February 4, 2010 The Journey 44

"But I tell you, Do not swear at all."

Good Thursday morning, my dear brothers and sisters. It is a beautiful, beautiful cloudless morning here at the Southern Location of the North Pole. Snow is to be on the way. Today is family day on the line, so let's pray for families today and please pray for the families of the military brothers and sisters, and remember to pray for my family as I pray for yours. And yes, pray please for the family in the White House in Washington D.C. Also add to our ongoing prayers Doris Whitcomb who has colon cancer and is starting chemo.

The Journey 44: Matthew 5:34 - "But I tell you, Do not swear at all: either by heaven, for it is God's throne; 35 or by the earth for it is His footstool." (NIV)

Folks, before I get into the swearing in, in our courts, let me just address this swearing... I hate it when people use the name of God in a cursing way, I just hate it. Even if it is taking place in an eating place and it has not been directed at me, I just hate it. Folks, if any of you are those who when you get upset start cursing, STOP IT. Whatever caused you to get so upset was not God's fault, so why are you cursing Him or using His name to curse? When my dear late mamma was teaching me what not to say and to speak the truth, it seems that I had to "eat some soap" before I learned. And my dear mamma did not want to hear those substitute curse words either. I mean if I say darn in a nasty way, I had a soap lunch. I had a dear sweet mamma who raised me right, and she even made the soap. It was lye soap, and she used that one when I lied. Is that why they called It Lye Soap?

And you know those who do not believe in God at all, why do they curse His name and blame Him for things if they don't believe in Him? Go figure that one. But let's now look at what this quote from Jesus tells us. "Do not swear at all." So if we go into court and they "swear" us in, how do we handle it? "Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth so help me God." Folks, we need to learn to just give our word and mean it, and folks that goes to paying off our bills we make. When we sign our name on the bottom line of that credit card statement, when we purchase something, we are indeed giving our word that we will pay it.

Now for a very bold statement from me... If your word cannot be trusted, then neither can you. Did I hear an amen on that one? Let me say it again, If your word cannot be trusted, then neither can you. If you promise to do something, then do it, and do you know sometimes we make promises that we can't keep because we get in over our heads? Sometimes we need to say NO... Yes, No is an answer. In fact tomorrow when we talk about talking to God we will look at this.

Folks, I am one who has trouble saying no, I really do. I have some dear, dear friends who also have that same trouble. People ask you do to something and you say, ok, and then you find out you are in over your head. You gave someone your word, now what do you do? You go back to that person and tell them you are in over your head and work out some different terms. It might now be a money thing, it might be just helping people with something.

But folks, we should never say I will do something so help me God. It is ok to say you are going to do something and then ask God to help you, in fact you should go to Him first before you make that promise and talk it out with God. So let's go back to court. What do you do when they ask you to swear? Folks, just when asked say "I promise" and then do what is right. Listen, Jesus tells us how to do just that...

Matthew 5:37 - "Simply let your 'Yes' be 'Yes' and your 'No' be 'no', anything beyond this comes from evil". (NIV)

Now let me put it in Lehman's language. (I know you to spell it the other way.) Here it is from me. "Say what you mean and mean what you say." When you say "I promise" do your very, very best to get it done... Amen.

Dear Father in Heaven, we want to learn never to swear, and we want our word to mean something and we never want to ruin that fact. So, Lord, help us to come to You before we promise or commit to things and then if and when we put our word, or our name to something, help us to let our yes be yes and our no be no and to say what we mean and mean what we say. Lord, we need You to get that done. And Lord, I pray for families today, families all over the world starting with the family of God, yes Your family, Lord, and then all the others. Lord, bless the families who use this line and if You can use me or Carry The Light Ministries to help others on the line, direct them to us. Please be with all those with cancer like Ronald and now for Doris and we ask for nothing less than these folks being cleared from this cancer. Lord, I give You honor and glory for giving us, me, another day, and may we, me, give it back to You by living to please You. In the name of our Lord Jesus, I pray. Amen.

Now go forth and serve God and remembering when you give your word, keep it... and please share those blessings that God gave to You. Remember, they just might be blessings on loan to you and if you do not share and live for God your blessings might not be so many. Love ya, Pastor Dan.

Carry The Light Ministries
16 Dewalt Drive
Mechanicsburg, Pa. 17050
Phones Home 717 691 8200 Cell 717 991 0754
icarrythelight4God@msn.com

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