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Is God worried about Sunday shopping in PEI?
Written by Peter Youngren on December 3rd 2010In this article, Pastor Peter uses a recent political hot potato to show that there is peace and rest in Jesus. This article was written for the Saturday edition of the St. Catharines Standard. - Nathan Thurber
Last week Prince Edward Island’s Transportation Minister suggested that God had struck down the Leader of the Opposition, Olive Crane, after she introduced a bill to allow year around Sunday shopping. As a pastor I’m obviously against Sunday shopping. After all, if people didn’t have the option to go to the mall there might be a higher attendance in church. The alternative, of course, is to have such a meaningful Sunday service that people prefer church to the shopping center.
I’m not writing about Sunday shopping per se, but about the media’s inclination to report on events and statements where judgmental Christians present the Almighty as a petty, faultfinding, slap-people-in-face god. Olive Crane appeared on CBC’s Compass, where she argued for the passing of the Sunday shopping law. When she exited the show, she slipped on the set, injuring her ankle and wrist.
Transportation minister, Ron MacKinley, lost no time to bring God into the legislative debate. The minister sounded ever so religious, in that special “humble” way, “I’m not what you call a saint, but I believe in God, and I believe in doing the best I can. You were at CBC pushing Sunday shopping, were you not?” he asked Crane.
“Right after the interview, what happened?”
Crane’s acknowledgement of the injury she has sustained led to MacKinley’s remark that the accident could be that “the Lord works in mysterious ways, maybe you should start worrying what’s going on here? We are going all the time further and further away, whether it is prayers in the school, or whatever it is”. Ms. Crane told a Charlottetown newspaper, “When Mr. MacKinley made his comment, he was serious”, while Premier Robert Ghiz was hoping the whole thing was a “joke”.
As a believer in Jesus Christ, I find it embarrassing that the God, who is love, is misrepresented as a micro-manager, operating from His heavenly grandstand, ready to punish anyone, who is not in line.
I wish Premier Ghiz would be right, that this is “a joke”. Sad to say, there are all too many, who have been brainwashed with the idea that God has a few favorite sins that He likes to really judge. Comments like that of the late Jerry Farwell, that September 11th , 2001 was God’s judgment over America, or Pat Robertson’s more recent remark that God punished Haiti with the earthquake that killed more than 200,000, are hardly helpful.
“Holy days” have been a topic a dissension and a cause for religious wars for centuries. Muslims worship on Friday, Jews on Saturday, and Christians, with a few exceptions, on Sunday. So which day is the holy day? If we bothered to read the New Testament we would discover that all days are holy. The whole Sabbath discussion is a mote point. The Sabbath day, celebrated by the Jewish people, was pointing forward to Christ’s coming, when the Sabbath rest would no longer be a particular day, but a person. Genesis tells us that God rested on the seventh day, because His work was done. Similarly we have peace and rest in Jesus Christ, because the work of making ourselves righteous, holy, and acceptable to God, has already been done. Jesus did it. He is our Sabbath.
The news reports from the PEI legislature generated discussion on major news sites, with comments like, “Bible thumpers should not be in positions of power”, or “Wow, God is worried about Sunday shopping in PEI – how quaint.”
The Good News of the Gospel seems to go unnoticed. Whatever our faults, pains, disappointments or regrets, we are invited into the embrace of the Heavenly Father, who receives even the worst offender with hugs and kisses. That warm embrace caused the prodigal son to recognize that he was accepted in spite of his utter failure. That divine embrace is equally available to Mr. MacKinley and Ms. Crane.
Which view of God will carry the day in the PEI legislature? Is it the grotesque, distorted view of God as someone who sprains ankles, breaks wrists and sends earthquakes, or the God, who loves, because He is love.
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Comments:
All i knnow Peter is God says don’t judge. I guess we all need to becareful that we don’t do things to open doors that give satan an opportunity.
Wendy
~ Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
Yes if it took over 200,000 people’s lives for God to wake mankind up, and yet they fail to notice what happened here, then what the heck are people doing again?
They’ve gone back to ignoring the signs that are out there.
I was told that there are quite a few different denominations who are not aware of what’s to come. I spoke to this lady from a long time ago about the anti-Christ, she’s the big Christian that she is, turns to me and said, you’ve heard of the bogeyman haven’t you, this is like what they say about the Antichrist, it’s not real, who told you this, fed you a bunch of lies?
There are scoffers out there, who make fun of the Bible, and of God. I made it clear to my nephew back in Sept 11’ 2010, just before their dog died on our road trip to Banff from Calgary.
I said for what I was reading, it speaks about people like you, because he told me that he didn’t believe everything the Bible had to say.
I’ve heard people say, why would God do those things, he is a loving father, yet we go on sining.
I had a dream, and God showed me what he was planning to do. It’s sad because the dream showed me a tsunami, and that it will hit a beach where people are enjoying their holiday, it’s a wakeup call to this because I saw the waters rise, and there was a mother with her child on the beach and as the waters rose up onto the beach it separated them from each other.
If you think God is inhumane to do this to this family, I dont question God of his ethics, I get down on my knees and I pray.
Which many of you should be doing.
God Bless
Wendy
~ Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Praise God for your item Peter.
Our God is not a moaning, whining, whinger, who is bogged down with petty issues such as Sunday trading. He isn’t seeking to judge anyone because his whole focus is to save and bless!!!
Thank you for this article….. and I realise because of your busy-ness you may not get to read this personally, but thank you for when you visited Grace Internation Centre (Walsall, England) some years ago, where i first heard you. Then I was an associate to Pastor Andy Wall….now I’m Senior Pastor at Christian Celebration, Northampton, where I’m seeking to bring God’s message of His awesome Grace!!!
Thank you Peter…
Tony
~ Northampton, England
“For God so LOVED the world” .. the foundation of our Christian faith is that same UNCONDITIONAL love - we’re not here to judge, we’re here to show that same love and compassion to others. Remember Mr. MacKinley, you absolutely reap what you sow! If you’re going to judge… better watch where you step!
Rev. Ralph
~ Halifax, Nova Scotia
I am grateful to you, Peter, for wanting to be gracious and focus on God’s love, but I agree more with those who also realize other of God’s attributes, like Pat Robertson. When I saw you completely disregard the question someone had sent about wondering if Obama could be the antichrist, I was blown away by your answer. You do not seem to be aware of as much of the facets of God’s character as some of your audience who appreciate more of what Christ taught while He was among us. Thankyou for your great desire to win people to the Lord with His love, but please also at least consider that your brothers and sisters may also understand more of God’s character and mysterious ways in other ways than has been a part of your study and experience. Each of us has different areas of knowledge and experience and in all of us there is some overlap, but also some variance - which because it is different, does not make it completely invalid. Please show the kind of grace to your Christian family that you extend to those who aren’t. God bless you and continue to bless you as we grow to be more like the One we love.
Dianne
~ St. Marys, Ontario, Canada
I agree, with God everyday is holy and we are now in the new testament, not the old testament. Yes God did show his wrath and anger in the old testament but it was not to punish us but to show us how desperately we needed to look forward to the coming Saviour. God isn’t angry at us anymore and He does not go around causing us harm. This can only be blamed on the enemy because he loves to cause strife and confusion. Jesus paid it all, once and for all. Praise Him, thank you Jesus.
Helen
~ Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
This was so wonderful to get up today and read this email.
My only regret upon reading it was that it was not in The Guardian, our Charlottetown newspaper, hope you would consider it.
Thank you for the gift. Cindy Gotell
Cindy
~ Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, Canada
If there is one entity who is truly justified in claiming defamation in this universe it s God Our Father. And the prince of this air has been very successful in selling us this BIG Lie.
All he wants us to do is to get all hung up about the right & the wrong ever since we partook of the tree of the knowledge of good & evil instead of focusing on the issue and asking one self only one question does this bring Life- which he himself gave us on the cross.
Beena
~ Oakville, Ontario, Canada
Very appropriate response defending Christian faith.
Rev. Dr. P. R. Parichha
~ Orissa, India
Thank you
I hope what you said gets around ..God is good and loving and His grace is suffiecient…
Toni
~ Fernley, Nevada, USA
Preach it, Pastor Peter!
The bible states that God was In Christ, reconciling the world unto Himself, not counting their sins against them (2 Corinthians 5: 19). Note that God didn’t want a divorce from the world because of it’s sin - but rather He wanted reconciliation! He wants a relationship with every last one of us on planet earth, forever! Oh hallelujah!
Thank God for his great and wonderful love, as clearly shown through His Son, Jesus Christ, and His finished work at the cross.
Eric
~ Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Again, well articulated Pastor Peter as you have accurately addressed the real issue of truth that is at stake here in a most succinct and clear manner.
God indeed “is Love” and He is reaching out to each of us that we may experience His “Divine Embrace” as you put it.
John
John
~ Brampton, Ontario, Canada
Thank you, Peter!! That is So right!
Bless you!
Rhoda
~ Costa Mesa, California, United States
Amen, Peter!
Sheilah
~ Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
Chaque jour est particulier et spécial est doit être consacré à Dieu. Le Dieu de Dimanche est trop limité. L e repos nous est utilie pour faire le bilan et savoir aussi où se trouyve dansnos vies. Si chaque chrétien était vraiment engagé le monde sentira l’odeur de la présence de Dieu et les Marie-Madeleine au-lieu de courrir aux supermarchés courront au tombeau à la rencontre du Seigneur mais cette rencontre doit se faire dans notre esprit. L’humanité aspire à beaucoup de libertinage voulant reléguer Dieu au dernier plan que surgisse un désastre païens et croyants crient à Dieu. Nous devons savoir ce qu’il faut faire du temps que Dieu nous donne. Souviens-toi de ton Dieu pendant les jours de ta jeunesse -càd force, vigueur-. Que Dieu soit notre primauté et nous verrons certaines décisons disparaître d’elle-même. Le dimanche est aussi un jour consacré àl a famille. Beuacoup de familles sont déconcentrée , ne se reconnaissent plus et ne se fréquentent plus puisque trop pris par l’appât du gain. Ah notre monde.
Ben
Colmar/FRANCE
TRANSLATED…..
Every day is unique and special is to be devoted to God. The God of Sunday is too limited. T he rest is helpful to take stock and also know where trouyve dansnos lives. If every Christian was really committed the world to smell the presence of God and Mary Magdalene at the town of courrir supermarkets will run to the tomb to meet the Lord, but this meeting must take place in our mind. Humanity aspires to much debauchery wanting to relegate God to the background as a disaster arises pagans and believers cry to God. We need to know what to do with the time that God gives us. Remember your God in the days of thy youth, ie force-force. God is our rule and we will see some decisons disappear by itself. Sunday is a day dedicated Al family. Beuacoup families are decentralized, no longer recognize themselves and do more frequent since too busy greed. Ah our world.
Ben
Colmar / FRANCE
Ben
~ Colmar, Alsace, France
There is indeed a tsunami that is coming upon the world, an outpouring of God’s righteous judgment upon the wickedness of men, “according to my Gospel” (Romans 2:16). This tsunami can be seen both in Scripture and in the world around us. In Scripture, we read that “by your hard and impenitent heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed” (Rom 2:6), and “by the same word the heavens and earth that now exist have been stored up for fire, being kept until the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men” (2Peter 3:6). We also read that “in the last days there will come times of stress. For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, inhuman, implacable, slanderers, profligates, fierce, haters of good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, holding the form of religion but denying the power of it. Avoid such people.” (2 Tim 3:1-5). This concept of the “removal” of godliness from amongst us, and the “storing up” of God’s wrath, is exactly paralleled by the images we have all seen of the tsunami which hit Indonesia in 2004. The water was “sucked away” from the beach, leaving men stunned, and others curious. But this was not because the water had “left” the sea, but because it was being “stored up” over the horizon - out of view – to appear all of a sudden in an overwhelming and dreadfully destructive flood. So too now we see that righteousness is being “sucked out” of our society, out of our cities, out of our nation. People are stunned. Where you expect to see respect and honour, there suddenly is none. This is a “sea change” that has occurred in the last 50 years or so. Even events like the latest Wikileaks releases is a sign of the same thing: where you would expect to see respect for Governments and for laws, there suddenly is none, leaving people stunned. But this is not because the righteousness of God has “left” the scene. It has removed itself – in accordance with the Scriptures – and is even now “storing itself up” out of view, to be released – in accordance with the Scriptures – upon an unsuspecting world (2 Peter 3:5-7). There are those who, in these days, have been given the message that Peter has been told to bring urgently to the nations, that “God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto Himself, not counting men’s trespasses against them; and He has committed to us the message of reconciliation.” (2 Cor 5:19). But there are others also who have been given another – equally Scriptural - message to bring, that “God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance. But by your hard and impenitent heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed. For he will render to every man according to his works: to those who by patience in well-doing seek for glory and honor and immortality, he will give eternal life; but for those who are factious and do not obey the truth, but obey wickedness, there will be wrath and fury. There will be tribulation and distress for every human being who does evil, the Jew first and also the Greek, but glory and honor and peace for every one who does good, the Jew first and also the Greek. For God shows no partiality.” (Rom 2:4-11). Let Peter preach what God has given him to preach. And let others preach what God has given them to preach, each obeying His call on their lives. And the message to everyone is, in the face of this coming tsunami, is this: “get to higher ground”. “Save yourselves from this wicked and adulterous generation.” Climb to the top of the mountain, to Calvary, to the Cross, where the Saviour of the world was crucified. The coming of the wrath of God is exactly Why He was crucified, to save us from this disaster. Cling to the Cross of Christ. This is our only salvation from the impending tsunami. That is the message we need to give, however we preach it…
Alan
~ Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Peter, every time I listen to you, which is almost every day, I get excited to hear the truth.
Keep speeking the truth no mater what.
I get so depressed hearing that so many are falling away from the truth.
Thank you for lifting my spirit.
raymond
~ Powassan, Ontario, Canada
In a dictionary looking up saturday, it states-7th day of the week. /Sabbath. Looking up Sunday it states 1st day of the week. HOLY BIBLE NIV>_2 :By theseventh day GOD had finished the work he had been doing,so on the seventh day he rested from all his work. And GOD blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done. Im christian, not Jewish. Fact is Fact.
Stefania
~ keewatin, Ontario, Canada
First of all; an unchanging God (Jesus the same yesterday, today, forever) gave the Sabbath (7th day) as a sign throughout your generations and will be kept in heaven. Yes, I am a Christian, not Jewish. That aside, I don’t believe God would strike down a person who wants to allow shopping on Sabbath, whether it be the Bible Sabbath or the Catholic Sabbath (Sunday). If He did, it would be His right but we error in presuming His will or actions. Instead of suggesting He struck someone down because of an action, we are better off just saying “His will be done”. After all, He does give us freedom of choice and we will someday answer for our choices, words, deeds. God will judge, it’s not our place to judge…
Joseph
~ Port Huron, Michigan, USA