The Last Michigan Sunset     9/23/18

Van Buren State Park, South Haven, Michigan

We know that we have come to know Him, if we keep His commands.  I John 2:3

 

It was a very down day for me.  No energy.  Cold.  I didn’t feel sick, but maybe . . .  something?

Because of that, we stayed home and listened to Pastor Mike teach us more from Revelation.  We actually listened to two weeks worth, but you’ll not get a recap from me.  I’m simply not capable.  But he is an extraordinary teacher!  I encourage everyone to check out his Revelation (and other messages) teaching on-line at green.thechapel.life.

So instead of Revelation, I’ve pulled out a lesson I did many years ago on The Ten Commandments.

Do you know where to find the 10 Commandments?  They’re in Exodus 20 and Deuteronomy 5.  Can you quote them?  Do you know what they are? I’ll help you out with a brief paraphrase:  no other gods, no idols, don’t misuse the name of the Lord, remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy (which includes no work), honor your father & mother, don’t murder, don’t commit adultery, don’t steal, don’t give false testimony and don’t covet.

But are they still relevant for us today?  After all, we are an “enlightened” bunch, are we not?  Besides, those commandments were just for the Israelites, weren’t they?  Or, maybe you believe everything in the Old Testament is irrelevant since Jesus came?

I think Jesus would beg to differ.  In Matthew 5:17-19, He says, Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them, but to fulfill them.  For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished.  Therefore, anyone who sets aside one of the least of these commands and teaches others accordingly will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.  

The problem Jesus had, was the fact that they (religious leaders) had expanded God’s commands, adding their own ideas over the centuries, and leaving out love – for God and for men.  They had become more focused on observing their version of the letter of the Law, and no longer considered the spirit in which God had given it to them.

The following is my version of what the Ten Commandments looks like today.

No other gods – In Luke 4:5-8 Satan tempts Jesus to worship him but Jesus’ response (as always) is with scripture – Worship the Lord your God, and serve Him only.  How do we serve other gods? By spending the bulk of our time and/or energy in service to others – spouse, children, friends, boss, ministry – and pushing our time with God to the bottom or even eliminating it altogether.  Do you have days like that?  Too busy to spend time with Him or even think about Him?  Or maybe your god is yourself.  Do you think of only doing what feels good/right to you, without much regard for God or others?

No idols – John admonishes us in I John 5:21 – Dear children, keep yourselves from idols.  Paul says in Colossians 3:5 Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature:  sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. The Message Bible translates Colossians this way – And that means killing off everything connected with that way of death: sexual promiscuity, impurity, lust, doing whatever you feel like whenever you feel like it, and grabbing whatever attracts your fancy. That’s a life shaped by things and feelings instead of by God.

Most of us don’t have wooden or metal statues sitting in shrines in our homes or neighborhoods.  How would you define the word “idol”?

Webster says ‘any object of ardent [passionate, enthusiastic, zealous, eager] or excessive devotion or admiration. Or, a false notion or idea that causes errors in thinking or reasoning.’  So what can become an idol for us?  TV, hobby, internet (which now includes Facebook, Twitter, etc.), money, people, religion…. Virtually anything is capable of becoming an idol for us.

Don’t misuse the name of the Lord – The Message Bible translates it No using the name of God, your God, in curses or silly banter; God won’t put up with the irreverent use of His name.  Matthew 6:9 is Jesus’ response to His disciples asking how to pray.  Part of His example uses the words ‘hallowed be Your name’.

Hallowed means ‘regarding or honoring as holy.’  Biblical Jews considered God’s name so holy that they wouldn’t say it for any reason.  In what ways do we misuse His name?  How many times a day do you hear people, including Christians, say the phrase ‘Oh my God’, or just ’God’?  Do you?  Maybe it’s become so normal you don’t even realize you’re doing it.  We are only to use His name when talking to Him, or about Him.

Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy – Cease work.  Rest.  Remember God – what He is & what He’s done.  The Pharisees made up their own laws regarding the Sabbath which were very strict and included no form of exertion whatsoever – whether it involved food, rescuing cattle or healing.  Jesus addressed this issue several times.              Once in Luke 13:10-17 when He healed a woman, another was in Matthew 12:1-8 when He & His disciples were gathering grain because they were hungry, and were confronted by the Pharisees. Jesus said, ‘The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.’

What did Jesus mean?  What was God’s original intent? Should we work on Sunday?  Should we use it to catch up on the chores we didn’t get done the other six days of the week?  Just what is acceptable and unacceptable on the Sabbath?  I think the key is in the beginning – cease work.  Rest.  Remember God.  If not Sunday, when?

Honor your father & mother – Matthew 15:4-9 finds Jesus addressing the issue of the 5^th commandment by pointing out its misuse by the Pharisees & teachers of the Law.  “And why do you break the command of God for the sake of your tradition?  For God said, ‘Honor your father and mother’ and ‘Anyone who curses his father or mother must be put to death.’  But you say that if a man says to his father or mother, ‘Whatever help you might otherwise have received from me is a gift devoted to God,’ he is not to ‘honor his father’ with it. Thus you nullify the word of God for the sake of your tradition.  You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you: ‘These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.  They worship me in vain; for their teachings are but rules taught by men.”

How do we honor or dishonor our parents today?  Do we continue to allow an abusive parent to have their way?  Should we pursue parents who have abandoned us?  Are we obligated to support parents who continually squander their resources or finances?  Hmmmm . . . .  These are some tough questions.

Before we answer these questions, we should know the definition of the word ‘honor’.  Honor goes hand-in-hand with respect and dignity.  Respect means ‘due regard for feelings, wishes rights or traditions’.

Don’t murder – Jesus addresses this topic in Matthew 5:21-22. “You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘Do not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’ But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment.”  OOOO! OUCH! That shines a whole different light on this one. As we smugly sit around thinking this is one commandment we don’t have to worry about!  Is there anyone in your life you’re angry with – maybe for years?

Don’t commit adultery – He also addressed this one in Matthew 5:27. “You have heard that it was said, ‘Do not commit adultery.       But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.” Another hard hit!  And yes, ladies, this applies to us as well.  Just maybe not as often!  What about that guy at work who’s so sympathetic or understanding when we feel our own husband is not? What about a male friend you spend considerable time with?  Maybe you don‘t have feelings of lust, but what about him? What about the hurting woman who calls her pastor constantly?  What about the good looking guys we see every day on TV, internet, ads?  Recent statistics say an increasing number of women are involved in some form of pornography.   How many of you are old enough to remember the uproar Jimmy Carter caused when he admitted that he had had lustful thoughts in his heart?  People thought that outrageously ridiculous since he never acted on them.  And yet a mere 20 years later, people think Clinton acting on his was fine.

And what about our part in causing lustful thoughts?  How are men to avoid this when so many women dress for just that purpose?  If you’re a Christian, you need to be cognizant of how you dress and act.  I can’t even tell you how many women – of all ages – I’ve seen in church wearing inappropriate clothing.  And that’s just in church.

Don’t steal – Paul has this to say to the Romans in 2:21-24 ‘You, then, who teach others, do you not teach yourself?  You who preach against stealing, do you steal?’   Then he lists other sins, and ends with vs. 24. ‘God’s name is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you.’  Which means what?  Well, first, there’s that weird word ‘blasphemed’.  To understand the sentence, you need to know what that word means.  Blaspheme means to slander, insult the honor of, injure the reputation of, attack, say untruths about.  If, as Christians, we claim that stealing is wrong, but then do it ourselves, we injure God’s reputation.

So just what is stealing? It’s taking something that doesn’t belong to you.  What all does that encompass?  How about that pen that found its way to your home from work and was never returned?  What about the days when you’re just not motivated to work so you sit around and talk, play computer games or waste time? How about making a personal copy without asking? What about the tie your husband needs for just a few hours, so you buy it and then return it the next day? What about the extra change you received or the item the cashier missed charging you for but you didn’t mention it, or don’t discover it until you’re in the parking lot?  In other words, stealing encompasses a lot.  It’s not just robbing banks or breaking into a house, or embezzling large sums from your company.  You can even go a step further and make it even more simple.  Don’t touch things that don’t belong to you.

Don’t give false testimony – In Matthew 15:18-20, Jesus says ‘But the things that come out of the mouth come from the heart, and these make a man ‘unclean.’  For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander.  These are what make a man unclean’ 

Does gossip fall under false testimony?  Have you ever repeated something you’ve heard ‘through the grapevine’?  How can you be certain it’s true if you didn’t hear it first hand?  Do you make assumptions based on your perceptions and then share them with others?  You see a mother giving in or over-reacting to her child’s bad behavior.  Do you tell others what a bad mom you saw?  What if her husband recently died or she just discovered she has breast cancer?  Would that change your opinion?  What if you were pressured by someone into telling a lie or even just not telling the truth?  False is anything that’s untrue.  False testimony is sharing things that you don’t know for a fact are true. Remember, it was on the basis of false testimony that Jesus was crucified and Stephen was martyred!

 Don’t covet – – Paul addresses this one in Romans 7:7b-8a when he says, ‘For I would not have known what coveting really was if the law had not said, ‘Do not covet.’  But sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, produced in me every kind of covetous desire.’  In the Message Bible, James 4:1-2 says ‘Where do you think all these appalling wars and quarrels come from?  Do you think they just happen?  Think again. They come about because you want your own way, and fight for it deep inside yourselves.  You lust for what you don’t have and are willing to kill to get it.  You want what isn’t yours and will risk violence to get your hands on it.’

The simple definition of covet from Webster is,  ‘long for with envy’.  Do you ever covet?  What kinds of things can/do we covet?  (children, husband, finances, fashion sense, home, lifestyle, faith, spiritual connection…) It doesn’t even have to be anything in particular, just someone else’s other than your own. Or have you ever said ‘why can’t I/you be like…..’? and meant it sincerely, to yourself or to someone else?

I think in all this, we see that Jesus has set a higher standard than even God’s original Law required.  We cannot go through life thinking that we are above committing these sins because we’ve not broken most of these laws like murder, or haven’t cheated on our spouse or robbed a bank or bowed down to some statue.  Because of our perception of what sin is or is not, we often go through life convinced that we are practically perfect.  We don’t commit the ‘obvious’ sins, so we’re fine.  We go through entire days where we can’t think of a single thing to confess.  At least, I know I do.

We must continue to better ourselves in our walk, recognizing and confessing our sins and becoming more and more Christ-like and the only way to do that is to become aware of sin and sincerely work to change and improve.  Jesus says, “Follow Me.”  In I Corinthians 11:1 Paul says, “Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.”  Oh, that we could one day say the same!

 

After church, Blaine took a walk by himself.  Wait till you see some of the great pictures he came home with!

 

I laid down while he was gone, but couldn’t sleep – just dozed a bit, then watched as our new neighbor – another Holiday Rambler – tried to park.  His lot has a very steep angle – remember the sand dune lots?  His points him downhill, resting on his tail end, but he managed to level.  And now, you know how truly boring this day has been.  😊

 

By evening, I was feeling better and ready to tackle the dune once again to watch the sunset.  It was cooler tonight (which was a blessing considering what we faced!), so I donned my zip-up hoodie and jeans.  Blaine stuck with shorts and a T-shirt.

 

 

Before we climbed, we noticed another couple on the ridge.  This was also a blessing – – but not for them.  We arrived at the top a bit winded, but in good spirits, until we were told that the mosquitoes were almost unbearable.  I faced forward, buried my feet completely in the sand, arranged my hair around my neck, put up my hood and tied it as tightly around my head as I could, and watched humorlessly as Blaine swatted and jumped around. As the moon rose behind us, which the other couple was kind enough to point out, since I wasn’t moving, and the sun set, they got fed up and traipsed back down the hill. But not before a brief chat in which we learned that he had attended Akron U many years ago – when Green was still a Township.  😊

 

After they left, the mosquitoes moved on to other feeding grounds – that being Blaine and myself.  We didn’t stay long because all our attempts to thwart them, failed miserably.

 

 

And this became an enlightening turning point for me.

As we walked back along the beach, Blaine asked me, “If you had to choose, would you choose mosquitoes or spiders?”  I didn’t even hesitate, “Spiders!”

Never in a million years thought I’d say that, and I’m certain my mother never thought she’d live to see the day when she’d hear that.  Well, she just did.

And now you fellow arachnophobes are wondering why in the world I would make such a statement.  First, let me be clear, my fear of spiders has abetted considerably since I became a mother.  I didn’t want my children to fear them, so I learned to not shriek and run from the room.  But I still don’t like them and call for Blaine at every opportunity – even for the tiny ones.

I’m not afraid of mosquitoes, per se, it’s their nasty bites that I don’t like.  I think I have a bit of an allergy to them or something, because they produce large welts, and if they manage to get to my neck, chest, feet  or ankles, they actually hurt for days on end.

I do not like them, Sam-I-Am!!  I do not like them here or there!  I do not like them anywhere!

So now, back to why I would choose spiders over mosquitoes.

1. As far as I know, I’ve never been bitten by a spider. But then, I never let them get close enough.  😊
2. You can face them one at a time.
3. Spiders don’t fly around.
4. They don’t attack mercilessly.
5. They don’t leave lasting reminders (welts/incessant itching). Although that being said, I have a friend who sports a scar on her eyebrow from a bedtime bite.  Shudder to think!
6. Spiders eat mosquitoes.