Special Gift

"Teach them to your children and your children's children." Deuteronomy 4:9

Moses and the people who followed him as they journeyed to the Promised Land saw a lot of miracles and received many special gifts from God.  One of those special gifts were the "statutes" He taught them, "that you may live...observe them carefully...However...take care not to forget the things which your eyes have seen...but teach them to your children and your children's children." 

The root of the word "statute" is a word meaning "to engrave", and refers to a permanent, unchangeable rule of conduct prescribed by an authority. "That you may live..." shows God's desire to give us eternal life. Thus obedience to His Words, the bread of life, ensures this.

Through the years, the Word of God has been watered down, made palatable, more acceptable.  To be a Christian, it is said, we need only to accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior.  To be a radical Christian, we need only to wear a t-shirt with a Christian message.  But it is clear in the Bible that if we do not separate ourselves from the things of this world, we might as well be an atheist!  We cannot wear naked looks like some actresses like, listen to foul mouthed music, watch pornographic movies and still call ourselves Christian. We are not a Christian country if 70% percent of unwanted pregnancies end in abortion, if 20% of the Philippines' yearly national budget is lost to corruption while children suffer because of bad education and health care.  

We can't be Christian if we live as if God did not give us "statutes", engraved laws, unchangeable laws to live by.  We can't just say Jesus is Lord and not show any evidence that He is! One day, Jesus might just say, "Not everyone who calls me Lord, Lord, will enter Heaven, but ONLY the one who does the will of my Father." Oops! He DID say exactly that in Matthew 7:21.

If we want our children and our children's children to get into heaven,  we know what we have to do!!!