meditations for an everyday relationship with Jesus

No idols or tin gods?

Exodus 20:2-7 “I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the place of slavery.

Do not have other gods besides Me.

Do not make an idol for yourself, whether in the shape of anything in the heavens above or on the earth below or in the waters under the earth. 5 You must not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the fathers’ sin, to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, but showing faithful love to a thousand generations of those who love Me and keep My commands.

Do not misuse the name of the LORD your God, because the LORD will not leave anyone unpunished who misuses His name.”

Boundaries, rules if you want to call them that, are set in place for protection, not to restrict. And in the end the Ten Commandments, of which these are representative, and those that accompany them in the balance of the Torah, are reduced to only two: the voice God gave me

Love God and love your neighbor; everything else depends upon this. God is showing us how to love.

No false gods. Having them is unhealthy and ends in destruction.

God’s people?

1 Peter 2:10 Once you were not a people, but now you are God's people; you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

Being a defined and recognizable people is more than a metaphor, it is symbolic of the kingdom blessing found only in the “body of Christ.” This is unique to Christ-followers because they know the Messiah has come, and they are a transformed people. This is literally the revelation of the gospel ... “the uncovering” of an indisputable truth.

We are a peculiar people defined by our covenant relationship with God.