“I AM the Way, the Truth and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through Me”
John 14: 6
12 “Look, I AM coming soon! My reward is with Me, and I will give to each person according to what they have done. 13 I AM the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.
Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.
Revelation 22: 12-13
Pastors Noreen & Henry Kevern
The Sabbath
2 Thus the heavens and the earth were completed in all their vast array.
2 By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work. 3 Then God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done. Genesis 2:1-3
There is a lot of talk about the Sabbath. The Jewish people celebrate the Sabbath beginning at sunset on Friday evening and ending an hour after sunset on Saturday. Most Christian churches celebrate Sunday as the LORD’s Day, some referring to it as Sabbath. Still other churches will celebrate on different days of the week. So what exactly is the Sabbath?
We take a slightly different approach to this. To begin with, when GOD created the heavens and the earth during the six days of creation, each day ends with ”and there was evening and morning on the first, second, etc day”. When we look at how the earth came into being we see that GOD reached into the darkness and created light, that broke through the darkness. I would like to suggest that GOD did this to set the stage so to speak. In darkness, we cannot see clearly and sometimes not at all. We cannot see what lies far ahead or what is lurking behind something. Every noise may be someone or something near us. Once we are finished with our work in the day, we go into our houses and turn on our lights, and then go to bed to get some rest so we can get up in the morning light and begin our work again. Being blind, I understand this concept all to well. I can still perceive light and dark, but with very cloudy perceptions. No shape, no form, just when it is night, and there is no light on, it is all darkness around me but if a light is on, I can perceive that and I walk towards the light. When we first moved into this house, it was a little scary because it was somewhere new. The first night we stayed here, exhausted as we were from driving and unloading some of our stuff, we had moved in the middle of winter from Arizona to Kansas, from warmth to snow. We live out in the middle of farmers fields, our closest neighbor is a quarter mile away. The house we moved into was built in eighteen eighty six, so it is pretty old. Henry went off to sleep but I was awake for quite a long time. Every sound that the house made I was startled by. I didn’t know if there was mice or any other creatures lurking as the landlord has said there had been mice and once a stunk. He told us that there was deer, turkeys, raccoons and we have discovered a bobcat and have seen mountain lion tracks although we have not seen it. We hear the coyotes once in awhile mostly in the summer. Sometimes they are very close to the house when they let off their howl that they have caught something. All this can be very nerve racking but GOD has quieted my heart.
We walk by faith and not by sight. 2 Corinthians 5:7 we like the light because in light, the darkness fades. So it is with Sabbath worship and rest. In the beginning, the only light came with the rising of the sun and when evening came, humans went into their shelter and slept until morning. In the beginning when GOD created the heavens and the earth, humankind did not have to fear for everything was at peace until it wasn’t . It is important for each of us to read the WORD of GOD on our own as well as to share it with our family and also to have Bible studies with others or at your church. Our lives are to be wholly GOD’s. HE did not create us to be apart from HIM and only come to HIM on the Sabbath. The first Sabbath came after GOD had finished creating the heavens and the earth, the plants and the trees, the sky and the land, the animals and finally male and female to procreate and have children and to take care of this land that GOD made. And then HE rested from HIS labor of love. We do not know GOD’s time because HE does not work on our time. In Psalm 90:4 Moses writes, “A thousand years in your sight are like a day that has just gone by, or like a watch in the night”. in other words, GOD does not have time but sees things in HIS OWN way. We cannot put GOD in a human box and expect HIM to conform to our standards. That’s why HE is GOD and we are HIS creation.
So how are we to spend the Sabbath and what day is it? When we read Genesis, each day GOD added a different part of our story. First HE had to create a place and an atmosphere for us to be ever to live in. HE had to create water we can drink and water that is in the sea for the creatures HE placed in them. HE had to create land to grow crops and provide food for the animals and humans that would live on it. HE created each animal for a purpose and created humankind for HIS purpose for them, to procreate and to care and nurture their children and take care of the land and the animals GOD had created. In essence, HE made us the caretakers of our offspring and of the land HE gave to us.
Everything GOD created, HE saw it was good and there was evening and morning. So in the first chapter of Genesis, GOD brought forth the whole world and all that good HE created to sustain what HE had created. In the beginning of the second chapter of Genesis, GOD looked at all HE had done and rested from HIS labor. We really do not know the time frame of all this, but in creating, when it was all finished we had twenty four hour days more or less to begin each day and end each day in the goodness of GOD. I love reading the Chronicles of Narnia and the book, the Magician’s Nephew and how Narnia was created. C.S. Lewis does a beautiful image of how it must have been with the creation of the world.
So we see that once GOD finished HIS masterpiece, HE rested. So what has GOD been doing since? Has HE been resting all this time? Has HE been working since? Why does GOD not swoop in and stop the evil and why does HE allow evil to touch those who are good? We all have so many questions we want to ask but when we don’t get the answer we want because we think that GOD should do what we think, many people just turn from GOD and say HE does not exist.
But GOD in creating, was creating with a purpose. Although we do not see it in the WORD, it is obvious that the devil was already around. We surmise that he was because of the serpent in the garden that is introduced in the Third chapter of Genesis, in the second chapter we see GOD is back at work, creating a place called Eden, a garden in which HE places a man and a woman. A place where HE could walk with them and teach them, giving them the free choice to listen and obey HIM as we as children are to do with our own parents. From the very beginning, GOD is the FATHER and HE gave us marriage in the second chapter. That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife, and they become one flesh. Genesis 2:24 Marriage was created to show GOD’s plan for HIS creation. Flesh of my flesh, bone of my bone, Adam declared. Woman was created out of the man from the rib, and formed and put together by GOD to be a partner and helpmate for the man. Have you ever wondered why Adam and Eve did not have children until after their fall from grace? For years I had not seen that and now I do. I think that maybe GOD was watching and waiting on Adam and Eve to see how they would react when confronted with the serpent, the devil. I don’t know for sure but when JESUS returns, we will know fully about all things. So this is just something to chew on and think about. We can surmise that the angels were already created and that satan had already fallen from grace. When he comes into the garden, he already wants to be GOD but can’t. So he came to steal, to kill and to destroy. But GOD gave us freewill to choose to live in HIS way, HIS truth and HIS life and it’s still our choice to do so today. GOD has never changed. HE is the same, yesterday today and tomorrow for all of these.
From the very beginning, God has given us the choice to listen to HIM and to obey or follow what HE says. HE said to Adam and Adam told Eve GOD said not to touch. The devil knew that GOD had spoken to Adam and that it was Adam’s job to relate this to Eve. So we can surmise that the devil knew Adam had not fully explained what GOD had said to him and the devil used that when he spoke to Eve. It was not just Eve who first sinned but Adam was right there as the serpent was talking to Eve. He had the opportunity to correct what the devil had said but did not. Did GOD know this would happen? I believe so. And the reason I believe is that it says in Psalm 139:16 Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be. GOD knew us even before we were a thought in our parents eyes. HE planned for us to be created by our parents. HE gifted each of us for our parents, to live a life according to HIS plan. It’s so sad to see so many lives that were snuffed out even before they had a chance to take one breath. But that’s for another day.
My point is, that GOD knew HE was creating flawed people. HE did not want people who would be slaves but people who would freely choose HIM, willingly choosing GOD and to ask HIM to be LORD and SAVIOR of their lives. HE wanted us to surrender and allow HIM to move in our lives and to teach us. Many people do not know that GOD is always trying to teach us. When we read Genesis 2, we see GOD rested on the seventh day from HIS labor of creation, but on day eight, HE began HIS work to bring about our redemption from our sins. HE scripted each event that would come before us to all ways have a choice of HIM or the devil. In every lie and deceit of the evil one, GOD places HIS way before us as well. HE rested and has been working ever since. JESUS said, “My Father is always at his work to this very day,” John 5:17. HE was talking about the Sabbath. JESUS did a lot of work on the Sabbath and the Pharisees did not like it one bit. They lived and breathed the laws, statutes and traditions, even traditions that went against GOD’s truth and Law.
Our Sabbath’s rest is to give us a chance to refresh and rest. To come before GOD and to HIS arms to restore us from the spiritual battle that is ever before us. HE wants us to run to HIM and cry, ABBA, I need YOU. How I often cry to ABBA, I need YOU. We have to be spiritual warriors each and every day because the battle against the evil one never stops. Just look at the world around us. What do you see, a world full of hope, walking in the way of the LORD, or a world of despair, compromised by the devil and overwhelmed by all that is happening? If you notice, in the beginning, GOD did not establish a church building or denomination. HE established people and a relationship with them. HE choose Adam and Eve to be the first two to learn to listen to HIM and to walk in HIS way. It took ten generations to come to Noah and the flood. It’s sad to think that was so short of a time. And to think that there was only eight people in all that were walking in the way of the LORD is really heartbreaking. I imagine that GOD was so grieved to see how quickly humans fell away from HIM.
Sabbath reminds us to spend one of our weekdays in prayer and worship, resting from the works of our hands and to get to know GOD better and to spend time with HIM. I remember the days when I was young, how after church in the summers we would get together in the afternoon bringing our Sunday picnics to the baseball field and enjoying time as GOD’s family. Sadly not many churches offer fellowship time with its members and far too many people have too much other things to do then to spend time with other believers. We pray we will return to Sabbath worship and rest and prayer time, not chasing useless things or being more wanting to play games or other things that don’t even relate to GOD.
Now to be sure, Sabbath is actually on Friday at sunset until Saturday. GOD has never changed that. In the early church before the fall of Jerusalem, early Christians celebrated Sabbath on Friday night thru Saturday night. One thing that we think has been lost on so many Christians is that we are separate from the Jewish faith. To be sure, we are not. In the early church we were referred to as the Nazarene sect because JESUS was from there. We have to understand that YESHUA is the Jewish MESSIAH, foretold throughout the Old Testament. He is the fulfillment of those for their MESSIAH. Many of the early believers in JESUS were Jewish, even priests. But after the fall and the dispersion of the Jewish people, there was not many Jews who accepted YESHUA any longer. For far too many years the church has evolved into a separate religion instead of what JESUS came to do. We forget that YESHUA said HE was sent to the Jewish people to rescue them from their sin but HE was also to be a light to the Gentiles and that we would all worship together.
Paul said, Romans 14:5,6 One person considers one day more sacred than another; another considers every day alike. Each of them should be fully convinced in their own mind. 6 Whoever regards one day as special does so to the Lord. we believe in celebrating the Sabbath on Fridays at sunset. We set up our communion table with candles to light, prepare the cup of blessing and prepare the LORD’s Supper as well. We integrate the Jewish with the Christians because we feel that, since this was when JESUS gave us HIMSELF. We know that YESHUA did in fact celebrate the Jewish festivals and in fact HE gave us HIS Supper on Passover and said, Do this in remembrance of ME. It’s sad to see so many churches don’t see the LORD’s Supper as vital to their weekly services. We are like many followers of JESUS that have communion every day in our homes. One of the things about Sabbath that we love so much is that by celebrating it in our homes, our homes are, the house of the LORD. JESUS said, For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them. Matthew 18:20 we read in Paul’s letters about how many of the early churches were in peoples homes, that a home church was not abnormal.
But we also see what Paul meant in Romans 14:5-6. We cannot simply dismiss the one who thinks that Sabbath is on Sunday or any other day of the week. As long as we are doing so for giving prayer and thanks to the LORD, that is what matters. But we must be churches that are worshiping in SPIRIT and in truth. If a church is not following the Scriptures it is simply not following GOD. GOD’s WORD has to be the only authority in our lives. I don’t know what it will take for all who claim to be Christians to believe that. Every church who claims to be Christian must follow what the Bible says. We are to stand in GOD and in HIS WORD and we are to stand against sin and evil, the devil and his followers. We need to get back to the basics of GOD’s WORD and to follow what HIS WORD says and we truly believe that returning back to Sabbath starting on Friday at sunset would be a great start. Even if you still want to go to a church on Sunday, having Sabbath in our homes would be showing GOD that our faith begins in our homes and that we are following HIS way, HIS truth and HIS life in our lives.
Sabbath is a time to seek the LORD and to reflect on our relationship with HIM. If HE is not first in our lives, if we don’t ask HIM what we should do, if we rely on ourselves and not on GOD, if we are not seeking HIS face always, then we simply are not walking in HIS way. Sabbath should be a time of Being still, and know that I am God Psalm 46:10 it’s so hard for us to be still but it is vital to our growth in our relationship with GOD. That’s all HE wants from each of us, to make HIM our LORD and MESSIAH and to walk in HIS way. To put our lives in HIS hands and to let HIM lead us in how we are to live. HE’s there, right there with you, and just waiting for you to say to HIM, Hi GOD, it’s me. I am here to listen to YOU and to talk with YOU and to make YOU my GOD. Please teach me to completely surrender all my life to YOU. I’m ready to listen and learn.
FATHER GOD, it’s so difficult to sit and be still and to know YOU. The world around me is so noisy and always pushing me in one direction or another. It may take me some time LORD to learn to sit and be still, but please LORD teach me. And even when I fail, let me fail forward, and not stop trying at all. Help me to see that although I have taken five steps forward and have fallen back three, I am still two steps beyond what I was before. Help me to know that with YOU I will have victory in my life. Help me to learn how to do Sabbath in YOUR SPIRIT and in YOUR truth. Help me to put away the world and to rest in YOU and get to know YOU more and more. Help me to be still and know that YOU are GOD. In YESHUA’s Name. Amen.
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Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?” And I said,
“Here am I. Send me!”
Isaiah 6:8
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