May God bless, teach, and touch you.  May He keep you in the balance of His authority and His commanding bottom line ….HIS LOVE!!

Studying the Ten Commandments in their historical context is fascinating, knowing them in order is helpful, but living them as a moral law of love to glorify God is something entirely different.

As we find it impossible to play baseball without a bat and ball or swim without water, so too is it impossible to look and act like Christ (God) without having His Spirit or nature resident in our hearts. John 3:16 tells us that He loves us; through faith in His beloved Son, Jesus, we can have an everlasting relationship with Him. Romans 5:5 further declares that He sheds His love abroad in our hearts by the power of His Holy Spirit. Philippians 2:13 says that it is He who is at work within us to will and to work for His good pleasure.

By God’s own words, the conclusion and activation we seek for living His truth is found in His Holy Spirit. It is not about the external written law, having Ten Commandments etched in stone, or who can recite them in order. Proof of that is found in Jeremiah 31:33 (Old Testament) where God promises through His prophet to one day write the external law within our hearts.

Only the God of the universe, who issued the Ten Commandments to Moses in stone on Mt. Sinai (Ex 20), can respond to the religious and political leaders of the day and narrow the commandments down to a simpler form.  “Love the Lord with all your heart, mind and strength and love your neighbor as yourself” is what Jesus said to them as a matter of discussion and intellectual fact in Mark 12:33-34.  It’s in His departure from earth, however, in John 13:34-35 that Jesus lets us in on the most simple and purest commandment or guiding truth of all. Out of His mind, heart and purpose He (God, The Word, The Revelator, Wisdom, Truth, Deliverer, Life, Light, and Love Himself) issues His up to the moment bottom line or what Dr. E.W. Kenyon calls the law of life. “A new commandment give I unto you that ye love one another even as I have loved you.”

As we assess the marvelous marching orders of His creation unfolding around us this week, let’s not forget where lasting hope is discovered and real credit is due. Scripture says the signature or genius of our Creator, Redeemer, and living Almighty God is obvious and without excuse. Even more amazing, friends and family, is this Ultimate Commander’s desire to meet each of us personally in a heart-felt or spiritual face-to-face way. Our part is to open our inner self to Him daily and willingly say… I am so pleased to meet with and to serve you today. Help me to love like You—help me to become like Jesus!

 Romans 8:2; Romans 13:8-10