thousand men who did not bow their knees to Baal. But these men were afraid and hid in the mountains. They did not encourage Elijah. They did not stand with him in public. Elijah did not even know that they existed. It is said that the most painful word in English is ‘alone’. Elijah stood alone! He stood before Satan and his servants. He stood alone against King Ahab and four hundred and fifty priests of Baal. Elijah was a great man. Elijah was not a clown in the church! He was a solo voice without a choir, singing God’s praise in the wilderness. Elijah was a voice in the desert. He was not an echo or a parrot. He was a man who knew his God! Lesson: ‘One with God is majority’ (Martin Luther). If we fulfill the conditions, we’ll experience revival! Amen! Worship the Lord!