I hope you had a restful sabbath. Our Westminster Confession encourages us to do the following:
This Sabbath is then kept holy unto the Lord, when men, after a due preparing of their hearts, and ordering of their common affairs before-hand, do not only observe an holy rest all the day from their own works, words, and thoughts about their worldly employments and recreations, but also are taken up, the whole time, in the public and private exercises of His worship, and in the duties of necessity and mercy. Chapter 21 - 8;
As I prepare for Licensure (BCO Chapter 19) , I will be adding items from the confession and BCO when appropriate.
In Judges we read about the people falling away from God. First they stopped listening to God's voice. Next they did not know or remember the Lord and His work for the people. Finally, the people did what was evil in the sight of the Lord and served the Baals. They abandoned the Lord who had brought them out of Egypt.
Soon raiding parties where attacking and taking food and resources. When they went to battle they would lose. Finally, the whole nation was in distress. Then they would turn towards God and ask for help. God in His grace and mercy would send a judge to save them from the enemy, but the people would not repent and God would grow frustrated and angry.
Do you think this reflects the way we live today as a person, family, and church? As we watch the previous generation die, we are quick to abandon many of the ways they attempted to remember the deeds and works of God. Then we are free to do whatever we think is right?
In the Westminster Confession, our modern church fathers encouraged us to take a day off from worldly employments and recreations. What does that mean to you today? What does that mean to your church? Do you see the current church struggling to know our Jesus well because we have grown slack in observing the sabbath in this manner?
Once again thank you for all your prayer support. If you have not had the chance, check out the video "A Proposed Strategic Plan for the Future of the PCA" at the bottom of my blog page. It is good to know what God has placed on the hearts of the leaders of our denomination.
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