Sufficient Self's Bible Study Group

[rebecca100]

Your up late too!
I have thanked Him for it the last 2 days!!! Its as if He just lifted me back up! That desperate hopeless poor was really starting to stink!! No matter how I tried I just couldn't seem to get out of that "funk". Not really a depression. I don't know what it was.

 

[Beekissed]

Spiritual battles going on all around us, particularly right now, in the world. If he can't get your soul, he'll try other ways to make you lose faith in the Lord and place stumbling blocks in your path. So wonderful to know that Jesus is greater, more powerful, more everything and can protect and keep His own flocks safe.

 

[Denim Deb]

And, those lows can come when you least expect it. Look at Elijah. He had just defeated the prophets of Baal, then fled to the wilderness and asked God to kill him.

 

[Wannabefree]

The other morning I woke up happy!!!! As in really happy and rejoicing and praising! All the heaviness was gone along with the worry! Like He lifted it all off of me! My circumstances are the same, but I don't feel like I'm bearing them all alone anymore. I can't find the words to express the relief and the change! My joy is back!!!

SWEET! Praise God! Glad you are feeling it again!

 

[BarredBuff]

Happy Sabath!!

 

[Beekissed]

Yes! Remember to keep it holy! I've heard controversy all my life about what constitutes "keeping it holy" on the Sabbath...what do you all feel is proper for your Sabbath and does anyone have any scripture they can give us regarding the Sabbath?

 

[Denim Deb]

I've always felt that Sunday should be a day to rest from the work week, and worship God. My problem is my family. They see nothing wrong w/treating Sunday any different from the rest of the week, but as much as possible, I try to keep it a day for God.

Pastor had a really good message this morning. It was entitled plain and simply LORD. And the challenge he made is for us to see if Jesus is really Lord of our life. Do we seek to please Him in all that we do, or does He just get the crumbs? He also had one of the deacons pass out an offering plate w/pennies in it and told everyone to take one cent. Once we all had one, we were told that we had all been given one cent. And, that we were the ones sent. We are the ones sent to the world to tell them about Christ. I know, other than on here, I don't talk to many people about God. I don't see many people normally during the week. But, I need to remember that I am the one sent, and I need to tell others about Christ. For, how shall they hear w/out a preacher?

 

[Beekissed]

I've always felt that the Lord's day should be for rest and for family...but the lines get blurry sometimes when rest and family morph into activity that takes the place of worship and also is just plain ol' work that could have been done on Saturday instead.

I know folks that will miss church to take their kids to their Little League games and I've always wondered if the lines are blurry there...should we really take kids out of church to attend a "family activity"?

I've found myself traveling on the weekends coming to or from a mini-vacation with my family and I've often wondered if I should have made it a bigger priority to be in the house of the Lord or at least had family worship before starting out.

Or working on an activity on a Sunday that one enjoys and finds restful but couldn't really be considered "holy"...I've done it often...like wandering through the garden suckering tomatoes, tying them up better, picking overripe fruit, etc.

I know back in the olden days, all that kind of activity was done on Saturday to the degree that even cooking didn't need to be done on Sunday...just warming up of the foods. Sundays were spent in worship, quiet contemplation and such.

DD, even talking about God on these forums is better than nothing at all...and I find it more challenging than talking about it face to face with people in real time. There is much hostility towards Christians at this time in the world~we've become the new group to hate and no one finds it wrong at all. You can't talk bad about anyone's race, sexual orientation or any other type religion such as Jewish, Muslim, etc. but everyone feels very justified and comfortable bashing Christians.

I know it is supposed to be that way and is prophecy being fulfilled but it is still disconcerting~ and challenging to not get angry over it and defend the Lord, the word of God, and the life of a Christian with strong words. It hurts me deep in my chest when I see someone mocking God or His people...so much so that I can hardly breath.

I don't see many people anymore right now in my life situation..not like I used to...so the only people with whom I can discuss God is on here or with my family, so I do it all I can.

 

[rebecca100]

You know I've wondered about those things too. For example going shopping on Sunday. I will for necessities that come up, but I try to take care of that stuff on Saturday. I asked someone at church once and she told me do whatever as long as it doesn't interfere with worshipping Him.

 

[Wannabefree]

I think taking care of your family on Sunday, whether it be food preparation/cooking, grocery shopping, etc. is Godly because it is doing the work God has set before us. On the other hand, I do feel it best to do such things on another day if at all possible.

For biblical referrence, Matthew 12:11, And he said unto them, What man shall there be among you, that shall have one sheep, and if it fall into a pit on the sabbath day, will he not lay hold on it, and lift it out?

I take this to mean as I stated above, that certain times, things will fall out of order that need to be immediately put back into order, on the Sabbath. God understands that, and has made clear that it's okay, don't leave the sheep in the pit..that wouldn't be good stewardship! Now, there is no way a sheep is going to fall into a pit on a weekly basis, so I do not feel we should make habit of cooking/shopping/etc. on the Sabbath, but there are times we should take care of things on the Sabbath BECAUSE God wants us to. Common sense should tell us when it's okay, and when we're stretching it IMO. I also do not think we should be judgemental of others who do things on the Sabbath, simply because we don't know their personal situations.