KEEPING THE SABBATH
To understand this post, you need to understand that I want a closer walk with my God. I study His Word and pray to Him many times throughout the day.
The third Sunday in August, I phoned my son and discovered he was sick. I asked if he had chicken soup and 7 Up and he said he did not. So, I went to the store and purchased the soup and soda. He had crackers. I took all of the things to him. No big deal, right?
It is a big deal. In the spirit of the law, I have made a decision not to buy or sell on Sunday out of reverence to The Most High God. The Fourth Commandment says we are to "Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the LORD your God. " Of course, I felt that I was excused this time, because of the situation.
The last Sunday in August, I ran out of cigarettes. I had expected company on that Sunday and would have bummed some off of them, but they never showed up. So, I went to the store and spent less than $5.00. Now, some might say that smoking is a sin. I say the "Sunday thing" is a Commandment, and I was convicted....not for smoking, but for violating the Fourth Commandment.
See, in the old days, Texas had what was called a "blue law" that prevented many stores from opening on Sunday. It was easier then to make arrangements on Saturday for what you might need on Sunday, knowing that there would be no way to buy them. These days, God isn't even an afterthought. Even the religious establishment go to lunch after worship service without a thought to keeping the Fourth Commandment.
But God created the entire physical world which sustains us in six days. He created the seventh day for our spiritual sustenance. We are to "feed" on His blood and His body. We are to rest at His feet. We are to renew our relationship with Him. We are to re-focus from the physical world we work in 6 days a week to the spiritual world.
At Church of the Great God, cgg.org, here is what they say on the subject: "We honor men and women who have made significant contributions to mankind by setting apart a day as a memorial to them so others will remember their deeds and strive to emulate them. Hence, men celebrate the birthdays of George Washington, Abraham Lincoln and Martin Luther King. The Sabbath memorializes God. Compared to any man, God's contributions are beyond compare, but one stands out above all: He is Creator."
In Mark 2: 27-28, Jesus says, "The Sabbath was made for man and not man for the Sabbath." When God created the Sabbath, He intended it, from the beginning, as a universal blessing to benefit mankind. He made it to ensure man's physical and spiritual well-being. Spiritual well-being comes from a special, loving, understanding relationship with the One True God.
So, the first Sunday in September arrived. I had been invited to a relative's house but instead, he brought his family to mine. Well, I am a cook, but there was nothing to feed the family I was expecting. What would you do? I notified all who were coming and explained that I had been too tired to shop the day before, so if they were expecting to eat, they would have to supply the food.
Let me explain that "I am a cook". On the holidays, most of my family and a lot of our friends congregate at my house to eat. I like to feed the masses. For me to give up control of cooking and feeding my family was a very big deal, virtually unheard of. But I was NOT going to repeat the Sunday past.
That brings us to King David. I now understand how he could be a man "after God's own heart" even after he committed murder, adultery, and covetousness. It is a matter of relationship. I accepted Jesus as my Savior when I was 15 years old. He is not constrained by time. He forgave ALL of my sins at that time: past, present, AND future.
My God has forgiven me for buying cigarettes on that Sunday, but I have not forgotten. It was as if I lifted up that pack of cigarettes as my god, and my God is a jealous God. I hurt his feelings. I want my God to say, "Well done, good and faithful servant." I don't want to cause Him to weep.
I hope I have explained this so that you may be blessed. I welcome comments or e-mails that may help get the message across.
You are also invited to visit Oma at http://omaslife.blogspot.com, http://omaspolitics.blogspot.com, and http://omashealth.blogspot.com.
The third Sunday in August, I phoned my son and discovered he was sick. I asked if he had chicken soup and 7 Up and he said he did not. So, I went to the store and purchased the soup and soda. He had crackers. I took all of the things to him. No big deal, right?
It is a big deal. In the spirit of the law, I have made a decision not to buy or sell on Sunday out of reverence to The Most High God. The Fourth Commandment says we are to "Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the LORD your God. " Of course, I felt that I was excused this time, because of the situation.
The last Sunday in August, I ran out of cigarettes. I had expected company on that Sunday and would have bummed some off of them, but they never showed up. So, I went to the store and spent less than $5.00. Now, some might say that smoking is a sin. I say the "Sunday thing" is a Commandment, and I was convicted....not for smoking, but for violating the Fourth Commandment.
See, in the old days, Texas had what was called a "blue law" that prevented many stores from opening on Sunday. It was easier then to make arrangements on Saturday for what you might need on Sunday, knowing that there would be no way to buy them. These days, God isn't even an afterthought. Even the religious establishment go to lunch after worship service without a thought to keeping the Fourth Commandment.
But God created the entire physical world which sustains us in six days. He created the seventh day for our spiritual sustenance. We are to "feed" on His blood and His body. We are to rest at His feet. We are to renew our relationship with Him. We are to re-focus from the physical world we work in 6 days a week to the spiritual world.
At Church of the Great God, cgg.org, here is what they say on the subject: "We honor men and women who have made significant contributions to mankind by setting apart a day as a memorial to them so others will remember their deeds and strive to emulate them. Hence, men celebrate the birthdays of George Washington, Abraham Lincoln and Martin Luther King. The Sabbath memorializes God. Compared to any man, God's contributions are beyond compare, but one stands out above all: He is Creator."
In Mark 2: 27-28, Jesus says, "The Sabbath was made for man and not man for the Sabbath." When God created the Sabbath, He intended it, from the beginning, as a universal blessing to benefit mankind. He made it to ensure man's physical and spiritual well-being. Spiritual well-being comes from a special, loving, understanding relationship with the One True God.
So, the first Sunday in September arrived. I had been invited to a relative's house but instead, he brought his family to mine. Well, I am a cook, but there was nothing to feed the family I was expecting. What would you do? I notified all who were coming and explained that I had been too tired to shop the day before, so if they were expecting to eat, they would have to supply the food.
Let me explain that "I am a cook". On the holidays, most of my family and a lot of our friends congregate at my house to eat. I like to feed the masses. For me to give up control of cooking and feeding my family was a very big deal, virtually unheard of. But I was NOT going to repeat the Sunday past.
That brings us to King David. I now understand how he could be a man "after God's own heart" even after he committed murder, adultery, and covetousness. It is a matter of relationship. I accepted Jesus as my Savior when I was 15 years old. He is not constrained by time. He forgave ALL of my sins at that time: past, present, AND future.
My God has forgiven me for buying cigarettes on that Sunday, but I have not forgotten. It was as if I lifted up that pack of cigarettes as my god, and my God is a jealous God. I hurt his feelings. I want my God to say, "Well done, good and faithful servant." I don't want to cause Him to weep.
I hope I have explained this so that you may be blessed. I welcome comments or e-mails that may help get the message across.
You are also invited to visit Oma at http://omaslife.blogspot.com, http://omaspolitics.blogspot.com, and http://omashealth.blogspot.com.
I need to get my sorry ass to church much more often than I do . . . I'm going to Hell . . . .
ReplyDelete