Who is Jesus?

Image via Wikipedia

A man? A Child in a manger? A friend? A Confidant? A god or The God of Heaven?

To answer this question you must empty your mind. No, this is not some new age discipline or higher life exhortation, just empty your mind off all you have been taught about Jesus Christ ok!

Now, read this:

God, who at many times and in many ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, by whom also He made the worlds, who being the shining splendor of His glory, and the express image of His essence, and upholding all things by the word of His power, through Himself cleansing of our sins, He sat down on the right of the Majesty on high, being made so much better than the angels, as He has by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they. For to which of the angels did He say at any time, “You are My Son, this day I have begotten You?” And again, “I will be to Him a Father, and He shall be to Me a Son?” And again, when He brings in the First-born into the world, He says, “And let all the angels of God worship Him.” And of the angels He says, “Who makes His angels spirits and His ministers a flame of fire.” But to the Son He says, “Your throne, O God, is forever and ever. A scepter of righteousness is the scepter of Your kingdom. You have loved righteousness and hated iniquity, therefore God, Your God, has anointed You with the oil of gladness above Your fellows.” And, “You, Lord, have laid the foundation of the earth in the beginning, and the heavens are the works of Your hands. They shall perish, but You will remain. And they shall all become old as a garment, and as a covering You shall fold them up, and they shall be changed. But You are the same, and Your years shall not fail.” But to which of the angels, did He say at any time, “Sit on My right hand until I make Your enemies Your footstool?” Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for those who shall be heirs of salvation?

(Hebrews 1:1-14)

What did you read – that Jesus is greater than angels? Yes He is – but why? Because He is God!

Now read this:

Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip. For if the word spoken by angels was steadfast, and if every transgression and disobedience received a just recompense of reward, how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation, which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by those who heard Him; God also bearing them witness, both with signs and wonders, and with different kinds of miracles and gifts of the Holy Spirit, according to His own will? For He has not put in subjection to the angels the world to come, of which we speak. But one testified in a certain place, saying, “What is man, that You are mindful of him; or the son of man, that You visit him? You have made him a little lower than the angels. You crowned him with glory and honor and set him over the works of Your hands. You subjected all things under his feet.” For in subjecting all things to Him, He did not leave anything not subjected to Him. But now we do not see all things having been subjected to him. But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honor, that He by the grace of God should taste death for all. For it became Him, for whom are all things and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons into glory, to perfect the Captain of their salvation through sufferings. For both He who sanctifies and they who are sanctified are all of One, for which cause He is not ashamed to call them brothers, saying, “I will declare Your name to My brothers; in the midst of the assembly I will sing praise to You.” And again, “I will put My trust in Him.” And again, “Behold Me and the children whom God has given Me.” Since then the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He also Himself likewise partook of the same; that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death (that is, the Devil), and deliver those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage. For truly He did not take the nature of angels, but He took hold of the seed of Abraham. Therefore in all things it behoved him to be made like His brothers, that He might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of His people. For in that He Himself has suffered, having been tempted, He is able to rescue those who are being tempted.

(Hebrews 2:1-18)

What did you read? That Jesus is greater than angels? Yes He is – but why? Because Jesus is God!

Now read this:

Therefore, holy brothers, called to be partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus, who was faithful to Him who appointed Him, as Moses also was faithful in all his house. For He was counted worthy of more glory than Moses, because he who has built the house has more honor than the house. For every house is built by someone, but He who built all things is God. And Moses truly was faithful in all his house, as a servant, for a testimony of those things which were to be spoken afterward. But Christ was faithful as a Son over his own house; whose house we are, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm to the end. Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says, “Today if you will hear His voice, do not harden your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness, when your fathers tempted Me, proved Me, and saw My works forty years. Therefore I was grieved with that generation and said, They always err in their heart, and they have not known My ways. So I swore in My wrath, They shall not enter into My rest.” Take heed, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God. But exhort one another daily, while it is called today, lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end, while it is said, “Today if you will hear His voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation.” For some, when they had heard, did provoke; however, not all who came out of Egypt by Moses. But with whom was He grieved forty years? Was it not with those who had sinned, whose carcasses fell in the wilderness? And to whom did He swear that they should not enter into His rest, but to those who did not believe? So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief.

(Hebrews 3:1-19)

What did you read? That Jesus is greater than Man (Moses)? yes He is – but why? Because Jesus is the builder of the house, He is God!

Now read this:

Therefore, a promise being left to enter into His rest, let us fear lest any of you should seem to come short of it. For also we have had the gospel preached, as well as them. But the Word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in those who heard it. For we who have believed do enter into the rest, as He said, “I have sworn in My wrath that they should not enter into My rest;” although the works were finished from the foundation of the world. For He spoke in a certain place of the seventh day in this way: “And God rested the seventh day from all His works.” And in this place again, “They shall not enter into My rest.” Since then it remains that some must enter into it, and since they to whom it was first preached did not enter in because of unbelief, He again marks out a certain day, saying in David, “Today,” (after so long a time). Even as it is said, “Today, if you will hear His voice, harden not your hearts.” For if Joshua had given them rest, then He would not afterward have spoken of another day. So then there remains a rest to the people of God. For he who has entered into his rest, he also has ceased from his own works, as God did from His.

(Hebrews 4:1-10)

What did you read? That Jesus is greater than the promise of land to the Hebrews? Yes He is – but why? Because Jesus is the promised rest!

Now read this:

Therefore let us labor to enter into that rest, lest anyone fall after the same example of unbelief. For the Word of God is living and powerful and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing apart of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in His sight, but all things are naked and opened to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do. Since then we have a great High Priest who has passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. For we do not have a high priest who cannot be touched with the feelings of our infirmities, but was in all points tempted just as we are, yet without sin. Therefore let us come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

(Hebrews 4:11-16)

What did you read? That Jesus is greater than God’s word? Yes He is – But why? Because Jesus is…

Stay tuned until next week – or be at Jaffrey Bible Church Sunday Morning for the answer

Pastor Brent

Temptations will come!

What a great devotional from Oswald Chambers today. Many people believe that being tempted in the mind is “sinful” not remembering that Jesus Himself was tempted. Read on…

His Temptation and Ours

September 18, 2011

We do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin —Hebrews 4:15

Until we are born again, the only kind of temptation we understand is the kind mentioned in James 1:14, “Each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed.” But through regeneration we are lifted into another realm where there are other temptations to face, namely, the kind of temptations our Lord faced. The temptations of Jesus had no appeal to us as unbelievers because they were not at home in our human nature. Our Lord’s temptations and ours are in different realms until we are born again and become His brothers. The temptations of Jesus are not those of a mere man, but the temptations of God as Man. Through regeneration, the Son of God is formed in us (see Galatians 4:19), and in our physical life He has the same setting that He had on earth. Satan does not tempt us just to make us do wrong things— he tempts us to make us lose what God has put into us through regeneration, namely, the possibility of being of value to God. He does not come to us on the premise of tempting us to sin, but on the premise of shifting our point of view, and only the Spirit of God can detect this as a temptation of the devil.

Temptation means a test of the possessions held within the inner, spiritual part of our being by a power outside us and foreign to us. This makes the temptation of our Lord explainable. After Jesus’ baptism, having accepted His mission of being the One “who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29) He “was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness” (Matthew 4:1) and into the testing devices of the devil. Yet He did not become weary or exhausted. He went through the temptation “without sin,” and He retained all the possessions of His spiritual nature completely intact.

Be Careful little feet where you go!

The Cause of Judah’s Ruin

Ezekiel 33:23 Then the word of the LORD came to me,
saying: 24 “Son of man, they who inhabit those ruins in the land of
Israel are saying, ‘Abraham was only one, and he inherited the land. But we
are many; the land has been given to us as a possession.’

25 “Therefore say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD: “You eat
meat with blood, you lift up your eyes toward your idols, and shed
blood. Should you then possess the land? 26 You rely on your sword, you commit abominations, and you
defile one another’s wives. Should you then possess the land?” ’

27 “Say thus to them, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD: “As I
live, surely those who are in the ruins shall fall by the sword, and
the one who is in the open field I will give to the beasts to be
devoured, and those who are in the strongholds and caves shall die of
the pestilence. 28 For I will make the land most desolate, her arrogant
strength shall cease, and the mountains of Israel shall be so desolate that no
one will pass through. 29 Then they shall know that I am the LORD, when I have made
the land most desolate because of all their abominations which they have
committed.” ’

Be careful that you do not expect the same grace from God that Judah did! Though in sin against God – they tried to claim the promises of God: The land promise given to Abraham. We should never believe that God’s promises are for us when we are against Him. God desires obedience. God desires a “Broken and a contrite Heart”.

Do you desire God or His promises? Do you desire God or His Heaven? Do you desire God or what God can do to give you a better life?

” But seek first the kingdom of God AND His righteousness and ALL these things shall be added unto you.” Matthew 6:33

El-Elyon

After my previous post I came across this song by Gwen Smith entitled El-Elyon.

Who is God?

My name has significance. Your name does too. Some people have many names, some have few names. My name is “Brent” it is old English which means: a steep hill. I am also known by these names: brother Charles, Uncle Brent, “B”, beeza, dad, grampa and “mister”.

Each of my names has significance to the person using it as that name portrays some part of who I am that has special significance to them. For instance: “Brother Charles ” is a name given me in college by the parents and children who I ministered to in Jacksonville Florida. After three years of ministry in that name, my own children began using this name. It referred to me as a “Brother in Christ”. “B” or “Beeza” is a family nickname. Not sure of its meaning, but only the closest and most intimate friends and family use it. When I am called by either of these names it is with endearment and love. “Mister” is a special name from my wife. It was given me during a difficult time in our marriage when there was much healing taking place. I will not expound further accept to say that when we are alone and in public we sometimes use the names “Mister” and “Housekeeper” affectionately. Dad and grampa are self-explanatory. These are my names. They define me and explain me as a person.

In respect to the subject of names I have recently been struck by the supreme need to clarify “who” the God that I serve is. To call Him by His name and use the “names” that His people have used for millenia. This is important. By using these names and understanding their definitions I am learning “Who” God is and what His unique attributes are – and it excites me. Below are the names of God from the Old Testament. Each name has significance. If you are a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ and His finished work on the cross – these are the varied Old Testament names of the God you worship. May they enlighten you in your own worship of El-Elyon.

ELOHIM……Genesis 1:1, Psalm 19:1

meaning “God”, a reference to God’s power and might.

ADONAI……Malachi 1:6

meaning “Lord”, a reference to the Lordship of God.

JEHOVAH–YAHWEH…..Genesis 2:4

a reference to God’s divine salvation.

JEHOVAH-MACCADDESHEM…….Exodus 31:13

meaning “The Lord thy sanctifier”

JEHOVAH-ROHI……Psalm 23:1

meaning “The Lord my shepherd”

JEHOVAH-SHAMMAH…….Ezekiel 48:35

meaning “The Lord who is present”

JEHOVAH-RAPHA………Exodus 15:26

meaning “The Lord our healer”

JEHOVAH-TSIDKENU……Jeremiah 23:6

meaning “The Lord our righteousness”

JEHOVAH-JIREH………Genesis 22:13-14

meaning “The Lord will provide”

JEHOVAH-NISSI………Exodus 17:15

meaning “The Lord our banner”

JEHOVAH-SHALOM……..Judges 6:24

meaning “The Lord is peace”

JEHOVAH-SABBAOTH……Isaiah 6:1-3

meaning “The Lord of Hosts”

JEHOVAH-GMOLAH……..Jeremiah 51:6

meaning “The God of Recompense”

EL-ELYON…………..Genesis 14:17-20,Isaiah 14:13-14

meaning “The most high God

EL-ROI…………….Genesis 16:13

meaning “The strong one who sees”

EL-SHADDAI…………Genesis 17:1,Psalm 91:1

meaning “The God of the mountains or God Almighty”

EL-OLAM……………Isaiah 40:28-31

meaning “The everlasting God”

The Law and Love

When you love someone you desire to protect them. You want them to be safe, to not suffer, worry, to not spend their lives paying for mistakes they have made.

When you love someone you desire to communicate with them should you see they are heading towards trouble.

When you love someone you do your best to show that love.

 

 

 

 

 

 

When God gave the Ten Commandments He was showing His care, concern and love for man. He was communicating to us that these are “Ten” areas in human existence that need our attention and will contribute greatly to the outcome of a fruitful life and spioritual relationship with Him:

Deuteronomy 5:7-15  You shall have no other gods besides Me.

(8)  You shall not make a graven image for you, any likeness of anything that is in the heavens above, or in the earth beneath, or in the waters beneath the earth.  (9)  You shall not bow yourself down to them, nor serve them. For I Jehovah your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the sons to the third and fourth generation of those who hate Me,  (10)  and doing mercy to thousands of those who love Me and keep My commandments.  (11)  You shall not take the name of Jehovah your God in vain, for Jehovah will not acquit the one who takes His name in vain.

(12)  Keep the sabbath day to sanctify it, as Jehovah your God has commanded you.  (13)  Six days you shall labor and do all your work.  (14)  But the seventh day shall be the sabbath of Jehovah your God. In it you shall not do any work, you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your manservant, nor your maidservant, nor your ox, nor your ass, nor any of your cattle, nor your stranger inside your gates, so that your manservant and your maidservant may rest like yourself.  (15)  And remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and Jehovah your God brought you out from there with a mighty hand and with a stretched-out arm. Therefore Jehovah your God commanded you to keep the sabbath day.

These first commandments speak to how we should interact with the Almighty God who loves us (I speak to believers). As any Father, lover, friend would, He desires that His Children, lovers and friends not stray in their relationship to Him and follow after other gods.(Vss.7-10) Also, like any good friend would behave, He has set aside “Quality Time” to spend with Him so that the relationship can grow: one day a week.(Vss. 12-15)

Let me describe this “Law of Love” relationship in a practical way by offering up a fictional, albeit believable, scenario that would exist between two persons in love:

You, whoever you may be, desire the companionship of a certain person. After having contacted them you begin a loving discourse. You desire to spend time together. You want their attention and time. So you, as the relationship grows, announce that you desire not to know anyone else intimately,(Vs.7) that you will be faithful to them only in this relationship of love, and will enter into covenant with them, so any outside attentions from other suitors will be discerned as a desire to “Break” fellowship and will be met accordingly.(Vs. 7,8)

 One day a week you set aside to spend the entire day together.(Vs.12) Not because you ignore each other the remainder of the week, but because you desire to continue to maintain this loving relationship and enjoy the company of your lover. It is your perpetual “Date night”. Set-apart for you and your lover to meet and re-connect after a busy week. There will be no distractions (Vs. 14) and you will forever know that you were once a slave to your own lust and loneliness but now have been invited to be a part of a “Forever friendship” and as such, should remember the lonely estate you came from as a reminder of how good a relationship you have now.(Vs.15)

 My treatment of these verses today is not meant to be blasphemous towards God’s righteousness, holiness and transcendence above all that is called man. My emphasis is to show that God’s Law is not to be separated from God’s love for God’s love is law. These first commandments do not show God as authoritarian, overbearing or unkind, but rather as loving, caring and concerned for the well-being of His created man.

Prayer: Father we thank thee Lord God of Heaven and Earth that you have loved us enough to set boundaries in our relationship. We praise thee for your jealousy and desire to love and be loved by You alone. In Jesus’ name empower us to love you in keeping your commandments. Amen.

Sunday Best

Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear: For our God is a consuming fire.
(Heb 12:28-29 KJV)

I marvel at what some people wear to a Church service. I wonder if they have arrived dressed for a worship service or a slumber party?! Here we are, gathered together as God’s chosen people, to present ourselves before His throne of Grace on Sunday morning, and we wear – pajama’s? It seems that many believers are believing that Sunday morning is for them, their comfort and their needs, and so it is, to an extent. But first and foremost it is  for the believer to come before God’s throne of grace to: Give honor and glory to the Sovereign God of the Universe, hear from that Sovereign God’s written word, and encourage others who are worshipers to continue in their journey with God.

These three elements contain many individual actions: Prayer, Singing, Praises, Hearing the Word; Fellowship combining together in a corporate setting for worship IN God’s Holy presence. I emphasize presence because it appears that some folks do not believe God is present, or if He is, that He cares what they wear.

Think of it this way. If you were called to visit the President of the United States of America, what would you wear to the White House: Jeans, Tank Top, shorts, sandals, pajamas, what? Chances are good that if you are honest with yourself and the question you would answer in the affirmative that you would “Wear the “Best” I own. In some instances, money providing, you would go out and buy something new for the occasion. Just as you would for a College graduation, Job interview, wedding, or funeral. So why is it that when you present yourself with the Holy brethren before God’s Holy throne that you want to wear anything other than what the moment demands – Holy Threads. The word Holy being used in its context to mean “Set apart” for a purpose. The clothing we wear for an evening out with the wife on a 25th anniversary is typically different, “Set apart” from our everyday clothing. The clothing we wear to “Prom”, a wedding, Business dinner – all are “Set apart” and different from “Every day” clothing.

Now, if the best that there is in your wardrobe consists of a pair of blue jeans – so be it, set them apart for being in God’s presence . Man looks upon the outward appearance but God looks upon the heart. But if the best there is stays in the closet while the mediocre is brought out and worn in the presence of God – where is ones heart in the matter? Wear the best you have to worship the only God there is – Jehovah God, the God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob.

This is my personal conviction. I do not believe scripture speaks expressly to the issue of clothing. I do believe though that the God I serve is present when I worship on Sunday mornings with the brethren and that He deserves the best I have to offer: spiritually, intellectually, physically and reverently. So if you would take a minute to digest and meditate upon what I have written I would greatly appreciate it, I only desire to “Illumine your Hearts” as to who we stand before and what we are standing for on Sunday mornings.

Your Servant in Christ Jesus our Lord,

Brother Charles

FIRST-PERSON: The Christian divorce rate myth (what you’ve heard is wrong)

FIRST-PERSON: The Christian divorce rate myth (what you’ve heard is wrong).

Why Has Pastor Rick Warren Brought Speakers Into His Church That Promote The Occult?

Why Has Pastor Rick Warren Brought Speakers Into His Church That Promote The Occult?.

A Ministry Change

We have new Pastures to prepare for God's sheep.

My wife Karla and I will be joining Child Evangelism Fellowship (CEF) as of May 2nd 2011! This has been a long and heart-wrenching process that has culminated in our being called by the New Hampshire chapter of CEF to take over directorship of Camp Good News in Charlestown NH. We are forever grateful to the Jaffrey Bible Church for their years of support to us but our hearts are still in “Youth and family” ministries – specifically to children, so we embrace this opportunity to minister to children with one of the world’s best Child Evangelism Ministries – CEF.  (We also are blessed to remain at JBC and have them as our home church and their elders as our accountability.)

Child evangelism/discipleship is an area greatly overlooked by many who profess to be evangelical. The results of such ignorance being seen in the theological “Dumbing down” of the gospel message and the subsequent failure to emphasize God’s glory over man’s and our need to obey Him as Lord and Father. In a nutshell, much of what we call  children’s teaching has been boiled down to a series of programs and processes that may or may not produce Godly Children for the Lord’s glory. What children need is:

Parental Teaching

Pastoral Teaching

Re-enforced Parental Teaching

It is not enough to enroll children in a Sunday school class, AWANA, CEF program, Olympians….you name it class, the parents need to be fully engaged in child – rearing and the children need to be fully engaged in Pastoral learning. By pastoral learning I mean the same instruction that mom and dad receive – the children should receive.

When God was calling me to pastoral ministry he used these verses from John in a deep way to convict me of my calling…

“Then when they broke fast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me more than these? He said to Him, Yes, Lord, You know that I love You. He said to him, Feed My lambs. He said to him the second time, Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me? He said to Him, Yes, Lord, You know that I love You. He said to him, Feed My sheep. He said to him the third time, Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me? Peter was grieved because He said to him a third time, Do you love Me? And he said to Him, Lord, You know all things, You know that I love You. Jesus said to him, Feed My sheep.”

(Joh 21:15-17 MKJV)

The spiritual application for me was God encouraging me to feed His lambs and sheep. Two distinct persons, young in the Lord and mature in the Lord, young in age, mature in age, regardless the interpretation the exhortation is the same – feed them both. Therefore my “Preaching” has always been the same for Child and adult, with some minor changes in presentation, time, and word structure – but never, never, a change in content!

Through the years I have preached to children and adults on two continents and in six countries. I have taught on God’s sovereignty, attributes, glory, gospel, and to all ages the same biblical messages. At Jaffrey Bible Church, where I presently serve as the Teaching Pastor, many young people remain in the sanctuary for the entire service with their parents – and are growing! Others go to Junior Church where the Bible is taught without reservation as well. The point I desire to make is that children ARE capable of learning from God’s word, same as adults, and often from the same messages. In fact, I find young people to grasp biblical truth with greater clarity and conviction than most adults. This is especially true in first generation Christian families where mom and Dad are in the “Lambs” category too.

I attribute the ability to reach all ages with the same word of God to two distinct convictions:

Prayer

Expositional Preaching

Children need to have the word of God expounded to them – same as adults. I cannot concentrate on training children and adults because I am burdened to also see adults trained to teach this was as well: to pray and teach expositionally. This of course may seem like an elemental view of Child evangelism and discipleship, and it is, but that is precisely the problem I see that exists: it is so elemental that many churches miss it entirely.

So please pray for Karla and me as we embark on this new mission for God’s glory. We do not know the road that lies ahead but we know who built the road and He alone is able to be our guide in the days ahead. Pray that others will catch the vision to reach and teach the next generations for God’s glory.

I leave you with sobering words from God’s Holy Word.

And these are the commandments, the statutes, and the judgments, which Jehovah our God commanded to teach you so that you might do them in the land where you go, to possess it, that you might fear Jehovah your God, to keep all His statutes and His commandments which I command you, you, and your son, and your son’s son, all the days of your life, and so that your days may be prolonged. Then hear, O, Israel, and be careful to do it, so that it may be well with you, and that you may greatly multiply, as Jehovah, the God of our fathers has promised you, in the land that flows with milk and honey. Hear, O, Israel. Jehovah our God is one Jehovah. And you shall love Jehovah your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words which I command you this day shall be in your heart. And you shall carefully teach them to your sons, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise up. And you shall bind them for a sign upon your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. And you shall write them upon the posts of your house, and on your gates. And it shall be when Jehovah your God has brought you into the land which He swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give you great and good cities which you did not build, and houses full of every good thing which you did not fill, and wells which are dug, but which you did not dig, vineyards and olive trees which you did not plant, and you shall eat and be full, you shall be on guard lest you forget Jehovah who brought you forth out of the land of Egypt, from the house of slaves. You shall fear Jehovah your God and serve Him, and shall swear by His name. You shall not go after other gods, of the gods of the people all around you, for Jehovah your God is a jealous God among you, lest the anger of Jehovah your God be kindled against you and destroy you from off the face of the earth. You shall not tempt Jehovah your God as you tempted in Massah. You shall carefully keep the commandments of Jehovah your God, and His testimonies, and His statutes which He has commanded you. And you shall do the right and good in the sight of Jehovah, so that it may be well with you, and so that you may go in and possess the good land which Jehovah swore to your fathers, to cast out all your enemies from before you, as Jehovah has spoken. When your son asks you in time to come, saying, What are the testimonies, and the statutes and the judgments which Jehovah our God has commanded you? Then you shall say to your son, We were Pharaoh’s slaves in Egypt, and Jehovah brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand. And Jehovah gave signs and wonders, great and evil signs, upon Egypt, upon Pharaoh and upon all his household, before our eyes. And He brought us out from there so that He might bring us in to give us the land which He swore to our fathers. And Jehovah commanded us to do all these statutes, to fear Jehovah our God, for our good always, so that He might preserve us alive, as it is today. And if we are careful to do all this commandment before Jehovah our God, as He has commanded us, it shall be our righteousness.

(Deuteronomy 6:1-25 MKJV)

Love In Christ Jesus our Lord,

Brother Charles and Karla