Opening Hymns:
700 Abide with Me http://www.hymnsite.com/lyrics/umh700.sht
Scripture Reading:
Exodus 20:1-17
20:1 Then God spoke all these words:
20:2 I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery;
20:3 you shall have no other gods before me.
20:4 You shall not make for yourself an idol, whether in the form of anything that is in heaven above, or that is on the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.
20:5 You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I the LORD your God am a jealous God, punishing children for the iniquity of parents, to the third and the fourth generation of those who reject me,
20:6 but showing steadfast love to the thousandth generation of those who love me and keep my commandments.
20:7 You shall not make wrongful use of the name of the LORD your God, for the LORD will not acquit anyone who misuses his name.
20:8 Remember the sabbath day, and keep it holy.
20:9 Six days you shall labor and do all your work.
20:10 But the seventh day is a sabbath to the LORD your God; you shall not do any work--you, your son or your daughter, your male or female slave, your livestock, or the alien resident in your towns.
20:11 For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but rested the seventh day; therefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day and consecrated it.
20:12 Honor your father and your mother, so that your days may be long in the land that the LORD your God is giving you.
20:13 You shall not murder.
20:14 You shall not commit adultery.
20:15 You shall not steal.
20:16 You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
20:17 You shall not covet your neighbor's house; you shall not covet your neighbor's wife, or male or female slave, or ox, or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.
Message:
In reading this scripture over again verse 5 and 6 catch my eye. If anything is going to motivate someone to do right in the eyes of the Lord, this will:
Exodus 20:1-17
20:1 Then God spoke all these words:
20:2 I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery;
20:3 you shall have no other gods before me.
20:4 You shall not make for yourself an idol, whether in the form of anything that is in heaven above, or that is on the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.
20:5 You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I the LORD your God am a jealous God, punishing children for the iniquity of parents, to the third and the fourth generation of those who reject me,
20:6 but showing steadfast love to the thousandth generation of those who love me and keep my commandments.
20:7 You shall not make wrongful use of the name of the LORD your God, for the LORD will not acquit anyone who misuses his name.
20:8 Remember the sabbath day, and keep it holy.
20:9 Six days you shall labor and do all your work.
20:10 But the seventh day is a sabbath to the LORD your God; you shall not do any work--you, your son or your daughter, your male or female slave, your livestock, or the alien resident in your towns.
20:11 For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but rested the seventh day; therefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day and consecrated it.
20:12 Honor your father and your mother, so that your days may be long in the land that the LORD your God is giving you.
20:13 You shall not murder.
20:14 You shall not commit adultery.
20:15 You shall not steal.
20:16 You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
20:17 You shall not covet your neighbor's house; you shall not covet your neighbor's wife, or male or female slave, or ox, or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.
Message:
In reading this scripture over again verse 5 and 6 catch my eye. If anything is going to motivate someone to do right in the eyes of the Lord, this will:
“…for I the
LORD your God am a jealous God, punishing children for the iniquity of parents,
to the third and the fourth generation of those who reject me, but showing
steadfast love to the thousandth generation of those who love me and keep my
commandments.”
In reading this
scripture, I can see a lot of truth in it. I remember being upset at this
scripture to begin with… thinking that it’s not fair that God would punish the
child of someone who rejects Him. As I think about it more, it seems that the
following generations might not be punished merely because of the sins of their
fathers. Instead, they are punished because they have been taught to reject God,
and are following the sins of their fathers.
How true this
scripture seems to be. Through our inactions and actions we directly impact our
children and those around us. If we teach them to eat unhealthy, they might
suffer from obesity or diabetes. If we mistreat ourselves with drugs or
alcohol, we might have to witness our children fall into the same traps that we
did. Time and time again we can see examples of this in our world. Thankfully,
not all children are caught by the same bad habits of their parents. Through
free will some can take an opposite path.
However, it is
up to us to lead by example to those around us. Not only should we teach others
to treat their bodies right, but their souls as well. If we share our faith,
pray, volunteer, and openly show our love for God and others… that kind of
behavior can catch on too. In fact… as I re-read this scripture it seems like
following God catches on more!
Time of Prayer
Dear Lord, let us be a light for others. Let our actions lead others down Your path. Let us lead others to love. Amen
The Lord’s Prayer
Closing Hymn
348 Softly and Tenderly, Jesus is Calling http://www.hymnsite.com/lyrics/umh348.sht
Dear Lord, let us be a light for others. Let our actions lead others down Your path. Let us lead others to love. Amen
The Lord’s Prayer
Closing Hymn
348 Softly and Tenderly, Jesus is Calling http://www.hymnsite.com/lyrics/umh348.sht
May the Lord bless you and keep you: May the Lord make His face shine upon you, and be gracious unto you: May the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace." Amen.
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