Saturday, November 29, 2014

What Day Is The Sabbath? Should Christians Keep It Holy?

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 Hello friends! The following Bible Treasure Deals with The 4th Commandment Of God; Keeping The Sabbath Day Holy :D
First let's take a look at God's 10 Commandments :D

Exodus 20

20 And God spake all these words, saying,

2 I am the Lord thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.
3 Thou shalt have no other gods before me.
4 Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.
5 Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me;
6 And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.
7 Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain; for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.
8 Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.
9 Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work:
10 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:
11 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.
12 Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.
13 Thou shalt not kill.
14 Thou shalt not commit adultery.
15 Thou shalt not steal.
16 Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour.
17 Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour's.
18 And all the people saw the thunderings, and the lightnings, and the noise of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking: and when the people saw it, they removed, and stood afar off.
19 And they said unto Moses, Speak thou with us, and we will hear: but let not God speak with us, lest we die.
20 And Moses said unto the people, Fear not: for God is come to prove you, and that his fear may be before your faces, that ye sin not.


BIBLE TREASURE

   
Why Is Keeping The Sabbath Important? 

Keeping The Sabbath Day is One of The 10 Commandments Given to us By God, and Written By God's Own Finger In Stone. 
The real question we should be asking ourselves is,
Why should we forget To Keep The Sabbath Day Holy, when it is The ONLY Commandment that begins with the word, "Remember"?

We're going to look at a couple of Bible Verses including one that clearly states that our Lord Jesus Christ Did Not Come to destroy The Commandments. Some say He nailed The Commandments to the cross, but this is never mentioned in The Holy Bible, therefore it is a doctrine of men and not Of God.
Remember friends, it is God we should listen to and follow, not men.
If we follow men we can only end up where men are destined to end up, in death.
If we Follow Jesus Christ we will end up In The Kingdom Of God, Where Jesus Christ Abides Forever.
We should put everything to the test, using The Everlasting Word Of God.

Matthew 5:17-20

17 Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.
18 For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.
19 Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
20 For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.


 
 Jesus Christ Says that He Did Not Come to destroy The Commandments, But To Obey Them
Some people have said that the Word Jesus Christ Used, "Fulfil" means to "Finish" but this isn't the correct meaning of this word according To God's Word.
Let's see another Bible Verse which uses the same word in order to find its true meaning :D

Galatians 5:14-18

14 For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
15 But if ye bite and devour one another, take heed that ye be not consumed one of another.
16 This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.
17 For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.
18 But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law.

  We can conclude that the word, "Fulfil" means to "Obey"
Jesus Christ Is The Only Way To The Father, He Came To Show us The Path, that we may also walk like He did, In Obedience To God, Keeping The Commandments :D
We can all Agree That Jesus Christ Never broke any of The Commandments, Including The Sabbath Day :)
Our Lord Jesus Christ Was Also Given another Commandment which is not Given to us; To Be Sacrificed, Which He Also Obediently Kept.
The above Bible Passage shows us clearly that we should not break any of The Commandments, and we should definitely not teach men to break any of Them. But we should Keep The Commandments.


A key point in the above Bible Passage is the following:

18 For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.


We know neither heaven nor earth have passed yet, so we can conclude with certainty that The Law is still completely intact. 
Remember our Lord Jesus Christ Never lies.

Also remember that our Lord Jesus Christ Came to earth to Save us from sin, to free us from sin's deadly captivity. He did not Come To Die so that we continue to live in sin, enslaved by it. This isn't God's Plan, but the devil's

 Romans

6 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?
2 God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?
3 Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?
4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
5 For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection:
6 Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.
7 For he that is dead is freed from sin.
8 Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him:
9 Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him.
10 For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God.
11 Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.
12 Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.
13 Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.
14 For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.
15 What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid.
16 Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?
17 But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you.
18 Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.
19 I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh: for as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness.
20 For when ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from righteousness.
21 What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed? for the end of those things is death.
22 But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life.
23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Paul tells us on the above Bible Passage that we should not sin because we are under grace. 


Clearing The Confusion

According To The Holy Bible we are not under the law. Some people have interpreted this to mean that we can sin for as long as we want, as much as we want because we are not under the law, however, this is an erroneous doctrine of men.
We are not under The Law because we follow Jesus Christ Who Kept The Law, and because we follow Him, we also keep The Law naturally like He did. Therefore, we are not under The Law, but Under Grace, for we are no longer enslaved by sin, since we are no longer transgressors of The Law
This is only possible for us through our Lord Jesus Christ Who Showed us The Way To The Father.
(Please read The Following Bible Chapter carefully, as it is very straighforward


What is Sin? Should we sin? is it righteous to sin?

1 John 3:1-11


Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.
Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.
3 And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.
Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.
And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin.
Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him.
Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous.
He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.
Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.
10 In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother.
11 For this is the message that ye heard from the beginning, that we should love one another.

***Special Information :D***

I am going to share what unfortunately in today's day and age is a secret to most people.
Through prayer and devotion to my Lord Jesus Christ i have started noticing certain things that were once hidden from me due to my own lack of obedience (Sinning
I have noticed that whenever a sin is committed (Lying, coveting, lusting, etc) there is an instant demonic influence that affects the behavior of the person committing the sin
I want you to check what i am saying for yourself: Any time you catch yourself or someone else committing a sin, examine your/their behavior after the sin is committed. You will notice a very radical change in your/their personality. 
I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that what happens after committing a sin is that the person who does it enters into demonic territory, and this usually leads to more sins, bringing more trouble into the person's life.
Let's keep in mind that sin is compared to leprosy in The Holy Bible, and we know leprosy is a very serious disease, exactly like sin. 
A lot of the trouble we face in this life is a direct result of sinning


I know this now after 27 years of living on this earth and never realizing it (I was used to sinning and was blinded by it)
I give thanks to my Lord Jesus Christ very often for opening my eyes and revealing this to me. 
Avoiding sin is extremely crucial for our souls, and it does take a lot of the problems we face away.
The only way to stop sinning is to Follow The Lord Jesus Christ (Keeping His Commandments, Keeping His Word, Being Obedient To Him Who Died for us
it is not possible to stop sinning on our own (Ever heard of people quitting something that was bad for them, only to come back to it? This is only an example, and although it is possible to quit one thing on our own, this does not eradicate every single sin from our life. In order to do this, we need our Lord Jesus Christ's Help)
The good news is that without sin we start to transform, we are then born again in our Lord Jesus Christ and believe me that this should be The Top Priority in every human being's life.


***Note***

I myself didn't always Keep All of God's 10 Commandments, i also failed to Keep The Sabbath Day most of my life, and now that I'm finally Keeping The Sabbath it is amazing to me how I've survived in this world not Keeping It. This is only Thanks To my Lord Jesus Christ's Patience and Love for me :)
It is truly a day full of Blessings Of God. Why should anyone miss out? :D

1 John 5:3

3 For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.



I don't know anybody who would say no to a Gift, yet this is what everybody usually does when it comes To Keeping The 4th Commandment, people see it as a burden (which is what the devil wants) i myself saw it as burden at some point in my life. 
It was only when my life was breaking down completely that i started Keeping The Sabbath, and not only did i get relief but today i feel better than i ever did! :D
After Keeping The Sabbath for a couple of months i realized that every Sabbath i Kept i received a different Blessing Of God. I will share some of these blessings with you at the end of this post :D
One of the reasons why The Sabbath is such an important topic to discuss, is because there are Great Blessings involved in Keeping The Sabbath, blessings that cannot be obtained with work, money, or any human effort :D
Not only Is Keeping The Sabbath Day Holy Unto God one Of God's Commandments that we must keep (Which is the main reason this is important) but it is also one that greatly benefits our well being!
Also, it is written that if we break one Commandment, we become transgressors of The Law; Breaking all of them.


This also happens with human laws in any country; the second you break one law it will not matter if you're keeping other laws given by the state. 
For example: 
You don't kill people, you don't break into people's homes, you don't hit people, but you stole a bicycle.
Even though you've kept some of the law, you still broke the law, therefore you are now punishable by the law, because you are now a transgressor of the law
How much more would this be true for God's Perfect Law?

These human laws we have, keep us free. As long as we keep these human laws, we're safe, we will not be punished, we will not go to jail. 
How Free and Safe would we be if we Keep God's Perfect Law?

We can never make the assumption that humans are more Righteous than God. 
We benefit from keeping human laws, and believe me, we benefit even more from keeping God's Perfect Law
Please always remember that God's Law always comes first before human laws.
If any man were to tell you that it is unlawful to keep The Sabbath Day (for instance) we must still keep God's Law, we can never consider human laws as more important than God's Perfect Law.

  James 2:10-26

10 For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.
11 For he that said, Do not commit adultery, said also, Do not kill. Now if thou commit no adultery, yet if thou kill, thou art become a transgressor of the law.
12 So speak ye, and so do, as they that shall be judged by the law of liberty.
13 For he shall have judgment without mercy, that hath shewed no mercy; and mercy rejoiceth against judgment.
14 What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him?
15 If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food,
16 And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit?
17 Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.
18 Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.
19 Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.
20 But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?
21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar?
22 Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect?
23 And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God.
24 Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.
25 Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot justified by works, when she had received the messengers, and had sent them out another way?
26 For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.

Do you Love Jesus?
The following Bible Chapter will give you the answer clearly. 
If The Answer is Yes: Help others Find The Way, Who Is Jesus Christ
If The Answer is No: not all is lost, Jesus Christ Loves you and Wants you To Love Him Back. He's Eagerly Waiting for you :)
 
John 14

14 Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.
2 In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.
3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.
4 And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know.
5 Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way?
6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
7 If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him.
8 Philip saith unto him, Lord, show us the Father, and it sufficeth us.
9 Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Show us the Father?
10 Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works.
11 Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me: or else believe me for the very works' sake.
12 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.
13 And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.
14 If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.
15 If ye love me, keep my commandments.
16 And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;
17 Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.
18 I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.
19 Yet a little while, and the world seeth me no more; but ye see me: because I live, ye shall live also.
20 At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you.
21 He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.
22 Judas saith unto him, not Iscariot, Lord, how is it that thou wilt manifest thyself unto us, and not unto the world?
23 Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.
24 He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father's which sent me.
25 These things have I spoken unto you, being yet present with you.
26 But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.
27 Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.
28 Ye have heard how I said unto you, I go away, and come again unto you. If ye loved me, ye would rejoice, because I said, I go unto the Father: for my Father is greater than I.
29 And now I have told you before it come to pass, that, when it is come to pass, ye might believe.
30 Hereafter I will not talk much with you: for the prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in me.
31 But that the world may know that I love the Father; and as the Father gave me commandment, even so I do. Arise, let us go hence.




There are only 2 choices in life, Choose God or men. Choose Right or wrong. Choose Good or evil. Choose Life or death.
Even though it is a simple choice it is by no means an easy one, as most men tend to make the wrong choice, and this has been happening since the dawn of time, all the way back to The Garden of Eden, and following every single generation after that.
Making the right choice might be impossible with men, but With God nothing is impossible :D



I am now going to show you a sermon preached by late pastor, Joe Crews, who clears the mainstream confusion of The Sabbath Day, which some say is sunday. Then I'm going to show you a definite Bible Reference on Keeping The Sabbath (After Jesus Christ Had Been Resurrected :D) and i will also share my personal experience on keeping The Sabbath Day Holy (In Essence, when i started really keeping All of God's Commandments) and one of the reasons why this is a very important subject :D

The Search for the Missing "Sunday" Text

How strange it is that tradition often displaces authoritative truth in the minds of multitudes of sincere people. Statements that have been repeated for years finally are approved simply because the repetition has given a stamp of authority. This is especially true in the field of religion. The average Christian, unfortunately, does very little study of the Bible for himself. His convictions have been formed by listening to his pastor explain religion. Now there’s nothing wrong in giving attention to the preacher, but friends, we should put his preaching to the acid test of the Bible. This matter of eternal life is too important to trust to the interpretations of any other person. We’re admonished to search the Scriptures and try the spirits. Notice this text in 


1 Peter 3:15

15 But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:


Isaiah 8:20

20 To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.



A truly spiritual pastor will urge his flock to study the Bible to test his message. No man’s opinion is worth very much, not even the very best preacher’s. The fact is that leading theologians are drifting farther and farther from the anchor of Bible truth. Thousands of men who occupy leading pulpits today have lost their faith in the historic Scriptures. For this reason, if for no other, the individual Christian should seek to know the Bible truth for himself, letting the Bible explain and interpret itself. He must be able to give an answer for his beliefs and practices. The average church member can only defend his faith by saying, “Well, my preacher said it,” or, “My church teaches that way.” It’s amazing how much religion is taken for granted.


Repeated practice through the generations has ingrained some traditions, making them seem like inviolate truth. Some very common religious practices are not even found in the Bible at all. Oh, most people think they are. They’ve heard misquoted texts and vague references, but the Bible statement itself is missing. One of the strangest cases of this is in the observance of Sunday by millions. The missing text for observing the first day of the week has been the object of long search and study. It is now acknowledged by leading churchmen that no biblical authority exists for the practice. The familiar ten commandments do indeed set aside a day for worship and rest; but, that day is Saturday, the seventh day of the week, not Sunday, the first. Listen to the wording of that law, friends, in


Exodus 20:8-11


8 Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.
9 Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work:
10 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:
11 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.


Notice, it says plainly “the seventh day is the sabbath.” I’m sure that every listener agrees that Saturday is indeed the day specified here. The calendar on your wall confirms this fact. 

Saturday is the seventh day of the week. How strange then that so many are keeping a different day than God specified. What is the explanation? Friends, here’s a perfect example of church members taking tradition without searching the Bible for themselves.

Jesus and the Sabbath

We’re certainly interested in knowing for sure which day Jesus observed as the Sabbath. We won’t consider our own convenience in this question at all. If Jesus kept Wednesday holy, then we want to keep that same day. If He commanded the observance of Tuesday, we’re all willing to make that our Sabbath. Personally, I’m not particular which day it is so long as I know that it’s the one He blessed and kept.

Our purpose now is to approach the Word of God with an unbiased, sincere mind in order to find the truth on this question and know for sure which day is holy. Which day did Jesus observe?

Luke 4:16

16 And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up for to read.


Because most of the Christian world keeps Sunday as a day of rest and worship, we will investigate the Bible authority for this practice. If the Scriptures teach Sunday-keeping, then certainly we ought to be in the forefront to stand right with it. It’s only right and honest that we give careful study to every mention of the first day of the week in the New Testament before making any decision. There are only eight references to Sunday, and we will consider them separately. If there is any authority, it is bound to appear in one of these Scripture texts.

Let’s read first in

Mark 16:9

9 Now when Jesus was risen early the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom he had cast seven devils.



Here we have the simple historical account of the resurrection of Christ on the first day of the week. The crucifixion, as we know, took place on Friday afternoon, and Jesus rested in the tomb over the Sabbath. Early on the first day of the week, Sunday, he rose from the grave. This forms the basis for the observance of Easter Sunday.

Mary was one of the first to discover that He was risen when she came seeking Him early that morning. 

Mark 16

16 And when the sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, had bought sweet spices, that they might come and anoint him.
2 And very early in the morning the first day of the week, they came unto the sepulchre at the rising of the sun.

  

 One interesting thing about this text, friends, is that it contains no intimation that Sunday was to be a special day of rest. The Sabbath was past when the first day of the week had come, making it plain to see that Sabbath and Sunday are two different days altogether.

Now let’s turn to 

 Luke 23:54-56



54 And that day was the preparation, and the sabbath drew on.
55 And the women also, which came with him from Galilee, followed after, and beheld the sepulchre, and how his body was laid.
56 And they returned, and prepared spices and ointments; and rested the sabbath day according to the commandment.


Luke 24:1

24 Now upon the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they came unto the sepulchre, bringing the spices which they had prepared, and certain others with them.

This is simply another reference to the events of the resurrection day. The women came to see the body of Jesus on Friday afternoon and then returned to their homes to prepare spices for the actual burying. And what did they do on the next day, Saturday? Notice the wording, they “rested the sabbath day according to the commandment.


And according to the commandment, “the seventh day is the sabbath,” so these women knew nothing about any change of the Sabbath. They saved their work until the Sabbath was past, then came early the first day of the week to prepare the body for burial. Please remember that this account was written about 35 years afterward, giving plenty of time for any change of the Sabbath to be known by all. Under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, the gospel writers would have made clear any new institution in the matter of Sabbath observance. Since all the gospels contain a consistent record of faithful seventh-day Sabbath-keeping, there is absolutely no intimation of first-day observance.

More References

We now turn to the fourth mention of the first day of the week, found in 

Matthew 28:1

28 In the end of the sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulchre.

We should never forget that when the resurrection day came, the Sabbath was already ended. Still there is no evidence that Sunday is to be kept holy. 
So we move on to our next text in  

John 20:1
20 The first day of the week cometh Mary Magdalene early, when it was yet dark, unto the sepulchre, and seeth the stone taken away from the sepulchre.

This is another narrative record of the coming of Mary to the tomb early on Sunday morning, very similar to the other texts we’ve already considered. Still, no evidence here for Sunday-keeping.

Continuing our honest search for Bible evidence, we turn to 

John 20:19

19 Then the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you.

This verse has often been misconstrued to mean that the disciples were meeting to honor the resurrection of Jesus. But the truth of the matter is that those disciples didn’t even believe that Christ had risen. It was Sunday afternoon just after the resurrection in the early morning of that day, and they were assembled in great fear behind locked doors for fear of the Jews. You see, the rumor had been circulated that the disciples had stolen away the body of the Lord. No wonder they were afraid.

Now let’s read a text to show that they really did not believe their Master had risen. 

Mark 16:11-14

11 And they, when they had heard that he was alive, and had been seen of her, believed not.
12 After that he appeared in another form unto two of them, as they walked, and went into the country.
13 And they went and told it unto the residue: neither believed they them.
14 Afterward he appeared unto the eleven as they sat at meat, and upbraided them with their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they believed not them which had seen him after he was risen.



Therefore, we see how utterly mistaken it is to say the disciples were celebrating a joyful memorial of the resurrection. They would not believe until Jesus Himself came and appeared to them personally.

I’ve heard it said that Jesus always met with His disciples on the first day of the week after He arose from the dead. But the Scriptures reveal quite a different story. His appearance is mentioned in 

John 20:14

14 And when she had thus said, she turned herself back, and saw Jesus standing, and knew not that it was Jesus.



and there is no mention of which day of the week it was, but He came to them when they were fishing on the sea and called them to come to shore and meet Him. So, we’re sure that it wasn’t any rest day or holy day.

The seventh mention of the first day of the week is found in 

1 Corinthians 16:1-2

16 Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I have given order to the churches of Galatia, even so do ye.
2 Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him, that there be no gatherings when I come.

Some have believed this to be the record of a church gathering with a regular offering being taken. But closer examination shows that it was not a religious meeting at all. Paul was sending men who would pick up their contributions to take up to Jerusalem—food, clothing, and money was no doubt included. Paul wrote ahead to tell the Corinthian believers to lay aside whatever they could give and have it ready when they came. The supplies were for the famine-stricken believers in Jerusalem. Please note that other translations say “lay by in store at home.” Weymouth also adds these words, “keep any profit he may have made.” So you see, it was a matter of storing up at home whatever they could afford from the profits of their business. In no sense can it be inferred that there was a religious meeting held or an offering taken.

Well, there is only one other text in the New Testament that mentions the first day of the week. And, by the way, it is the only time a religious meeting was held on Sunday. ... If there is any authority for Sunday-keeping, it will be found in that final reference.

The Final Text

Now friends, if there’s any authority at all for observing this day, we’ll certainly find it as we look at this final reference. So let’s read in 

Acts 20:7-8


7 And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them, ready to depart on the morrow; and continued his speech until midnight.
8 And there were many lights in the upper chamber, where they were gathered together.

All right, let’s pause there for just a moment. Here, as I mentioned a moment ago, we have the only record of a religious meeting being held on the first day of the week. Now if there’s any authority for Sunday-keeping we’re going to have to find it right here in this text. So let’s look at it carefully and let’s look at it honestly.

First of all, it says that they broke bread on that day. Now does the breaking of bread mean that the day was holy and that they were observing it as some Sabbath or sacred occasion? No. In fact, we read in 

Acts 2:46

46 And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart,

Those early disciples broke bread daily. That fact does not imply that it was a holy day at all. If it was, then every day was holy because they surely broke bread daily in the early church. In this instance under consideration, Paul was having a special farewell meeting before going on up to Jerusalem. The people realized that they would never see Paul again alive. 

Acts 20:25

25 And now, behold, I know that ye all, among whom I have gone preaching the kingdom of God, shall see my face no more.

Here Paul told them that he had the witness of the spirit, that he would see their faces no more. So this was a very, very special occasion for him to be with his people, the people whom he had brought to Christ, for the last time. This explains why Paul preached to them all night long. Certainly that is not a procedure that marked the regular worship services of that day. But, anyway, he preached right on up to midnight. Then the young man was killed, and he continued preaching afterward until the very break of day.

Now let’s ask this question at this point. When did this meeting take place according to our method of reckoning time? As most of you realize, the Bible method of measuring the day is from sunset to sun-set and not midnight to midnight. Our way is a pagan method which came in after the days of Jesus. The evening and the morning were the original elements of a day, as you’ll find in Genesis, chapter 1. 

Leviticus 23:32

32 It shall be unto you a sabbath of rest, and ye shall afflict your souls: in the ninth day of the month at even, from even unto even, shall ye celebrate your sabbath.



 Here we read that the Sabbath is to be observed from even unto even, or from evening to evening. When does the evening begin? If we can find that, we’ll know exactly when we should begin keeping the Sabbath. The answer is found in 

Mark 1:32

32 And at even, when the sun did set, they brought unto him all that were diseased, and them that were possessed with devils.


Now there it is. The evening is at sundown. And if you’d like to have further evidence on this point:

Nehemiah 13:19

19 And it came to pass, that when the gates of Jerusalem began to be dark before the sabbath, I commanded that the gates should be shut, and charged that they should not be opened till after the sabbath: and some of my servants set I at the gates, that there should no burden be brought in on the sabbath day.


 Joshua 10:26

26 And afterward Joshua smote them, and slew them, and hanged them on five trees: and they were hanging upon the trees until the evening.


 2 Chronicles 18:34

34 And the battle increased that day: howbeit the king of Israel stayed himself up in his chariot against the Syrians until the even: and about the time of the sun going down he died. In other words, that day, the Sabbath began at sunset and ended at sunset. And the first day of the week began at sunset and ended at sunset. The first day begins at the time we call Saturday evening, at the going down of the sun on Saturday evening, and it continues until the going down of the sun on Sunday evening. That constitutes the first day of the week.


A Sunday Church Service?

Notice that the text says there were many lights in the meeting place where they were gathered. This means that the service was held in the dark portion of that first day which is what we would call Saturday night. Paul kept right on preaching until midnight and, at that time, you remember a young fellow fell down from the loft—he was sitting in the window, apparently listening to Paul preach—and was killed.

After he went down and brought the boy back to life, it says that he kept on talking for “a long while, even till break of day.” And then what did Paul do, friends, early Sunday morning after that all-night meeting with the church?

Acts 20:11-13

11 When he therefore was come up again, and had broken bread, and eaten, and talked a long while, even till break of day, so he departed.
12 And they brought the young man alive, and were not a little comforted.
13 And we went before to ship, and sailed unto Assos, there intending to take in Paul: for so had he appointed, minding himself to go afoot.
14 And when he met with us at Assos, we took him in, and came to Mitylene.
15 And we sailed thence, and came the next day over against Chios; and the next day we arrived at Samos, and tarried at Trogyllium; and the next day we came to Miletus.
16 For Paul had determined to sail by Ephesus, because he would not spend the time in Asia: for he hasted, if it were possible for him, to be at Jerusalem the day of Pentecost.



 The above makes it clear that Paul walked about 25 miles across the peninsula to meet the ship at Assos, for there he was to be taken in and go on with them up to Jerusalem. So here we have clear evidence that Paul was not holding a regular service at all and neither did he keep that day holy. This was not a weekly meeting.

It was a special service in which Paul was preaching to them. He would never see them again. He had the witness of the spirit that he was to be put to death, so he simply stayed with them as long as he could and that took him right in through the night even till the breaking of day. I suppose one of the main reasons we have this story in the Bible is because of the mighty miracle when Paul raised that young fellow from the dead and brought him up alive again at midnight.


Well, there it is, friends. We’ve read and considered every single text which mentions the first day of the week in the New Testament. Nowhere have we found any evidence either in command or example that we should sanctify Sunday as a day of rest or worship. On the other hand, teachings and example of Christ and His disciples present irrefutable proof that the Sabbath was to be kept then, and it is also to be kept nowno change has ever been made in it. You’ll not find any text in all the Bible that says there was any change made in the day that was appointed by God for men to use for worship.


What About Paul?

Now what about Paul, that great apostle of the Gentiles? He came much later, of course. He came after Jesus died and after He was resurrected and ascended back to heaven. Did he observe the same Sabbath as Jesus did and that all the other disciples did before Him? Let him bear witness to that in 

Acts 17:2

2 And Paul, as his manner was, went in unto them, and three sabbath days reasoned with them out of the scriptures,



Now there it is. That was Paul’s manner or custom. Just as we read a moment ago that it was Jesus’ custom to go in on the Sabbath to preach and worship, so Paul went regularly to do the same thing.

Now friends, he didn’t go into the synagogue just to please the Jews or to preach to the Jews. In Acts 13:42-44 we find that he also preached to the Gentiles on that day. Let’s read it:

Acts 13:42-44

42 And when the Jews were gone out of the synagogue, the Gentiles besought that these words might be preached to them the next sabbath.
43 Now when the congregation was broken up, many of the Jews and religious proselytes followed Paul and Barnabas: who, speaking to them, persuaded them to continue in the grace of God.
44 And the next sabbath day came almost the whole city together to hear the word of God.

Here’s a wonderful place for Paul to put those Gentile Christians straight if he wanted them to keep any other day except the seventh day. After he had been preaching to the Jews on this Sabbath, the Gentiles came to him and said “Now we want you to preach to us.” If there had been some change in that early church as far as the day of worship was concerned, Paul would have said to those Gentile Christians, “Listen, I’ll preach to you tomorrow morning. That will be the first day of the week and I’ll meet with you on that day for worship.”

 

 But Paul didn’t say anything of the kind. In fact, he just said to them, “I’ll meet you next Sabbath and preach to you then” and the whole city came together, the Bible says, and heard him preach the next Sabbath day. He was preaching to the Gentiles. Acts 18:4, 11 tells us of 78 Sabbaths that Paul kept in succession in one certain city. 

Acts 18:4

4 And he reasoned in the synagogue every sabbath, and persuaded the Jews and the Greeks.

And


Acts 18:11

11 And he continued there a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them.

 So for a year and a half he made tents during the week, and went in to teach them on the Sabbath. And he taught the Gentiles as well as the Jews.

Well, somebody brings up the question, “How can I do what is right?” Now, friends, in order to keep the Sabbath—in order to keep any of the commandments of God—we’ve got to get the Lord of the Sabbath into our hearts first. If we have Him abiding within, we’ll have no trouble keeping those commandments. They’ll not be a burden. They’ll not be some hard, laborious thing to do if we love Him and He’s abiding in our hearts. We’ll be able to do it out of love. I hope that’s the way you’re doing it today. And after making this study, why don’t you make your decision right now that by the grace of God, you’re going to follow Him in keeping the Sabbath holy.

- From the Joe Crews Sermon Library (Missing Text Parts 1 & 2)
My Personal Experience With The Sabbath Day

First i have to tell you that the idea of Keeping The Sabbath Day was introduced to me at the age of 14, and back then even though i considered myself to be a Christian (I always prayed to The Lord and was very aware that He's Watching and Listening) i decided not to keep The Sabbath Day. 
I was not as familiar with The Holy Bible back then as i am today, and i bought into what some say, "The Commandments were nailed to the cross." even though this idea is nowhere to be found in The Holy Bible.
 At the age of 25 i was going through a very rough personal crisis and i was hearing voices in my head (Which i now know were demons) i was constantly being harassed by these voices non stop, 24/7 for a couple of years. 
During my worst suffering and out of desperation i opened a Bible that was given to me as a gift when i was 14 years old. I started reading through it and getting small amounts of relief.


Later through the months i decided to start Keeping The Sabbath Day, and as soon as i did, i finally felt relief, an incredible amount of relief that i had not felt in years as i was constantly being harassed by demonic voices. 
This of course made the voices more intense, as the source of the voices did not like that i was Keeping The Sabbath Day, but i did not stop Keeping It and every Sabbath i would get my weekly dose of relief, even if i had to endure more harassment through the week and nightmares as well. 


After keeping a few Sabbath Days i started realizing that every single Sabbath i was getting a unique Blessing that i know i would have never gotten otherwise.
The following are some of the blessings i remember getting:



*Relief from the demonic voices (Right on the first Sabbath Day)
*A Supernatural ability of self healing (This happened right after a Sabbath Day. As The Sabbath Day was coming to an end, i started getting a cold, and it was during this time that i focused on healing and i felt a chill run through my spine, which i can now control and use it to heal myself quicker. This might sound silly to you and i really cannot blame you, but it's true :D)
 *Blasting Cold Showers (Out of nowhere this urge of taking cold showers came to me on The Sabbath. I had never taken cold showers in my life and i had no idea of the amazing benefits. They cure depression, make you alert and help you fall asleep much faster. It's been hundreds of showers later and i refuse to go back to hot water :D)
*Self help ideas (During The Sabbath i have gotten countless of Holy Spirit inspired ideas that have helped me achieve peace, and a much more tangible feeling of wellness) The Sabbath Day Has been a sort of spiritual shower for me that has been progressively transforming me and getting me closer to The Lord.
*Bodybuilding Progress (Thanks to my Lord Jesus Christ i am making unbelievable amounts of physical progress, which i was not making before i started keeping The Sabbath Day)
 This is me, i show you this picture not to give myself any credit, or to create lustful thoughts of any kind, but to give Glory To The Lord Jesus Christ, without Him i wouldn't be making any noticeable progress, not only physically but also spiritually. 
I keep God's Holy Bible Diet (I eat only grains, vegetables, fruits, nuts, drink only water and on rare occasions fish that has scales :D)
I also take this time to say that i don't recommend getting tattoos, i had mine done back when i was a very mundane man and getting them isn't a very wise decision. Remember our body is God's Temple and we must treat it with respect, never defiling it, no graffitis. :)
*Closeness with God (I am now getting closer and closer to The Lord thanks to this weekly communion i have with Him and i now long for The Sabbath Day To come)
*Refreshment (I feel amazingly refreshed after every Sabbath Day, which i do not feel any other day of the week. To experience this i recommend not doing any sort of mundane activity on The Sabbath. Truly separate this day and dedicate it To The Lord, you'll be glad you did :D)
*Painting :) My Lord gave me this idea during a Sabbath Day. I had never painted on canvas before in my life, and i am now making a gallery full of oil paintings that are open for sale. This would have never happened if i would have not kept The Sabbath Day. Here are some of my paintings :D


  Praise The Lord Jesus Christ! :D



These are just but a few of the blessings i have been receiving, and there are some I'm not even aware of. Unfortunately i did not record every single blessing i have received. The above are just the ones i can easily explain and remember, but there are many more :D

Now here is a very important Bible Chapter to consider which was written decades after our Lord Jesus Christ Had Been Brutally Murdered, Resurrected and Gone To The Father's Kingdom :)
We can clearly see on this passage that The Sabbath Day is still intact and we should definitely keep it Holy. There is absolutely no mention of The Sabbath Commandment changing in any way whatsoever as all of The Commandments are still intact today :D 
This is a very good thing as Keeping The Commandments keep us free from spiritual danger :)

Hebrews 4

4 Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it.
2 For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it.
3 For we which have believed do enter into rest, as he said, As I have sworn in my wrath, if they shall enter into my rest: although the works were finished from the foundation of the world.
4 For he spake in a certain place of the seventh day on this wise, And God did rest the seventh day from all his works.
5 And in this place again, If they shall enter into my rest.
6 Seeing therefore it remaineth that some must enter therein, and they to whom it was first preached entered not in because of unbelief:
7 Again, he limiteth a certain day, saying in David, To day, after so long a time; as it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts.
8 For if Jesus had given them rest, then would he not afterward have spoken of another day.
9 There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God.
10 For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his.
11 Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.
12 For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
13 Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do.
14 Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession.
15 For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.
16 Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.




If you have not been Keeping This Commandment Of God, I urge you to keep The Sabbath Day Holy for at least 2 months :) Which is only 8 days dedicated to The Lord. (Also 8 days of not breaking The Law)
After these 8 days you will not want to go back, i can guarantee it.
Remember we should love our Lord Jesus Christ for He Loves us so much He Gave His Own Life for us :D
Make sure you keep The Sabbath Holy and not do any type of work or mundane activity. Remember it is a Holy Day Unto The Lord :D 
Please also remember that The Sabbath Day Starts on sundown Friday and ends on sundown Saturday. Sundown to sundown, evening to evening :)


***Warning***

Once you start Keeping The Sabbath Day Holy you will be attacked by the devil. 
he will attempt to keep you from Keeping The Sabbath Day (One Of God's Commandments)

This happened to me, but even though i struggled a lot, i did not break The Sabbath Day and i am now certainly reaping lots of benefits for being obedient :D

A Few Tactics the devil might use to keep you from Keeping The Sabbath:

Distraction
Discouragement
A Sudden Impulse To Buy or Sell (To Work or make others Work)
To give you work to do on The Sabbath
To make you think it's boring to Keep The Sabbath
To get you to do mundane activities instead of activities focused on God (The Sabbath Is God's Holy Day, Consecrated To Him)

If you have never kept The Sabbath Day Holy, this might be a little more difficult than you initially think. The key to success here is perseverance, and a complete determination To Do What God Wants you To Do:

 To Love Him Back :D
(Remember He Loved Us First)

Exodus 31:16-17

16 Wherefore the children of Israel shall keep the sabbath, to observe the sabbath throughout their generations, for a perpetual covenant.
17 It is a sign between me and the children of Israel for ever: for in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day he rested, and was refreshed.



2 comments:

  1. You have a very nice, well thought out blog. The only issue I have is that I am unable to read anything posted in yellow. :(

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    1. Thanks for the comment brother/sister :) I was re-checking the blog, are you sure it's the color yellow? i thought it might have been the orange? I tried to avoid the orange color for the most part. I thought yellow did stand out from the orange background, hmm. Could you please specifically point to a part which is written in yellow and is un-readable? This way i could see what i could do.
      Or, Perhaps your monitor's color saturation is too high? I appreciate your time friend, remember to check out the other blog:

      bible7evidence.blogspot.com

      May The Lord Jesus Christ Bless you, friend! :D

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