REMEMBER THE SABBATH TO KEEP IT HOLY

Photo by Marin

REMEMBER THE SABBATH DAY TO KEEP IT HOLY

God wants us to rest one day out of every week. When you take the Sabbath day to rest like He said in Exodus 31:15, while you rest, He works. If you rest as He tells you to, He will make you more productive than if you worked seven days.

Take S. Truett Cathy, CEO of Chick-fil-A. He is a Christian, and all of his restaurants are closed on Sundays. His employees are given the opportunity to rest, go to church, and spend time with their families. As a result, Chick-fil-A is one of the most prosperous fast food chains in the country. Resting on the Sabbath hasn’t hurt the business at all. His net worth is over 4 billion dollars.

I find that if I take a break from working on Sunday, I am much more productive during the week. It’s really a trust issue. If you do what God asks you to do, will you trust Him to help you make sure all your obligations are fulfilled in spite of the fact that you rested on that seventh day? If you don’t honor the Sabbath, and you don’t take one day to rest (on whatever day you choose), then that’s a good indication that you don’t trust God to do what He says. It also tells God that you alone can accomplish your agenda your way even though His agenda includes taking one day to rest.

For some of us, taking one day of rest will be a challenge. We are so use to constantly working on our “To Do” lists. If you have a demanding job, and you are working seven days a week to make ends meet and meet personal obligations, ask God to  show you what you can do differently.  Don’t receive feelings of condemnation from the enemy.  If you want to set aside a day, but you don’t know how you can, seek God about it, and I really feel that He understands and will help you to find a way to honor Him on the Sabbath.

I dare you to try setting a day aside to spend time with God, spend quality time with family and friends, and nothing else. And don’t feel guilty about it, I might add.  You are simply obeying God.  Note your productivity in the days following. You will find that God is faithful, and He will help you to get more done in less time.

What has God taught you about taking time to rest? Please leave a comment below.

P.S.  I’d love your help spreading the word about my book, Oasis for My Soul: Poems and Inspirational Writings for Spiritual and Personal Growth. Click here to find out ways you can help.

Would you like to receive your FREE e-chapbook entitled, Your Faith Has Made You Whole: Poems and Inspirational Writings for Spiritual Transformation, by Tracey L. Moore? Go to www.traceylmoore.com and subscribe to the email list.

Find me on Facebook:  www.facebook.com/TraceyLMoore2012

Follow me on Twitter:  @TraceyLMoore1

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Please Save the Date!

Photo Courtesy of Sheelamohan

Saturday, November 30 – Book Signing at Luncheon/Concert/Fashion Show

I will be holding a book signing event at a wonderful Luncheon/Concert/Fashion Show sponsored by “Let’s Make It Difficult for Our Children to Fail!” (an organization founded by Sister Ruth Qualls dedicated to helping children succeed academically). The gala affair will take place at the Virginia Beach Westin Hotel (4535 Commerce St, Virginia Beach, VA, 23462) at 12 PM. Tickets are $25 for a great afternoon of dining and entertainment. Please contact me via email at tracey@traceylmoore.com  or phone at 757-567-0500 if you’d like to purchase tickets from me. Please tell your friends! I hope to see you there. See the correspondence below.

 

Let’s Make It Difficult For Our Children to Fail!®

Ruth Qualls, Founder

Dear Friends:

On November 30, 2013 at 12 PM, we will host a Concert, Fashion Show and Luncheon at the Virginia Beach Westin Hotel.  We are pleased to request that you honor us with your presence because of the influence you have on those around you. If you would be so kind as to spread the word about this important event, it would be greatly appreciated.

Education is being taught at a rapid pace, and our children are hard pressed to keep up!  Currently, in the Hampton Roads Area, we have a tremendous problem with our children failing.  Our children are doing so poorly!  As early as kindergarten our children are behind and trying daily to play catch up; because parents have failed to teach ABC’s, numbers, how to spell their names and write.  Too many of our five year olds begin school with little or no foundation to build upon.  Schools can only work with what parents send them!

Many problems in society can be traced to poor reading skills.  Therefore, it is imperative that we emphasize the importance of greater parental involvement at home, especially in the area of early childhood education.  We must aggressively confront this massive problem to head off the consequences our children will surely face if they are unable to read proficiently by the end of 4^th grade.  Over 70 percent of America’s inmates cannot read above 4^th grade level.  This in itself is a crisis indeed.

Please call and let us know that you will commit to join Pastors, community leaders, business owners, parents and friends on November 30th to learn how we as a community can help make it difficult (hard) for our children to fail!

Sincerely,

Ruth Qualls, Founder

Let’s Make It Difficult For Our Children To Fail!

GOD WANTS YOU TO REST IN HIM

 

Photo courtesy of Castillo Dominici

You know, God is so interesting. I have found that when I rest, He works, and when I work, He rests. Hebrews 4:9-11 says, “Their remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God; for anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from his own work, just as God did from his. Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest….” That means God wants His children to operate in His rest by refusing to engage in works of the flesh.

Entering into the Rest of God

If you want to enjoy life, one thing you must be aware of is that God doesn’t work unless you rest in Him. If you are working, He is not going to help you become more self-sufficient. How do you know when you are resting? Resting involves the following:

• Doing only what He tells you to do.
• Depending on Him to make the difference in your situation.
• Allowing Him to take responsibility for the outcome.
• Believing He will do exactly what He said He will do in His Word.
• Feeling peaceful and tranquil.

How do you know if you are working? Working involves the following:

• Implementing any old idea that pops into your head without prayer.
• Depending on your own intellect and skills to get the job done.
• Believing that the responsibility for all outcomes rests solely on you.
• Performing activities with doubt and unbelief about what God said.
• Feeling anxious and fearful.

The question you need to ask yourself is this:  Are you resting in Him, or are you working?

Rest Requires Spiritual Labor 

In the book of Hebrews, the Apostle Paul says we must labor to enter into the rest of God. That’s interesting because labor and rest are total opposites. The labor God is talking about is not physical work, but spiritual work. We must labor in the spirit to enter in to His rest. That means:

• Reading the Word and renewing your mind so that your faith is strengthened.
• Speaking the Word out of your mouth on a regular basis.
• Meditating on the Word as you go through your day.
• Listen to teachings and read books on the topic of faith.

In other words, you must make a concentrated effort, and do your part to build your faith to the point where you can easily trust God and enter into the rest that He says you can have in Him. If you want to enter the rest of God, it will NOT happen automatically. You will have to work spiritually and be determined to not give up until you get there. So let’s get committed to entering into the rest of God. Life is so much more enjoyable when you are where He wants you to be.

Are you resting or are you working? What changes (if any) do you need to make? Leave a comment below.

P.S.  I’d love your help spreading the word about my book, Oasis for My Soul: Poems and Inspirational Writings for Spiritual and Personal Growth. Click here to find out ways you can help.

Would you like to receive your FREE e-chapbook entitled, Your Faith Has Made You Whole: Poems and Inspirational Writings for Spiritual Transformation, by Tracey L. Moore? Go to www.traceylmoore.com and subscribe to the email list.

Find me on Facebook:  www.facebook.com/TraceyLMoore2012

Follow me on Twitter:  @TraceyLMoore1

Take a trip down a spiritually poetic trail, and dare to become your best for Christ.

THE GOOD FIGHT OF FAITH

Photo Courtesy of Feelart

The Apostle Paul told his protégé, Timothy, in I Timothy 6:12 “Fight the good fight of faith….” I begin to ask myself, what’s a good fight? Apparently, in Paul’s estimation, there are good fights and bad fights when it comes to faith. I wanted to know, what is the difference between a good fight and a bad fight?

First, a bad fight is one with a cause that isn’t worth fighting for to begin with. In contrast, a good fight is one which has a noble cause. The potential spoils outweigh the risk you take when you enter the fight. Have you ever gotten into an argument with someone that you soon figured out you should not have even gone there because it just wasn’t worth it? Therefore, you must enter battles only when the Holy Spirit tells you that the cause is worth it.

Second, a good fight is one where you perceive yourself as having a good chance of winning. When you think about it, who enters a fight with the goal of losing? You don’t go into a good fight thinking, “I’m going to lose.” If you are thinking that, then let me tell you, you are entering into a “bad fight.” Know that when God is with you, you will not lose.

Third, in a good fight, you have made up in your mind that you will not give up. For example, in II Timothy 4:7, Paul says, “I have fought a good fight.”  He goes on to expound about what a good fight entails: “…I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” Therefore a good fight is one where I see it through to the end. I don’t just quit in the middle when the going gets rough. I finish what I start.

Fourth, a good fight of faith is one where I hold on to my faith regardless of what my senses tell me. In I Timothy 1:18-19, Paul instructs, “Timothy, my son, I give you this instruction in keeping with the prophecies once made about you, so that by following them you may fight the good fight, holding on to faith and a good conscience.” Paul told the young pastor he must hold on to his faith. No matter what the enemy throws at you, in a good fight, you will hold on to what the Word of God says.

Finally, the good fight of faith is characterized by integrity. In I Timothy 1:19, Paul told Timothy that fighting the good fight entails holding on to a good conscience. Holding on to a good conscience means that your conscience must be kept clear. The only way to have a clear conscience is to operate in integrity. That means you fight fairly and according to the Word of God. You use spiritual weapons and not carnal weapons. You use God’s methods laid out in the Bible and not the world’s so-called strategies for success. 

 God wants you to fight the good fight of faith. Getting into a bad fight is a waste of time. Therefore, you must choose your battles wisely. The battle must be worth fighting for and you must perceive that, with God’s help, you are destined to win. Make up your mind that once you get into the fight, you will not give up. Hold on to your faith, and resist the temptation to enter into doubt and unbelief. Make sure you hold onto your integrity and do not compromise. Keeping all of these principles in mind will allow you to be able to fight and win the good fight of faith every time.

What do you consider a good fight or a bad fight? Let me know your thoughts. Please leave a comment below.

P.S.  I’d love your help spreading the word about my book, Oasis for My Soul: Poems and Inspirational Writings for Spiritual and Personal Growth. Click here to find out ways you can help.

Would you like to receive your FREE e-chapbook entitled, Your Faith Has Made You Whole: Poems and Inspirational Writings for Spiritual Transformation, by Tracey L. Moore? Go to www.traceylmoore.com and subscribe to the email list.

Find me on Facebook:  www.facebook.com/TraceyLMoore2012

Follow me on Twitter:  @TraceyLMoore1

Take a trip down a spiritually poetic trail, and dare to become your best for Christ.