Creation, Redemption and the Sabbath.

I listened to a sermon a few weeks ago that opened my mind about the Sabbath commandment.  The preacher reminded us of when God gave the Ten Commandments to Moses. When Moses came down the mountain, he saw Israel worshiping a golden calf idol. He threw down the Ten Commandments and they shattered.

God made another set of commandments but he changed one a bit: the fourth one, the Sabbath commandment. I didn't realize this before. Here is the wording for both commandments:

"Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. "Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, you, or your son, or your daughter, your male servant, or your female servant, or your livestock, or the sojourner who is within your gates. For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day; therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy. 
 Exodus 20:8-11

“Observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy, as the Lord your God has commanded you. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your ox, your donkey or any of your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns, so that your male and female servants may rest, as you do. Remember that you were slaves in Egypt and that the Lord your God brought you out of there with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm. Therefore the Lord your God has commanded you to observe the Sabbath day."
Deuteronomy 5:12-15

When I was a little girl, we memorized the first one at church and school. But this preacher was saying we were not to only remember and thank God he created us and all things; but we are also to remember we were slaves at one time. Not to humans, but to sin. Jesus set us free from slavery to sin and adopted us as his children. We are free indeed.

He also spoke on how the Sabbath was a rest after creation.  Genesis 2:2,3 says, "By the seventh day God completed His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done. Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made."

The Sabbath was a rest for Jesus, after he had gone through his terrible suffering for our redemption:  "Now the women who had come with Him out of Galilee followed, and saw the tomb and how His body was laid. Then they returned and prepared spices and perfumes. And on the Sabbath they rested according to the commandment."  Luke 23:55,56

Everyone knows Jesus rose from the dead on Sunday morning. They say that is why Christians celebrate the Sabbath on Sunday. Well, there is no scripture for this idea. It wasn't officially changed to Sunday for hundreds of years after Jesus' death: then it was done to placate the pagans who used to worship the sun on Sunday. Emperor Constantine started it. He was a sun worshiper before he became a Christian.

God is a poet. You can see that all through the Bible. He also speaks to us through symbols that have great meaning. The number 7 in scripture symbolizes perfection. So does the number 12. Most say it doesn't matter what day we worship God as long as we worship him. Yes, we need to worship him every day of the week. But there is a special blessing on the 7th Day. God says there is; we may not understand why, but he says it is a special day so I believe it. No one has the right to change God's law. 

Another law of God's that was changed was the second commandment against making idols. This was changed so they could make statues of Mary, the apostles and Jesus and bow down to them and pray to them. Man has thought to change God's laws, but they have not. They are the same as the day he wrote them on the mountain and gave them to Moses.

The preacher's name is Ty Gibson. He speaks of how God loves us so much that his sermons have helped me believe that. I've kind of thought God put up with me. It was hard to believe he loved me. But after listening to this man's sermons I know God loves me so very much. I feel adored by God.

You can listen to his sermons here:

http://www.pilgrimskeyradionetwork.com/sermons/sermons.php?speak=40

Jesus the Creator.

"Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it."  John 1:3-5

In Genesis it is written, "Let us make man in our own image." God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit created the world.

Jesus is life. Everything that is alive owes their life to Jesus.

Jesus is light. Any good that is in the world comes from Jesus.

There is no life or light apart from God.

Darkness has not overcome the light from God. Satan wanted to obliterate the light - but it was impossible. He tried to turn Jesus to darkness - but he couldn't do it. One day there will be no darkness in the universe - only light.

"The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world."  Verse 9.

This verse tells us God gives light to every person in the world. Everyone is born with a conscience. This is a wonderful gift from God. Even if a person never hears the name Jesus, yet he can be saved if he lives up to the light of his conscience. This person is saved by Jesus' death but will not know that until he rises and goes to heaven. The Holy Spirit has helped this person all his life for we cannot do good without God.

"They (pagans) show that the work of the law is written on their hearts, while their conscience also bears witness, and their conflicting thoughts accuse or even excuse them."  Romans 2:15

I thank you Father that you bring light to the world.

Psalm 19 - The Words of the Lord.

Psalm 19 - What it means to me.

Even if you have never heard of God he speaks through the starry skies. The stars, sun and moon don't speak, but their amazing, complex beauty calls to us and says, "There is a God."

The words of the Lord are perfect, trustworthy, right, radiant, pure and firm. They are worth more than gold. They are sweeter than honey. God's words refresh us, make us wise and give us joy and light. Unlike the things of this world, his words last forever.

We are warned by God's words. Forgive my sins, O Lord. May they not rule me. I know you can wash me and make me innocent. You are my rock and my redeemer and I love you.

Psalm 8 - Creation & Stewardship.

Orion Nebula - NASA

This is Psalm 8 in my own words.

Oh Lord, our Lord, the greatness of your name fills the whole earth! (I see it in the trees, lakes, oceans, and flowers) Your beauty is higher than the heavens.

Babies and children know enough to praise you for the beauty in the world. (Every thing in nature makes them smile.)

When I look up at the night sky and see the work of your fingers - the moon and stars you have placed there - it tells me of your power. It is amazing such a powerful God looks down and loves us all.

For you have made us to be a little lower than yourself and you even gave us glory and honor. You put us in charge of everything you made, the sheep, cattle and all animals; the birds that fly, the fish in the sea and everything in the ocean.

O Lord, our Lord, the greatness of your name fills the whole earth!

Since sin has come into the world we have done a terrible job of being in charge of the earth and animals. The earth is now dying under pollution and we have treated animals as if they have no sense or feeling. Even when we found out we were destroying the atmosphere, we still kept on with our lifestyle. I'm afraid we will reap what we have sown.

"The earth is also polluted by its inhabitants, for they transgressed laws, violated statutes, broke the everlasting covenant." Isaiah 24:5