Sabbath Thoughts 13

Sabbath Resources

"First, in remembrance of the resurrection the early Christian church changed the day of worship from Saturday to Sunday." This very revealing passage comes from Hank Hanegraaff's hardback pamphlet "The Bible Answer Book," with Hank almost inadvertently admitting his slavish devotion to tradition, the "of course" head knock here being that Hanegraaff does not say: "God changed the day of worship from Saturday to Sunday," of course again, because, the Bible never mentions such a change. The second "of course" head knock is that the Bible does not mention the early Christian church making any such change, either, but then of course everyone knows the purported change came much, much later than the days of Jesus, or the Apostles who survived Him.

This blasphemous idea, of course, can't be laid at Hanegraaff's feet, because he surely didn't invent it. Josh McDowell admits that people attempted to change the Sabbath, as well, and he considers it powerful, very powerful that people would actually change God's day from Sabbath to Sunday, even with how special the Jews kept the Sabbath! Josh and Hank both are following a time-honored tradition of placing Tradition (yes, with the capital "T") above scripture (notice the lower-case "s"). What is truly odd is why Hanegraaff does not host a radio show titled "The Tradition Answer Man" and make oodles of money pushing a book titled "The Tradition Answer Book," and even more curious is why, with the many versions of the Bible afloat, why, why WHY ain't there a "Tradition Bible Version," which seemingly would be the very most ultimate favorite of a body slavish to tradition.

Hanegraaff concludes with a frightening threat (the frightening thing is that he would make this a threat, when he's actually damning himself with the very slight quote of Scripture): "Finally, if you insist on being slavishly bound to Old Testament laws you should also be forewarned that failing to keep the letter of the law might be hazardous to your health. According to the Mosaic Law, anyone who does any work on the Sabbath 'must be put to death' (Exodus 35:2)."

Ripe in this terrible passage is the sad, very sad fact that ole Hank is using the old manipulative trick of suggesting that the New Testament somehow replaces the Old Testament, driving a stake between the largest part of Scripture and the smallest part of Scripture. And if you take up the NT you somehow negate the Old.

As an almost humorous afterthought Hanegraaff briefly mentions that we have been freed of the curse of the law (which is death, anyone who breaks the law deserves death), which he oddly leaves dangling, kind of ruining his own sloppy logic. We are ONLY freed from the "curse of the law" (that anyone who breaks the law deserves death) when we accept Jesus into our heart, and then of course, we are changed, and we become obedient, which includes, ironically, and redundantly I say of course again, the Fourth Commandment, which begins with the word "Remember."

Which brings up another thing, Hank's fairly blasphemous opening, the "in remembrance of the resurrection," kind of a sneaky way to say "Remember," only of course, there is no such admonition in the Bible, to adopt a pagan day of sun worship to somehow appease an angry god, and I guess this is how Hank justifies "keeping the Ten Commandments by going to church on Sunday," which is blasphemous in that it is actively attempting to change Scripture itself. Because, we already have a "remembrance of the Resurrection," that was given by Jesus Himself, in the Lord's Supper.

So this obvious error that Hank makes in his pamphlet, that so many Christians celebrate themselves, this embrace of Tradition ABOVE scripture, the question you have to ask yourself, are they making this error, because it is a "Whoops, slipped there, didn't I?" kind of moment or because they are intentionally embracing tradition, which is a lie, an outright deception, but they do not know that their favorite tradition is a lie, a deception. Which side of the line they fall on, it makes all the difference in the world, doesn't it?

On the first side, we have a deceived.

On the flip side, it is a deceiver.

Then there is the third group, whole nother coin, which knows the truth and teaches the lie. They are not deceived. They are liars and deceivers, pure and simple, not that there is anything pure and simple about liars and deceivers.

The wicked have laid a snare for us. Think about it. This isn't my opinion, this is what the Bible says, that wicked people have readied a trap for us (and of course, our true enemies are not people, the people are mere tools of our true enemies, the spiritual antagonists, these errors and lies and planted traditions are part of a huge spiritual conspiracy that are not human in design). Granted, some of these deceivers are themselves deceived. But others, are deceivers, outright.

Our protection from these traps?

Hold onto the Truth. Don't let it go. Don't substitute "anointed guru tap-dancing" for God's Word. When God says "Remember," just believe Him. Trust Him, you can't go wrong in it.

Think about this. You have a guy, someone who has atheists for parents, and he grows up in a rural community, he's mistreated, has no clue about God. Then one day he becomes Tom Hanks and is stranded on a deserted island, and instead of a volleyball, he finds a Bible, and begins to read it. And God reveals Himself to this poor boob on a deserted island.

Think about it. This guy, finding God, beginning to practice what He reads in that Bible, would not arrive at hardly ANY of the conclusions of 99% of the denominations out there deceiving the elect.

Sure, this guy is a fallible human just like any of us, so somehow he might start including coconuts in his new rituals that he makes up in his wee little noodle, and unless he has a super cool watch like mine that is guaranteed to survive a direct nuclear hit and is charged by the sun, he probably won't know exactly which day of the week IS the Sabbath, but think about it, this guy won't even find a HINT of any change in God's law, He'll read that Jesus came to MAGNIFY the Law of God, NOT destroy it, that Jesus promised not to change even the smallest tic or tac, snap crackle or pop of His Own Law!

This guy will read that Jesus is Lord of the Sabbath and that the Sabbath was made as a gift for man, all men (and women, of course, and if he meets a gorgeous native girl on the island, he'll share the good news with her, everything he finds in the Bible), and guess what? This poor guy won't have any tradition (notice the lack of a capital letter?), he'll be going purely on the Word of God (notice the capital letters?). He'll be FREE of the true bondage, man-made laws and traditions (think about it, this is what Jesus was always duking it out with the Pharisees about, showing them how the Law of God always trumps man-made traditions, the traditions of the elders, and the youngers).

Of everything and anything this guy's religion will look like, it won't even resemble something pushed by Ray Comfort and Kirk Cameron and their tap dancing around the Law of God and how it works and doesn't work, or what Hank Hanegraaff pushes, or even in the same ballpark as such masters of religiosity as Benny Hinn, Andrew Wommack, Joyce Meyer or Jabba the Hut.

But that all comes down to you, again. Will you embrace God's Word, or tradition (notice the capitals and lack of capitals, and think about it, is the tradition based on a hope for capital, as in moolah, and is the lack of actual remembrance in the fear of losing capital, as in moolah?). Will you remember when God distinctly says REMEMBER, or will you forget when an 800-pound radio gorilla insists that you forget? Scripture or tradition? The snare, or the hiding place and shield?

Put your hope in God's Word.

The wicked have laid a snare for me: yet I erred not from thy precepts. Thy testimonies have I taken as an heritage for ever: for they are the rejoicing of my heart. I have inclined mine heart to perform thy statutes alway, even unto the end.

I hate vain thoughts: but thy law do I love. Thou art my hiding place and my shield: I hope in thy word.

Depart from me, ye evildoers: for I will keep the commandments of my God. Uphold me according unto thy word, that I may live: and let me not be ashamed of my hope. Hold thou me up, and I shall be safe: and I will have respect unto thy statutes continually.

Thou hast trodden down all them that err from thy statutes: for their deceit is falsehood. Thou puttest away all the wicked of the earth like dross: therefore I love thy testimonies.

Psalms 119:110-119

Don't let anyone trick you out of the gift that God has given to you (don't step into the snare set by Sabbath refuters, those that hate the Law of God -- don't entertain their "vain thoughts." God says: "Depart from me, ye evildoers." Instead, love His laws, for they are beautiful. More to be desired are they than gold, yea, much fine gold; sweeter also than honey, and the honeycomb.

Sabbath Thought #14

Will the Sabbath become

an Issue at the End of Days?

If ye then,

being evil,

know how

to give

good gifts

unto your

children,

how much

more shall

your Father

which is in

heaven give

good things

to them that

ask him?

Matthew 7:11

God gives us good gifts, He gave us the Sabbath, do you believe Him? Or is the Sabbath a day of dread, instead?

The Sabbath is our gift from God, the first gift in the Garden of Eden!

Do not err,

my beloved

brethren.

Every good

gift and

every

perfect gift

is from above,

and cometh

down from

the Father

of lights, with

whom is no

variableness,

neither shadow

of turning. Of

His own will

begat he us

with the Word

of Truth, that

we should be

a kind of

firstfruits

of His

creatures.

James 1:16-18

Make no mistake about it, God's Sabbath day, a gift to us, is a perfect gift, from the Father of lights, Who does not change, doesn't even hint at turning or changing!

The New Covenant:

For this is the

covenant that I

will make with

the house of

Israel after

those days,

saith the Lord;

I will put my

Laws into their

mind, and write

them in their

hearts:

and I will be to

them a God,

and they shall be

to me a people:

Hebrews 8:10

Are you a part of

the New Covenant?

Has God written

His laws, including

the Fourth Commandment,

in your heart? DId

He put His Sabbath

in your mind?

SABBATH THOUGHTS

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

8 9 10 11 12

13 14 15 16 17

18 19 20 21

For the

Son of

man is

Lord

even

of the

Sabbath

day.

Matthew 12:8

Jesus is Lord of the Sabbath. Do you believe it? It is His own holy day, it is the Lord's day, the Seventh Day, blessed by God at the creation of the world!

And He said

unto them,

"The Sabbath

was made

for man, and

not man for

the Sabbath:

Therefore the

Son of man

is Lord also

of the Sabbath."

Mark 2:27-28

This is Jesus speaking about Himself. Do you believe Him? Did He really make His own holy day a gift for all mankind? Or do you prefer the "traditions of the elders?"