Christian Dominion Centre UK

4. Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. ( Exodus 20:8 ) God instituted a day of rest for his people so that they/we would have an opportunity to focus on Him through worship. It's not just about resting our bodies but also resting our minds. We need that time to build upon our relationship with God, without the distraction that comes from other activities. The land itself needs to rest otherwise the resources we have will be used up. Rest shouldn't be seen as something that takes us away from what we are doing, but as something that gives us an opportunity to be better at what we do. In many jobs, employees are required to take time off, this is necessary in order for them to be able to function properly in their role. Mark 2:27, states "The sabbath was made for man, not man for the sabbath." So let's make use of this gift of rest, because it is a gift, and take time off from being busy. Take a break with God.

   3.  You shall not misuse the name of the  Lord  your God, for the  Lord  will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name. ( Exodus 20:7 ) It's not unusual to hear people shout 'Oh my God' or 'Jesus Christ', when something goes wrong. For many of these people these words are meaningless it's just something to say in place of swearing. However, there is power in the name of the Lord.  Philippians 2:9-10  tells us that Jesus' name is above every other name and that every knee will bow at his name. It is not just a name, it's what we as believers cry out in times of need or joy. We call his name when we want to speak to him or praise him. When we reduce his name to an alternative for a curse word we turn it into something negative. How would you feel if everyone around you yelled out your name every time they were annoyed. Would you be glad to hear your name being spoken or would you become irritated at that fact that they were ...

2. Do not make an image of anything in heaven or earth or bow down to it. ( Exodus 20:4-6 ) Some people liken this to the first commandment, but this commandment goes further. Anything can be an idol in our lives, it's not just about bowing down to another god, but making something that we then worship. There are many people in the world who bow down to the image/statues of Jesus and Mary and sometimes even saints, doing this turns them into idols. In  Matthew 4:9-10 , we see the devil trying to convince Jesus to worship Him. Jesus' response tells us that neither Mary nor any of the saints should be in receipt of our praise or prayers, so there shouldn't be images of them in the first place. On the issue of images/statues of Jesus,  Exodus 20:4  makes it clear that nothing in heaven, nothing on earth and nothing in the waters below should be formed into an image that is worshipped. This includes Jesus, angels, the sun, the moon, stars, birds, cows, fish, plant...

1. You shall have no other gods before me. ( Exodus 20:1-3 ) We know that God is a jealous God, he doesn't want to share his glory with anyone. The term '...no other gods before me' relates to a Hebrew term which means no other gods before my face or beside me. God is telling us not to have any other gods in addition to him. The Egyptians worshipped several gods, as did the other nations. However, God wants his people to look to him and him alone. He is the one true God, who provides all that we need. He choose Israel as his own people and brought them out of bondage. They already believed that there was only one God, but this principle had to be set in stone in order to set them apart from everyone else, Egyptian practices had to remain in Egypt. Israel had to know what was expected of them and that they were different to the other nations. They were his people (we are his people) and he didn't (doesn't) want to share them (us) with anyone else...

Almost everyone, has heard about the Ten Commandments , but how many of us actually know them or what they mean. Why are they important and how can we apply them to everyday life? Please join us over the next 10 weeks as we look deeper into this text, starting tomorrow with the first commandment.