Conflicting Resolutions!

If you read my post on New Year's resolutions, you know I've already broken one! Oh me.

I resolved to stay current with this blog.

And I resolved to be more cognizant of the third commandment. (No worky on the Sabbath) Conflicting resolutions!

So when last Sunday rolled around and I sat down to my computer to post in my blog, I realized I was getting ready to embark on WORK. Now some folks may not consider writing a blog work . . . but when you are a writer by profession, what else could you call it? It doesn't matter how much you enjoy it. It's still work.

So here I am, (a little late) on Wednesday morning. And I'm going to add to my resolution post . . . something that may get some reaction.(I certainly hope so. It's like pulling teeth to get any comments from you sweet folks. Do you agree with everything I say?)

The third commandment says:  Remember the Sabbath to keep it holy. It goes on to say: . . . you shall not do any work, you or your son or your daughter, your male or your female servant . . .

HOLD IT!

I made the statement in my last post I wasn't guilty of causing any others to do work on the Sabbath. I've since realized that's not really true. My male or female servant? Few of us have servants these days. But we all enjoy the labors of  "servers" from time to time. Is not a server in a restaurant your servant for the length of your stay?

Quite a few years ago I was convicted of this and stopped eating out after church on Sunday. But only on the grounds I was keeping the employees out of church. In time I was able to justify that by reasoning they could go to either early church or late church. I never made any connection with the ten commandments, which tell me clearly "THOU SHALL NOT" cause another to work on the Sabbath. 

But, you say, they will work on Sundays whether I go out to eat or not. Probably so. But would the restaurants do enough business to stay open on Sunday if every Christian observed the third commandment? It's the church crowd that makes Sunday a lucrative business day.

I think we should either have Sunday dinner prepared at home, or eat sandwiches. And if it's fellowship you're after, invite folks over . . . or have a pot luck every Sunday at the church. 

I'm aware that many, if not most, churches have a large group who go out to eat after the morning service. Quite often the pastor is a prominent member of this group. So I'm stepping on a lot of toes, here. 

But this is my conviction, and I'm sticking to it. Anybody care to join me?

Is Going to Church enough?

I've belonged to the Lutheran church (my mother's preference), the Presbyterian church (my high school friends' church), the Baptist church (where I got saved), and, last but not least . . . the independent Charasmatic movement. I mention this to point out that I have beautiful, spiritual memories from every one of these churches.

Oh, I forgot to mention I was born in a Catholic hospital and almost died at birth. So I was baptised into the Catholic Church as well. But I don't remember much about it! :-)

Jesus moves in any congregation that lifts Him up, declares Him Lord and Savior, Creator, Son of God born of a virgin, King of kings, Lord or lords. But if you want to move forward in the Lord, you need to be in a place where you'll learn. The Scriptures state in Hosea 4:6, "My people are destroyed for the lack of knowledge."

I worked with a woman years ago - a nice, decent, upstanding lady - who attended church on a very regular basis. She was in the choir and served on numerous committees over the years.

Yet, one day she sat at her desk (next to mine) and grumbled about Jews. She had begun with one particular Jewish person whom she felt had crossed her and escalated to include the entire race. "Every one of them," she said, "is out to get what they can and it doesn't matter who they step on in the process."

I interrupted her little tirade as gently as possible, asking, "How can you talk about Jews like that? After all, our Jesus was a Jew."

Her next words floored me.

She looked at me, wide-eyed with amazement and exclaimed . . . "He was?"

This church she'd been attending most of her life had done many good things over their period of existance. Helping the poor. Benefit drives. Lots of fellowship dinners. But I had to wonder . . . did they ever read the Bible? How could you have read the Bible to any extent, and not know Jesus was a Jew?

Good works are to be commended. But they will always be second to knowing God (and that includes Jesus and the Holy Spirit), sharing Him, and worshipping Him. If you aren't learning about our Savior in your church . . . don't find another church. Help the one you're in to bring knowledge of Him to the forefront. He wants to have an intimate relationship with His people.

It's that intimacy with God that changes lives!