Catholic
Church Wins Battle to Ban Sunday Shopping in Croatia
"--- On Mon, 8/11/08, Bryan Bissell <bbissell7@yahoo.com>
wrote:
From: Bryan Bissell <bbissell7@yahoo.com>
Subject: Sunday laws to be implemented in Croatia as of January 1, 2009
To:
Date: Monday, August 11, 2008, 3:17 PM
Hi friends,
Just received this attachment from a friend regarding the implementation of
national Sunday Laws in the country of Croatia. This is one big step closer
to the fulfillment of what many of us know the Bible and Ellen White have
been predicting for a long time, the Sunday law enforced by the Catholic
church in direct opposition to God's standard (and America will at some point
join this effort to enforce Sunday as we know from prophecy and the signs are
there as well that it's getting a lot closer). There is much work
to do to make many people aware of the issue...whether they will follow God's
instructions or replace them with man's traditions. This has
always been the choice in every age as Jesus pointed out to the pharisees who
were replacing God's principles and commandments with human laws in areas
that tell us how seriously God views the tampering of his laws.
Mark 7-Jesus Teaches about Inner Purity
1 One day some Pharisees and teachers of religious law arrived from
Jerusalem to see Jesus. 2 They noticed that some of his disciples failed to
follow the Jewish ritual of hand washing before eating. 3 (The Jews,
especially the Pharisees, do not eat until they have poured water over their
cupped hands,[a] as required by their ancient traditions. 4 Similarly, they
don’t eat anything from the market until they immerse their hands[b] in
water. This is but one of many traditions they have clung tosuch as their
ceremonial washing of cups, pitchers, and kettles.[c])
5 So the Pharisees and teachers of religious law asked him, “Why don’t
your disciples follow our age-old tradition? They eat without first
performing the hand-washing ceremony.”
6 Jesus replied, “You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied
about you, for he wrote,
‘These people honor me with their lips,
but their hearts are far from me.
7 Their worship is a farce,
for they teach man-made ideas as commands from
God.’[d]
8 For you ignore God’s law and substitute your own tradition.”
9 Then he said, “You skillfully sidestep God’s law in order to hold on
to your own tradition. 10 For instance, Moses gave you this law from God:
‘Honor your father and mother,’[e] and ‘Anyone who speaks disrespectfully of
father or mother must be put to death.’[f] 11 But you say it is all right for
people to say to their parents, ‘Sorry, I can’t help you. For I have vowed to
give to God what I would have given to you.’[g] 12 In this way, you let them
disregard their needy parents. 13 And so you cancel the word of God in order
to hand down your own tradition. And this is only one example among many
others.”
I
have also attached a Bible study that I have written out on this topic that
might be useful although I'm sure most of you already know how to present
this issue very well. It does have a few unique ideas and information on
presenting the Sabbath in ways that make sense to people. I've
especially found it useful to compare changing the Sabbath day to changing a
nation's independence day to that of some enemy, etc. See the file for
details on that. There are also links for deeper study for any who are
interested. I pray that God helps us to communicate the importance of this
truth effectively to those who are open to truth.
God
bless as we prepare ourselves and others to endure to the end in
faithfulness,
Bryan
Source:
croatiantimes.com 16-07-2008
Church wins battle to ban
Sunday shopping in Croatia
Shops will be forced to close
on Sundays after the Croatian parliament gave in to the Roman Catholic church
and passed a law against Sunday shopping.
Croatians have begun spending their weekends in shopping centres that have
flourished across the country in the past few years and remain open seven
days a week.
But church has campaigned for years for Sundays to be devoted to family or
Mass in Croatia
- which is almost 90 per cent Roman Catholic.
The law was adopted on Tuesday and will come into effect on 1 Jan meaning Croatia's
shoppers will still be able to make the most of Sunday shopping over the
summer and Christmas holidays.
The law also allows stores in bus and train stations to open on Sundays
year-round, along with those in hospitals and petrol stations. Bakeries,
newsstands and flower shops are also exempt from the ban.
Croatian Times
Sunday
shopping banned in Croatia
ASSOCIATED PRESS
7:53 a.m. July 15, 2008
ZAGREB, Croatia – The Croatian parliament has passed a law forcing shops
to close on Sundays in a concession to the Roman Catholic church.
The
church has campaigned for years for Sundays to be devoted to family or Mass
in Croatia, which is almost 90 percent Roman Catholic. But Croatians have
begun spending weekends in shopping malls that have flourished across the
country in the past few years and remain open seven days a week.
The law was adopted Tuesday and goes into effect Jan. 1.
It allows Sunday shopping over the summer and Christmas holidays.
The law also allows stores in gas, bus and train stations
to open on Sundays year-round, along with those in hospitals. Bakeries,
newsstands and flower shops are also exempt from the ban.
__________________________________________________________
Note:
The “Vatican Rag” is a “rag” on the Vatican by some or other person/people
who are “ragging” the Vatican and what it does
The Vatican
Rag
Croatian Church Stops Sunday Shopping
Wednesday,
July 16, 2008
According to the
Associated Press, the government of Croatia
passed a law that banned most shopping in Croatia on Sunday. The law was
pushed by the Catholic Church. Croatia,
once part of Yugoslavia,
has a population that is roughly 88% Catholic, but they have been spending
their Sundays in shopping malls in recent years. Jealous of the lost income,
the Church wants to make sure they have nothing to do on Sunday.
Our Source at the Vatican says
that the no shopping on Sunday initiative is part of the current plan to be
ready to return to the Dark Ages. "Face the facts. The environment is
being destroyed and soon civilization will collapse. Who knows better about
governing in an age of poverty and ignorance than the Catholic Church?"
Plans are underway
to ban Sunday shopping in all countries where Catholics form a majority of
the population. This complements recent back-to-the-past initiatives such as Latin
Mass and kneeling communion. Asked if Catholic women will be required to
wear hats at all times, our Source joked, "only if they don't want to be
burned as witches."
"The
highest priority of Pope Gregory XVI is to purge the ranks of the clergy of
all dissenters. After cleaning up in house, he hopes to works more closely
with governments to create obedient, slavish citizens who think the way we
tell them to think. And tithe. Getting tithing back on track is very
important."
Croatia Bans Sunday Shopping and Encourages Citizens to
Devote Time To Family and Mass
By Thaddeus M. Baklinski
ZAGREB, Croatia, July 16, 2008 (LifeSiteNews.com) -
The parliament of the predominantly Catholic country of Croatia is
urging its citizens to reclaim Sunday as a day for celebrating the Eucharist,
for family, and for rest.
The Croatian parliament passed a law
yesterday requiring most businesses to close on Sundays. The law does,
however, allow Sunday shopping during the summer tourist season and Christmas
holidays.
The new law also allows stores in hospitals
as well as those in gas, bus and train stations to open on Sundays
year-round. Bakeries, newsstands and flower shops are also exempt from the
ban.
Most post-communist countries, including Croatia, have
experienced problems transitioning from the oppression of Marxist
ideology, which proclaimed there is no God and therefore no need for any day
for religious observance or rest, to a free market economy with a fascination
with and craving for all things Western.
Croatia, however, is now
in a more stable political and economic situation where its people can
reaffirm their centuries-old traditions of family and faith and experience a
Renaissance of their culture. The banning of Sunday shopping is a significant
step in that direction.
The benefits of not making Sunday just an
extension of Saturday have been well documented.
For instance, a report entitled
"The Church vs. the Mall: What Happens When Religion Faces Increased
Secular Competition?" that was published by the National Bureau of
Economic Research in 2006, indicated that approval of Sunday shopping
triggered an increase in drug and alcohol use among otherwise faithful
churchgoers. (http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2006/sep/06091506.html)
Catholic Bishop Thomas Olmsted of Phoenix,
Arizona, observed in 2005 that "the world has suffered with the
loss of the religious observance of Sunday as a day of rest," and reflected
that the day which used to be reserved for religious and family togetherness,
has turned into "an extension of Saturday," filled with errands
invariably including shopping.
Bishop Olmsted said, "Keep the Lord's
day holy…refrain from all shopping and enjoy Sunday as a day of rest, a day
of leisure, a day for family, a day for celebrating the Eucharist."
(Phoenix Bishop says "No Sunday Shopping" - A Wedge Issue in the
Culture Wars: http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2005/jul/05071803.html)
In the UK, recent research by the NOP
Consumer Poll revealed that 71% of people said that they would not be
bothered very much or at all if all shops except local convenience stores
were shut on Sundays.
When respondents were asked whether they
thought at least one day of the week - Sunday - should be different from the
rest of the week, two thirds of respondents said yes. More women than men
thought so, (70% vs. 61%).
More than three quarters (81%) of
respondents believed that protecting Sunday as a family day was a good idea.
This was especially the case with the 65+ age group, with 88% thinking it was
a good idea, compared to 74% of the 16-24 year age group. More than two
fifths of respondents (42%), said it was very important for family stability
and community life to have a shared, common day off each week. Only 3% said
it was very unimportant.
Dr. Michael Schluter, Director of Keep
Sunday Special, a UK lobby group dedicated to promoting a ban on Sunday
shopping in Britain, said, "People are crying out for a break and a
release from the pressure of working each day of the week, they want family
time back, they want their Sunday back and are simply not interested in any
more shopping."
"We've had thirteen years of Sunday
trading and yet still two thirds of people say Sunday should be a different
day to the rest of the week, and almost a third (31%) of people say that they
never shop in large shops or supermarkets at all on Sundays. Sunday has been
stolen from people and they want to get it back - above all they want a break."
"Think too about the potential
environmental benefits through saving energy and fewer journeys if large
shops were shut," Dr Schluter said. (http://www.keepsundayspecial.org.uk/news/index.php?id=57)
Read an editorial related to Sunday shopping
by LifeSiteNews.com staff writer Hilary White: LifeChain Sunday - A
Contradiction to Today's Culture
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2006/oct/06100204.html
14. IS THE BIBLE SABBATH
(SATURDAY) STILL GOD’S DAY OF WORSHIP?
Most people at first think that a day of worship shouldn’t
matter. We can choose whenever we want
and God will understand. But, if you
consistently decide to come to work on Wednesdays through Mondays when your
boss has instructed you to come to work on Mondays through Fridays, it’s very
unlikely that you will be employed for very long. Or if a teacher says that there is a test
on Tuesday and you decide that the day isn’t important and that you will come
on Friday, it’s very unlikely that the teacher will be impressed with
you. In the home if a parent asks a
student to do a task and complete it by Sunday, but you complete it 3 days
later, then things will not go very well for you. More will be said about this in the section
on “Loyalty and Righteousness by Faith” below.
For centuries there have been debates about doctrines and
their basis in the Bible. One of the
oldest debates has been about the day of worship. Some insist that when we worship is very
important in a similar way to who we worship.
Others say it’s up to each person’s preference and the convenience of
modern society should be considered.
Before we even discuss the issue of the day of worship, we must
establish a fundamental principle of Protestantism firmly. If there is not agreement on this
fundamental point, then all further discussion is useless and will just waste
time.
IS
THE BIBLE OR TRADITION OUR PRIMARY AUTHORITY?
An excerpt from an article by Jere Patzer in the Gleaner
illustrates how important this issue is to the issue of the primacy of the
Bible or tradition as well as the issue of our day of worship:
It was the midst of the
Reformation. Men like John Knox, Martin Luther and John Wesley had shaken the
Roman Catholic Church to its foundation. But a sincere group of cardinals,
archbishops, bishops and priests determined that if the church were to regain
its credibility and power, it would have to rely on the Bible and the Bible
alone for its doctrine and its authority.
The church leaders were called
together December 13, 1545, for what became known as the Council of Trent.
The issue was debated intensely. Some pleading that the church must elevate
the Scriptures as the final authority, while others disapproved, saying the
church must rely on Scripture and tradition. The theological battle was waged
for 18 years.
A Tragic Mistake
Finally in 1563, fatigued and
frustrated, a leading theologian, the Archbishop of Reggio, addressed the
council in these words. “The authority of the church could, therefore, not be
bound by the authority of the Scriptures, because the church had changed …
the Sabbath into Sunday, not by the command of Christ, but by its own
authority” (Cannon on Tradition, p. 263).
In essence, this archbishop was
saying that if the Roman Catholic Church decided to stand on Scripture alone,
it would have to return to keeping the seventh-day Sabbath. This was a
watershed speech followed by a significant decision. The Council of Trent
voted on December 4, 1563, that the church should accept the authority of
both Scripture and tradition. Furthermore, if there was a conflict between
the two, then tradition should take preeminence. What a tragedy!
Today Protestant churches in general and the Adventist Church in particular
should learn a lesson from the Council of Trent. We face the same debate.
When Scripture comes in apparent conflict with any discipline, what must be
the final authority? From www.gleaneronline.org/101/3/28122.html
In another well known Catholic book, a Catholic leader
states:
“Like two sacred rivers flowing
from paradise, the Bible and divine Tradition contain the Word of
God...Though these two divine streams are...of equal sacredness, still, of
the two, TRADITION is to us more clear and safe.” Joseph Faa di Bruno,
Catholic Belief, p. 33. 1884
So it’s clear what path the Catholic church took and what
was the deciding factor in that path—the issue of the day of worship.
But, history showed that many many abuses by all levels of
authority even on up to popes in the Catholic church were committed in the
name of tradition, many of them going directly against fundamental Bible
principles. Take indulgences for example.
The Bible says clearly in Romans 6 that salvation and forgiveness is a
free gift from God. But, when they
followed tradition the Catholic church decided to start charging money for
forgiveness. These were called
indulgences and many church leaders at the time decried the flood of
immorality that resulted from the church selling forgiveness for sins. This and other abuses of the clergy largely
because they put tradition above the Bible were eventually significant causes
of the reformation by Martin Luther and others with the battle cry being “The
Bible and the Bible only!” Experience
had proved that man’s wisdom and methods---even the ideas of pastors and
popes—is not superior to God’s methods.
The Bible has always been very clear about what has the
primacy in deciding doctrinal and spiritual issues. You can do a thorough search to see how
many times prophets or Jesus commended people for following man-made or
church-made traditions instead of God's will.
You will be very hard pressed to find any. Worship seems to be a very sensitive and
important area to God and one where he asks of us loyalty and obedience
rather than creative adaptations. Whether it's Cain switching the sacrificial
animal for fruit or Korah lighting unholy fire or the Pharisees replacing God's
commands with their own traditions, God doesn't take kindly to people
monkeying with His instructions (although the ignorant are not guilty of sin
as in Acts 17:29-30). Let's look at 2 explicit verses on this subject:
Mark 7:2 5 So the
Pharisees and teachers of religious law asked him, "Why don't your
disciples follow our age-old customs? For they eat without first performing
the hand-washing ceremony." 6Jesus replied, "You hypocrites! Isaiah was
prophesying about you when he said, 7`These
people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far away. Their worship is a farce, for they replace
God's commands with their own man-made teachings.'[c] 8For you
ignore God's specific laws and substitute your own traditions." 9Then he said, "You reject God's laws in
order to hold on to your own traditions. 10For
instance, Moses gave you this law from God: `Honor your father and mother,'
and `Anyone who speaks evil of father or mother must be put to death.'[d] 11But you
say it is all right for people to say to their parents, `Sorry, I can't help
you. For I have vowed to give to God what I could have given to you.'[e] 12You let
them disregard their needy parents. 13As
such, you break the law of God in order to protect your own tradition. And
this is only one example. There are many, many others."
“8Let God's curse fall on
anyone, including myself, who preaches any other message than the one we told
you about. Even if an angel comes from heaven and preaches any other message,
let him be forever cursed. 9I will say it again: If
anyone preaches any other gospel than the one you welcomed, let God's curse
fall upon that person.” Galatians
1:8-9
And if you look at Jesus life and what he judged as the
standard in his many interactions with the church leaders of his time, he
never appealed to tradition as His authority even though there were many
great rabbis and thinkers he might have mentioned. He constantly said, “It is written…” in
answer to almost every question about doctrine or practice. This was his standard and any who choose a
standard different from the one that Jesus chose are treading on extremely
unstable ground.
It seems fairly conclusive from Jesus’ example, from many
verses such as the two above and the heresies that were condemned by prophets
and apostles, that the prime authority for deciding doctrine and church
practice must be the Bible, NOT tradition or clergy no matter how
powerful. If we follow tradition, many
many errors will be incorporated into our worship both far too conservative
and far too liberal. Deuteronomy 4 is
pointed in comparing the wisdom of men to the wisdom of God:
2Do not add to or subtract from
these commands I am giving you from the LORD your God. Just obey them. 3You
saw what the LORD did to you at Baal-peor, where the LORD your God destroyed
everyone who had worshiped the god Baal of Peor. 4But all of you who were
faithful to the LORD your God are still alive today. 5"You must obey these laws and
regulations when you arrive in the land you are about to enter and occupy.
The LORD my God gave them to me and commanded me to pass them on to you. 6If
you obey them carefully, you will display your wisdom and intelligence to the
surrounding nations. When they hear about these laws, they will exclaim,
`What other nation is as wise and prudent as this!' 7For what great nation
has a god as near to them as the LORD our God is near to us whenever we call
on him? 8And what great nation has laws and regulations as fair as this body
of laws that I am giving you today?
The case is quite conclusive from scripture. And most importantly, ho is the person who
will judge us and give us life eternal?
Jesus. Where has the life giver
told us about His standards and expectations?
His words and instructions are recorded in the Bible. If we are looking for His approval, we’d
better listen to what He has told us.
Jesus told us this explicitly in John 14:15:
If you
love me, obey my commandments.
It doesn’t get any simpler than that. If you need further investigation of this
topic, see an insightful chapter at : http://www.whiteestate.org/books/gc/gc37.html
WHAT
IS THE PURPOSE OF THE SABBATH
Since we’ve established that the Bible is the foundation
of any doctrine, now we can move on to considering which day of worship God
has asked us to meet Him on and then choose if we’re going to do as He asks
or not. The issue of worshipping on
Sabbath (Saturday) or Sunday is one of the most obvious unique beliefs of the
SDA church. Since it is controversial, the explanation will be longer. First, here is an explanation from two SDA pioneers about why we think it
is such an important belief and why worship is such an important matter to
God.
"The importance of the Sabbath as the memorial of creation is
that it keeps ever present the true reason why worship is due to
God"--because He is the Creator, and we are His creatures. "The
Sabbath therefore lies at the very foundation of divine worship, for it
teaches this great truth in the most impressive manner, and no other
institution does this. The true ground of divine worship, not of that on the
seventh day merely, but of all worship, is found in the distinction between
the Creator and His creatures. This great fact can never become obsolete, and
must never be forgotten."--J. N. Andrews, History of the Sabbath,
chapter 27.
It was to keep this truth
ever before the minds of men, that God instituted the Sabbath in Eden; and so
long as the fact that He is our Creator continues to be a reason why we
should worship Him, so long the Sabbath will continue as its sign and
memorial. Had the Sabbath been universally kept, man's thoughts and
affections would have been led to the Creator as the object of reverence and
worship, and there would never have been an idolater, an atheist, or an
infidel. The keeping of the Sabbath is a sign of loyalty to the true God,
"Him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of
waters." It follows that the message which commands men to worship God
and keep His commandments will especially call upon them to keep the fourth
commandment. Ellen White in Great Controversy, p. 437
1) A
TIME FOR MAN TO RECONNECT WITH THE SPIRITUAL, RELATIONSHIPS AND PURPOSE OF
LIFE
Sabbath is a day that
allows and requires the faithful to step away from the everyday and focus on
the exceptional. It is a day to restore and develop my relationship with God
and others in the community around me.
It is a day to get away from the worries of business and study and to think
about the really important things in our lives and the reasons that God has
created us and to celebrate the uniqueness of life that God has given
us.
Mark 2:27 And he said unto them, The Sabbath
was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath: 28 Therefore the Son of man is Lord also of
the Sabbath.
Isaiah 58:13 "If you keep your feet from breaking the Sabbath and from
doing as you please on my holy day, if you call the Sabbath a delight and the
LORD's holy day honorable, and if you honor it by not going your own way and
not doing as you please or speaking idle words, 14 then you will find your
joy in the LORD , and I will cause you to ride on the heights of the land and
to feast on the inheritance of your father Jacob." The mouth of the LORD
has spoken.
People kept the Sabbath all through the Bible and Isaiah says that we will
keep it in heaven as well. It is not just for the Jews, it is for the world
and beyond.
When did people keep the Sabbath?
l From Creation (Genesis 2:2,3).
l All through the Old Testament, the faithful people of God
always kept the Sabbath.
l Even foreigners were supposed to worship on Sabbath (Isaiah
56:1,2,6,7)
l Jesus kept the Sabbath (Luke 4:16,)
l Paul and other apostles kept the Sabbath after Jesus death (Acts
13:42-44, 16:13)
l Jesus expected the believers to be worshipping on Sabbath when
Jerusalem was destroyed in the future: Matthew 24:20 (Jerusalem was destroyed
in 70 AD).
l 1 sign of God’s end time believers is that they will keep the
commandments (ALL of them). Sunday is NOT in the commandments. Sabbath is and has ALWAYS meant Saturday in
the Bible. Revelation 12:17, Revelation 14:12
l
We will worship on Sabbath in heaven (Isaiah
66:22-23).
2) REMEMBER GOD’S ACT OF CREATION AND CONNECT WITH OUR
SPIRITUAL HERITAGE
(It was NOT made just for the Jews)
Genesis 2:2 By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing;
so on the seventh day he rested [1] from all his work. 3 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.
Isaiah 56:6 And foreigners who bind themselves to the LORD to serve him, to
love the name of the LORD ,and to worship him, all who keep the Sabbath
without desecrating it and who hold fast to my covenant-7 these I will bring
to my holy mountain and give them joy in my house of prayer. Their burnt
offerings and sacrifices will be accepted on my altar; for my house will be
called a house of prayer for all nations."
3) A DAY TO STOP BUSINESS, WORSHIP GOD AND DO GOOD THINGS FOR OTHERS
It’s a day to rest from business.
There is no mention of it being a day for sleeping or only for our own
fun. It’s God’s day and what we do on
this day should honor Him.
What did Jesus do on Sabbath?
A) He worshipped in church every week:
Luke 4:16 He went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the
Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom. And he stood up to
read.
B) He preached and taught and healed:
Mark 1:21They went to Capernaum, and when the Sabbath came, Jesus went into
the synagogue and began to teach.
Luke 13:10 On a Sabbath Jesus was teaching in one of the synagogues, 11and a
woman was there who had been crippled by a spirit for eighteen years. She was
bent over and could not straighten up at all. 12When Jesus saw her, he called
her forward and said to her, "Woman, you are set free from your
infirmity." 13Then he put his hands on her, and immediately she
straightened up and praised God.
C) He did good and helped people
Matthew 12:11 “And he said unto them,
What man shall there be among you, that shall have one sheep, and if it fall
into a pit on the sabbath day, will he not lay hold on it, and lift it out?
12 How much then is a man better than
a sheep? Wherefore it is lawful to do well on the sabbath days. 13 Then saith he to the man, Stretch forth
thine hand. And he stretched it forth; and it was restored whole, like as the
other.
D) He spent time in nature
Luke 6:1
"One Sabbath Jesus was going through the grainfields, and his disciples
began to pick some heads of grain, rub them in their hands and eat the
kernels. "
Jesus walked through fields and sometimes was in nature on the Sabbath.
I believe the Sermon on the Mount and some other events were also out in
nature. So, it seems good for us to spend time in nature (Ellen White
also suggests that this is good).
Mark 3: 1Another time he went into the synagogue, and a man with a shriveled
hand was there. 2Some of them were looking for a reason to accuse Jesus, so
they watched him closely to see if he would heal him on the Sabbath. 3Jesus
said to the man with the shriveled hand, "Stand up in front of
everyone."4Then Jesus asked them, "Which is lawful on the Sabbath:
to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?" But they remained silent.
5He looked around at them in anger and, deeply distressed at their stubborn
hearts, said to the man, "Stretch out your hand." He stretched it
out, and his hand was completely restored.
Luke 13:15The Lord answered him, "You hypocrites! Doesn't each of you on
the Sabbath untie his ox or donkey from the stall and lead it out to give it
water? 16Then should not this woman, a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has
kept bound for eighteen long years, be set free on the Sabbath day from what
bound her?" 17When he said this, all his opponents were humiliated, but
the people were delighted with all the wonderful things he was doing.
John 9:14 Now the day on which Jesus had made the mud and opened the man's
eyes was a Sabbath.
Jesus is our example. There is no
mention of Him changing the day, sleeping, doing business, skipping church on
Sabbath, etc. on that day. There are
many mentions of Him worshipping, teaching, healing and doing good on this
day. And so this is what we also
should be doing on this day. Let’s be
people who truly observe the Sabbath by our worship, teaching and actions in
giving hope and healing to those around us. Let us bring God’s divine rest
and hope to those who are sick of the world’s restlessness and emptiness and
cruelty. Let’s give the world a
Sabbath.
4. LOYALTY & RIGHTEOUSNESS BY FAITH
“Remember the 7th Day (Sabbath/Saturday) to
keep it holy…” Exodus 20:8
The last but critically important reason is loyalty and
righteousness by faith.
It may not seem that a day is that important. It seems like it wouldn’t be much of a
problem to keep the Sabbath on a Sunday or Friday or any day. “Keeping” one day in 7 is the important so
long as we have one day in 7. But, if
I make an appointment with a friend to meet me on Mondays at 6pm for dinner
and every week he decides that he can come on Tuesday, is he “keeping” our
appointment? Is he keeping his promise
to me? If he insists on meeting me on
a day other than what I have asked, it is disrespectful to me, especially if
it continues happening. It shows that he
doesn’t respect our promise and doesn’t care enough to meet me when I have
said I’m available. If it continually
happens, it will cause problems for the friendship and I may feel insulted
and abused. The same is true if I as a teacher ask a student to come for a
test at a certain time and day, and the student comes on another day saying
that the day is not important. This is
very disrespectful and rude and would not be tolerated by humans. How then can we think that when God has
asked us to “remember” and “keep” his Sabbath holy, that we can choose to
ignore that time that he has set aside as the time to meet with us. As mentioned below, there are no good
precedents in Bible history for men changing God’s words under their own
authority.
But, it goes deeper than this. What if
I start a campaign in Korea and ask them to change their independence day,
August 15, to the independence day of
America, July 4. After all, a day is
not that important is it? And I’ve
helped many Koreans in a lot of ways and I love Korea a lot! So, why not change the Korean independence
day to the independence day of my nation, July 4? Of course everyone would say that this is
ridiculous. But why? It’s only a day. Just a day is not that important,
right? Wrong. It would be wrong for the Korean
Independence day to be changed to my birthday for at least 2 reasons.
1) This day celebrates the birth of Korea as a nation. It commemorates a great event in Korean
history that gave a nation it’s identity.
My birthday has no connection with any part of Korean history or
heritage and therefore has no meaning for the people of this land.
2) I did not create this holiday and do not have the authority to change
it. Only those who made the law or
have the authority in Korea have the legal right to change it.
In the same way the Sabbath celebrates the birth of this world and changing
that day is undermining and dishonouring the authority of the one who created
our world. And because God never gave
any command in the Bible to change it, to do any different is a sign of
disloyalty to God’s authority.
Colin Powell in his book on leadership wrote that he
listens to and even wants creativity and different opinions...but when the
order is given, even if the soldiers don't like it, they are to carry it out
as if it were their own order. He follows the same principle himself with
orders from the president. This idea of loyalty is a clear issue in
unity and is a characteristic successful businesses, armies, churches,
mission and families. Without loyalty, success and progress is almost
impossible in human affairs. The Bible makes it pretty clear that loyalty
even in the small things is important to God too...Here are just 2
verses:
"Whoever
can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is
dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much." Luke 16:10
”…Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you the crown of
life.” Revelation 2:10
Throughout the Bible, it was often the little things that
determined people’s loyalty. Cain only
changed a lamb for fruit. King Saul
only chose to do a sacrifice himself instead of the priest, Uriah only
touched the ark. But, in each of these cases, all these little things showed
where the loyalty of the person involved really was.
Martin Luther King, Jr. wrote, "The ultimate measure
of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort, but where he stands at
times of challenge and controversy." It is in times of controversy and
difficulty that we can see our true characters and whether we are really
submitted to God’s will and following His truth. It is when there are difficulties or
controversy that it is easy to compromise and do things man’s way instead of
God’s way. But, loyalty to God and his truth in the Great Controversy with
Satan is the major theme of the Bible.
It is precisely when things might be socially, economically, politically or
in some other way difficult for us to follow God's principles, that we can
most clearly see whether our own faith is strong enough to depend on God or
whether we will fall back on man’s reasoning and efforts and compromises.
There are many areas in the conflict between God’s way and
man’s way, but Sabbath and Sunday is
one of the most neglected areas in this controversy. The question that is the
foundation of which Sabbath/Sunday is one major aspect is, "Are we going
to do things God's way or in a way that is convenient for us....are we going
to live with righteousness by faith in Christ and trust His salvation alone
or are we going to try to be righteous through human works and compromises
with convenience?" Hebrews 11 is filled with people who chose to
do things God's way instead of the way of convenience. They refused to
compromise God’s truth and trusted God alone for their salvation. Those who are faithful to God will also
refuse to compromise on God’s truth, but rather choose to trust God’s
words. This is the main issue, but
many are still unaware of it. Pastor Jack Sequiera writes about this very eloquently
and with great balance and wisdom:
ARE
SUNDAY KEEPERS SINNING AGAINST GOD BY KEEPING THE SABBATH?
The Sabbath-Sunday Controversy by Jack Sequiera (the full
article is at: http://www.jacksequeira.org/dyunit11.htm)
Whenever the issue of the Sabbath-Sunday is brought into focus, one’s
attention is immediately turned to the Sunday keeping Christians versus the
Sabbath keepers. This, I believe, is not the real issue. There are today many
sincere Christians who are fully resting in Christ for salvation but are
Sunday keepers. They are keeping the wrong day for the right reason.
Likewise, there are many sincere Sabbath keepers who believe their Sabbath
keeping will save them. They are keeping the right day for the wrong reason.
Both need correction and this the Holy Spirit, who is to lead us into all
truth, will do.
When this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world
for a witness unto all nations [Matthew 24:14]; it will polarize or divide
the human race into only two camps — believers and unbelievers [1 John 5:19],
those who are fully resting in Christ and those who have ultimately rejected
Christ. All who come under the banner of Christ will in the end-time worship
the Lord of the Sabbath and their Sabbath keeping will be the outward sign or
seal of the righteousness they have already received by faith, just as
circumcision was to Abraham “a seal of the righteousness of the faith which
he had yet being uncircumcised” [Romans 4:11].
Those who have deliberately and ultimately turned their backs to the
free gift of salvation in Christ will all worship the dragon which gave power
unto the beast [Revelation 13:3-4]. These will exalt Sunday as man’s day of
rest in defiance of the Sabbath, God’s rest day. The issue then in the final
conflict will not be between two groups of Christians or even two rest days,
but two opposing methods of salvation: the Sabbath, signifying salvation by
faith alone, versus Sunday, signifying salvation by works or human effort.
When man turned from God-dependence, at the fall, and consequently
had to eat his bread by the sweat of his brow [Genesis 3:19], a human rest
day became necessary. Today, Sunday is that international day of rest,
established by the world under Satan. Since man was also created a spiritual
being, his departure from God-dependence to self-dependence also meant a
departure from God-worship to subtle forms of self-worship [Romans 1:21-23;
Isaiah 53:6; Philippians 2:21].
This spiritual departure led man from righteousness by faith to
righteousness by works [self-righteousness – Genesis 3:7; 11:4-9]. The New
Testament describes this as the religion of Babylon based on the claims of
Nebuchadnezzar, the great king of ancient Babylon [Daniel 4:30,31; Revelation
14:6-11]. [It must be noted here that the word Babylon derived its name from
the ill-fated tower of Babel, meaning Gate (Bab) of God (el), symbolizing man
trying to reach heaven by works.] The fundamental issue in all of scripture
is salvation by faith versus salvation by works. At the heart of the Bible
message is salvation by grace made effective through faith alone [Habakkuk
2:4; Romans 3:28; Galatians 2:16; Ephesians 2:8-9; Hebrews 10:38-39;
11:1-40]. At the heart of every false religion is salvation by works.
In ancient times, Sunday not only became man’s day of rest from
physical and mental work but, above all, symbolized man’s spiritual day of
rest and worship based on the pagan belief that the sun was the god of gods.
This became prominent in Christ’s day in the Roman Empire. Hence, at its very
foundation, Sunday rest is a pagan institution representing
self-righteousness; this is in complete contradiction to God’s Sabbath, His
sign to man of righteousness by faith [Exodus 31:13, 16; Hebrews 10:14].
These two opposing concepts of salvation can never be reconciled and have
been in conflict ever since the fall.
When the true gospel of righteousness by faith will be fully
recovered and preached into all the world, every person will have to make the
choice, either for or against Christ [Deuteronomy 30:19,20; Joshua 24:13-15;
Romans 9:30-33; Philippians 3:3-9]. At that time, the Sabbath will become the
seal of God, representing righteousness by faith. In contrast, Sunday will
represent the Mark of the Beast, signifying man’s rejection of God’s saving
grace in Christ [Revelation 14:10-11]. Therefore, when the Sunday (blue) law
will be legally established, it will indicate the world’s deliberate and
ultimate rejection of God’s loving offer of salvation through His Son.
Those who will then insist on Sunday rest, in willful opposition to
God’s Sabbath rest, will receive the plagues, the wrath of God poured out
without mixture [Revelation 14:9-11]. In contrast, those who will stubbornly
keep the Seventh-day Sabbath will be manifesting a faith in God that is
unshakeable. They will go through the great time of trouble and wash their
robes white in the blood of the Lamb.
Because of the mixed, confused
ideas of salvation, the true controversy between God’s Sabbath and man’s
Sunday is today still foggy and not clearly understood. But when the two
opposing methods of salvation come into clear focus, then the true importance
of the Sabbath will be seen clearly. May God give us, at that time, the grace
and courage to stand for truth.
It is critical for us to be faithful to the Bible in the area of the Sabbath
but also in any other areas where there is a controversy between God’s
principles and man’s, between righteousness by faith and righteousness by
works.
QUOTES
BY CATHOLICS AND PROTESTANTS THAT SATURDAY IS BIBLICAL
There are some who say that the Sabbath was
cancelled. But, Adventists for decades
have offered $1000 to anyone who can find biblical support for a change from
Sabbath to Sunday in the Bible.
Currently there is an offer for $148 million to anyone who find that
(see: http://www.bible-sabbath.com/million_offer.htm).
When God cancelled the ceremonial laws of the Old
Testament, there were extensive references and explanations in the New
Testament. These were only ceremonial
laws. If there was a change in a
commandment But, there is no such
explanation in the NT for a change in the Sabbath.
“I assure you, until heaven and
earth disappear, even the smallest detail of God's law will remain until its
purpose is achieved.” Matthew 5:18
Who are we being loyal to when we worship on Sunday? It has been proved historically and the
Catholic church proudly claims that by its own authority it implemented the
change of days. So, whether they
realize it or not, all who worship on Sunday are giving honor to the Catholic
church in place of God. The Catholic
church which considers Sunday the mark of her authority:
"Sunday is our mark of authority... The church is above the
Bible, and this transference of sabbath observance is proof of that
fact." --The Catholic Record, London, Ontario, September 1, 1923.
Some people have claimed that the Bible references to
“Lord’s Day” mean Sunday. But, they
are ignoring the historical facts.
“In the year 325, Sylvester, Bishop of Rome changed the title of the
first day, calling it the Lords day.” Historia Ecclesiastica, p. 739.
Catholics have often challenged Protestants that they are
not consistent with their belief in “The Bible and the Bible only” because
they follow a Catholic tradition instead of the words of the Bible.
In a recent Catholic church
newsletter, it stated, “Perhaps the most revolutionary change the Church ever
did, happened in the first century [actually it happened in the fourth
century]. The holy day, the Sabbath, was changed from Saturday to Sunday. The
Day of the Lord [Dies Domini] was chosen, not from any direction noted in the
Scriptures, but from the Church’s sense of its own power. People who think that the Scriptures should
be the sole authority, should logically become [Seventh-day] Adventists, and
keep Saturday holy. Saint Catherine Catholic Church Sentinel, Algonac,
Michigan, May 21, 1995.
"You are a Protestant, and
you profess to go by the Bible and the Bible only; and yet in so important a
matter as the observance of one day in seven as a holy day, you go against
the plain letter of the Bible, and put another day in the place of the day
which the Bible has commanded. The command to keep holy the seventh day is
one of the ten commandments; you believe that the other nine are still binding:
who gave you authority to tamper with the fourth? If you are consistent with
your own principles, if you really follow the Bible and the Bible only, you
ought to be able to produce some portion of the New Testament in which this
fourth commandment is expressly altered." "Library of Christian
Doctrine. Why Don't You Keep Holy the Sabbath Day?" pg. 5
"The Church changed the observance of the Sabbath to Sunday by
right of the divine, infallible authority given to her by her founder, Jesus
Christ. The Protestant claiming the Bible to be the only guide of faith, has
no warrant for observing Sunday. In this matter the Seventh-day Adventist is
the only consistent Protestant." The Catholic Universe Bulletin, August
14, 1942, page 4.
"It is well to remind the Presbyterians, Baptists, Methodists, and all
other Christians, that the Bible does not support them anywhere in their
observance of Sunday. Sunday is an institution of the Roman Catholic Church,
and those who observe the day observe a commandment of the Catholic
Church." Priest Brady, in an address, reported in the Elizabeth, N.J.
"News", March 18, 1903.
"Reason and common sense demand the acceptance of one or the
other of these alternatives: either Protestantism and the keeping holy of
Saturday, or Catholicity and the keeping holy of Sunday. Compromise is
impossible." The Catholic Mirror, December 23, 1893
"If Protestants would follow the Bible, they should worship God on the
Sabbath Day. In keeping the Sunday, they are following a law of the Catholic
Church." Albert Smith, chancellor of the Archdiocese of Baltimore,
replying for the Cardinal in a letter, February 10, 1920.
"It was the Catholic
Church which, by the authority of Jesus Christ, has transferred this rest
(from the Bible Sabbath) to the Sunday. . .Thus the observance of Sunday by
the Protestants is an homage they pay, in spite of themselves, to the
authority of the (Catholic) Church." Monsignor Louis Segur, Plain Talk
about the Protestantism of Today, page 2l3.
“The Catholic Church designated Sunday as the day for corporate
worship and gets full credit – or blame – for the change.” This Rock, The
Magazine of Catholic Apologetics and Evangelization, p.8, June 1997
(CATHOLICISM SPEAKS)
"Sunday is a Catholic
Institution, and its claims to observance can be defended only on Catholic
principles. . . .From beginning to end of Scripture there is not a single
passage that warrants the transfer of weekly public worship from the last day
of the week to the first." —The Catholic Press, Sydney, Australia,
August, 1900.
"Protestantism, In
discarding the authority of the (Roman Catholic) Church, has no good reasons
for its Sunday theory, and ought logically to keep Saturday as the
Sabbath." —John Gilmary Shea, American Catholic Quarterly Review,
January, 1883
"It is well to remind the
Presbyterians, Baptists, Methodists, and all other Christians, that the Bible
does not support them anywhere in their observance of Sunday. Sunday is an
institution of the Roman Catholic Church, and those who observe the day
observe a commandment of the Catholic Church." —Priest Brady, in an
address, reported in the Elizabeth, N.J. "News", March 18, 1903.
"Ques.- Have you any other
way of proving that the (Catholic) Church has power to institute festivals of
percept (to command holy days)?"
"Ans.- Had she not such
power, she could not have done that in which all modern religionists agree
with her: she could not have substituted the observance of Sunday the first
day of the week, for the observance of Saturday the seventh day, a change for
which there is no Scriptural authority."—Stephan Keenan, A Doctrinal
Catechism, page 176.
"Reason and common sense
demand the acceptance of one or the other of these alternatives: either
Protestantism and the keeping holy of Saturday, or Catholicity and the
keeping holy of Sunday. Compromise is impossible."—The Catholic Mirror,
December 23, 1893.
"God simply gave His
(Catholic) Church the power to set aside whatever day or days, she would deem
suitable as Holy Days. The Church chose Sunday, the first day of the week,
and in the course of time added other days, as holy days. —Vincent J. Kelly,
Forbidden Sunday and Feast-Day Occupations, page 2.
"Protestants. . .accept
Sunday rather than Saturday as the day for public worship after the Catholic
Church made the change. . .But the Protestant mind does not seem to realize
that . . in observing the Sunday, they are accepting the authority of the
spokesman for the church, the Pope." —Our Sunday Visitor, February 5,
1950.
Not the Creator of the Universe, In Geneses
2:1-3,—but the Catholic Church "can claim the honor of having granted
man a pause to his work every seven days."—S.D. Moana, Storia della
Domenica, 1969, pages 366-367.
"We hold upon this earth
the place of God Almighty." —Pope Leo XIII, in an Encyclical letter,
June 20, 1894.
"The Pope is not only the
representative of Jesus Christ, but he is Jesus Christ Himself, hidden under
veil of flesh."—The Catholic National, July, 1895.
"If Protestants would follow the Bible, they should worship God on the
Sabbath Day. In keeping the Sunday, they are following a law of the Catholic
Church." —Albert Smith, chancellor of the Archdiocese of Baltimore,
replying for the Cardinal in a letter, February 10, 1920.
"It was the Catholic
Church which, by the authority of Jesus Christ, has transferred this rest
(from the Bible Sabbath) to the Sunday. . .Thus the observance of Sunday by
the Protestants is an homage they pay, in spite of themselves, to the
authority of the (Catholic) Church." —Monsignor Louis Segur, Plain Talk
about the Protestantism of Today, page 2l3.
"We observe Sunday Instead of Saturday because the Catholic Church
transferred the solemnity from Saturday to Sunday."—Peter Geiermann,
CSSR, A Doctrinal Catechism, 1957 edition, page 50.
"We Catholics, then, have
precisely the same authority for keeping Sunday holy instead of Saturday as
we have for every other article of our creed, namely, the authority of the
Church. . .whereas you who are Protestants have really no authority for it
whatever; for there is no authority for it (Sunday sacredness) in the Bible,
and you will not allow that there can be authority for it anywhere else. Both
you and we do, in fact, follow tradition in this matter; but we follow it,
believing it to be a part of God’s word, and the (Catholic) Church to be its
divinely appointed guardian and interpreter; you follow it (the Catholic
Church), denouncing it all the time as a fallible and treacherous guide,
which often ‘makes the commandments of God of none effect’ quoting Matthew
15:6." —The Brotherhood of St. Paul, The Clifton Tracts, Vol. 4, tract
4, page 15.
"The Church changed the observance of the Sabbath to Sunday by right of
the divine, infallible authority given to her by her founder, Jesus Christ.
The Protestant claiming the Bible to be the only guide of faith, has no
warrant for observing Sunday. In this matter the Seventh-day Adventist is the
only consistent Protestant."—The Catholic Universe Bulletin, August 14,
1942, page 4.
(PROTESTANTISM SPEAKS)
Baptist: "There was and is
a command to keep holy the Sabbath day, but that Sabbath day was not Sunday.
If will however be readily said, and with some show of triumph, that the
Sabbath was transferred from the seventh to the first day of the week, with
all its duties, privileges and sanctions. Earnestly desiring information on
this subject, which I have studied for many years, I ask, where can the
record of such a transaction be found? Not in the New Testament —absolutely
not. There is no scriptural evidence of the change of the Sabbath institution
from the seventh to the first day of the week."
Dr. E. T. Hiscox, author of the
Baptist Manual.
Congregationalist: "It is
quite clear that however rigidly or devotedly we may spend Sunday, we are not
keeping the Sabbath. . .The Sabbath was founded on specific, divine command.
We can plead no such command for the observance of Sunday. . .There is not a
single line in the New Testament to suggest that we incur any penalty by
violating the suppose sanctity of Sunday." —Dr. R. W. Dale, The Ten
Commandments, pages 106-107.
Lutheran Free Church: "For when there could not be produced one solitary
pace in the Holy Scriptures which testified that either the Lord Himself or
the apostles had ordered such a transfer of the Sabbath to Sunday, then it
was not easy to answer the question: Who has transferred the Sabbath, and who
has had the right to do it?"—George Sverdrup, A New Day.
Protestant Episcopal: "The
day is now changed from the seventh to the first day. . .but as we meet with
no Scriptural direction for the change, we may conclude it was done by the
authority of the church.—Explanation of Catechism.
Baptist: "The Scriptures nowhere call the first day of the week the
Sabbath. . .There is no Scriptural authority for so doing, nor of course, any
Scriptural obligation."—The Watchman.
Presbyterian: "There is no
word, no hint in the New Testament about abstaining from work on Sunday. The
observance of Ash Wednesday, or Lent, stands exactly on the same footing as
the observance of Sunday. Into the rest of Sunday no Divine Law enters."
—Canon Eyton, in The Ten Commandments.
Anglican: "And where are
we told in the Scriptures that we are to keep the first day at all? We are
commanded to keep the seventh; but we are nowhere commanded to keep the first
day."—Isaac Williams, Plain Sermons on the Catechism, pages 334, 336.
Disciples of Christ:
"There is no direct Scriptural authority for designating the first day
‘the Lord’s Day.’"
—Dr D.H. Lucas, Christian
Oracle, January, 1890.
Methodist: "It is true
that there is no positive command for infant baptism. Nor is there any for
keeping holy the first day of the week. Many believe that Christ changed the
Sabbath. But, from His own words, we see that He came for no such purpose.
Those who believe that Jesus changed the Sabbath base it only on a
supposition."—Amos Binney, Theological Compendium, pages 180-181.
Episcopalian: "We have
made the change from the seventh day to the first day, from Saturday to
Sunday, on the authority of the one holy, Catholic, Apostolic Church of
Christ."—Bishop Symour, Why We keep Sunday.
Southern Baptist: "The
sacred name of the Seventh day is Sabbath. This fact is too clear to require
argument (Exodus 20:10 quoted). . .On this point the plain teaching of the
Word has been admitted in all ages. . .Not once did the disciples apply the
Sabbath law to the first day of the week—that folly was left for a later age,
nor did they pretend that the first day supplanted the seventh." —Joseph
Judson "Taylor, The Sabbath Question, pages 14-17, 41.
American Congregationalist: "The current notion that Christ and His
apostles authoritatively substituted the first day for the seventh, is
absolutely without any authority in the New Testament."—Dr. Layman
Abbot, in the Christian Union, June 26, 1890.
Christian Church: "Now there is no testimony in all the oracles of
heaven that the Sabbath is changed, or that the Lord’s Day came in the room
of it." —Alexander Campbell, in The Reporter, October 8, 1921.
Baptist: "To me it seems
unaccountable that Jesus, during three years’ discussion with His disciples,
often conversing with them upon the Sabbath question, discussing it in some
of its various aspects, freeing it from its false (Jewish traditional)
glosses, never alluded to any transference of the day; also, that during the
forty days of His resurrection life, no such thing was intimated. Nor, so far
as we know, did the Spirit, which was given to bring to their remembrance all
things whatsoever that He had said unto them, deal with this churches,
counseling and instructing those founded, discuss or approach the subject.
"Of course I quite well
know that Sunday did come into use in early Christian history as a religious
day, as we learn from the Christian Fathers and other sources. But what a
pity that it comes branded with the mark of Paganism, and christened with the
name of the sun-God, then adopted and sanctified by the Papal apostasy, and
bequeathed as a sacred legacy to Protestantism." —Dr. E.T. Hiscox,
report of his sermon at the Baptist Minister’s convention, in New York
Examiner, November 16, 1893.
There is an article that the Catholic Church published
entitled: Rome’s Challenge (at: http://www.aloha.net/~mikesch/chalng.htm
) in which the Catholic church examines every mention of Sunday in the New
Testament and shows that there is no biblical support for worshipping on that
day. They challenge Protestants by
saying that if they are consistent with their principle of “The Bible and the
Bible only”, then the only day permissible for them to worship on is the
Sabbath. The fact that they do not
shows that they honor the Catholic church and it’s principle that the church
has the authority to change the Bible.
This is substituting the authority of the church for the authority of
the Bible and is a very dangerous thing to do as proved by the history of the
Roman Catholic church itself and it’s cruel treatment of dissenters. There is quite a lot of testimony even
from Protestant Churches that there is no biblical support for keeping Sunday
at: http://www.bible-sabbath.com/opening/said.htm If protestants do not decide to stand firm
on the issue of “The Bible and the Bible only” including the Sabbath/Sunday
issue, eventually they will return to the principle of the church above the
Bible that was so dangerous and deadly during the Middle ages. This is already starting to happen.
"Baptist open to Ties With Catholics," proclaimed a
headline in The Columbus Dispatch, Ohio, June 17, 1994. The reference was to
the Southern Baptist Church, America’s largest Protestant church. The
International Herald-Tribune, June 27, 1998, headlined, "Catholics and
Lutherans Settle a Historic Doctrinal Dispute." Since the doctrine under
discussion was that which fired the Reformation—Justification by Faith—it
would seem thta Rome is making giant strides towards subduing the opposition
of Protestants to its unscriptural faith.
Such success has opened the
pathway to the Christian Coalition in the Unitited States where conservative
Roman Catholics and Evangelical Protestants have united to promote this
political agendas, thus preparing the United States to use political and
judicial power to enforce Rome’s ecclesiastical will.
See also an eye-opening overview of the recent letter of
the Pope on observing Sabbath and some serious developments in the Catholic
church that have disturbing similarities to it’s practices during the middle
ages at: http://www.bible-sabbath.com/standish/popesltr/pl02.htm
These verses make it very clear that Jesus expects his
people to keep the commandments and that
it is a sign that we love Him and honor Him. Our keeping of the commandments does not
save us as Paul makes clear. But,
Jesus has saved us and he says that to show our love and also for our
benefit, our privilege and duty is to keep God’s laws. and we love Him, we
want to honor Him by keeping His laws.
If we follow the commandments of men, it is in rebellion to God:
“But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the
commandments of men.” Matthew 15:9
“If you love me, obey my commandments.” John 14:15
“Those who obey my commandments
are the ones who love me. And because they love me, my Father will love them,
and I will love them. And I will reveal myself to each one of them.” John
14:21
“I have loved you even as the Father has loved me. Remain in my love.
When you obey me, you remain in my love, just as I obey my Father and remain
in his love.” John 15:9-10
I encourage you to enter the pleasure of the Sabbath rest
that God intended and take time from the stress and pressure of business,
work and studying. Reconnect with the
God who created the world and desires a personal relationship with you. Reconnect with the spiritual heritage of
all those in the Bible who experienced God’s blessings. And because you trust in Christ’s
righteousness alone and have decided to obey his commandments, celebrate and
worship Him on the day he has promised to meet us and bless us, the Sabbath.
When you live in this way, you will have the peace that
passes understanding, knowing that you are in God’s will in this area also
and that God will bless you because of it.
And someday God will count you also among the faithful heroes who
refused to compromise with the ways of man, but showed their love and honor
for Jesus by their faithfulness to His commandments and truths.
-----------
LINKS:
·
Sabbath
site with tons of information and stories about Sabbath and Sunday and
American government starting to take away freedoms from people Sabbath site with tons of information and
stories about Sabbath and Sunday and American government starting to take
away freedoms from people http://www.bible-sabbath.com, also http://www.biblesabbath.com
·
Catholic/Protestant confessions that the Bible doesn’t support Sunday worship: http://www.biblesabbath.org/confessions.html
·
Catholic and Protestant confessions about
Sabbath: http://www.biblesabbath.org/confessions.html
·
Sabbath keeping in history: http://www.tagnet.org/llt/jimart.htm, http://www.tagnet.org/llt/sabcen.htm
·
LARGE BOOKLET with much history: http://www.amazingfacts.org/items/read_library.asp?KBID=1773&tSelSec=Pocket
·
Several studies on Sabbath: http://www.amazingfacts.org/items/free_library.asp?SelSec=Pocket&SelCat=Sabbath
·
BOOK: “Sabbath to Sunday” (written by an
ADVENTIST who studied at the Vatican University which proves that it was the
Catholics who changed Sabbath to Sunday:
http://www.biblicalperspectives.com/books/sabbath_to_sunday/
·
BOOK: “Divine Rest for Human Restlessness”: http://www.biblicalperspectives.com/books/rest_restlessness/
·
BOOK: “The Sabbath in the New
Testament”http://www.biblicalperspectives.com/books/sabbath_new_testament/
Other sites: http://www.biblesabbath.org/
·
Interesting Sabbath/Sunday
animation: http://www.temcat.com/Remnant-Prophecy/Movies/mob-main.htm
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