Tag Archives: Sabbath

Engaging Our Culture: January 5-Making a New Sabbath Tradition

Posted on January 5, 2025 by expressyourself4him

Video of the Day: Scene from the 1992 film “School Ties”

Bible Passage of the Day:

Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. 9 Six days you shall labor and do all your work, 10 but the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns. 11 For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy, Exodus 20:8-11.

Biblical Connection:

Brendan Fraser plays David Greene, a star quarterback for his high school football team in Scranton, Pennsylvania. Wanting more for his son than coal mining, Alan Greene played by Ed Lauter helps acquire a scholarship for David’s senior year at an exclusive Massuchusetts prep school. After regularly losing to their rivals, St. Matthews Academy accepts a Jewish boy into their Catholic school. When Coach McDevitt played by Kevin Tighe meets Brendan for the first time, it’s recommended to not tell his teammates about his Jewish faith. Forced to play football games on the Jewish Sabbath, Saturday, David sneaks into the chapel after a game to observe a sacred day. This is the context of today’s clip as David runs into Headmaster Dr. Bartram played by Peter Donat. While Dr. Bartram points out David’s sin of not keeping the Sabbath, David pushes back to St. Matthews break in tradition as well.

While keeping the Sabbath holy is one of the Ten Commandments, defining the Sabbath has always seemed confusing to me. Are you keeping the Jewish Sabbath, the Christian Sabbath or can you devote another day of the week like Wednesday if your church has a mid-day service? After listening to a recent Charlie Kirk podcast, he shared about his own Sabbath tradition. Kirk devotes an entire day to his family, putting his phone away and spending quality time together with his wife and children. Rather than getting caught up in a theological debate over the Sabbath, 2025 seems as good as a time as ever to make a new Sabbath tradition to honor God. Although sporting events may distract some from making a new tradition right away, pray to the Holy Spirit to give you a vision for keeping the Sabbath holy in 2025.

Closing Song:

An interactive blog to engage our culture in 2025 by Jay Mankus.

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Exhausted

Posted on November 11, 2014 by expressyourself4him

Maybe its me, but the older I become, the harder it is to possess energy.  On certain days of the week, just getting out of bed is an accomplishment, wondering if I want to repeat the endless cycle pf work.  Unless you begin to tap into a higher power,exhaustion is a likely destination.

Fatigue is a byproduct of exhaustion, the result of mental and physical exertion.  Perhaps, this may explain God’s establishment of the Sabbath.  When a driven person goes extended periods without rest, souls will eventually run out of steam.  Subsequently, drain, lethargy and weariness become a reality for those who try to live apart from God, John 15:1-5.

Repetition is a key element of teaching.  Human nature causes most students to forget what they have been taught.  Likewise, authors of the Bible practice this same principle, regularly reminding its readers of past events.  Without being aware of history, individuals will often repeat previous mistakes.  Therefore, if you want to avoid extended periods of exhaustion, pray the words of Psalm 109:22 to lift you out of states of drowsiness.

by Jay Mankus

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Is Anything Sacred Anymore?

Posted on August 15, 2014 by expressyourself4him

Dedicated, devoted and revered are words often associated with individuals who appear connected with God, demonstrating faith on a daily basis.  Unfortunately, as I look around, searching for a cause to believe in and get behind, few seem to contain a spirit of holiness.  In view of this, I wonder if anything is sacred anymore?

As one of the patriarchs of Israel, Moses had an open line of communication with God, retreating up to Mount Sinai, seeking advice, direction and guidance for the Jewish people.  During one of these face to face encounters, the Lord reminded Moses of an essential weekly discipline.  Leviticus 23:2 introduces a list of sacred assemblies appointed by God, the first taking place on the Sabbath, Saturday for Jews and Sunday for Christians.

This day of worship should not be celebrated alone.  Rather, resting from work for 24 hours should be replaced by congregations of like minded believers eager to honor a living God.  Although illness or vacation may result in missing a few services throughout the year, don’t allow guilt or regret to interfere with your praise.  When God’s children begin to live out the words  of Psalm 150, sacred assemblies can unite souls and God willing, usher in revival.

by Jay Mankus

 

 

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A Day of Rest

Posted on March 25, 2012 by expressyourself4him

God created the earth in 6 days according to Genesis 1.  After completing His most prized creature, man, God rested.  While receiving the 10 commandments from God, Moses was the first to communicate to Israel the concept of a Sabbath Day’s rest, Exodus 20:8.  If you summarize the first 4 commandments, keeping the Sabbath holy is one of 4 ways you can demonstrate your love for God.

From January 2nd to March 20th, I was restless, worried about how I was going to provide for my family.  Although I attended church almost every Sunday, my mind was constantly racing, worried about what I was going to do, where I was suppose to be working and how is this going to affect my family.  Night after night I wrestled with these thoughts, resulting in a few hours of sleep each night.

Today will be my first Sunday in church all year knowing I have a place to go to work on Monday.  God has revealed a piece of the puzzle, with others pieces that still need to be put together.  However, I now have a different perspective of the Sabbath.  A profound appreciation for work and God’s desire to be still before His presence, Psalm 46:10.  So join me today, resting in God’s divine providence.

by Jay Mankus

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