How to be a good person?

[[Matt 19:16-17/KJV]]
16 And, behold, one came and said unto him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?
 17 And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments.

 [[Joh 17:3]] KJV
And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.

 [[Joh 17:21-23/KJV]]
 21 That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.
 22 And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one:
23 I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me.

I use to find my Lords response to being called good perplexing. Why the correction after all he was good...he had never sinned and he always did what God said he should.
The only conclusion I could gather was like his baptism he was just showing us an example.
The reason for my ignorance was I had a false perception of what being good meant. I was saved but still thinking to be good meant my will and actions made to obey what was written in the scriptures. Much like the Pharisees who believed because they had the Scriptures they knew God.
 In a similar way the Apostles asked Christ if he would now restore the kingdom(reign) to Israel. Jesus replied the kingdom(reign) of God is in you; meaning until God was sovereign in their heart He could never be sovereign and their land.
So it is that life and "to be good" is Gods life and goodness...it is not generated by man; not even Jesus. His goodness and life was the Father living through him making them one.
This same oneness has been given to us who trust in the redemption of Jesus Christ. That by Gods Holy breath of life breathed into us we may live the same life Jesus lived which is Gods life making us one.
So I encourage you "lay aside THE SIN (of self reliance) that so easily entangles us " and depend upon his Spirit to live in and through you. Become an earthen vessel carrying the goodness and life of God to all who meet you.
remember nobody can serve two masters... your life depends on either you or him

The grace and truth of Moses commands part 2

learning to love :the fifth commandment


Exo 20:12
  Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee

Eph 6:1-2
1 Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right.
2 Honour thy father and mother; (which is the first commandment with promise;)

In the first four commandments we are taught that we must love God above all else; in the next six commands that love is put into application.
Jesus taught that a child does the works of their father; as he has generated who they are. So children of Abraham believe Gods word as Abraham did...children of the devil attempt to rephrase Gods word to their own desires.
The first command dealing with God through those he loves is to honor father and mother.
We touched on what a Father is, in simplest form he is a generator of a seed of life and a mother is she who nurtures that seed to maturity.
Even after birth a father often deals with what his child shall be when they are mature while a mother deals with providing what is needed in the present.
We see this dynamic in Gods dealings with us; as the Father has given both the written and living word to show us what we shall be and the Spirit in us giving us day by day moment by moment that which is needed to mature.
We honor our mother and our father upon the earth in the same way. They have given us life and provision.For this reason God does not differentiate between a good or bad parent. If you are able to read what I have written then your parents have done enough to be honored.
If your parents have sinned against you or against God,no matter how severe, it can never take away God's desire to honor them. We must forgive we must forbear and be long suffering if we say that God is our Father. There is no loophole out of the fifth command.

love is a verb: the sixth commandment

Exo 20:13
 Thou shalt not kill.

1Jn 3:14-15
14 We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death.
15 Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him.

We are not to murder simple, straightforward. In Israel, under Moses, there was manslaughter and murder.
In accordance with the law the difference between the two was motive of the heart; for planning on a man's murder and hatred for a man ending in his death are the same. To be manslaughter, qualifying to have refuge, it had to be a complete accident with no hatred involved.
Many teachers of Moses understand murder included to kill the character of a person even if no physical violence was involved.
 They correctly determined they should not hate; that they should love.Yet still their concentration was on what they should do. The truth that Jesus brought us is that not what we do but who we are determines our actions. The commandment shows us who our faith is in; in ourselves we will break the commandment and think evil toward others. Messiah's life in us is patient, kind, long-suffering, and seeks not its own.
Trying to change how we think or act or believe are all works of our flesh generated by man... often it is the failure of these things that drives us to the grace offered by Jesus.
What is this grace He gives us? The Grace is his own life (the Spirit...breath of God) abiding in us. It is God placing us in Jesus and dying in his crucifixion being raised in a new life powered by His Spirit.
Do not let sin reign in your mortal body by leaning on the strength of your flesh to change what you do; instead trust in His Spirit to make you who you should be... through his life in you.
God has not added himself to your life, but has giving you a new life. His life shared in you.
Trust in this fact is the only thing that takes away the murder of self and others in mans heart.
*So remember it is the flesh that hears thou shalt not kill and sees something to be done...it is the Spirit that hears thou shalt not kill and sees the promise of life God has shared with us and is conforming us to .*

The protection of the seventh commandment

[[Exo 20:14]] KJV Thou shalt not commit adultery.

Compared to adultery murder is a kindness. To commit adultery involves breaking almost every commandment. It wreaks devastation in the heart and life of the those committing it, their spouses, their children, and all their family and friends. If the initial blast of deception and reproach don't kill the soul then often the fallout of shame, mistrust, blame, and guilt act as a slow poison.
It is for this reason that God proclaims Israel in breaking his covenant with them had been an adulteress bringing the devastation of Israel and Judah by means of Assyria and Babylon upon themselves.
The world portrays adultery as a natural and unavoidable occurrence. In their shows in their movies and their songs it is glorified as love.
Jesus teaches that it is not a problem of the acts of the body but of the heart. Therefore the devastation and death does not occur solely in the act but in the lust of men's fleshly heart.
The world may be correct in the flesh it is natural for the carnal man to act this way, but the grace and the truth that Jesus brought us is that we are a new creation in Christ. The new man has the life the Spirit of God living in us.
So we trust in His Spirit to write his law in our heart and in our mind changing us into who we should be.To the end that not only would we learn faithfulness to our earthly spouse but to our heavenly spouse.
If we try to follow this law by the strength of our flesh, that is our own ability, we will discover only sin and death, but if by trusting and relying on his breath of life in us(Holy Spirit) we mortify the flesh. We will see his promise of thou shalt not commit adultery lived out in our heart and body.

Why did Jesus weep?

[[Joh 11:35]] KJV Jesus wept.

[[Luk 19:41]] KJV And when he was come near, he beheld the city, and wept over it,

There are two records of Jesus weeping in the Bible. Once is for the city of Jerusalem and thereby the nation of Israel; knowing that they will reject the life he has offered and put him to death. The other is when Lazarus has died; as he sees a weeping of those around him.
There are two things we should consider about these events. The first question is the why he wept.
Those who where present assumed it was because he loved Lazarus (which he did) and now Lazarus is dead.
 We know from what Jesus has told his disciples about waking Lazarus and that he was glad that his disciples would see that the life in him was far more than healing the sick but to raising the dead. So what made him weep?
The veil of uncircumcised eyes or ears or lips or heart or mind is a covering of flesh...this is the flesh which Adam has passed to us.
 Death is a separation. So when Adams life became self generated he lost the oneness of Gods life generated in him and threw himself into a darkness.
 It is this inability to see the things pertaining to God (who is life) that is a walking death found in every man ever born from mans seed.
It is this walking death that blinded the faithful apostles from understanding the things they saw and heard as Jesus walked among them.
it was this death of the flesh that caused a loving disciple like Martha to see a future promise in written word that had no effect on her present. She not to see the living promise that stood before her.
This same darkness of death made the blessed Jews see only good man who cared deeply for his friend instead of their Messiah; anointed of YHWH to change everything from death to life.
Not many days later Jesus would destroy that death for those who trust in him.
 The flesh generated life of his followers would be laid across his shoulders and he would carry it to a hill outside of Jerusalem. There he who knew no sin would pay the wages of sin...where he who is our life would take on himself our death.

In chapter 11 of John verse nine and ten Jesus said

[[Joh 11:9-10/KJV]]
9 Jesus answered, Are there not twelve hours in the day? If any man walk in the day, he stumbleth not, because he seeth the light of this world.
10 But if a man walk in the night, he stumbleth, because there is no light in him.

He is the light of the world and while He was here his disciples could preach the gospel, heal the sick, and cast out devils...but he was going to the Father.
 In verse ten Jesus says if a man walks in the night he stumbles because he has no light IN him.
Yet our master not only carried my flesh of self to his cros;s He provided that the same life and light of God that abides in him was given to me...the Holy breath of life...The Spirit.
What does Jesus see when he looks at us...
 the confusion of his self oriented young apostles or the boldness of the apostles who expected God to work through them..
.a disciple who longs for the self benefit of what he has read or a disciple who is experiencing the living word bringing light and love and life to all around them.
 A people who look for a future promise or that embrace the fulfilled promise in them.
When Jesus looks at us does he weep?

The gift of a pure heart: lessons from Peter

[[ 1 Peter 1:6-7/KJV]]
 6 Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations:
 7 That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:

John testified of Jesus that he would baptise with Holy Spirit and fire....Jesus said that the Spirit would separate the grain from the chaff...Peter concludes that our suffering of trails and temptations purifies us like gold in fire.
The man to whom God gave more wisdom than any other concluded by experience that nothing that can be done or gained in this earth has any value that is not fleeting...saying it is all vanity and vexation of the soul.
I would believe all of us have asked God why at some point. There are always in every situation a "friend of Job" to tell us God is angry at us or we have no faith or we are in sin...at times that "friend" is our own heart.
Consider with me for a moment an allegory for this thing in the life of Paul. Paul as an apostle is a ambassador of Jesus in this role he had told those with him not to set sail. Those with him chose instead to trust the council of a worldly captain. As they set sail(vessel) on the sea(world)a great storm arose(trials). No matter how hard they tried their experience of how to steer a ship could not bring the vessel under control. They tried to lighten the load and gain control by throwing away all that was unnecessary...no help. They next tried to gain control by throwing away what was surely necessary to steer if perhaps they might gain control if only in the storm. finally they consigned themselves to death. Paul(Jesus) stands up and encourages them That God will not let them be lost as long as they are with him though the vessel will be broken and lost.
If none of this had happened a young man would not have been healed and a entire tribe would not have heard the gospel.
Their is hardship and pain in this world...God allows it in his long suffering so that all who would accept him can be given time to accept his life.
 The fire applied to us who have believed is often what is needed to make us turn loose of that which we trust in that is not truly expedient to life. It is not to harm us but to show us and those who are around us the pure undefiled trust and reliance upon only God...that at Jesus appearing we will be vessels of praise and honor and glory.
For this gain Peter says greatly rejoice though you are in heaviness.




The grace and truth of Moses commands. Part 1

The grace of the first commandment:

Exo 20:2-3
2 I am יהוה thy Elohim, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.
3 Thou shalt have no other elohim before me.

YHWH is the personal name of God. When he speaks his name he is speaking of your relationship with him; the ways in which his love is toward you and yours should be toward him.
Elohim is the name we see used of God at the beginning of Genesis. It is a name that denotes ability and power to create, to bring to pass, possessing might and authority.

So we see that He is saying I am yours and you are mine; I am your power and might and authority to possess life.
I have delivered you from those who believe themselves masters of the land I spoke into existence...I have delivered you from that which claimed you where their own possession...
I will not allow any other power, might, or authority to be with me or beside me or over you.

The flesh sees the law as something to be done; something it can never fully attain to so the law is seen as a curse of death.
The spirit sees the law as what YHWH is making us to become; that he who can not fail is forming us so the law is a promise of the life he has shared with us.

The fidelity of the second commandment.

Exo 20:4-6
4 Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth:
5 Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me;
6 And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.

Col 3:5
  Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry:

The insanity of fallen man can be clearly seen in Cain. Who took the work of his own labor and submitted himself to it; believing that it would earn him favor from that which was beyond himself.
Fallen men have continued in the futility of Cain since working to form an image and likeness that if submitted to will give them protection, providence, success, love, fertility, strength, wealth, or power.
In our modern world we have become our own idols. We work to make ourselves look, speak, and act in such a way that if we bow ourselves to this image we will gain all which idol worshipers have always tried to gain by their false way.
At the foot of Mount Sinai the children of Israel made a golden calf in the very presence of God. They said this is the God that led you out of Egypt.
In the same way the modern church teaches how to love, have faith, to do what is right saying this is God.
In trying to make ourself godly; we have forgotten that God is our Maker. He creates faith in us, He makes us to love, He forms righteousness in us.
So dearly beloved of the Lord whenever any teacher tells you to receive God's blessings and promises you must do thus and so then remember the words of our Lord and flee idolatry.
Trust in God and the life he is placed in you and he shall make you into exactly what he has promised.

The joy of the third commandment:

For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.

Exo 20:7
 Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.

Ask most people what it means to take the Lords name in vain and they would say to use his name in the form of a curse or with no true regard and respect.
While these things should not be done they miss the idea conveyed in the third commandment of Moses. The language of this command is marriage language; so taking his name is to come into covenant with him.
When a young lady married a man, in bible culture and time, she left her own family and Fathers work. The husbands family and work became her own.
So it is with the body of Christ.
When we leave the family of the world and the work of the father of flesh; Adam.(self) We are to take as our family those born of heaven and the work of our Father in heaven to save all who would accept.
If we have Christian acquaintances and worldly friends or if our life is about self fulfillment, worth, realization etc.; then we have taken his name in vain.
We can not expect to reap the benefits of having his name without the covenant relationship of loosing self and becoming one with his life.
be blessed

The peace of the fourth commandment.

Exo 20:8-11
8 Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.
9 Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work:
10 But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates:
11 For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it. 
Mat 11:28
 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

Mat 22:44
The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, till I make thine enemies thy footstool?

Eph 2:6
  And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:

meaning of sabbath

Strong's Definition: Intensive from [[H7673]]; intermission, that is, (specifically) the _Sabbath: - _ (+ every) sabbath.

The lesson of the fourth commandment is that the Holiness of God is not to be found in a mans labor but in Gods rest for man.
In the grace and truth of this command we see that a mans labor is only the lesson ... a mans life can only be found as he rest in Christ
allowing Christ to work in us.
We are told to be hidden in Christ...crucified(dead) in Christ...seated in Christ. In none of these states are we to be at work...but "the sabbath of YHWH thy Elohim in it thou shalt not do any work..."
It is God who is to both will and perform his will in us. I would imagine that all Christians have tried to do what is right in their own strength (I know I have)... to prove their love for God, or their change of life, or that they are good , or obedient, or submitted.
God will not accept our labor any more than that of Cain who brought the best of his labor. It is necessary that we present to God a innocent victim for our guilt...a life with out sin for our stained life.
The only man who ever lived a life without sin is Jesus...it is his life we must give unto God. How do we give another's life...by faith we must trust when he said he gave His life for us it was true.
only when we give up our own life(self) and trust in the life that he is giving us can we ever find peace with God... for our carnal man is enmity with God.
This is our faith that He is abiding in us and the only life we have is His life.