sabbath [part one] ... why do it?

So I want to write a few blogs about the Sabbath. I know for me, I did not know really what it meant to Sabbath, much less what it means to keep it holy. I just knew it was a commandment and that we went to church on Sunday. But the Sabbath is so much more than that, something I did not know until I came on staff here. And i wanted to take some time and share with guys what the Lord has been teaching me about the Sabbath. Also, if you have any input, points to add, or questions, I welcome them. I think we could all benefit from learning about this.

Why Sabbath?
The idea of a Sabbath day comes from the creation account. On the seventh day, God rested. He did not rest because He needed it. Remember he is all powerful and scripture says he never grows tired or weary. So why rest on the seventh day? Because he was creating rest for us. He knew that we would need it. We need to be reminded that we are sustained by Him and him alone!

This is not just a tool He suggests that we use, but it is a commandment. And not just any, one of the big ten!

“Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor, and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the your God. On it you shall not do any work, you, or your son, or your daughter, your male servant, or your female servant, or your livestock, or the sojourner who is within your gates. For in six days the made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day. Therefore the blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.” Exodus 20:8-11

I know for me, I fight more to keep the other nine commandments more than I do this one. It is easy for me to look down on a murderer, adultery, a thief, a liar, an idolater, but someone who breaks the Sabbath, well it just is not a big deal. God will understand right? I think his word makes it clear that that is dead wrong.

I plan on writing 2 more blogs about this. Be on the lookout for them...

surpise...

this flew into town last night with some of his marine buddies! what a fun surprise! only wish his visit was longer. so much more to do together in austin!

respectable sins: ungodliness...

i have been reading a book that has called so many of my older brother/self-righteous/pharisee sins. it is SOOOO good. i highly recommend it! the book is called respectable sins by jerry bridges. bridges writes about sins in our lives that we tolerate and let ourselves and others get away with it. i will attempt to blog about each chapter and sin that bridges addresses, because, well, it is that good.

ungodliness
bridges starts off differentiating between ungodliness and unrighteousness using romans 1:18.

"ungodliness describes an attitude toward god, while unrighteousness refers to sinful actions in thought, word or deed."

this nails all of us who are pharisees at heart. my outward actions may look really good, but what about my attitude. bridges goes on to drive his point home. here are some of my favorite quotes from the chapter:

"ungodliness may be defined as living one's everyday life with little or no thought of god or god's will, or of god's glory, or of one's dependence on god. you can readily see, then, that someone can lead a respectable life and still be ungodly in the sense that god is essentially irrelevant in his or her life."

"now, the sad fact is that many of us who are believers tend to live our daily lives with little or no thought of god. we may even read our bibles and pray for a few minutes at the beginning of each day, but then we go out into the day's activities and basically live as though god doesn't exist. we seldom think of our dependence on god or our responsibility to him. we might go for hours with no thought of god at all. in that sense, we are hardly different from our nice, decent, but unbelieving neighbor. god is not at all in his thoughts and is seldom in ours."

"do we consciously and prayerfully seek his glory in all we say and do in our most ordinary activities of the day? or do we actually go about those activities with little or no thought of god."

"...we live so much of our ordinary lives with little or no thought of god or how we might please and him. its not that we consciously or deliberately put god our of our minds. we just ignore him. he is seldom in our thoughts."

i am not sure about you, but i have found a new sin to repent from each day! there are so many times i cruise through a day with little or no thought of god. this shows that i do not think i need him, i think i can do this alone, i do not think he is in control, i think that thinking about something else is a better use of my time, etc. yet i like to judge those whose sins i can see. yikes.
"because ungodliness is so all-encompassing it will help to identify specific areas of life where you tend to live without regard to god. these might include your work, your hobbies, your playing or watching sports, and even your driving. "

after this chapter i have had to do some serious repenting. the lord has been showing me that when i walk in his spirit, my burden really is much lighter. when i don't let my mind wander or ignore the lord, i actually see him working and moving and am able to delight in him. i wish i could tell you that i am never ungodly anymore, but that will never be the case, this side of glory, but my life already feels more satisfied when i think more about him!

two new albums...

here are 2 new albums that i am enjoying! thought you might want to check them out.

leeland's new album, love is on the move, is good. it follows typical leeland sound (which i love) and the lyrics are good too! i am currently LOVING the song, love is on the move. holy spirit have your way and follow you are also both good songs.










the album, the outsiders, by needtobreathe is great! in fact when i first bought it, i listened to it for like 3 days straight. this album sounds like marc broussard meets kings of leon. a good southern rock style with christian lyrics. garden, lay'em down and a girl named tennessee are my favorites.

so buy up and enjoy!

if i can just make it until _____, i will be fine...

i have heard this statement a lot lately. i have said it myself so many times throughout my life and lately i seem to hearing it from several friends.

if i can just make it through this week...
i just want this month to be over...
i just gotta push through this day and then i will be fine...
i am ready for this season to end...

any of those sound familiar or feel familiar? ya, for me too! but the lord has really convicted me about this attitude of my heart. today is a day that he made! who am i to say that it is not good enough, or that i just want it to be over. rather than living in and for today, i live on the promise of tomorrow, or the next day, week, month, or season. but the reality is, i am not promised tomorrow. i have no guarantee of it!

okay so how do i not dredge through this tough time, how can i rejoice in this day that the Lord has made? psalm 118 gives us a good outline.
a. give thanks to the lord.
b. reflect on the fact that his steadfast/unchanging love endures forever.
c. trust in the lord, not in man or anything here.
d. repeat.

quit thinking about how tough this season is and think on the lord and what he has done! quit throwing a pity party and seek the lord and his strength! quit doubting the lord's providence and sovereignty, and trust his word!

we are not promised tomorrow, we only have today. so don't just get through, live it to the fullest, bringing glory to the one who created it!

crazy love...

i read this book, well listened to it on audiobooks in itunes, about a month ago. it is a good book. a great reminder of how big and great our god is, how lowly we are, and how much he loves us! then as a result of that love our lives are changed. it's an easy read (well i guess that is not fair to say since i listened to it, but i did listen to it while working out).

the lord really challenged me a few times in this book. one was the question, "does any part of your life require you to live by faith? " the answer that was no, not really. which revealed to me how i do not see my need for the lord. the second way he challenged me were through the stories in the second to last chapter. the one about the girl that moved to tanzania rocked me to the core. things in my life will be different.

i recommend reading this, or listening to it!

song of the beautiful...

song of the beautiful
by christy nockels
The broken, weary and poor
Finding...You are the cure
The weak and dying, glorifying, You in it all...

It’s the song of the beautiful, Jesus Loves Me...
It’s the song of the beautiful, Jesus Saved Me...
The song of the redeemed, the echoes of those made free,
It’s the song of the beautiful, Jesus Loves Me...

The fallen back on their feet
The fatherless now complete...
The innocent suffering, rising from wounding, to find...You were there all along!

It’s the song of the beautiful, Jesus Loves Me...
It’s the song of the beautiful, Jesus Saved Me...
The song of the redeemed, the echoes of those made free -
It’s the song of the beautiful, Jesus Loves Me...

Oh how He loves me
Oh how He loves me
Oh how He love me...
The broken, the beautiful....

The prodigal running home...
The widow never alone...
The one who is waiting, rising and singing, “You...Jesus, You Are My All!

when i first heard this song, i thought, “yes, god is good to help those who are broken. those people out there who are broken, weary, poor, weak and dying…”but I did not include myself in with “those people.”i did not see myself as such. then one day as i was driving and listening to this song, the lord said to me, “becca, that is you! you are the broken, weary and poor.”

my pride was like, "no, I am not that bad." but the lord quickly brought to mind my struggles. over the next day or so i really wrestled with this. i was listening to the song again and i lost it! i wept.i was humiliated to have my true state revealed to me, but I wept because then that meant that this song applied to me. my guilt was lifted. i do not have to live with shame. the burden i was carrying was removed. jesus loves me! jesus saves me! i can be free!

i finally could see that jesus was my cure, that my weakness glorified him. not my hard work to cover my weakness. i have left the father and tried many other things. but now i have returned and been able to say that nothing else satisfies, that jesus truly is my all! now i continue to struggle daily, but i know that my god is there.

anyways, this is a great song! i recommend buying it. perhaps you will find yourself singing and dancing to it in freedom like i do.