Have you ever imagined how it would be on the roads if there were no traffic laws? So dangerous with total chaos out there.
Man, I View All This Crazy Chaos As Temporary.
The rapture is almost here and I'm lookin' for the upper taker rather than the under-taker. Though many go home by land, I prefer to go by air. Then all chaos is history!
Sure, right around the corner.
Listen, no matter how affluent, opulent, wealthy, and successful people get, or no matter how unsuccessful they live, no matter how famous they are seen as.. no matter how beautiful and handsome they are, no matter how plain-Jane-or-Joe-unattractive they may be.. guess what everyone here shares these five things.
1.) People in America feel bored. (Yes, and globally too). People essentially feel what? Numb inside and bored out of their gourd -- they are craving some risky exciting adventure and love.
2.) People essentially feel lonely. It would scare you to know how many feel this way in this very connected society. Yes, we can assume there is a sense of loneliness inside of every individual. They feel overlooked, neglected and so insignificant.
Albert Einstein once wrote, “It is strange to be known so universally and yet be so lonely.” People so often feel lonely. We need to know that about many of those around us.
3.) People have a sense of guilt cuz well.. they're guilty. We've all fallen short says the Bible. I've been there before. People do their best to try and mask it with say alcohol or have a psychologist or psychiatrist tell them it is not there. But they have to deal with their guilt over the things they have done wrong. The head of a mental institution in London said, “I could release half of my patients if I could find a way to relieve them of their sense of guilt.”
4.) People feel empty inside. Yes, there is an essential emptiness in every person who hasn’t yet come to Christ. Everyone is essentially empty. No matter how much money or prestige someone has, everyone has to deal with that emptiness. Scripture says that God made His creation subject to vanity or emptiness, meaning there is a void, a hole if you will, inside every man, woman, and child.
5.) People are afraid to die. Maybe not death, but getting that way. Some swagger around saying, “Not me Bro. I’m never afraid to die.” But guess what they often are. We have failed with God's good and protective commands, but in His agape love Jesus can still rescue and help em. Anyone, whosoever will honestly come to Him.
Come to Jesus, now is good--be reborn spiritually (See John 3).
Clean up yourself and then come to Him. Bad idea. Just come as you are willing to cooperate with the Holy Spirit. Take heed to God's good commands -- this will bring order out of all the chaos. First inside us and then outside. Our whole world needs this--needs Jesus.
How many among us will actually do this? Not sure until I recommend Him to, and invite.
Regardless of how many will, you and I can daily come to Jesus as Lord (in pray), take heed to Bible commands and then model the order of God, denying all the worldly sins and chaos.
The Bible says, “Turn from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it” Psalm 34:14
“Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace.” Colossians 3:15
When we focus on the Prince of Peace who gives us His order guess what.. we get an otherworldly peace. It's a much better peace than the world's type of peace (John 14:27), and we diligently guard our minds from being “corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ” (2 Corinthians 11:3). Sin has consequences and I don't try to block everyone evil from those.
“Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid” John 14:27
"Blessed are the peacekeepers, for they shall be called the children of God." ~ Matthew 5:9
"Evil is powerless if the good (decent people) are unafraid." ~ Ronald Reagan
We've been talking about God's Top Ten List. Let's discuss decent etiquette like we see in theaters. It is for the benefit of all citizens who have paid to enter and enjoy. It's not merely for one person in attendance. God's commands are like that. He wants all people blessed in His will.
A hero or a zero -- how are you feeling? Many are craving something better. You were made for fellowship with God -- He has an exciting plan and home for you!
Excitement anywhere like on the U.S. roads can be fun and dangerous. I want you safe with an assurance inside! Who can abide feelin' bored all the time? That's not how we are to live.
At the beginning we see chaos and then order in the first book of the Bible, Genesis. In the beginning, God started out with a world that “was formless and empty”; that is, the earth was in a chaotic state. But then God brought order in a series of notable divisions: He divided the darkness from the light (Genesis 1:4), He divided the water under the firmament from the water over the firmament (Genesis 1:7), and He divided the sea from the dry land (Genesis 1:9). He made all plants and animals to multiply “according to their kinds” (Genesis 1:11–12, 20–25).
He created mankind with an orderly distinction between male and female (Genesis 1:27). God placed the first man in a beautiful garden “to work it and take care of it” (Genesis 2:15); in other words, God wanted Adam to maintain the order. God's Top Ten List (the commandments came later at just the right time).
But God the Holy Spirit is still the one who brings order out of chaos. Yes, He does that very well, and we each can cooperate with Him in this. Please never forget how He did this at the time of Creation where he hovered over those chaotic waters and then brought forth the land, which he filled with order and living creatures.
Never forget that God is never boring. We serve a relational God who is upbeat and likes order instead of chaos with human injury.
"People sleep peacefully in their beds at night only because rough men (police) stand ready to do violence on their behalf." ~ George Orwell
It takes a choice to know and love the God of order, and it takes a choice to forgive and then show love to people. All have ginormous value--you too! This order is what God's Ten Commandments are all about. He SO wants what's best for you and all of mankind.
Again, the first four relate to loving God and the following six commands relate to loving others. How do they go?:
1.) You shall have no other gods before me. This doesn’t just mean that God should be first among all the other (made up) “gods” that people worship, but there should be no other gods of our lives. In this context, there were actual false gods people made and worshipped. But it also means putting anything else first as the Lord of our life – like money, power, success, pleasure, etc. God alone should sit on the throne of our hearts ruling without rival. He is the only one we should worship and follow (biblically).
2.) You shall not make a carved image or likeness. This isn’t just about making wooden or stone images of other gods; it’s also making images of God Himself. In our world today, it is less common for people to carve an idol to worship it, but it SO common to create our own version of God instead of seeking to know the full picture of the real, invisible, true God (and His Son Jesus) of the Bible. We’re really worshipping a false god – one we have created and we don’t even realize it. The phrase “image and likeness” points us back to creation, where God said we were created in the image of God. I like doing art, but God really doesn’t want us to create images for worship. He wants us to be His representatives before this watching world of broken and hurting people.
3.) You shall not take God’s name in vain. This is about more than saying OMG, you know or God’s name as a curse word. We can also profane God’s name by our lame actons, because as His children who represent Him in this fallen world, we could act in a way that is contrary to His Holy righteous nature, and this brings dishonor to Him. If we are rude, judgmental, self-righteous in our attitude, selfish or unkind, we present an inaccurate picture of what God is to people who really need Him and need to see what He is like. I mean people of the world and this can even push people away from wantng to know Jesus Christ. But when we
live and speak as Jesus actually did and love people as Jesus loved, we bring honor and glory to His name! Ask Him to use you in such a way that people will clearly see Him.
4.) Remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy. This isn’t just about not working on the Sabbath. People do better when they take a break from their work each week. Not working 1 out of 7 is a way of showing God that we really trust that He can provide even if we take the day off. But the bigger picture of the Sabbath is making the day “holy” or set apart for
the Lord. Spending time with Him matters a lot! Part of that is physical rest, but also prayer, worship, practical service, enjoying nature outside, meditation upon Bible truth, holy/fun play, family time – there are lots of ways we can set the Sabbath apart for God.
These above are the four foundational ways God asks us to show love to Him – the rest of the manward-Commandments relating to loving build off of these four foundations. They all mean something deeper than what we see on the surface, and they are all about living in a relationship with God as our one and only. Why is God a jealous God? It's because He will not share your heart with any other “god,” just as in a marriage relationship. Not because He is insecure or selfish, but because He knows that a loving relationship with Him is the best thing for you and me.
So what exactly is the difference between laws, commandments, decrees, and statutes? How are these related to order instead of whacko chaos?
“Commandments” (mitzvah): This is the general Hebrew term for “commandment” and it usually refers to the comprehensive list of laws or body of laws for order that the Lord gave out in the Books penned by Moses. This is also the Hebrew term often used when the Lord spoke directly in the Old Testament.
The Bible says, “For God is not the author of confusion but of peace” (1 Corinthians 14:33 nkjv). The context of this chapter deals with some crazy problems that humans were making (believers even).
Order can indeed provide a foundation so to speak for proper operation and human safety (like out where all the road rage is, and elsewhere). Let your so-called order not become controlling others, or egotistical games, or religiously suffocating those you are around.
Jesus catches his fish so to speak and then He cleans them (we simply cooperate with candor). The God who called us indeed is faithful to strengthen and protect us from the evil one (2 Thessalonians 3:3). His trustworthy promises are our armor and protection (Psalm 91:4). Like Joshua, we can know deep in our hearts that every promise of the Lord our God will come true. “Not a single one has failed!” (Joshua 23:14, NLT). We can always count on the Lord and draw great hope from this truth: “Because of the Lord’s faithful love we do not perish, for His mercies never end. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness!” (Lamentations 3:22–23 hcsb).
How do you get this many people able to safely get from point A to point B with so many different people on the road?
Like the commandments, what is for the safety of us all? Traffic signs, lights, rules, and traffic police are important. The signs and lights tell us who safely goes and when at intersections. DUH! Red means stop, Green means go. Yield means, well, to yield not to hurry up unless you are in the middle. DO NOT ENTER is self-explanatory as is WRONG WAY. You also know about traffic signs to give speed limits which are based on several other factors. There are also traffic rules such as putting turn signal on when changing lanes on the highway or in town which indicates the car will be slowing down or moving into your lane. When it is raining or icy conditions out, then we all need to drive slower.
Now, these systems out there doni't just come together randomly. There is intelligence behind it all. Those who design systems for traffic are called traffic engineers and those who make the structures as transportation engineers. Both are specialties of civil engineering. Wikipedia defines both as such:
“Transportation engineering or transport engineering is the application of technology and scientific principles to the planning, functional design, operation and management of facilities for any mode of transportation in order to provide for the safe, efficient, rapid, comfortable, convenient, economical, and environmentally compatible movement of people and goods transport.
‘Traffic engineering is a branch of civil engineering that uses engineering techniques to achieve the safe and efficient movement of people and goods on roadways. It focuses mainly on research for safe and efficient traffic flow, such as road geometry, sidewalks and crosswalks, cycling infrastructure, traffic signs, road surface markings and traffic lights. Traffic engineering deals with the functional part of transportation system, except the infrastructures provided”
So, someone has to make the structures, deciding the correct materials, how much weight.
The rules are not arbitrary, not unnecessary, not put there simply because people in power have the power to do so and derive pleasure on making rules for others.
Now I've driven too fast before and paid for that. I've never had one traffic cop mad at me for breaking the traffic rule / law though. The ticket is not punishment for punishment’s sake with no purpose to teach me so that I'll drive more protectively/respectfully of other people.
If you drive poorly without regard for rules and you are in a car accident, it is not because the world hates you, that roads have conspired to punish you at all. It's because you did not follow their arbitrary rules of delegated authority. The accident (if you are at fault) is going to naturally result in some damage and cost. There are consequences to all behaviors, ones that flow logically from them. Consequences that make sense.
Let's hear the God analogy part to all of this, please!
God (who is direct Authority) uses the Bible with his Ten Commandments and people in our lives (like those flawed delegated authorities over us) to give us rules to live by. They are for a good purpose, ones that if live by them will make our lives better as well as all the people that we interact with on a daily basis. Think others too. The Bible is a good guidebook to make your life much better so you can glorify the Lord. It's called God's Love letter to believers.
So we need to follow God’s commandments. He has no needs--He doesn't need us. We need to attend a Bible-teaching kind of church regularly (with sound/balanced reborn Christian leaders). We need to read our Bibles too. We need to service to those who are less fortunate too as Jesus leads. God does want us to lead our lives in a certain kind of way and know the importance of directives, and follow the rules and guidelines He has set.
But.. let us not be like the lazy distracted driver just doing the bare minimum. We follow God’s law because of our love for Him, as He loves us. He is the Initiator and we are the responders.
Remember there is the law and then there is the “spirit of the law” too, and both are important. Wisely taking heed to the Holy Spirit and to His written laws is so imperative for the common benefit of those around us.
