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By Dr. Nicholas J. Schaser When I was growing up, I was told to use God’s name in church, prayer, or other spiritual contexts, but to say “God” in an irreligious way—after stubbing a toe or losing a game—was to break the commandment: “You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain” (Exod 20:7). While I still refrain from saying “God” outside of religious discourse, this verse doesn’t mean what I was told growing up. When the Bible proscribes taking the Lord’s name in vain, it does not refer to saying “God” as an exclamation or expletive; instead, it prohibits invoking the divine name in an oath, and then failing to fulfill that oath. In ancient Israel, an oath was a solemn statement that began חי־יהוה (chai Adonai)—“as the Lord lives”—and meant: “If I don’t fulfill the following oath, may the Lord who lives strike me dead!” For example, after Jonathan convinced Saul not to kill David, “Saul swore, ‘As the Lord lives (חי־יהוה; chai Adonai), he shall not be put to death’” (1 Sam 19:6). Saul’s oath means that if David dies at Saul’s hand, then Saul also deserves to die. The Hebrew word commonly translated “take” in Exod 20:7 is נשא (nasa), meaning to “bear” or “lift up.” Invoking God’s “name” (שׁם; shem) means bearing it, just like Aaron was to “bear” (נשא; nasa) the names (שׁמות; shemot) of the Israelites” on his breastplate (Exod 28:29). As a bearer of God’s name, the oath-taker must accomplish the sworn oath, or else…. Yeshua protected his followers from taking God’s name in vain when he said to “not swear at all” (Matt 5:34) – that way, you’ll never swear an oath that you might not fulfill, so you can rest assured that you’ll never break the commandment! I came across this on a Hebrew/Jewish web-site and thought it was pretty interesting!! I've thought about this myself from time to time and still do! What are your thoughts about this??

That's accurate, and to add to that very few if any know God's name, especially the exact way to pronounce it. Still, I feel guilty and consider it a sin to use even the English version of the name (JC) as an expletive. To a Christian there is no other God so when one says G' Damnit that would also qualify as something it would be better not to do. Think about it, if you stub your toe really bad - no one blurts out Bob Jones - why are we tempted to use the either the English name of God the Son or Noun of What Jesus is? Good post PK!

? Increase fruits of your righteousness ? 2 Corinthians 9:10 Now he that ministereth seed to the sower both minister bread for your food, and multiply your seed sown, and increase the fruits of your righteousness;)

? His righteousness remaineth ? 2 Corinthians 9:9 (As it is written, He hath dispersed abroad; he hath given to the poor: his righteousness remaineth for ever.

?Grace abound toward you ? 2 Corinthians 9:8 And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things , may abound to every good work:

Chatting with a working class British gentleman who belonged ta a group connected ideologically to William of Orange, he described the situation in Britain vis-à-vis homosexuality thusly: At one time, homosexuality was abhorred, then it was tolerated, then accepted. Now people are afraid it's going to become mandatory. WO is probably not much different. Unless it does become mandatory e.g., all churches must have at least one female clergy member on staff, people can just go to another congregation. Some might consider changing denominations. A YouTube video, since removed, featured an interview with a young SDA woman sent to pastor a church on the east coast. ~Half the congregation left when she arrived. Switching churches is an easy solution. If that's not convenient, go congregational and start a small fellowship.