Honor The Sabbath

“Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. ⁹ Six days you shall labor and do all your work, ¹⁰ but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God. In it you shall do no work: you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates. ¹¹ For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it.” 

The next commandment God gave the Israelites was to remember the Sabbath and to keep it holy. Just as the Israelites were commanded to be holy, set apart (Deuteronomy 7:6), they were to set apart, consecrate, the seventh day as a holy day. The Sabbath is holy in that it was set apart, different from the rest of the week. The rest of the week they were to work but on the Sabbath, they were to rest.

The word, Sabbath, comes from the ‘shabath’ (shaw-bath’), which means repose, rest, or intermission. The Sabbath was a day of rest or intermission in the week. The Israelites were not to do any work on the Sabbath. This did not mean that they were not to labor but that they were not to work for profit. After Jesus healed someone on the Sabbath, the Pharisees accused Him of breaking the Law. As Jesus pointed out to the Pharisees that if their donkey had fallen into a ditch on the Sabbath they would have gotten it out; yet they accuse Him of sinning because He healed someone. He didn’t seem to suggest that saving the animal was a sin but was pointing out the fact that they valued their property more than they valued people.

Jesus told the Pharisees that the Sabbath was made for man not man for the Sabbath. God made the Sabbath as a day of rest for mankind. The Pharisees saw the Sabbath as a day to do no work. They legalistically said what could and what could not be done on the Sabbath thus Jesus’ previously-mentioned encounter with them.

They were not only commanded to honor the Sabbath but they were commanded to remember the Sabbath. Remembering the Sabbath means that they were to keep it before them. They were to calendar it. They were not to forget it. He knew that people’s drive for money, power, and success would cause them to work constantly without rest and the body was not designed to work for long periods at that level. The body needs to rest and be free from stress. Even steel will break under constant stress.

What does this mean for us today? Many businesses are open seven days a week. Some people work two jobs. Should we go back to the days when everything was closed on Sunday? Christians are still called to honor the spirit of the Law if not the letter. The spirit is that we are to take a day off from work to rest. It is also that we are to set aside time for the worship of God and communion with Him. Since we are the church, we no longer have to go to a building to worship Him; we can worship Him anytime, anywhere. In that vein, everyday is a Sabbath Day. But we are not to ignore God’s command to rest. He even used Himself as the example. Six days He created the heavens and the earth and everything in it in six days. On the seventh day, the Lord rested (Genesis 2:2).

Love Thy God

On Mount Sinai God gave Moses Ten Commandments. These were the first among many laws that God gave the Israelites. These first Ten Commandments were to instruct the Israelites how they were to treat God and treat each other. These Commandments were initially inscribed on stone tablets by the hand of God, Himself (Exodus 31:18). In this lesson, we will look at the first three of the Ten Commandments---the ones that pertain to our treatment of God. 

“I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. You shall have no other gods besides me (Exodus 20:2-3).”

          When God delivered the Israelites out of the land of Egypt, He delivered them from a land of people who were pantheistic—they worshipped many gods. There was a god of the harvest, the moon god, the sun god, etc. God wanted them to know that there was just one God and He was Him. Who was this God? He was the One who used a mighty hand to deliver the children of Israel out of the land of slavery. He was their Deliverer. It was not the sun god, nor the moon god, nor the god of cattle nor the god of rain. It was He and the Israelites were not to give tribute or worship to any other so-called god.

“You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. ⁵ You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, ⁶ but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments (Exodus 20:4-6).

          Not only were the Egyptians polytheistic, they were also idol worshippers. The sun was the symbol for Ra, the Sun god. Anubis was half man and half jackal. Hathor, the goddess of motherhood, was imaged as a cow (sometimes female) with a sundisk on her head. This was the culture the Israelites were delivered from. This was the culture they spend four hundred years being indoctrinated into. So, when God gave the command that they should make no graven (or carved) images to Him, this was a whole new way of living, a whole new way of worship. It was a whole new lifestyle. Some people in Egypt made their living making and selling idols. Now God was saying that that was no longer acceptable.

     Why was idolatry so bad?  First, God was separating His people from the rest of the world. Nearly every other nation had an idol for a God. Even the Philistines had Dagon, a half man, half fish idol. He didn’t want the Israelites to be like the other nations. He was setting them apart.

            Another reason is that God wanted His people to have a personal relationship with Him. He did not want them giving His praise to a piece of stone or wood. He wanted them to worship Him directly. As Jesus told the woman at the well in John 4, “God is Spirit and those who worship Him must worship Him in spirit and truth.” Worship is a matter of the heart. It is our heart touching the heart of God with praise and adoration. God did not want praise going to anything (or anyone) else.

            God says that He is a jealous God. This does not mean that God is envious of the idols that got worshipped. God is saying that He is protective of the worship that He is due and He gets angry when people assign worship due Him to anything or anyone else. Besides that, oftentimes, demons would associate themselves with these idols, thus robbing God of His praise and causing people worship them unaware.  Worshipping idols is an empty act. 

“You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name (Exodus 20:7).”

          God is holy and His name is holy. When it is spoken, it is be for a purpose and with reverence. Nowadays, people name their children all sorts of “cute” names, but in the Bible days, names meant something. Abraham’s name meant Father of Nations, which he was. He was the father of Israel through Jacob and Arab people through Esau. Jacob’s name meant Deceiver and that is what he was. Samuel’s name meant Heard by God or God Hears, which was exemplified in 1 Samuel 2 when God called and ordained Samuel a prophet to Israel . Jonah’s name means Dove. The dove is a symbol of peace (Genesis 8:11). Jonah brought a message of peace to the Ninevites. God’s name, Jehovah, means I AM.

This is the name by which He called Himself. He doesn’t live because He is life. He doesn’t just exist because all that exist emanate from Him. He is. Not only Is He, but He is whatever you need Him to be in any situation. For Abraham, He was Jehovah-Jireh, the God that Provides. For David, He was Jehovah-Shalom-the God of Peace. As He was for them, He will be the same for us.

There is power in God’s name. This is evident in our society. I am amazed how people take the name of God in vain. I often hear GD this and GD that. Then there’s JESUS CHRIST. Let’s not forget, “Holy Cow, Batman!” Yet, you never hear people misuse the name of Allah, Buddha, Confucius, Mohammad, or Joseph Smith. Why? There’s no power in their names. There’s no spiritual sense of ‘rebellion’ in misusing their names. So people don’t do it.

As we can see from these first three commandments, they are not burdensome nor are they for naught. There is a reason for each of His commands. Next time we will see the purpose and benefits of the Fourth Commandment.

Why I Love Autumn

            I know it is a couple of months away but fall, or autumn, has been on my mind. I believe it is because the heat of summer is causing me to look forward to cooler weather. When I discuss with people which season is my favorite, I always say, “It’s either spring or fall.” But I believe Autumn is my favorite season for many reasons.

            The first reason is, of course, the cooler weather. After enduring months of 100+ degree weather for weeks on end, the cooler temperatures of 85 and below are a welcomed treat. With these temperatures, one could actually get outside and do something—bicycle, have picnics, play volleyball, take walks, even lay out and read—without threatening heat stroke and dehydration. Another thing I love is the fact that these temperatures often last into December. Spring has cooler temperatures than summer but it seems that summer’s temperatures invade springtime pretty early. However, being in the south I have not seen winter’s temperatures invade autumn too early. In fact, last year’s autumn seemed to have invaded wintertime.

A Fall Festival attendee

            Another thing I like about autumn are the Fall Festivals. Fall Festivals are Christians’ answer to Halloween. Halloween is a pagan holiday that has taken on connotation of witchcraft and demonism. Not only that, it is not safe for children to go from house-to-house trick-or-treating. Too many people are taking this opportunity to kidnap and even poison children. I remember when my sister and I went trick-or-treating once as children and our grandmother checking our candy to see if anything was done to it. Even back in those days there were stories of people sticking razor blades into apples and lacing Tootsie Rolls with PCP. I imagine they are doing worse that now. After the Colorado Batman Massacre, I would not put anything past someone who is evil enough act on such evil ideas, especially around Halloween. It used to be that you would be safe going to the homes of the people you know, but that is no longer the case either. One reason is because many of us do not even know our neighbors. Another reason is that our neighbors’ intentions are not always honorable. It was for these reasons that Fall Festivals were born.

            Many churches now offer these events on or around Halloween as an alternative to the other, more dangerous activity. Plus, the kids do not have to participate in a pagan ritual to get the candy. Instead, the kids (and adults) can go to a church (in costume if they like) and play games to win candy and prizes. There is also food there. Since many churches use Fall Festivals as outreach events, the attendees do not have to be members of the church to attend.  And they are free.

            Let’s not forget the leaves. What a beautiful panorama of color that covers the trees in the fall. It is sad to know that soon those leaves will fall to the ground leaving the trees bare foreshadowing the arrival of winter. Yet, the beauty of autumn is a gift from God (and in my opinion, more evidence of the existence of God).

            Finally, there’s Thanksgiving. Who does not love the aroma of turkey and dressing, cranberry sauce, and sweet potato (or pumpkin) pie?  Thanksgiving, what a day? It is a day for family, food, football, and sleep. Yes, it is also a day to give thanks. Then again, is not everyday Thanksgiving?  Should we not give thanks to God every day and should we not be thankful everyday for the blessings we have?

            So, now you know why I love autumn. What is your favorite season and why?

Sorry, No C.O.D.s

I remember when I was a child I would see a commercial advertising a product. At the end of the commercial, the announcer would say, ‘Cash, check, money order and CODs accepted.” When I would see something I wanted to buy on television, I could buy it and have them to send it C.O.D.—cash on delivery. When it arrived, I would give the money to the postman or the UPS man and I would take possession of it. Now, I see more and more television commercials and infomercials that say, “Sorry, No CODs.” Why is this?

Some would say C.O.D.s are obsolete because of the advent of credit and debit cards. Also, many companies allow you to pay online or on the phone via your checking account. This is true. However, I think it goes much deeper.

I believe the reason most companies no longer accept C.O.D.s is because they have been scammed by too many people. This is the same reason why so many companies no longer accept checks. People deliberately write checks on accounts they know they do not have sufficient funds in. With identity theft on the rise, companies may soon stop taking credit and debit cards.  

What has happened to integrity in this country? A man’s word is no longer his bond and some people can’t be trusted as far as you can through them. With so many people wanting something for nothing that is not likely to change anytime soon.

So for the foreseeable future, no checks accepted and no CODs.

The Call to Disciple

Why should a church or a Christian disciple other Christians? The church needs teachers. Teaching, in fact, is one of the core missions of the church. Ephesians 4 tells us the God gave some [people] to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of the ministry (Ephesians 4:11-12, emphasis added). As a friend once pointed out, there is no comma between pastor and teach because a pastor must be a teacher. His job is to equip the saints—giving them the spiritual tools they need to do the work God has given them—witnessing to the lost.

 

 

Discipleship is not new. It did not come into being at the dawn of the church age. Discipleship has been around as long as Israel has been around. God commanded the Israelites in the Book of Deuteronomy to disciple their children. “You shall teach them [God’s commands] diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up (Deuteronomy 6:7).” Later in the Proverbs, Solomon reiterates this command: “Train up a child in the way he should go, And when he is old he will not depart from it (Proverbs 22:6).” Parents are called to be the main disciplers of their children not the church.

 

 

Jesus commanded that we be disciplers of men. In the Great Commission, Jesus commanded, “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰ teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen (Matthew 28:18-20, emphasis added).”This Commission is repeated in the Gospel of Mark (Mark 16:15). It was never the Christian’s job to convert anyone. It was, and still is, the Christian’s responsibility to make disciples. We are called to be two things: witnesses and teachers. When we evangelize, we are simply telling the Gospel story and leaving the results up to God. We can attempt to persuade but the end decision is theirs and the end result is God’s.

 

 

Discipleship was the model Christ gave us. When He came to earth and began His ministry, He chose twelve men. These men would accompany Him and watch Him do His work. He would then send them out to do it. Talk about on-the-job training. The model was later used in the Church. Barnabas took Paul under his wings and taught him. Later, Paul took Timothy, Titus, and few others under his tutelage. In his final letter to Timothy, Paul charged Timothy to do the same thing: “And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also (2 Timothy 2:2).”

 

 

There is a desperate need for discipleship in the church. First, it is essential to disciple new believers. Those new to the faith do not fully understand even the fundamental doctrines of the faith. They are babes and they need to be taught the core beliefs. As Peter told his church, “as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the Word, that you may grow thereby.” I believe that this is one of the reasons churches have what has become known as the revolving back door. New members join but they don’t stick around because they are not being spiritually fed. And like any starving soul, they look for nourishment elsewhere.

 

 

Second, there is so much false doctrine being taught in our seminaries, on television, and even in our churches. Christians need to be taught the truth so that they will be able to distinguish it from error. Paul wrote “that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting (Ephesians 4:14).” If you don’t know what you believe and why you believe it, you will fall for anything (any lie of the devil or trick of slick talkers). [In another lesson, I will discuss False Doctrine and False Teachers.]

 

 

And finally, we should disciple other Christians because it was the model Jesus gave us. As mentioned earlier, it was the method Jesus used to train the twelve. It was the model Barnabas used to train Paul and Paul later used to train Timothy. It should be the same model we use to train others. It is not solely the responsibility of the pastor to teach the Word but it is the responsibility of every mature believer. Just as a parent teaches a child how to walk and to talk, mature Christians should teach newer Christians what the Bible says about how to live godly.

 

 

Not only are we to teach or train others, but we are to teach them what the Bible says and not what we want the Bible to say. God gives us enough information to form truthful doctrine. We don’t have to add to it or take away from it. For instance, I have heard some say that the reason Cain’s sacrifice in Genesis 4 was not acceptable to God was because it was not a blood sacrifice. However, that is not what the Bible says nor what God said. The Bible said Abel brought of the firstfruits but Cain just brought an offering. Second, the command to offer blood sacrifices for sin had not even been given yet. Third, God told Cain if he did well, he would be accepted. The Hebrew term means to be cheerful or to do good. This suggests that God was referring to Cain’s heart or motive in offering and not his offering itself.  As I’ve heard many times and found to be true, the Bible interprets itself. In other words, rarely does the Bible says anything just once but either the command or lesson is repeated in another place.

 

 

I hope you see now why discipleship is so important in the church. Without it, people will fall into all sorts of error and begin to believe things that are ungodly. It is because people fail to disciple the next generation that the churches Paul and Peter and Timothy led were rebuked in the opening chapters of Revelation. They had fallen away from the faith and into false doctrine. It is because the generation before ours and our generation have failed to disciple that our society is in the quandary that it is in—godliness on the decline and homosexuality, pornography, greed, and malice on the uptake.

 

 

If we want God to bless America, then we need to bless God by studying and teaching His Word…before it’s too late.

Revelation 11

The angel, who escorts John around Heaven, gives him a measuring rod and tells him to rise and measure the temple of God, the altar, and those who worship there. (We are not given the results of John’s measurements). He is told not to measure the outer court. It represents the Holy City which has been given to the Gentiles to trodden underfoot for 42 months. This is likely in reference to the 42 months or last 3 ½ years of the Tribulation (12 months x 3.5 years= 42 months) when the antichrist breaks his treaty with Israel and invades the city. He then defiles the temple and sets himself up as god. This is the Abomination of Desolation that Jesus speaks of in Matthew 24:15 , see also Daniel 9:27, 11:31, and 12:11).

Revelation 11 goes on to introduce the two witnesses. The exact identity of these two is unknown. It is speculated that they may be Elijah and Enoch because neither of them died in the Old Testament (Genesis 5:23, 2 Kings 2:11). They have also been identified as Moses and Elijah because they appeared with Jesus on the Mount of Transfiguration (Matthew 17:3).They are called olive trees and lampstands. This may describe their roles are bringers of peace and light. They are attempting to bring peace (olive trees, Genesis 8:11) with God and light or enlightenment of salvation through the Gospel they preach. They also have the power to shut up heaven and to turn water to blood.

The antichrist and his army will try to stop these two witnesses but they will be protected by God until the time of the ministering is complete. “And if anyone wants to harm them, fire proceeds from their mouth and devours their enemies. And if anyone wants to harm them, he must be killed in this manner (Rev. 11:5).” Eventually, the time of the ministry will end and their enemies will prevail over them and kill them. The antichrist will not allow their bodies to be buried. However, three and one half days later, they will rise up and stand on their feet, all on live television.

            Years ago people wondered how this was going to be possible. How could the whole world see the bodies of two people in Israel? Now we know. With the advent of CNN, and now, Headline News, MSNBC, FoxNews, and a host of other news satellites, this is possible. Not only does the plethora of news stations make this possible but also does various means of watching streaming news. People can now watch news on their computers, smartphones, iPhones, iPads, tablets, and other forms of mobile communication. This is what we have now; who knows what the future holds?

            The text tells us that not only will the world watch the murder and death of the bodies in Israel, but they will also celebrate their death. They will be having parties and giving gifts to one another in celebration of their deaths. This goes to the convicting power of the Gospel, especially in that day. People will be so convicted by it that they will party at the silencing of it.

            After three and a half days, breath from God will enter into them and they will stand up on their feet. This will cause great fear to fall upon those watching. This could either be because they are afraid that they will start preaching again and not even death can stop them or it could be because they don’t know what is going to happen next. Maybe they recognize the power of God (who alone can give life).

            A loud voice from heaven calls out to them, “Come up here” and they ascend up into heaven before the eyes of those watching. Then a great earthquake falls upon the city and ten percent of it falls. Seven thousand people die as a result of this earthquake. Those who remained were afraid and praised the God of Heaven.

            The second woe had passed. The third woe is coming quickly. Time is winding down and things are speeding towards a climax. The seventh angel sounds his trumpet and there were loud voices in heaven praising God. These are the words Charles Jennens used for Handel’s Oratorio, “Messiah”: “The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever!”

            Then the twenty-four elders fell down prostrate and worshipped God. Who are these twenty-four elders? No one really knows. They first appear in Revelation 4:4 John’s first entry into heaven and at the opening of the seven seals. One school of thought is that they are not actually people but symbols that represent the gathering of both the OT and the NT. Twelve of the elders represent the Twelve Tribes of Israel—the Old Testament and twelve represent the Twelve Apostles (or Disciples)--the Church—the New Testament. Twelve of the Elders is one of the things prophesy teachers point to when they say the church won’t be here during the Tribulation because we are already in Heaven and this is represented by Twelve of the Twenty-four elders.

            Whoever these elders are, they fell down and worshipped God. They praised him. Then the temple in heaven was opened and the Ark of His Covenant was seen there. Then there were great signs in the heavens: “lightnings, noises, thunderings, an earthquake, and great hail.” Right now no one knows the location of the Ark but this suggests that God has ‘raptured’ it to Heaven. He is now being praised because He has brought fulfillment to His Word. All the seals, vials, and trumpets have been released. History is coming to a close. God is now ready to wrap things up. Jesus is on His way back to vanquish the enemies and start His eternal reign. God has overcome.

            The remainder of the book of Revelation really describes the things that happen during the opening of the seals, vials, and the sounding of the trumpets.

Why Do People Advertise for Somebody Else (for free)

That is the question. Why do people pay to advertise for someone else? I asked myself this question while I was walking in the mall and passed one of those retailers whose name I see emblazoned on shirts and hoodies. This merchant, and others like them, put their names on merchandise then sells it to customers who proudly wear them. I am talking about retailers like The GAP, Abercrombie and Fitch, and Aeropostale. The thing that gets me is that not only do people wear these logoed apparel, but they pay extra to get them. Hoodies, shirts, caps, sweaters, and jackets that are bear the name of the store cost more than those that do not.

            This thought might not have ever came to me had I not heard someone else bring it up first. I believe he was offered a shirt bearing somebody’s logo (I forget) and he said he didn’t advertise for anyone without getting paid for it.  The irony is that not only are people who wear these logoed apparel not getting paid for it, they are actually paying for the privilege to advertise for the retailer.

            Perhaps this is the next generation of name brand loyalty. Back in my day, people paid more for the privilege of wearing Guess or Levi jeans or Nike shoes. Perhaps store are merely capitalizing on the public’s ability to identify with a name, either a brand name or a store name. Before it was IZOD and Polo now it’s Eddie Bauer and The North Face.

            I can understand people wearing apparel that bore the logo of a nonprofit organization. I could see people wearing apparel that identified then with a sports team (after all, sports loyalty is a strong thing). I can even see people wearing stuff that had the name, logo, or mascot of a university of which there are an alumnus. I just can understand why people would pay to wear stuff that connects them to a store brand, especially if it isn’t free. Free is a different story.

            Why do I say that wearing a jacket or sweater that bears a store’s logo advertising? Because it is advertising. What is the purpose of advertising? It is to get your name or the name of your products before as many people as possible to entice them to do something, either support your or buy your product. When people wear clothes with a store’s name on it, they become a walking billboard for that store (and companies/stores usually have to pay for billboards). Unless the wearing got the clothing for free, they are paying for the privilege of being an unpaid ad for the store.

            So, again I ask the question: why do people pay, sometimes excessively, to advertise for someone else?