It can be a juggling act. Nine, children, the family pets, chores, not to mention the actual bookwork!

I have a recipe for calm, at least it works for us. Organisation, organisation! I keep an exercise book and I do a week at a time. I write down every child and what is expected of them during the week. It then gets ticked off, so we could in theory do loads of work one day and less on another. It is very flexible and enables me to take advantage of when they are on 'a roll.'

If they finish everything, they get a star. If they do extra, they get extra stars and every 14 weeks I hold an award ceremony based on bronze, silver and gold awards. Obviously gold is the highest and he rewards tend to be chocolate treats. This works well and encourages them to work hard.

I also keep a schedule of extra things that need doing, and shopping lists that I can add to whenever, as I remember! It really does make a difference and it enables me to see the important things are getting done. I have seen those expensive planners, but they only tend to do four children at a time! I find my cheap note book works wonders, even if it has fallen apat by the end!

It is Wednesday again!

I have been concentrating on my daily exercise, but also one thing I have found useful, is cutting down my portions of carbs. I do like my roast potatoes, but alas, eating too many will cause me to put on weight. So, I also dry roast them in the oven without any fat. We try to eat other options as well, such as wholegrain pasta and wholegrain rice.They have a low glycaemic index, which means they do not give you a dangerous sugar rush, and they keep you fuLler for longer. As long as I eat 3 meals a day I find I am fine. If I really have to have something in between,  I will choose a wholegrain cracker, or fruit.

Ah, it is Wednesday again!

So far so good, I have been keeping up the daily aerobics and having a break on Sunday. I usually do 30 minutes and then toning on alternate days. I feel so much fitter and have so much more energy.

I have also reduced my portions of carbs right down, and it does work. I still feel full and find it much harder to over eat. Biscuits I rarely eat, I just have a couple maybe once or twice a week, that way I am not cutting them completely and know I can still enjoy them occasionally.

I am breastfeeding, so still allow myself dessert, but try to alternate the less healthy options. I made donuts out of brown flour and tend to make all the desserts from scratch. That way I can control the sugar, fat and avoid refined products. I even found unrefined, brown icing sugar!

One tip if you feel really hungry inbetween, is to have a couple of plain wholewheat crackers! Helps to stop the cravings and help any hunger pangs. I will try and dig out some healthy recipes next week.

It is an essential in a large family. Four years ago, we started a simple chores chart for the children. Four years on and has it been a success? The answer to that is a resounding yes!

By doing chores children are learning responsibility, organisation, teamwork, co-operation, and service to others. (probably one of the most important in this self centred society)These are valuable lifeskills and should be a part of their education, after all in the big world of work, they are all skills that we will have to put into practice. They have even learned how to swap certain jobs with their siblings, lol!

From the age a three, a child is capable of performing a simple task, such as sweeping up, tidying a room e.t.c. An older child of 10 will be capable of using a hoover and be able to clean off kitchen worktops e.t.c. From the age of 5, they each take turns to unload and load the dishwasher, but only the breakfast things, for the youngest children.

I must say, they have become quite competent in their chores and they only take an average of 20 mins per child, but that is  saving me over 2 and a half hours of extra work. Wow! How it all adds up. It gives me that extra time to work with the younger children, keep fit myself and read my Bible. In fact it is easier now than it was before, when they were all very young.

If you are not using daily chores as part of your homeschool, give it a go. You will be surprised at the result. We have posted a chores chart to the fridge and laminated with sellotape. We keep it the same, but they all get a chance to do all the jobs.

ok, so I have been trying to lose weight. After months of the lateral thigh trainer I have been doing daily aerobics. I have been doing the aerobics for 2 weeks and until a couple of days ago had put on 7 pounds, but now I have lost 2 pounds and the trend is down, yay! It is enough to put you off, but it can be normal to put on weight, especially as I have been building up muscle which is heavier than fat. The benefit is though that muscle burns more calories!

I have been using DVD's by Rosemary Conley. There are lots more tips at http://www.rosemaryconley.com/ There are lots of helpful hints. I have found that having 2 tbspoons of muesli soaked overnight in fat free fromage frais is great, as long as you add a little honey, or maple syrup!

I will post more next week. In the meantime, I am concentrating on keeping up daily exercise of 20-30 mins, reducing portion sizes.

Legalism is a cancer that eventually spreads to all parts of our lives. Is our salvation conditional on how good we are and what rules we follow, or is our salvation free and undeserved? We will want to do good, not think we will have to do good.

If we are in the position where we are living by the rules to make us acceptable toward God, then we are tending towards legalism. I am not saying we don't follow the Bible, I am asking, where does our emphasis lie?

Ephesisans 2:10  "For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them."

The Bible clearly says that our good works are an evidence of our faith, they do not save us, but they justify us. It is through the good that we do, that other people see our faith. It is no good to just have a bare confession of faith, we need to show the fruit. As a good tree produces good fruit, so will we as true Christians. We have a pear tree in our garden and part of it has rotted, that part does not produce any fruit. The same applies to us. Likewise the fruit needs water to grow. We need to water our souls with the word of God, for it is a living water, full of the richness we need to grow as Christians.

Ephesians 5:22  But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another.

Let us examine ourselves and our motivation and keep our hearts and minds fixed on God, not the swaying, ever changing nature of men and women.

Happy New Year to all!

As the Queen reveals her New Year Honour's list, great excitement is generated by the people who find themselves on it. How important is it though that we are honoured by men? The Bible says we will actually be hated for His name's sake and Corinthians says "But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are:That no flesh should glory in his presence." So we learn that God works the opposite. He doesn't choose nobility, people of learning, people who have done good works. You couldn't expect to be on the Queens List unless you have done something of worth in the world's domain. However, with the kingdom of God it is exactily the opposite. It is not works we have done, it is not how respectable we are. It doesn't matter what station we are, we can never make ourselves acceptable to God. What a wonderful message, that you could be destitute, broken, the lowest of the low, and yet salvation is for you. As the hymn says, Just as I am without a plea:

Just as I am, without one plea,
But that Thy blood was shed for me,
And that Thou bidst me come to Thee,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.

Just as I am, and waiting not
To rid my soul of one dark blot,
To Thee whose blood can cleanse each spot,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.

Just as I am, though tossed about
With many a conflict, many a doubt,
Fightings and fears within, without,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.

Just as I am, poor, wretched, blind;
Sight, riches, healing of the mind,
Yea, all I need in Thee to find,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.

Just as I am, Thou wilt receive,
Wilt welcome, pardon, cleanse, relieve;
Because Thy promise I believe,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.

Just as I am, Thy love unknown
Hath broken every barrier down;
Now, to be Thine, yea, Thine alone,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.

Just as I am, of that free love
The breadth, length, depth, and height to prove,
Here for a season, then above,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come!

This is a fantastic hymn. It shows that we do not need to make ourselves acceptable, just to humble ourselves and come.

I know I am on the most important list. God's list, which lasts for all eternity. It was free, I didn't earn it, I didn't deserve it, but God bestowed it! Amazing love, Amazing grace!

We hear so much talk today, with so many teaching to, "believe in yourself." Where does it come from, is it even a Christian principle?

Well, many Christian leaders and counsellors believe that self esteem is the key to a fruitful Christian life and until we have it, we will never be happy. Many secularists and even Christian leaders believe that a lack of self esteem is the cause of most of the troubles in the world today.

What is self esteem? Well, basically a good, or elevated opinion of ourselves. It is interesting to see that the dictionary definition has pride as a related synonym! The Bible never teaches us to trust in ourselves. Psalm 73:6 "Therefore pride compasseth them about as a chain; violence covereth them as a garment."

Proverbs 11:2 "When pride cometh, then cometh shame: but with the lowly is wisdom."

So, in the previous two verses pride is something that brings shame. It states clearly that with the lowly is wisdom. To be lowly, is to show humility, wisdom and meekness. We are to trust God and to look up to Him for wisdom, not to the world. We are deceiving ourselves if we think we are better than we actually are.

Our consciences are stirred within us, if we do something that is wrong. That conscience is God given. Romans 2:14,15 " For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves:Which shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another;) In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel."

The trouble is, the self esteem movement is telling us to silence this inner voice as it is our enemy, yet God has clearly intended it for our good. It is quite clear that in the Bible sin is the cause of the trouble in our society today, not self esteem. Sin is a rather hated word these days, even in Christian circles. people see it as negative. In fact unless we can be made aware of our sinful state before God, we can never be converted. Jesus saves in His mercy. It will not be an easy life, when we choose to take up our cross and follow Christ, yet many people teach us that if we come to Jesus all our problems will be solved, we will have a prosperous life and so on. I believe that Jesus entered this life in the lowly circumstances which he did, to teach us a lesson. If Jesus humbled himself like this, he expects us to humble ourselves. Not to deceive ourselves that we are some great one who is so pleased with himself.

The ultimate conclusion of self esteem, is that the self becomes the most important. Myself matters first. This is not so, as when we became Christians we are called to a life of service to God and other people. We have a duty to share the gospel. The Bible says we will be hated for his names sake.

What are we passing on to our children? Are we teaching them to trust themselves and to have self confidence, or are we teaching them to trust in a God who is all wise? I am not saying we should be negative with our children and not reward their good behaviour, that would be indeed wrong. We should never elevate children, or anyone for that matter and make them think they are great in themselves. We need to be truthful to ourselves and we need to show our children, when they go wrong. The Bible contains all the wisdom we need. The major psychologists were known for their deep disdain for biblical Christianity, eg Freud, Maslow, Ellis, and Rogers. They were people who believed in humanism and man's great achievements. They are preaching another gospel and sadly, many 'Christians' have followed. We need to turn our eyes on Christ, not the foolish wisdom of this world.

It is not often that we have snow that actually stays in England, but this December it is a bit different.

We have all been enjoying sledging, from the youngest, who is nearly 2, to the oldest who is erm....well, let's just say 16!

Of course there is a learning experience when it comes to snow and every snow flake has a different pattern. That shows the uniqueness of God's creation. Not any two alike, as there are no two humans alike. We are all individuals in God's sight and are all responsible for our own actions.

I would like to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and may you know God's blessing. Not to forget the gift that God gave us in his son. John 3:16 "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believeth in him shall not perish, but hath everlasting life."

Do we like to do things so other people see what we are doing? Maybe we pray publicly at church, or we do things just so we can be seen by other people.

Is our Christian faith outward, or inward? Is it just a show for others, or is our heart truly changed?

Matt 12:38  Beware of the scribes, which love to go in long clothing, and love salutations in the marketplaces,and the chief seats in the synagogues, and the uppermost rooms at feasts: which devour widows' houses and for a pretence make long prayers. These shall receive greater d a m n a tion.

Joel 2:13  And rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the LORD your God: for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth him of the evil.

The Jews used to tear their clothes, as an outward sign. Here, we are told it is not in this outward sign, but rather inwardly in our hearts. True repentance comes from the heart and only the Lord knows if we are truly sorry.

In the society in which we live, so much is focused in making a name for oneself and being seen and obtaining honours from men. We are indeed egocentric at heart, worshipping self. Other religions are an outward show, certain rituals must be performed, or certain clothing worn. True Christianity is no such thing, it is a religion of the heart. A heart truly humbled in repentance for all the sin we have committed and fully giving ourselves as a living sacrifice to God, accepting his free gift of salvation. Yes, that's right, it is a free gift we need do nothing except come in humble repentance and accept his sacrifice on the cross, which paid for our sin.That is not to say we come to Jesus and then carry on as before, that is not true. If we still want to carry on in sin, we need to question our salvation, as  true Christians we will want to follow Jesus and do good and be very sorry when we get it wrong. It is not egocentric, but Godfocused and content for him to have all the glory.

Amen, that we need not a whole list of rituals. Amen that salvation is free. At one time in my younger days, I thought I was a Christian, but nothing changed, in fact I wanted to carry on in sin, just as before. A couple of years later, I had the most awful conviction and burden of sin. I confessed it all and my spiritual eyes were opened. I am pleased to say my burden went and I had a new joy!

If we are not convicted of sin we need to pray for that conviction and take care that we are not one who is just an outward show. A bit like a Christmas present, with all fancy wrappings, and yet when we open it contains nothing, it is just a showcase for a shop front.

For months now we have been doing a four day week, with the home education. Does that mean that on Friday we all suddenly stop learning? Far from it, perhaps that is even where the real learning starts.

When we started it, I was going to treat it as a trial run to see if we could still manage to get all the bookwork done. Conclusion is, we are now completing more. How can that be,I hear you ask? Well, I guess it makes us more productive as opposed to just plain burned out.

We do 'school' year round now. Rather than taking off 7 weeks for the summer and all the other usual holidays, we take off a week for April, May, June, july, August, and September.That is still just 6 weeks. our main winter holiday is at Christmas and we take a whole 2 weeks, so that is just 8 weeks. Taken from 52, that leaves us with 44 weeks. That is 176 days for our 4 day week and considering that the children's books work with a 160 day school year, we are meeting that target comfortably and even leaving enough for sick days and field trips.

I must admit the children enjoy the time off over the summer, as it is only a week at a time and we can pick and choose.

Our Fridays have been spent doing sports, baking, reading, walking, cycling. Fun things really, and they have been learning along the way, so you can't really say we have stopped learning, but rather broadened our horizons and made use of that great classroom outdoors!

I encourage you to try it, if even just for a month and you will see the changes it brings. I forgot to mention we start on Friday morning, with an hours extensive cleaning, so now the house is in order as well. Happy days!

We have been reading in History, about the destruction of the temple in Jerusalem, which was about 70AD. Jesus had already said this would happen, before that generation of his time, passed away.-" And Jesus said unto them, See ye not all these things? verily I say unto you, There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down." Matthew 2:2 This was fulfilled, with the total and utter destruction of the temple.True to the prophecy, not one stone was left upon another.

There is a lesson in this for us. 2 Corinthians 6:16 "And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people." God is not interested in ornate temples made of silver and gold. We are temples, so to speak, if we have professed salvation in Christ. We have no need to enter a church and pray, we can do it anywhere and at anytime. We have a responsibility to be holy and blameless in our walk. idol worship has no place in our lives.

The Jews had missed the plot, they continued their sacrifices, until they could no more. They had missed the Messiah's coming and in their ignorance and unbelief had crucified him.Matthew 27:25"Then answered all the people, and said, His blood be on us, and on our children." I wonder, did they ever comprehend what they were saying? Let us not say words in jest that we may forget, but let our conversation be good. Col 24:6 "Let your speech be alway with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man."

Let us pray that we can give an answer to every man, for the faith that is in us, that we might be mighty in witness for him. We need to be mindful also, that it is not outward rituals that define us, as Christians. The daily sacrifices have been done away with, the death of Jesus and the ceremonial and sin offerings are no more. He dwells inside of us, through the holy spirit. Oh what joy, let us prepare our hearts before the Lord and search our ways to see if we be true.

As winter stetches out a mysterious arm,

welcoming us to its unknown charm.

Cold, still, vast, and void.

Branches stare back,

empty and toiled.

The warmth of summer,

Hope of spring.

My heart is warmed from within.

As God's love shines upon our souls,

and beckons us to him.

With repentance we cry out to Him,

cleanse us from this sin within.

The gleam of light through heaven's door.

The waves have brought me to the shore.

I will be forever blessed,

in my eternal home of rest.

I was just checking out the Humanist website link, that someone passed on. In bold letters down the middle of the page, it stated; "There's probably no God. Now stop worrying and enjoy your life."
Probably? So, they can't say for sure. It reminded me of Pascal's wager, when he said that he couldn't lose by being right with God.

It seems they are launching a very scathing and intolerant mission. Their aim is to have creationism banned and faith schools stopped. They say they are fed up with children being indoctrinated! Hang on a minute, just what are they doing with their children and propose to do with everyone elses? Err, it couldn't be indoctrination could it?

What exactly does the term indoctrination infer? Well, here is the dictionary definition- 'to instruct in a doctrine, principle, ideology, etc., esp. to imbue with a specific partisan or biased belief or point of view.' So what they are actually doing, is 'indoctrinating', or trying to indoctrinate EVERYONE into THEIR way of thinking, to the exclusion of all others. The hypocrisy is blatant. They will not be happy, until every faith school and home school is banned and children with religious parents are taken away.

Hang on a minute! the definition of religion states this; "a set of beliefs concerning the cause, nature, and purpose of the universe, esp. when considered as the creation of a superhuman agency or agencies, usually involving devotional and ritual observances, and often containing a moral code governing the conduct of human affairs." So, their belief in Darwinism and the origins of the universe could be ascribed to a religion. So much for their neutrality in the matter. There has been no proof for this and it still remains as a theory. Of course you would need faith to believe what Darwinism teaches. We can see the evidence for a creator all around. The Bible states 'The fool hath said in his heart there is no God'. I think that says it all.

Here is the link, in case you would like to check it further.

I have been working hard on Christmas and getting everything ready, so I can sit back and relax in December......well, hopefully!

Here in the UK councils are taking the Christ out of Christmas, as it may just be offensive to other religions, but can we celebrate Christmas without Christ?  It seems people want to have the gifts, without acknowledging the great giver of life and of gifts. We would not be here on Earth, if it was not for God. He created us and it is an afront to him, when we think we can carry on our lives without him.

What is life without God? It is empty and barren. If we do not believe in anything, then our life is meaningless.

Whether we celebrate Christmas, or not as Christians is under hot debate. However we choose to celebrate as a family, to focus on the great gift God gave in giving us his son, so that we might have our sins forgiven and inherit eternal life.

What is our motive when we give, do we give so we can receive? Do we give joyfully. Some preachers preach that if you give, then God will reward you and very often people give, just for the reward they might receive from God. It doesn't work like that, as the motive has to be selfless, it has to be without the thought of any return. I am sure everyone would give if they thought they were going to receive a definite return!

I was thinking today how little wealth and riches matter, when we consider eternity. We can be rich in this life and in need of nothing, but lost for eternity! Mark 8:36 "For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? "

It is true, so true. We are born into the world with nothing and shall return with nothing. The Egyptians thought they could take it all with them, but when archeologists have uncovered tombs, they have found the treasures still intact, apart form what was stole by tomb robbers!

We have a soul that never dies, our soul lives forever. We may die, but our soul lives on. Oh may it be that we live on forever in eternity with Jesus and not everlasting torment. Daniel 12:2    "And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.
And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever."

It is not through our works that we can enter heaven though, it is through grace. We have to accept that Jesus died for our sins and to repent of our sins. We need to humble ourselves and come to the foot of the cross and accept that we are sinners in need of a saviour. John 3:16 "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believeth in him shall not perish but hath everlasting life."

Are we living for richness and comfort in this life, or are we living for that blessed hope of eternity?

Now it is November, it is getting colder. We inevitably end up spending more time indoors and end up getting more done.

This month finds us preparing for Christmas, which means we are sorting presents and making lists. I find it sooo helpful to get everything done before the big rush. I make a list and the items just get ticked off.

On the homeschool front, Hosey and Kezzy are learning to read and write, they are doing the work together. I find it helps, as they spur each other along.

Cherry finished her first book, a while back and I am still editing that.

Jash and Izzy are grappling with algebra. Funny how it comes quickly to some and not others.

The rest are plodding along. Izzy had his Richmond test back, which showed he had not just made a years progress, but had also improved on that! It is so great when you have positive feedback, especially as moi, the teacher.

Our four day week is working great and also our schedule. So they will be staying. Just a little bit of order in a chaotic household!

Love to hear how others are doing. Please drop a comment.

Leaving you with a crazy pick of Eli.

...and Charity!

and Joey!

Now the colder weather is coming upon us. Here is a great recipe for chocolate oatmeal cookies! I have modified it. The original recipe was from a friend.

Ingredients:

220 gramms of butter

3/4 cup of dark brown sugar

1/2 cup of brown sugar

1  cup of plain wholemeal flour

1/2 teaspoon of baking soda

1/2 cup of wheatbran

3 cups of oatmeal

1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

1/2 cup of cocoa powder

2 free range eggs

Method:

First you cream the butter, sugar and vanilla until fluffy.

Then add the eggs.

Next add the flour,baking soda, oatmeal and cocoa powder and mix well.

Lastly, shape into biscuit sized pieces and bake at a medium heat, in the oven for about 15 minutes.

Enjoy!

This recipe makes around 24 generous cookies.

You can then top them when cool with some melted chocolate, for extra indulgence.

Often, when we stay at home mums tell people what we do, we are met with negative response, like, "Oh, but don't you want a career?" or, "When are you going to stop having children?" Even if the comment is more positve, people may add a negative, like,"Wow, but I could never do that?" So people think it is either a waste of a life to bring up a large family and educate them, or they could never possibly do it themselves.

Granted, it is not easy finding time to do everything, but then it is very rewarding, and as I have mentioned before, serving others helps to keep us from selfishness. However, we need to adopt a cheerful attitude. How can we adopt this cheerful attitude?

1) We need to rely fully on God.

2) We need to be positive and think positive.

3) We need to realise that we will never be able to accomplish everything, so better to concentrate on what we have done and not what we haven't done!

4) Remember what we are doing is for eternity and eternity is never ending! Our lives on earth are brief.

Isaiah 40:31 "But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint."

Proverbs 13:1 "Every wise woman buildeth her house: but the foolish plucketh it down with her hands."

We are building our houses by caring for and nurturing our children in the Lord. We are caring for their souls and for their bodies. It is so easy in today's society to give our children everything materially, but not provide for them spiritually. If only we can set our perspective on eternity, then we will see our most important perspectives, here, on earth. This is only temporal, only fleeting. When we get to heaven, all our cares, worries and pains will be gone. Praise the Lord! If only we can grasp a sense of this, it will make our lives more fruitful.

If we are carrying heavy burdens and finding it hard, take it to the Lord! Take each day as it comes and praise God that we will have all eternity to rest from our woes! Serving is a delight.

We have an absolute abundance of sloes here. If you are wondering what they are, they are a member of the plum family, but are small and the colour of blueberries. Their taste is like sweet and sour.

I decided, well, why not make jam out of them! They seem to have a lot of natural pectin in, so all you need is sloes and sugar. I added just a little less sugar than the weight of half the sloes, as I calculated the stones took up half the weight. I just simmered them with the brown sugar for about 15 minutes and then, the task of getting the stones out, which is a bit time consuming, but easier than doing it at the start.My husband's verdict, was that it was the best jam he had tasted. So all in all worthwhile.

Angela enjoyed herself and so did all the others. They had great fun collecting them.

It is easy, as a Christian to become over zealous and fall into legalism. If we are truly saved, we want to do good, that is part of our wanting to please the Lord. We are not saved by works." For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:Not of works, lest any man should boast.

So, what is legalism? It is the strict adherence to the law, that is the letter of the law rather than the spirit of the law. The Jews were required to follow the law and to strictly adhere to it, but now we have Jesus Christ and he died in our place and became our priest. The former in the Old Testament was just a shadow of what was to come. Now salvation is for everyone who accepts and it is free, we don't have to work to get it. As Christians we no longer follow the ceremonies and judicial law laid out in the Torah, rather we follow the moral law as a guide. If we love the Lord we will do it willingly, we do it to grow more like God and we do it through Christ. The moral law doesn't save, it sanctifies. The moral law is our guidance, as what to aspire to and the main point is to worship God as creator. Exodus 20:3 'Thou shalt have no other Gods before me.' The moral law requires obedience, but does not give strenth. It shows the standard we are to live by. (not to take the Lord's name in vain, commit adultry, and murder, e.t.c.) Galations 3:24 'Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.'

Regarding justification, or being justified, the moral law is abolished. We are only saved through Christ's righteousness. We are free from the curse and condemnatory power of the moral law. We are not under the condemning now, rather the commanding Gal 3:13'Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law.' That doesn't give us free licence to do whatever we like though. Romans 3:31 'Do we not make void the law through faith'. Legalism is when we overstep that line and think that somehow it counts towards our salvation, or we insist on following the old ceremonial and judicial traditions we are stepping into a cult like situation. Any religion that bases salvation on works, is a cult, but it can also be considered cult like if we try to insist on certain other things, or to be contentious.Colosians 2:16 'Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days:
¹⁷ Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ.'

We are now permitted to eat pork and do not hold to the Jewish customs and practices. Acts 11:7' And I heard a voice saying unto me, Arise, Peter; slay and eat.
8 But I said, Not so, Lord: for nothing common or unclean hath at any time entered into my mouth.
9 But the voice answered me again from heaven, What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common.'

Some people may think they are better Christians because they follow this law and maybe they don't have TV, or they don't listen to a certain music.We need to be extremely careful that our faith is not overtaken by a religious formalism, having an unhealthy fear and being robbed of our joy. It doesn't stop there, as once it has overtaken us we start to judge others, maybe on their dress, what commands they obey e.t.c. this is what the Bible means when it says to judge not. We are to recognise false teachings and try people's statements against scripture, but not to judge in a critical selfish way.

Let us not be robbed of our joy and follow the Lord with joy and remember Titus 3:7 'That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.'