Author Topic: The Desire of Ages--29--The Sabbath (Read 14512 times)

Dorine · « **Reply #40 on:** June 22, 2019, 06:12:35 AM »

"The Saviour had not come to set aside what patriarchs and prophets had spoken; for He Himself had spoken through these representative men. All the truths of God's word came from Him. But these priceless gems had been placed in false settings. Their precious light had been made to minister to error. God desired them to be removed from their settings of error and replaced in the framework of truth. This work only a divine hand could accomplish. By its connection with error, the truth had been serving the cause of the enemy of God and man. Christ had come to place it where it would glorify God, and work the salvation of humanity."

Pride leads to hardheartedness in individuals who place themselves above God and pervert His word. I praise God this Sabbath morning for His word and the pen of inspiration in this book the Desire of Ages. We see Jesus as He really is as if He were still walking this earth in person. We can know the truth and not be misled by error. If our hearts are putty in His hands His truth will set us free and He will mold us into His character as we surrender completely to Him. Now that is a precious promise that should fill us with joy and peace as we spread the good news to others.

Beacon · « **Reply #41 on:** September 14, 2019, 01:30:49 PM »

"All things were created by the Son of God. "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God. . . . All things were made by Him; and without Him was not anything made that was made." John 1:1-3. And since the Sabbath is a memorial of the work of creation, it is a token of the love and power of Christ. The Sabbath calls our thoughts to nature, and brings us into communion with the Creator. In the song of the bird, the sighing of the trees, and the music of the sea, we still may hear His voice who talked with Adam in Eden in the cool of the day. And as we behold His power in nature we find comfort, for the word that created all things is that which speaks life to the soul".

"He who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ." 2 Corinthians 4:6.

Some folks say that it doesn't matter which day is the Sabbath. But God has said...It is the 7th day of the week which we all know to be Saturday because Jesus died on Friday ( We call it Good Friday because our salvation was guaranteed by by His death ) (Then Jesus rested on the Sabbath the 7th day in the tomb according to His own commandment.) ( On the 1st day of the week ( Sunday ) He came forth from the tomb )

Right now there is a strong move being made by some to change the calendar so that Monday will be the 1st day of the week and that would make the 7th day to come on Sunday. Don't be fooled by this !! There is not one verse in the Bible that indicates that Jesus because He came forth on the 1st Day of the week changed the Day of Rest from Saturday to Sunday. It is a plan of the master deceiver - the arch enemy of Jesus, Lucifer, who wants to take away the True Worship that belongs only to Jesus.

Richard Myers · « **Reply #42 on:** September 15, 2019, 09:34:46 AM »

Amen Brother Beacon! And we need to know of the power of God since we are wholly dependent upon Him for power to resist the smallest temptation to sin.

As we near the end we understand better that the Sabbath is a sign between God and His church.

"I gave them My Sabbaths, to be a sign between Me and them, that they might know that I am the Lord that sanctify them,"--make them holy. Ezekiel 20:12. Then the Sabbath is a sign of Christ's power to make us holy. And it is given to all whom Christ makes holy. As a sign of His sanctifying power, the Sabbath is given to all who through Christ become a part of the Israel of God.

How many teach that God transforms sinners into saints? What is a saint? It is one who is a part of the Israel of God. Who are these? They are the ones who yesterday, today, and tomorrow give their whole hearts to Christ who then sanctifies them. What does sanctifying a person mean? It means that God has made them "holy." Therefore, the Sabbath is a sign of God's power to make us holy.

Does being holy transform the flesh? Absolutely not. We do not believe in Holy flesh. We shall live in fallen unholy flesh until Christ comes and glorifies all who love Him supremely. Is fallen flesh an excuse for sin? Absolutely not. Why not since fallen flesh has no power to do any good thing? Because Christ who came in the likeness of sinful flesh gives us an example of walking in the light of God's love and grace. When we become partakers of God's divine nature, we are empowered to keep the law of God and we then reflect the character of God manifesting all of the fruits of the Spirit, not one will be missing.

Now we better understand why we need to understand why the Sabbath is a sign of God's power to sanctify repentant sinners. It is our only hope of rewarding Christ for all He has done for us.

Dorine · « **Reply #43 on:** September 15, 2019, 10:08:36 AM »

As the Jews departed from God, and failed to make the righteousness of Christ their own by faith, the Sabbath lost its significance to them. Satan was seeking to exalt himself and to draw men away from Christ, and he worked to pervert the Sabbath, because it is the sign of the power of Christ. The Jewish leaders accomplished the will of Satan by surrounding God's rest day with burdensome requirements. In the days of Christ the Sabbath had become so perverted that its observance reflected the character of selfish and arbitrary men rather than the character of the loving heavenly Father. The rabbis virtually represented God as giving laws which it was impossible for men to obey. They led the people to look upon God as a tyrant, and to think that the observance of the Sabbath, as He required it, made men hard-hearted and cruel. It was the work of Christ to clear away these misconceptions. Although the rabbis followed Him with merciless hostility, He did not even appear to conform to their requirements, but went straight forward, keeping the Sabbath according to the law of God.

As I meditated upon this paragraph I was thinking how different it is today but just as perverted. Satan will do all in his power to deceive. Now the Sabbath is a 'fun' day, a day to feast, a day to sleep. Christ has been brought down to a worldly level and the Sabbath becomes a day to selfishly indulge. Dress as you please, worship as you please, eat as you please and it doesn't really matter what you talk about. God accepts you as you are so don't tell anyone they need to change if they expect to enter heaven. The situation is just as sad today as it was in Jesus' day. It's easy to get caught up in the culture around us if we are not entirely surrendered to Christ. It would be good to do a daily self examination to see who our hearts belongs to. These chapters grow more precious to me with each reading. The love and patience of our loving Saviour is extended to each one, not to condone but to convict us of our need of Him and to bring us to repentance.

Pastor Sean Brizendine · « **Reply #44 on:** September 15, 2019, 10:49:48 AM »

Amen, Brother Beacon, Brother Richard, and Sister Dorine!

What a thought--the Sabbath is for the world! Our loving Creator established the seventh-day Sabbath in Eden, and when Jesus recreates the world, He will make all things new, and still give us the joy of the seventh-day Sabbath! God does not change! What joy we may have in contemplation of how the Sabbath is one of the institutions that reminds us of why we were created: to know and love God in relational intimacy with Him and those whom He created to be in fellowship with Him!

"The Sabbath was not for Israel merely, but for the world. It had been made known to man in Eden, and, like the other precepts of the Decalogue, it is of imperishable obligation. Of that law of which the fourth commandment forms a part, Christ declares, 'Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in nowise pass from the law.' So long as the heavens and the earth endure, the Sabbath will continue as a sign of the Creator's power. And when Eden shall bloom on earth again, God's holy rest day will be honored by all beneath the sun. 'From one Sabbath to another' the inhabitants of the glorified new earth shall go up 'to worship before Me, saith the Lord.' Matthew 5:18; Isaiah 66:23." {The Desire of Ages, page 283, paragraph 2}

The gift of true rest in our souls only Christ can impart. I love the Sabbath because it is the day I get to do ministry and bless others, and find joy in the presence of Jesus! What a blessing it is when Christ comes into a fully surrendered heart to impart His rest, grace and love, dispelling fear and doubt and empowering us to live lives that reveal His character: a full-heart obedience with the accompanying witness of all of the fruits of the Spirit in our lives without one missing!

Richard Myers · « **Reply #45 on:** September 16, 2019, 04:35:44 AM »

Amen Pastor Sean. There are those in the world who keep the Sabbath who are not in a Sabbath keeping church.

Amen Sister Dorine. "The rabbis virtually represented God as giving laws which it was impossible for men to obey. They led the people to look upon God as a tyrant, and to think that the observance of the Sabbath, as He required it, made men hard-hearted and cruel. It was the work of Christ to clear away these misconceptions."

Have we not seen that there are pastors today who teach that we cannot keep God's laws perfectly, that because we have a fallen nature we must be saved even when sinning a known sin? Do not Protestant pastors lead many to see God as a God of love that does not keep those who break the commandments out of heaven? Satan now continues to lead church members to think God would be a tyrant if He requires us to keep the Sabbath in its proper manner. It began in heaven with the evil angels and continues on this Earth today. "Leagalists" is the term being used for those who keep the Sabbath properly. And, do we understand where this is leading to? Do we not see the Sabbath test is just before the world?

Beacon · « **Reply #46 on:** December 09, 2019, 04:10:28 PM »

"Wherefore the Son of man is Lord also of the Sabbath." These words are full of instruction and comfort. Because the Sabbath was made for man, it is the Lord's day. It belongs to Christ. For "all things were made by Him; and without Him was not anything made that was made." John 1:3. Since He made all things, He made the Sabbath. By Him it was set apart as a memorial of the work of creation. It points to Him as both the Creator and the Sanctifier."

"The Sabbath declares that He who created all things in heaven and in earth, and by whom all things hold together, is the "Head of the Church" By His power we are reconciled to God.

He said, "I gave them My Sabbaths, to be a sign between Me and them, that they might know that I am the Lord that sanctify's them,"--To make them holy. Ezekiel 20:12.

Then the Sabbath is a sign of Christ's power to make us holy. And it is given to all whom Christ makes holy. As a sign of His sanctifying power, the Sabbath is given to all who through Christ become a part of the Israel of God."

Dear Friends, Let us consider seriously what the implications are if we choose to worship on Sunday which is a Man Made False Sabbath!! - No Where in the Bible is there any command to keep Sunday, the 1st. Day of the Week Holy, as a Sabbath Day! No where does it say that Jesus commanded us to honor Sunday as a memorial of His Resurrection!

The Bible says in John 14:15 "IF YE LOVE ME --- KEEP MY COMMANDMENTS." DO YOU LOVE JESUS? OR ARE YOU JUST GOING TO FOLLOW THE CROWD? YOUR ANSWER WILL DETERMINE YOUR ETERNAL DESTINATION!

Pastor Sean Brizendine · « **Reply #47 on:** December 10, 2019, 05:20:05 AM »

Amen, Brother Beacon!

We need Jesus to abide in our hearts continually, that we may serve Him with the love He freely pours into our hearts and minds! When our life is a service of love, it is a true joy!

"Again Christ reiterated the truth that the sacrifices were in themselves of no value. They were a means, and not an end. Their object was to direct men to the Saviour, and thus to bring them into harmony with God. It is the service of love that God values. When this is lacking, the mere round of ceremony is an offense to Him. So with the Sabbath. It was designed to bring men into communion with God; but when the mind was absorbed with wearisome rites, the object of the Sabbath was thwarted. Its mere outward observance was a mockery." {The Desire of Ages, page 286, paragraph 1}

The joy of keeping the Sabbath is truly found in letting Christ live His life in and through us, that the same loving works He performed for the blessing of others will be manifest in our lives! When we live by faith on Jesus in continual surrender of the whole heart to Him, each moment of each day we may have the rest that the Sabbath promises--a rest that reveals all of the fruits of the Spirit without one missing! This restful experience is the divine nature at work in us to will and to do according to His good pleasure! Hallelujah!!

Richard Myers · « **Reply #48 on:** December 10, 2019, 10:01:42 PM »

Amen Pastor Sean. If we are are converted then we can keep the Sabbath as God requires, and then it will be a blessing for us.

No other institution which was committed to the Jews tended so fully to distinguish them from surrounding nations as did the Sabbath. God designed that its observance should designate them as His worshipers. It was to be a token of their separation from idolatry, and their connection with the true God. But in order to keep the Sabbath holy, men must themselves be holy. Through faith they must become partakers of the righteousness of Christ. When the command was given to Israel, "Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy," the Lord said also to them, "Ye shall be holy men unto Me." Exodus 20:8; 22:31. Only thus could the Sabbath distinguish Israel as the worshipers of God.

Dorine · « **Reply #49 on:** March 06, 2020, 06:10:04 AM »

"Christ would teach His disciples and His enemies that the service of God is first of all. The object of God's work in this world is the redemption of man; therefore that which is necessary to be done on the Sabbath in the accomplishment of this work is in accord with the Sabbath law. Jesus then crowned His argument by declaring Himself the "Lord of the Sabbath,"--One above all question and above all law. This infinite Judge acquits the disciples of blame, appealing to the very statutes they are accused of violating."

What a friend we have. When we realize what a gift the Sabbath is to us we will relish every moment and take advantage of the time devoted to spending with God and for Him. We will guard the edges at the beginning and the close, not desiring to quickly leave it's presence for it is Holy time.

Richard Myers · « **Reply #50 on:** March 06, 2020, 07:27:27 AM »

Amen Sister Dorine! And, here we have a principle that involves all law. Outward observance means nothing if we are not fully surrendered to Christ. We are law breakers if we do not give the whole heart to God.

As the Jews departed from God, and failed to make the righteousness of Christ their own by faith, the Sabbath lost its significance to them. Satan was seeking to exalt himself and to draw men away from Christ, and he worked to pervert the Sabbath, because it is the sign of the power of Christ. The Jewish leaders accomplished the will of Satan by surrounding God's rest day with burdensome requirements. In the days of Christ the Sabbath had become so perverted that its observance reflected the character of selfish and arbitrary men rather than the character of the loving heavenly Father. The rabbis virtually represented God as giving laws which it was impossible for men to obey. They led the people to look upon God as a tyrant, and to think that the observance of the Sabbath, as He required it, made men hard-hearted and cruel. It was the work of Christ to clear away these misconceptions. Although the rabbis followed Him with merciless hostility, He did not even appear to conform to their requirements, but went straight forward, keeping the Sabbath according to the law of God.

How do those not of our faith look at us in regards to the Sabbath? Are we like the Jews were? Or do we present the Sabbath as a blessing by reflecting the character of our God? If we love Jesus supremely, then we will be a reflection of His law and love. This is what Jesus wants from us. The Sabbath is a sign of the power of God to keep us from sin.

Pastor Sean Brizendine · « **Reply #51 on:** March 06, 2020, 03:03:33 PM »

Let us come to Christ as we are, and experience His true rest in our hearts by a complete surrender to Him! As the Sabbath comes, may His rest fill our hearts with all of the fruits of the Spirit so not one is missing!

"And the Lord says, 'If thou turn away thy foot from the Sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on My holy day; and call the Sabbath a delight, the holy of the Lord, honorable; . . . then shalt thou delight thyself in the Lord.' Isaiah 58:13, 14. To all who receive the Sabbath as a sign of Christ's creative and redeeming power, it will be a delight. Seeing Christ in it, they delight themselves in Him. The Sabbath points them to the works of creation as an evidence of His mighty power in redemption. While it calls to mind the lost peace of Eden, it tells of peace restored through the Saviour. And every object in nature repeats His invitation, 'Come unto Me, all ye that labor and are heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.' Matthew 11:28." {The Desire of Ages, page 289, paragraph 1}

The heavier your burdens, the more blessed the rest you experience in giving them to Christ. May this Sabbath be filled with His true rest in your heart by inviting the Holy Spirit into you to do His will!

Beacon · « **Reply #52 on:** March 06, 2020, 04:47:10 PM »

"The Sabbath was not for Israel merely, but for the world. It had been made known to man in Eden, and, like the other precepts of the Decalogue, it is of imperishable obligation. Of that law of which the fourth commandment forms a part, Christ declares, 'Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in nowise pass from the law.' So long as the heavens and the earth endure, the Sabbath will continue as a sign of the Creator's power. And when Eden shall bloom on earth again, God's holy rest day will be honored by all beneath the sun."

The Sabbath is not just for this world as it stands now - But "ALL" of God's creation will celebrate together throughout all future generations!

"From one Sabbath to another' the inhabitants of the glorified new earth shall go up 'to worship before Me, saith the Lord." Isaiah 66:23."

I want to be there - How about you ?

Pastor Sean Brizendine · « **Reply #53 on:** June 01, 2020, 04:01:17 AM »

In a world that is so full of unrest and chaos, we need rest. The true rest that our souls need can only be found in union and communion with the One who made us. Jesus, our Creator, formed us for His pleasure and delights to be in intimate relationship with each of us personally and individually. Knowing that time is the currency of relationship, Christ gave us the seventh day Sabbath as a memorial of His power to create the world and also as a memorial of His power to redeem us from sin. As we heed these loving words, we find joy in surrendered obedience to Christ, knowing that His rest only comes in complete acquiescence to His revealed will--the Ten Commandments which are never to pass away, and which we can only keep when our hearts and minds are renewed by His converting grace! "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).

"And the Lord says, 'If thou turn away thy foot from the Sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on My holy day; and call the Sabbath a delight, the holy of the Lord, honorable; . . . then shalt thou delight thyself in the Lord.' Isaiah 58:13, 14. To all who receive the Sabbath as a sign of Christ's creative and redeeming power, it will be a delight. Seeing Christ in it, they delight themselves in Him. The Sabbath points them to the works of creation as an evidence of His mighty power in redemption. While it calls to mind the lost peace of Eden, it tells of peace restored through the Saviour. And every object in nature repeats His invitation, 'Come unto Me, all ye that labor and are heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.' Matthew 11:28." {The Desire of Ages, page 289, paragraph 1}

Let us come to Christ with all of our burdens even now, freely yield the whole heart to Him, and accept by grace through faith His righteousness which alone can make us partakers of the divine nature whereby all of the fruits of the Spirit will be manifested in and through our lives without one missing. Abiding in Christ, we may approach Sabbath, June 6 at the end of this week with joy, and remember that Christ is preparing an eternity for us where we will still keep the Sabbath in both heaven and the new earth!! "For as the new heavens and the new earth, which I will make, shall remain before me, saith the Lord, so shall your seed and your name remain. And it shall come to pass, that from one new moon to another, and from one sabbath to another, shall all flesh come to worship before me, saith the Lord" (Isaiah 66:22-23). Would you like to accept the precious gift of Jesus and the Sabbath rest He offers you? Jesus is coming and He is preparing us now to live holy lives in harmony with heaven by transforming our hearts by His grace!

Dorine · « **Reply #54 on:** June 01, 2020, 05:20:13 AM »

Amen Pastor Sean. What a blessing the Sabbath is when we understand and accept what the Lord intended for us through the true observance of His holy day.

"No other institution which was committed to the Jews tended so fully to distinguish them from surrounding nations as did the Sabbath. God designed that its observance should designate them as His worshipers. It was to be a token of their separation from idolatry, and their connection with the true God. But in order to keep the Sabbath holy, men must themselves be holy. Through faith they must become partakers of the righteousness of Christ. When the command was given to Israel, "Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy," the Lord said also to them, "Ye shall be holy men unto Me." Exodus 20:8; 22:31. Only thus could the Sabbath distinguish Israel as the worshipers of God."

We need to understand what the Saviour is saying to us today. Only as our lives reveal the character of God will the Sabbath distinguish us as the worshipers of God. What does He see as He looks down upon His church? What does He see when He looks into the depths of my soul? Take my heart again today Lord that I may be your true witness in all my thoughts, words and actions.

Beacon · « **Reply #55 on:** June 01, 2020, 05:51:08 AM »

"In the days of Christ the Sabbath had become so perverted that its observance reflected the character of selfish and arbitrary men rather than the character of the loving heavenly Father. The rabbis virtually represented God as giving laws which it was impossible for men to obey. They led the people to look upon God as a tyrant, and to think that the observance of the Sabbath, as He required it, made men hard-hearted and cruel. It was the work of Christ to clear away these misconceptions. Although the rabbis followed Him with merciless hostility, He did not even appear to conform to their requirements, but went straight forward, keeping the Sabbath according to the law of God."

In Matthew 28:18-20 Jesus said in...."18 And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.
19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: 20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

We should always be kind and loving towards those who have never known that God's Holy Day, The True Sabbath, according to the Word of God as recorded in Exodus 20 is to be celebrated on the 7th Day of the week ( Saturday ) NOT on Sunday the 1st day which was substituted by man many centuries ago. Our enemy Satan, through an apostate ( false ) system of worship has designed to take away the Honor and Glory that belongs only to Jesus. Jesus said, " If ye love me keep MY Commandments Holy" .

WHO WE CHOOSE TO WORSHIP, AND HOW, WILL ULTIMATELY DETERMINE OUR FINAL DESTINATION

Richard Myers · « **Reply #56 on:** June 01, 2020, 08:36:51 AM »

What beautiful and important truth you all have shared today! The last test to come to humanity is the Sabbath truth. But, for many who believe they are keeping the Sabbath, as Sister Dorine has shared, do not keep the Sabbath from God's viewpoint unless we are truly converted.

The Sabbath is so very important to us today that we might know of God's love for us, and of His power to create. In our case, we need to be re-created. It is harder for God to re-create us than it was to create Adam from the dust of the Earth. We cannot be transformed in character unless we cooperate with God. Many are called, but few will choose to work with God for their salvation.

If we are not abiding in Christ and He in us, then the keeping of the Sabbath is a mockery to God.

Again Christ reiterated the truth that the sacrifices were in themselves of no value. They were a means, and not an end. Their object was to direct men to the Saviour, and thus to bring them into harmony with God. It is the service of love that God values. When this is lacking, the mere round of ceremony is an offense to Him. So with the Sabbath. It was designed to bring men into communion with God; but when the mind was absorbed with wearisome rites, the object of the Sabbath was thwarted. Its mere outward observance was a mockery.

When the world sees a church that loves their enemy, then they will recognize the importance of the Sabbath Day. Let us today be His witnesses of the power of His love and grace.

Beacon · « **Reply #57 on:** August 27, 2020, 05:15:04 AM »

"Wherefore the Son of man is Lord also of the Sabbath." These words are full of instruction and comfort. Because the Sabbath was made for man, it is the Lord's day. It belongs to Christ. For "all things were made by Him; and without Him was not anything made that was made." John 1:3. Since He made all things, He made the Sabbath. By Him it was set apart as a memorial of the work of creation. It points to Him as both the Creator and the Sanctifier."

"The Sabbath declares that He who created all things in heaven and in earth, and by whom all things hold together, is the "Head of the Church" By His power we are reconciled to God.

He said, "I gave them My Sabbaths, to be a sign between Me and them, that they might know that I am the Lord that sanctify's them,"--To make them holy. Ezekiel 20:12.

Then the Sabbath is a sign of Christ's power to make us holy. And it is given to all whom Christ makes holy. As a sign of His sanctifying power, the Sabbath is given to all who through Christ become a part of the Israel of God."

Dear Friends, Let us consider seriously what the implications are if we choose to worship on Sunday which is a Man Made False Sabbath!! - No Where in the Bible is there any command to keep Sunday, the 1st. Day of the Week Holy, as a Sabbath Day! No where does it say that Jesus commanded us to honor Sunday as a memorial of His Resurrection!

The Bible says in John 14:15 "IF YE LOVE ME --- KEEP MY COMMANDMENTS."

DO YOU LOVE JESUS? OR ARE YOU JUST GOING TO FOLLOW THE CROWD?

YOUR ANSWER WILL DETERMINE YOUR ETERNAL DESTINATION!

Pastor Sean Brizendine · « **Reply #58 on:** August 27, 2020, 06:59:04 AM »

Amen, Brother Beacon!

Jesus gave us the Sabbath to be a blessing as we rest in Him. Each week as the sun sets on Friday night, Christ is inviting us to enjoy a day devoted to our relationship with Him as we rest from our business cares and work and find joy in fellowship with Him, others, and nature so we may go about doing good like Jesus did! As the Sabbath comes to a close each Saturday evening at sunset, Christ invites us to carry the blessings of His rest into the new week so we may be strengthened to do His will!

"And the Lord says, 'If thou turn away thy foot from the Sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on My holy day; and call the Sabbath a delight, the holy of the Lord, honorable; . . . then shalt thou delight thyself in the Lord.' Isaiah 58:13, 14. To all who receive the Sabbath as a sign of Christ's creative and redeeming power, it will be a delight. Seeing Christ in it, they delight themselves in Him. The Sabbath points them to the works of creation as an evidence of His mighty power in redemption. While it calls to mind the lost peace of Eden, it tells of peace restored through the Saviour. And every object in nature repeats His invitation, 'Come unto Me, all ye that labor and are heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.' Matthew 11:28." {The Desire of Ages, page 289, paragraph 1}

If it is your desire to rest fully in Christ, would you also like to embrace the joyful rest He offers us in the gift of the seventh day Sabbath? When Christ has the whole heart, we gladly obey His will revealed in His word, for His commandments are definitional freedom from sin found only by abiding in Christ! Then the heart completely surrendered to Christ is renewed by His divine grace and will spontaneously bring forth all of the fruits of the Spirit without one missing!

Richard Myers · « **Reply #59 on:** August 27, 2020, 09:38:07 PM »

Amen Pastor Sean and Brother Beacon! I was impressed with the next to last paragraph. It is so very instructive in regards to God's grace. Christ sanctifies us, He makes us holy. How?

Since He made all things, He made the Sabbath. By Him it was set apart as a memorial of the work of creation. It points to Him as both the Creator and the Sanctifier. It declares that He who created all things in heaven and in earth, and by whom all things hold together, is the head of the church, and that by His power we are reconciled to God. For, speaking of Israel, He said, "I gave them My Sabbaths, to be a sign between Me and them, that they might know that I am the Lord that sanctify them,"--make them holy. Ezekiel 20:12. Then the Sabbath is a sign of Christ's power to make us holy. And it is given to all whom Christ makes holy. As a sign of His sanctifying power, the Sabbath is given to all who through Christ become a part of the Israel of God.

It is by Christ's power that we are reconciled to God, converted, sanctified, made holy. The Sabbath then is a sign of Christ's power to make us holy. Yes, the Sabbath is a sign to the world that we are indeed His. In these last days, the world will know for a surety that the seventh day Sabbath identifies His church.