In the last comic, I spoke about how the Bible explains how we are to love God and love others. There is a ditch we shouldn't fall into with that though: doing things in a checklist, or out of obligation.

Paul speaks a lot about this in his letters. Any time he is speaking about "the letter of the law", this is what he is referencing. God doesn't want us to do His commands as a "get out of hell free card", or "because we HAVE to, to be on His good side". He wants us to do them because we WANT to do them. We WANT to be closer to Him. He wants our hearts.

If we are just doing things out of obligation, there is no heart in it. It has no meaning. Think about you and your parents. Maybe one of the things they asked you to do was to take out the trash. Did you keep an eye on the trash to make sure that it was always taken out when it needed to be? You never complained if you missed an opportunity and if told it needed to be taken out, were quick to do it?

Or did you complain about how you hate having to take out the trash? You always waited until someone told you it needed to be taken out? And when you did take it out, you always had a bad attitude about it?

In both of these instances, you took the trash out, but which is loving? The same applies to God.

If you haven't before, read Isaiah 58. It is God talking about His people and how they think they are doing the things God wants them to do, but their heart isn't in it.

https://thestraightandnarrow.cfw.me/comics/678

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The message, "What Proceeds From Our Hearts?," was delivered on location at 60 Bailey Ave., Manchester, NH for First Fruits Ministries Sabbath celebration on Sept. 9, 2023.

Here is the Odysee video archive: https://tinyurl.com/snrdudtc

For the presentation transcript, download the PDF here: https://tinyurl.com/c5bmdz9j

Torah Portion for this week: Deuteronomy 29:9-31:30; Isaiah 61:10-63:9; Luke 24:1-43; John 15:1-11: https://tinyurl.com/yuum23vz.

By the God of Heaven, do truth to each other and love one another. -Reuben #twelvepatriarchs

Reuben's advice echoes that of Paul (Eph 4:15), Peter (1 Peter 1:22), and John (2 John 1:3).

On this date in history, 09/11/1777: The Battle of Brandywine, Pennsylvania. British forces attack American positions and force a retreat across the Brandywine River. #otd #tdih #americanrevolution https://www.historycarper.com/....category/battles/ame

Shabbat Service 9.9.23
Rapture, Resurrection, and Rosh HaShana

https://fb.watch/m_NYWSdXDp/

Due to technical issues beyond our control I am not able to have a live podcast this morning, I apologize for the inconvenience
9/11 is remembered as one of those days that changed the world. Some ask how a loving God would allow such a thing to happen. When people begin to reject the Creator He allows them to go their own way and often they will experience something that reminds them to repent. A nation can experience the same thing much like Jonah’s walk across Nineveh. The difference is that Nineveh repented, the US didn’t. Jonah 3;10, “God saw what the people did. He saw that they stopped doing evil things. So God changed his mind and did not do what he had warned. He did not punish them”

THIS WEEK:
Rosh Hashanah רֹאשׁ הַשָּׁנָה
Festival of Trumpets

TORAH: GENESIS 21:1-34
PROPHETS: 1 SAMUEL 1:1-2:10
GOSPEL: MATTHEW 24:29-36

Portion Outline

TORAH
GENESIS 21:1 The Birth of Isaac
GENESIS 21:8-21 God Protects Hagar and Ishmael
GENESIS 21:22-34 A Treaty with Abimelech

PROPHETS
1 SAMUEL 1 The Birth of Samuel
1 SAMUEL 1:21-28 Samuel Given to the Lord
1 SAMUEL 2:1-10 Hannah’s Prayer