Happy Friday

Don't empty God of His weight and His glory.

Fill it up rather than emptying it.

Good Morning...
Have A Blessed Day...

How do you define the sin of taking the Lord's name in vain?

"Don't take the name of the Lord your God in vain." "don't empty the name." It doesn't just refer to a certain tone of voice or a certain use of the word. It's dealing with God and speaking of God in a way that empties Him of His significance.

This includes both throw-away words—like "God!" or "Jesus!"—as well as speaking about Him in trifling and flippant ways. Not just swear ways but cheap ways, low and insignificant ways that just treat Him like a commodity. And when you hear them you sense that there is no weight to that sentence, no corresponding emotion to that statement. It seems to have just been gutted.

God, Christ, the cross, the things He is and the things He did are great, and they're weighty. And there's a certain corresponding demeanor of worship that should be there. I think taking the Lord's name in vain is more than "O my God!" or "Jesus Christ!" It is that plus more. The positive way to look at it is to revere God, love God, delight in God, know God, fill up God with all that He is. And then out of the abundance of the heart the mouth will speak.

I think it is far better to take the commandments and not focus so much on the negative—that is "don't lie, don't commit adultery, don't steal, don't kill"—but rather focus on where those come from, and put the emphasis there. And here, "don't take his name in vain" would mean that we take His name in vain because He is empty to us. Our mind doesn't feel the weight and fullness of His glory. The name of the Lord is holy, as He is holy. The name of the Lord is a representation of His glory, His majesty, and His supreme deity. We are to esteem and honor His name as we revere and glorify God Himself. To do any less is to take His name in vain.

Love and Hugs

Lynn

Dear Heavenly Father

I ask forgiveness for the many times Your precious name and that of Your beloved Son Jesus has left my mouth in a way that made You seem insignificant, empty of meaning and futile. How many times I’ve asked forgiveness when out of nowhere Your wonderful name has been cheapened. How low I feel when that happens as I love You so much and it’s not my intention to ever call out in this manner. I thank You for helping me through the years develop in me words of glorification and praise and removing the reaction of using Your precious name in vain. I find myself cringing inside when I hear others totally ignorant of what they are saying. When I hear this it’s like they’re slapping You in the face. Give me the words Lord to lovingly but meaningfully let these people know how much it not only hurts me but also You. I love You dear Father and need Your guidance to keep me strong in reminding those who don’t understand the meaning of blaspheming Your name. Thank You for what You are doing and continue to raise me up to be more like Your beloved Son Jesus. In His precious name I come before You.

Amen

Take the name of Jesus with you child of sorrow and of woe.

It will joy and comfort give you.

Take His name In power, not in vain!

Daily Smile:
Three sisters, ages 92, 94, and 96, live together. One night the 96-year-0ld draws a bath. She puts one foot in and pauses. "Was I getting in the tub or out?" she yells. 

The 94-year-old hollers back, "I don't know, I'll come up to see." She starts up the stairs and stops. She shouts, "Was I going up or going down?"

The 92-year-old is sitting at the kitchen table having tea, listening to her sisters. She shakes her head and says, "I sure hope I never get that forgetful", and knocks on wood for good measure. Then she yells, "I'll come up and help both of you as soon as I see who's at the door."


In The News:

Gosnell Guilty of First-Degree Murder

Kermit Gosnell, the Philadelphia abortionist accused of performing illegal late-term abortions in a filthy clinic, has been found guilty of first-degree murder in the deaths of three babies born alive but acquitted in the death of a fourth baby, the Associated Press reports. Gosnell was also found guilty of involuntary manslaughter in the overdose death of a patient. Prosecutors say Gosnell, 72, delivered babies alive and snipped their spines with scissors to kill them. They say the baby whose death he was cleared in let out a soft whimper before Gosnell cut its neck. The defense had argued there were no live births at the clinic. The grisly details of the case came out more than two years ago when authorities described finding bags and bottles of fetuses at the foul-smelling clinic and unsterile instruments that were reused.

Saeed Abedini Released From Solitary Confinement in Hopeful Sign

Iranian authorities released American pastor Saeed Abedini from solitary confinement this week after forcing him to spend the week of his birthday in a “small dark hole,” according to the American Center for Law and Justice. Abedini, imprisoned for 225 days in Evin Prison because of his Christian faith, turned 33 on May 7 while in solitary confinement. Supporters sent more than 52,500 birthday messages to the prison addressed to Abedini. His wife, Naghmeh, wrote in a letter: "With tightness in my throat, pain in my heart, and tears streaming down my face … I promise to stand strong in the strength of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ fighting with every strength of my being until you are united to our family again." Abedini and nine other prisoners were sent to solitary confinement April 29 after fellow prisoners protested Iran’s lack of medical care, representatives from the ACLJ said. During his time in solitary, Abedini's family in Iran was not allowed to visit him. The family worries about Abedini's health: He complained of internal bleeding from beatings by prison guards even before the solitary confinement and had been denied medical treatment for his injuries. The ACLJ said last month that Abedini suffers from frequent fainting, constant abdominal pain, blood in his stool, and is in need of immediate medical attention. Naghmeh told the ACLJ that her husband’s return to the general prison is a hopeful sign: "His release from solitary is a direct result of the multitudes praying. I am relieved my husband is out of solitary, but still am deeply concerned about Saeed's health. While this is a small victory, I am still demanding justice be done and that Saeed be released."

Cleveland Captor Could Face Murder Charges for Killing Unborn Babies

Ohio prosecutors announced on May 9 they might charge Ariel Castro with murder and seek the death penalty after one of his captives claimed he impregnated her five times and forced her to miscarry, WORLD reports. Castro already faces rape and kidnapping charges after three women he held captive for almost a decade escaped from his downtown Cleveland home last Monday. Michelle Knight, 32, told investigators Castro starved her for up to two weeks and hit her in the stomach to make her miscarry five babies. "Capital punishment must be reserved for those crimes that are truly the worst examples of human conduct," said Cuyahoga County prosecutor Timothy McGinty. "The reality is we still have brutal criminals in our midst who have no respect for the rule of law or human life." Another captive, Amanda Berry, gave birth to a daughter, now 6 years old, while she was imprisoned. Berry, 27, and the third captive, Gina DeJesus, 22, went home with family members on Wednesday. Knight remains in a Cleveland hospital, where officials say she is in good condition. According to National Right to Life, Ohio is one of 36 states with laws that recognize the intentional killing of an unborn child as homicide. Under Ohio law, anyone who intentionally kills an unborn child at any stage of prenatal development can be charged with aggravated murder, murder, voluntary manslaughter, involuntary manslaughter, negligent homicide, aggravated vehicular homicide and vehicular homicide, depending on the circumstances.

Texting While Driving Now Leading Cause of Death for Teen Drivers

Texting while driving has become a greater hazard than drinking and driving among teenagers who openly acknowledge sending and reading text messages while behind the wheel of a moving vehicle, Jim Liebelt reports. The number of teens who are dying or being injured as a result of texting while driving has skyrocketed as mobile device technology has advanced. Researchers at Cohen Children's Medical Center in New Hyde Park estimate more than 3,000 annual teen deaths nationwide from texting and 300,000 injuries. The habit now surpasses the number of teens who drink and drive -- a hazard that has been on a dramatic decline in recent years, researchers say. Dr. Andrew Adesman and a team of Cohen investigators found that while driving between September 2010 and December 2011, among 8,947 teenagers aged 15-18 nationwide, an estimated 49 percent of boys admitted to texting while driving compared with 45 percent of girls. Texting also increased with age. Only 24 percent of 15-year-olds tapped out messages while driving, compared with 58 percent of 18-year-olds, the data showed. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration acknowledged Wednesday that distracted driving of all kinds -- including the use of handheld cell phones -- is a growing hazard. Agency officials describe texting as among the worst of driver distractions because conversing by text simultaneously involves manual, visual and mental distractions.