Tag / Bible worker

by In Light Of The Cross

The Sabbath Teaches us to Love God and Others

I am writing today from the beautiful Tampa Bay area.

Then Jesus said to them, “The Sabbath was made to meet the needs of people, and not people to meet the requirements of the Sabbath. Mark 2:27 NLT

I have always been told and even taught myself that the first four commandments tell us how to love God and the last six tell us how to love our family and neighbors. lately my eyes have been opened to the fact that the fourth commandment not only tells us how to love God but also how to love others.

but the seventh day is a Sabbath day of rest dedicated to the Lord your God. On that day no one in your household may do any work. This includes you, your sons and daughters, your male and female servants, your livestock, and any foreigners living among you. Exodus 20:10 NLT

The Sabbath embraces the spirit of loving God with all our heart as well as loving our neighbor as ourselves.  In Exodus 16 the preparation day was brought to our attention as well as the Sabbath. No one was to gather and prepare food that day. By observing the Sabbath today we give all our family and servants the day off. We do not require anyone to work for us. The Sabbath was made for the needs of the people and not our needs only. Years ago the pastor in my church was studying with a lady who was a waitress at a local diner. When the pastor explained to her that the Bible teaches us to rest from work on the Sabbath she asked, “Well then who will serve all your members who come to eat at my restaurant after church?” The Sabbath commandment is clear that no one is to be working for us on the Sabbath, even the stranger, meaning those who may not even believe as we do. The grace that has been extended to us we shall extend to others. The rest that has been given to us has been given to all people.

Extending grace and rest to others has been something God’s people have struggled with. Yes even though we struggle we are still God’s people. Nehemiah addressed this issue in his day, and he calls the people he rebuked nobles. I am sure it is because he thought so highly of them that he gave them special instruction.

In those days I saw men of Judah treading out their winepresses on the Sabbath. They were also bringing in grain, loading it on donkeys, and bringing their wine, grapes, figs, and all sorts of produce to Jerusalem to sell on the Sabbath. So I rebuked them for selling their produce on that day. Some men from Tyre, who lived in Jerusalem, were bringing in fish and all kinds of merchandise. They were selling it on the Sabbath to the people of Judah—and in Jerusalem at that! So I confronted the nobles of Judah. “Why are you profaning the Sabbath in this evil way?” I asked.  “Wasn’t it just this sort of thing that your ancestors did that caused our God to bring all this trouble upon us and our city? Now you are bringing even more wrath upon Israel by permitting the Sabbath to be desecrated in this way!” Then I commanded that the gates of Jerusalem should be shut as darkness fell every Friday evening, not to be opened until the Sabbath ended. I sent some of my own servants to guard the gates so that no merchandise could be brought in on the Sabbath day. Nehemiah 13:15-19 NLT

I want to challenge us to be careful to guard our gates on the Sabbath and making sure even the foreigner or stranger is given rest. Do the donuts we bring to Sabbath School have to be picked up that morning to be hot and fresh? Could they actually be picked up on preparation day? I know Jesus’ disciples picked grain on the Sabbath but last time I checked donuts did not contain any grain or anything essential to our well being on the Sabbath. Plus the disciples were not buying or selling or causing anyone else to serve them. Could our fellowship dinners after church Sabbath be made a little simpler? Should other church members be slaving in the kitchen while we enjoy the sermon? I am not trying to be old school. I just want to be Biblical. I want to remember that the Sabbath is not just about God and myself. It is about God and all of His creation.

In Matthew 12:10-12 Jesus met some people who would rescue a lamb on the Sabbath because it affected their livelihood but had no compassion for a man in need of healing. They could not see beyond their own noses when it came to Sabbath keeping. Isaiah 58:1-14 teaches us that true Sabbath keeping and true worship on any day for that matter is to put self aside and care for others. The Sabbath teaches us to put God and others first. The Sabbath teaches us not only to love God but our family and neighbors as well, including strangers and foreigners. The Sabbath teaches us to love God with all our heart and our neighbor as ourselves. In the KIV Isaiah 58:12 says we are to restore the breach. The Sabbath commandment restores a breach bridging the gap between loving God in the first three commandments and loving our neighbor in the last six commandments. The Sabbath commandment is right there in the middle telling us to love God and our neighbor.

You may study this week’s Sabbath School lesson here.

by In Light Of The Cross

I Love People who Love Their Jobs

I am writing today from the beautiful Tampa Bay area.

This week I was walking by the nurse’s station at the school where I occasionally substitute teach. As always, I greeted the janitor lady who was washing the windows. She explained to me that while washing the windows to the nurse’s station was not a part of her job description, she wanted the windows as well as the surroundings to look as pleasant as possible.

“The students are already not feeling well when they get here,” She explained, “So I want to make it as pleasant and comfortable as possible.” How cool is that? I thought, she is making the school a better place by being passionate about her job. She is not merely working for a paycheck. She is working to make the school a better place.

Her work ethic reminds me of the memory text in last Sabbath’s lesson.

“Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord” 1 Corinthians 15:58, NKJV.

Several years ago I bought a mountain bicycle and quickly decided I wanted a street bicycle instead. I went back to the bicycle shop to look for a street bike and asked if there was any way I could trade in the bike I recently bought, aware I would lose money on the deal. The salesman told me I did not need a new bike. I only needed different tires. Later I thought Duh! how obvious? The salesman could have taken advantage of my ignorance and made more money off me, but instead he saved me money.

A few days later I was riding bikes with my friend who had also just bought a brand new bike. His bike had those shoes that actually fit into the pedals. He crashed into a bush. Frustrated, he said he wanted regular pedals. We were just blocks from the bicycle shop where I bought my bike, so I suggested we ride over and get new pedals for his bike. When my friend explained to the salesman why he wanted the pedals replaced, the salesman asked, “Are you sure you don’t want to wait a few weeks and see if you get used to the original pedals first?” Keep in mind my friend bought his bike elsewhere. All the salesman had to do was ring up the sale to make a few extra dollars. Instead the salesman, like my janitor friend, was passionate about his work. He loved bicycling and wanted my friend to get the most enjoyment from his bike instead of making a few extra dollars off him. My friend had to actually convince the salesman to just sell him the regular pedals.

Obviously this bicycle shop has become my favorite. The salesman’s loyalty to his customers has made me loyal to him. It does my heart good to see a bicycle salesman who is more passionate about bicycling than merely making money. Our work should be more than just making a living. It should be about making a life.

I was helping a school teacher with her Bible class when she called me on Sunday morning. A student of ours was about to fail – not only this class but the entire grade. He simply was not applying himself. The teacher had one more idea that might get him caught up, and she wanted me to pray with her that morning for this particular student. After hanging up the phone, I could not help but think, Here it is Sunday morning and this teacher is desperately trying to help this student and even calling me to pray together. That goes beyond her job description. Again here was a teacher who is passionate about education and not just getting a paycheck.

The world is full of wonderful people like this. The detective who comes out of retirement to help solve a cold case. The pastor who is retired but never actually retires from preaching and giving Bible studies. The musician who entertains the children in the hospital pro bono. The list goes on of people just like my friend cleaning the windows at school not to make a better paycheck but to make life better for others. The bicycle salesman who loves his job instead of only making money. The school teacher who loves to see children learn more than she loves getting a paycheck and resting Sunday mornings. I love people who love their work. I love people who work to make life better for others.

by In Light Of The Cross

Video: Christmas in Light of the Cross, day 6. The Messiah

This study will take the Old Testament prophecies of the Messiah and show the New Testament fulfillment of these in the life and death of Jesus. When Paul approached the Jews about the Messiah, these were probably some of the scriptures He used from the Old Testament.

The place of His birth ————————— Micah 5:2; Luke 2:4-7

His virgin birth ——————————- Isaiah 7:14; Luke 1:26-31

You know, Joseph thought he had the facts he needed to prove that  Mary had been unfaithful. Still he was wrong. If Joseph could be wrong even with the outstanding evidence he had, is it also possible that we sometimes jump to conclusions and misjudge people also?

The slaughter of the children —– Jeremiah 31:15; Matthew 2:16-18

His flight into Egypt ——————– Hosea 11:1; Matthew 2:14, 15

The time of His baptism ————- Daniel 9:24, 25; Luke 3:1, 21, 22

His rejection by the people ———————- Isaiah 53:3; John 1:11

His entrance into Jerusalem ———- Zechariah 9:9; Luke 19:29-38

His betrayal by a friend ——————- Psalm 41:9; Luke 22:47, 48

The price of His betrayal ———– Zechariah 11:12; Matthew 26:15

Spat upon and beaten ——————— Isaiah 50:6; Matthew 26:67

Crucified between two thieves ———- Isaiah 53:12; Mark 15:27, 28

The wounds in His body ——— Zechariah 12:10; John 19:34; 20:27

His words on the cross ———————— Psalm 22:1; Mark 15:34

Given vinegar and gall to drink ——– Psalm 69:21; Matthew 27:34

Gambling for His clothes ——- Psalm 22:17, 18; Matthew 27:35, 36

None of His bones were to be broken — Psalm 34:20; John 19:32, 33

To be buried with the rich ———— Isaiah 53:9; Matthew 27:57-60

His resurrection ——————————- Psalm 16:10; Luke 24:1-7

Seeing how Jesus met all the Old Testament predictions affirms our faith that He is indeed the Messiah. It also affirms our faith in the Bible. Greater yet, it affirms our faith that He will come the second time, just as the Bible promised He would come the first time. There are actually twice as many Bible promises about His second coming than there are about His first.