Life is a Struggle

Pastor Colin Smith

  

"All these I have kept since my youth!" Mark 10:20

On one occasion Jesus talked with a brilliant young man about the 10 Commandments. The man said, "I've kept them all." He really believed he had. What about you? Where do you stand in relation to the 10 Commandments? I want to suggest 3 possibilities:

Some of us feel we've kept them

The man hadn't murdered anyone. He'd been faithful to his wife. He hadn't told any big lies or raided a bank. He was a good, upright citizen, who flossed his teeth and paid his taxes. There are lots of folks who feel like this. Some of them hang out in churches.

The problem is that he didn't understand the commandments. Jesus made it clear that the commandments aren't limited to actions. They search the thoughts of your mind and the feelings of your heart (Matthew 5). If you don't know about the struggle of keeping the commands, it probably means you haven't started climbing.

Treasure Digest: Question and Answer: Why Doesn't Your Church Use the Symbol of the Cross?

What does the Bible say about the cross?

Answer:
Thank you for your interest. The Greek word translated as "cross" is stauros. It means the upright or stake portion of an instrument of execution that has been used in several cultures down through history. Sometimes executioners used a crosspiece at the top of or in different places on the stake; at other times, there was no crosspiece. It's impossible to know exactly what type the Romans used in the crucifixion of Christ. It is clear, however, that the Romans attached a sign over His head (Matthew 27:37), which could have been upon a stake or a crosspiece.

Because Christ's death is of such monumental significance to the Christian, some have mistakenly thought that the cross should be a part of Christian worship. But we should remember that it was an instrument of torture. When we stop to realize that fact, it should be clear that it's grossly inappropriate to wear it as religious jewelry or an object of worship. Some would argue that using a cross in this manner symbolizes the value of Christ's death. We disagree.

Buried Treasure

"The LORD said to Moses, 'Chisel out two stone tablets like the first ones, and I will write on them the words that were on the first tablets, which you broke.'" — Exodus 34:1
The Torah portion for this week, Ki Tisa, is from Exodus 30:11–34:35 and 1 Kings 18:1–39.

There is an old Hasidic tale about a poor God-fearing Jew who lived in the city of Prague. One night, the man had a dream that he traveled to Vienna, and there, at the base of a bridge leading to the king's palace, he found a buried treasure. At first the man dismissed the dream as nonsense, but as the dream persisted, the man began to believe that perhaps its message was true.

Eventually, the man set out for Vienna and found the bridge that led to the king's palace. The problem was that the bridge was heavily guarded by armed men. The man paced back and forth near the bridge for days not knowing what to do. Finally, one of the guards demanded to know what he was up to. The poor man was frightened and told the guard all about his dream and his buried treasure.

American Idol

Written by Chante Truscott

Take today’s next step: Make The Life commitment and put Jesus right at the center of your life.  

“You shall have no other gods before me.” (Exodus 20:3)

The nation has been taken over by the phenomenon that is known as American Idol. This competition places singers one against another to achieve a great prize at the end. The uniqueness of this competition is that the public is able to vote for their favorite contestant. So, the winner may not necessarily be the best singer but the person who is most liked by the voters.

When God gave the children of Israel the Ten Commandments, He was giving them direct laws about how to live their lives in order to honor Him. These laws are ingrained in the Christian faith today. The first thing that God outlined to them was that they should not have any other gods before Him.

The Great Purpose of Christian Stewardship

1 Chronicles 16:23–36

Retired missionary Paul R. Lindholm begins a reflection on what he views as the overriding purpose of Christian stewardship—glorifying God—with a humorous vignette:

A church choir director asked a clerk in a music store for a copy of an anthem with the title, “The Glory of the Lord.” The clerk called to the person working in the storage shelves for a copy. Finding none, the clerk called down: “The Glory of the Lord” is out of print.

In print and in thought, the shekinah glory of our Lord does not have the prominence nor attention it should have.

The Lawgiver

On the chalkboard for my Sunday school class I drew a small square inside a large circle. "The circle represents life and the box stands for the laws of God. Where are you?" I placed an X inside the box and I placed another outside the box. "Which best represents you and your understanding of the laws of God?"

From there I went on to explain that committed Christians tend to take one of two positions: inside or outside the box. Those inside the box are keenly aware of God's laws and carefully obey them. Their lives revolve around staying away from the four walls of the box. Their freedom, although limited, is that they can do what they want, but within the confines of the walls.

Some in the class used the box to define their lives. The laws, rules, regulations, injunctions, commands, and statutes of God were about as far as they would travel.