My husband was changing the filter in our ice maker on our refrigerator. We had never read the directions on it before today. We found out that we have a Kosher Frig.
One of the directions says this;
"The Sabbath Mode is a feature that disables portions of the refrigerator and its controls for both "Wave-Touch" and "IQ Touch", in accordance with observance of the weekly Sabbath and religious holidays within the Orthodox Jewish community."
How is that for legalism, concerning working on the Sabbath? The refrigerator is only allowed to work what is needed, any luxuries can be turned off on the Sabbath.
Can anyone tell me what a refrigerator has to do with the Sabbath? If part of the refrigerator is allowed to run to keep the food cold, then why not the luxury parts of the refrigerator such as the ice maker?
I thought the command to rest on the Sabbath is a command for people not to work, I didn't know it mandated inanimate objects to shut down.
I figured it out, the lights can not be pushed on the Sabbath because it is work to push buttons. I never considered it work to push a button or walk across the room to pick up a toy.
I believe that God made His commandments about the Sabbath to give a person rest from the labor that earned him money and the everyday tasks that made us tired from the hard work.
It is interesting that man always tries to go beyond the commands of God, adding extra burdens to that were not there. If the Jews just obeyed the command to rest from their work, not doing their own pleasure, that would have been enough to give them a very good rest. There was no need to add all these extraneous burdensome rules that makes us all crazy trying to remember them.
This is also the reason man tries to make salvation so complicated when it is as simple as it can be. Christ did it all on the cross, no need to add anything to it, it is a done deal and from that point on, He does all the work. Did we get this.......He does all the work in us.
Ephesians 2:10 "For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them."
No need to wring our hands worrying if we are doing all the right things or enough of the right things. We can trust Christ Who lives in us to redirect us when we become off track and we can trust Him to grow us which ever way is needed through to the end of our lives.
Ephesians 4:30 "And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption."
Monday, October 27, 2014
Christ is Lord of the Sabbath
The Sabbath was a covenant between God and the Jews, which ended when Christ had fulfilled His mission on earth.
Ezekiel 20:12
"Moreover also I gave them my sabbaths, to be a sign between me and them, that they might know that I am the LORD that sanctify them."
When Christ had fulfilled His sacrifice on the earth He moved into a new covenant with mankind.
Jeremiah 31:31-34
"“Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah, not like the covenant that I made with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, my covenant that they broke, though I was their husband, declares the Lord. But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people. And no longer shall each one teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the Lord. For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.”
Hebrews 8:7-13
"“Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah, not like the covenant that I made with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, my covenant that they broke, though I was their husband, declares the Lord. But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people. And no longer shall each one teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the Lord. For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.”
We are living in the times of the New Covenant, God has extended salvation to the Gentiles as well as the Jew. The sabbath rest lives in us, the Holy Spirit is that rest. We can now worship in the Spirit and in truth every day. We are brothers and sisters in Christ whether we are Gentiles or Jews.
Mark 2:27
"And he said unto them, The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath."
I am not here to convince anyone which day they should observe, but rather to show each one that we should not judge another person by which day they set aside for God or what kind of food they eat.
There are those who feel a prideful need to determine that someone is not born again if the do not worship on the Jewish Sabbath, or observe certain rules about food. These people cause division everywhere they go and lean heavily on the law to justify them rather than on grace.
Romans 6:14
"For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace."
Notice in Romans 14, that God calls those who feel a need to place themselves under that law, "weaker brothers." I understand the sense that the Jews may have to continue practices they have always done, before they were born again, however if they obey God, they will enjoy those practices without judging others as sinful for not doing them.
Romans 14:1-23
"14:1 "Now accept the one who is weak in faith, but not for the purpose of passing judgment on his opinions.
2 One person has faith that he may eat all things, but he who is weak eats vegetables only.
3 The one who eats is not to regard with contempt the one who does not eat, and the one who does not eat is not to judge the one who eats, for God has accepted him.
4 Who are you to judge the servant of another? To his own master he stands or falls; and he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand.
5 One person regards one day above another, another regards every day alike. Each person must be fully convinced in his own mind.
6 He who observes the day, observes it for the Lord, and he who eats, does so for the Lord, for he gives thanks to God; and he who eats not, for the Lord he does not eat, and gives thanks to God.
7 For not one of us lives for himself, and not one dies for himself;
8 for if we live, we live for the Lord, or if we die, we die for the Lord; therefore whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s.
9 For to this end Christ died and lived again, that He might be Lord both of the dead and of the living.
10 But you, why do you judge your brother? Or you again, why do you regard your brother with contempt? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God.
11 For it is written,
“As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to Me,
And every tongue shall [e]give praise to God.”
12 So then each one of us will give an account of himself to God.
13 Therefore let us not judge one another anymore, but rather determine this—not to put an obstacle or a stumbling block in a brother’s way.
14 I know and am convinced in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself; but to him who thinks anything to be unclean, to him it is unclean.
15 For if because of food your brother is hurt, you are no longer walking according to love. Do not destroy with your food him for whom Christ died.
16 Therefore do not let what is for you a good thing be [g]spoken of as evil;
17 for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.
18 For he who in this way serves Christ is acceptable to God and approved by men. 19 So then [h]we pursue the things which make for peace and the building up of one another.
20 Do not tear down the work of God for the sake of food. All things indeed are clean, but they are evil for the man who eats and gives offense.
21 It is good not to eat meat or to drink wine, or to do anything by which your brother stumbles.
22 The faith which you have, have as your own conviction before God. Happy is he who does not condemn himself in what he approves.
23 But he who doubts is condemned if he eats, because his eating is not from faith; and whatever is not from faith is sin"
The essence of the matter is simply this; let the Lord speak to your heart about the observance of days and foods, but never judge another believer on the basis of his personal practices on these things. It is a violation of God's Word to impose days or rules about foods on any other believer and a wrong judgement to proclaim someone as not born again on the basis of these things.
Matthew 12:8 "8 For the Son of Man is lord of the Sabbath.”"
Ezekiel 20:12
"Moreover also I gave them my sabbaths, to be a sign between me and them, that they might know that I am the LORD that sanctify them."
When Christ had fulfilled His sacrifice on the earth He moved into a new covenant with mankind.
Jeremiah 31:31-34
"“Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah, not like the covenant that I made with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, my covenant that they broke, though I was their husband, declares the Lord. But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people. And no longer shall each one teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the Lord. For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.”
Hebrews 8:7-13
"“Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah, not like the covenant that I made with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, my covenant that they broke, though I was their husband, declares the Lord. But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people. And no longer shall each one teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the Lord. For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.”
We are living in the times of the New Covenant, God has extended salvation to the Gentiles as well as the Jew. The sabbath rest lives in us, the Holy Spirit is that rest. We can now worship in the Spirit and in truth every day. We are brothers and sisters in Christ whether we are Gentiles or Jews.
Mark 2:27
"And he said unto them, The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath."
I am not here to convince anyone which day they should observe, but rather to show each one that we should not judge another person by which day they set aside for God or what kind of food they eat.
There are those who feel a prideful need to determine that someone is not born again if the do not worship on the Jewish Sabbath, or observe certain rules about food. These people cause division everywhere they go and lean heavily on the law to justify them rather than on grace.
Romans 6:14
"For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace."
Notice in Romans 14, that God calls those who feel a need to place themselves under that law, "weaker brothers." I understand the sense that the Jews may have to continue practices they have always done, before they were born again, however if they obey God, they will enjoy those practices without judging others as sinful for not doing them.
Romans 14:1-23
"14:1 "Now accept the one who is weak in faith, but not for the purpose of passing judgment on his opinions.
2 One person has faith that he may eat all things, but he who is weak eats vegetables only.
3 The one who eats is not to regard with contempt the one who does not eat, and the one who does not eat is not to judge the one who eats, for God has accepted him.
4 Who are you to judge the servant of another? To his own master he stands or falls; and he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand.
5 One person regards one day above another, another regards every day alike. Each person must be fully convinced in his own mind.
6 He who observes the day, observes it for the Lord, and he who eats, does so for the Lord, for he gives thanks to God; and he who eats not, for the Lord he does not eat, and gives thanks to God.
7 For not one of us lives for himself, and not one dies for himself;
8 for if we live, we live for the Lord, or if we die, we die for the Lord; therefore whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s.
9 For to this end Christ died and lived again, that He might be Lord both of the dead and of the living.
10 But you, why do you judge your brother? Or you again, why do you regard your brother with contempt? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God.
11 For it is written,
“As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to Me,
And every tongue shall [e]give praise to God.”
12 So then each one of us will give an account of himself to God.
13 Therefore let us not judge one another anymore, but rather determine this—not to put an obstacle or a stumbling block in a brother’s way.
14 I know and am convinced in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself; but to him who thinks anything to be unclean, to him it is unclean.
15 For if because of food your brother is hurt, you are no longer walking according to love. Do not destroy with your food him for whom Christ died.
16 Therefore do not let what is for you a good thing be [g]spoken of as evil;
17 for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.
18 For he who in this way serves Christ is acceptable to God and approved by men. 19 So then [h]we pursue the things which make for peace and the building up of one another.
20 Do not tear down the work of God for the sake of food. All things indeed are clean, but they are evil for the man who eats and gives offense.
21 It is good not to eat meat or to drink wine, or to do anything by which your brother stumbles.
22 The faith which you have, have as your own conviction before God. Happy is he who does not condemn himself in what he approves.
23 But he who doubts is condemned if he eats, because his eating is not from faith; and whatever is not from faith is sin"
The essence of the matter is simply this; let the Lord speak to your heart about the observance of days and foods, but never judge another believer on the basis of his personal practices on these things. It is a violation of God's Word to impose days or rules about foods on any other believer and a wrong judgement to proclaim someone as not born again on the basis of these things.
Matthew 12:8 "8 For the Son of Man is lord of the Sabbath.”"
Hospitality Matters More Than You Realize
My husband and I were discussing the concept of hospitality this morning. I recalled how it was when we were growing up.
Once in a while extended family members would drop in for a visit after church and the afternoon meal. When we saw their car drive up in the yard, we immediately put on our shoes, turned off the television if it was on and put on the coffee pot. It was considered rude to greet someone at the door in stocking or bare feet and doubly rude to leave the television playing while guests were in the house.
The television was only for times when there wasn't something better to do and no people to visit with.
If the visitors stayed longer than an hour then we broke out the deserts to serve them. No one would think of entertaining guests without feeding them or a drink to refresh them.
We were taught never to eat or drink anything in front of someone else without offering them some too. If we only had one candy bar, then we should break it in half to give to our friend. If we had only one bottle of pop, then we would give it to our visitor while we had none, explaining that we had one earlier or we didn't care for any right now, to make the guest feel alright about having refreshment while we had none.
My husband and I began to laugh a little as we recalled some of the antics we have seen by the younger people who have lost that sense of loving hospitality that we were so accustomed to as children.
I went to visit a young woman a few years ago, she sent her child to come to the door to meet me. He opened the door and without saying anything, he ran away leaving me standing at the door while his mother yelled from the other room, "Son tell them to come in", but the son was no where to be seen, so I entered while shouting the young woman's name to find out where she was. She heard, and yelled at me from the kitchen where she was reclining while paging through a magazine.
No refreshment was offered, after about 15 minutes I violated my own principle of "don't ask and don't refuse", when visiting at someone else's house and asked her if I could have some of the coffee in the pot, that I saw on the counter.
She said sure, I'll get you some. She went to the china cabinet and took out an expensive china cup and then to the regular cupboard to get an every day cup. I thought, what a sweet thing to do, she was going to give me the best cup and use an everyday cup for herself, after all that's what I was raised with, the company get the best cup. But she didn't do that, she kept the expensive china cup for herself and gave me the everyday cup.
I didn't care which cup I used, it wasn't about that, for me it was about an attitude of hospitality. Making someone who comes to visit feel welcome and important to the host is important to God.
I assessed the situation later realizing that there was no special message being sent that this young woman didn't like me necessarily, it was a matter of narcissistic behavior. To the narcissist no one else exists, except to glorify them. It didn't occur to her that someone might feel strange at her behavior, not coming to the door to greet me with enthusiasm, or giving me the same kind of cup she had.
The principle behind Christian hospitality is that others always come first. We should never do anything that makes others feel less than loved and appreciated.
God even tells us to bless our enemies, that's just how important it is to practice hospitality.
Hebrews 13:2 "Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares."
1 Peter 4:9 "Show hospitality to one another without grumbling."
Romans 12:13 "Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality."
Titus 1:8 "But hospitable, a lover of good, self-controlled, upright, holy, and disciplined."
Laziness in hospitality is a blight on the name of Christ.
Mark 9:41 "For truly, I say to you, whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because you belong to Christ will by no means lose his reward."
Matthew 10:40-42 "“Whoever receives you receives me, and whoever receives me receives him who sent me. The one who receives a prophet because he is a prophet will receive a prophet's reward, and the one who receives a righteous person because he is a righteous person will receive a righteous person's reward. And whoever gives one of these little ones even a cup of cold water because he is a disciple, truly, I say to you, he will by no means lose his reward.”
(God often refers to believers as "little ones.")
Let's not neglect hospitality and let's not use others by demanding things from them.
As I mentioned above, a good host makes refreshing provision for visitors and a good visitor accepts the hospitality with gratitude.
If everyone does as they should, there can be loving relationships established and the gospel elevated because of our due diligence toward others.
Once in a while extended family members would drop in for a visit after church and the afternoon meal. When we saw their car drive up in the yard, we immediately put on our shoes, turned off the television if it was on and put on the coffee pot. It was considered rude to greet someone at the door in stocking or bare feet and doubly rude to leave the television playing while guests were in the house.
The television was only for times when there wasn't something better to do and no people to visit with.
If the visitors stayed longer than an hour then we broke out the deserts to serve them. No one would think of entertaining guests without feeding them or a drink to refresh them.
We were taught never to eat or drink anything in front of someone else without offering them some too. If we only had one candy bar, then we should break it in half to give to our friend. If we had only one bottle of pop, then we would give it to our visitor while we had none, explaining that we had one earlier or we didn't care for any right now, to make the guest feel alright about having refreshment while we had none.
My husband and I began to laugh a little as we recalled some of the antics we have seen by the younger people who have lost that sense of loving hospitality that we were so accustomed to as children.
I went to visit a young woman a few years ago, she sent her child to come to the door to meet me. He opened the door and without saying anything, he ran away leaving me standing at the door while his mother yelled from the other room, "Son tell them to come in", but the son was no where to be seen, so I entered while shouting the young woman's name to find out where she was. She heard, and yelled at me from the kitchen where she was reclining while paging through a magazine.
No refreshment was offered, after about 15 minutes I violated my own principle of "don't ask and don't refuse", when visiting at someone else's house and asked her if I could have some of the coffee in the pot, that I saw on the counter.
She said sure, I'll get you some. She went to the china cabinet and took out an expensive china cup and then to the regular cupboard to get an every day cup. I thought, what a sweet thing to do, she was going to give me the best cup and use an everyday cup for herself, after all that's what I was raised with, the company get the best cup. But she didn't do that, she kept the expensive china cup for herself and gave me the everyday cup.
I didn't care which cup I used, it wasn't about that, for me it was about an attitude of hospitality. Making someone who comes to visit feel welcome and important to the host is important to God.
I assessed the situation later realizing that there was no special message being sent that this young woman didn't like me necessarily, it was a matter of narcissistic behavior. To the narcissist no one else exists, except to glorify them. It didn't occur to her that someone might feel strange at her behavior, not coming to the door to greet me with enthusiasm, or giving me the same kind of cup she had.
The principle behind Christian hospitality is that others always come first. We should never do anything that makes others feel less than loved and appreciated.
God even tells us to bless our enemies, that's just how important it is to practice hospitality.
Hebrews 13:2 "Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares."
1 Peter 4:9 "Show hospitality to one another without grumbling."
Romans 12:13 "Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality."
Titus 1:8 "But hospitable, a lover of good, self-controlled, upright, holy, and disciplined."
Laziness in hospitality is a blight on the name of Christ.
Mark 9:41 "For truly, I say to you, whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because you belong to Christ will by no means lose his reward."
Matthew 10:40-42 "“Whoever receives you receives me, and whoever receives me receives him who sent me. The one who receives a prophet because he is a prophet will receive a prophet's reward, and the one who receives a righteous person because he is a righteous person will receive a righteous person's reward. And whoever gives one of these little ones even a cup of cold water because he is a disciple, truly, I say to you, he will by no means lose his reward.”
(God often refers to believers as "little ones.")
Let's not neglect hospitality and let's not use others by demanding things from them.
As I mentioned above, a good host makes refreshing provision for visitors and a good visitor accepts the hospitality with gratitude.
If everyone does as they should, there can be loving relationships established and the gospel elevated because of our due diligence toward others.
Silence is Approval
When we don't speak boldly about the things that are wrong in our culture, we are sending the message that we approve.
Everyone knows what will happen when they speak openly about anything that may be controversial, they know that they will probably lose friends and family over it and their enjoyment of these people is more important to them than true.
When truth is more important to us than personal relationships, we will lose some people, but gain others. We must be willing to go through the rejection for the sake of truth and righteousness. We may lose more than we gain, but it's not about us, it's about informing those who may be open to truth, no matter how few they may be.
John 8:32 "And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
John 14:6 "Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."
John 16:13 "When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come."
Ephesians 6:14 "Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness,"
We are either sold out to Christ or we are ruled and intimidated by the whims of mankind. We get to choose. Personally, I prefer to live in the truth rather than loved by the masses, there is emptiness in a life that is superficially controlled by those that have no interest in Christ. There is great joy in knowing truth and following Him.
Everyone knows what will happen when they speak openly about anything that may be controversial, they know that they will probably lose friends and family over it and their enjoyment of these people is more important to them than true.
When truth is more important to us than personal relationships, we will lose some people, but gain others. We must be willing to go through the rejection for the sake of truth and righteousness. We may lose more than we gain, but it's not about us, it's about informing those who may be open to truth, no matter how few they may be.
John 8:32 "And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
John 14:6 "Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."
John 16:13 "When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come."
Ephesians 6:14 "Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness,"
We are either sold out to Christ or we are ruled and intimidated by the whims of mankind. We get to choose. Personally, I prefer to live in the truth rather than loved by the masses, there is emptiness in a life that is superficially controlled by those that have no interest in Christ. There is great joy in knowing truth and following Him.
We are Decimating the English Language?
Let me set the record straight please? LOL
To "decimate" means to "reduce by one tenth."
Nearly everyone who is using this word "decimate" now is using it wrongly. They are replacing the word "destroy" with the word "decimate."
The word decimate does not mean to destroy, it means to ruin by a tenth, that means that nine tenth of the matter is not destroyed.
There are two other words that are being misused, to such a degree I am convinced that language has changed now, never to return to proper usage. The word "less" has replaced the word "fewer."
In the last few months I have heard the word less being used many times, all improperly except for one time. I got so excited I thought I had heard the gentleman wrong who was correct.
Here are the proper uses of the words "less" and "fewer";
There are fewer eggs in the basket than there was last week.
There is less flour in the bin than yesterday.
"Fewer" is used when we are speaking of individual quantities that can be counted, while "less" is used when we are speaking of things that are measured, but cannot be counted.
Someone please tell the media, they haven't opened their English book since high school, unfortunately most people are picking up their misuse of language.
To "decimate" means to "reduce by one tenth."
Nearly everyone who is using this word "decimate" now is using it wrongly. They are replacing the word "destroy" with the word "decimate."
The word decimate does not mean to destroy, it means to ruin by a tenth, that means that nine tenth of the matter is not destroyed.
There are two other words that are being misused, to such a degree I am convinced that language has changed now, never to return to proper usage. The word "less" has replaced the word "fewer."
In the last few months I have heard the word less being used many times, all improperly except for one time. I got so excited I thought I had heard the gentleman wrong who was correct.
Here are the proper uses of the words "less" and "fewer";
There are fewer eggs in the basket than there was last week.
There is less flour in the bin than yesterday.
"Fewer" is used when we are speaking of individual quantities that can be counted, while "less" is used when we are speaking of things that are measured, but cannot be counted.
Someone please tell the media, they haven't opened their English book since high school, unfortunately most people are picking up their misuse of language.
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