Title: Unless We Enter Into An Abiding Relationship With The Lord The Sabbath Day Of Rest Will Never Be Filled With Rejoicing And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made. 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. (Gen 2:2, 3) Sabbath Rest - https://youtube/watch?v=D11j3I5GPvU While growing up as a little boy, every Sabbath we sung this song in our Sabbath School class. Sabbath is a happy day, happy day, happy day. Sabbath is a happy day, I love every Sabbath. At this time in my life, I was just repeating the words without having any understanding of its meaning. I am sure that there are others who can testify of this same experience. While reading the lesson this morning, it became very clear that these words are powerful and true. At the end of the creation week God rested and celebrated the outcome of the His creation with Adam and Eve. There must have been a great rejoicing as Adam and Eve celebrated with God the work He did during the first six days of creation. The writer of the lesson reminds us that Sabbath is a day of rejoicing. It is a day of rest and gladness. On this day we come apart, after six days of toil and labour, to celebrate the creation of this earth. The writer of the lesson also reminded us that unless we develop a relationship with the Lord then we will never rejoice on the Sabbath day. And for some people they will not even have a celebration on the Sabbath. Satan understanding the important of the Sabbath rest has created a counterfeit day of worship so that he can distract mankind from the blessings that results from worshipping the Lord on the Sabbath day. Satan has deceive so many people to believe that it doesn’t matter which day we worship the Lord once we worship Him. Can you image that we expect God to accept our worship when we decide to do it our own way. The Lord just reminded me of the story of Cain. God asked Cain and Able to bring a sacrifice of a lamb before him. Cain being a vegetable farmer decided that God would have to take the vegetable since he did not have any sleep. What an excuse. You mean he could not ask his brother Able for a sheep? So Cain set up his alter with the vegetables… and God did not accept this sacrifice. This story reminds us that God will not accept our worship if we do not adhere to what He asked us to do. God expects totally obedience to His commands when we want our sacrifices of praise to be accepted. Cain, instead of leaving the worship session rejoicing, left there with a curse. This story was placed in the Bible to remind us that unless we surrender every area of our lives to the total control of the Holy Spirit our worship will never be acceptable to God. And by extension our worship will never be filled with rejoicing. I pray that we will allow God to draw us close to Him so that we can continue to experience a joyful experience when we worship God each Sabbath day. Christ compares the love of a parent, who is so willing to relieve the necessities of his children, with that of our Father in heaven. He would impress upon his followers their true relationship to God. They are his children, his by creation, and by redemption. God is their Father in a sense that implies a closer relationship than that of a child to its earthly parents. He so loved the world, that he gave his only-begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on him should not perish, but have everlasting life. If earthly parents know how to give good gifts unto their children, how much more shall our Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him? In his lessons Christ presented the relation that the human agents should sustain to God and to one another. He does not leave one soul in darkness in regard to the Source of our strength. He points us to prayer as a refuge in all perplexities and disappointments. He says, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them. The needy soul may be supplied with grace if he will ask in simple, trusting, childlike faith in God as his Father, through Jesus as his Saviour. Christ understands the needs of humanity. He will not be indifferent to the soul who desires his love and his presence. He is waiting to be gracious, to impart the bright beams of his righteousness. It was for this that he came to our world. He says, I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. But it is only by our own consent that Jesus can release us from our bondage to Satan. His promise is, Him that cometh to me, I will in nowise cast out. Then let us not dishonor God by refusing to come to him. (Signs of the Times, January 14, 1897 – Ellen G. White) Very happy were the holy pair in Eden. Unlimited control was given them over every living thing. The lion and the lamb sported peacefully and harmlessly around them, or slumbered at their feet. Birds of every variety of color and plumage flitted among the trees and flowers and about Adam and Eve, while their mellow-toned music echoed among the trees in sweet accord to the praises of their Creator. Adam and Eve were charmed with the beauties of their Eden home. They were delighted with the little songsters around them, wearing their bright yet graceful plumage, and warbling forth their happy, cheerful music. The holy pair united with them and raised their voices in harmonious songs of love, praise, and adoration to the Father and His dear Son for the tokens of love which surrounded them. They recognized the order and harmony of creation, which spoke of wisdom and knowledge that were infinite. Somenew beauty and additional glory of their Eden home they were continually discovering, which filled their hearts with deeper love and brought from their lips expressions of gratitude and reverence to their Creator. (The Story of Redemption, pg. 22, 23 – Ellen G. White)
Posted on: Tue, 20 Jan 2015 11:22:17 +0000
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