Here is a new blog post on an interesting observation the Lord showed me a while back.

The whole idea of the “weekend” I think is man created, man centered, and man orchestrated.  I don’t know if it was “made in America” but it fits our current lifestyle to just eat, drink, and be merry.  The world says the week begins with the first work day, Monday.  The world says Sunday then is the last day of the week.  If Sunday is the Lord’s Day which the Bible says it is, this naturally puts God’s day last.  If God’s day is last, it likely means that he isn’t the first one our hearts are desiring.  Not everyone feels that way, but this is the general barometer in America right now.  We get our full of the week doing whatever we want, and if there is any time left over at the end we can give it to God.  The reality is that is not happening very often.   At best, you might see some try and give God some token nod on Christmas and Easter.  Yes God is not just in church, and most churches don’t even have the right Jesus anyhow.  But again, this is a good indicator where the heart of America is at.  80,000 will fill the Buffalo Bills stadium (well bad example, since the team stinks it is only 60,000) Sunday after Sunday even in minus zero weather.   America loves pro sports and full stadiums are a good indicator.   Most know they can worship their favorite team at home on TV just as much as being at the game.  For some reason though they would rather pay $80 to freeze and watch it live.   Hmm.  If you love God you will have a desire to be at God’s house, plain and simple.

Having Monday first better fits the American idea.  Monday is work day, where we typically begin the first day of the week here earning money to spend all weekend.  Then there is Monday night football.  Friday is Happy Hour.  Friday is a fish fry and a movie.  Or maybe Happy Hour at TGIF and then a home NHL hockey game.  Saturday is college football day.  After getting up at 4 am for opening day for deer season.  Oops, I forgot Thursday night football.   Saturday also is a good day to mow the lawn before the game and Saturdays get busy during playoff season.  Sunday of course is the last day of the weekend, unless of course it is a great holiday weekend where there is an extra day to sleep in (still tired from deer hunting) and catch up on any games you missed.  And dream about opening day for turkey hunting.

Sunday is a great day to just relax, watch the 1pm game, the 4pm game, and Sunday night football.  When it is not a home game and you have to add the 11 am tailgate party, there is plenty of time to get some fishing in.   Unless it is Mother’s day, then you should make some breakfast in bed before you head to the tailgate party.  Or at least bring her one of your Michelobs.

Holidays throw a huge damper on everything as there is much to do but thankfully you can tape everything and watch it later.  Thanksgiving is wonderful because there are 3 games to watch now and if you time it right, you can eat your first meal early and then during half time eat again.

Does anyone else see the time wasting going on here?

That observation will be for another post.  I am merely pointing out that weekends are really a figment of our American imagination.

And another reason to give God last place.

The Bible says seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness.  God has a day set apart.  The idea of the Lord’s day is for Christians to treat it in a spiritual sense the same way the Jews treated the Sabbath in a physical sense.   The Lord’s day is meant for us to go to church, worship God, and not just spend it on our own pursuits and pleasures.  America used to do that.  Regardless of how loyal a church was to the Bible, you were at church on Sunday.  There were blue laws where nothing was open.  Are we really better off?

You would think if Jesus is to come first, then maybe Sunday is actually the first day of the week.

Hmm.

Have you looked at a calendar?  What day does it begin with?

It begins with Sunday.  Not just another manic Monday.  And Sunday is not Funday, it is the Lord’s day.

The Jewish Sabbath was Saturday. That changed after the resurrection.  Mark 16:9 says Now when Jesus was risen early the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom he had cast seven devils.  Resurrection Sunday.

Sunday is the first day of the week.

According to the Bible, and according to every calendar in America.

If Sunday is the first day of the week, then the “weekend” would be Friday and Saturday.  Your happy hour would be Thursday.  You might still drink to that, but I hope it proves a point perhaps.

All I am saying is God is over and over and over again showing we have no excuse.   You have to twist the calendar around, the one you look at every day, to put God last.  Every calendar testifies that Sunday is the first day of the week and it should cry out PUT JESUS FIRST.

Instead we give him the leftovers.  And worse, many have too many hangovers to give him anything.

Lost or saved, we in America are lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God.  2nd Timothy Chapter 3 provides a laundry list of the characteristics of the character and the heart of man during the last days.  It isn’t pretty.  And the list fits the average American to a “t”.  Speaking of t, I forgot to fit golf into our weekend itinerary.

The week is supposed to start with God.  That was what America just did years ago.  Church doesn’t save, and many of those churches did not even teach Bible salvation, but it did reflect the heart beat of America.  America wanted something that it maybe could not put it’s finger on directly, but the overall direction of America was driven by a loving God in full control of the helm.

Now America is asleep because it’s churches are asleep.  Jesus is not on board but is manning the lifeboats for anyone who wants to jump on.  America is now America the Titanic and no one has the wheel.

And Americans are too mesmerized by what is on the television to care.

Bible?  Americans today have set it aside when they used to carry it proudly.  Now we have one remote control to work everything.

If we won’t notice the calendar, we won’t notice the Bible.  And God was pushed to last in our week, last in our hearts, last in our churches, last in our homes, and out completely in our schools and government.

Until we realize the order is wrong, we won’t see anything wrong with our priorities or our pleasures.

Nor can we see the iceberg of judgment awaiting our pleasure ship.

If the game goes into overtime when the ship starts to sink, America will be going down with the ship.  And not even realizing it.

Want change?  Trade your funday for SONday.   If church is boring to you, you need to get saved.  I am now bored watching men chase a ball for 3 hours of my life.  I stopped getting bored the moment I got saved.  If you are tired of just watching life go by one season at a time (football, basketball, hockey, baseball, hunting, Olympics) the Bible has the answers.

Matthew chapter 6:33 But seek ye FIRST the kingdom of God.  Jeremiah 29:13 says AND YE SHALL SEEK ME AND FIND ME WHEN YE SHALL SEARCH FOR ME WITH ALL YOUR HEART.

Can we be honest America?  Our American idols have our heart.  Anything we love more than God is an idol.  We would rather be at the hockey game or tailgating than church.  That is why salvation is the only cure.  Jesus moves in, and his desires become our desires.  It starts with seeing our need.   We need to see we have a heart problem with a heart plugged up with wrong priorities.

It is not the Bible, it’s baseball.  It is not salvation that we want it is sports.  It is not church, it is the Cubs.  It is not Christ, it is the Cowboys.   It is not Hell we are worried about it, is the New Jersey Devils.  And so on.

Want to turn things around?  Start with turning your calendar back to how it really reads.

Sunday has always been the first day of the week.

You have only changed it in your mind.  And your heart.