And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it:
because that in it he had rested from all his work
which God created and made.
Genesis 2:1-3
My lips shall utter praise,
when thou hast taught me thy statutes.
My tongue shall speak of thy word:
for all thy commandments are righteousness.
Let thine hand help me;
for I have chosen thy precepts.
I have longed for thy salvation,
O LORD; and thy law is my delight.
Let my soul live, and it shall praise thee;
and let thy judgments help me.
I have gone astray like a lost sheep;
seek thy servant; for
I do not forget thy commandments.
Psalms 119:171-176
If thou turn away thy foot from the sabbath,
from doing thy pleasure on my holy day;
and call the Sabbath a delight,
the holy of the LORD,
honourable; and shalt honour him,
not doing thine own ways,
nor finding thine own pleasure,
nor speaking thine own words:
Then shalt thou delight thyself in the LORD;
and I will cause thee to ride upon
the high places of the earth,
and feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy father:
for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it.
Isaiah 58:13-14
Trust in the LORD, and do good;
so shalt thou dwell in the land,
and verily thou shalt be fed.
Delight thyself also in the LORD;
and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.
Commit thy way unto the LORD;
trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.
Psalms 37:3-5
The Sabbath is not about following a list of rules, or making up your own laws, or frowning, or checking a manual for "do's" and "don'ts." The Sabbath was a gift from God to man. God took His own holy day and gave it to mankind to give man spiritual as well as physical rest. The Sabbath is about rest, and kindness, to yourself, and to all others -- it is part of the Golden Rule, in that we must love our neighbor as we love ourself, and it is a part of the Great Law, in that being the Fourth Commandment it is about worshipping God the Father, devoting an entire day to Him, a day to enjoy your relationship with the Creator.
Yahweh calls us to meet with Him on Sabbath -- it is a time of delight. A time to set aside the cares and worries of this world, and concentrate upon heavenly things. The Sabbath is God's own holy day, it is The True Lord's Day. God calls us to devote a full day to Him, and spiritual matters, and loving others as we love ourself.
As part of the Golden Rule, the Sabbath is an excellent time to help neighbors -- if need be, change a flat tire, or water a sick neighbor's lawn. It is also an excellent time to fellowship with like-minded believers who have a passion for worshipping God, for praising the Father, for worshipping in Spirit and Truth.
As part of the Great Law, the believer has confidence that he is living in obedience to God. A believer can worship God 7 days a week, 24 hours a day, any time and any place, but it is the Seventh day that God calls HOLY, and man cannot change what God has put in place, and God Himself does not change. The Seventh day is the perfect day that God commemorated Creation Week, by resting, even though God does not tire or require rest -- still, He rested, and He asks us to rest, at least once a week, on His own Holy day, the Sabbath.
God asked us to set aside the Seventh day, to take delight in it, not "one day in seven." He blessed the Seventh day, not one day in Seven -- God is very specific, and He asks us to be specific as well. God said: "REMEMBER." Don't forget.
True worship of the heart, that is what God wants, and that is how He judges mankind, as well, by the heart. And God makes it very easy on us, as He writes His laws upon our heart, and deep inside our mind. What a God, to provide everything.
God is good, isn't He? He created the Earth in six days, and then He rested on the Seventh day, creating a Sabbath for man. God made the Sabbath for man, after man was created, and our Savior declared that He is Lord of the Sabbath -- Jesus was very specific.
Celebrate the Sabbath, God's holy day. Worship Him in spirit and truth. Celebrate the Sabbath in delight. Eat special food, wear special clothes, special cologne that is set apart from the rest of the week. Do not allow yourself to think about your bills, or your ills, but meditate on God, a weekly Thanksgiving Day to God, the birthday of the world -- praise God because you are alive, and that He has blessed you and given you so many gifts, and He never stops giving.
Celebrate the Sabbath! Celebrate the Lord of the Sabbath! Celebarte the Lord's Day! You will be healthier, you will be happier, and God promises that He will cause you to ride upon high places!
The heavens declare the glory of God;
and the firmament sheweth his
handywork.
Day unto day uttereth speech, and
night unto night sheweth knowledge.
There is no speech nor language,
where their voice is not heard.
Their line is gone out through all the
earth, and their words to the end of
the world. In them hath he set
a tabernacle for the sun,
Which is as a bridegroom coming
out of his chamber, and rejoiceth
as a strong man to run a race.
His going forth is from the end of
the heaven, and his circuit unto
the ends of it: and there is nothing
hid from the heat thereof.
The law of the LORD is perfect,
converting the soul: the testimony
of the LORD is sure, making
wise the simple.
The statutes of the LORD are right,
rejoicing the heart: the commandment
of the LORD is pure, enlightening
the eyes.
The fear of the LORD is clean,
enduring for ever: the judgments
of the LORD are true and righteous
altogether.
More to be desired are they than gold,
yea, than much fine gold: sweeter also
than honey and the honeycomb.
Moreover by them is thy servant
warned: and in keeping of them
there is great reward.
Who can understand his errors?
cleanse thou me from secret faults.
Keep back thy servant also from
presumptuous sins; let them not have
dominion over me: then shall I be
upright, and I shall be innocent
from the great transgression.
Let the words of my mouth, and the
meditation of my heart, be acceptable
in thy sight, O LORD, my strength,
and my redeemer.
Psalm 19 from the King James Version
The
Gospel
Menorah
The seven lights at the
top of this web page
are a glowing symbol
of God's goodness.
A simple praise to
God, and a reminder
of His majesty, grace
and merciful will.
Seven first, to depict
God's creation in
seven days, the
heavens and the
earth, with the
tallest candle the
Sabbath, the heart
and brightest part
of the week.
Seven secondly, to
depict the menorah
as found in the
heart of the Old
Testament, the
seven-branched
lampstand in the
Sanctuary Service
(Exodus 25:31-40),
as well as the
seven candlesticks
amidst which
Jesus stands in
Revelation 1:12-20
representing the
seven churches.
The center three
white candles
representing
the Godhead --
best described as
The Trinity, though
this is still mysterious
-- the left symbolic
of the Father, the
right the Holy Spirit,
and the tallest
candle is Jesus,
Yahshua Messiah,
the King of kings and
Lord of lords, the
Lord of the Sabbath.
White representing
purity and holiness.
The two outer red
candles represent
God's grace of
John 3:16 in
giving His only
begotten Son in
order that we might
live. Red representing
the shed blood of
Jesus Christ,
Yahshua Messiah.
The lowest candles
because this grace
is our firm foundation
upon which everything
else is built (by God,
because even faith
is a gift from Him).
And finally the two
inner blue candles
representing
God's perfect law,
His will, which He
writes within the
believer's heart and
mind. Sweeter also
than honey, and the
honeycomb
The Gospel Menorah
is not about legalism
or making new rules
or religiosity. It is
about celebrating
the Sabbath, the
Lord's Day, and more
importantly, the
Lord of the Sabbath
Himself, Jesus Christ,
Yahshua Messiah.
It is about beauty
and delighting in
the Sabbath.
Do something special
this next Saturday,
God's holy day.
Perhaps you never
knew or understood
that it was Holy Time,
set apart by God.
God does not judge
harshly due to
ignorance. There is
no condemnation
in Christ. Pray
about it, talk to God.
The Holy Spirit will
lead you into ALL
truth, if you are willing
and open to His
leading. But tradition
is almost impossible
to break -- most of God's
chosen people could
not see beyond
tradition to recognize
the Messiah they'd
waited so long for!
But God is patient
and understanding,
He has mercy on us
because He remembers
we are dust.
But if you do not keep
the True Sabbath,
you are definitely
missing out on some
of God's rich blessings
He has already given
to you -- you just have
not accepted those gifts
as yet. Reach out and
take them today!
Delight in the Sabbath,
Delight in God, and He
will give you the desires
of your heart. A gift from
Him to you, and if you
enjoy the gift He gave
you, He'll bless you even
more! Not a bad
deal, if you ask me.
...I saw seven
gold lampstands.
And standing in
the middle of the
lampstands was
the Son of Man.
He was wearing a long robe with a gold sash across His chest. His head and His hair were white like wool, as white as snow. And His eyes were bright as bronze refined in a
furnace, and His voice thundered like mighty ocean waves. He held seven stars in His right hand, and a sharp two-edged sword came out of His mouth. And His face was as bright as the sun in all its brilliance. When I saw Him, I fell at His feet as dead. But He laid His right hand on me and said, "Don't be afraid! I am the First and the Last. I am the living one who died. Look, I am alive forever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and the grave. Write down what you have seen -- both the things that are now happening and the things that will happen later. This is the meaning of the seven stars you saw in My right hand and the seven gold lampstands. The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.
Revelation 1:12-20
"Every seventh day a miracle comes to pass, the resurrection of the soul, of the soul of man and of the soul of all things. A medieval sage declares: The world which was created in six days was a world without a soul. It was on the seventh day that the world was given a soul. This is why it is said: "and on the seventh day He rested vayinnafash" (Exodus 31:17); nefesh means a soul."
"The Sabbath" - Abraham Joshua Heschel
Farrar, Straus & Giroux, NY
1991, 1995 (Page 83)
The meaning of the Sabbath is to celebrate time rather than space. Six days a week we live under the tyranny of things of space; on the Sabbath we try to become attuned to holiness in time. It is a day on which we are called upon to share in what is eternal in time, to turn from the results of creation to the mystery of creation; from the world of creation to the creation of the world.
"The Sabbath" - Abraham Joshua Heschel
Farrar, Straus & Giroux, NY
1991, 1995 (Page 10)
Ways to make the Sabbath special:
Firstly, RELAX. It's not a test, it's not about frowning. In fact, try smiling! Know that you may rest in Christ (spiritually) and God expects you to relax, rest in Christ (physically), that the Sabbath rest actually does symbolize the spiritual rest -- isn't that wonderful? For that period, from Friday at sunset, to Saturday at sunset, divorce yourself from the newspaper, from worldly things, and concentrate on God, and His creation (the Sabbath is ALL about relationship with God)....
...light candles that are especially for the Sabbath, a beautiful visible reminder of God's gift to you...
...light some special incense that you would not dream of using the other six days of the week, to fill your house with the delightful scents of the Sabbath...
...wear some special cologne that you only wear on the Sabbath, and thank God for all His blessings as you put it on -- a weekly Thanksgiving Day!
...eat some special food that you only eat on the Sabbath, maybe even a special dessert, and thank God for all His peace, His help, His love...
...listen to some special music that you only listen to on the Sabbath, music that touches your soul, that suggests God's rest, that suggests God's holy creation, music that peacefully turns your mind to Him, and thank God for all that He has done for you, all He continues to do for you, and all the wonderful things He has in store for you...
...wear special clothes that you think God would like you to wear (it doesn't have to be a tuxedo or 3-piece suit -- this is all about you and the Lord, not what other people think), and thank Him for providing for you...
...remember that the Sabbath is a day "set apart" just like followers of Jesus, Yahshua the Messiah, they are a "people set apart;" allow yourself things on the Sabbath, do things differently on the Sabbath, in a more thankful and open way than the other six days of the week -- this is a special day to get to know God better, a special "date day" for you to devote to Him -- allocate this 24 hours as a time that you won't worry about your bills, that you won't worry about the state of the world, school, or fears, depressions, angers, unfairness, foolishness, entertainments of the world -- the Sabbath is a "feast day," a celebratory day between you and God, with special time for you and your family -- share with each other the blessings God has given you, thank God for each other, call to mind all the wonderful, incredible things He has done for you, concentrate on His wonders, and pray together!
...rent special videos (or buy special DVDs) that bring you closer to God, that make the Bible clear, that make the Biblical people more real to you; a few good ones are: "Faith Like Potatoes," "Shadowlands," "Amazing Grace" (the inspirational William Wilberforce story), "Facing the Giants," "Joseph," "David," "Abraham," "Jacob," "Esther," "Solomon," all in "The Bible Collection" series, "The Prince of Egypt (animated)," "The Ten Commandments (starring Charlton Heston)," "Joseph, King of Dreams (animated)," "The Chosen (by Chaim Potok, starring Robbie Benson)," "The Miracle Maker (animated, claymation)," "King David (starring Richard Gere)," "Anne of Green Gables" -- plus a wealth of documentaries on the Bible; gather your family around with popcorn and lemonade or coa-coa, and pause the video at key places to discuss what you are watching, to compare to the Bible; invite friends over to participate in the spiritual movie experience!
...invite friends or neighbors over to your house for dinner, or lunch, or discussion times; share your faith!
...get out into nature, as the Sabbath is a memorial of God's splendid creative power and grace, go on a hike, go camping, take nature walks, visit the zoo -- always keeping God in mind, Creator of all, and allow these sights to awaken a deeper awe of your Maker, and all that He has done...
...visit different churches, or if you find one that speaks to your heart and follows the Bible, grab onto it and don't let it go (they're tough to find!), remember, you can help the people there, and they can help you, they will see things that you cannot, and you can see things that they cannot, it really works and deepens your relationship with God...
...set aside special time to immerse yourself in the Word of God, read the Bible in various versions, comparing the KJV to the New Living Translation, weighing them against the Amplified Bible, and even the Living Bible paraphrase! Enrich your understanding and relationship with God. The Sabbath is the very best day on which to read the Bible -- even sun worshippers say you shouldn't read the Bible on Sunday, that you should take a break from it to devote fun time to yourself, but the Sabbath is about spending time with God, and His Word...
...read spiritual books that you only read on the special day of the week, pick up "The Prayer of Jabez" again, or Roger Morneau's "Incredible Answers to Prayer," Garrie Williams' "Give the Holy Spirit a Chance," Calvin Miller's "The Philipian Fragment," Corrie ten Boom's "The Hiding Place," Ellen White's "The Desire of Ages," Abraham Joshua Heschel's "The Sabbath," Chaim Potok's "The Promise" and "The Gift of Asher Lev," C.S. Lewis' "Mere Christianity" and "Surprised by Joy" and "Narnia," Paul Bunyan's "Pilgrim's Progress," Hank Hanegraaff's "The Prayer of Jesus," Philip Yancey's "Fearfully and Wonderfully Made" and "The Jesus I Never Knew" and "Where is God when it Hurts?" (of course, all these books can and should be read all week long, but it's nice to have a "special" book you pick up and continue each Sabbath) -- and you'll find that reading a good, spiritual book will lead you to other trusted, wonderful books that deepen your relationship with God...
...visit a Messianic Jewish church on Friday night...
...keep in mind, the Sabbath is a day for difference -- it is the one day that God singled out and MADE different, MADE special! A special day for a special people, a peculiar day for a peculiar people -- a day and a people set apart.
...remember, in REMEMBERing the Sabbath, we associate ourself with the Almighty God, Adonai Yahweh El Shaddai, and His Son, Yahshua Messiah, a people filled with the Holy Spirit -- the Sabbath is a sign between God's people and Himself -- and He promises, if you take DELIGHT in His Sabbath, our Sabbath, He will have you ride upon high places! Take delight in the Law of God, delight yourself in God, and He will give you the desires of your heart!
Celebrate the Sabbath, God's Holy Day, God's Own Day, a day He presented to man at the birth of the world, a day He instituted before sin entered the world, God's own Holy Day, a day He calls His own day, holy, a day He writes upon the hearts and inscribes within the mind of those that accept Him as Savior, Yahweh Saves, Yahshua is Messiah, the Holy One of Israel, the Lamb that was slain that takes away the sins of the world. Before Him every knee shall bow. Bow before Him this Sabbath, this very next Saturday, the Seventh day of the week, the day He declared Holy. The Law is Holy, Just and True, sweeter also than honey, and the honeycomb. All praise Jesus, Yahshua the Messiah, Yeshua, the Christ, the Lamb of God. How to celebrate the Sabbath? Ask the Holy Spirit, He shall lead you into all truth. Follow GOD, not man. Accept God's Laws, before any of man's laws. God's laws are eternal -- we will come before Him every Sabbath in the New Jerusalem. All those accepting Yahshua receive His promises, all who have a relationship with Him become His chosen people, children of Abraham, heirs according to the promise. Get in touch with your inheritance, the Sabbath of Yahweh. You will not know complete satisfaction until you receive His gifts to you. Don't be a slave to tradition, to the laws and rules of men -- obeying God is so much more incredible. KNOW His peace today, receive His laws into your heart, TODAY. Follow HIM, not false teachers. Follow our Heavenly Father, not men. Trust in God, not in men. Celebrate the Sabbath! Celebrate the Lord! Adonai Yahweh El Shaddai!
Ways to aid this ministry include praying for this site www.TruthSeek.net, www.DeceivingtheElect.net, and www.DramaticParables.com, donations and provision may be gifted using the TruthSeekGift page (and please only use this if you feel you are inspired by God to do so), and also feel free to use the Prayer Request page to submit prayer requests, and praying for the prayer requests of others, as well as exploring the various advertisements and links on these pages (regrettably, the advertising is necessary to recompense the many costs of keeping a website running, so exploration of the advertisers, which are not connected to any of these studies, is greatly appreciated). Any aid is joyously accepted, even if that means a smile and a well-wish. Thank you so much!
The Sabbath belongs to you, right now, a free gift that God Himself gave you!
Relax. Stop worrying. Think, it is a very real spiritual gift God Himself gave you, and it is about DELIGHT. A special 24-hour period of time, from sunset Friday night to sunset Saturday night, to enjoy time with God Himself! To REST. The Sabbath is not about working, or going to church (although this is acceptable to God), but it is about time between you and God, between you and the Savior, and it is a free gift that others don't want you to accept or enjoy or embrace. They hate the Sabbath, the gift of God, the very sign between Him and His people. If you have accepted the Savior, He considers you to be the "Israel of God," and the Sabbath becomes the sign between you and Him. The Sabbath is forever, and it is good, and it is not hard, and it is not about trying to do right, or getting better with God, or making yourself acceptable; Sabbath is something that is good and natural to you, from God Himself, and you own it today! Take delight in God! Rest in God. Rest in Mashiach! Shabbat Shalom to you, and to your family!
Think about it, The Creator of Everything RESTED, and He told you to rest, just as He did. He told you to accept, as a gift, His Own Holy Day! Isn't that good news? And think, this free gift is about DELIGHT IN GOD.
Isn't that good news?
Yahshua Mashiac says:
"Come to me and I will give you REST."
Isn't that good news?
The Sabbath is a Blessing, not a curse, and it is yours, right now, regardless that Sabbath Haters refute and rebuke and lie and steal to keep you from your free gift of peace and rest. If you accept the Savior, you become the Israel of God. You become His Chosen, His small Remnant, today, this is the truth.
Come to Him. Accept Him today.
Open the door of your heart and say to Him: "Come in, and know me! Come in and stay here, inside me, live here, know me inside and out!"
The Sabbath is not about following a list of rules, or making up your own laws, or frowning, or checking a manual for "do's" and "don'ts." The Sabbath was a gift from God to man. God took His own holy day and gave it to mankind to give man spiritual as well as physical rest. The Sabbath is about rest, and kindness, to yourself, and to all others -- it is part of the Golden Rule, in that we must love our neighbor as we love ourself, and it is a part of the Great Law, in that being the Fourth Commandment it is about worshipping God the Father, devoting an entire day to Him, a day to enjoy your relationship with the Creator.
