Background picture Jesus crying (mercy) over the earth's inhabitants. Came in an e-mail - author unknown
Heavy Shadow by Frances M. McCrory-Meservy
Our Sunday School teacher told us that he found the best way to get someone saved was to use the Ten Commandments (the Law) to get them lost first.
I listened carefully and thought his theory made a lot of sense. I decided I would try it.
That night I had a dream. I dreamed Tammy (a friend) and I were carrying this concrete slab and it was heavy. The longer we carried it, the heavier it got. When I woke up I was exhausted.
I knew the dream was from God and asked Him what it meant. He showed me that the Law is heavy and weighty. I was to teach the love and grace of God. People already knew what they were doing that was wrong. They did not need to be told. They needed an answer that would lift the weight of sin from them.
God wanted me to continue in Friendship Evangelism.
I did a study of the 10 commandments and this is what I found.
From the beginning God has always wanted a personal relationship with his creation.
God brought the Israelites out of Egypt. He then told Moses to go down and prepare the people to meet God at the foot of Mt. Sinai. After the people gathered at the foot of the mountain, there was fire, smoke and great noise. The people were afraid and backed away from the mountain. They asked Moses to talk to God for them and then come back and tell them what he wanted them to do and they would do it.
Since God gives us our free will, he told Moses to do as the people said. Then God gave Moses the 10 commandments and the rest of the law followed as the people had need. There is no grace and mercy in the law - you either do it or die. I found that the letter of the Law kills; but the Spirit of the Law gives life.
God knew they could not obey the law without a close relationship with their creator. He gave them what they asked for so they would realize that they needed the relationship instead of the law. The law pointed them to Jesus.
When Jesus died on the cross, his blood washed our sins away. When He rose from the dead, He gave us the power to accept him and overcome death, hell and the grave. If we trust this, He fills us with His Holy Spirit and He loves God and others through us.
In the power of His love we fulfill the Law because love does not harm. Because we Love God,
we will:
1. have no other gods before God.
2. not make for ourselves 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; we will not bow down to them nor serve them.
3. not take the name of the LORD your God in vain.
4. remember the
Sabbath day, to keep it holy.
Because we love other people,
we will:
5. honor our mothers and fathers.
6. not murder anyone.
7. not commit adultery.
8. not steal.
9. not bear false witness against other people.
10. not covet your neighbor's house; we will not covet your neighbor's wife, nor his male servant, nor his female servant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that is our neighbor's."
If God does not change and is the same Yesterday, today and tomorrow, then we need to consider that His Spirit was in those who trusted Him in the Old Testament as well as the New. We need to consider that His Spirit came on people so they would prophesy or use some other gift to fulfill the call on their life in the Old Testament as well as the New.
Remember this as you go. The
Trinity
(Father, Son & Holy Spirit are one) is an absolute truth.
Concerning the Holy Spirit, there are
7 Spirits of God.
Had they not had God's Spirit in them, they could not have a
personal relationship with God nor fulfill the law. If
God's Spirit did not come on them they could not prophesy or do
other things that God wanted them to do.
After Jesus rose from the dead He gave the Disciples the indwelling Holy Spirit. Later at Pentecost God gave the disciples power in the form of the Holy Spirit on them. At Pentecost God poured out His Holy Spirit on everyone (men, women & children). The Spirit on them gave them the power to accept what Jesus had done for them and about three thousand souls were saved that day.
Heb 13:8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.
Rom 5:15-18 But the free gift is not like the offense. For if by the one man's offense many died, much more the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ, abounded to many. And the gift is not like that which came through the one who sinned. For the judgment which came from one offense resulted in condemnation, but the free gift which came from many offenses resulted in justification. For if by the one man's offense death reigned through the one, much more those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.) Therefore, as through one man's offense judgment came to all men, resulting in condemnation, even so through one Man's righteous act the free gift came to all men, resulting in justification of life.
Rom 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Eph 2:8-9 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.
John 1:14-17 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. John bore witness of Him and cried out, saying, "This was He of whom I said, 'He who comes after me is preferred before me, for He was before me.' And of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace. For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.
Acts 18:27-28 And when he desired to cross to Achaia, the brethren wrote, exhorting the disciples to receive him; and when he arrived, he greatly helped those who had believed through grace; for he vigorously refuted the Jews publicly, showing from the Scriptures that Jesus is the Christ.
Rom 3:21-26 But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe. For there is no difference; for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed, to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.
Rom 4:4-8 Now to him who works, the wages are not counted as grace but as debt. But to him who does not work but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness, just as David also describes the blessedness of the man to whom God imputes righteousness apart from works: "Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, And whose sins are covered; Blessed is the man to whom the LORD shall not impute sin."
Rom 4:14-18 For if those who are of the law are heirs, faith is made void and the promise made of no effect, because the law brings about wrath; for where there is no law there is no transgression. Therefore it is of faith that it might be according to grace, so that the promise might be sure to all the seed, not only to those who are of the law, but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all (as it is written, "I have made you a father of many nations") in the presence of Him whom he believed; God, who gives life to the dead and calls those things which do not exist as though they did; who, contrary to hope, in hope believed, so that he became the father of many nations, according to what was spoken, "So shall your descendants be."
Rom 5:1 Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have
peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,
Rom 5:2 through whom also we have access by faith into this grace
in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.
Rom 11:6 And if by grace, then it is no longer of works; otherwise grace is no longer grace. But if it is of works, it is no longer grace; otherwise work is no longer work.
Mat 11:28 "Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
Mat 23:4 "For they bind heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on men's shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers.
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Law
Mat 5:17-18 "Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. "For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled.
Mat 7:12 "Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.
Mat 22:36-40 "Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?" Jesus said to him, " 'You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.' "This is the first and great commandment. "And the second is like it: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' "On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets."
Luke 10:26-28 He said to him, "What is written in the law? What is your reading of it?" So he answered and said, " 'You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind,' and 'your neighbor as yourself.'" And He said to him, "You have answered rightly; do this and you will live."
John 1:17 For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.
Acts 13:38-39 "Therefore let it be known to you, brethren, that through this Man is preached to you the forgiveness of sins; "and by Him everyone who believes is justified from all things from which you could not be justified by the law of Moses.
Acts 15:5 But some of the sect of the Pharisees who believed rose up, saying, "It is necessary to circumcise them, and to command them to keep the law of Moses."
Acts 15:24-29 Since we have heard that some who went out from us have troubled you with words, unsettling your souls, saying, "You must be circumcised and keep the law"; to whom we gave no such commandment; it seemed good to us, being assembled with one accord, to send chosen men to you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul, men who have risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. We have therefore sent Judas and Silas, who will also report the same things by word of mouth. For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things: that you abstain from things offered to idols, from blood, from things strangled, and from sexual immorality. If you keep yourselves from these, you will do well. Farewell.
Rom 2:12-27 For as many as have sinned without law will
also perish without law, and as many as have sinned in the law
will be judged by the law (for not the hearers of the law are
just in the sight of God, but the doers of the law will be
justified; for when Gentiles, who do not have the law, by nature
do the things in the law, these, although not having the law, are
a law to themselves,
Rom 2:15 who show the work of the law written in their hearts,
their conscience also bearing witness, and between themselves
their thoughts accusing or else excusing them)
Rom 2:16 in the day when God will judge the secrets of men by
Jesus Christ, according to my gospel.
Rom 2:17 Indeed you are called a Jew, and rest on the law, and
make your boast in God,
Rom 2:18 and know His will, and approve the things that are
excellent, being instructed out of the law,
Rom 2:19 and are confident that you yourself are a guide to the
blind, a light to those who are in darkness,
Rom 2:20 an instructor of the foolish, a teacher of babes, having
the form of knowledge and truth in the law.
Rom 2:21 You, therefore, who teach another, do you not teach
yourself? You who preach that a man should not steal, do you
steal?
Rom 2:22 You who say, "Do not commit adultery," do you commit
adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples?
Rom 2:23 You who make your boast in the law, do you dishonor God
through breaking the law?
Rom 2:24 For "the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles
because of you," as it is written.
Rom 2:25 For circumcision is indeed profitable if you keep the
law; but if you are a breaker of the law, your circumcision has
become uncircumcision.
Rom 2:26 Therefore, if an uncircumcised man keeps the righteous
requirements of the law, will not his uncircumcision be counted
as circumcision?
Rom 2:27 And will not the physically uncircumcised, if he
fulfills the law, judge you who, even with your written code and
circumcision, are a transgressor of the law?
Rom 3:20 Therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be
justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin.
Rom 3:21 But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is
revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets,
Rom 3:27 Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what
law? Of works? No, but by the law of faith.
Rom 3:28 Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith
apart from the deeds of the law.
Rom 3:29 Or is He the God of the Jews only? Is He not also the
God of the Gentiles? Yes, of the Gentiles also,
Rom 3:30 since there is one God who will justify the circumcised
by faith and the uncircumcised through faith.
Rom 3:31 Do we then make void the law through faith? Certainly
not! On the contrary, we establish the law.
Rom 4:16 Therefore it is of faith that it might be according to grace, so that the promise might be sure to all the seed, not only to those who are of the law, but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all
Rom 6:14 For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you
are not under law but under grace.
Rom 6:15 What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but
under grace? Certainly not!
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God's Spirit in people in the Old Testament:
Psa 51:10-13 Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me away from Your presence, And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, And uphold me by Your generous Spirit. Then I will teach transgressors Your ways, And sinners shall be converted to You.
Gen 41:38-39 And Pharaoh said to his servants, "Can we find such a one as this, a man in whom is the Spirit of God?" Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, "Inasmuch as God has shown you all this, there is no one as discerning and wise as you.
Exo 28:3 "So you shall speak to all who are gifted artisans, whom I have filled with the spirit of wisdom, that they may make Aaron's garments, to consecrate him, that he may minister to Me as priest.
Exo 31:3 "And I have filled him with the Spirit of God, in wisdom, in understanding, in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship, "to design artistic works, to work in gold, in silver, in bronze, "in cutting jewels for setting, in carving wood, and to work in all manner of workmanship.
Num 14:24 "But My servant Caleb, because he has a different
spirit in him and has followed Me fully, I will bring into the
land where he went, and his descendants shall inherit it.
Num 27:18 And the LORD said to Moses: "Take Joshua the son of
Nun with you, a man in whom is the Spirit, and lay your hand on
him; "set him before Eleazar the priest and before all the
congregation, and inaugurate him in their sight.
Neh 9:30 Yet for many years You had patience with them, And testified against them by Your Spirit in Your prophets. Yet they would not listen; Therefore You gave them into the hand of the peoples of the lands.
Dan 4:8 But at last Daniel came before me (his name is Belteshazzar, according to the name of my god; in him is the Spirit of the Holy God), and I told the dream before him, saying: "Belteshazzar, chief of the magicians, because I know that the Spirit of the Holy God is in you, and no secret troubles you, explain to me the visions of my dream that I have seen,
Micah 2:7 You who are named the house of Jacob: "Is the Spirit of the LORD restricted? Are these His doings? Do not My words do good To him who walks uprightly?
Hag 2:5 'According to the word that I covenanted with you when you came out of Egypt, so My Spirit remains among you; do not fear!'
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God's Spirit in people in the New Testament:
John 20:22-23 And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit. "If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained."
John 3:5-8 Jesus answered, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. "That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. "Do not marvel that I said to you, 'You must be born again.' "The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit."
John 6:63 "It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life.
John 14:17-21 "the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. "I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you. "A little while longer and the world will see Me no more, but you will see Me. Because I live, you will live also. "At that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you. "He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him."
John 14:26-27 "But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you. "Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.
John 16:13-16 "However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come. "He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you. "All things that the Father has are Mine. Therefore I said that He will take of Mine and declare it to you. "A little while, and you will not see Me; and again a little while, and you will see Me, because I go to the Father."
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God's Spirit on people in the Old Testament;
Prov 1:23 Turn at my rebuke; Surely I will pour out my spirit on you; I will make my words known to you.
Num 11:25-26 Then the LORD came down in the cloud, and spoke to him, and took of the Spirit that was upon him, and placed the same upon the seventy elders; and it happened, when the Spirit rested upon them, that they prophesied, although they never did so again. But two men had remained in the camp: the name of one was Eldad, and the name of the other Medad. And the Spirit rested upon them. Now they were among those listed, but who had not gone out to the tabernacle; yet they prophesied in the camp.
Num 11:17 "Then I will come down and talk with you there. I will take of the Spirit that is upon you and will put the same upon them; and they shall bear the burden of the people with you, that you may not bear it yourself alone.
Num 11:25 Then the LORD came down in the cloud, and spoke to him, and took of the Spirit that was upon him, and placed the same upon the seventy elders; and it happened, when the Spirit rested upon them, that they prophesied, although they never did so again.
Num 24:2 And Balaam raised his eyes, and saw Israel encamped according to their tribes; and the Spirit of God came upon him. ..... Num 24:10 Then Balak's anger was aroused against Balaam, and he struck his hands together; and Balak said to Balaam, "I called you to curse my enemies, and look, you have bountifully blessed them these three times!
Judg 3:10 The Spirit of the LORD came upon him, and he judged Israel. He went out to war, and the LORD delivered Cushan-Rishathaim king of Mesopotamia into his hand; and his hand prevailed over Cushan-Rishathaim.
Judg 6:34 But the Spirit of the LORD came upon Gideon; then he blew the trumpet, and the Abiezrites gathered behind him.
Judg 6:34 But the Spirit of the LORD came upon Gideon; then he blew the trumpet, and the Abiezrites gathered behind him.
Judg 14:5-6 So Samson went down to Timnah with his father and mother, and came to the vineyards of Timnah. Now to his surprise, a young lion came roaring against him. And the Spirit of the LORD came mightily upon him, and he tore the lion apart as one would have torn apart a young goat, though he had nothing in his hand. But he did not tell his father or his mother what he had done.
1 Sam 10:6 "Then the Spirit of the LORD will come upon you, and you will prophesy with them and be turned into another man.
1 Sam 16:13 Then Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed
him in the midst of his brothers; and the Spirit of the LORD came
upon David from that day forward. So Samuel arose and went to
Ramah.
1 Sam 16:14 But the Spirit of the LORD departed from Saul, and a
distressing spirit from the LORD troubled him.
1 Sam 19:20 Then Saul sent messengers to take David. And when they saw the group of prophets prophesying, and Samuel standing as leader over them, the Spirit of God came upon the messengers of Saul, and they also prophesied.
1 Chr 12:18 Then the Spirit came upon Amasai, chief of the captains, and he said: "We are yours, O David; We are on your side, O son of Jesse! Peace, peace to you, And peace to your helpers! For your God helps you." So David received them, and made them captains of the troop.
Neh 9:20 You also gave Your good Spirit to instruct them, And did not withhold Your manna from their mouth, And gave them water for their thirst.
Joel 2:28-29 "And it shall come to pass afterward That I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh; Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, Your old men shall dream dreams, Your young men shall see visions. And also on My menservants and on My maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those days.
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Spirit on Men in New Testament:
Acts 1:8 "But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth."
Acts 2:3-4 Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.
Acts 2:16-18 "But this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel: 'And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God, That I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh; Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, Your young men shall see visions, Your old men shall dream dreams. And on My menservants and on My maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those days; And they shall prophesy.
Acts 2:33 "Therefore being exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He poured out this which you now see and hear.
Acts 4:31 And when they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness.
Acts 2:41 Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them.
Mat 7:11 "If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!
Acts 10:45 And those of the circumcision who believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles also.
Acts 11:17 "If therefore God gave them the same gift as He gave us when we believed on the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could withstand God?"
Rom 11:29 For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.
Rom 12:4-8 For as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function, so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another. Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, let us prophesy in proportion to our faith; or ministry, let us use it in our ministering; he who teaches, in teaching; he who exhorts, in exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.
1 Cor 7:7 For I wish that all men were even as I myself. But each one has his own gift from God, one in this manner and another in that.
1 Cor 12:28-13:2 And God has appointed these in the church: first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, administrations, varieties of tongues. Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Are all workers of miracles? Do all have gifts of healings? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret? But earnestly desire the best gifts. And yet I show you a more excellent way. Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.
1 Cor 14:1 Pursue love, and desire spiritual gifts, but especially that you may prophesy.