Month: June 2008

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Sabbath, More than a Day?

There are two prevalent attitudes that I have witnessed amongst Sabbatarians that can lead to neglect of the teaching, learning, and living the Sabbath.

Nothing Else To Learn

The first of these attitudes is the belief that we have learned all we need to learn about the Sabbath. Those who accept such a position feel the need to move on to other doctrines after they have learned that the seventh day is the Biblical Sabbath. After they discover this, they totally set it aside as the day in which “we go to church.”

When we accept such an idea, the doctrine goes into hibernation until it is time to prove to someone else that they need to “go to church on” the Biblical Sabbath. The problem with such a view is that it does not recognize that the Sabbath is not merely to teach us the day to assemble. It also includes a prophetic portion of looking forward to the ultimate fruition of all things. This can be seen in the Prophets including Isaiah who said from one Sabbath to another shall all flesh come to worship(Isaiah 66:23).

The Look Back

But more than the future look, the Sabbath provides a look back at creation. We can look at creation and catch a glimpse of how we should live today, on the Sabbath, and will live in the world to come. Our brothers and sister who “already know everything” about the Sabbath will not learn of the way that the Sabbath trains us to live today and in the coming kingdom.

Looking for the Sunday Law

However, there is another prevalent view of the Sabbath that forever looks for manifestations of the coming Sunday law. Here the Sabbath is reduced to a mile-marker on the way to the second coming. We look for this “Sunday law” in every bill that comes around. We find non-existent bills that are very close to bringing in the second coming, however, just like the other view, we end up with a lack of understanding of how the Sabbath provides a glimpse of the coming kingdom and thus has a strong ethical component that directs our living. But even more than that, the Sabbath also provides strength for living the life of Christ. All of these themes are tied up in the doctrine.

Proclaiming the Sabbath More Fully

It is true that some reduce the teaching to simply the day we assemble for worship and others reduce it to a discussion of a coming Sunday Law, but there will be some who will preach the “Sabbath more fully” as Ellen White predicted.

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It Never Ends – Predicting the End

It never ends. In case you have not heard, the economy of the United States will Crash in September of 2008. Then, os some say, the global economy will crash. We can expect a war with Iran soon as well, presumably ushering in a full scale world war. Some say it is the work of the Illuminati, some say it is the New World Order, but whoever is behind it, it is a certain thing, so they say…

Predictions of the End

I am still a young man(will soon be 40), but I have heard many of these “predictions” by folks that I used to deem credible people. I remember the stories of Sunday law bills on presidents desk. In fact the same law has been on Carter, Reagan, Bush I, Clinton, and presumably Bush II. The same law is about to be signed so we had better straighten up.

Then there were the economic crashes that were to come. Every recession that America entered in my life brought someone saying that this was gonna be the beginning of the BIG one. The one that is allegedly prophesied in the Bible. The economic crash that will bring in the one world currency. Yes it began in the dismal economic time during Carter’s administration. Reagan was to use the poor economy to bring an end to all we know and love with the help of the Moral Majority. Again during the economic downturn during Bush I presidency when you add in the War against Iraq over Kuwait, we had another certain end…

These prognosticators had more opportunity for pessimism when the Dot Com bust happened and the stock market dropped. “We are certainly entering a depression!!” they told us. And we can’t forget the 1999-2000 non-event that was to bring in global chaos at set the stage for the end of all things.

Here We Go Again

Well, here we are again, and I am tired of the prophets who are forever making predictions and never making apologies. I am tired of the Prophets who tell us what is gonna happen and then when it fails to happen hide their mistakes by making more predictions.

But perhaps the greatest problem that these preachers have is that they know more about speculation then they know about the gospel of Jesus Christ. They are forever talking about what may happen and never what has happened in Jesus Christ for all of us. They are forever getting us used to thinking about the wrong things.

In addition, their answer to every problem is the same, hoard resources for yourself and forget about the world in which we are to live the life of Christ. Run away with your gallons of water and canned goods while we leave the rest of the world to fend for themselves in this coming global appocolypse.

Jesus comes to all of us, ultimately asking the same simple question that he asked Peter who sunk in the water, “Why did you fear?” It is time for many to stop teaching fear and start teaching faith.

The Bible also Says…

I don’t know what will happen in September 2008. I am not a prognosticator, but one thing I do know, God is faithful to help us through any time that is to come. Certainly the Bible speaks of a time of trouble, but the Bible also speaks of a God that is with us in trouble. Certainly the Bible speaks of end time peril, but the Bible also speaks of a God who will never leave us nor forsake us, certainly the Bible speaks of trouble, but like my ancestors used to say, “I’m so glad trouble don’t last always.” I pray that I will live the life of Christ and that whenever the end comes, God will make good on the promise to wipe away every tear that this world has created.