Dear brethren,

Often we think about our lives prior to being called into the church, and we remember how ignorant we were of the truth.  Then God woke us up, and we repented of our sins and began to consciously keep God's laws for the first time in our lives.

God called us out of the darkness of this world into His marvelous light of truth to His own glory!  We had to turn from our ways and practices to pursue a new way of living.  Keeping the Sabbath and Holy Days were only the beginning our transformation.

All of us were called out of the hodgepodge of this world. We are a diverse people.  The Apostle Peter  wrote, "who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy."  (I Pet. 2: 10)

In our meditations we must consider what this passage means.  Its meaning is far beyond what any of us can imagine.  It is sounds simple, but God's intent is to place each of us in His Divine Family.

Jesus was the greatest person to ever live or exist on this earth in the form of a man. He was the Immanuel meaning 'God with us. He was fully human and fully God.  Jesus showed us the way to perfection, and we are admonished to become perfect like our Father in heaven.  (Mat. 5:48)

When Jesus Christ gave the sermon on the mount He said, "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 5:18)

He went on further to say whoever breaks or teaches others to break one of the least of the commandments would be called the least in the Kingdom, and whoever will do and teach to them to others will be called great in the Kingdom of heaven. (Mat 5:19)

What God is offering to those who are called now is so tremendous and awesome.  We will have eternal life, and the rights and high privileges of being in the Royal Family of God. (Rev. 5:10)

Then Jesus really set a high bar for our calling when He said, "For I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven." (Mat. 5:20)

Christ came to magnify the law and make it more binding.  He said it wasn't just a sin to commit adultery, but whoever looks on a woman to lust after her has committed adultery in his heart.

This challenge is to change what we think, as well as what we do contrary to God's laws.  We must put sin out and bring Christ in!  Jesus challenges his true disciples to make a tremendous effort to cast sin out of their lives and be righteous like our Elder Brother, Jesus Christ.

He said, "If your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell. 30 And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell." (Mat. 5:29-30)

The right eye and hand are important to the human body.  Jesus does not mean to literally gouge out the right eye or cut off the right hand, but it is an analogy of the great effort a Christian must make to change and be transformed to the image of Christ. We cannot let anything dissuade us from the path of righteousness.  (Ps. 119:172)

As we approach the Days of Unleavened Bread, we must rededicate our lives to put sin out and bring Christ in to transform our minds.  (Rom. 12:1-2)

Have a wonderful and uplifting Sabbath! 

          Your pastor and friend,                                                                              

Jim Tuck