Welcome to a blast from my past …….. FUN FRIDAY’S.

HERE is my first ever FUN FRIDAY post, it was published 12/11/09.  WOW, two years ago, and my boys look so cute and so little. The idea behind FUN FRIDAY’S was to have a day that still held Education value but was set up completely different from the other school days. HERE is a link to all my old FUN FRIDAY post.

Here was the list from my first post:

Games (Chess, Memory, Board, Card, Electronic, Computer (ex. Know your States ), etc.)

‘Feed the Mind’ Links (from Holy Experience) (Many AWESOME educational (Mind, Spirit, etc) Links)

Baking (ABC’s of Baking with Kids)

Tea Time

Create Stories, Poems, etc

Science experiments  and more Experiment Ideas

Leap Frog Toys or DVD’s (Math & Reading Skills)

Service Projects

Nature Study (with Barb @ Handbook of Nature Study)

Nature Walk

Art Appreciation

THINK projects

Music Appreciation (Composer, Patriotic, Hymns)

Audio Books (while building with Lego’s/K’nex)

Puzzles

Visit a park

Nature, Science or History Documentary’s

Extra Read A Louds

Hands On Art Lessons

Take a Field Trip

Craft projects

Sketch of the Week (AKA Sketch Tuesday by Barb the Harmony Art Mom)

Handicraft/ Life Skills (Check out the weekly Handicraft/ Life skills ‘Challenge’)

Reading from magazines: Ex. Focus On the Family: Club House Jr, Club House, Natures Friend and Lego

Observe the Weather, Learn about the Weather and watch the Weather Channel

Nature Study, Art, Craft, etc Ideas (@ Hearts and Trees)

Cooking and Baking (Idea suggested by Hodgepodge Mom & I added the link)

Watch the News together (Talk about Current Events Local & World News, find places on the globe or a local map, Pray for people in the stories you hear, etc….)

NEW IDEAS

Pick a Country; do map work, create art based of the cultures of the country, read about it, write a poem or story based on the people of the country, learn about the animals of that country, find out what the weather and time is in that country, etc.. (World Factbook @ Yahoo for Kids)

Art with Soft pastels (Many WONDERFUL Pastel Tutorials at HodgePodge)

Have a Picnic (in or outdoors depending on weather)

Find out what was going on during your child’s great or grandparents lifetime (This- Day- In- History)

Create a Family tree

Playdough, Moon sand, Clay, Carve Soap, Lincoln logs, and I already mentioned Lego (Lego building ideas and Lego Building Challenges) and K’nex above)

Free Lapbook Ideas from HomeSchool Share

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Today our FUN FRIDAY consisted of most of our regular subjects; History, Geography, Natural History, Science but the boys (usually) love the books I use for these subjects. While I read to them; they were painting, making their dad a card, map work,  playing with Lego’s or putting a puzzle together. Today wasn’t to far removed from our normal day except I read a lot more to them, and they didn’t have to do all their individual work. I still including a wee bit of regular math and they both had to read on their own but no spelling, grammar, dictation work, etc. After I would read the boys would narrate back to me what I read so I could make sure they were listening. Next Friday my plan is to avoid any of our regular school work, but I just couldn’t do that this one. They both had a great day as far as attitude, they enjoyed that we started the day with painting and they always love being able to build with Lego’s while I read. So I do think it was a very good day.

Weekly Wrap-Up:

It was a good week overall, we had a four day week according to our schedule and that was very nice. I am pleased with the way things are going in our home school over all but I also know that I have to get better about some things. The Lord has really been stirring me to be even more diligent about this calling HE has given us to home school our boys. A friend off mine wrote a blog post that GOD used to step on my toes, and I think that is a good thing!!! I would really encourage you to take the time to read her post.

Schooling Well by littlesanctuary posted to Habits for a Happy Home

The Weekly Wrap-Up is hosted by Weird, Unsocialized Homeschoolers

There is a beautiful song called the Heart of Worship, and the chorus goes like this………

I’m coming back to the heart of worship And it’s all about You All about You, Jesus I’m sorry Lord for the thing I’ve made it When it’s all about You It’s all about You Jesus Its all about you Jesus

We were singing this song in church last week, and as we sang the chorus I just kept thinking, this was a description of what my life should be as I live out my relationship with the FATHER that I have through JESUS CHRIST. Let me change the words of the chorus just a wee bit, so you can see where I am coming from……. Read more @ Habits for a Happy Home

I really don’t think so! HE has already prepared me for HIMSELF and when I opened my mouth and life to welcome HIM in, HE gave me a NEW heart! By HIS HOLY Spirit, HE placed in me that NEW heart and it has in it everything I need to continually walk in HIS ways.

If I have a NEW heart and it is exactly the kind of heart I need to walk in the ways of GOD, than why do I at times find myself walking another way?

“Keep watching and praying that you may not enter into temptation; the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.” ~~Matthew 26:41

It’s my stinking, ugly, lazy, selfish and weak FLESH!!

It isn’t because GOD isn’t enough, it isn’t because HIS HOLY SPIRIT isn’t powerful enough, it isn’t because what JESUS did just wasn’t good enough,  and it’s not because HIS WORD isn’t true.

It’s not my heart, it’s not my spirit, it’s my FLESH!

It’s my flesh that keeps me from HIM; that keep’s me out of HIS word, keeps me from speaking to HIM. It is my flesh that keeps my mouth shut when I should speak or keeps it running when I should be silent. It’s my flesh that gets in the way, eats away at what could be done and should be done.

It is my flesh that betrays me!!!

Oh, what can I do? How can I prepare this flesh? How can I make it acceptable?

I can’t make my flesh acceptable but I can CHOOSE to let it die.

How do I go about starving my flesh to the point of its death?

Those who are dominated by the sinful nature think about sinful things, but those who are controlled by the Holy Spirit think about things that please the Spirit. Romans 8:5

I CHOOSE HIS will, not mine!

And He went a little beyond them, and fell on His face and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; yet not as I will, but as You will.” Matthew 26:39

That means I continually feed my SPIRIT, on HIS BODY and HIS BLOOD!!!

Yes, that is it, I will feed on JESUS and by choosing to feed my spirit, I will starve my flesh!!!

Jesus said to them, “I tell you the truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in him. Just as the living Father sent me and I live because of the Father, so the one who feeds on me will live because of me. John 6:53-57

To feed on HIM, I just have to choose to allow HIS SPIRIT to do HIS thing in and through me. To feed my spirit; I just have to say no to my flesh and YES to HIM!! I will  feed my spirit by feeding on HIM in prayer, while reading HIS word, while encouraging, while teaching, while serving others, while being a mom, a wife, a friend, while listening to music, while choosing my entertainment, while having a conversation, while relaxing and while showing HIS love anyway and every way I can.

If you use your lives to do what your sinful selves want, you will die spiritually. But if you use the Spirit’s help to stop doing the wrong things you do with your body, you will have true life. Romans 8:13

Back to the question……. Is there anything I can do to make myself ready for HIM?

YES, there is, with the HOLY SPIRIT’s help, I can continually FEED on HIM!!

This post like the first nine will come from the perspective that JESUS is God’s son….God himself and that the whole bible (old and new) is full of God’s words, not man’s and therefore we can trust that GOD made sure that we had one book that is a completely reliable source of information for us to have faith in and live by.

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I want to take the time to look at how the change of covenants affect GOD’s people, and how is GOD telling HIS people to live under the NEW Covenant?

I believe the most vital and amazing change is that GOD has written HIMSELF (who HE is, what HIS will is) upon our hearts by HIS HOLY SPIRIT. Under the NEW Covenant we are privileged to have an intimate, alive, real RELATIONSHIP with GOD (the FATHER, the SON and the HOLY SPIRIT)!! We are welcome into HIS presence anytime, anywhere! We do not have to make sacrifices, offerings and go through purification rituals to be acceptable to GOD. We are made acceptable and have access to GOD because of JESUS. We aren’t destined to never enter the Holy of Holies (GOD’s presence), we are destined to be up close and personal with GOD!! Isn’t that amazing, isn’t it almost more than we can comprehend! The CREATOR of everything wants a relationship with us, that HE doesn’t just allow us in, HE welcomes us in to HIS presence.We do not have to offer sacrifices and offerings to be forgiven; we just have to ask and HE promised HE would forgive. I don’t know about you but this covenant sounds so much better than the one they had before JESUS!! It’s supposed to look and sound better, that was exactly GOD’s purpose for giving the NEW COVENANT!!

But now HE (CHRIST) has obtained a more excellent ministry, by as much as HE is also the mediator of a better covenant, which has been enacted on better promises. Hebrews 8:6

Now how do I live while in this relationship with GOD: I am told that if I love HIM (JESUS; GOD’s Son and GOD HIMSELF), I will obey HIS commands. Today I will only be looking specifically at JESUS’ words. Though I know there were so many more commands given by GOD to the New Testament writers by HIS HOLY SPIRIT.

“If you love Me, you will keep My commandments. John 14:15 

So what are the commands of the New Covenant? To find out what commands I need to obey; I need to look to the words of JESUS himself, to the words that GOD gave to the New Testament writers and I need to listen to GOD’s Holy Spirit.

John 14:   But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.

John 16: 12-15 “I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. He will bring glory to me by taking from what is mine and making it known to you. All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will take from what is mine and make it known to you.

Below I will share only  some of the commands that JESUS spoke. This post would be way to long if I tried to list every command given by JESUS!

1. LOVE GOD  with everything you got: One of the scribes came and heard them arguing, and recognizing that He had answered them well, asked Him, “What commandment is the foremost of all?” Jesus answered, “The foremost is, ‘HEAR, O ISRAEL! THE LORD OUR GOD IS ONE LORD; 30AND YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND, AND WITH ALL YOUR STRENGTH.’ Mark 12:28-30

2. LOVE those around you, both near and far: “The second is this, ‘YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.’ Mark 12: 31

AFTER those two there isn’t an order of importance…………..

~FEED, GIVE, CLOTHE, VISIT, CARE FOR, and INVITE: For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’ Matthew 25:35-36

~FORGIVE: Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?” Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.^{f Matt. 18:21-22}

~What about CHILDREN?: Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” When he had placed his hands on them, he went on from there. Matthew 19:14-15

At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” He called a little child and had him stand among them. And he said: “I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. “And whoever welcomes a little child like this in my name welcomes me. But if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a large millstone hung around his neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea Matthew 18:1-6

~Jesus replied, “‘Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give false testimony, honor your father and mother,’^d and ‘love your neighbor as yourself.’^e” Matthew 19:18-19

~LOVE: Love each other as I have loved you. John 15:12

~BELIVE in JESUS: Jesus answered, “The work of God is this: to BELIEVE in the one he has sent.” John 6:29

~ABIDE in JESUS, HUNGER and THIRST after HIM, be Consumed with HIM: Jesus said to them, “I tell you the truth, unless you EAT the flesh of the Son of Man and DRINK his blood, you have no life in you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in him. Just as the living Father sent me and I live because of the Father, so the one who feeds on me will live because of me. This is the bread that came down from heaven. Your forefathers ate manna and died, but he who feeds on this bread will live forever.” John 6:3-58

~SERVE JESUS by SERVING OTHERS: Whoever SERVES me (JESUS) must follow me; ……John 12:26…… Humbly SERVE……….. When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. “Do you understand what I have done for you?” he asked them. You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am. Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. I tell you the truth, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them. John 13:12-17

Wesley’s Notes

John 13:14 Ye ought also to wash one another’s feet – And why did they not? Why do we not read of any one apostle ever washing the feet of any other? Because they understood the Lord better. They knew he never designed that this should be literally taken. He designed to teach them the great lesson of humble love, as well as to confer inward purity upon them. And hereby he teaches us, In every possible way to assist each other in attaining that purity; To wash each other’s feet, by performing all sorts of good offices to each other, even those of the lowest kind, when opportunity serves, and the necessity of any calls for them.

~Witness with words and actions: In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven. Matthew 5:16 

~Go the extra mile: “You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’But I tell you, Do not resist an evil person. If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if someone wants to sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. If someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you. Matthew 5:38-42

~Love for Enemies:“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor^h and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you: Love your enemiesⁱ and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? Matthew 5:43-47

~MATURE, and FULLY GROW UP in the way of GOD: Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect. Matthew 5:48

Scofield Reference Notes

[1] perfect

The word implies full development, growth into maturity of godliness, not sinless perfection. Eph 4:12,13. In this passage the Father’s kindness, not His sinlessness, is the point in question. Lk 6:35,36

~Give to the Needy and don’t be prideful or show off when you do: “Be careful not to do your ‘acts of righteousness’ before men, to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.

“So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. Matthew 6:1-2

~ BE more concerned with the things of GOD than the things of this world: “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Matthew 6:19-21

~Do Not Worry: “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life^b? “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them.

~Keep GOD and HIS ways first in your life: but seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. Matthew 6:25-34

~DO NOT JUDGE:: “Do not judge, or you too will be judged.For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. Matthew 7:1-2

~Acknowledge JESUS: “Whoever acknowledges me before men, I will also acknowledge him before my Father in heaven. But whoever disowns me before men, I will disown him before my Father in heaven. Matthew 10:32-33

~Take on Jesus’ Yoke: “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Matthew 11: 28-30

~ Live out NOT my will BUT YOURS LORD: Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life^h will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it. What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul? Matthew 16:24-26

~Witness/Teach/Share the good news about JESUS: Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in^a the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Matthew 28: 18-20

By truly living under the NEW Covenant and by the law of Christ; it is not possible that our lives would consistently be a lawless mess!! The NEW Covenant is full of commands from JESUS on how to live, treat people, and relate to GOD. If I live out the law of Christ than I will be lovingly walking in obedience to GOD!!

Bear one another’s burdens, and thereby fulfill the law of Christ. Gal. 6:2

Though I am free and belong to no man, I make myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible. To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law. To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God’s law but am under Christ’s law), so as to win those not having the law. To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some. I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings.  1 Corinthians 9:19-23

What Paul is saying here is that HE lived HIS life in such a way so that HE would not willingly offend those HE wanted to share CHRIST with. He always lived by the law of Christ (which is our law under the NEW Covenant)! If HE was with a Jew that didn’t believe in JESUS or one that had not accepted yet that with JESUS came significant changes from the laws that needed to be lived out, Paul would act accordingly. If he was with a gentile that believed in JESUS he did not live by the laws that had actually been done away with because of JESUS.

Whether, then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. Give no offense either to Jews or to Greeks or to the church of God; just as I also please all men in all things, not seeking my own profit but the profit of the many, so that they may be saved. 1 Corinthians 10:31-33

As we live out the law of Christ under the NEW Covenant, let’s do it all to the GLORY of GOD. If we do that, nine out of ten times we will not cause offense and we will be living out a beautiful example of GOD to those around us!!

I hope you might read the words in my first five-post in reference to the New Covenant:

What does it really mean be under a New Covenant (Post #1)

What does it really mean to be under a New Covenant (Post #2)

JESUS was the way GOD ushered in the New Covenant (Post #3)

JESUS declares the NEW Covenant is in HIS blood! (Post #4)

We needed the NEW and it is better than the old (Post #5)

Since GOD has given us the NEW, do not go back and live under the old (Post #6)

What Changes did the NEW Covenant bring (Post #7)

GOD doesn’t Change but HIS Covenants did! (Post #8)

7th day Sabbath and the NEW Covenant (Post #9)

This post like the first eight will come from the perspective that JESUS is God’s son….God himself and that the whole bible (old and new) is full of God’s words, not man’s and therefore we can trust that GOD made sure that we had one book that is a completely reliable source of information for us to have faith in and live by.

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“God is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Heb. 13:8), but this refers to God’s character and nature, not to His laws for men.” ~~Via article @ Gospel Way

Today’s post is about the Sabbath, as in the 4th Commandment.

I have really searched, sought, read, studied, pondered, prayed and begged GOD for truth in reference to the 4th commandment (7th day Sabbath). GOD has answered my prayer (as I knew HE would) and I have complete peace about Sabbath observance. What I know to be true according to the WORD of GOD and the voice of the Holy Spirit is that as a believer under the NEW Covenant I am not obligated to observe the 7th day Sabbath. Though I do believe I am obeying the purpose of the 7th day Sabbath by choosing to abide and rest in HIM continualy; day by day. Actually I do not believe as a child of GOD (believer of JESUS) living under the New Covenant that I am obligated to obey any commandment given under the Old Covenant. To know how to live I need to look at the commands that were given under the New Covenant; because I do believe that GOD gave us all the instructions/commandments He wanted us to have in the writings of the New Testament. I am not disrespecting the Old Covenant law or GOD HIMSELF by saying that I am now obligated to follow the New Covenant laws. I also think the entire Old Testament is very important to read, ponder and study!!! I just think the answers of what is right and wrong under the New Covenant are made known through the Holy Spirit and the words GOD gave the New Testament writers. I know that many of the commands we are supposed to live by are exactly like some that were given under the old covenant, many go to a deeper (heart) level, and many, many commands are completely done away with under the New Covenant. I respect GOD’s laws/commandments and my hearts desire is to fully obey HIM because I love HIM. I do have so much to learn in GODs entire word but if I have a question of right or wrong, or how to live, etc., I look into the words of the New Covenant. I do believe I have freedom to observe the 7th day Sabbath or not to observe it. Again I do not believe we are bound by the old covenant or the commands within the old and that includes the ten commandments. I know it sounds crazy to say that we are not bound to the ten commandments but what I mean is, that we are not bound to them as the package that was given under the old covenant. We are bound to nine of the ten because they are specifically mentioned over and over in the NEW covenant. I could go on and on with my thoughts; and with scripture, etc to show why I believe what I believe BUT other people have already done the hard work, so I think I will just let them share.

(Side note: I do not believe that Sunday became the Sabbath; Sunday is a day to come together and worship, it can be used to rest if one wishes but I do not believe it ever became the new Sabbath.)

Quote from Gospel Way Article: I encourage you to read the entire article. Just so you know, I agree with 95% of what is said but I think that is a pretty good percentage -smiling here-)

The Ten Commands were given only to Israel.

Deuteronomy 4:1,44,45 – The Ten Commands were given to the children of Israel after they came out of Egypt.

Deuteronomy 5:1,6 – Moses spoke to Israel and gave them the Ten Commands to observe. God brought them out of the land of Egypt.

Exodus 34:27,28 – The Lord made a covenant with Israel writing on tablets the words of the covenant, the Ten Commandments.

1 Kings 8:9,21 – The two tablets of stone contain the covenant the Lord made with Israel, when they came out of the land of Egypt.

Deuteronomy 4:7-13 – No other nation had such a great law as the Ten Commandments.

These laws were in effect throughout Israel’s generations

God repeatedly told Israel that various provisions of the law were to last “throughout their generations.” This is said regarding:

Genesis 17:9,10 – Circumcision
Exodus 12:14; Leviticus 23:21,31,41 – Holy feast days
Exodus 29:42; 30:10 – Animal sacrifices
Exodus 30:8 – Incense
Exodus 30:31 – Holy anointing oil
Exodus 31:13-17 – Sabbath observance
Exodus 40:15; Numbers 18:23 – Levitical priests in the tabernacle.

[Cf. Num. 15:38; Ex. 30:21; Lev. 7:36; Num. 10:8; 35:29]

All these practices were to endure for the same length of time – throughout Israel’s generations. If any of them has ceased, then they must have all ceased since they were all to endure the same length of time. But we have already proved that many of them have ceased, therefore they must have all ceased.

These all continued as long as Israel’s special relationship to God continued, and all would end when that special relation ended. That special relationship ended when the gospel came into effect. There is no more Jew or Gentile in God’s plan (Gal. 3:28). [Cf. Eph. 2:11-18; Acts 10:34,35; 15:7-11; Rom. 10:12; Col. 3:11]

A. Today We Must Obey the New Testament.

The reason the Old Covenant is not needed now is that Jesus replaced it with a different covenant, the gospel.

Hebrews 10:9,10 – Jesus took away the first will that He might establish the second. (cf. Heb. 8:6-9; 7:22; 2 Cor. 3:6)

Romans 7:4 – We are freed from the law to be joined to Christ.

Galatians 3:24-27 – We are not under the schoolmaster (old law) because now the gospel faith has come (cf. 1:11,12).

An illustration: The area we now call the United States was once ruled by Britain, then it was under the Articles of Confederation, and now we are under the Constitution. Likewise God provided for man first the patriarchal rule, then the laws at Sinai, and now the gospel or New Testament. We are no more subject to the Old Testament laws than we are to the Articles of Confederation.

Nine of the Ten Commands are repeated in the New Testament.

1. No God but Jehovah – 1 Cor. 8:4; Acts 14:15

2. No graven images – Gal. 5:19-21; Rom. 1:22,23; 1 John 5:21

3. Don’t take God’s name in vain – James 5:12

4. Remember the Sabbath. This command is the only one of the ten that is nowhere repeated in the New Testament. The only Sabbath rest promised in the New Testament is eternal life (Heb. 4:9-11).

5. Honor your parents – Eph. 6:2,3

6. Do not kill – Rom. 13:8-10

7. Do not commit adultery – Rom. 13:8-10; 1 Cor. 6:9,10

8. Do not steal – Rom. 13:8-10; Eph. 4:28

9. Do not bear false witness – Rev. 21:8; 22:15; Col. 3:9

10. Do not covet – Rom. 13:8-10; Eph. 5:3.

We obey the commands that are repeated in the New Testament, not because they were in the Old Testament, but because they are in the New Testament.

Conclusion

The Bible teaches that the entire Old Testament law was removed by God. None of it is binding today as authority for any religious practice, and that includes the Sabbath and Ten Commands……

The New Covenant is a better system, having a better hope, and built on better promises (Heb. 7:22; 8:6; 9:23; 7:19). Do not become entangled again in the bondage of the Old Law

The above Quote from Gospel Way Article: (If you want to read more from this article (I encourage you to do so), go HERE. Just so you will know, I agree with 95% of what is said but I think that is a pretty good percentage -smiling here-)

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The Quote below is from a different article named The Sabbath and Sunday. I also encourage you to read this whole article, I also agree with about 95% of this article.

WHEN THE NEW TESTAMENT LISTS SINS, SABBATH BREAKING IS CONSPICUOUSLY ABSENT:

In Mark 7:21-22 13 sins are listed. Jesus did not mention breaking the Sabbath.
In Romans 1:29-32 20 sins are listed and not one of them is Sabbath breaking.
In Galatians 5:19-21 a list of 15 sins are given,
In 2 Timothy 3:1-4 there’s a list of 18 sins, but not once is Sabbath breaking mentioned!

DO WE EVEN KNOW THE REAL SABBATH?

In 1582 Gregory XIII found a miscalculation in the calendar and decreed to drop October 5-14 and to drop 3 leap years in every century. In England 11 days (September 3-13) were dropped in 1752, in addition to other changes. (See Heresies Exposed, p. 167).

The Quote above is from a different article named The Sabbath and Sunday. I also encourage you to read this whole article, I also agree with about 95% of this article.

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The above Quote comes from an article called What do the Scriptures Say about the Sabbath , I would encourage you to read the entire article, it is long but worth it. Again I will not claim I believe in 100% of what this author says but I do easily believe 95% of it.

 Jesus alluded to this Sabbath healing, and the controversy it caused, in John 7:22-23. He pointed out the irony that the Jews did not allow healing on the Sabbath, but they did allow circumcision. “If a child can be circumcised on the Sabbath so that the law of Moses may not be broken, why are you angry with me for healing the whole man on the Sabbath?”

Work could be done on the Sabbath so that the law of Moses would not be broken, showing that the law of Moses commanding circumcision was considered more important than the Sabbath restriction. The circumcision law was more important than the strictness of the Sabbath law, just as the laws of temple ritual were – and yet circumcision and rituals are obsolete.

The Jews probably had no answer for Jesus. They could not refute what he said, and that is one reason they tried to kill him. But the readers of John’s Gospel would understand that circumcision, temple rituals and “the law of Moses” were not required for gentile Christians. If important laws could be swept aside, what does that imply for the lesser requirements of the Sabbath law?

Jesus criticized the Pharisees’ approach to various laws and rituals, including ritual handwashing (Matthew 15:2), phylacteries (Matthew 23:5) and Corban rules (Mark 7:11-13). In all these things, he antagonized the Pharisees and risked his life. But these criticisms were not attempts to tell his disciples how to continue these customs in a better way. In fact, Jesus’ criticisms helped the early church realize that these customs were obsolete. Therefore, we cannot assume, when the Gospels record Jesus criticizing the way something was done, that he wanted the practice continued by the church in a better way.

Jesus sometimes criticized the way the Pharisees approached customs that were good, including almsgiving, prayer and fasting (Matthew 6:2, 5, 16). On these topics, Jesus clearly taught his disciples to continue the practice (verses 3, 6, 17). But Jesus never taught his disciples to keep the Sabbath. We are told about work that Jesus did on the Sabbath, but we are never told that he rested on the Sabbath. He repeatedly noted that restrictive rules were violations of the intent of the Sabbath — he taught that a focus on external details was ineffective and incorrect. Those restrictions did not transform the heart.

Jesus never broke the Sabbath, nor did he teach others to break the Sabbath. But neither did he teach against circumcision and sacrifices. He could not while the old covenant was still in force. He could point out administrative problems, and present himself as the Lord, but it was not yet time to publicly reject any particular law (see John 16:12-13). But the implications are there. When John describes Jesus as working on the Sabbath, he does not feel compelled to explain that Christians cannot. When Luke says that people are freed on the Sabbath, he does not feel compelled to qualify what he said. Jesus’ example regarding the Sabbath is liberty, not rules.

Paul, like Jesus, customarily went to the synagogue. But why should we insist on imitating one phrase of the sentence and ignore another part? Why should we cite the example of “Sabbath” but not of “synagogue”? The fact that this was a synagogue should alert us to the historical situation and should caution us regarding specific customs. Paul went to the synagogue on the Sabbath because that is when and where people were assembled to hear discussions of Scripture. That is when and where he had an audience. He went to Jews first, and then to gentiles, and the best way to preach to Jews would be to go to the synagogues on the day Jews were there.[21]

Paul sometimes kept other Jewish customs, too, such as circumcision, making vows and participating in temple rituals. His example isn’t automatically authoritative. If we imitate all the ways in which he lived like Jesus, we would have to be celibate traveling preachers. We need to discern which details of their lives were based on the culture they lived in, and which were based on timeless principles.

Paul considered himself under the law of Christ, not under the law of the old covenant (1 Corinthians 9:19-21). He was free to observe old covenant customs when with Jews, and he was free to ignore them in other situations. Peter was free to “live like a Gentile,” and Paul was, too (Galatians 2:14). Today, we are to obey the commands of Jesus (Matthew 28:20), and neither Jesus nor Paul ever commanded anyone to rest on the Sabbath.

The Sabbath pointed an unconverted nation to its Creator. It gave them frequent reminders of him, just as the temple and its sacrifices did. But now that the Creator is living in us, we do not need pointers in the same way. Just as we abide by the spiritual purpose of circumcision through repentance and forgiveness — completely ignoring the physical details the old rite demanded — we abide by the spiritual purpose of the Sabbath when we have faith in Christ.

Paul taught regularly on the Sabbath (Acts 18:1-11). Was he teaching the gentiles to keep the Sabbath?

This passage says only that he taught in the synagogues for a few Sabbaths — after that, it does not say when he taught. Although it may have been on the Sabbath, it may have been on other days, too, as it was in Athens and Ephesus. And the passage says nothing about avoiding work on a particular day of the week.

The book of Acts tells us what Paul did on a few Sabbaths and a few other days. If we want to know what Paul himself taught about the Sabbath, we must turn to the only place the word “Sabbath” is used in his epistles: Colossians 2:16-17: “Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day. These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ.”

The contrast between “shadow” and “reality” is found also in Hebrews 10:1 — the sacrificial laws were a shadow of the good things that were coming (same Greek word and tense as in Colossians 2:17), not the reality. Just as the sacrifices were shadows that pointed to Christ and were superseded by him, the old covenant worship days were also shadows that pointed to Christ.

Now that he has come, the days are no longer standards by which we are judged. The proper standard is Jesus Christ. At the last judgment, the determining factor will not be about days, but about faith in Jesus Christ. His coming has made an enormous difference in the way God’s people should worship in spirit and in truth.

Paul did not teach gentile Christians to keep the Sabbath. He actually told them that the Sabbath was not an area in which we should be judged. As he told the Roman church, which contained both Jews and gentiles, “One man considers one day more sacred than another; another man considers every day alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind” (Romans 14:5).[22]

Of course, there is no New Testament verse that says the Sabbath is now obsolete. Instead, there are verses that say the entire old covenant law is obsolete. The law of Moses is not required. The Sabbath is repeatedly likened to things now obsolete: temple sacrifices, circumcision, showbread, a shadow. It is not a basis for judging one another, and it must not be taught as a necessary addition to Christ. Therefore, many Christians conclude that the Sabbath is not required.

If the Sabbath were a requirement, it would be astonishing that the New Testament never mentions such an important command. It has space for all sorts of other commands, including holy kisses, but no occasion to command the Sabbath. Sweeping statements are made regarding the old covenant law, but never does anyone say, “except the Sabbath.” If the Sabbath is essential, it is astonishing that no one is ever criticized for ignoring it.

Paul dealt with numerous problems of Christian living, and he lists numerous sins that can keep people out of the kingdom of God, but he never mentions the Sabbath. In describing sins of the gentiles (Romans 1), he says nothing about the Sabbath. He says plenty about faith and love, magnifying the real purpose of God’s law, but the Sabbath is simply not commanded. Nor is it credible to claim that the entire New Testament was purposely written in such a way that only a spiritual elite would understand the most important command.

Instead, the Sabbath is an indifferent matter. People are free to rest on that day if they do it to the Lord. People are free to use the day in other ways, too, if they are living to the Lord. Believers are free to meet on the seventh day of the week, or on any other day.

The above Quote comes from an article called What do the Scriptures Say about the Sabbath , I would encourage you to read the entire article, it is long but worth it. Again I will not claim I believe in 100% of what this author says but I do easily believe 95% of it.

Closing thought:

I continue to trust in the fact that GOD said HE was going to make a NEW Covenant; and that when HE made it; HE clearly brought changes, therefore it does not look exactly like the old covenant.  GOD had a purpose for everything HE did, and commanded in the old and HE has a purpose for everything that HE has done and commanded under the NEW.

“He who observes the day, observes it for the Lord, and he who eats, does so for the Lord, for he gives thanks to God; and he who eats not, for the Lord he does not eat, and gives thanks to God.” Rom. 14:6

 

Therefore no one is to act as your judge in regard to food or drink or in respect to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath day– Colossians 2:16

 

One man considers one day more sacred than another; another man considers every day alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind. 6He who regards one day as special, does so to the Lord. He who eats meat, eats to the Lord, for he gives thanks to God; and he who abstains, does so to the Lord and gives thanks to God. Romans 14:5

I hope you might read the words in my first five-post in reference to the New Covenant:

What does it really mean be under a New Covenant (Post #1)

What does it really mean to be under a New Covenant (Post #2)

JESUS was the way GOD ushered in the New Covenant (Post #3)

JESUS declares the NEW Covenant is in HIS blood! (Post #4)

We needed the NEW and it is better than the old (Post #5)

Since GOD has given us the NEW, do not go back and live under the old (Post #6)

What Changes did the NEW Covenant bring (Post #7)

GOD doesn’t Change but HIS Covenants did! (Post #8)

This post like the first seven will come from the perspective that JESUS is God’s son….God himself and that the whole bible (old and new) is full of God’s words, not man’s and therefore we can trust that GOD made sure that we had one book that is a completely reliable source of information for us to have faith in and live by.

I want to officially start this post with the words of a friend.

“………the New Covenant is equally His word, God breathed. We cannot, and (are not meant to, even if we want to,thinking it would be God pleasing) keep the whole of the Old Covenant – We cannot and should not sacrifice bulls and goats to make atonement for our sins. We cannot and should not sacrifice birds when people have a dreaded disease, or banish them from our midst, requiring them to call out “unclean” if anyone approaches. We do not and should not stone disobedient sons. Because God’s law written now on our hearts, has truly given us His own way of dealing with this things by His Spirit. Our atonement is made through confession and repentance, by the shed blood of Yeshua on the cross, and our cleansing is made by His forgiveness in love. The unrepentant sinner cannot receive that forgiveness and cleansing until his heart turns, and if it does not, his soul will be dead,but we are not to physically kill him. No doing these things does not mean we are throwing out our beloved and holy Torah and letting it fizzle. It means that we are living the Torah written upon the heart, in the light of God’s new covenant, and not making the Lord’s death, resurrection and ascension to have been in vain.”~~ My friend Sue R.

When I read my friends words, I wanted to shout, YES, YES, YES, Thank YOU FATHER!! Her words expressed my thoughts but much better than I could express them. We are Torah Observant (following GOD’s instructions), when we with a love for GOD continually choose to learn about and walk in HIS ways by allowing the Holy Spirit to do HIS work in us! We are not walking in disobedience by claiming that we are under the NEW and not the old! We are not walking in disobedience by looking at the NEW testament, and trusting the guidance of the Holy Spirit to lead us in the way we should go. We are not disrespecting the old by acknowledging that HE gave the NEW, and accepting the changes that came with it. Just as the old was a gift when GOD gave it, the NEW is also a precious gift given to GOD’s people. GOD had a plan from the very beginning of time that included both the old and the NEW.  Today let us with joy embrace the beauty of both covenants but choose to live, and abide in the NEW, and better covenant!

Now to look at a few more of the commands GOD ave under the old:

Servants, slaves, etc.

If she does not please her master, who has designated her^[a] for himself, then he shall let her be redeemed. He shall have no right to sell her to a foreign people, since he has broken faith with her. Ex 21:8

But if a priest buys a slave as his property with his money, that one may eat of it, and those who are born in his house may eat of his food. Lev. 22:11

“If a man strikes his male or female slave with a rod and he dies at his hand, he shall be punished. Ex 21:20

There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. Gal. 3:28

I believe under the NEW all people are equal in GOD’s eyes, I do not believe GOD would want us to go to a have servants and slaves like that.  Though GOD did make provisions for the servants and slaves to be well taken care of under the old covenant. I believe that this was a cultural arrangement for that time and it is not for today.

“IF a …………” 

^1[a] “If a man steals an ox or a sheep, and kills it or sells it, he shall repay five oxen for an ox, and four sheep for a sheep. ^2[b] If a thief is found breaking in and is struck so that he dies, there shall be no bloodguilt for him, ³but if the sun has risen on him, there shall be bloodguilt for him. He shall surely pay. If he has nothing, then he shall be sold for his theft. ⁴If the stolen beast is found alive in his possession, whether it is an ox or a donkey or a sheep,he shall pay double.

⁵“If a man causes a field or vineyard to be grazed over, or lets his beast loose and it feeds in another man’s field, he shall make restitution from the best in his own field and in his own vineyard.

⁶“If fire breaks out and catches in thorns so that the stacked grain or the standing grain or the field is consumed, he who started the fire shall make full restitution.

In Exodus 22; it goes on and on listing out commands, what we  see, are commands to do right; treat others well, take responsiblity for your own actions, do what you can to keep people safe, treat each other with respect, etc…

We do not live in the same culture, community, etc that the people did under the old covenant, so we are not  able to follow these commands as they are spelled. So under the NEW we are not compelled to obey these specific commands but we are expected to obey the same principles of these commands. See scriptures below.

9Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. 10Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves. 11Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. 12Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. 13Share with God’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.

14Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. 15Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. 16Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position.^c Do not be conceited.

17Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody. 18If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. 19Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,”^d says the Lord. 20On the contrary:

“If your enemy is hungry, feed him;

if he is thirsty, give him something to drink.

In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.”^e

21Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.~~Romans 12

Who can live near you

³¹ And I will set your border from the Red Sea to the Sea of the Philistines, and from the wilderness to the Euphrates, for I will give the inhabitants of the land into your hand, and you shall drive them out before you. ³² You shall make no covenant with them and their gods. ³³They shall not dwell in your land, lest they make you sin against me; for if you serve their gods, it will surely be a snare to you.” Ex. 23

And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.~~Mark 16:15

If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men.~Romans 12:18

Now under the Mosaic laws in the old Covenant GOD gave the people land and then HE told them that non-believers (pagans and idolaters) couldn’t live in their land. Well, we can’t abide by this law because we don’t live on land that GOD specifically gave us as HE did the Israelites, and we can’t stop someone no matter their beliefs from buying property right beside ours. Though I believe under the NEW, GOD would not want us to fight against someone moving next door just because they were an unbeliever. HE would want us to show love to whoever our neighbor might be, and to share HIM with them anytime we can.

Offerings and Sacrifices

Starting in  Leviticus 1 and continuing on, and on, you will find command, after command on the different types of offerings and sacrifices. If you believe Jesus is the son of GOD…..GOD made flesh and HE gave up HIS mortal life as the perfect sacrifice and offering for us,  than you know we do not have to obey all these commands. If you do not believe JESUS is what I described, yet you believe in GOD and HIS old covenant, than you need to start obeying these commands. If you say you believe in JESUS, and you believe in the NEW Covenant, yet you also say you are still bound to the Mosaic laws, than you need to start making these offerings and sacrifices. I know both unbelievers of JESUS and believers in JESUS yet whom want to be Torah Observant will say we can’t because there is no temple and no priest. I will say YES, and AMEN! GOD explained in the old that HE was going to make a NEW Covenant, HE said in the NEW that when there was a change in the priesthood, there had to be a change in the law. He also said that the NEW made the old obsolete. So it’s not that we are still bound to them yet can’t obey those commands, it’s that we don’t have to obey them. JESUS fulfilled every purpose of every single sacrifice and offering that had been commanded in the old. We are under the NEW and those commands are not included in the NEW Covenant. Thank You JESUS!!

presented him as a sacrifice of atonement,ⁱ through faith in his blood. He did this to demonstrate his justice, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished—Romans 3:25

so Christ also, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time for salvation without reference to sin, to those who eagerly await Him. Hebres 9:28

What to eat or can not, what you can touch and can not touch

¹And the LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying to them, ²“Speak to the people of Israel, saying, These are the living things that you may eat among all the animals that are on the earth. ³Whatever parts the hoof and is cloven-footed and chews the cud, among the animals, you may eat. ⁴Nevertheless, among those that chew the cud or part the hoof, you shall not eat these: The camel, because it chews the cud but does not part the hoof, is unclean to you. ⁵And the rock badger, because it chews the cud but does not part the hoof, is unclean to you. ⁶And the hare, because it chews the cud but does not part the hoof, is unclean to you. ⁷And the pig, because it parts the hoof and is cloven-footed but does not chew the cud, is unclean to you. ⁸You shall not eat any of their flesh, and you shall not touch their carcasses; they are unclean to you…………….

In Leviticus 11 GOD goes into detail about what the Israelites can eat, and can be touched and what not to eat or not touch. So how do we look at this list today. Well, one thing to consider is at first GOD only gave vegetation to eat, we do know that there was a distinction between clean, and unclean animals for sacrifices before the flood but we do not know if this distinction had anything to do with what could or couldn’t be eaten, since we do not know if anyone even ate meat before the flood. After the flood GOD clearly said that anything and everything could be considered food.

Everything that lives and moves will be food for you. Just as I gave you the green plants, I now give you everything. Genesis 9:3

“The grant of sustenance is no longer confined to the vegetable, but extended to the animal kinds, with two solemn restrictions. This explains how fully the animals are handed over to the will of man. They were slain for sacrifice from the earliest times. Whether they were used for food before this time we are not informed. But now “every creeper that is alive” is granted for food. “Every creeper” is everything that moves with the body prone to the earth, and therefore in a creeping posture. This seems to describe the inferior animals in contradistinction to man, who walks erect. The phrase “that is alive” seems to exclude animals that have died a natural death from being used as food.”~~Barne’s Note’s on the Bible

So how do we look at this list in Leviticus in light of the NEW Covenant?

“men who forbid marriage and advocate abstaining from foods which God has created to be gratefully shared in by those who believe and know the truth.”  For everything God created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, 5because it is consecrated by the word of God and prayer.   1 Timothy 4:3-4

“He who observes the day, observes it for the Lord, and he who eats, does so for the Lord, for he gives thanks to God; and he who eats not, for the Lord he does not eat, and gives thanks to God.” Rom. 14:6

Jesus called the crowd to him and said, “Listen and understand. What goes into a man’s mouth does not make him ‘unclean,’ but what comes out of his mouth, that is what makes him ‘unclean.’” Matthew 15:10-11

Therefore no one is to act as your judge in regard to food or drink or in respect to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath day– Colossians 2:16

If I take part in the meal with thankfulness, why am I denounced because of something I thank God for? so whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. 1 Corinthians 10: 30-31

Taking all those scriptures in consideration I would say that no, under the NEW Covenant we are not held to that list of do’s and don’t in reference to animals. I also have one more scripture that I think supports the idea that GOD does not hold us to those commands in reference to clean and unclean animals.

For the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. Romans 14:17

Actually it might be a good idea to read and ponder all of Romans 14 .

I think this is a great stopping point for this post. Again in my reading, hearing, researching and listening to the Holy Spirit, I am sure that as a believer in JESUS I am under a NEW Covenant, and with the NEW brought change. I am in no way bound by the laws given at Mt Sinai. I do believe I am bound to read all of GOD’s word so I can see a complete picture of who GOD is and how HE did relate to people in the old and how HE relates to people under the NEW. When I take the words of the NEW Testament to heart, determine to live by those words and allow the Holy Spirit to do HIS work in me, than I am certain I am pleasing to my GOD!!

I hope you might read the words in my first five-post in reference to the New Covenant:

What does it really mean be under a New Covenant (Post #1)

What does it really mean to be under a New Covenant (Post #2)

JESUS was the way GOD ushered in the New Covenant (Post #3)

JESUS declares the NEW Covenant is in HIS blood! (Post #4)

We needed the NEW and it is better than the old (Post #5)

Since GOD has given us the NEW, do not go back and live under the old (Post 6)

What Changes did the NEW Covenant bring (Post 7)

For further consideration check out these article @ Hebrew for Christians: Should Christians follow the law of Moses , Are Christians restored to the Sinai Covenant , Which commandments do you choose to obey , 613 Commandments of Torah (Old Covenant)

This post like the first six will come from the perspective (belief) that JESUS is God’s son and God himself and that the whole bible (old and new) is full of God’s words, not man’s and therefore we can trust that GOD made sure that we had one book that is a completely reliable source of information for us to have faith in and live by.

For when there is a change of the priesthood, there must also be a change of the law.~Heb 7:12

It doesn’t say that the only difference between the old and the NEW is that the the “old” was being placed inward. GOD went on to say with a change in the priesthood, there must be a change of the law. So there was a NEW Covenant with a new law and this Covenant would be placed inward through the Holy Spirit.

When He said, “A new covenant,” He has made the first obsolete. But whatever is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to disappear. ~Heb. 8:13

The old has been completely done away with, but that doesn’t mean there are certain commands that GOD gave then,  that HE would want us to disregard under the NEW. It is also clear that there were commands given in the old that are no longer binding on a believer under the NEW Covennat. In my mind there is no doubt that we are under a New Covenant and therefore with the new comes change and we must look at each and every command in the Old, in light of the New.

Jesus Foretells Destruction of the Temple

¹ Jesus left the temple and was going away, when his disciples came to point out to him the buildings of the temple. ²But he answered them, “You see all these, do you not? Truly, I say to you,there will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down.” Matthew 24:1-2

GOD knew HE was going to allow the temple to be torn down. With the destruction of the temple goes the only possible way to obey over half of the commands of the Mosaic Covenant. I believe GOD allowed the destruction because it wasn’t needed anymore, and that HE wanted everyones eyes off the temple and on to HIM.

I would like to start by examining commands from the old; to see how we need to look at them under the NEW.

Circumcision

⁹And God said to Abraham, “As for you, you shall keep my covenant, you and your offspring after you throughout their generations. ¹⁰This is my covenant, which you shall keep, between me and you and your offspring after you: Every male among you shall be circumcised. ¹¹You shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskins, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and you.

We know that circumsision is no longer required

Was any man called when he was already circumcised? He is not to become uncircumcised. Has anyone been called in uncircumcision? He is not to be circumcised. 1 Cor. 7:18

Killing of the Lamb at Passover

⁵Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male a year old. You may take it from the sheep or from the goats, ⁶and you shall keep it until the fourteenth day of this month, when the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill their lambs at twilight.^{[a] 7}“Then they shall take some of the blood and put it on the two doorposts and the lintel of the houses in which they eat it. ⁸They shall eat the flesh that night, roasted on the fire; with unleavened bread and bitter herbs they shall eat it. Exodus 12

So because JESUS was the perfect lamb sacrificed once and for all for GOD’s people, under the NT, sacrifices are no longer needed BUT this is not the same thing. This was in the observance of Passover. So to those that say they are still under the old laws; for passover they need to start sacrificing a lamb at twilight, take the blood and paint it on the doorpost, roast it on a fire (not in an oven), etc.. see more instructions in Exodus 12

Oh, and don’t invite an outsider (uncircumcised person) over to join you because they are not allowed.

The LORD said to Moses and Aaron, “This is the ordinance of the Passover: no ^[a]foreigner is to eat of it;.. Ex 12:43

No foreigner or hired servant may eat of it. Ex. 12:45

set apart to the LORD all that first opens the womb

12 you shall set apart to the LORD all that first opens the  womb. All the firstborn of your animals that are males shall be the LORD’s. ¹³ Every firstborn of a donkey you shall redeem with a lamb, or if you will not redeem it you shall break its neck. Every firstborn of man among your sons you shall redeem. ¹⁴ And when in time to come your son asks you, ‘What does this mean?’ you shall say to him, ‘By a strong hand the LORD brought us out of Egypt, from the house of slavery. ¹⁵For when Pharaoh stubbornly refused to let us go, the LORD killed all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both the firstborn of man and the firstborn of animals. Therefore I sacrifice to the LORD all the males that first open the womb, but all the firstborn of my sons I redeem.’ ¹⁶ It shall be as a mark on your hand or frontlets between your eyes, for by a strong hand the LORD brought us out of Egypt.” Exodus 13

Read about redeeming the first born male human in Numbers 3

In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace Eph. 1:7

GOD no longer requires that we redeem the first born male human or animal because He gave HIS only unique son. JESUS paid the price for redemption once and for all.

Idol Worship

⁴ “You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. ⁵ You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I the LORD your God am a jealous God… Ex 20

Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry. 1 Cor. 10.14

GOD doesn’t want us to bow to anything, to hold anything in higher esteem than we hold HIM. This was true in the old and it is still true under the NEW. his doesn’t have to mean a carved object; it could be a hobby, a job, a relationship or even yourself.

other gods

¹³ “Pay attention to all that I have said to you, and make no mention of the names of other gods, nor let it be heard on your lips.

Well, these days we would be breaking this command by just naming most of the days of our weeks, some of the name of months and an assortment of other things all over the earth today. Also you couldn’t tell someone to meet you at a chinese restaurant to eat if it had the name of a false god. You might also be discussing GOD’s word; and therefore mention other gods, etc, would that be breaking this command?

“As for you, my son Solomon, know the God of your father, and serve Him with a whole heart and a willing mind; for the LORD searches all hearts, and understands every intent of the thoughts. If you seek Him, He will let you find Him; but if you forsake Him, He will reject you forever. 1 Chron 28:9

“And God, who knows the heart, testified to them giving them the Holy Spirit, just as He also did to us; ..Matt

We can learn from the old and the NEW that GOD knows the intent of the heart. HE knows if we speak a gods name out of worship or evil and HE knows when we are innocent of any wrong doing in our heart.

Put to death a disrespectful child (did it matter the age?)

¹⁷ “Whoever curses^[a] his father or his mother shall be put to death. Ex 20

¹⁵“Whoever strikes his father or his mother shall be put to death. Ex 20

Even those that say we are still under the Old, find an excuse for not following this command, but considering we are under the NEW, is this command still binding?

“Whoever hits you on the cheek, offer him the other also; and whoever takes away your coat, do not withhold your shirt from him either. Luke 6:29

and forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us Matt. 6:12

This leads me to believe that this command to put a disobedient child to death is no longer binding under the NEW Covenant

Well, that is enough for now. For my 8th post in reference to the NEW Covenant, I will take a look at more commandments that were given under the old. What I see so far is that there is no doubt a change came with the NEW Covennat!!

For further consideration check out these article @ Hebrew for Christians: Should Christians follow the law of Moses , Are Christians restored to the Sinai Covenant , Which commandments do you choose to obey , 613 Commandments of Torah (Old Covenant)

I hope you might read the words in my first five-post in reference to the New Covenant:

What does it really mean be under a New Covenant (Post #1)

What does it really mean to be under a New Covenant (Post #2)

Jesus was the way GOD ushered in the New Covenant (Post #3)

JESUS declares the NEW Covenant is in HIS blood! (Post #4)

We needed the NEW and it is better than the old (Post #5)

Since GOD has given us the NEW, do not go back and live under the old (Post 6)

For when there is a change of the priesthood, there must also be a change of the law.~Heb 7:12

This post like the first five will come from the perspective (belief) that JESUS is God’s son and God himself and that the whole bible (old and new) is full of God’s words, not man’s and therefore we can trust that GOD made sure that we had one book that is a completely reliable source of information for us to have faith in and live by.

11When Peter came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he was clearly in the wrong. 12Before certain men came from James, he used to eat with the Gentiles. But when they arrived, he began to draw back and separate himself from the Gentiles because he was afraid of those who belonged to the circumcision group. 13The other Jews joined him in his hypocrisy, so that by their hypocrisy even Barnabas was led astray.

14When I saw that they were not acting in line with the truth of the gospel, I said to Peter in front of them all, “You are a Jew, yet you live like a Gentile and not like a Jew. How is it, then, that you force Gentiles to follow Jewish customs?

15“We who are Jews by birth and not ‘Gentile sinners’ 16know that a man is not justified by observing the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by observing the law, because by observing the law no one will be justified.~~Galatians 2

The first Jewish believers knew that they were not justified by observing the law, but by faith in JESUS. They knew that the NEW Covenant brought changes. Peter started living by those changes by eating with the gentiles, which means he ate and drank what they were having. Peter did this because he knew that under the NEW, the old laws concerning what you eat or drink were obsolete. Paul was being a true spiritual friend by correcting Peter when after he had lived under the freedom of the NEW, he started to step back under the old.

Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible: (Gal. 2) if thou being a Jew; as Peter was, born of Jewish parents, brought up in the Jews’ religion, and was obliged to observe the laws that were given to that people: livest after the manner of Gentiles, and not as do the Jews; that is, he had done so, he had ate with the Gentiles, and as the Gentiles did, without regarding the laws and ceremonies of the Jews relating to meats and drinks; being better informed by the Spirit of God, that these things were not now obligatory upon him, even though he was a Jew, to whom these laws were formerly made: why compellest thou the Gentiles to live as do the Jews? ….

1You foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? Before your very eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed as crucified. 2I would like to learn just one thing from you: Did you receive the Spirit by observing the law, or by believing what you heard? 3Are you so foolish? After beginning with the Spirit, are you now trying to attain your goal by human effort? 4Have you suffered so much for nothing—if it really was for nothing? 5Does God give you his Spirit and work miracles among you because you observe the law, or because you believe what you heard?~~Galatians 3

GOD did not permanently send HIS spirit with the establishment of the old covenant but HE did when HE established the NEW. GOD is warning us here, so that we do not turn our freedom, our relationship with HIM into something that can only be obtained by human effort.

1It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery. 2Mark my words! I, Paul, tell you that if you let yourselves be circumcised, Christ will be of no value to you at all. 3Again I declare to every man who lets himself be circumcised that he is obligated to obey the whole law. 4You who are trying to be justified by law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace. 5But by faith we eagerly await through the Spirit the righteousness for which we hope. 6For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.~~Galatians 5

We are told here that if we fall back under the old than CHRIST is of no value. CHRIST died so that we may fully live, HE died so that we can have a permanent and intimate relationship to GOD, and HE died so that we could live not by what we do but by what HE did.

12Those who want to make a good impression outwardly are trying to compel you to be circumcised. The only reason they do this is to avoid being persecuted for the cross of Christ. 13Not even those who are circumcised obey the law, yet they want you to be circumcised that they may boast about your flesh. 14May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which^b the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. 15Neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything; what counts is a new creation. ~~Galatians 6

The key to the NEW  is that we are made NEW, we become a NEW creations through faith in JESUS!! With the NEW it is all about HIM and not at all about us. GOD has placed the NEW inside us through HIS spirit, so that no matter what culture, time period, neighborhood, country and no matter if we are Jew, Gentile, African, Mexican, male or female we are able to know what is pleasing to HIM and what is not. With the NEW we can experience GOD in a way the people under the old never could. With the NEW we can actually truly LOVE like GOD loves!! There is a reason GOD gave the NEW, because it is BETTER, HE does not want us to live as if the OLD is the source of our salvation. If HE wanted the old to reign supreme in our hearts, if the old was the best and if HE didn’t have a better way,  HE would not have given us the NEW, BUT HE did!!

I hope you might read the words in my first five-post in reference to the New Covenant:

What does it really mean be under a New Covenant (Post #1)

What does it really mean to be under a New Covenant (Post #2)

Jesus was the way GOD ushered in the New Covenant (Post #3)

JESUS declares the NEW Covenant is in HIS blood! (Post #4)

We needed the NEW and it is better than the old (Post #5)