100 Facts on the Sabbath Question

Over the past several years that my husband and I have kept God's Sabbath day, I have been approached by several people out of concern. Some concerns are that I am keeping the Sabbath to be saved. That the Sabbath has been abolished, nailed to the cross, and that by keeping it I am forfeiting what Jesus did for us on the cross. That the Sabbath was for the Jews not the Gentiles. That we are to now keep the day of Jesus' resurrection instead of the Sabbath.That it has been changed from the 7th day to the 1st day of the week.

I am grateful that there are so many people in our life who love and care for us so much, that they will voice their concerns. It makes me think about why I haven't diligently shared with them, and others, more fervently about the Sabbath. It is something that has been consuming my mind lately. I have been in prayer with the Lord about it often, and believe the Lord would like me to share here, now.

Sometimes I find it difficult to find the right words to speak. I know that the Lord will speak through me, if I just allow Him to. I have been studying more and more in the Bible about this, and have yet to find anywhere that says that it has either been done away with, or that it has been changed. I've heard lots of people's thoughts and opinions but I am not interested in any of those. I am only interested in what God says on the matter of this issue. I am looking for a "Thus saith the Lord". Yet, I can not find one that says the day has been changed, abolished, or anything to that conclusion. I have only read about how the disciples all kept the Sabbath day (Acts 13:27, Acts 13:44, Acts 15:21, Acts 17:2,3). That Jesus also kept the Sabbath (Luke 4:16, John 15:10). I have read how it was instituted in the garden of Eden (Genesis 2:1-3). How God gave the Israelites double portion of manna the day before Sabbath so they would not have to gather food on God's holy rest day while wandering in the dessert (Exodus 16: 4,5, 25-27). How God wrote about the Sabbath with His own finger, and told us to 'remember' it (Exodus 31:13-18). How Isaiah prophesied that we will be keeping it in the new heaven and the new earth (Isaiah 66:23). I have not found one Scripture telling us to keep any other day, or that it has been changed.

I want to go ahead and list here '100 Facts on the Sabbath Question' from Let There Be Light Ministries. I hope and pray that you take the time to read through this, as I believe this is a truly important issue, and there is much more evidence listed than I stated. God's Word should always be the final authority on all issues. Let us do as the Bereans did, "These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so".

May God bless you with you clearness of mind, and His Truth on the matter of Sabbath. As always, comments are welcome, even if you disagree with what has been stated here. But please give clear Scriptural evidence for why you disagree, if you do.  =)

100  FACTS  ON  THE  SABBATH  QUESTION

Why keep the Sabbath day?

What is the object of the Sabbath?

When was it made, who made it, and for whom?

Which day is the true Sabbath?

Many keep the first day of the week, or Sunday.  

What Bible authority have they for this?

Some keep the seventh day, or Saturday.

What Scripture have they for that?

     Here are the facts about both days, as plainly stated in the word of God.

Sixty  Bible  Facts  Concerning  the  Seventh  Day

1.  After working the first six days of the week in creating this earth, the great God rested on the seventh day.  Genesis 2:1-3.

2.  This stamped that day as God’s rest day, or Sabbath day, as Sabbath day means rest day.  To illustrate: When a person is born on a certain day, that day becomes his birthday.  So when God rested upon the seventh day, that day became His rest, or Sabbath day.

3.  Therefore the seventh day must always be God’s Sabbath day.  Can you change your birthday from the day on which you were born to one in which you were not born?  No.  Neither can you change God’s rest day to a day on which He did not rest.  Hence the seventh day is still God’s Sabbath day.

4.  The Creator blessed the seventh day.  Genesis 2:3.

5.  He sanctified the seventh day.  Exodus 20:11.

6.  He made it the Sabbath day in the garden of Eden.  Genesis 2:1-3.

7.  It was made before the fall; hence it is not a type, for types were not introduced till after the fall.

8.  Jesus says it was made for man (Mark 2:27); that is, for the race, as the word man is here unlimited, hence, for the Gentile as well as for the Jews.

9.  It is a memorial of creation.  Exodus 20:11; 31:17.  Every time we rest upon the seventh day, as God did at creation, we commemorate the grand event.

10.  It was given to Adam, the head of the human race.  Mark 2:27; Genesis 2:1-3.

11.  Hence through him, as our representative, to all nations.  Acts 17:26.

12.  It is not a Jewish institution, for it was made 2,300 years before ever there was a Jew.

13.  The Bible never calls it the Jewish Sabbath but always “the Sabbath of the Lord thy God.”  Men should be cautious how they stigmatize God’s holy rest day.

14.  Evident reference is made to the Sabbath all through that patriarchal age.  Genesis 2:1-3; 8:10, 12; 29:27, 28, ect.

15.  It was a part of God’s law before Sinai.  Exodus 16:4, 27-29.

16.  Then God placed it in the heart of His moral law.  Exodus 20:1-17.  Why did He place it there if it was not like the other nine precepts, which all admit to be immutable?

17.  The seventh-day Sabbath was commanded by the voice of the living God.  Deuteronomy 4:12, 13.

18.  Then He wrote the commandment with His own finger.  Exodus 31:18.

19.  He engraved it in the enduring stone, indicating its imperishable nature.  Deuteronomy 5:22.

20.  It was sacredly preserved in the ark in the holy of holies.  Deuteronomy 10:1-5.

21.  God forbade work upon the Sabbath, even in the most hurrying times.  Exodus 34:21.

22.  God destroyed the Israelites in the wilderness because they profaned the Sabbath.  Ezekiel 20:12, 13.

23.  It is the sign of the true God, by which we are to know Him from false gods.  Ezekiel 20:20.

24.  God promised that Jerusalem would stand forever if the Jews would keep the Sabbath.  Jeremiah 17:24, 25.

25.  He sent them into the Babylonish captivity for breaking it.  Nehemiah 13:18.

26.  He destroyed Jerusalem for its violation.  Jeremiah 17:27.

27.  God has pronounced a special blessing on all the Gentiles who keep it.  Isaiah 56: 6, 7.

28.  This is in the prophecy which refers wholly to the Christian dispensation.  See Isaiah 56.

29.  God has promised to bless every man who keeps the Sabbath.  Isaiah 56:2.

30.  The Lord requires us to call it “honorable.”  Isaiah 58:13.  Beware, ye who take delight in calling it the “old Jewish Sabbath,” “a yoke of bondage,” ect.

31.  After the holy Sabbath has been trodden down for “many generation,” it is to be restored in the last days.  Isaiah 58:12, 13.

32.  All the holy prophets kept the seventh day.

33.  When the Son of God came, He kept the seventh day all His life.  Luke 4:16; John 15:10.  Thus He followed His Father’s example at creation.  Shall we not be safe in following the example of both the Father and the Son?

34.  The seventh day is the Lord’s day.  See Revelation 1:10; Mark 2:28; Isaiah 58:13; Exodus 20:10.

35.  Jesus was the Lord of the Sabbath (Mark 2:28); that is, to love and protect it, as the husband is the lord of the wife, to love and cherish her.  1 Peter 3:6.

36.  He vindicated the Sabbath as a merciful institution designed for man’s good.  Mark 2:23-28.

37.  Instead of abolishing the Sabbath, He carefully taught how it should be observed.  Matthew 12:1-13.

38.  He taught His disciples that they should do nothing upon the Sabbath day but what was “lawful.”  Matthew 12:12.

39.  He instructed His apostles that the Sabbath should be prayerfully regarded 40 years after His resurrection.  Matthew 24:20.

40.  The pious women who had been with Jesus carefully kept the seventh day after His death.  Luke 23:56.

41.  Thirty years after Christ’s resurrection, the Holy Spirit expressly calls it “the Sabbath day.”  Acts 13:14.

42.  Paul, the apostle to the Gentiles, called it “the Sabbath day” in A.D. 45.  Acts 13:27.  Did not Paul know?  Or shall we believe modern teachers, who affirm that it ceased to be the Sabbath at the resurrection of Christ?

43.  Luke, the inspired Christian historian, writing as late as A.D. 62, calls it “the Sabbath day.”  Acts 13:44.

44.  The Gentile converts called it the Sabbath.  Acts 13:42.

45.  In the great Christian council, A.D. 52, in the presence of the apostles and thousands of disciples, James calls it the “Sabbath day.”  Acts 15:21.

46.  It was customary to hold prayer meetings upon that day.  Acts 16:13.

47.  Paul read the scriptures in public meetings on that day.  Acts 17:2,3.

48.  It was his custom to preach upon that day.  Acts 17:2.

49.  The book of Acts alone gives a record of his holding eighty-four meetings upon that day.  See Acts 13:4, 44; 16:13; 17:2; 18:4, 11.

50.  There was never any dispute between the Christians and the Jews about the Sabbath day.  This is proof that the Christians still observed the same day that Jews did.

51.  In all their accusations against Paul, they never charged him with disregarding the Sabbath day.  Why did they not if he did not keep it?

52.  Paul himself expressly declared that he had kept the law.  “Neither against the law of the Jews, neither against the temple, nor yet against Caesar, have I offended any thing at all.”  Acts 25:8.  How could this be true if he had not kept the Sabbath?

53.  The Sabbath is mentioned in the New testament 59 times, and is always with respect, bearing the same title it had in the Old Testament, “the Sabbath day.”

54.  Not a word is said anywhere in the New testament about the Sabbath’s being abolished, done away, changed, or anything of the kind.

55.  God had never given permission to any man to work upon it.  Reader, by what authority do you use the seventh day for common labor?

56.  No Christian of the New testament, either before or after the resurrection, ever did ordinary work upon the seventh day.  Find one case of that kind, and we will yield the question.  Why should modern Christians do differently from Bible Christians?

57.  There is no record that God has ever removed His blessing or sanctification from the seventh day.

58.  As the Sabbath was kept in Eden before the fall, so it will be observed eternally in the new earth after the restitution.  Isaiah 66:22, 23.

59.  The seventh-day Sabbath was an important part of the law of God, as it came from His own mouth, and was written by His own finger upon stone at Sinai.  See Exodus 20.  When Jesus began His work, He expressly declared that He had not come to destroy the law.  “Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets.”  Matthew 5:17.

60.  Jesus severely condemned the Pharisees as hypocrites for pretending to love God, while at the same time they made void one of the Ten Commandments by their tradition.  The keeping of Sunday is only a tradition of men.

     We have now presented 60 plain Bible facts concerning the Seventh day.  What will you do with them?

Forty  Bible  Facts  Concerning  the  First  Day  of  the  Week

1.  The very first thing recorded in the Bible is work done on Sunday, the first day of the week.  Genesis 1:1-5.  This was done by the Creator Himself.  If God made the earth on Sunday, can it be wicked for us to work on Sunday?

2.  God commands men to work upon the first day of the week.  Exodus 20:8-11.  Is it wrong to obey God?

3.  None of the patriarchs ever kept it.

4.  None of the holy prophets ever kept it.

5.  By the express command of God, His holy people used the first day of the week as a common working day for 4,000 years, at least.

6.  God Himself calls it a “working” day.  Ezekiel 46:1.

7.  God did not rest upon it.

8.  He never blessed it.

9.  Christ did not rest upon it.

10.  Jesus was a carpenter (Mark 6:3) and worked at His trade until He was 30 years old.  He kept the Sabbath and worked six days in the week, as all admit.  Hence He did many a hard day’s work on Sunday.

11.  The apostles worked upon it during the same time.

12.  The apostles never rested upon it.

13.  Christ never blessed it.

14.  It has never been blessed by any divine authority.

15.  It has never been sanctified.

16.  No law was ever given to enforce the keeping of it; hence it is no transgression to work upon it.  “For where no law is, there is no transgression.”  Romans 4:15; (1 John 3:4).

17.  The New Testament nowhere forbids work to be done on it.

18.  No penalty is provided for its violation.

19.  No blessing is promised for its observance.

20.  No regulation is given as to how it ought to be observed.  Would this be so if the Lord wished us to keep it?

21.  It is never called the Christian Sabbath.

22.  It is never called the Sabbath day at all.

23.  It is never called the Lord’s day.

24.  It is never called even a rest day.

25.  No sacred title whatever is applied to it.  Then why should we call it holy?

26.  It is simple called “first day of the week.”

27.  Jesus never mentioned it in any way--never took its name upon His lips as far as the record shows.

28.  The word Sunday never occurs in the Bible at all.

29.  Neither God, Christ, nor inspired men, ever said one word in favor of Sunday as a holy day.

30.  The first day of the week is mentioned only eight times in all the New Testament.  Matthew 28:1; Mark 16:2, 9; Luke 24:1; John 20:1, 19; Acts 20:7; 1 Corinthians 16:2.

31.  Six of these texts refer to the same first day of the week.

32.  Paul directed the saints to look over their secular affairs on that day.  1 Corinthians 16:2.

33.  In all the New Testament we have a record of only one religious meeting held upon that day.  Acts 20:5-12.

34.  There is not an intimation that they ever held a meeting on it before or after that.

35.  It was not their custom to meet on that day.

36.  There was no requirement to break bread on that day.

37.  We have an account of only one instance in which it was done.  Acts 20:7.

38.  That was done in the night--after midnight.  Verses 7-11.  Jesus celebrated it on Thursday evening, (Luke 22), and the disciples sometimes did it every day.  Acts 2:42-46.

39.  The Bible nowhere says that the first day of the week commemorates the resurrection of Christ.  This is a tradition of men, which makes void the law of God.  Matthew 15:1-9.  Baptism commemorates the burial and resurrection of Jesus.  Romans 6:3-5.

40.  Finally, the New testament is totally silent with regard to any change of the Sabbath day or sacredness for the first day.

     So after reviewing these 100 plain Bible facts upon this question, showing conclusively that the seventh day of the week, or Saturday, is the Sabbath of the Lord in both the Old and New testaments, what should be our response to this fourth commandment of God?

     “For he spake in a certain place on the seventh day on this wise, And God did rest the seventh day from all his works....There remaineth therefore a rest (Sabbath) to the people of God.  For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his.  Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the save example of unbelief.” Hebrews 4:4, 9-11.

     “And hereby we do know that we know him (God), if we keep his commandments.  He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.  But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in 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 2:3-5, 5:2-3.

     “Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city (of God).  For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie.” Revelation 22:14.

     “Let us here the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.  For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.” Ecclesiastes 12:13-14.

    For more information on this important topic, please click here

Lately

It's been an interesting week, or so, here at our house. Last Thursday I had dental surgery. They extracted 5 teeth - 2 wisdom, 3 molars. They put me under for the surgery, and I was quite nervous about it. The Lord was with me though, every step of the way. My super spectacular mother-in-law, drove me to and from. She had to hang out in the waiting room for about 2 hours. That was so amazingly wonderful of her! After the surgery I was unable to nurse baby girl for 12 hours. (Yes, I still nurse her at 20 months old.) I thought it was going to be so traumatic for her. As it turned out, she did very well. I left her with my dear friend Silvia, whom she knows very well and loves. Since I would be out of it, and I couldn't nurse her, we just left her and the boys for the day. That way, baby girl wouldn't see me and want to nurse. The Lord's Hand was at work here too. I was blessed with time to recover, and the kids were in loving hands. I couldn't be more blessed to have such wonderful friends and family. It turned out that she only cried a couple of times, and not for very long at all!

Wow.

I have been recovering quite nicely. I took some ibuprofen the first 2 days, just in case, for pain. I never did feel any pain though. My swelling had subsided by the next day, and I felt great! I new I needed to take it easy though. I certainly didn't want dry socket. Although, I really wanted to go about my day as I usually did. My MIL was with us for day #2 also. She helped with the kids. Another huge blessing for me. I do have 4 children, after all, 3 of them being rowdy boys.  =)

As with any extraction, I was prescribed an anti-biotic. I began taking it as I was told to. Usually, I am an avid label reader, but for some reason I was not this time. After a couple days of taking the med, I decided to read the info packet that came with it. Partly because baby girl was having some seriously yucky diapers, frequently. As it turns out, this anti-biotic DOES leak into breast milk, and the has some not so wonderful side effects. Obviously, she was feeling them. I tried to nurse her less frequently. I didn't want to stop taking the med because I didn't want an infection. Well, poor little girl didn't get better, a bit worse. So, I was not taking it as I was supposed to. My poor girl!

I won't go into any details here but by day #5, I was having similar symptoms. That anti-biotic was AWFUL! With my doctor's permission, I discontinued using it. I really should have thought a few things through. Like, how totally different our diet is compared to the Standard American Diet (SAD). And the fact that we rarely ever take any type of  medicine at all. And by rarely, I mean I can't even remember the last time one of us had ANY type of medicine. I don't even remember the last time we were sick it's been so long. Maybe I should have mentioned these things to the doc but I didn't. None-the-less, we are doing much better by far today. Praise God!

So, yeah, that's been us in a nutshell lately. I am still gradually doing different stuff when it comes to our home school. I think I have found what I am going to be using as far as curriculum goes. But that will be discussed another time.  ; )

A First...

My eldest son and I thought it would be fun to make our own videos. That way we can share the love of God in another way. With the help of my husband we completed our first video. Please check out our YouTube debut video about dinosaurs! 



Oh, and subscribe if you'd like to.  ; )

Children Are a Blessing

I just watched a wonderful short documentary: Children Are a Blessing by Moore Family Films. This film provides God's Truth on the matter of children. That they are a blessing, not a curse! I encourage you to watch it as well. You can watch it for free until April 30th. It is also currently on sale, and available for purchase for $10.

This film brought tears to my eyes throughout. The facts presented about how many children are aborted each year are astonishing. The facts about birth control pills are presented. It breaks my heart to think that I too used to use them. The blessings I may have disregarded because I didn't put my full trust in the Lord but in the world. I am thankful that the Lord winks at my times of ignorance (Acts 17:30), and that He is so merciful and forgiving.

Many times throughout my days out with my 4 children, total strangers will ask me if I am done. Or, nonchalantly say, "I guess you're done now that you have your girl." Now that I truly understand what God's Word says about children, my answer is always, "We will see what the Lord has planned." We put our full trust in our Creator. We know He will provide for us in all things. That is something He will do for ALL of His children.

This is not my picture, source unknown.

God Has a Purpose for Every Affliction

There were some tough days for me last week. Little things that happen all at once that stress me out and make me lose my focus. It's those little footholds that we give to Satan, and he holds on tight. Believe me. I praise God though for those difficult times. They always bring me closer to Him.

After a few stressful days in a row, I read this devotional and it really hit home. It was such a blessing to me, I wanted to share.  =)

Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: but rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy. 1 Peter 4:12, 13

One evening a gentleman who was much depressed because of deep affliction was walking in a garden, where he observed a pomegranate tree nearly cut through the stem. Greatly wondering, he asked the gardener why the tree was in this condition, and he received an answer that explained to his satisfaction the wounds of his own bleeding heart. “Sir,” said the gardener, “this tree used to shoot out so strong that it bore nothing but leaves. I was obliged to cut it in this manner; and when it was almost cut through, it began to bear fruit.”

Our sorrows do not spring out of the ground. In every affliction God has a purpose to work out for our good. Every blow that destroys an idol, every providence that weakens our hold upon earth and fastens our affections more firmly upon God, is a blessing. The pruning may be painful for a time, but afterward it “yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness.” We should receive with gratitude whatever will quicken the conscience, elevate the thoughts, and ennoble the life. The fruitless branches are cut off and cast into the fire. Let us be thankful that through painful pruning we may retain a connection with the living Vine; for if we suffer with Christ, we shall also reign with Him. The very trial that taxes our faith the most severely and makes it seem as though God had forsaken us is to lead us more closely to Him, that we may lay all our burdens at the feet of Christ and experience the peace which He will give us in exchange.... God loves and cares for the feeblest of His creatures, and we cannot dishonor Him more than by doubting His love to us. O let us cultivate that living faith that will trust Him in the hour of darkness and trial!

Remember to hang in there friends! God is refining your character into HIS perfect character. It can be hard to realize that sometimes but every trial, every test can bring glory to Him. You just have to let Him be your Guide!