Keeping the Sabbath

[IAMANOBODY2015]

I have thought about keeping the Sabbath many times. But I am often confuse of what is acceptable Sabbath practice and what is not. For example, is watching a non-Christian movie unacceptable on the Sabbath?

What do you do on the Sabbath?

 

[Shimshon]

This exemplifies the utter need for 'community'. Find one!! And join in with them. Find a Messianic congregation to attend on Shabbat. It's so much better than trying to fulfill the mitzvah alone in your own home. There are varying restrictions within Judaism. Most Messianic congregations do not hold too tightly to Talmudic interpretations of how to observe. Which would include lighting fires, driving, light switches and what not. IF the Lord is leading you to not watch secular TV on Shabbat, don't do it. The Torah command for weekly shabbat is to do no ordinary work.​

 

[Soyeong]

The Sabbath is a time set aside to have fellowship with a community of believers and to give honor and praise to God. It is a time to refrain from our work and what would prosper us in this world in order to do God's work. As 24 chapters in the Mishna show, it can be very easy to become legalistic with keeping the Sabbath, with focusing on how to avoid work, but that is the opposite of what God wants us to focus on. The focus should be much more on what we should do than what we avoid doing, and our focus should be on God. It is lawful to do good on the Sabbath and if your ox falls into a ditch, you should help lift them out, but if your ox makes a habit of falling into ditches, then you should consider getting a new ox.

 

[visionary]

Sabbath should be considered a set aside day for the man to focus on the Lord and worship Him. There are a lot of ways of doing that from praise, song, fellowship, study of scriptures, prayer, and doing good for man and beast. It is not to be our self pleasures of leisure that we do on this day off from work.

 

[Shimshon]

What do you do on the Sabbath?

Friday night dinner with the family. Kiddush. Good music, play games with the kids. My youngest loves Apples to apples, Jewish edition of course. Maybe watch a good movie together. Saturday morning wake up and make challah toast with the family then off to synagogue to share the day with other families in worship and fellowship. Head home and relax or go to the park. Do havdalah then watch another movie. If we don't go to Shul then me and the wife worship after reading the parshah during breakfast. The main focus of the day is the Lord and serving others. A few times a year we go to a mission to offer our time, on Shabbat. Anything to help another in need. Family worship and fellowship. This would be my typicals. If you do not have a family yet that gives you all the more time for fellowship and serving at the congregation or elsewhere. Offer yourself. That's an awesome mitzvah!

 

[Open Heart]

There is a lot to be said for keeping to the spirit of the Shabbat. I doubt that watching the Terminator keeps to that spirit. As a kid, my family watched no TV on Shabbat at all. Personally, I have a lot of trouble with this as I get very bored very easily, and the long hours of Shabbat are hard for me as I live alone. I aspire to observing Shabbat without movies, but I often don't live up to it.

 

[Hoshiyya]

I have thought about keeping the Sabbath many times. But I am often confuse of what is acceptable Sabbath practice and what is not. For example, is watching a non-Christian movie unacceptable on the Sabbath?

What do you do on the Sabbath?

I read material and watch videos (typically Rabbinic lectures/sermons or scripture studies), but not secular entertainment.

I remember the first Shabbat I ever tried keeping I basically just sat still, and watched a secular movie. Not my best Shabbat. I know someone who went mountain-climbing on their first Shabbat. It's a learning process, JUST JUMP INTO IT! ; )

 

[visionary]

You have a week to plan for the Shabbat activities. Maybe you find a study you save for the Shabbat. Maybe there is a park trails you can plan on exploring for the day. Maybe there is volunteer work you can do for Salvation Army, Red Cross, nursing homes, homeless shelters, suicide hotlines, etc. It takes planning, but there is a lot that can be done on the shabbat that can be your shabbat activities. Remember the Lord also said "REST" and I often take that literally and nap in the afternoon.

 

[BukiRob]

I have thought about keeping the Sabbath many times. But I am often confuse of what is acceptable Sabbath practice and what is not. For example, is watching a non-Christian movie unacceptable on the Sabbath?

What do you do on the Sabbath?

A good place to start is SCRIPTURE. Keeping a "list" of do's and don'ts pretty much defeats the entire purpose of Sabbath.

Yeshua said in Mark 2:27 Yeshua said to them, "The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath.

We are to keep the Sabbath as a day of rest.

You will find all kinds of people telling you what is and isn't acceptable scripture says really 2 things... you are not to work and you are to sanctify it.

Sanctify can mean: Set apart, bless, make holy etc...

Yeshua dealt with this very issue when he asked the pharisee's if it was permissible to do good on the Sabbath. Even thought they technically observed Sabbath they missed the entire point of it. Its a joyous day of rest, spend time with your Father and relax, enjoy time with your family and friends... it should be something you look forward to... if it becomes something you dread because of this long list of things you can do or dont do... then you are missing the point.

Some get so off in the weeds they wont use a light switch. Okay, then you better unplug every appliance in the house before sunset on Friday if you think like that.

 

[BukiRob]

A good place to start is SCRIPTURE. Keeping a "list" of do's and don'ts pretty much defeats the entire purpose of Sabbath.

Yeshua said in Mark 2:27 Yeshua said to them, "The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath.

We are to keep the Sabbath as a day of rest.

You will find all kinds of people telling you what is and isn't acceptable scripture says really 2 things... you are not to work and you are to sanctify it.

Sanctify can mean: Set apart, bless, make holy etc...

Yeshua dealt with this very issue when he asked the pharisee's if it was permissible to do good on the Sabbath. Even thought they technically observed Sabbath they missed the entire point of it. Its a joyous day of rest, spend time with your Father and relax, enjoy time with your family and friends... it should be something you look forward to... if it becomes something you dread because of this long list of things you can do or dont do... then you are missing the point.

Some get so off in the weeds they wont use a light switch. Okay, then you better unplug every appliance in the house before sunset on Friday if you think like that.

A good place to start is to observe it at sunset Friday....pray about what the Father wants YOU to do and dont let others tell you, that you have to do this, that or the other unless they can show you IN SCRIPTURE where they have arrived at abstaining from __________

Man has in his nature a real strong bent towards adding to what scripture tells us we are to be or not to be doing.

 

[Open Heart]

Some get so off in the weeds they wont use a light switch. Okay, then you better unplug every appliance in the house before sunset on Friday if you think like that.

Actually those who don't flip electrical switches because it is like kindling a fire will leave certain lights on throughout Shabbat.

 

[IAMANOBODY2015]

Thank you everyone.

 

[BukiRob]

Actually those who don't flip electrical switches because it is like kindling a fire will leave certain lights on throughout Shabbat.

Biggest bit of nonsense perhaps ever.

You don't gather wood like you do to keep a fire going with an electrical switch. You dont put wood on a fire with an electrical switch and the day that flipping a switch is considered working, well, then we should add things like breathing to that list

 

[danny ski]

Biggest bit of nonsense perhaps ever.

You don't gather wood like you do to keep a fire going with an electrical switch. You dont put wood on a fire with an electrical switch and the day that flipping a switch is considered working, well, then we should add things like breathing to that list

It's a religious ruling based upon the commandment. An attempt to adopt to changing times. In any case, you're free to disregard it as "nonsense".

 

[BukiRob]

It's a religious ruling based upon the commandment. An attempt to adopt to changing times. In any case, you're free to disregard it as "nonsense".

I do... as it is not in keeping with the intent of the command by Adonai....

Building a fire was WORK... flipping a switch isn't. Ever start a fire without a match? It is HARD WORK.... THAT was the point Adonai was making when he spoke about NOT kindling a fire.

 

[Open Heart]

Biggest bit of nonsense perhaps ever.

You don't gather wood like you do to keep a fire going with an electrical switch. You dont put wood on a fire with an electrical switch and the day that flipping a switch is considered working, well, then we should add things like breathing to that list

Gathering wood is a seperate offense from kindling a flame. There was nothing against the sabbath in keeping a fire going that was lit before the sabbath began. I don't personally agree that flipping an electrical curcuit is kindling a flame (I go with conservative thought) but I do understand their reasoning.

 

[danny ski]

I do... as it is not in keeping with the intent of the command by Adonai....

Building a fire was WORK... flipping a switch isn't. Ever start a fire without a match? It is HARD WORK.... THAT was the point Adonai was making when he spoke about NOT kindling a fire.

That's fine. That's your judgment. Our judges arrived at a different conclusion; the guiding principle being "err on the side of caution".

 

[Shimshon]

I do... as it is not in keeping with the intent of the command by Adonai....

Building a fire was WORK... flipping a switch isn't. Ever start a fire without a match? It is HARD WORK.... THAT was the point Adonai was making when he spoke about NOT kindling a fire.

Well now, it seems YOU just made an interpretation of what YOU believe our Lord was saying. So, what makes your traditional interpretation any different from the long standing Jewish community? Could it be that everyone who does not hold to your traditions (way of interpreting scripture) is wrong but you are correct? Are you a prophet?! Or, do you just have huge distain for the observant Jewish community that you place your theology against us?

So, since all the LAWyers love to use (portions) of the law for your own advantage, maybe someone will decide to respect the SOP (and scriptures) they claim to uphold and meditate (or moderate) on this section;

We strongly affirm the uniqueness and centrality of Yeshua as Messiah, but we avoid defining ourselves in contrast with traditional Judaism. We maintain a supportive stance toward Jewish history and the current Jewish community, even as we disagree with it in our view of Yeshua. We encourage learning Jewish history and values.​

This goes to highlight and serve as a witness that one law theologians usually pick and choose which things they would 'like' to see, and ignore that which is glaringly obvious, right in front of their eyes. OH is doing a bang up job at standing up for the historical interpretation of Torah observance as scripturally interpreted through Judaism. As embraced by Jews world-wide, including Messianic Jews. In this I can applaud her desire to witness the Jewish side of her faith. Even if I disagree with her eschatology and political beliefs. <<<<< example of how to appreciate someone who doesn't exactly identify as I do. The Jews here have always desired to include the Gentiles, but one law Messianic's continue to boast against the natural branches to the point of rejecting OUR own traditional heritage. As some here are so proving. Messianic JUDAISM sub-forum<<< remember? Mockery is not a way to witness Messiah to anyone......

 

[sahjimira]

I observe Sabbath alone also. I don't do the rituals but am mindful and study. I went a couple times to an MJ church but immediately a woman took me under her wing saying "before some of these others get to you". That made me uncomfortable as it represented division in the Church to me. Could b wrong. Nearest other is 30 miles away and I believe moving even further. So here I am
I

 

[aniello]

In the good ol' days(I'm 80), 40s and 50s, a portion of my Mom's Orthodox family used to hire a shabbos goy. Fine old tradition.

Thank G-d my dad's family is Lakota. Possibly even as old traditions as Jewish traditions. Gen 10:25.

Mic 6:8 He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?

Y'all try to be happy.