MINISTRY NOTES

Week of January 24, 2010

Hi Everyone,

A year ago I was in an academic environment where a lawyer was teaching about the laws of our country. He started off by giving historical credit to the Code of Hammurabi over the influence of the Ten Commandments. It was not an open environment and initially I ignored it as I am used to modern society trying to discredit anything that has to do with God. Recently I looked up the Code of Hammurabi for an entirely different reason and I was shocked at what I found. The truth not only discredits the lawyer's assertions but also places him in a stupid category like people who deny the existence of the Holocaust. Arabic laws certainly did not influence our legal system over the Judeo Christian values found in the Ten Commandments. I will share with you some of the 282 laws in the Code of Hammurabi and let you decide if they sound like our legal system. >If anyone brings an accusation of any crime before the elders, and does not prove what he has charged, he shall, if a capital offense is charged, be put to death. >If anyone brings an accusation against a man, and the accused goes to the river and leaps into the river, if he sinks in the river his accuser shall take possession of his house. But if the river proves that the accused is not guilty, and he escapes unhurt, then he who had brought the accusation shall be put to death, while he who leaped into the river shall take possession of the house that had belonged to his accuser. >If a son slaps his father, his hand shall be cut off. >If a builder builds a house for someone, and does not construct it properly, and the house which he built falls in and kills its owner, then the builder shall be put to death >If anyone commits a robbery and is caught, he shall be put to death. Maybe I share this as humor. I'm sure out of 282 laws some might be similar to some of our laws. Neither of my sons has ever slapped me but if they did, I wouldn't want their hand cut off. I do remember hearing that in the early days of our country there was some river justice, where if you float you were innocent and if you drown you were guilty. (swimming lessons are good)

A non political thought or question Due to our many days of bad weather with snow and ice still present, I have been blessed recently with the opportunity of giving Anabelle and her mother a ride to Doctors and the hospital for tests (she usually rides the bus). It appears that Anabelle is getting excellent care from our state system. Not only were people extremely courteous but also in one of the Doctor's wailing room and the hospital waiting room they had a sign that read "if you have waited more than 25 minutes past your appointment time please notify …". They worked at being nice. As the media talks about health care, why can't our country provide health care for those who need it without messing with other people's existing health care systems? Maybe that should be a subject of prayer.

Marriage Workshop Moment

To refresh what you have learned in our Workshop or entice you to experience our Workshop

"Remember, all marriages can be better, if you use what you learned."

In our marriages, the first thing to go is being a friend, friendship type activities and taking time to talk like friends. A friend listens without being defensive, respects their friend's opinion and doesn't offer any unwanted advice, unless asked. With a friend you feel safe to open up and often you develop mutual interests. It is important to set apart a time of friendship time together. It is good to protect that time together by eliminating issues and possible problems by having your weekly couples meeting in advance using the Speaker Listener Technique. Work at being your spouse's friend.

The Better Half

"When your partner won't support your efforts to make your marriage better"

Without your spouse's support to improve your marriage, you can still pray daily for God's will to be done in each of your lives and your marriage ("all things are possible with God", Mark 10:27 NIV). Even without your spouse's help, you can be a good friend. Like doing friendship type activities and taking time to talk like friends. A friend listens without being defensive, respects their friend's opinion and doesn't offer any unwanted advice, unless asked. With a friend you feel safe to open up and often you develop mutual interests. Work at being your spouse's friend.

A Psalm for reflection "Guide me in Your truth. Teach me, my God, my Savior. I trust You all day long." Psalm 25:5 (ICB)

Understanding the Message: What I share in the message is what I believe God wants me to share. All the direct quotes from God are highlighted in royal purple. Of course the words of Jesus are in red. Rather than follow some made up doctrine, remember that Jesus said that every thing He said (Jn 12:49) and everything He did (Jn 14:31) comes from God. All teachings and all opinions should be supported by what we learn from God or Jesus (see the scripture referred to in the footnote).

A Jesus Teaching:

The Truth About God

What is the truth about God? If a person goes to 30 different Christian church groups and asked that question they may get more than 30 different answers. Why more than 30? Some people try to be so politically correct and please everyone; they may give more than one answer. Some groups will say only people in their church know the truth about God, others promote their favorite doctrine as the answer for eternal life. Frequently, a doctrine could be defined as a man made teaching that is not compatible with what God and Jesus teach. Some Christian groups promote an opinion that almost everyone is going to heaven while others could care less because they are more into the fellowship and social aspects of their group. Jesus in His ministry seems to be very concerned about our eternal life. This may be because Jesus has been around forever and He realizes how short our life on earth really is. To a teenager in High School, the time in High School may seem like their whole life and yet 50 years later it is only a few memorable days compared to their whole life. Our life on earth may be like 1 minute compared to eternity.

Truth in society changes, political leaders change, popular opinions change, economic conditions change but God said, "I, Yahweh, do not change…"1. The best way to know the truth about God is to read what God said and did as found in your Bible. To know the truth, it is good to go to the truth. Jesus says, …"I am … the truth..."2. It is so simple and yet people make it so complicated, studying different religions, searching the world, visiting different churches and looking everywhere to discover the truth. How do we know the truth? Jesus tells us, "If you continue to obey My teaching… Then you will know the truth…"3. What makes this statement so awesome is that Jesus as the "Son of God"4 is better positioned to know the truth about God than anyone. By itself these facts should be more than enough proof to convince anyone that Jesus is the best source to know the truth about God. It becomes even more awesome when you consider that Jesus tells us that He did not speak from His own ideas or authority but that God "…told Me what to say and what to teach"5. Jesus is the truth about God!

Why doesn't everyone follow Jesus? Why don't most Christians follow Jesus instead of their church teachings or Paul's teachings or other doctrines? Perhaps the same reason people who smoke or over eat and know the truth about the effect, still smoke or over eat until it kills them. Jesus tells us the enemy "…comes only to steal and kill and destroy…"6. The same enemy that wants to kill people by over eating or smoking loves to see people disobey God. God said, "…You shall not make for yourself a carved image…"7. There are Christian churches that have carved images of dead people in their church and although their church leaders may teach against it, people will pray to the image. There are other Christian churches that will say that those people are going to hell because of that practice even though Jesus teaches, "Do not judge, or you too will be judged"8. What Christians should we speak against or teach that they are wrong? No one! Jesus tells us, "Anyone who is not against us is for us"9. As Christians we are not supposed to teach against other Christians. Our job is to tell the truth, which is what Jesus tells us and leave the judging to Jesus. How foolish it is to waste our time telling what everyone else is doing wrong instead of just telling what Jesus teaches and encouraging people to obey what Jesus teaches3.

Let's pray

"Thank You God for sending Your Son Jesus to reveal the truth to us. Guide us to reexamine all teaching and doctrines in the light provided by Jesus, so we will only know the truth and we will be free of all deception from the enemy. Thank You in Jesus name, amen."

1. Malachi 3:6 (NJB)

2. John 14:6 (NIV)

3. John 8:31-32 (ICB)

4. John 10:36 (NKJV)

5. John 12:49 (ICB)

6. John 10:10 (NIV)

7. Exodus 20:4 (NKJV)

8. Mathew 7:1 (NIV)

9. Mark 9:40 (TLB)