Romans 9:29 Except the Lord Sabbath...

Even Isaiah cried to his people that the Lord has to save us, for us to be saved, seems to be the sentiment, paraphrased. Before Jesus and after Jesus, it is always by grace, through faith and that not of ourselves.

My meditation this morning, however is "Lord of the Sabbath". What does that mean?

Why is Christ, Lord Sabaoth? In Isaiah, In Romans, all over really;He is designated as the Lord of the Sabbath.

Martin Luther, A Mighty Fortress and seemed to be oozing Romans 9.

Did we in our own strength confide?....

Great men have shown us the relationship between God and His Commandments, through Christ's sacrifice. But, I can only chew on one aspect this morning. Is the Sabbath a stumbling block to my soul and to my heart? Is it a symbol of something to imitate that in imitating you are closing the huge gap between your perspective and God's? Is God inviting us to embrace Him in a delicate relationship of reality to toss aside our own ways on a regular basis? Is there a relationship between evangelical sabbath keeping and the perspective of all of the commandments? Is the non keeping of sabbath a gateway to cultural demise? We would have been as Sodom and Gomorrah had we not seen this, the prophet seems to say? The perspective that the commandments are for our cleansing of our own hearts which will bring us up to what God intends for culture, seems the reasoning. As I say, I am chewing on this thought.

God please grant a true acceptance of all that you have for us in Your Word, In Jesus' Name, Amen.

I have decided to follow Jesus means...

Basic thoughts on my learning to follow Jesus:

Means that I must look at Him.

Am I looking at Jesus when I am worrying?

Am I looking at Jesus when I am afraid?

I have decided to look at God's Word for direction and hope and instruction and blessing and not to myself or others first.

Where am I? is the question to myself...I am looking to Jesus to reveal Himself in this problem or confusion. That is deciding to follow Jesus. Everyday, I have to remind myself of that.

I Have Decided to Follow Jesus

It is a good and beneficial discipline to reminisce of the wonder of the first longings of the soul after my Savior.

I have decided to follow Jesus. I have decided to cast in my lot with the people of God. I have decided to be a Christian. Though baptized in infancy, knowing the Lord and seeking the Lord's Hand to move in my life, is a different impulse than listening and following the crowd, even if they are Christian Crowds.

It takes a lifetime of looking at His perfections and trying to conform your life, a little at a time to get to know Him. The older Saints that I met in early Christian profession didn't steer me wrong to question my knowledge of Him. Sometimes, I have real doubts about my attempts at being a Christian and whether I have decided to follow Jesus at this point or at that point of my life. The most important thing is am I trying to follow Him, today. I am looking at His attributes, which are perfect and putting aside my sins that are so different from my Gracious Savior. It is a dirty work of daily stinky sin dumping, repenting and believing, all over again. So that I can be found, in that day, in Christ and not in my sins. Some days are victorious and some days are a bust. Thank God it is not up to me. He is working in my soul. But, He is not doing it without me.

"He works in us, both to will and to work for His good pleasure."

"I sought the Lord, and afterward I knew He moved my soul to seek Him, seeking me; It was not I that found, O Saviour true; No, I was found of Thee. Thou didst reach forth Thy hand and mine enfold; I walked and sank not on the stormvexed sea; 'Twas not so much that I on Thee took hold, As Thou, O Lord, on me. I find, I walk, I love; but O the whole Of love is but my answer, Lord, to Thee! For Thou wert long beforehand with my soul; Always Thou lovedst me."

Standing for Righteousness?

Nahum was warning us about just taking that word Stand and using it. IT,{Stand} is an exhortation and a directive. Donnie sang, what do you do when...? You just Stand? John P. Kee's song really struck me with its exhortations from the first time I heard it, many years ago.

Stand there means "represent". How can we stand for righteousness? I am looking for that reality in my life. Looking at God's righteousness and trying to look like that...Thank you John P. for that meditation. I am still looking at Nahum for the definition of what God was saying about Standing there.

Stand...

the book of Nahum???