Sabbath a day of rest, reflection, worship

It has been a long day, as many can tell within your own lives. Friday always seem the longest. It is a day that embarks on a period of rest and reflection-- which within itself is very interesting. One of the requests that God had of us, which I personally feel is misinterpreted, is to rest on the 7^th day, the Sabbath to keep that day holy.  

There are two definitions that I could find pertaining to the Sabbath: (1) a day of religious observance and abstinence from work, kept by Jews Friday evening to Saturday evening, and by most Christians on Sunday, and (2) a supposed annual midnight meeting of witch with the Devil. If the Sabbath in 24 languages means Saturday and God rested on the 7^th day, the Sabbath in accordance with Genesis 2:2-3, then the Sabbath means Saturday. It is the same (Sabbath) as mentioned in Exodus 20:8, Deuteronomy 5:12, and Mark 2:27-28. Then why do we not meet on Saturday, as Christians to worship. Man has determined this request was not reaffirmed as justification. Is this a good enough reason? Well yes and well no. There is no clear cut answer.

Christians began to interpret that we should worship on Sunday based off of Acts 20:7 and 1 Corinthians 16:1-2. I always understood that Luke wrote NT book of Luke as well as some of the beginning of the NT book of Acts, because he was in attendance with Paul on some of his travels. That information and the overall authorship are still in question to this day. The remainder of the book, though, is attributed to Paul. We would like to attribute 1 Corinthians to Paul but the research again, is still out on that. It is said to possibly have been written by Paul with Sosthenes and Marcion (who were some church leaders of the Corinthians at that time.) 

Acts 20:7 says, “On the first day of the week we came together to break bread. Paul spoke to the people, because he intended to leave the next day, kept on talking until midnight.” On Sunday, Paul came together with some people, had a meal and began to speak at length because on Monday he was leaving the next day.

I understand that this meeting which Paul had arranged was about Eutychus raised from the dead at Troas. Eutychus was listening to Paul when he dozed off to sleep and fell out the window. Paul insisted he was not dead, took him inside and continued to speak until well after midnight. When Paul left, he (Eutychus) was discovered not to be dead and made a full recovery from his fall.

I Corinthians 16:1-2 states: “Now about the collection for the Lord’s people: Do what I told the Galatian churches to do. On the first day of every week, each one of you should set aside a sum of money in keeping with your income, saving it up, so that when I come no collections will have to be made.”  This instruction was strictly made by Paul, not God and certainly not Jesus.

Jesus said in Mark 2:27-28, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.” This is interpreted various ways when Jesus was speaking to the Pharisees. The practice of fasting was nothing uncommon during the time of Jesus and the Pharisees had gotten carried away that practice. It was nothing unusual to eat on the Sabbath when man was hungry; but they did without unless you were a priest and therefore gathering food to eat was prohibited. It has been interpreted that man was made for God and the Sabbath was made for man as an advantage for us to improve, to rest, not to be tired, but not to restrain or destruct especially from food. God had a lot of forethought about our souls. I understand that Jesus was gathering food to ease the flesh. When the flesh is at ease, the word of God and Jesus is more readily acceptable. Jesus was making a very valid point which was to not get carried away in tradition that it relates harmful behavior. Too much fasting can harm the body.   

Use common sense. What is the one thing that gets man detracted from hearing the word of God and Jesus on Sunday morning? Majority of all church worship takes place around 11:00 am. The stomach growls distracting the thoughts from God’s word to the human biological function—“my stomach says I am very hungry.” Jesus was pointing out that it is okay to eat even if you have to work slightly to gather a few grains. What is the difference in hunger from the year 30 and the year 1950 or 2014? The common factor between the years is that when man gets hungry, he thinks about feeding himself – nothing else is important, which is common human nature.

This is where I have trouble on “man’s interpretation.” Sabbath was made for man. Man was not made for the Sabbath. That is easy to understand. The Sabbath was made for man as the 7^th day to rest, improve, and not be tired, not to restrain, or destruct; but, to worship in rest and reflection. On the first day of the week our collections are made for another week has arrived. If man was made for God and God made the Sabbath for man, then, do you not think we Christians should be worshiping, resting, and reflecting on God that day, the Sabbath? Why does the interpretation have to be so complicated? Why should we take mere man’s word over Gods or Jesus’?  

Jesus repeated the commandments of God according to Matthew 19. But, the Sabbath, the day of rest, the day to keep holy was overlooked. In John 14:15, Jesus said: “If you love me, keep my commandments.” John the Epistle recorded in 1 John 2:3, “And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments.” We can reflect on the other verses such as John 14:21, 1 John 5:2, 2 John 6, Revelation 12:17 and Revelation 14:12 as well. What can we gather from this information? In Matthew there are details not mentioned in Mark, Luke or John and vice versa.  That does not mean that it was or was not reaffirmed of any event in the Old Testament or the New Testament. This is just a point of view of different authors which was recorded differently like the first two chapters of Genesis. We teach the Ten Commandments to be kept yet, we do not abide by them because it was overlooked or misinterpreted. Well the Bible is not contradictory but mere man can be. 

As time passes on, we all understand that historical presentations have been known to be incorrect. Why should this be any different? I am going to for once and all solve this solution. Christians you are wrong in worshiping on Sunday because you are not keeping with God’s commandments. However, it is not for me to judge other than to offer my opinion, for whatever it is worth. Therefore, we as Christians have to do what is best in our heart. We have to ask ourselves, what is it that God wants us to do? What is best in my relationship with God?

Sometimes we find ourselves outside out given groups with our ideals. But, being a true Christian in most cases, you walk alone with God and not in a group.

This just my opinion

God bless each and everyone 

A word to the wise, learning about the intricacies of the Bible and the meanings therein, should not ever detract from your faith, belief, or general understanding. It is meant to enhance, to draw you personally closer to God and to Jesus Christ (our Lord and Savior.) 

I have the answer!

How many of you have often wondered why good things happen to bad people? I personally have for numerous years. I have asked and received all sorts of answers. Those answers just lay there. It is as if they are just a choice conversational reply with no real substance.

Today I the light came on and there was a great epiphany in my mind and soul. I am very elated to for once understand the answer to this question!

I am reading St Augustine dialogue On Free Will which is some of his earlier writings. He contends that God is not the author of evil a man does though he is the author of evil a man suffers when God punishes us. Evil deeds are punished by the justice of God when man performs evil acts voluntarily.

If this being the case would it not be evil to let a baby suffer from cancer? God did not cause the cancer. The suffering is primarily done at the hands of earthly men and not God, Jesus, or his heavenly creatures.

During the creation God turned dominion of the earth over to man. (See Genesis 1:26, Genesis 2: 19-20) Through the evil acts of free will and not making the proper decisions, man (himself) has caused catalytic events which changed the original biological composition of the body from when God had intended. God then allows man to correct errors they have made. Because man is not perfect, the correction may not be as well or what should be rendered is less than humanly satisfaction. Not all free will is evil or bad just like learning is neither good nor bad.

God guides and answers prayers. They may not be the answers we want to hear. Always remember that God is in control and will use everything in his power, his reach, his creation to maintain that control. 

Man has to want to submit 100% to the will of God which includes seeking the grace of God through (1) spiritual revelation and (2) work. Alone work or spiritualism separate will not cut it. It has to be both. This means we are accepting God 100% and everything else is secondary. In the modern evangelical times, this is often overlooked and not even considered; it is also, very much so, taken for granted.

DO NOT BE FOOLED when we are told, accept Jesus and you are reborn. That is true in part and understand that is just a beginning ideal theory.  To accept the road to the path of eternity we have just began again. It is a long hard working battle of mentality (spirituality of the soul) over the work of physical deeds. While on this work submitting 100% to God, there is always the possibility that the evils of man can interfere with our physical being. But, we have to put our faith that they evils of man should never be allowed to interfere in the spiritual composition that belongs only to God

Never forget separating the body and the soul while in present form on earth is an impossibility when seeking the grace of God. The separation of such only comes in death. Therefore, the spirituality and the physical work of God have to go hand and hand.

That answers the question of why bad things happen to good people.

Go with God and stay safely in His arms.

Naked butt on my Bible!

There are sometimes many things that we wish to tell our children. Some of those things have to do with what parents to do who is low income just to make ends meet like taking on a second job. In 2008, I did just that. I took a second job. It was the hardest thing I ever did. Oh, I have had second jobs before but at this age in my life I was not the healthiest and I knew that this second job would eventually cause worse damage to my physical and mental health. But, my children were and are worth it.

I would get off of work at 11:00 pm and then pick up the “green cab” until 7:00 am the next morning. Of course there was always fear and severe risk involved in driving a cab, so I had decided to keep my Bible on the front seat next to me for my only protection. It saved my life more than once. On specific two occasions my hand was on the Bible and God’s hands were on me.

One night I had received a call to pick up two men at an adult men’s club. They had prepaid with a credit card and needed to go to their hotel. I responded to the call and was there to pick them up. Both men were highly attracted. Well what can I say—I was not your average cab driver. Of course, my hair and makeup was in place and I have naturally long nails which I keep manicured. My cab smell was Elizabeth Taylor’s ‘White Diamonds’ cologne. That is me and I am a picky person about smells. When I arrived at the club, the men told me which hotel they wanted to go to. While in route, one of the men was amorous and extremely flirtatious. I ignored his talk. Even though they were very physically attractive, I was not interested.

One thing I have learned over the years is to hold true to my convictions, and I politely ignored the one man and his sexual advances. The topic eventually turned to me being offered a $200 tip for an hour roll in the sheets in his hotel room with his friend watching. As strapped for money as I was and how great it sounded, I declined. We pulled into the hotel parking lot which was our destination. One man had already exited the cab and went inside the hotel. Meanwhile the propositioning man pulled his pants down, so fast, and jumped into the front seat—plopping his naked butt on my Bible. 

There was a naked butt on my Bible. The emotions went through me were extremely overwhelming. What was once a physically attractive man became a slithering, smelling, and foul serpent in my eyes. He wasn’t dangerous he was just utterly and truly disgusting.

“$200 baby! Have you ever seen a big dick like this in your life?” He said in his repulsed low keyed voice.

I sat staring at him for a moment that seemed like an eternity. What went through my mind was that I don’t ever want to be touched by another man again in a sexual manner. All of it made me utterly ill. I don’t ever want to be touched again by anyone in a sexual manner.  

“Please” I asked. “Please pull up your pants, and get your naked behind off my Bible.” I instructed. I was not upset. I did not yell. I wasn’t rude.

At that moment he looked me square in the eyes and became really calm and with no further amorous behavior. He turned around, and got out of the taxi cab. He gave me a $200 tip and left. I drove off. I 

honestly couldn’t believe what had just happened. I prayed to God a prayer of thanks.

What did I learn? 

I learned no matter where I go or what I do...

God will take care of me.