Staying on the Ancient Path -Virtue- The 10 commandments

2 Peter 1:5-7 gives us some things to add to our faith so that the Lord can bless us in our lives and family.  

"...Giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge;

 And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness;

And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity."

In this video, I am focusing on the first one, virtue (a good moral character, to have excellence in all things). The best place to start is at the beginning- the 10 Commandments, given in Exodus 20.  We discuss a little on each one.  This gives us a good start and it also teaches us a little about God and what He likes and dislikes.  I pray that this will encourage you to continue to do the things that God likes and stay on that ancient path of good.

The Fragrance of Christ

" But thanks be to God! For through what Christ has done, he has triumphed over us so that now wherever we go he uses us to tell others about the Lord and to spread the Gospel like a sweet perfume.  As far as God is concerned there is a sweet, wholesome fragrance in our lives. It is the fragrance of Christ within us, ..." (2 Corinthians 2:14-15a -New Living Translation for better understanding.)

I have been using essential oils now for the last year or so.  I love to be able to use these oils to naturally support me in many ways, both emotionally and physically.  For example, if I need some calmness, I drop some lavender and other oils in a diffuser and it fills the room with a wonderful aroma that just melts all the stress away. Each one has special uses and smells. Whether to create calmness, or to purify the air, each oil has special qualities.  There are many options. 

When I read this verse I instantly thought, wow, we can be a diffuser for Christ!  When we walk into a room or converse with someone, they should be able to sense that we are followers of Christ, both in our manner and conversation.  I have sensed this many times when meeting new people. 

What is the Fragrance of Christ?

1.  To walk in Love:

"And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling savour. (Ephesians 5:2)

2.  To be a person of prayer:

In Exodus 30:34-35 it tells us what spices were used for the incense altar in the Tabernacle where the priest would pray.  Frankincense was one of those ingredients.  Among other benefits, it promotes a spiritual and meditative connectiveness.  It was a sweet smell before the Lord. 

"And when he had sent the multitudes away, he went up into a mountain apart to pray:..."  (Matthew 14:23a)

3.  To be humble and obedient:

"And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross." (Philippians 2:8)

4.  To be meek and gentle:

"Now I Paul myself beseech you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ,..."                            (2 Corinthians  10:1a).    

5.  To be a light:

"I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life." (John 8:12)

These are only 5 of many fragrances of Christ that we could follow.  Just like the essential oils that you could use,  each one is worthy of further study so that we can effectively diffuse the fragrance of Christ where ever we go.

Not everyone can be a Moses...But most can be an Aaron and a Hur

Exodus 17: 11-12  And it came to pass, when Moses held up his hand, that Israel prevailed: and when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed. But Moses hands were heavy; and they took a stone, and put it under him, and he sat thereon; and Aaron and Hur stayed up his hands, the one on the one side, and the other on the other side; and his hands were steady until the going down of the sun.

BFF Morning by Janis Lee Colon

Pretty soon after the Israelites had been delivered out of Egypt, a hostile nomadic desert tribe, led by their leader, Amalek, attacked them.  I guess he didn’t like all these new people invading his turf.  I’m sure he must have heard why these people were there and how God had fought for them and delivered them with a mighty hand from Egypt.  I would think he would have thought twice before confronting them and their powerful God.  

Moses was a leader. God used him to lead the Israelites out of Egypt and then gave him the laws for them to follow. All the people looked to him to lead them.  But, he was a mere man, with weaknesses, like all others.  At this first battle, he needed support in order to keep holding up the rod, so that they would win.  Aaron and Hur came along side of him and set up a rock for Moses to sit on and also stood next to him and held up his arms.  They were supporters.  The fighting lasted all day.  Without their support, Moses’ arms would have dropped down and the battle would have been lost.

Not everyone can be a leader. It takes special people with outgoing personalities, who can motivate and command a crowd. Although, these people seem to do everything great in each of their areas, they all have a group of people who are behind the scenes, working on everything needed for this person to succeed.

In church ministries, just a hand full of people are the speakers, preachers, ministers and singers.  But, all of us can be supporters in one way or another.  Here are just some of the ways we can be of support:  We can pray for our leaders.  It’s always so encouraging to hear that someone has been praying for us.  Giving encouragement via a phone call, note, email or card is always good.  Financial support is always needed and appreciated.  Providing physical help with things that have to be fixed, built or maintained can be of great relief.  There are so many ways that we can find ways to be a helper. 

This is such an important principle for us to keep in mind that God told Moses to write this account as a memorial in the book.  As you read the rest of the story to verse 16, it didn’t turn out too well for Amalek.  He dared to attack the people who have an almighty God, who fights and delivers them.

Just as Aaron and Hur played an important part and shared in the victory, we can also reap the blessings as we help each other.

A Special Menu - Passover’s Three Original Elements

“Then they shall eat the flesh (lamb) on that night; roasted in fire, with unleavened bread and with bitter herbs they shall eat it.” Exodus 12:8

Did you ever have folks over for dinner and couldn’t decide what to prepare for them? Well, at the first Passover, God told the Israelites to prepare a special meal that would not only nourish them, but will also save the first-born in the home. It was the last meal they would eat as slaves in Egypt. On the plate, that evening, were 3 specific things. Each item had a historical, prophetic and Messianic picture. Did the picture become clear during the life and passion of Jesus in the 1^st Century?

THE LAMB

Historically: This was a sacrifice each family had to make. The first-born in each house was under the judgment of death. The lamb’s life was substituted for the first-born. The blood of the lamb had to be splashed on the 2 doorposts and on the upper mantle of the door. When the angel of death saw the blood, he passed over the house and left the first-born unharmed. Any home that did not have this sacrifice resulted in death for the first born of that house.

Prophetically: This gave a picture of what the Messiah would be…”A SACRIFICE LAMB” (Isaiah 53:6)

Messianically: It was the role of the priests to select the lambs to be offered to God. A Priest by the name of Johanann Ben Zechariah (John the Baptizer) said, as he saw Jesus coming to him to be baptized, ”…Behold! The Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29)

UNLEAVENED BREAD

Historically: The people were redeemed from Egypt by the swift hand of God. They had to be ready to leave quickly. They didn’t have time for the bread dough to rise. Furthermore, leaven is a picture of the effects of sin in the Bible.

Prophetically: It is a picture of what Messiah would be like… “A SINLESS LAMB.”

Messianically: It was also the role of the priests to inspect all the lambs for sacrifice. The Chief Priests challenged Jesus’ Authority; the Pharisees & the Herodians questioned his Allegiance, the Sadducees tested his Doctrine and an expert in religious law questioned his Devotion (Matthew 21 & 22). Little did they realize, that in their pursuit to have Jesus incriminate himself, they actually inspected THE LAMB and … found no fault in him.

BITTER HERBS

Historically: Life under Egyptian slavery was very bitter, with much suffering and very harsh treatment.

Prophetically: This is a picture of what the Messiah would become… “A SUFFERING LAMB.”

Messianically: It was the role of the priests and the people to slaughter their lambs.

Jesus was crucified at 9 am. While on the cross, at 12 noon, he hears the shofar blown, signaling the start to slaughter the lambs at the Temple. He also hears the people and the priests sing Psalms 113 through 118. At 3 pm the last line of the Psalms was song, “for his mercy endureth forever.” (Psalm 118:29) Jesus cries out, “It is finished!” (John 19:30) and dies. He is quickly buried in the tomb. Three days later, He is resurrected!

This special menu has a much deeper significance when it’s seasoned with the Life of Christ. The picture becomes focused. It fits together! Jesus was the sinless, sacrificial, suffering Lamb of God that takes away the sins of the world. We all have sinned and are under the judgment of death. The sacrifice has been made for you. Have you accepted Jesus to be YOUR “LAMB”?

Note: I used a portion from a handout sheet called, “Passover in the upper room with Yeshua” by Peter Colon for the main points.