Scripture Reference:
Ezekiel 36:26 I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.
* note: the content of the following teaching is not my own, it is taken from excellent teaching by Gavin Porter from a series called God's Vision God's Mission. You can access the full teaching on YouTube by following this link: Dust and Stars
Reading Guide for Mom and Dad:
In Exodus 19:5 when God says that He will speak to Moses and all the people will be able to hear Moses, Moses wasn't up on the mountain. Moses was down the mountain with the people when God spoke the ten commandments the fist time. They received the ten commandments and the first time it was not on the tables of stone. The fist time they received the ten commandments was in an audible voice of God. The ten commandments were given to them in Genesis 20:1 And God spoke all these words saying:
But they didn't want to listen to God's Voice, they ran away and stood afar off.
They said to God: "please don't speak to us, speak to Moses and he can speak to us."
Then Moses went up to the Mountain and God put the commandments on stone. So why did God put the commandments on stone? Maybe it was because God wanted to write His law on their hearts but they hardened their hearts. Maybe God wrote the commandments on stone to show them the condition of their hearts. Moses came down with the Law engraved in stone. But the Law was meant to be in relationship with God, in the Israelites hearts. It became this Law written in stone which the New Testament describes in 2 Corinthians 3:7 as the ministration of death. Because the Spirit gives life but the letter kills.
2 Corinthians 3:6
who also made us sufficient as ministers of the new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.
Jeremiah 31:31 Behold the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah - "not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke, though I was a husband to them, says the Lord. "But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord; I will put My law on their minds, and write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people"
God says at last the law will be in their hearts. It will be a relationship.
Ezekiel 36:26 I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them.
God says with the New Covenant, He will write the Law on their hearts, give them a New Spirit, take the heart of stone out of you, give you the Spirit and enable you to walk in God's Way.
You don't have to keep a Law anymore you will walk by the Spirit.
God made an agreement with Abraham- the Testament. God made it with Himself so Abraham could not break this testament. It is all from God's side and by GRACE. God says the heir that will receive this inheritance will be Abraham and his seed.
Galatians 3:16 Now to Abraham and his Seed were the promises made. He does not say, "And to seeds", as of many but as of one, "And to your Seed," who is Christ.
If there is a last will and testament there is an inheritance. The one who will inherit this is the heir and the heir is Christ. This is a full proof strategy of God.
Hebrew 9:16 For where there is a testament, there must also of necessity be the death of the testator. For a testament is in force after men are dead, since it has no power at all while the testator lives.
For the testament to be fulfilled there need to be the death of the testator. God becomes a Man and dies. The Man that God becomes is the seed of Abraham which is Christ. The testament comes into effect when Jesus dies and it becomes an inheritance. When Jesus rises from the dead Jesus inherits everything back again.
God makes the Testament/agreement. He as the Testator dies and He rises from the dead to inherit everything back again. Christ is the Heir of all things. The Seed of God is the Heir of all things.
In the Old Covenant Israel became the Bride of God. Israel being the bride of God has become one with God in another kind of agreement - a marriage covenant. Two sides joining together. Israel was the unfaithful bride. Not having the relationship.
Romans 7:1-4 Or do you not know, brethren (for I speak to those who know the law), that the law has dominion over a man as long as he lives? For the woman who has a husband is bound by the law to her husband as long as he lives. But if the husband dies, she is released from the law of her husband. So then if while her husband lives, she marries another man, she will be called an adulteress; but if her husband dies, she is free from the law, so that she is no adulteress, though she has married another man. Therefore, my brethren, you also have become dead to the law through the body of Christ, that you may be married to another - to Him who was raised from the dead, that we should bear fruit to God.
This is a picture of Israel. Israel is bound by the Law in a marriage contract. Israel is God's wife. The only way that Israel can be freed from this covenant is if her Husband dies. So God becomes a man and dies on the cross. As God dies on the cross, Israel is released from the marriage covenant. The Law, the marriage covenant, comes to an end at the cross.
Galatians 3:19 What purpose then does the law serve? It was added because of transgressions, till the Seed should come to whom the promise was made; and it was appointed through angels by the hand of a mediator.
The Law is there till the Seed has come to whom the promise was made.
Israel was bound in this marriage covenant until God becomes Man and dies. Then Jesus rises from the dead and Israel together with the Gentiles can now be part of a New Marriage Covenant, the New Covenant.
This new Marriage covenant is a marriage in community of property. So whatever belongs to Christ now belongs to the Bride, to us. Whatever belongs to us now belongs to Him. Jesus is the Heir of all things and because we are now joined together, we become one with Him in marriage, we now become co-heirs of all things.
All these promises come together at the cross so that we can see WHO we are, WHERE we are, and WHAT we have in Christ.
Conversation Starters with the little ones:
What does it mean to "harden your heart". How did Israel harden their hearts at Mount Sinai when God made the First Covenant with them?
What does God mean by a heart of flesh and a heart of stone?
If the Spirit gives life and He lives in us, what will our hearts look like?
When did Jesus make a New Covenant with us? How can we respond to Him?
Teach them to Rule and Multiply:
We recently went to our friend's farm for a visit. God blessed me with wonderful women in my life, my dear friends. I've known them for more than 21 years and we get together as much as possible. Now our children are building their own relationships with each other and it is such a blessing to witness.
In this context it was easy to talk to them about true friendship and love:
Talk to your children about relationships with family, friends, and God. What makes for a good relationship, how do we "walk with God"?
We spend time together with our friends. Show them that they can spend time with God by reading and praying.
Encourage your older children to have quiet time alone with God in the Word every day.
Read the Bible together after supper each night to your little ones. I've found that this is the best time for our family, but it can be any time that suits your family best.
Give them the opportunity to pray. I often see glimpses of my little girl's heart when she prays to Father God. Things I wouldn't have known if we didn't pray together.
Encourage each one to pray for a different family member on their own each day. This will teach them to have compassion as the Spirit works in their hearts.
Mom (or Dad) have a cup of coffee with the Holy Spirit before the day starts. Life can be such a rush and I've found that getting up earlier and spending time reading my Bible and sometimes just sitting quietly with Him, changes me and renews my strength.
How precious are these moments spend with friends and family. How precious is life-giving time spend with our God.
Kettle Prayer suggestions:
Lord Jesus, thank You for the Cross. Thank You for making us co-heirs to the inheritance we have IN You. Thank you for divine health, provision, and blessing that we have in You. I pray this to overflow in my children's lives. Amen
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