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The Sabbath In Light of The Cross — 13 Comments

  1. Mateo 12:8-12 For the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.” Going on from that place, he went into their synagogue, and a man with a shriveled hand was there. Looking for a reason to bring charges against Jesus, they asked him, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?” He said to them, “If any of you has a sheep and it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will you not take hold of it and lift it out? How much more valuable is a person than a sheep! Therefore it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.”

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  2. This is a great message to everyone, let's not forget our mission as SDA's that is to preach the gospel in all the four corners of the planet earth.

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  3. I find observance of the sabbath a challenge at times with regards to the activities to do in between church services especially for kids.
    Is there anything wrong with letting them play out side.

    We often go out of our way to purchase bible oriented games or programs but the thing is its common to find them playing other non biblical games.
    I know to others this may seem too obvious a question but I will ask anywhere, that is it wrong to let kids be kids let them play (as you pray for them).

    The week can be so hectic such that when sabbath arrives all one wants to do is rest. Often times I realize that rest means different things to different people amongst Adventists.For others is means refraining from daily chores or activities and going about spreading the gospel, touching lives then there are those who attend morning church service and then spend part of the day sleeping (resting their bodies from any physical activity), a large group of Adventists condemn this, can we safely say there is anything wrong with this, if so can it be classified as sin?

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    • Hi Lee,
      We should strive to make the Sabbath a day to which our children look forward. In most homes nowadays, parents don't have enough time to spend with their children, so finding an enjoyable activity to do with your children would really enhance their and your Sabbath observance.

      In our family, we did a lot of hiking (cross-country ski-ing in the winter) on Sabbath, and that has left us many fond memories.

      I feel that, if in doubt, it is better to let children err on the side of enjoying themselves than to make the Sabbath a burden so that they will look forward to getting away from it when they are old enough to make their own decisions.

      The Sabbath is meant as a time to spend with our Creator, and He made many beautiful and enjoyable things on the planet of ours. In the cities, time in the park could be helpful. Many cities have parks with trails, for instance.

      When our children were very small we had special Sabbath toys with which they could play only on Sabbath. They weren't necessarily a lot different from other toys -- just kept special. Of course, for our boys, we avoided dump trucks, tractors, semi-trailers and implements related to adult work -- just as Sabbath-keeping adults don't use those on the Sabbath.

      No one can make rules for you that will constitute Sabbath keeping for you and your children. Take it to the Lord in prayer, and then listen to His voice to you. Relationships are very individual, and Sabbath is all about a relationship. That's why there's no point in making rules for Sabbath keeping.

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      • Inge,

        It is refreshing to hear that someone else raised their children like we did. I agree with you that children should enjoy the day and I always found ways to make it enjoyable. We live in an area with hiking trails and the Appalachian Mountain trail so every Sabbath we would explore a different area. We would stop at streams and enjoy putting our feet in. It was always fun going to the top of trails for the view. By the time we got home, it was time for worship. We did this all year round.
        I agree with the wisdom in your last paragraph,

        "No one can make rules for you that will constitute Sabbath keeping for you and your children. Take it to the Lord in prayer, and then listen to His voice to you. Relationships are very individual, and Sabbath is all about a relationship. That’s why there’s no point in making rules for Sabbath keeping."

        When our son was home and had other children over, we did pray alot about everything we did because we answer to God for how we raise our children. Now that our grandchildren come up sometimes, and they are not Christians, it is still a matter of prayer! Thanks Inge!!

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      • Best reply ever, Inge.

        Furthermore, a positive conception of the Sabbath would guide people into a string of "do"s (as opposed to prohibitions). This has been my experience partially as I try to improve my Sabbath-keeping.

        Children can learn pretty fast to watch the clock on Sabbath afternoons, so we have to be careful what we teach them inadvertently about the day.

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  4. I especially like, "The Sabbath is a sign of God’s grace. We do no work on that day, demonstrating that it is not our works that sustain or save us but rather God’s work, both at creation and the cross, that sustain and save us."
    The Sabbath is a special and wonderful gift. It means just as much to me now as it did when I joined the church. Great picture!

    Lee, I think it is possible for kids to enjoy Sabbath and play Sabbath games and activities. I think one of the keys is that the parents are with them and participate in the activities with the children. That's how I did it with our son and other children we've had in the home. Make it interesting, lively and age appropriate.

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    • This takes work.

      It is easy to fall into adult routines which are familiar, comfortable and (often) do not involve effort.

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    • Yes, William,

      I was very happy and surprised to see the beautiful picture of the Congregational church in Litchfield, CT! It warmed my heart and readers may like to know there is interesting history in our area concerning temperance. I am amazed at the number of churches in Connecticut and small towns that have huge churches!

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  5. May God bless you more with knowledge and wisdom from above Pastor William, for He speaks with you for us to learn and know Him more.

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  6. Nobody commented as to why they were particularly concerned about children and the Sabbath. I think a review of chapter 79 is worth going through which I will quote from here and then tell of one thing I did for our children. "Parents, above everything take care of your children upon the Sabbath. Do not suffer them to violate God's holy day by playing in the house or out-of-doors. You may just as well break the Sabbath yourselves as to let your children do it, and when you suffer your children to wander about and suffer them to play upon the Sabbath, God looks upon you as Sabbathbreakers." {CG 533.2}

    I created a card game for my children, (besides going on walks, etc.), called SABMED-coined as such for what we should be meditating upon on the Sabbath to keep our minds on holy things. And as it was required for one participant in the game to give a card to one who called for it, the caller was required to give an experience in practical Christian living from about 5 categories.

    May God grant grace, wisdom and power to our parents as they raise children for Him!

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