Sunday, July 19, 2009

The Gift

First of all God gave the gift of His Son, Jesus Christ to die for our sins so we might be saved.
But at creation He gave another gift to man. A gift that many have not received. It is only waiting to be opened.
In the beginning God created the heaven and earth and all living things. In Genesis 1:27-31 "He created man in His own image on the 6th day. He saw that everything He made was very good."
In Genesis 2:2 "And by the 7th day God completed His work which He had done."
Verse 3 "Then God blessed the 7th day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made."
The 7th day is the Sabbath and it commemorates His creation. It was so important that He made it one of His 10 Commandments. He made it for man. A gift for man to rest. For physical and spiritual renewal. Adam and Eve's very 1st full day of life in the garden of Eden was Sabbath the 7th day. God spent that day with them resting from His works.
Exodus 20:8-10 The 4th commandment begins with the word "Remember." Did God somehow know that we would forget His Holy Sabbath?
In Matthew 12:8 "For the Son of Man (Jesus) is Lord of the Sabbath."
Read the entire chapters of 3 & 4 of Hebrews. In verse 9 "There remains therefore a Sabbath rest for the people of God. For the one who has entered His rest has himself also rested from his works, as God did from His." This wonderful special day the Lord made for His people as a sign for those who live by faith. He promises that anything we have given up or not done will be held over. Nothing will be lost.
Keeping Sabbath is not in tune with the world. Most of our worship is centered around Sunday, the 1st day of the week. Many have to work on the 7th day. Some even say it doesn't matter what day we worship, yet the Lord had a day that He made, called His own and sanctified it. And that day is the 7th day. The day we call Saturday.
In the beginning keeping the Sabbath may seem impossible and may even cost you a job but, there are special blessings in this gift. Resting in the Lord on the Sabbath has a promise that only in keeping it can you receive it. The gift is there if only you will trust Him. He only waits for you to call upon Him and He will give you rest.
Keeping the Sabbath is not the burden that some may place upon it. God never meant for it to be a burden. It does not save you. It is a special day for You and the Lord. A day to spend with Him. A day to spend with your family and friends. A day to enjoy what God has made for you. Look at all the beauty around you in this world. The trees and flowers, sky and stars. All the things God made. Do good on the Sabbath, as Jesus did. Visiting those who are sick or in prison. Doing things for others. Resting from your labors. Such a gift for man!
Our prayer is for you to find the beauty of the Sabbath. The gift God made for man.

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