Drum roll please...

I went to the doctor today for my annual exam, I started going to a new Doctor, so it was my first time to see him and I was kinda nervous going in but it turned out to be a really good appointment and I really like my doctor and his bed side manner. Pregnancy came up and we talked about me wanting to get pregnant, so we decided to start out just tracking everything and see what nature does and if anything happens. We will go on from there and see what happens. This was some what of a relief to me, because of always having irregular periods I wasn't sure how the whole trying to get pregnant thing would go, but I am going to give everything to God and put it in His hands and I know then that everything will work out according to God's will for my life. My doctor suggested I start taking a pre-natal vitamin so guess what I did after I got done there, went and bought pre-natal vitamins! So we begin this road of trying to get pregnant, though it might not be easy or nice we are willing to do whatever we are able to start a family! Let me leave with this bible verse- Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. Phillipians 4:6

Exodus 20:17

Exodus 20:17 – You shall not covet

You shall not covet your neighbor’s house. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his manservant or maidservant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor. – Exodus 20:17

The word covet does not come up in everyday language much. But it certainly is a part of everyday life! The definition for coveting is: to desire wrongfully, inordinately, or without due regard for the rights of others. Behind this is a heart of ingratitude, selfishness and a belief that God has somehow withheld something from us. “I sure wish I had one of those… or, “why isn’t my spouse more like them…or, “why do I have to stay in this job…?”

Wanting what we don’t have displays that we are not satisfied with God’s provision in our life. “I deserve better than this!” And, “I know what I need better than God does.” When we believe that God is infinitely good, and we remember that he alone is sovereign, we can set all coveting aside. Another way of translating this command would be, “Be satisfied with what your generous God has given you!”

Today’s Commentary by:
Caesar Kalinowski, Pastor, Soma Communities

Exodus 20:16

Exodus 20:16 – You shall not give false testimony

You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor. – Exodus 20:16

Lying distorts reality. We give a false testimony, or tell a lie about something, to change someone’s perception. It may be a person’s opinion of us, our abilities or strength. It may be to change their perception of another person. Either way, we are trying to be “God” in the situation. We are actually taking control over another person’s mind and emotions when we tell lies. Lying is an offense to God because he has commanded that we have no other gods before him-including us! If we believe and trust God to love and care for us in all things, we never have to lie to try and manipulate the circumstances. We only lie because we do not believe God is big enough to handle a given situation, so we take control of people and things with our words. We act like we are God in the situation. Trust that God is ‘large and in charge’ of everything in your life. Allow him to be your defender and you will no longer need to lie.

Today’s Commentary by:
Caesar Kalinowski, Pastor, Soma Communities

Exodus 20:12

Exodus 20:12 – Honor your father and your mother

Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the LORD your God is giving you. – Exodus 20:12 (NIV)

None of us showed up on this planet by accident. God, in his sovereignty, has chosen the time and place that each of us would live. He also chose who our parents would be. Because of this, we can honor and respect our parents-not because they are perfect-but because God is perfect. If we live with unforgiveness or distance between our parents and us, we actually place our self in the position of being God. That would violate the 1st Commandment of having no other gods before God. We are not God! If we reject our parents, we are rejecting God’s perfect will for our life. To honor our parents is to respect them, as fellow flawed image bearers of God, and allow God to love them through us. To honor our parents is to honor God as LORD in our life.

Today’s Commentary by:
Caesar Kalinowski, Pastor, Soma Communities

Exodus 20:8-11

Exodus 20:8-11 – Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy

Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your manservant or maidservant, nor your animals, nor the alien within your gates. For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy. – Exodus 20:8-11

When God finished creating the world, He rested. And He set aside a way of resting for all of His creation to observe from that day forward. God did not rest because He was tired; He rested to show that everything was complete and perfect in Him. Nothing else was needed. It was finished. When we keep God first in our life we stop living like we are gods, as if everything depends upon us. We show that God is in control of all that He created-including us!

If we live in the reality that God is the only true God, we do not have to live frantic, frenzied lives. Because God is great and powerful, we can rest. And now, the amazing truth is, we can live a life of Sabbath rest because of Jesus’ completed work on the cross. There is nothing left to do…it is finished!

Today’s Commentary by:
Caesar Kalinowski, Pastor, Soma Communities.org

Exodus 20:7

Exodus 20:7 – You shall not misuse the name of the LORD your God

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 (NIV)

Did you know that God’s name is not God?! The word that we see throughout the Bible translated as LORD is actually a transliteration of the Hebrew letters that make up God’s name, meaning, “I AM that I AM”. God said that this would be his name for all generations.

God’s people, the Israelites, were permitted to use his name in swearing solemn oaths, but they were not to use God’s name to pledge or make promises that they never intended to keep or for personal gain. To use God’s name in making a vow was to command the power and holiness of God himself into the relationship. It was to show others that we could be trusted because God was trustworthy. If we are keeping no other gods before God (the 1st Commandment), then we will never invoke God’s name and glory for personal gain. “Oh, you can trust me, I’m a Christian…” That would be putting our self and our desires before God’s. God cares deeply about keeping first position in our lives and is not pleased when we misrepresent him, and use his name to make us look like “gods” to others.

Today’s Commentary by:
Caesar Kalinowski, Pastor, Soma Communities

John 8:31-32

John 8:31-32 – Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free

To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” – John 8:31-32 (NIV)

The gospel is the answer to every issue that mankind will ever face. However, the gospel is something that is outside of us – we must get it through Christ. It is as we hold to, or live intentionally in, the teaching of Jesus Christ that we get to the gospel of God. How does this happen? When we get a hold of the words of Christ, the Holy Spirit gets a hold of us, and turns words into truth, then truth into freedom.

Today’s commentary by:
Dave Whitehead, Senior Pastor, GraceNYC.org