rules

who likes rules?
not too many.
not me.
rudy and i are big on
rules without a relationship mean nothing.
take for instance our kids.
if we were to tell our son anthony
you can't have the car out past midnight
and he was to say whatever~
we would be pretty surprised...
because we have spent the last 17 years
building a relationship with him...
nurturing him...
loving him...
and he cares about following our rules.
that's not to say he hasn't broken our rules.
but if and when he has he feels terrible about it.
he asks forgiveness.
and he makes sure not to mess up again.
now if i were to go to a football game
and tell everyone over the loud speaker tonight
that they can't have their parents cars out past midnight
they would look at me like i was a crazy person.
they don't know me.
some have heard of me.
some have seen me as they are anthony's friends.
but i would expect them to say and think, whatever!
they wouldn't care to follow my rules.
and why should they?
i think it's the same thing with my relationship with JESUS.
and i think it's a big part of why i care about RAVEN ministries so much.
i don't go around telling people they have to follow all the rules...
not before i establish with them that they need to have a relationship with CHRIST.
then the rules make sense.
forgive them.
love them.
explain to them what repentance means.
but i don't consider judging someones sin or inability to follow the rules
if they have no relationship with JESUS first.
it is time to lead others to CHRIST.
there are so many people out there~
generations who don't know or don't accept the rules~
and why should they?
they don't know what JESUS has done for them.
he died for them.
that is how much HE loves them.
HE was willing to give up his life
forgive them for not following the rules
and giving us rules so that we may have a better life.
isn't that why we have rules with our children?
so they might live better, safer with more love?
you don't have to know the entire bible to lead someone to JESUS.
you probably know more bible than me.
seriously.
please GO and tell someone what the word says~
that JESUS died so that they could live.
and if every person you know professes to already know that.
and you feel like everyone knows JESUS so it's really not for you.
then come with me.
i'll help you find people who don't know what having a relationship
with CHRIST is.
and you can help me tell them.
cause once you have that relationship~
the rules make sense.
Exodus 20
1-2 God spoke all these words: I am God, your God,
who brought you out of the land of Egypt,
out of a life of slavery.
3 No other gods, only me.
4-6 No carved gods of any size, shape, or form of anything whatever, whether of things that fly or walk or swim. Don't bow down to them and don't serve them because I am God, your God, and I'm a most jealous God, punishing the children for any sins their parents pass on to them to the third, and yes, even to the fourth generation of those who hate me. But I'm unswervingly loyal to the thousands who love me and keep my commandments.
7 No using the name of God, your God, in curses or silly banter; God won't put up with the irreverent use of his name.
8-11 Observe the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Work six days and do everything you need to do. But the seventh day is a Sabbath to God, your God. Don't do any work—not you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your servant, nor your maid, nor your animals, not even the foreign guest visiting in your town. For in six days God made Heaven, Earth, and sea, and everything in them; he rested on the seventh day. Therefore God blessed the Sabbath day; he set it apart as a holy day.