Today’s Devotional – December 15 (Keeping 1 Day Holy, Part 3, “Works”)

By admin On May 4th, 2021

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Today’s Devotional – December 15

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Keeping 1 Day Holy,

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Part 3,

“Works”

To read Part 1, just click here… “June 3rd (Keeping 1 Day Holy!)”

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CONTINUED FROM YEAR 1, JUNE 4TH (click here)

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Again, how can merely ceasing from work make a day holy?

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This has been a big part of the last two devotionals, and it will also be the main focus today.

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Question Mark – Wikimedia – Public Domain

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THE 4TH COMMANDMENT

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The 4th Commandment says…

…”Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.

***Six days shalt thou labour, and* *do all thy work:***

But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God:

in it thou shalt not do any work…

and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day:

wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.”

Exodus 20:8-11 (Condensed)

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Well, if this one passage was all that God has to say on the subject, then we would have to conclude that, yes, ceasing from work on the Sabbath Day is what God requires for that day to be kept holy!

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And, as we read a number of other passages, we learn that shopping on the Sabbath, and picking up sticks on the Sabbath are also strictly forbidden!

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Ten Commandments National Museum of Scotland – cropped image – wikimedia share-alike license

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“REST UNTO YOUR SOULS”

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But we need to keep digging further, because the Bible defines what God means, when He speaks of our cessation from labor on His Sabbath.

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Now listen to this incredible call which Jesus pleads to all humankind…

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…”Come unto Me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden,

and I will give you rest.

Take My yoke upon you, and learn of Me;

for I am meek and lowly in heart:

and ye shall find rest unto your souls.

For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light.”

Matthew 11:28-30

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This above passage from Matthew’s Gospel is an invitation to all Humanity, to come enter into His rest.

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And here, Jesus is giving a much greater concept concerning the Sabbath, than merely ceasing from physical labor.

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ABOVE STAR-CHART: Sign of the Son of Man Constellation – www.signsofheaven.org – not for commercial uses

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ENTERING INTO GOD’S FINISHED WORKS

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Now, Paul addresses this same concept in Hebrews…

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…”For we which have believed do enter into rest,

as He said, As I have sworn in My wrath,

if they shall enter into My rest:

although the works were finished

from the foundation of the world.

For He spake in a certain place of the seventh day on this wise,

And God did rest the seventh day from all His works.

And in this place again, If they shall enter into My rest.

Seeing therefore it remaineth that some must enter therein…”

Hebrews 4:3-7.

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And so, the gist of this passage is, that God’s “works” were finished on the 7th-Day of Creation.

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And God desires for us to join Him in that everlasting rest.

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NO ENVYING, NO PROUD & LOFTY DESIRES!

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So just what kind of work are we to cease from, in order to enter God’s everlasting rest?

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Listen to this…

…”Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these;

Adultery, fornication, uncleanness,

lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft,

hatred, variance, emulations,

wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, Envyings…”

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Now this above passage lists many, but not all of the works of the flesh.

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Rolls Royce 200EX ‘Ghost’- Flickr – The Car Spy – cropped image – Wikimedia – Share-alike license

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“For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work.”

James 3:16

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But let’s examine just one of these human works, for a moment.

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Take for instance, the work of “envying”.

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Just imagine if a person had no more envying, as it says in this above passage!

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Well, that person would no longer respond to all those TV advertisements about buying a shiny new impressive car…

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…or an ad about having that enviable and prestigious career…

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…or about buying that bigger and fancier house on that notable and impressive Nob Hill location!

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And “envying” is just one of the many works of the flesh mentioned in this above passage from Galatians!

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Young business people – Cropped Photo – Wikimedia – the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license.

Hearst Castle – Wikipedia – GNU Free Documentation License

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JESUS: THE END OF ALL PERFECTION!

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“I have seen an end of all perfection:

but Thy commandment is exceeding broad!

O how love I Thy law!

it is my meditation all the day!”

Psalm 119:96, 97.

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But just one more comment about this above passage from Psalm 119:96.

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Notice it says… “I have seen the end of all perfection!”

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Just what is the Psalmist referring to here, as “the end of all perfection”?

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Well, we know just who the ultimate fulfillment of the Law is: Jesus Christ!

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Yes, Jesus is the true essence of the Law!

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And the Law is our schoolmaster which hopefully leads us to Christ!

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And as we behold the life and words of Christ, we begin to see the Law in all its beauty and perfection!

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Transfiguration – Bloch – Commons – US Public-Domain

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“…and ye shall find rest unto your souls”

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**Oh yes, many Christians might “esteemeth one day above another”…**

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…and yet others might, “esteemeth every day alike.”

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Regardless of any Christian is “fully persuaded in his own mind”, each and every Christian must keep every day of the week holy, even as it is written…“Be ye holy; for I am holy.”

(These above quotes are from Romans 14:5 & 1st Peter 1:16)

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ABOVE PICTURE: Prayer by a river on the Sabbath – Acts 16-13 – Bible Illustrations by Sweet Media –

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TO READ PART 4, CLICK HERE…

August 10 (Keeping 1 Day Holy, Part 4, Genuine Rest & True Holiness)

Jesus The Good Shepherd – Bernhard Plockhorst – 1825-1907 – Wikipedia – Public Domain

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TODAY’S PRAYER…

“Dear Lord, Please continue to do a work in me, to cleanse me from all defilement of the flesh. Help me to crucify the Old Man, with all his sinful desires…

Woman Praying – cropped image – Wikimedia – Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license

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THE END

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TODAY’S HEAVENLY SIGN

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THE HOLY GHOST RIDER CONSTELLATION

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This newest Signs Of Heaven Constellation (Fall, 2013) is by far the faintest of constellations, but is a very incredible and awesome one in a number of ways (which this article will explain).

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It is primarily comprised of the Camelopardalis Constellation (head and upper back)…

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…plus about 5 stars from the Cassiopeia Constellation (his leg), plus some random stars.

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It appears as an outline of a rider.

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Only the back of his head is detailed.

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And his back and the back of his legs are also detailed.

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Both sides of his arm are visible, and his hand is gripping the horse’s mane, and that is detailed by three stars (which are also part of the horse’s mane).

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The rider is in a position vaguely similar to a race-horse jockey.

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The two brightest stars in this constellation, are from the Cassiopeia Constellation, and are part of his leg.

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All the rest of the stars are very faint, and must be viewed on a very starry night.

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If you can locate the Goodly Horse in Battle Constellation, then you shouldn’t have too much trouble locating this Rider Constellation, provided you have excellent star-watching conditions.

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TOMORROW:

DECEMBER 16 (Almost All Is Vanity! Part 4: Our Purposes vs. God’s Purpose!)

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Jesus – Woman why weepest thou – Jesus – Wikipedia – US Public Domain

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EXCERPTS FROM THE OPEN FORUM QUESTION/ANSWER RADIO TALK-SHOW…

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This Open Forum #32 is a small 30 minute sampling of the late Harold Camping’s nearly 50 year long series of 90 minute nightly talk shows…

Signs Of Heaven