If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love.  John 15:10   That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all [men] know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another. John 13:34b & 35   The New Testament Conception:

In the New Testament a higher spiritual and moral relation is sustained than in the Old Testament. The importance of obedience is just as greatly emphasized. Christ Himself is its one great illustration of obedience. He "humbled himself, becoming obedient even unto death, yea, the death of the cross" (Php 2:8). By obedience to Him we are through Him made partakers of His salvation (Heb 5:9). This act is a supreme test of faith in Christ. Indeed, it is so vitally related that they are in some cases almost synonymous. "Obedience of faith" is a combination used by Paul to express this idea (Ro 1:5). Peter designates believers in Christ as "children of obedience" (1Pe 1:14). Thus it is seen that the test of fellowship with Yahweh in the Old Testament is obedience. The bond of union with Christ in the New Testament is obedience.

There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death." (Rom. 8:1, 2)

We need to first acquaint ourselves with the good news that there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, who walk daily in the Spirit. We have been freely forgiven and justified by God through the finished work of Christ. If we are constantly in tune with God, we shall not walk away from His perfect will and plan; He will see us through the challenges of life. Do you know how rich you are because you are in Christ Jesus? Have you taken some time to grasp the extent of your greatness in the risen Saviour? What a glorious destiny we have as heirs of God's kingdom!

True freedom is found within the ambient of the Law of the Spirit of Life. A law is a compelling force to which an individual is subjected. In the kingdom of Christ, the law that guides and propels the believer is the Law of the Spirit of Life. This law or force of God instils in us the ability to live right without any feeling of compulsion or stress. We can certainly serve God willingly, readily, reverently and enjoyably. The life of Christ in us grants us the power to be righteous and pleasing to God. What makes knowing Jesus different from mere religion? What makes a Christian to be Christ-like indeed? Is it denominational inclination, sectarian sentiments or underhand traditions? Nay! It is the power granted by the Spirit of life that makes us victorious and acceptable to God. No amount of human effort, however, sensible they seem to be, can replace the ability that can only be granted by God.

The frame of mind or thought pattern of those who live by the Law of the Spirit of Life and those who are ruled by the Law of Sin reflect a wide world of difference. Obviously, those who dwell in the light cannot be compared with those who dwell in the land of darkness. We are blessed and should be grateful for having the right law, living in the right kingdom and having the right life as we can see here:

Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son: In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins (Col 1:12-14)

Those who belong to Christ are partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light, delivered from the power of darkness and translated into the kingdom of Christ. We are ruled by the force and principles of the kingdom of Christ; hence, it is impossible for us to be controlled by the Law of sin and death. This light we have cannot be overcome by darkness. It destroys darkness. We are vehemently called upon to keep walking in the light and the Spirit. This is the guarantee of our unflinching and uninterrupted spiritual power supply. Hallelujah!

But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin (1John 1:7).

This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh...If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit (Gal 5:16,25).

Let us therefore learn to daily walk in the light of God's Word and by the power of the Holy Spirit. This is a possibility that is only available for those who are in Christ Jesus. Are you in Christ Jesus?

Those who serve the living God are ever determined to walk in righteousness. They are subject to the Law of the Spirit of Life -walking in the light and the Spirit of their calling. More than ever, there is a call to those who belong to Christ to stand out and make the difference in such a wayward generation as ours. We are surrounded by a corrupt, morally perverted and confused generation whose heart has departed from the truth. We must choose to set ourselves apart to God by all means. Parents and other leaders in society must strive to lay good examples for others to follow. In the midst of such an increasingly wicked and crooked generation, is there the possibility of having true-hearted models of righteousness?

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The main reason that the Law ceased with the death of Christ is because the Church ( the Body of Christ ) is supposed to have began in Acts 2.

Col 2:14, having blotted out the handwriting of the ordinances against us, which was contrary to us, and He has TAKEN it out of sight, having NAILED it to the CROSS.

The verb " TAKEN " IN Col 2:14, is in the Perfect Tense , which indicates that the sffect of the " BLOTTING out " and " abolished " is in relation to the entire Dispensation of the Grace of God. What was taken out of sight ? ALL of the Law of Moses.

The opening pharse in Eph 2:15, " having abolished " can also be translated " having abolished BY His flesh, " looking back to the cross ." Having abolished is in the Aorist tense, ( the simple past tense in Greek ) , indicating that this did take place once and for ALL time ( Heb 10:12-14 ) . The word abolished signifies FINALITY -Calvary will NEVER be REPEATED.

There are 5 proofs in the book of Acts that the Law of Moss did not cease at the cross. They are ;

1) The Day of Pentecost itself, it was a vital part of the Law ( Lev 23:15-22 )

2) The miracles and signs of Acts 2:43 ; 3:7-8 ;, which was a commission of the 12 apostles

3) The deaths of Ananias and Sapphira in Acts 5 was according to the Law of Moses ( Ex 20:15-16 ; Joshua 7:11 )

4) There were many " priests " in Jerusalem who carried out the duties of the Law ( Acts 6:7 )

5) Many 1000 of Jewish believers were zealous of the Law of Moses as late as Acts 21:20. They sure were not reprimanded by Jamesbout their belief in Judaism.

God is a God of love and mercy. But He is also a just and righteous God who doesn't compromise with evil. Instead of repenting and acknowledging their Creator, most of humanity has been snubbing their collective noses at Him in a pretense of religion and suffering the consequences. But a time is coming when He will intervene by sending Jesus Christ to rule over the nations and save us from ourselves.

Many Old and New Testament prophecies describe the coming Day of the Lord, including those of the seven trumpets in Revelation 8-11. They create a composite picture of a time of blowing of trumpets, a time of catastrophic war, and a time when all nations will be brought together to be judged by God.

The Feast of Trumpets contains an important message for Christians. In fact, it is the most important news on the globe today. It heralds the gospel's emphasis on repentance and judgment, the warning blasts of the shofar, the Day of the Lord and the proclamation that the Messiah is returning to establish God's Kingdom on the earth.

Jesus Himself makes a key statement in His Mount Olivet prophecy recorded in Matthew 24: "Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken.

"Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other" (verses 29-31).

Notice that the return of Jesus Christ is accompanied by the sound of a trumpet.

The apostle Paul encourages Christians to keep the coming Day of the Lord in mind. He writes to the church in Thessalonica: "For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night. For when they say, 'Peace and safety!' then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape.

"But you, brethren, are not in darkness, so that this Day should overtake you as a thief. You are all sons of light and sons of the day. We are not of the night nor of darkness. Therefore let us not sleep, as others do, but let us watch and be sober. For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk are drunk at night.

"But let us who are of the day be sober . . . For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, that whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with Him" (1 Thessalonians 5:2-10).

Indeed, the resurrection of the saints to reign with Christ in glory will come at the sounding of the last trumpet (1 Corinthians 15:51-52; 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17).

The prophesied Day of the Lord is coming. The trumpet will sound, the saints will be raised from the grave and Jesus Christ will return to establish His Father's Kingdom on the earth.

God's Holy Day Plan: The Promise of Hope for All Mankind
Is it possible to know what the future holds for us? The Creator of mankind does have a plan for us, and He reveals it to us through an annual cycle of festivals described in the Scriptures. It is an astounding plan offering an incredible future to every man, woman, and child who has ever lived. T

Upcoming Holy Days
Feast of Trumpets: September 30
Day of Atonement: October 9
Feast of Tabernacles: October 14-20
Last Great Day: October 21

Ahmadinejad: 'American empire' nearing its end

(CNN) -- In a blistering speech before the United Nations General Assembly, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad blamed "a few bullying powers" for creating the world's problems and said the "American empire in the world is reaching the end of its road."

And while he insisted Iran's nuclear activities are peaceful, Ahmadinejad blamed the same powers for seeking to hinder it "by exerting political and economic pressures on Iran, and threatening and pressuring" the International Atomic Energy Agency.

Those powers, meanwhile, are building or maintaining nuclear stockpiles themselves, unchecked by anyone, he said.

As Ahmadinejad spoke, the only person at the United States table was a note-taker; no U.S. diplomat was present. When President Bush spoke earlier Tuesday, however, Ahmadinejad was in the room.

CNN's Chief International Correspondent Christiane Amanpour said Ahmadinejad's comments were some of the most conciliatory he had made to the United States.

"As long as the aggressors, because of their financial, political and propaganda powers, not only escape punishment, but even claim righteousness, and as long as wars are started and nations are enslaved in order to win votes in elections, not only will the problems of the global community remain unsolved, but they will be increasingly exacerbated," the Iranian leader said.

He accused the United States of oppressing Iraqis with six years of occupation, saying Americans were "still seeking to solidify their position in the political geography of the region and to dominate oil resources."  Meanwhile, he said, Palestinians have undergone "60 years of carnage and invasion ... at the hands of some criminal and occupying Zionists."

He said Zionists in Israel "have forged a regime through collecting people from various parts of the world and bringing them to other people's land, by displacing, detaining and killing the true owners of that land."

The Security Council, he said, "cannot do anything, and sometimes under pressure from a few bullying powers, even paves the way for supporting these Zionist murders."

He stopped short of calling for Israel to be politically wiped off the map as he has in the past. He called for "a free referendum in Palestine for determining and establishing the type of state in the entire Palestinian lands."

Ahmadinejad pointed to what he said are signs of hope, saying an increasing number of nations are turning their backs on "the bullying powers" and seeking to establish new relations.

"Today the Zionist regime is on a definite slope to collapse," he said.

The Anti-Defamation League released a statement saying the Iranian leader showed he "is deeply infected with anti-Semitism" and displayed "the true threat the Iranian regime poses to Israel, the United States and the West."

Hours before Ahmadinejad's speech, Bush told the General Assembly that Iran was among the nations that "continue to sponsor terror."

"Yet their numbers are growing fewer, and they're growing more isolated from the world," Bush said.

Bush also said U.N. members needed to enforce sanctions against Iran for failing to suspend its nuclear program, which the United States and other Western nations believe is intended to develop nuclear weapons.

Before Ahmadinejad spoke to the U.N., he told CNN's Larry King that he is willing to meet with presidential candidates Sens. John McCain and Barack Obama -- even in front of the media -- to discuss world issues and debate.

But he has no preference between the two, he said in the interview that aired Tuesday night on "Larry King Live."

"We believe that these are issues relating to the domestic affairs of the United States," Ahmadinejad told Larry King of the presidential race, according to a transcript of the interview.

"And decisions pertaining to that must be made by the American people. And it's not important to us either," Ahmadinejad said. "What matters essentially is that the president that is chosen by the American people should adopt a path and a policy approach and for us to observe the policy approach.

"This is the campaign period, anyone can say anything. So we disregard that. What matters is that once someone is in office, we have to watch and see if that person will bring about some changes in policy or continue the same old path."

Ahmadinejad was in New York City for the United Nations General Assembly meeting, which began Tuesday.

"I have said that, in fact, on this very trip, currently in New York, that I am ready to speak with the presidential candidates before the press," he told Larry King. "I believe that we've really done whatever we could do in this respect."