I decided to start this blog (2010) because my son, John-Robert gave me a One Year Bible for Christmas, the New Living Translation... reading it has changed my life... I post a daily Bible verse on my Facebook page every day and it has been well received... I thought that this would be a wonderful way to share part of what I read each day!... I hope that you enjoy it.



This Year 2012 I am going to do things a little different... not much...just a little. I am again reading through my One Year Bible (for the 3rd time). But I am also using "The Secret Power of Speaking God's Word" by Joyce Meyer. This book is divided by putting scriptures under different categories so they can be used to speak over our life situations. Each day I will read a category of scripture and pick a scripture in that category to write about.



Hugs

Jeannie







Friday, October 11, 2013

10.11.13

Jeremiah 17:27 "But if you do not listen to me and refuse to keep the Sabbath holy, and if on the Sabbath day your bring loads of merchandise through the gates of Jerusalem just as on other days, then I will set fire to these gates.  The fire will be spread to the places, and no one will be able to put out the roaring flames."

My Thoughts
Wow! When I was a little girl... nothing was opened on Sunday and downtown even close up at lunch time on Wednesdays. And if you went to a Christian school you got out of school early on Wednesday. Why? So people had time and energy to make it to Church. Because worshiping God mattered to the whole.  Even when I was first married stores were closed on Sundays.  It was no big deal, you just made sure on Saturday that you had what you needed for Sunday.  They surly were not open on Easter and Thanksgiving and Christmas.  Now the only day not to shop is on Christmas day...and I am beginning to wonder if that will not change soon.  It started with not keeping the Sabbath day Holy. Now we don't even keep Holy days of celebration Holy.  

God gives us six days a week to do all that has to be done then He set aside a day where we are suppose to worship Him...and when we are suppose to rest... a day where families can get-to-gather and love each other. When Sundays were a day of rest people went to grandmothers on Sunday because you couldn't do anything else and it was nice. It kept families close.   But not being able to do anything else was a good thing. Because everybody was off together and could be together.  

I worked at Kmart the first year that they were opened on Thanksgiving...I worked that day.  I so remember a lady coming through my check-out line with a buggy full, piled high, she was holding stuff in.  She said to me, "I can't believe they are making you work today."  I remember thinking, "If you had not come to shop today we would not be open next year."  Walmart soon followed and now the mall is open on Thanksgiving too. 

I am keeping Ripley (my sweet grandbaby, our first) today.  So I read this after I arrived.  As soon as I did I called Robby at home.  I told him, "We can no longer shop on Sunday, or eat out after Church listen to what all these verses say!." He agreed.  We knew that we needed to do what God asked, what was good for us and for the people around us.    

You may say, "That is the Old Testament, the old law." We talked about that too.  Jesus taught us never to let "the law" get into our way of doing good, of loving others.  But Jesus also taught that we are to follow the law, that the law matters.  

In the verses that come before God say that if you keep the Sabbath Holy that Kings and Officials will always ride in and out among the people of Judah in chariots and on horses and the city will remain forever.  Chariots and horses symbolized wealth. And the officials riding among the people tells us that they will always know the people and their needs.  

When the people are greedy, so greedy that they can not have a day that they aren't making money or spending money. A day free of getting or having. Kings and officials, our leaders will reflect us... If we are selfish they will also live be selfishness. Greed begets greed.  

We have to change, to listen to God and His regulations. God ask us to do what is best for us, we should be listening.   You may ask, "How can I make a difference? I am, after all, only one person." You may say, "The stores are open anyway."  But what if you are the one person? What if that lady that came though my line at Kmart that first Thanksgiving was the very person that pushed the money that came into Kmart into the side of profit. Then she could have made the difference by not shopping.  Our actions do matter. God sees them.  The people around us see them.  And if I stay home on Sundays, then maybe my children will see my example and stay home, maybe my friends will see my example and stay home. God will see. God will know that I am honoring Him. If I stay home, I at least will be doing my part to bring wealth back to our country, to bring the leaders of our country back in tune with the true needs of the people. 

I do know that I need to do the best that I can do.  I do know that when I read God's word and learn...that I need to act on what God teaches me.  Today I learned that when I spend money or make money on the Sabbath I am contributing to the overall greed... that I am being greedy.  And that the effects of my greed are far reaching.  Trade on the Sabbath is not making more money for our country, it is breaking our county.  I don't want to be a part of that.  

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