Separation of Church & State

SEPARATION OF CHURCH AND STATE

“I was just wondering if I was the only person in the world that believes that church should not be brought into the classroom.  This means school prayer!!  This country was founded on the right to choose your religion, Now everyone is trying to force their religion onto our children.  Well not all religion, just Christianity.”

This question was asked by a lady named Jennifer on the website holysmoke.org.  The answer to her question is: No, she is not the only one who believes that church should not be brought up in school.  In fact, our nation is quite divided over some of the concerns she brings up.  She blames Christians for trying to force their religion onto our children.  Many share her sentiments.

The other side, however, is just as frustrated.  They blame atheists and humanists for trying to force their religion onto our children: i.e. telling our children they are not allowed to pray before eating lunch in the cafeteria.  They are not allowed to have Christmas parties or sing Christmas carols that mention Jesus.  They are not allowed to quote the Bible in their term papers.  Validictorians are not allowed to mention Jesus in their address to the graduates.  History books are rewritten so that there is no mention of the faith of our founding fathers.  Children are now taught that the pilgrims gave thanks to the Indians instead of God.  Christians are accused of being intolerant because they have morals and values that others do not tolerate.

There is a cultural war going on in America today.  What is allowed and what is not allowed, who decides?  The answer:  Not the government!   Those who want to stop Christians from being Christian have persuasively argued for the separation of church and state - claiming that any appearance of faith in Jesus Christ on public property is unconstitutional.  By doing so, they fail to recognize two things.  First, those who live by faith, including students and teachers, do so 24/7 - at church, at home, at work, and at school.   Secondly, “separation of church and state” is NOT in the constitution.  It was written by Thomas Jefferson to the Dansbury Baptist Association agreeing that the government has no right to micromanage the religious life of the American people. 

The constitution simply says,   “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof;”    (No law for... No law against!)  Please also notice it says, “Congress shall make no law...”  It does not say anything about the policies of principals or teachers.  If a teacher wants to have a nativity scene in his classroom, but is not allowed, it should only be because the principal has a policy that there should be no nativity scenes in the classroom.  If a principal wants to have a nativity scene in his school building, but is not allowed, it should only be because the superintendent has a policy that there should be no nativity scenes in the school building.  If the superintendent wants to support the teachers’ and principal’s desire to have a nativity scene, but is not allowed by the government, then congress is breaking the constitution enforcing what they are not allowed to enforce.  No law for or against!  No law prohibiting the free exercise of religion!  The superindendent answers to the school board, and the school board is elected by the people - so, once again, in our great democracy, the majority decides!  Not Congress!

Yet, the courts have declared verbal prayers in school unconstitutional in 1962.  Then, the court ruled that it was unconstitutional for a student to pray over his lunch in Reed v. van Hoven.  In 1965, the courts ruled that students have freedom of speech except when it becomes religious (Stein v. Oshinsky).

In 1980, it was ruled unconstitutional to display the Ten Commandments.  Almost all cases of “separation of church and state” occur within the realm of public education.  According to a poll published in Time magazine (Dec 9, 1991, pg 64) most of these separations are largely contrary to the beliefs of the majority of the American people.

There are those who make policies to remove prayer and scripture, and all things “Christian” who sincerely believe they are just trying to be neutral.  But they are not being neutral.  They are catering to the desires of those who stand in opposition to the gospel.   And it is our children who will pay the price.

America’s strength and prosperity comes from it’s strong Christian heritage. A heritage that is under attack!  George Washington, in his farewell address said, “Of all the dispositions and habits which lead to political prosperity, religion and morality are indispensable supports... reason and experience both forbid us to expect that national morality can prevail in exclusion of religious principle.”

I personally believe it would be wise if school boards, superintendents, principals and teachers encouraged the exercise of religion and morality - knowing they are the pillars on which this nation has flourished.  Please do not cower to those who throw off all moral restraints and insist upon separation of church and state.  Thomas Jefferson never wrote it in order to squelsh the godly.  He wrote it to restrain the far reaching arm of the government.

 Go bless,  

     Pete

THE AMERICAN HERITAGE SERIES

 

Come join us each Sunday night of October, from 6-8 pm as we watch and discuss three - 28 minute episodes of The American Heritage Series with historian, David Barton.

Oct 7	6 p.m.	Unearthing America's Christian Foundation
Oct 14	6 p.m.	The Faith of Our Founding Fathers
Oct 21	6 p.m.	Our Biblical Constitution  Is America A Christian Nation?
Oct 28	6 p.m.	Church & State and The First Amendment

Discover the forgotten and astonishing story of our nation’s foundation in the American Heritage Series. For centuries, Americans were taught a truthful view of history that recognized the Godly heroes and moral foundation our nation was founded upon. But in recent years, a new version of history has assaulted the moral and spiritual fiber of our nation, leaving the truth of our past eliminated and forgotten. Until today. From Separation of Church and State, to the Civil Rights Movement, the heroism of our founding Fathers to the building of our nation’s monuments, this series will inspire every American to reclaim the Godly, true story of our nation. Join historian David Barton and experience the untold story of our nation’s history in the American Heritage Series.

Tebow Time

I read Tim Tebow’s Book, “Through My Eyes”.

Tim Tebow is a rookie quarterback for the Denver Broncos. He gained popularity in his college years playing football for Florida University for not only being a great quarterback, but for painting scripture verses such as John 3:16 under his eyes (it is reported that 92 million people did a google search on “John 3:16” during or shortly after one of his games). His college team won the national championship in 2006 and 2008. He won the prestigious Heisman trophy in 2007. Most recently, he has become a national phenomenon because he has led the Broncos to win several games that appeared to be unwinnable – all the while, giving glory to his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

What Tim Tebow does on the field is amazing. But what he does off the field is intriguing. The conditioning he puts his body through is intense. If everyone else does 100 pushups, he’ll do 200. He’ll work out three times a day. He’ll lift weights until his arms tremble. He works hard and pushes himself by thinking somewhere out there, someone is working harder than him. Why does he push himself so hard? He does it out of his devotion to God. He does it because he wants God to be honored and glorified through his life. He does it because he believes God receives joy from watching His children use their gifts and skills to the best of their abilities. It is his way of investing his talents (Matthew 25:14-30) and maximizing them, rather than burying them and letting them waste away. It is his way of saying “Thank you God for what you have given me”.

He tells a story of rebuking a teammate for not giving his best when they were running the steps of the stadium during practice. His teammate justified his actions by saying he wanted to stay behind and encourage another teammate that was lagging behind. Tebow was livid and called it laziness, disguised as good intentions. He concluded, if you truly want to encourage your teammates, then give your teammates (and God) your best!

For all you sports fans, you would probably like for me to continue writing more about Tebow. For anyone who is not a sports fan, you probably stopped reading this article a couple of paragraphs ago. But the reason I’m writing about our Christian brother, Tebow, is to ask you – is his hard work, dedication and devotion to God, that has manifested itself in the NFL arena, a strange phenomenon? Or, is the fact that most Christian are not that dedicated and devoted to God with the talents He has given each one of us a strange phenomenon? Are we not all suppose to love the Lord our God with all of our heart, all of our mind, and all of our strength? (Mark 12:30) Isn’t Tim Tebow simply doing what we are all commanded to do?

What would it look like to truly give God our best? Let’s prepare ourselves for some intense spring training of our bodies, minds, and souls this year. God deserves it. The world needs it. And we will all be blessed by doing it.

Go bless,

Pete



“…whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.” – 1 Corinthians 10:31

Perry, Romney, and a Baptist Preacher Calling Mormons "A Cult"

The Story of Two Nations

In America…


FRIDAY, October 7, Robert Jeffress, the pastor of a Southern Baptist mega-church in Texas, got his 15 minutes of fame when he introduced presidential candidate, Rick Perry at a Values Voters Summit in Washington. Jeffress asked, “Do we want a candidate who is a good, moral person — or one who is a born-again follower of the Lord, Jesus Christ?” He later told reporters that Mormonism was a “cult.”  (Mormonism doesn't recognize Jesus as God - but rather, the son of God, the brother of Satan))

The scuttlebutt over the next several days centered on whether or not Jeffress should have said what he said. Is someone’s faith relevant to being the leader of our country? The Constitution, Article 6, Clause 3: “…no religious test shall ever be required as a qualification to any office or public trust under the United States.” So legally, one’s faith is not a factor. But democratically, elections are not about what is legal, but about what “we the people” want.

TUESDAY, October 11, Mitt Romney called on Rick Perry to repudiate Pastor Jeffress’ remarks. He said that Jeffress’ remarks were divisive. He said, “I believe in the spirit of the founders, when they suggested in crafting this country that we would be a nation that tolerated other people, different faiths -- that we’d be a place of religious diversity,"

What do you think? Are you sympathetic to the verbal pounding Pastor Jeffress has received? Or, do you think he was an idiot for saying such a thing? Should we choose a Christian to lead us? Or, is the economy the issue that trumps all others?

In Egypt…

In Egypt, there has been a growing tension between the Muslim majority and the Christian minority (which make up 10% of the population) ever since President Mubarak was overthrown in February.

MONDAY, On October 10, 25 people were killed and 329 wounded (mostly Christians), when Christians protested the partial destruction of one of their churches by radical Muslims. They demanded the resignation of a governor for failing to protect them. The Los Angeles Times reports, "To support its version of events, which starkly contrasted with video posted by activists and protesters, the military aired video of the clashes taken by state TV and independent Egyptian media."

What are we to believe? Are the Christian’s at fault for protesting? Are the Muslim’s at fault for how they treat the Christians? Is the leaders at fault – for turning a blind eye to how the Muslims treat the Christians, and for how they handled the Christians who were protesting?

The Story of Two Kings

Once upon a time, there was a king named Ahaz, who lived in Judah. King Ahaz was a business man. He saw what all the other kings were doing, and how rich and powerful they had become, and he wanted to be like them. So, he closed the Temple of the Lord (2 Chronicles 28:24) and worshipped their gods and made the worship of these gods popular and convenient. King Ahaz was a religious man.

But the Bible says Lord handed him over to these kings he envied. He was attacked by Aram and Israel, the Edomites and the Philistines and Assyria. They experienced heavy causalities. 120,000 men were killed in one day, and 200,000 wives and children were taken into slavery. His kingdom was plundered (2 Chronicles 28:8).


Years later, there was a new king named Hezekiah (Ahaz’s son). Hezekiah sought God. He led his people to repent and turn to God. He united the people by teaching them the Word of God (2 Chronicles 30:12). The people were blessed. The people were safe. And his kingdom prospered (2 Chronicles 31:21)

So, I ask you, how important is the faith of our leaders? Is it enough for our leaders to be religious? To be moral? Do we see that our leaders need to be led by more than just a Higher Power, but the Highest Power – the King of kings, Jesus Christ. Do we see that our safety, our well-being, our prosperity as a nation is dependent on not who is leading our nation, but who is leading our leaders?

Go Bless,

Pete



Unless the LORD watches over the city, the watchmen stand guard in vain.  - Psalm 127:1



WORSHIP IN OZ

Worship In Oz


Our worship has a lot of the same problems as the Land of Oz.

Like the Scarecrow, some of us really need a brain! Jesus said, "true worshippers must worship in... truth." Jesus told the Samaritan woman, "You worship what you do not know" (John 4:22) He is saying, "You pray, but you don't know who you are praying to. You work, but you don't know who you are working for. You talk about God, but you haven't got a clue who God is." Some people... Some churches - are all spirit, but no truth. They love the hype, the entertainment, the tickling of the ears. Their worship is shallow, artificial, and useless. Hosea 4: 6 says, "My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge..." Matthew 22:37, Jesus tells us to love the Lord with all of our... minds! 2 Thessalonians 2:10 warns us that people will perish because they refuse to love the truth. Don't check your brains in at the door when you come to worship.

Like the Tin Man, some churches need a heart. Jesus, talking about the Jews, said, "We worship what we do know" (John 4:22) - and as we all know, knowing is not enough. 1 Corinthians 8:1 says, "knowledge puffs up, but love builds up." The Lord said in Isaiah 29:13, "These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me." The Jews had reduced worship to rules and rituals. Many churches do the same! They know the Bible inside and out. They can quote scripture after scripture. They will beat you at Bible Trivia every time - but where's the love? Jesus tells us in Matthew 22:37, the greatest commandment is to love the Lord your God... with all of your heart!

A man once went to church with an angel as his guide. Every seat in the church was filled, but there was something strange about the service. The praise band led the people in a popular chorus without making a sound. During the offering, the organist moved her fingers over the keys, but no music came from the pipes. The choir rose to sing, their lips moved, but it was as the mute button had been pushed on the remote. The pastor stepped to the pulpit to read the Scriptures, but the man observing with the angel could not even hear the rustle of the pages. Then the Lord's Prayer was recited by the entire congregation, but not a single syllable was audible. The pastor went again to the pulpit, and the man could tell he had started his sermon as he gestured here and there to make his various points, but the man again heard nothing. Turning to the angel the man said, I don't understand. What does all this mean? I see the service is being held, but I hear nothing. The angel replied, You hear nothing because there is nothing to be heard, at least not by heaven's ears. Those people are just going through the motions. Nothing they are doing has any meaning for them and worship without the heart is not worship.

Hebrews 10:22 tells us to "...draw near to God with a sincere heart." Without a sincere heart, we are just wasting our time. God is not looking for something brilliant. He is looking for something broken. David writes, "Create in me a pure heart." (Psalm 51:10) "The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, a broken and contrite heart." (Psalm 51:17)

Like the Lion, Christians today need courage. Courage to worship in spirit AND in truth. We need courage to do both! To use our right brain AND left brain. To worship intellectually AND emotionally. To worship with our heart AND our mind.

Go Bless,

Pete

"...a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth." - John 4:23-24

The End Of The World

Harold Camping has put up over 3000 billboards world wide. (I would love to know where he gets his money) Below is a list of predictions made over the past 1000 years (I'm sure there are more that are not listed). Typically, there is a lot of hype. Sometimes there is signifanct church growth (Jehovah Witnesses went from 60,000 to 300,000 members back in 1975).  And then the day comes and nothing happens. Harold Camping has done this before in 1994 - but says he miscalculated. He is really sure this time.

The problem - when church leaders make such predictions, churches often go through a significant growth spurt. But after the hype, Christians are disillusioned. They are cynical and apathetic. The Church is left with fewer and less committed Christians. And non-christians dig their heels in deeper against the things of God

It simply is NOT biblical. MATTHEW 24:36 says, "No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.” Because of his prediction - the one thing that I am absolutely certain of - it won't be May 21st.

However, I would encourage you to read 2 Peter 3 tonight. I know that Jesus will come back some day. For every prophecy in the Bible concerning his 1st coming - there are 8 looking forward to his second coming. The emphasis of 2 Peter 3 is "BE READY"
I'll see ya Sunday (probably)

Pete

HISTORY OF PREDICTED 2ND COMINGS

2nd Century – Montanist movement claimed Christ’s return was imminent.



1000 A.D. – The end of the first millennium caused widespread fear – “a universal expectation” that the end of the world was at hand.



1349 – The Bubonic Plague, 25 million Europeans (1/4 of the population) died. “The horsemen of the Apocalypse are in our midst.”



1532 – “There are rumors the world will end in 1532. (It) cannot last much longer.” – Martin Luther



Oct 19, 1533, 8 am – Date and time computed by Michael Stifel that the world would end.



1661 – Fifth Monarchy Men of England Movement



1836 – Year computed by John Wesley (founder of the Methodist) that the world would end



Oct 22, 1844 – Year Jonathan Edwards predicted the world would end.



1914 – “All signs point to 1914 as the end of the age.” – Charles Taze Russel (Jehovah’s Witnesses)



1975 – “With all certainty” mathematical formulas pointed toward the Fall of 1975 as the long awaited end. – Jehovah’s Witnesses



1988 – Book: 88 Reasons Why Jesus Will Return In 1988



May 1992 – Month and year computed by Edger C. Whisenaut (retired NASA engineer) that the world would end.



Sept 1994 – “I think the date range is between September 6 and Sptember 23” – Harold Camping (head of Family Radio, Oakland, Ca)



2000 - Over 500 groups made the prediction that the year 2000 would be the end of the world. – The Millenium Watch Institute

May 21, 2011, 6 pm - "...there's nothing in the Bible that holds a candle to the amount of information to this tremendous truth of the end of the world. – Harold Camping (head of Family Radio, put up 3,200 billboards throughout the world anouncing May 21, 2011 as the Second Coming)

9-11

This is a re-post of an article I wrote after 9-11. After hearing of the death of Bin Laden, I re-read it and felt the need to post it again hoping it could shed some insight on what we are experiencing.

 

In our war against evil,

it is so important that we don’t become evil.

THE WORLD TRADE CENTER

After the shocking events that rocked our Nation September 11, 2001, I found myself feeling like a hypocrite. I’m very mindful of the Scriptures that command us to “Love our enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. If someone strikes you on one cheek, turn to him the other also” (Luke 6:27-29).


Quite honestly, I didn’t feel like turning the other cheek! I didn’t feel like loving my enemies and doing good to these people who have hurt our Nation so bad. But I am a Christian. And I keep hearing the words of Jesus as he asks, “Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord.” and do not do what I say?”  (Luke 6:46) The Bible goes on to say, “If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone"  (Romans 12:18).


Many Christians have studied these Scripture and concluded that war is never permissible. They would be considered conscientious objectors if drafted - not out of fear of dying for their country, but out of fear of God. Much of the persecution of Christians when the church began is attributed to Christians refusing to fight for the Roman Empire. As Emperor Septimius Severus tried to build up his military might in 200 A.D., the churches were preaching that Christians should not bare arms. Why? Because Christians were to live at peace with everyone… as far as it was dependent on them… if possible.

JUSTICE

It wasn’t until St. Augustine addressed the subject around 400 A.D. that Christians realized, sometimes the way to peace required taking the road to war. Augustine said, “Peace is not sought in order to provide war, but war is waged in order to attain peace.” And with that, Augustine began laying the foundation for what we know today as the principles for Just War, which states:


• JUST WAR can only be waged by legitimate authorities.


• JUST WAR must exhaust all non-violent options first.


• JUST WAR must have a reasonable chance to succeed.


• JUST WAR must be fought with right intentions.


• JUST WAR must discriminate between combative enemies and non-combative civilians (Death of civilians are considered justifiable only if unavoidable).


• JUST WAR’s ultimate goal should be to re-establish peace.


Augustine’s rationale for war was nothing new. It was simply an elaboration of what the Bible had said all along… and what Christians had missed for 400 years. Romans 13:3-4 says, “For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. ... if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword for nothing. He is God’s servant, an agent of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer.”


Our rulers are God’s servants (agents of wrath) who have a responsibility to punish wrongdoers. Not only do our rulers have a responsibility to administer justice, everyone who calls themselves “Christian” has a responsibility to be just. Micah 6:8 asks, “And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly…“   It is our rulers’ responsibility to administer justice. And it is our responsibility to support our leaders as they carry out their responsibility. It would be unjust and immoral of me to not support our leaders as they carry out this God-given duty. It would be unjust and immoral of me stand by and do nothing as innocent lives are attacked. I can turn my cheek when someone strikes at me. But I can not turn my cheek when someone strikes the innocent.


But Romans 12:17 cautions us, “Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody (what is just)… Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord.”  It’s important to understand that justice is not revenge. Principle #4 of the JUST WAR theory states, “JUST WAR must be fought with right intentions.” What is our intent? Revenge? Or peace? To kill? Or to save? Our goal must be to stop our enemies - not destroy them. However, if the only way to stop them is by destroying them, then we must do so. The Lord requires justice.

MERCY

But the Lord also requires mercy. (Micah 6:8)  It thrills my soul to see how Americans pulled together after 9-11, offering transportation and housing, giving blood, time, and money (It’s a shame it took a tragedy to make this happen). But it scares me how much hate I hear from my fellow Americans… the desire to blow up the whole Middle East… the attacks on Arabs and Muslims here in the United States. Has it occurred to anybody that many of these people are in America to escape the injustice of their homeland? Hebrews 12:15 in the Living Bible says, “Watch out that no bitterness takes root among you, for as it springs up it causes deep trouble, hurting many in their spiritual lives.”


In our war against evil, it is so important that we don’t become evil. God says in Romans 12:21 “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” Ephesians 4:31 says, “Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.” Is it possible to balance our desire for justice with our need for mercy? Here lies the problem. People strive for one, and neglect the other. We need both, or else bitterness will take root inside us and we will kill ourselves. We will become the very thing we are trying to destroy. We must love our enemy… pray for our enemy… forgive our enemy. We must “be merciful, just as our Father is merciful.” (Luke 6:36)

HUMILITY

One last thing. The Lord also requires humility. (Micah 6:8)


I heard of a little boy that was being read to by his father. In the book were pictures - and the father would often stop and point out the pictures and ask his son, "Luke, who made these trees?" The little toddler would say, "Luke did!" "No" said his daddy with a laugh, "God did."


"Luke, who made these mountains?"


"Luke did!"


"No" said his daddy, "God did."


"Luke, who made these flowers?""Luke did!"


"No" said his daddy, "God did."


The next morning - Luke had spilt his milk at the breakfast table. His Daddy walked in and immediately asked, "Who made this mess?"


"God did!"


Isn’t it like us to take all the credit for the good things in life... and blame God for all the bad?This tragedy that has devasted our nation... Did God cause this to happen? In 1 Kings 11:14, the Bible tells us that God raised up an adversary against Solomon... because Solomon had done evil in the eyes of the Lord. Isaiah 8 tells us how God raised up the Assyrians against Israel... His chosen people!!! because they had turned their backs on God.


Did God allow this tragedy? Did He cause this tragedy? I don’t know the answer. But I do know He has my attention.


Principle #3 of the JUST WAR theory states, “…we must have a reasonable chance to succeed.” Do we? We’re America! We are a great superpower! We’re #1! Right? Romans 8:12 says, “If God is for us, who can be against us?” And God is for us! Right? Romans 8:12 says, “If… God is for us, who can be against us?” I believe that if God is for us, we will be victorious. But if God is against us, we don’t stand a chance. Billy Graham once said “If God does not punish America for all it’s sins - He owes Sodom & Gomorrah an apology.” James Davison Hunter adds, “We Americans generally want to think of ourselves as good people. That, in many respects, is where the trouble begins.” Remember, God saves the humble but bring low those whose eyes are haughty (Psalm 18:27). Will we fight this fight with our own grit and determination? Or will we trust in the Lord? Will we be led by the Lord? Will we wait upon the Lord? This tragic week has forced our Nation to fall on our knees before God. There have been prayer services and vigils all across our land. I, for one, hope that we do not get up off our knees to quickly. For it is when our Nation turns to God that we are at our best.


So… What does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.




MICAH 6:8-6:8 What does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God...





STRESSED!

“Tis the season...”


What causes stress?

- money problems?

- over scheduling?

- traffic?

- the words, “some assembly required”?



It seems that Christmas can bring out the best and worst in us. Lights on the roof... eggnog in the fridge... presents wrapped and placed under the tree. But what did it take to make it all happen? Long lines at the checkout counters… people fighting over Elmo... an overdrawn bank account. We are overworked, overwhelmed, and overcommitted. We are hurried and worried. Christmas leaves us physically exhausted, psychologically drained, and spiritually???

Christmas is a time many people stop and turn to God. But unfortunately, it is also a time that many people don’t stop. Many don’t turn to God. For them, there is no time to pray... no time to give thanks... no time to worship. Like Martha (Luke 10), we get distracted by all the preparations. We “are worried and upset about many things.” (Luke 10:41) We have lost focus of the one thing that is needed. Are we making time for God?

REST

The key to stress is rest. Right? How do we get rest when we are so stressed?

One of God’s original 10 commandments dealt with the issue of rest: “Remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not work.” (Exodus 20:8) It goes on to say that “For six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth... but he rested on the seventh day.” Have you ever thought about why God rested? Do you think He was worn out? Did He have to take a nap? No. He was modeling for us how to pause and prioritize. How to enjoy what is really important.

To some, there is no time to rest. There is too much to do! Rest is a luxury they cannot afford. Some people struggle to take a Sabbath. They see it as an Old Testament law. And, praise God, we are not under the Law anymore.

Others can’t wait to take a Sabbath from work. They “Thank God it’s Friday” (because they are so spiritual!). They believe that the weekend is what refreshes them. But most people should thank God for Monday so they can recover from their weekend!

But to God, the Sabbath is Holy. He “blessed the Sabbath and made it holy.” (Exodus 20:11) And when God blesses something - it ought to get our attention! If we want God’s blessing we ought to be a part of what He is blessing. His command to us is not: “Remember the Sabbath and rest” He says, “Remember the Sabbath and keep it holy.” The key to the Sabbath is not - not doing anything. The key is to do something! The key is to spend this time with God!

The key to stress is rest! And the key to rest is to remember that 24 hours of a week belongs to God. It is God’s gift to us - to protect us - from ourselves. Jesus said, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath” (Mark 2:27)

In Mark 6, the disciples had been sent out by twos to heal people and teach people. Jesus told the disciples, “Come with me... get some rest.” What are the words that most people hear? “Get some rest” But the real secret is in the words: “Come with me”

Again, in Matthew 11:28, Jesus says, “Come to me all who are weary, and I will give you rest.” How do you get rest? Come to Jesus!

If you are stressed over being overcommitted - take it to God. Allow Him to help you prioritize what is important. Ephesians 5:15-17 says, “Be very careful, then, how you live--not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity... Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord's will is.”

If you are stressed because money is tight - come to Jesus. Pray about what you can spend this Christmas season. And then stay disciplined to do as God leads. Understand what the Lord’s will is!

If you are worried and upset about many things - understand that only one thing is needed. Understand what the Lord’s will is.

Got stress? Get Jesus!

He will give you rest.

Then you will be blessed!



Pete Baumgartle, Lanesville, Indiana


Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests." - Luke 2:14



Stress is a warning sign that we are taking ourselves too seriously, and that we are not taking God seriously enough.