Sabbath Thoughts 05

Is Christmas holy? Think about it, the Son of God was born into the world, with the express intention of saving all the sinners of the world. That should be considered as a rather special event, shouldn't it? If you could cast a vote for "Christmas" being holy, wouldn't you vote YES? Hank Hanegraaff, the "Bible Answer Man" phrases it this way: "What better reason could we have to celebrate, pray tell?"

I'm not sure what he means by the antiquated expression "pray tell," (other than, of course, that it sounds really, really smart, and Hank IS a really smart guy, isn't he?) but yes, I think I agree with him, Hank, that the birth of the Savior is a worthy reason for feelings of happiness, joy and thanksgiving.

But can we "vote" a day holy? No, we can't. Only God can make something holy. The Bible doesn't mention Christmas, there is no command to keep Christmas, and no one in their right mind can deny that almost every single tradition interwoven into "Christmas" has its origin in pagan influence. You can deny this fact, you can stamp your pretty little foot, you can even rewrite history -- but you cannot alter the truth, not even an iota. And why would you WANT to change truth, "pray tell?"

Is there really a "war on Christmas" going on, as the pop culture of the "Religious Right" is pushing right now? And if there is a "war on Christmas," still, it is a man-made holiday. It is not a holy day, God never declared Christmas holy, or told any person to pay it any mind. But the Sabbath? Wow, the Bible is packed full of advice and historical creed on the Sabbath, isn't it...?

I don't mind Christmas. In fact, I love Christmas. It is a positive holiday that promotes "peace on Earth and good will toward man," which is exactly what Christ intended by choosing to be born as a human on Earth (not a commercial holiday based on pagan influences, but the "peace on Earth" part, that's what I mean). But what I like, what I love, does not alter the fact that nowhere in the Bible are we told to keep Christmas.

Of course, we are allowed a certain degree of freedom in what we choose to do, and what we choose to abstain from. Keeping Christmas is neither good nor bad, it in no way reflects our salvation or our fruits or our good works. If Christmas is kept, it should be kept as a positive man-made tradition that is forced on no one. A fun family time. Go ahead, be a goofball, have fun.

But then we have the Sabbath, the holy Sabbath of God. God DID declare it holy, at the beginning of the world. God then reminded the Children of Israel that they needed to REMEMBER His holy day, and this is before the Law was given from Sinai. THEN God declared it AGAIN, in the heart of the Ten Commandments, and tied it forever to the Creation of the World.

The Sabbath IS holy, and you cannot change that. You cannot vote it away. Even if everyone on the face of the earth voted against it, it would not change the holiness, not one iota, of God's holy Sabbath.

We ARE commanded to keep the Sabbath, forever, even into the realm of heaven. You cannot change the fact that God listed the Sabbath as the Fourth Commandment, that it is a binding law that pertains to your very morality. That it is on the first tablet which concerns the worship and love of God Himself.

And WHY would you want to vote away something God declared holy, that He declared a moral law, pray tell?

Think about it, why in the world would someone, anyone, desire to change what God has established. Before sin ever entered the world, God declared the Seventh day holy. Why would anyone want to rewrite history? The Sabbath is in no way a "shadow law" because it was established BEFORE sin, whereas the other sabbaths, the annual feasts WERE established AFTER sin, and are representative of God's grace in our lives, our salvation from sin.

And God tells us, in His Word, that the Sabbath is a good gift, one of perpetual delight -- why would anyone in their right mind wish to deny themselves the joy that God has given them? A free gift, like grace -- why give up something God desires you to have, something God commands you to enjoy, pray tell?

Think about it, why would people argue and fight about whether or not we ought to celebrate Christmas -- something completely invented by humans, and yet they feel hatred and anger when they read in the Bible that we are to celebrate the Sabbath, God's holy day? Why? Seriously, ask yourself that question.

It should fill you with unease, that question, because very palpable forces are alive and awake in the world, turning mankind away from what God's Word says, and to what man has invented to replace what God's Word actually says.

And this is nothing new. Jesus dealth with it every day of His life here on Earth:

And he said unto them, Full well ye

reject the commandment of God, that

ye may keep your own tradition.

Mark 7:9

Commandment of God. Your own tradition. Jesus spells it out here, very clearly. The commandment of God versus our traditions. The commandments of God came from His own mouth, written with His own finger. Our traditions? They do not come from the mouth of God, not from His own finger -- but from our own good intentions.

Who was it that said: the road to hell is paved with good intentions? I don't know who said it, but Jesus evidently perceived the wisdom in the words.

What is more important to you? What God says? Or what your granddaddy believed?

The Bible Answer Man says the same thing about Christmas and Sunday, "What better reason could you have to celebrate, pray tell?" Pray tell there IS a better reason to celebrate! Because God said so, in His Holy Word -- God reveals to us what is right, what is good, what is holy and what is just. Is Christmas special, let every man be convinced in his own mind, it is between the individual and God. Is Sunday special? The Bible says that every man should be convinced in their own mind, it is between the individual and God.

But the Sabbath? We don't have to be convinced, because God has spoken. We don't have to argue, because God wrote it with His own finger. We don't have to "pray tell" because God has already "pray told."

What God says has infinite more reality and depth than any tradition of man. What God says has the real answer, even more than a "Bible Answer Man" can apparently give.

Worship God, and give Him praise. And trust Him at His Word.

Sabbath Thoughts #6

Will the Sabbath Become

an Issue in the End Times?

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

Sabbath Resources

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?"