Labor Day

The message of Labor Day is diverse and consistent with how a person views it one way or the other. But historically,

“Labor Day, the first Monday in September, is a creation of the labor movement and is dedicated to the social and economic achievements of American workers. It constitutes a yearly national tribute to the contributions workers have made to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of our country.” ..,”The vital force of labor added materially to the highest standard of living and the greatest production the world has ever known and has brought us closer to the realization of our traditional ideals of economic and political democracy. It is appropriate, therefore, that the nation pays tribute on Labor Day to the creator of so much of the nation’s strength, freedom, and leadership — the American worker.”(1,2).

While the American worker did the actual work,(which is their function in the schema of manufacturing), what was marginalized was the role of the entrepreneur/owner who risked his own money to bankroll production of any product. Without this role, will there be anything manufactured? While history proves a strained relationship (3) between management(owner) and labor, at its’ worse, nothing is produced without this cohesion to reach their goals. Indeed, they have to work together.

The ONE we should not forget, the real “creator” of the product?

While all of us pay tribute on Labor Day to the American workers because they “did so much of the nation’s strength, freedom, and leadership — “ did these really come from them?,

Or, from management/owner or both?

On this Labor Day, are we forgetting to include and fathom in this celebration the real origin of everything that led to our progress?

Undoubtedly, everything that is ever manufactured was created by someone or a group of people. Nevertheless, all of them cannot produce except from something that was already made. Clothing, chairs, tables, houses, tools, gizmos, computers, cars satellites, to name a few, have to be made from materials that were already created. Yet, many are still persistent in being atheists or agnostics questioning the existence of an Intelligent-Designer who made all, the “visible and the invisible”. As it says in Colossians 1:16, recognizing Christ Jesus:

“For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him.” (NIV)

On this Labor Day, we should always be mindful of the Creator-God, (4) the one who created “the heaven and the earth” including everything on it(Gen. 1:1-25), the one who also created the “worker” as in “…Let us make man …after our likeness ..” in Gen.1:26. This same person is the one who spoke as YHVH Elohim (Lord-God)to Moses and the one known to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob as El Shadday. Notice the following:

Ex 6:2 And ELOHIYM spake unto Moses, and said unto him, I am YHVH:

V-3 And I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, by the name of EL SHADDAY, but by my name YHVH was I not known to them.

V-7 And I will take you to me for a people, and I will be to you a ELOHIYM: and ye shall know that I am YHVH your ELOHIYM, which bringeth you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians.

Deut 10:17 For YHVH your ELOHIYM is ELOHIYM of gods, and ADOWN of lords, a great EL, a mighty, …”

Working now and into the Future

Not only are humans working and building things, but the Creator God is the creator of all, “visible or invisible“(Colossians 1:16.. As a “builder/carpenter/tekton, (Mark 6:2-3; Matthew 13:55)Jesus has not stopped “working”, even now. More pioneering work is happening now and in the offing being done, through the power of the Holy Spirit, by Jesus, the “captain/trailblazer/author/forerunner”

(archegos)of our salvation, as in Hebrews 2:9-11:

“But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man.

For it became him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain (forerunner/trailblazer)of their salvation perfect through sufferings.

For both he that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one: for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren”

From the day of Pentecost in the beginning of the 1st century A.D. through this day and beyond, “work “ continues (5,6) by this Creator-God in us through the power of the Holy Spirit. But before all of these could have been realized, this YHVH-ELOHIM has to incarnate (7) into man/Jesus as in:

Exodus 3:14

“And God said unto Moses, I Am That I Am: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I Am hath sent me unto you.”

John 8:58:

“Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am.”

And this incarnation is necessary because, as Romans 3:23 says,

“all have sinned and come short of the glory of God”

After incarnation, he has to fulfill his prophesied function as “Passover” (I Cor 5:7) to take the penalty of death for his created beings. Without being incarnated as man-Jesus(a human being/mortal) he would not have died. Death of this specific man the 2nd/last Adam(1 Corinthians 15:45-49) leads to reconciliation with the Father as in

Colossians 1:20

“and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.”(NIV)

The Spirit-of-Man is willing but the Flesh is weak

The breath-of-life (spirit-of-man) that was breathe into our nostrils was activated from potential to kinetic energy that sustained our life processes(8). But this “spirit-of-man” maybe “willing” but the “flesh” is “weak” (9). The fact and truth to acknowledge that the flesh is weak and needs a “Helper” is in itself even difficult for man-Jesus to accept who shed “tears like blood flowing” praying in the garden of Gethsemane . But after the 3rd time seeing his disciples sleeping, exhausted as a sign of limits of the flesh, Jesus then took “the cup”, (voluntarily following God’s will instead of his’) convinced that he had to be crucified and die, so the Helper would be given at his resurrection by the Father(10). As John 16:7 says:

“Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you.”(ESV)

The Holy Spirit dwells in you at the appointed time

The Holy Spirit of power is the most important gift to Jesus and to us-ward. This is a power not given before to “dwell in” anyone (except in man-Jesus; Matthew 3:16-17; Isaiah 61:1)and more powerful than any power as gravity, mechanical, electrical, nuclear, solar ,etc. This power is “potential” but becomes “kinetic” to work in us. This is then given and received directly by Jesus only after his resurrection and then reciprocally given in turn to those at their own appointed time. First, to the “firstfruits(I Cor. 15:23; Rom. 8:24; Rev. 14:4) then to the latter-fruits at their own time to bear the “fruits of the Holy Spirit”(Galatians 5:22-23). It is mandatory, although not “forced down our throat” but still voluntary, for us to follow the guidance of the Holy Spirit “written in the “tables of our heart and mind”(Jeremiah 31:33; Hebrews 10:16). Those who do not bear fruits will be cut/off (Matt 7:19).

Summary

For emphasis, the sine-qua-non in manufacturing is that their have to be materials and labor. The entrepreneur/owner provides the materials and labor (workers) does the work. But where do they get the materials? Nowhere but what was already created on earth. And that comes from the Creator-God, the YHVH-Elohim. Through his work and sacrifice, he got for us this Holy Spirit of power and he is still “working in us” through this power.

Let us acknowledge with humility his role from the very beginning of time. This is the YHVH-Elohim/Lord God, the Word/Logos, Jesus-Son-of-God, that we should also remember as we celebrate “Labor Day”.

God Bless🙏😇

Original post 9/4/18

References

1. Origins of Labor Day. Retrieved 9/1/18 from https://www.pbs.org/newshour/economy/business-july-dec01-labor_day_9-2

2. Labor Day History. Retrieved 9/1/18 from https://www.dol.gov/general/laborday/history

3. Labor vs Management. Retrieved 9/1/18 from http://www.ushistory.org/us/37b.asp

4. What is God? Retrieved 9/3/18 from https://fact-s.net/2014/06/29/what-is-god-2/

5. Ongoing Creation. Retrieved 9/3/18 from http://fact-s.net/2018/06/30/ongoing-creation/

6. Kingdom of God in a Human Anatomy. Retrieved 9/3/18 from http://fact-s.net/2016/12/21/kingdom-of-god-in-human-anatomy/

7. Incarnation. Retrieved 9/3/18 from

http://fact-s.net/2017/01/12/incarnation-questions-and-controversies/

8. Who and Where is the Real“You”. Retrieved 9/3/18 from

http://fact-s.net/2018/08/30/who-and-where-is-the-real-you/

9. Garden of Gethsemane. Retrieved 9/3/18 from http://fact-s.net/2018/07/26/garden-of-gethsemane-a-teaching-tool-for-all/

10. Crucifixion/Resurrection. Retrieved 9/3/18 from https://fact-s.net/2015/04/21/crucifixionresurrection/