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

The Dying Soldier.

THE DYING SOLDIER. 

by Dwight L. Moody

“As Moses lifted up the bronze serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life” (John 3:14, 15). Now there is the remedy. How am I to be saved? By looking to Christ; just by looking. It’s very cheap isn’t it? Very simple, isn’t it? Just look away to the Lamb of God now and be saved. 

What says the great wilderness preacher? “Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.” You might say the whole plan of salvation is in two words—Giving; Receiving. God gives; I receive. 

I remember, after one of the terrible battles in the American Civil War—I was in the army, tending soldiers—and I had just laid down one night, past midnight, to get a little rest, when a man came and told me that a wounded soldier wanted to see me. I went to the dying man. He said, “I wish you to help me to die.” I said, “I would help you to die if I could. I would take you on my shoulders and carry you into the kingdom of God if I could; but I cannot. I can tell you of One who can.” 

And I told him of Christ being willing to save him; and how Christ left heaven and came into the world to seek and to save that which was lost. I just quoted promise after promise, but all was dark, and it almost seemed as if the shades of eternal death were gathering around his soul. I could not leave him, and at last I thought of this third chapter of John, and I said to him, “Look here, I am going to read to you now a conversation that Christ had with a man that went to Him when he was in your state of mind, and inquired what he was to do to be saved.” 

I just read that conversation to the dying man, and he lay there with his eves riveted upon me, and every word seemed to be going home to his heart, which was open to receive the truth. 

When I came to the verse where it says, “As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life”—the dying man cried, “Stop, sir. Is that there?” 

“Yes, it is all here.” Then he said, “Won’t you please read it to me again?” I read it the second time. The dying man brought his hands together, and he said, “Bless God for that. Won’t you please read it to me again?” I read through the whole chapter, but long before the end of it he had closed his eyes. 

He seemed to lose all interest in the rest of the chapter, and when I got through it his arms were folded on his breast, he had a sweet smile on his face; remorse and despair had fled away. His lips were quivering, and I leaned over him, and heard him faintly whisper from his dying lips, “As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: that whosoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life.” 

He opened his eyes, and fixed his calm, deathly look on me, and he said, “Oh, that is enough; that is all I want”; and in a few hours he pillowed his dying head upon the truth of those two verses, and rode away on one of the Savior’s chariots, and took his seat in the kingdom of God. Oh, sinner, you can be saved now if you will! Look and live. May God help every lost one here to look on the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.

Homesick and Lonely.

Anecdotes by Dwight L. Moody.

A Dream.  

I heard of a Christian who did not succeed in his work so well as he used to, and he got homesick and wished himself dead. One night he dreamed that he had died, and was carried by the angels to the Eternal City. As he went along the crystal pavement of heaven, he met a man he used to know, and they went walking down the golden streets together. 

All at once he noticed everyone looking in the same direction, and saw One coming up who was fairer than the sons of men. It was his blessed Redeemer. As the chariot came opposite, He came forth, and beckoning the one friend, placed him in His own chariot-seat, but himself He led aside, and pointing over the battlements of heaven, 

"Look over yonder," He said, "What do you see?" "It seems as if I see the dark earth I have come from." "What else?" "I see men as if they were blindfolded, going over a terrible precipice into a bottomless pit." "Well," said He, "Will you remain up here, and enjoy these mansions that I have prepared, or go back to yon dark earth, and warn these men, and tell them about Me and my kingdom, and the rest that remains for the people of God?" That man never wished himself dead again. He yearned to live as long as ever he could, to tell men of heaven and of Christ

Believe You are Saved.

By Dwight L. Moody

PRESENT SALVATION.

Another verse that has been used a great deal during the past two years, and I feel that I rest my own salvation on it, is John 5 v. 24. I trust God will write it on your hearts, and burn it down into your souls. “Truly truly, I say unto you, He that hears My Word, and believes on Him that sent Me, has everlasting life.”

Thank God for that “has.” I had a few men in the inquiry-room the other night who could not find peace. I said, “Do you believe the Bible?” “Yes, sir.” “I think I will prove you don’t. Turn up John v. 24.” They turned it up. “Read the verse.” “‘He that hears My Word—’” “You believe that?” “Yes, sir.” “‘And believes on Him that sent me—’” “You believe God sent Jesus?” “Yes.” “Well, read on.” “‘Hath everlasting life.’” “You believe you have everlasting life?” “No, we don’t.” “Oh, I thought you believed in the Bible!”

What right have you to cut a verse in two, and say you believe the one half, but not the other? It plainly says, that he who believes “has everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.” Why, if you believe God’s words, you can say, “I have passed from darkness into light.” Just by resting on that one little word in the present tense we may have “assurance” now. We don’t need to wait till we die, and till the great day of judgment, to find it out.

It is wonderful to know God loves you and you will live with him one day. When I was first a Christian, I was like those men; I couldn't believe I was saved because I didn't feel saved. But my husband convinced me I must not rely on my feelings but believe what the Bible said. It took a long time, but I now believe I am saved and will see God.

Psalm 14 - The Human Race.

Psalm 14 - What it means to me.

Only a fool says in his heart, "There is no God."
These kind of people are corrupt so their actions are evil. None of them do good.

The Lord looks down from heaven on the whole human race. He looks to see if there are who understand, who seek after God. But no, all have turned away from God; all have become corrupt. There is no one who does good, not even one.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary
 The disease of sin has infected the whole race of mankind. They are all gone aside, there is none that doeth good, no, not one. Whatever good is in any of the children of men, or is done by them, it is not of themselves, it is God's work in them. They are gone aside from the right way of their duty, the way that leads to happiness, and are turned into the paths of the destroyer. Let us lament the corruption of our nature, and see what need we have of the grace of God: let us not marvel that we are told we must be born again. And we must not rest in any thing short of union with Christ, and a new creation to holiness by his Spirit.

Will those who do evil never learn? They eat up my people like they eat bread and do not call upon the Lord. One day they will be filled with fear for God is with the righteous. The evil want to shame the oppressed but the Lord will protect his people.

I wish salvation would come out of Zion! When the Lord restores his people they will rejoice and shout with joy!

He Will Do It.

When my husband and I were first married, I was always afraid I wouldn't be saved. I felt I was too sinful. He always quoted this verse to me:

"I am sure of this, that He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ..."
Philippians 1:6

Paul goes on to say,

"And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God."

We are Chosen.

I have started reading 1Peter and I have been moved by the first seven verses. The Bible is so rich in truth and goodness.

Verse 2 says we have been:

1. Chosen by God.
2. Sanctified by the Holy Spirit to obey Jesus.
3. Sprinkled with Jesus' blood.

One verse tells us the different works of God.

Verses 3 and 4 tell us we have a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. We have an inheritance which is "...imperishable, undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you."

A beautiful promise for our future.

Verse 6 talks about our suffering here in this world. "...even though now, for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials..."

Verse 7 tells us what will be the result of our trials. "...to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ."

The Door.

"I looked, and behold; a door open in heaven." Rev. 4:1

"Behold, I have put before you an open door which no one can shut." Rev.3:8

Jesus is the Door.

"I am the door, if anyone comes through me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture." John 10:9

Heaven is always open to us. God wants us to come in. But we must open the door of our hearts also.

"Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come into him, and will dine with him, and he with me." Rev. 3:20