Mark 2:27--- The Sabbath was made for man (all mankind) not only for the Jews.
Psalm 111:2-4--- He made His works to be remembered, and the Sabbath commandment in His law begins with the word "Remember."
Exodus 20:8-11--- The fourth commandmetn regarding the Sabbath.
Ezekiel 20:12,20--- The Sabbath is a special sign between God and His people.
Revelation1:10--- What day is the "Lord's Day"?
Matthew 12:8--- He is "Lord" of the Sabbath day and the commandment itself says it is "the Sabbath of the Lord."
James 2:10--- If we purposely break one commandment, we are guilty of breaking all.
Matthew 5:17-19,21,27--- Jesus shows us the eternalness and spirituality of the moral law.
Luke 16:17--- It is easier for heaven and earht to pass than one tittle of the law to fail.
Luke 23:54-24:1--- Again the Christian Sabbath is the 7th day- Saturday.
Mark 15:42-16:1--- This passage confirms again which day of the week is the true Sabbath.
John 15:10--- Jesus kept His Father's commandments and asks us to also.
Luke 4:16--- Jesus had a custom of worshipping every Sabbath.
1John 2:3-6--- We ought to walk as Jesus walked.
Matthew 24:15-20--- Jesus looked prophetically into the future to the destruction of Jerusalem and asked His disciples to still be honoring the 7th day Sabbath.
Luke 23:54-56--- After Jesus' death, they rested on the Sabbath "according to the commandment."
Acts 13:14--- Paul and his company worshipped on the Sabbath day. They not only worshipped with the Jews but with the Gentiles also on the Sabbath (vs. 42-44).
Acts 16:12,13--- Paul and the early church kept the Sabbath while in the countryside.
Acts 18:14--- He reasoned in the church every Sabbath. This was Paul's custom (Acts 17:2).
Acts 20:27--- Paul said he declared all the counsel of God, but never mentioned that the Sabbath was changed to Sunday.
Hebrews 4:1-11--- There remains a "rest" to the people of God. Greek- "the keeping of a Sabbath: (Vs. 9 margin).
Psalm 43:3--- The purpose of God sending us "Light and Truth" is that they should lead us.
WHICH IS THE REAL SABBATH DAY?
JESUS:
John 15:10--- ...keep the commandments.
Luke 4:16--- ...worshipped regularly on the Sabbath.
Matthew 24:20--- ...asked His desciples to continue honoring it in the future after He left this earth.
THE BIBLE:
Genesis 2:1-3--- ...says in the beginning God made the Sabbath, rested, blessed and hallowed it. (1Chronicles 17:27, God's blessings last forever).
Exodus 16:26-30--- ...says Israel honored the Sabbath. (Note that this was before Mt. Sinai when God wrote the law in stone-showing its origin was not in Moses' law and it was not only for the Jews, but for all mankind and it existed from the foundation of the world).
Acts 18:4, 16:12,13--- These verses make it very clear that the early Christian church kept the Sabbath.
Isaiah 66:22, 23--- ...says we will continue keeping the Sabbath in heaven.
GOD'S LAW:
Exodus 20:8-11--- ...teaches it very clearly.
Matthew 15:8,9--- Jesus says we can worship in vain if we follow the traditions of men and not truth.
SUPPLEMENT
ONLY EIGHT NEW TESTAMENT TEXTS MENTION THE FIRST DAY:
John 20:19--- On the day of resurrection, the disciples were assembled in fear. Matthew 28:12-15 may give insight as to why.
1Corinthians 16:1,2--- Paul instructed the people on the first day to "lay by him iin store" (Greek: "storing"). Moffat's translation says "at home." Paul here actually asks them to work on the first day (Sunday) storing up the things they collected for the saints in Jerusalem who were in need (Rom. 15:26; Acts 11:26-30).
Acts 20:6-12--- Paul preached a Saturday evening service (after sundown), thus it was the first day (the Bible teaches that a new day begins at sundown.) He ate, talked and when the sun came up Sunday morning, he walked all day to catch his ship. He definitely did not keep Sunday sacred.
Luke 23:34-24:1--- This was written 35 years after Jesus' resurrection. Luke still refers to the day as the Sabbath in the present tense and not as if it had somehow passed away.
Mark 16:1,2
Mark 16:9
John 20:1
Matthew 28:1--- All mention the first day, Sunday as coming after the seventh-day Sabbath (Saturday).
THE RISE OF THE FIRST DAY KEEPING
2Thessalonians 2:3,4,7--- Paul foresaw the rise of the Atnichrist who would try to be even above God and said this power was already working.
Daniel 7:25--- This power would think to Change God's laws.
Mark 7:7-9, 13--- We worship in vain if we follow tradition.
Isaiah 58:13-14--- God prophesied that His people would "repair the breach" of error and get back to their Sabbath-keeping foundation, and keep His day holy.
Ezekiel 22:26-28--- Satan deceives people into attempting to fix this breach in God's law with "untempered mortar" saying, "Thus saith the Lord when the Lord has not spoken!" Verse 26 tells why.
John 3:19-21--- God never condemns sincere people in darkness. He only condemns those who choose to remain in darkness once the light of truth has come.
Acts 5:29--- "We ought to obey God rather than men."
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With Christian Love,
Sister Marie
God made the Sabbath at the time of Creation, after He made the world and everything in it. God rested on the Sabbath and blessed and sanctified it (set it apart for a holy use).
"And he said unto them, The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath:" Mark 2:27
The Sabbath and the family were alike instituted in Eden, and in God's purpose they are perpetually linked together. On this day more than on any other, it is possible for us to live the life of Eden. It was God's plan for the members of the family to be associated in work and study, in worship and recreation, the father as priest of his household, and both father and mother as teachers and companions of their children. But the results of sin, having changed the conditions of life, to a great degree prevent this association. Often the father hardly sees the faces of his children throughout the week. He is almost wholly deprived of opportunity for companionship or instruction. But God's love has set a limit to the demands of toil. Over the Sabbath He places His merciful hand. In His own day He preserves for the family opportunity for communion with Him, with nature, and with one another.
The Sabbath is a sign of creative and redeeming power; it points to God as the source of life and knowledge; it recalls man's primeval glory, and thus witnesses to God's purpose to re-create us in His own image. The Sabbath of the Lord bears His name and seal. "It is a sign," He says, "between Me and you; . . . that ye may know that I am the LORD that doth sanctify you." because "in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day, and hallowed it." Exodus 31:13; 20:11.
The Sabbath is the day above all others when we should acquaint ourselves with God through His works. In the minds of the children the very thought of the Sabbath should be bound up with the beauty of natural things. Happy is the family who can go to the place of worship on the Sabbath as Jesus and His disciples went to the synagogue--across the fields, along the shores of the lake, or through the groves. Happy the father and mother who can teach their children God's written word with illustrations from the open pages of the book of nature; who can gather under the green trees, in the fresh, pure air, to study the word and to sing the praise of the Father above. By such associations parents may bind their children to their hearts, and thus to God, by ties that can never be broken.
Continue to: Which Day is the Sabbath?
Which day is the Sabbath?
"The seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God." Exodus 20:10. "And when the sabbath was past, ...very early in the morning the first day of the week, they came unto the sepulchre." Mark 16:1,2.
The Sabbath is not the first day of the week (Sunday), as many believe, but the seventh day (Saturday). Notice from the above Scripture that the Sabbath is the day that comes just before the first day of the week.
Was the Sabbath day changed?
"Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish aught from it, that ye may keep the commandments of the Lord your God." Deuteronomy 4:2. "Every word of God is pure. ... Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar." Proverbs 30:5, 6.
God has specifically and positively forbidden men to change His law by deletions or additions. To tamper with God's holy law in any way is one of the most fearful and dangerous things a person can do.
God's law is good and a blessing. "Wherefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good." Romans 7:12 "But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed." James 1:25
Jesus said "Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven." Matthew 5:18-19
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What would Jesus do?
In John 15:10 Jesus said "I have kept my father's commandments" and we can also find from scripture that Jesus attended church on the Sabbath day. "And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up for to read." Luke 4:16
What did the Apostles do?
"And Paul, as his manner was, went in unto them, and three sabbath days reasoned with them out of the scriptures." Acts 17:2. "Paul and his company ... went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and sat down." Acts 13:13, 14. "And on the sabbath we went out of the city by a river side, where prayer was wont to be made; and we sat down, and spake unto the women which resorted thither." Acts 16:13. "And he [Paul] reasoned in the synagogue every sabbath, and persuaded the Jews and the Greeks." Acts 18:4.
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Did the Gentiles also worship on Sabbath?
God commanded it: "Blessed is the man ... that keepeth the sabbath from polluting it." "Also the sons of the stranger, that join themselves to the Lord, ... every one that keepeth the sabbath from polluting it, and taketh hold of my covenant; Even them will I bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer ... for mine house shall be called an house of prayer for all people." Isaiah 56:2, 6, 7, emphasis added.
The apostles taught it:
"And when the Jews were gone out of the synagogue, the Gentiles besought that these words might be preached to them the next sabbath." "And the next sabbath day came almost the whole city together to hear the word of God." Acts 13:42, 44, emphasis added. "And he reasoned in the synagogue every sabbath, and persuaded the Jews and the Greeks." Acts 18:4.
Was the Calendar Changed?
Yes. In order to keep up with the solar cycle the calendar was changed once in October 1582, but it did not alter the weekly cycle. Ten dates were omitted from the calendar following October 4, 1582. What would have been Friday, October 5, became Friday, October 15. The diagram below will help you to visualize the change. You will see that it did not change the order of the days of the week.
October 1582
Sun.
Mon.
Tue.
Wed.
Thur.
Fri.
Sat.
1
2
3
4
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
*View an official U.S. Naval Observatory Document sent in 1932 that verifys that there has been no change in the weekly cycle. Here are links to the U.S. Naval Observatory and the Royal Observatory in Greenwich England.
Continue on to: Sabbath in Prophecy
"Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood. For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them." Acts 20:28-30
Yes, long ago God predicted that, from within the church itself, misguided men would arise who would attempt to change His holy law.
Who is responsible for all of the confusion regarding the Sabbath?
In the Bible's prophetic book of Daniel, God lists many identifying characteristics of the little horn who would 'think to change' God's law. The Bible's identifying points clearly implicate the Roman Catholic church as this organization. Infact, you can even find the answer to this question by looking at the many statements made by the church and its leadership.
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
"The Church, on the other hand, after changing the day of rest from the Jewish Sabbath, or seventh day of the week, to the first, made the Third Commandment refer to Sunday as the day to be kept holy as the Lord's Day." The Catholic Encyclopedia,
''Of course the Catholic Church claims that the change was her act. And the act is a mark of her ecclesiastical power and authority in religious matters.'' C. F. Thomas, Chancellor of Cardinal Gibbons, in answer to a letter regarding the change of the Sabbath, November 11, 1895.
* View a larger list of statements by Catholics, Protestants, and Historians.
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Is it important to keep the true Sabbath?
Yes it is. In God's final warning messages to the world we find a call to worship the Creator. "And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven... Saying with a loud voice Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters." Revelation 14:6-7
The call to worship in Revelation 14:7 brings us back to the Sabbath Commandment which God set aside specifically for holy purposes: "Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it." Exodus 20:8-11
Throughout the scriptures we can see an emphasis on the recognition of the Creator. "Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created." Revelation 4:11
"For the LORD is great, and greatly to be praised: He is to be feared above all gods. For all the gods of the nations are idols: but the LORD made the heavens." Psalms 96:4-5
"I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. My help cometh from the LORD, which made heaven and earth." Psalms 121:2
By keeping the Sabbath holy, as He commanded us, we show our love for Him and give recognition of His authority in our life. "Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God: and every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him. By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous." 1 John 5:1
Does it matter how we worship God?
Yes. In John chapter 4 the woman at the well asked Jesus the same question. Jesus responded: "the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth." John 4:23-24
God issues a strong warning in Revelation 14:7 clarifiying that we should "worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters." This strong warning is needed because the devil has deceived almost the entire world into accepting his substitute and thus multitudes worship or obey him rather than the Creator. "And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast. And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast: and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him?" Revelation 13:3-4
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Can we know for sure who this beast is and is it really all that important?
Yes, we can, and must know who this beast is.
"And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand,
The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb:" Revelation 14:9-10 The Bible clearly says that those who worship the beast will be lost.
In the light of this most serious and solemn warning from God we must not listen to anyone who tells us that we can't understand who the beast is or that it really doesn't matter. (See 2 Timothy 4:3-4, 2 Corinthians 11:14-15)
By letting the Bible interpret itself, comparing scripture with scripture, we can know exactly who the beast is. (James 1:5, Isaiah 28:10-13) If you haven't done so already we suggest you review the points describing the little horn found in Daniel 7 and then let the Bible identify the first beast of Revelation 13.
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The Battle is Over Worship!
"Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?" Romans 6:16
Continue to The Mark of the Beast - Part 1
I enjoyed reading all that information you shared on the Sabbath..thank-you Sister Glass :)KiwiYvonne, That is a great story!! That is the best parable concerning the Sabbath that I have ever heard.
It reminded me of this following Parable which comes from the continent of Africa where there are many independent Sabbath keeping churches by Charles E Bradford (Sabbath roots: The African Connection),
A biblical perspective).
" Once upon a time there was a great King who had Ten sons.Then one day the King decided to go on a journey. He called his Ten sons before him. He also called for the Prime minister. He embraced each of his sons, one by one, saying,"Oh, my son." The King then turned to the Prime minister and said,
" While I am away, take care of my sons."
"Soon after the King was gone, the Prime minister called the sons and lined them up before him for inspection.When he came to son number Four, the Prime minister said,"
You do not look like a royal son." He took him out of the line-up and sent the boy into the field to work with the slaves. Then the Prime minister took his own son and put him in the place of the King's son.
" But the King came back one day, and called the Prime minister to give an account of how he had taken care of his sons. The Prime minister said,"O King, live forever.I have done as you have commanded."
He told the King that his sons were well.
"Then the King said,"Bring in my sons." As he had done at the first he embraced them all until he came to the fourth son. Then he said,
'You are not my son.You must be an impostor.' The King turned to the Prime minister and said, "Who is this?"
"The Prime minister replied,"Your majesty, your son did not look like a royal son, so I removed him from the line-up and put my own son in his place."
"Who gave you permission to do that?" the king demanded. The Prime minister was speechless."But where is my son ?" {the king added}.
"The Prime minister responded," He is in the fields,your Majesty, working with the slaves." This made the King very angry. He banished the Prime minister and his son from the realm and restored his own son to his proper place in the lineup."
After this story has been told the usual response from the African audience is,
"Tell us the meaning of the story.The story must have some teaching value."
The reply given is
"The King is God, and the Ten sons are the Ten commandments.
The Fourth son is the Fourth commandment that says,"Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy."
The Prime minister is the Church--the one he left in charge of the commandments.
But the church changed God's day of rest and put a day of it's own choosing in it's place.
...But the King is coming back....
Thanks for sharing the parable, KiwiYvonne! I'm saving it to share with others when the opportunity comes.
TESTING THE FAITH
Sunday, holy Sunday?
Pastor resurrects Sabbath debate
with $1 million reward
SATURDAY OCTOBER 13 2001
Worldnetdaily.com
By Joe Kovacs
WorldNetDaily.com
One of the longest running disputes in the history of Christianity Saturday vs. Sunday is having new life breathed into it with a cash reward of up to $1 million toward a resolution.
A. Jan Marcussen, a Seventh-day Adventist pastor in Illinois, is starting with $50,000 of his own money if someone can produce "a verse from the Holy Bible showing that God commands us to keep holy the first day of the week" Sunday "instead of the seventh day" Saturday "as is commanded in the Bible."
He says the reward will increase in $25,000 increments each week for 40 consecutive weeks if no one sends him such a verse, with a final cap at $1 million.
"The $50,000 offer is to wake people up out of a stupor," Marcussen tells WorldNetDaily. "People wake up when there's money involved."
A. Jan Marcussen (right), and wife Vennita Marcussen, who says he has the money ready to pay if someone is successful, is making the offer to encourage people to read the Bible for themselves, instead of accepting without question what religious leaders have been instructing.
"Millions of people believe and have confidence in their clergy that what they're being taught is true," says Marcussen. "They'll find out that the clergy is not teaching from the Bible."
Marcussen, 52, is not only a preacher in his local church, he's also a physical therapist, nutritionist, marriage counselor and author of six books. One of those works, "National Sunday Law," focuses on the Saturday-vs.-Sunday debate. Marcussen is asking people to read that book before applying for the reward. (It can be read for free online.)
Here is the link for the rest of the story: http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=24908