The Death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ

 

Photo Credit: Jeff Hire

I was reading these chapters this morning by chance as this was where I was currently in the Bible. Fitting, I thought, considering the time of year. I don’t think we spend enough time contemplating the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. Oh sure, we talk about it, we tell others about it, etc., but how often do we as individuals really reflect on the sacrifice our Lord and Savior made for us – for me?!

I have included within the following passages of Scriptures links to articles on A Virtuous Woman which pertain to the verses for further Bible study. Embark on a new and wonderful relationship with your Savior!

Matthew 26

The Last Supper

¹⁷On the first day of the Festival of Unleavened Bread, the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Where do you want us to make preparations for you to eat the Passover?”

¹⁸ He replied, “Go into the city to a certain man and tell him, ‘The Teacher says: My appointed time is near. I am going to celebrate the Passover with my disciples at your house.’” ¹⁹So the disciples did as Jesus had directed them and prepared the Passover.

²⁰ When evening came, Jesus was reclining at the table with the Twelve. ²¹ And while they were eating, he said, “Truly I tell you, one of you will betray me.”

²²They were very sad and began to say to him one after the other, “Surely you don’t mean me, Lord?”

²³ Jesus replied, “The one who has dipped his hand into the bowl with me will betray me. ²⁴ The Son of Man will go just as it is written about him. But woe to that man who betrays the Son of Man! It would be better for him if he had not been born.”

²⁵Then Judas, the one who would betray him, said, “Surely you don’t mean me, Rabbi?”

Jesus answered, “You have said so.”

²⁶ While they were eating, Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take and eat; this is my body.”

²⁷ Then he took a cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you. ²⁸ This is my blood of the^[b] covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. ²⁹ I tell you, I will not drink from this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.”

³⁰When they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.

Jesus Predicts Peter’s Denial

³¹ Then Jesus told them, “This very night you will all fall away on account of me, for it is written:

“‘I will strike the shepherd,    and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.’^[c]

³² But after I have risen, I will go ahead of you into Galilee.”

³³Peter replied, “Even if all fall away on account of you, I never will.”

³⁴ “Truly I tell you,” Jesus answered, “this very night, before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times.”

³⁵But Peter declared, “Even if I have to die with you, I will never disown you.” And all the other disciples said the same.

Gethsemane

³⁶ Then Jesus went with his disciples to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to them, “Sit here while I go over there and pray.” ³⁷ He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee along with him, and he began to be sorrowful and troubled. ³⁸ Then he said to them, “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.”

³⁹ Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.”

⁴⁰ Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. “Couldn’t you men keep watch with me for one hour?” he asked Peter. ⁴¹ “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

⁴² He went away a second time and prayed, “My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may your will be done.”

⁴³ When he came back, he again found them sleeping, because their eyes were heavy. ⁴⁴So he left them and went away once more and prayed the third time, saying the same thing.

⁴⁵ Then he returned to the disciples and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and resting? Look, the hour has come, and the Son of Man is delivered into the hands of sinners. ⁴⁶ Rise! Let us go! Here comes my betrayer!”

Jesus Arrested

⁴⁷ While he was still speaking, Judas, one of the Twelve, arrived. With him was a large crowd armed with swords and clubs, sent from the chief priests and the elders of the people. ⁴⁸ Now the betrayer had arranged a signal with them: “The one I kiss is the man; arrest him.” ⁴⁹Going at once to Jesus, Judas said, “Greetings, Rabbi!” and kissed him.

⁵⁰ Jesus replied, “Do what you came for, friend.”^[d]

Then the men stepped forward, seized Jesus and arrested him. ⁵¹With that, one of Jesus’ companions reached for his sword, drew it out and struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off his ear.

⁵² “Put your sword back in its place,” Jesus said to him, “for all who draw the sword will die by the sword. ⁵³ Do you think I cannot call on my Father, and he will at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels? ⁵⁴ But how then would the Scriptures be fulfilled that say it must happen in this way?”

⁵⁵ In that hour Jesus said to the crowd, “Am I leading a rebellion, that you have come out with swords and clubs to capture me? Every day I sat in the temple courts teaching, and you did not arrest me. ⁵⁶ But this has all taken place that the writings of the prophets might be fulfilled.”Then all the disciples deserted him and fled.

Jesus Before the Sanhedrin

⁵⁷ Those who had arrested Jesus took him to Caiaphas the high priest, where the teachers of the law and the elders had assembled. ⁵⁸But Peter followed him at a distance, right up to the courtyard of the high priest. He entered and sat down with the guards to see the outcome.

⁵⁹ The chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin were looking for false evidence against Jesus so that they could put him to death. ⁶⁰But they did not find any, though many false witnesses came forward.

Finally two came forward ⁶¹and declared, “This fellow said, ‘I am able to destroy the temple of God and rebuild it in three days.’”

⁶² Then the high priest stood up and said to Jesus, “Are you not going to answer? What is this testimony that these men are bringing against you?” ⁶³But Jesus remained silent.

The high priest said to him, “I charge you under oath by the living God: Tell us if you are the Messiah, the Son of God.”

⁶⁴ “You have said so,” Jesus replied. “But I say to all of you: From now on you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven.”^[e]

⁶⁵ Then the high priest tore his clothes and said, “He has spoken blasphemy! Why do we need any more witnesses? Look, now you have heard the blasphemy. ⁶⁶What do you think?”

“He is worthy of death,” they answered.

⁶⁷ Then they spit in his face and struck him with their fists. Others slapped him ⁶⁸and said, “Prophesy to us, Messiah. Who hit you?”

Peter Disowns Jesus

⁶⁹Now Peter was sitting out in the courtyard, and a servant girl came to him. “You also were with Jesus of Galilee,” she said.

⁷⁰But he denied it before them all. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he said.

⁷¹Then he went out to the gateway, where another servant girl saw him and said to the people there, “This fellow was with Jesus of Nazareth.”

⁷²He denied it again, with an oath: “I don’t know the man!”

⁷³After a little while, those standing there went up to Peter and said, “Surely you are one of them; your accent gives you away.”

⁷⁴Then he began to call down curses, and he swore to them, “I don’t know the man!”

Immediately a rooster crowed. ⁷⁵ Then Peter remembered the word Jesus had spoken: “Before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times.” And he went outside and wept bitterly.

Matthew 27

Judas Hangs Himself

¹ Early in the morning, all the chief priests and the elders of the people made their plans how to have Jesus executed. ²So they bound him, led him away and handed him over to Pilate the governor.

³ When Judas, who had betrayed him, saw that Jesus was condemned, he was seized with remorse and returned the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and the elders. ⁴“I have sinned,” he said, “for I have betrayed innocent blood.”

“What is that to us?” they replied. “That’s your responsibility.”

⁵So Judas threw the money into the temple and left. Then he went away and hanged himself.

⁶ The chief priests picked up the coins and said, “It is against the law to put this into the treasury, since it is blood money.” ⁷ So they decided to use the money to buy the potter’s field as a burial place for foreigners. ⁸ That is why it has been called the Field of Blood to this day. ⁹ Then what was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet was fulfilled: “They took the thirty pieces of silver, the price set on him by the people of Israel, ¹⁰ and they used them to buy the potter’s field, as the Lord commanded me.”^[a]

Jesus Before Pilate

¹¹Meanwhile Jesus stood before the governor, and the governor asked him, “Are you the king of the Jews?”

“You have said so,”Jesus replied.

¹² When he was accused by the chief priests and the elders, he gave no answer. ¹³ Then Pilate asked him, “Don’t you hear the testimony they are bringing against you?” ¹⁴But Jesus made no reply, not even to a single charge—to the great amazement of the governor.

¹⁵ Now it was the governor’s custom at the festival to release a prisoner chosen by the crowd. ¹⁶ At that time they had a well-known prisoner whose name was Jesus^[b] Barabbas. ¹⁷ So when the crowd had gathered, Pilate asked them, “Which one do you want me to release to you: Jesus Barabbas, or Jesus who is called the Messiah?” ¹⁸For he knew it was out of self-interest that they had handed Jesus over to him.

¹⁹While Pilate was sitting on the judge’s seat, his wife sent him this message: “Don’t have anything to do with that innocent man, for I have suffered a great deal today in a dream because of him.”

²⁰But the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowd to ask for Barabbas and to have Jesus executed.

²¹“Which of the two do you want me to release to you?” asked the governor.

“Barabbas,” they answered.

²²“What shall I do, then, with Jesus who is called the Messiah?” Pilate asked.

They all answered, “Crucify him!”

²³“Why? What crime has he committed?” asked Pilate.

But they shouted all the louder, “Crucify him!”

²⁴When Pilate saw that he was getting nowhere, but that instead an uproar was starting, he took water and washed his hands in front of the crowd. “I am innocent of this man’s blood,” he said. “It is your responsibility!”

²⁵All the people answered, “His blood is on us and on our children!”

²⁶Then he released Barabbas to them. But he had Jesus flogged, and handed him over to be crucified.

The Soldiers Mock Jesus

²⁷ Then the governor’s soldiers took Jesus into the Praetorium and gathered the whole company of soldiers around him. ²⁸ They stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him, ²⁹ and then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on his head. They put a staff in his right hand. Then they knelt in front of him and mocked him. “Hail, king of the Jews!” they said. ³⁰ They spit on him, and took the staff and struck him on the head again and again. ³¹After they had mocked him, they took off the robe and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him away to crucify him.

The Crucifixion of Jesus

³² As they were going out, they met a man from Cyrene, named Simon, and they forced him to carry the cross. ³³ They came to a place called Golgotha (which means “the place of the skull”). ³⁴ There they offered Jesus wine to drink, mixed with gall; but after tasting it, he refused to drink it. ³⁵ When they had crucified him, they divided up his clothes by casting lots. ³⁶ And sitting down, they kept watch over him there. ³⁷Above his head they placed the written charge against him: THIS IS JESUS, THE KING OF THE JEWS.

³⁸ Two rebels were crucified with him, one on his right and one on his left. ³⁹ Those who passed by hurled insults at him, shaking their heads ⁴⁰ and saying, “You who are going to destroy the temple and build it in three days, save yourself! Come down from the cross, if you are the Son of God!” ⁴¹ In the same way the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the elders mocked him. ⁴² “He saved others,” they said, “but he can’t save himself! He’s the king of Israel! Let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in him. ⁴³ He trusts in God. Let God rescue him now if he wants him, for he said, ‘I am the Son of God.’” ⁴⁴In the same way the rebels who were crucified with him also heaped insults on him.

The Death of Jesus

⁴⁵ From noon until three in the afternoon darkness came over all the land. ⁴⁶ About three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eli, Eli,^[c] lema sabachthani?” (which means “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”).^[d]

⁴⁷When some of those standing there heard this, they said, “He’s calling Elijah.”

⁴⁸ Immediately one of them ran and got a sponge. He filled it with wine vinegar, put it on a staff, and offered it to Jesus to drink. ⁴⁹The rest said, “Now leave him alone. Let’s see if Elijah comes to save him.”

⁵⁰And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit.

⁵¹ At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook, the rocks split ⁵² and the tombs broke open. The bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life. ⁵³ They came out of the tombs after Jesus’ resurrection and^[e]went into the holy city and appeared to many people.

⁵⁴When the centurion and those with him who were guarding Jesus saw the earthquake and all that had happened, they were terrified, and exclaimed, “Surely he was the Son of God!”

⁵⁵ Many women were there, watching from a distance. They had followed Jesus from Galilee to care for his needs. ⁵⁶ Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joseph,^[f]and the mother of Zebedee’s sons.

The Burial of Jesus

⁵⁷ As evening approached, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who had himself become a disciple of Jesus. ⁵⁸ Going to Pilate, he asked for Jesus’ body, and Pilate ordered that it be given to him. ⁵⁹ Joseph took the body, wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, ⁶⁰ and placed it in his own new tomb that he had cut out of the rock. He rolled a big stone in front of the entrance to the tomb and went away. ⁶¹Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were sitting there opposite the tomb.

The Guard at the Tomb

⁶² The next day, the one after Preparation Day, the chief priests and the Pharisees went to Pilate. ⁶³ “Sir,” they said, “we remember that while he was still alive that deceiver said, ‘After three days I will rise again.’ ⁶⁴So give the order for the tomb to be made secure until the third day. Otherwise, his disciples may come and steal the body and tell the people that he has been raised from the dead. This last deception will be worse than the first.”

⁶⁵ “Take a guard,” Pilate answered. “Go, make the tomb as secure as you know how.” ⁶⁶ So they went and made the tomb secure by putting a seal on the stone and posting the guard.

Matthew 28

Jesus Has Risen

¹After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb.

² There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. ³ His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow.⁴The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men.

⁵ The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. ⁶ He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. ⁷Then go quickly and tell his disciples: ‘He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.’ Now I have told you.”

⁸ So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples. ⁹ Suddenly Jesus met them. “Greetings,” he said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshiped him. ¹⁰ Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me.”

The Guards’ Report

¹¹ While the women were on their way, some of the guards went into the city and reported to the chief priests everything that had happened. ¹² When the chief priests had met with the elders and devised a plan, they gave the soldiers a large sum of money, ¹³ telling them, “You are to say, ‘His disciples came during the night and stole him away while we were asleep.’ ¹⁴ If this report gets to the governor, we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble.” ¹⁵So the soldiers took the money and did as they were instructed. And this story has been widely circulated among the Jews to this very day.

The Great Commission

¹⁶ Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. ¹⁷ When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. ¹⁸ Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. ¹⁹ Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,²⁰ and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

Preparing Your Family for Eternal Life

 

Deuteronomy 11:18-21

“Therefore shall ye lay up these my words in your heart and in your soul, and bind them for a sign upon your hand, that they may be as frontlets between your eyes. And ye shall teach them your children, speaking of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. And thou shalt write them upon the door posts of thine house, and upon thy gates: That your days may be multiplied, and the days of your children, in the land which the LORD sware unto your fathers to give them, as the days of heaven upon the earth.”

My husband and I have been talking a lot as of late about preparing our children, our family, our home for the Kingdom to Come. This isn’t a new topic. Over the years we have tried to instill in our children a love for God and for serving Him. But the idea has taken on new urgency.

Do you feel it, too? This sense that we don’t have much time? That this world is coming to a close? That Jesus is really coming soon. I hear my children talk about growing up in heaven and it warms my heart. They want to go to heaven. I mean, really want to go to heaven.

More and more, when I talk to people, even people I would consider nominal Christians, I hear things like, “I believe Jesus is coming back soon, don’t you?” or “Man, things are getting bad, it won’t be much longer.”

Jesus said:

“Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When her branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is near: So ye in like manner, when ye shall see these things come to pass, know that it is nigh, even at the doors. Verily I say unto you, that this generation shall not pass, till all these things be done. Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away. But of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father. Take ye heed, watch and pray: for ye know not when the time is. For the Son of Man is as a man taking a far journey, who left his house, and gave authority to his servants, and to every man his work, and commanded the porter to watch. Watch ye therefore: for ye know not when the master of the house cometh, at even, or at midnight, or at the cockcrowing, or in the morning: Lest coming suddenly he find you sleeping. And what I say unto you I say unto all, Watch.” Mark 13: 28-37

Watch. Lest he find you sleeping.

I don’t want to be asleep! I want to be prepared. I want my family prepared to see Him face to face. I don’t want to be one of the multitude that cries out to the rocks to fall on me!

“And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood; And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind. And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places. And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains; And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?” Revelation 6: 12-17

Speaking of the Seven Seals of Revelation, did you know that the only one that hasn’t already happened is the Seventh Seal? We are in the last days. No question about it. What are you doing to prepare your home for the soon coming of Jesus?

Here are some things we are doing in our home:

1. Memorize Scripture
2. Family Worship in the Morning and Evening
3. Learn about church history.
4. Listen to the Daily Audio Bible
5. Spend time in nature.
6. Make the Sabbath a Delight. It should be the best day of the week!
7. Don’t underestimate your children’s ability to understand the deep things of God.
8. Talk about heaven – often.
9. Read the Bible together. Or read the Bible Story Books out loud.
10. Pray together. Earnestly.

Today, over lunch, this was the conversation – totally not prompted by me.

“Mom, do you think we’ll go to the bathroom in heaven?”

“No, we won’t need to because the food we eat in heaven will be perfect and our bodies will absorb everything.”

“Will we sleep in heaven?”

“Well, the Bible says that there is no night in heaven, but when we come back to the new earth after the 1000 years, I think we will have night time.”

“Then, how will we know which day it is?”

“Well, I don’t know, but I do know the Bible tells us that from one Sabbath to the next Sabbath we will come and worship before God, so somehow we’ll know.”

What I love about these conversations so much is that as silly as the questions may sound when repeated here, these questions mean my children believe heaven is a real place where we will live and have fun together! Thank you, Jesus!

What are you doing to prepare your home for eternal life?

When you know better… do better.

If It Were Not So: When you know better… do better.

James 4:17

“Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.” 

I have often told my children, “We did the best we knew to do, and when we knew better we did better.” There have been many changes in our lifestyle that we have made over the last few years. Some were hard changes to make, others were easy. But what remains the same is that we are constantly seeking God’s will for our lives. We live the best we can in the here and now. And we listen… Not to the words of the serpent, whoever so craftily whispers in our ears… But to the Words of God who loved us before time began.

I pray that you will study this with fervent prayer. I hope that you will ask God to really show you the truth.

In the end, it doesn’t matter what our friends think, or what our family thinks. All that will matter is what God thinks. If we follow His Word, how can we go wrong? Malachi 3:6 says, “I am the LORD, I change not.”

If God wrote His law and called His people to keep His holy seventh day Sabbath, why would he change His mind? He would be a liar and we know that is not true! Luke 14:2 says:

“…if it were not so, I would have told you.”

     In the above passage, Jesus was talking about the mansions in heaven and how He would prepare a place for His people. However, I believe that in all matters He would have told us if we were to now do something different.

God has given us everything we need to know in His Holy Word. I am so excited to be able to learn and continue to learn. I cannot get enough of God’s Word. It is our road map for living in this world. One day, we will be in Heaven, singing praises to His name. That will be such a glorious day! I cannot wait for His return!

Deception from the Beginning

If It Were Not So: Deception from the Beginning

Ecclesiastes 9:5

“For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not any thing, neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten.”

     What happens if something we think is true is not true? We open ourselves up to even greater deception in the last days.

     For instance, so many people believe in the “immortal soul.” They believe that when we die, our soul goes “somewhere” – either to heaven or hell or a spiritual world. But the Bible tells us that:

“Who [God] only hath immortality…” 1 Timothy 6:16

“For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.” 1 Corinthians 15:53

     The belief that the soul is immortal was the very first lie that Satan told Eve:

“And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die.” Genesis 3:4

 

     The Bible tells us that the soul can die and be destroyed.

“Behold, all souls are mine… the soul that sinneth, it shall die.” Ezekiel 18:4

“… fear Him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.” Matthew 12:10

     The majority of Christians believe that when they die that their soul will immediately go to heaven. However, the Bible does not support this belief. In fact, the Bible clearly tells us that when you die, you await the second coming of Christ for the first resurrection. We are told throughout the Bible that death is like a sleep.

“For the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first.” 1 Thessalonians 4:16

     It wouldn’t make much sense for God to send “the dead” back to the grave to raise them up at the second coming. If those who had died in Christ were immediately whisked away to heaven, wouldn’t they just stay?

“Wherefore He saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light.”

Ephesians 5:14

“…He saith unto them, Our friend Lazarus sleepeth; but I go, that I may awake him out of sleep. Then said the disciples, Lord, if he sleep, he shall do well. Howbeit Jesus spake of his death: but they thought he had spoken of taking of rest in sleep. Then Jesus said unto them plainly, Lazarus is dead.” John 11:11-14

     When a person dies, their thoughts perish and they cannot praise God.

“For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not anything.” Ecclesiastes 9:5

“The dead praise not the Lord…” Psalm 115:17

     When Lazarus had been in the grave for four days… do you think he had been to heaven? If he had been in heaven, don’t you think he would have said something? People have always wondered what death was like. And if he had been in heaven for four days, it would be a rude awakening to be brought back to the suffering of this world.

The Bible tells us that when Jesus died…

“… the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent; And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose, And came out of the graves after His resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many.”  Matthew 27:51-53

     There is no mention of what heaven was like from any of these saints. However, we are told specifically that these saints arose from their “sleep.”

So, you might wonder, ‘What about the thief on the cross? Didn’t Jesus say he would be with Him in paradise that very day?’ Well, we know that the Bible does not contradict itself, so let’s look at it. The verse reads:

“And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto you, Today you will  be with me in paradise.” Luke 23:43

     The Greek language has no punctuation. So, the scholars who translated the Bible had to insert commas where they felt it was appropriate. If you move the comma over one word, how does it read?

“And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee today, you will be with me in paradise.” Luke 23:43

     The entire meaning of the verse is changed! We also know that Jesus did not go to heaven when he died. Jesus could not have been with the thief in paradise that very day because he spent his time in the grave. The Bible says:

“Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father…” John 20:17

 

     We also know that David, the man after God’s own heart, has not yet been taken to heaven.

 

“Men and brethren, let me freely speak unto you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his sepulcher is with us into this day.” Acts 2:29

“For David is not ascended into the heavens…” Acts 2:34

 

     Isn’t that amazing? I love how clear the Bible is about all things! The mistake people make is that rather than studying the Bible line upon line, precept upon precept, and here a little, there a little they take one or two verses and make assumptions, pulling the meaning of the verse out of context. A person must look at all the verses about a particular subject to gain clarity in the meaning.

If a person believes that the dead in Christ go to heaven immediately, they often also believe that their loved one can “come back” to give them messages. How easily Satan can deceive those who do not understand!

“And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet. For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty. Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame.” Revelation 16:13-15

 

     In the last days it is said that there will be devils working miracles. What would happen to those who believed their dear loved one was in heaven and then they had a “visit” from that person? They would believe whatever that person told them. How easily a person can be deceived! And all because they did not wrestle the Scriptures for the truth!

It is imperative that we protect ourselves from the devil’s deception. We must put on the armor of God.

“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.

 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done  everything, to stand.

 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.

In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.

Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.” Ephesians 6:10-18

Coming in the Clouds

If It Were Not So: Coming in the Clouds

Revelation 1:7

 “Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him.”

 

     The deception of Satan does not end with the change of the Sabbath. Satan has tricked most Christians into believing another lie – the secret rapture.

The rapture has become exceedingly popular in mainstream Christianity and even secular people have heard about it. How frightening to me that men like the authors of the Left Behind books have set the stage for one of Satan’s greatest deceptions. Why will the people be deceived? Because they don’t search the Bible and they do not really seek out God.

“That which is far off, and exceeding deep, who can find it out? I applied mine heart to know, and the reason of things, and to know the wickedness of folly… And I find more bitter than death, the woman whose heart is snares and nets, and her hands as bands: whoso pleaseth God shall escape from her; but the sinner shall be taken by her.”  Ecclesiastes 7:24 -26

     The deep things of God are those which we need to “apply our hearts to know.” True wisdom comes only from our faith in God.

“The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: a good understanding have all they that do his commandments: his praise endureth for ever.”

Psalm 111:10

     The rapture theory actually began a very long time ago. In the 15^th and 16^th centuries there were so many reformers such as Martin Luther crying out that the “church” (Catholic Church) was teaching false doctrines and they began to claim that the church itself was in fact the antichrist spoken of in the book of Revelation. So the Church convened the Council of Trent in the mid 1500’s to explore new methodologies to counter the accusations. There was a priest named Francesco Ribera who published a commentary on the book of Revelation and proposed the idea of “futurism.” He, in fact, took the final “week” in the 70 week prophecy of Daniel and added it to the end of time. Daniel 9:24 – 27:

“Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the Most Holy.

 “Know therefore and understand that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times.

“And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for Himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined.

“And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, and even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.”

 

     In Bible prophecy to figure out the meaning of signs and symbols, you simply want to look to the Bible for answers. We know from Scripture that in prophecy that 1 day = 1 year.

“After the number of the days in which ye searched the land, even forty days, each day for a year, shall ye bear your iniquities, even forty years, and ye shall know my breach of promise.”  Numbers 14:34

“And when thou hast accomplished them, lie again on thy right side, and thou shalt bear the iniquity of the house of Judah forty days: I have appointed thee each day for a year.” Ezekiel 4:6

     Note: This is widely accepted in most Christian denominations. It is also how Rapturists come up with the idea of “7 year tribulation” – by taking the final week (or 7 days) of the 70 week prophecy of Daniel and applying it to to the end times.

So, Ribera, in his commentary, cut off that final week and put it at the end of time to show that the church could not be the antichrist. John Nelson Darby who is considered “the father of the rapture” actually took the idea and used it in his method of Biblical interpretation (dispensationalism). Cyrus Scofield, a disciple of Darby’s, later published a Bible with notes that incorporated the rapture theory and is still one of the most popular Bibles sold today – the Scofield Bible.

 70 weeks = 490 years

      If you look back at the prophecy, you will find nothing that suggests the 70^th week should be cut off from the other 69^th and placed at the end of time. The prophecy begins at the time when the decree goes forth to restore Jerusalem in 457 B.C. (verse 25)

After 69 weeks or 483 years, we find that Jesus was baptized in 27 A.D. and His ministry began. (verse 26)

Note: When crossing the B.C. – A.D. line you must subtract 1 because there is no year 0.

Verse 27 tells us, “he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week (7 years): and in the midst (middle) of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and oblation to cease…” Jesus was crucified (cut off) in the middle of the “week” in 31 A.D. (verse 27) The end of sacrifices was symbolized when the veil of the tabernacle was rent in two. (Mark 15:38)

The secret rapture theory contradicts every depiction of Christ gathering His people found in the Bible. In fact, we are told it will be a loud and magnificent event that every eye shall see. The Bible tells us:

“For the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.” 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17

“But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness, looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of the Lord, werein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat? Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth.” 2 Peter 3:10-13

“Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the desert; go not forth: behold, he is in the secret chambers; believe it not. For as the lightening cometh out of the east, shineth even unto the west; so shall the coming of the son of man be.” Matthew 24: 26, 27

 

     Not only will the second coming of Jesus Christ be a loud and magnificent event, it will be sudden and unexpected by most people. Despite the “gospel going forth” to all nations, people will be caught unawares because they did not listen. Noah preached for 120 years and yet, no one cared, no one believed him when he said, “There will be a great flood!” Imagine their shock, surprise and horror when one drop and then another began to fall from the sky for the first time. Suddenly, I would think, many were woeful that they had not heeded the warnings.

“But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels in heaven, but My Father only. But as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. For in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be… But know this, that if the Goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up. Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.” Matthew 24:36-39,42-44

     Christ warned that we prepare ourselves lest we be surprised. It is so important to understand and keep God’s Word in our hearts. If we are not prepared, if we are not watching for the signs, we will be caught unaware. The secret rapture will never happen. Christ will gather his faithful at the time of the end when the door of probation has closed. 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 tells us that at when Jesus comes in His glory in the clouds and with the host of heaven, that he will gather up those who are dead in Christ first. Only then will the righteous who have remained alive will be gathered up to meet him in the air. The second coming of Jesus will come after the great tribulation.

“Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken: and then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and the shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming with the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And He shall send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.” Matthew 24:29-31

     So many people have been taught that if you don’t go to heaven in the secret rapture that they get a second chance. However if you read every passage in the Bible about the last days and the second coming, you will find no mention of a secret harvest of God’s people or of a second chance after God’s elect have been taken to heaven. The reference to Jesus coming as a thief is simply warning people that he will come when no one is expecting it. Jesus repeatedly warns His people to look for the signs.

“Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh: So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors.”

Matthew 24: 32, 33

“And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring; Men’s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken. And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.”

Luke 21:25-28

“When ye shall hear of wars and commotions, be not terrified: for these things must first come to pass; but the end is not by and by.” Luke 21:9

“Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.” Luke 21:36

“Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee.” Revelation 3:3

     When Jesus returns to take his chosen home, there is no second chance. The judgment has been made.

“Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf. For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?”  1 Peter 4:16, 17

“Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to Him; for the hour of His judgment has come: and worship him that made the heaven, and earth, the sea, and the fountains of waters.” Revelation 14:7

“And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues. For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities… And the kings of the earth, who have committed fornication and lived deliciously with her, shall bewail her, and lament for her, when they shall see the smoke of her burning, Standing afar off for the fear of her torment, saying, Alas, alas that great city of Babylon, that mighty city! For in one hour is thy judgment come.”

Revelation 18:4-10

“Behold, I come quickly: blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book… He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still. And behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.” Revelation 22:7-13

“And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places. And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and rocks of the mountains; and said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of Him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: For the great day of His wrath is come: and who shall be able to stand?”

Revelation 6:14-17

     Christ has warned us to watch and be prepared. In Matthew 24, Jesus goes into great detail about the last days and gives His believers instructions.

“And Jesus said unto them, See ye not all these things? Verily, I say unto you, There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down. And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto Him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? And what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?

And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you. For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.” Matthew 24:2-4

     Today, there are many false christs who claim or have claimed to be the Messiah. Famous instances are David Koresh, Meitriya, Charles Manson, and many others.

“And ye shall hear of wars and rumors of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in diverse places. All these are the beginning of sorrows.” Matthew 24:5-8

     Today, there are literally thousands of wars taking place. Natural disasters are happening with greater frequency and more power than ever before. Disease is rampant and new diseases are occurring at an alarming rate.

What I find so interesting in Jesus instructions to the believers is found in verses 15 through 21:

“When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (speaking of the first siege on Jerusalem or the first sign) whoso readeth, let him understand. Then let them which be in Judea flee into the mountains: Let him which is on the housetop not come down to take his clothes. Neither let him which is in the field return back to take his clothes… but pray that your flight be not in winter, neither on the Sabbath day: For then shall be the great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor shall ever be.” Matthew 24:15-21

     Christ has given us ample warning! The great tribulation is coming and he has warned his followers to pay attention and get out of the city where the turmoil will be terrible. In a city full of unbelievers, Christians will suffer more because the lost will turn against them.

“But before all these, they shall lay their hands on you, and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues, and into prisons, being brought before kings and rulers for My name’s sake… And ye shall be betrayed both by parents, and brethren, and kinsfolk, and friends; and some of you shall they cause to be put to death. And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake. But there shall not a hair of your head perish. In your patience possess ye your souls.” Luke 21:12-19

“And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given unto him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations.” Revelation 13:7

     He will come quickly to take His children home, but the tribulation could last weeks or months. We do not know. However, He goes on to say:

“And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened… And he shall send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.” Matthew 24:22, 31

     The prophecies of the Bible are amazing to say the least! Every time I read them, I am always in awe. God is so faithful to His believers to give us the details so that we are not lost! The Bible is written in a way that only those who are following Him can understand. Those who have no faith, will never be able to understand.

“We speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory… the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them because they are spiritually discerned.” 1 Corinthians 2:7, 14

     For the faithful Christian, the one who studies at Jesus’ feet, God will show the answers.

“Whom shall He teach knowledge? And whom shall He make to understand doctrine? Them that are weaned from the  milk, and drawn from the breasts. For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, there a little…”  Isaiah 28:9, 10

     God is telling us to grow as Christians and not be like babies in our faith. So many churches today focus merely on the “milk” – or the easy stuff. They focus primarily on the “feel good” subjects and don’t even touch the hard stuff. People are sometimes told, “Oh, you don’t want to study Revelation. It is a sealed book.” Or, “No one really knows what the mark of the beast is.”

Instead our pastors should be telling us, “Look for yourself! Don’t trust my word. Go to God’s Word.” We should be seeking out the answers and comparing Scripture to those beliefs we hold in our hearts to be true.

A Forgotten Promise: Part Six

If It Were Not So: A Forgotten Promise – Part Six

Hebrews 8:10

“For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people.” 

The Bible tells us that the earth groaneth in the latter days. (Romans 8:22) Things are bound to get worse. We are nation in war against terrorism and countries that do not value human life. There is likely to be more and more war in the Middle East in the very near future. Iran and Israel are on the verge of war. These days are scary for most people. They wonder what the future holds. I can see it happening more quickly than ever. And there is no time to waste. Jesus will be here soon and we need to be ready. I feel a sense of urgency that we need to be preparing now, more than ever before, for the second coming of Jesus.

“Behold I am coming as a thief. Blessed is he who watches, and keeps his garments, lest he walk naked and they see his shame.” Revelation 16:15

     By changing the day of worship, Satan has succeeded in taking away worship from God. He is thrilled that his plan has worked so well. But there will come a time – very soon – when Satan’s plans will come to an end and He will be cast into the bottomless pit to think over what he has done.

“Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, having the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. He laid hold of the dragon, that serpent of old, who is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years; and he cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal on him, so that he should deceive the nations no more till the thousand years were finished.” Revelation 20:1- 3

 

     The deception is great. You see, Satan masks his evil plan with a veil of Christianity. If he were to come right out and show himself as some sort of wretched monster, everyone would run in the other direction. So, being smart, Satan has used false worship with a Christian look alike to deceive the very elect.

Think about it. It is not the unbelievers who need to be deceived. Unless they have a life changing conversion, Satan already has them where he wants them. They have already been deceived. It is those people who believe in God that Satan wants to deceive. He wants them for his own. The Bible says:

“For there shall arise false christs, and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.”

Matthew 24:24

     Jesus requires us to obey Him. No one who is sincere will be lost. A man who is dying and realizes he has sinned against God and has a repentant heart will be in heaven. Jesus told the thief on the cross:

“Verily, I say unto thee today, shalt thou be with me in paradise.”  Luke 23:43

     However, as we have seen, those who are converted, those who proclaim to love Jesus are to keep His commandments. Unfortunately, not everyone who claims to love God will be in His kingdom. We are told:

“Not everyone that saith unto me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter into the kingdom of Heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and thy name have cast out devils? And in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.” Matthew 7:21- 23

     What is iniquity? In the New Testament “iniquity” means “the condition of one without law,” “lawlessness” (so translated in 1 John 3:4, elsewhere “iniquity,” e.g. Mt 7:23). (Source: bible-history.com)

There will be many who say they are Christians who have never taken the time to seek out God’s will for their life. In the last days there will be a “falling away.”

“Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first.”

1 Thessalonians 2:3

     Jesus told us the following parable:

“The Kingdom of Heaven is like a farmer who planted good seed in his field. But that night as everyone slept, his enemy came and planted weeds among the wheat. When the crop began to grow and produce grain, the weeds also grew.

The farmer’s servants came and told him, ‘Sir, the field where you planted that good seed is full of weeds!’ ‘An enemy has done it!’ the farmer exclaimed. ‘Shall we pull out the weeds?’ they asked.

He replied, ‘No, you’ll hurt the wheat if you do. Let both grow together until the harvest. Then I will tell the harvesters to sort out the weeds and burn them and to put the wheat in the barn.’” Matthew 13:24 – 30 (NLT)

     In the parable above, the wheat, of course, represents God’s true believers. However, they are many “tares” growing along side the wheat! The wheat represents those who are the “remnant” left at the end when Jesus returns to take His people home.

“And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God.” Revelation 12:17

A Forgotten Promise: Part Five

If It Were Not So: A Forgotten Promise – Part Five

Isaiah 66:23

“And it shall come to pass… from one Sabbath to another, all flesh shall come to worship before Me.” 

The seventh argument people use against Sabbath keeping is: “After all these years, haven’t the days of the week been changed? Do we really know which day is the seventh day?”

No, the days of the week have not changed. In fact the days of the week have remained the same throughout history. Since the beginning of time God’s people, including Moses and the Jews, people have been following the weekly cycle and keeping every seventh day holy to God. Our weekly cycle is the same now as it was during Jesus’ life.

     The change of Sabbath worship to Sunday did not happen immediately following Jesus’ death. In fact it was several hundred years before Christians began worshiping on Sunday (the day of the Sun) instead of the seventh day.

As I said before, no where in the Bible can be found a command to change the day of worship to Sunday.  What do different church leaders say about God’s Law?

“We believe that the law of God is the eternal and imperishable rule of His moral government.” Baptist Church Manual

 

“The first four commandments set forth man’s obligations toward God… the fourth commandment sets forth God’s claim on man’s time and thought… Not one of the ten [commandments] is of merely racial significance… The Sabbath was established originally in no special connection with the Hebrews, but as an institution for all mankind, in commemoration of God’s rest after six days of creation. It was designed for all the descendants of Adam.” Adult Quarterly, SBC series, Aug. 15, 1937

 

       Melissa’s Note: Jesus said, “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.”  Matthew 22:37-40

 

“There was and is a commandment to keep holy the Sabbath day, but that Sabbath day was not Sunday… It will be said, however, and with some triumph, that the Sabbath was transferred from the seventh day to the first day of the week… Where can the record of such a transaction be found? Not in the New Testament – absolutely not. There is no Scriptural evidence of the change of the Sabbath institution from the seventh day to the first day of the week.

“To me [it] seems unaccountable that Jesus, during His three years ‘ intercourse with His disciples, often conversing with them upon the Sabbath question… never alluded to any transference of the day; also that during forty days of His resurrection life, no such thing was intimated.

“Of course, I quite well know that Sunday did come into use in early Christian history as a religious day, as we learn from the Christian fathers and other sources. But what a pity that it comes branded with the mark of paganism, and christened with the name of the sun god, when adopted  and sanctioned by the papa; apostasy, and bequeathed as a sacred legacy to Protestanism!” Dr. Edward T. Hiscox, author of the Baptist Manual (still in print) in a paper read before New York ministers’ conference held Nov. 13, 1893.

 

Dwight L. Moody said this, “The Sabbath was binding in Eden, and it has been in force ever since. The fourth commandment begins with the word ‘remember,’ showing that the Sabbath already existed when God wrote the law on the tables of stone at Sinai. How can men claim that this one commandment has been done away when they will admit that the other nine are still binding?” Weighed and Wanting, p. 47

 

“The moral law contained in the Ten Commandments, and enforced by the prophets, He [Christ] did not take away. It was not the design of His coming to revoke any part of this. This is a law which never can be broken…Every part of this law must remain in force upon all mankind and in all ages; as not depending either on time or place, or any other circumstances liable to change, but on the nature of God and the nature of man, and their un­changeable relation to each other.” John Wesley, Sermons on Several Occasions, Vol. I, Sermon XXV.

 

“I wonder exceedingly how it came to be imputed to me that I should reject the law of Ten Commandments…Whosoever abrogates the law must of necessity abrogate sin also.” Martin Luther, Spiritual Antichrist,” pages 71, 72.

 

“We must not imagine that the coming of Christ has freed us from the authority of the law; for it is the eternal rule of a devout and holy life, and must therefore be as unchangeable as the justice of God, which it embraced, is constant and uniform.” John Calvin, Commentary on a Harmony of the Gospels, Vol. 1, page 277.

 

What I don’t understand is that if the leaders of churches knew the law was still in effect, why they didn’t stand up for their beliefs? Preachers every where know that the seventh day is the true Sabbath. And yet, they do not proclaim it to their congregations. One day we noticed the sign outside of a local (Sunday-keeping) Church. It read:

It’s the Ten Commandments,

Not the Ten Suggestions!

 

Again, the Bible says:

“And hereby we do know that we know Him, 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. He that saith he abideth in Him ought himself also so to walk, even as He walked.” 1 John 2:3- 6

     Nearly every denomination admits that the law is still binding. The first annual Ten Commandments Day was on May 7, 2006. Why bother celebrating this day, if you don’t really believe in keeping all ten? When you go to their website www.tencommandmentsday.com and the very first thing you see are these words written in red:

Finally, a day in which we can come together and celebrate  God’s eternal moral law.

     These Christian men and women of the Ten Commandment Commission do not really believe in keeping the fourth commandment. Why not call it “Nine Commandments Day?” And yet they claim that they believe His law is eternal!

I am committed to taking a stand for what I believe. I know without a shadow of a doubt that the Bible is true – every bit of it. I know that God does not change and that His holy law is eternal. We will worship on the Sabbath in heaven!

“And it shall come to pass… from one Sabbath to another, all flesh shall come to worship before Me.” Isaiah 66:23

     There is coming a day when the whole world will look with wonder at the antichrist – when the deceived will worship him. I know from Scripture that God’s people in the last days will be a commandment keeping people. I want to be a part of those people. I want my loved ones to be a part of those people as well. There may come a day when we cannot contact one another – that we are cut off. I want to know that my family is making the right decision.

I have noticed an alarming trend. There are more and more books coming out just in the last few years about keeping Sunday as a day of rest. You may have seen these books in you local Christian book store. Titles such as The Rest of God: Restoring Your Soul by Restoring Sabbath and Sabbath Keeping: Finding Freedom in the Rhythms of Rest.

     These books are encouraging people to keep the Sabbath rest on Sunday. These authors are deceiving Christians into believing that Sunday is an important day of rest and worship when the Bible clearly says that the day of rest and worship is the seventh day.

The book synopsis of Sabbath Keeping: Finding Freedom in the Rhythms of Rest says this:

While Sabbath-keeping is commanded in the Bible, God intends it as a reminder of freedom and abundant life. Baab suggests that Christians customize their Sabbath: All are called to cease from work, but one person’s work could be another person’s play. (Baab also says the Sabbath may involve freedom from multitasking, technology, media, shopping, competition, talking and anxiety.) Also, she says, the day for the observance does not matter, as long as it is consistent. Baab covers the scriptural reasons for Sabbath observance, but the best sections of this work deal with the personal and the practical. Her account of living (and keeping the Sabbath) in Iran, Israel and the United States instructs and fascinates. One particularly helpful chapter about creating a Sabbath celebration offers tips about making the day special. Winsome, passionate and persuasive, this will convince many Christians of the continuing relevance of the Fourth Commandment.

Do you really want to follow man and not God? That is the prominent question in my own mind. I mean, who is this author to say it does not matter what you do, when you do it, or how you do it, when the Bible says something entirely different? God didn’t just say ‘Do not work on the Sabbath.’ Certainly one persons work is another person’s play; however, God said, “Remember the Sabbath, to keep it holy.” I would hardly think that going shopping if that relaxes you or renovating the house because you enjoy it is really keeping the Sabbath holy. Rather, it is doing ones own pleasure on the Sabbath day, which God asks us not to do.

“…turn away… from doing thy pleasure on My holy day…” Isaiah 58:13

     God did not say, ‘Pick a day to worship me – whenever it is convenient for you.’ No, He said, ‘The seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God.’

This does not mean you can’t have fun on the Sabbath or enjoy the day. It is lawful to do well on the Sabbath. There are so many things to do on the Sabbath – it would take weeks to do them all! Our favorite things to do on the Sabbath are going to church, fellowshipping with other Sabbath keepers, taking walks, going to the park for a picnic, or visiting people in our community. On Friday evening or even as the Sabbath comes to a close, one of my favorite events is Vespers. It is so wonderful to come together with other believers to welcome or close the Sabbath with songs and prayer and devotion. Not to mention the food and fellowship. What a blessing! The Sabbath should be a celebration of time with our Creator. The foundation is being laid for Christians to accept that Sunday is the day of worship and be deceived in the last days.

Come back tomorrow for Part Six of A Forgotten Promise, part of the If It Were Not So… Series.

A Forgotten Promise: Part Four

If It Were Not So: A Forgotten Promise – Part Four

1 Peter 2:21

“Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow in his footsteps.” 

The sixth argument I often here is, “My family has always gone to _____ church and they were good people. I don’t need to change.” Or as the wife of our local Baptist preacher said, “We don’t need any more truth.”      And yet, the Bible tells us that:

“Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.” James 4:17

     In other words, there are a lot of well meaning people who really don’t know any better. It is not sin for them, because they have not been shown any different. But for those who have been shown the truth, once they refuse to accept it, they are now committing a sin. It is so hard to change old habits. I have seen so many people who don’t want to change churches simply because all the people they love go there. Jesus never said that following in His footsteps would be easy. However, the Bible says:

“Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow in his footsteps.” 1 Peter 2:21

“I am the way, the truth, the life…” John 14:6

“Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.”

Matthew 7:14

     Jesus was also emphatic that we not hold to the traditions of men that we forsake the commandments of God:

“Their worship is a farce, for they replace God’s commands with their own man-made teachings.” Matthew 15:9 (NLT)

     If we reject God’s truth when he shows it to us, we are in danger of believing a lie. The Bible says:

“…because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause God shall send them a strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: that they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.” 2 Thessalonians 2:11

 

     Satan is not happy when we worship God – he wants that worship. The fourth commandment is about worshiping our Creator. So, Satan has done all that he can to ensure that Christians are mistaken about the day of worship. Speaking of the beast of Revelation 13:

“He shall… think to change the times and the law.” Daniel 7:25

     What frightens me the most about this world deception is that while there is time now to follow God’s commandments, there will come a day when it will be too late to follow the right path. We know how much Satan wants to deceive each and every Christian. The Bible tells us:

“There shall arise a false christs, and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders in so much that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.”

Matthew 24:24

     Satan is waiting to deceive God’s chosen people! You cannot fully understand Bible prophecy if you do not understand the Sabbath or keep all of God’s commandments. Once you understand that all Satan really wants is to take away the worship of God, the books of Daniel and Revelation suddenly become so simple to understand! The fourth commandment is the only commandment that requires us to worship our Creator. Satan desires our worship. Speaking of Lucifer, the Bible tells us that:

“For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the Most High.” Isaiah 14:13

 

    Come back tomorrow for Part Five of A Forgotten Promise, part of the If It Were Not So… Series.

A Forgotten Promise: Part Three

If It Were Not So: A Forgotten Promise – Part Three

Hebrews 8:10

“For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people.” 

The fifth argument that people will use to justify Sunday-keeping instead of Sabbath keeping is that Jesus was raised from the dead on Sunday and this is why Sunday is now called “The Lord’s Day.” This argument is meant to suggest that by going to church on Sunday, Christians are remembering the resurrection.

This sounds nice on the surface. After all, what Jesus did on the cross that day was the single most important event in history. Yet, NO WHERE in the Bible did Jesus ever even hint that after his death and resurrection that we as Christians were to change the day of worship to Sunday in memory of his resurrection. You cannot find a single instance that Jesus ever went to church on a Sunday.

As Christians, we are not called to “keep a day” as a symbol of His death and resurrection. Rather, we are called to be baptized.

“Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead.” Colossians 2:12

 

     So, you say, “Jesus was Jewish.” And I ask, “Does that really matter?” Jesus kept the Sabbath each week of his entire life here on earth. The Sabbath was not given to the Jewish people alone. It was made for all mankind. The Sabbath day was sanctified on the seventh day of Creation.

“And he said unto them, The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath.” Mark 2:27

“And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made.” Genesis 2:3

“And he said unto them, This is that which the LORD hath said, To morrow is the rest of the holy Sabbath unto the LORD: bake that which ye will bake to day, and seethe that ye will seethe; and that which remaineth over lay up for you to be kept until the morning.” Exodus 16:23

 

     Jesus showed people what it really meant to keep the Sabbath. He showed us that keeping the Sabbath was not about keeping the letter of the law (as in do not spit on the Sabbath because you will be watering the plants), but that it was about worshiping God and doing good.

“For it is lawfull to do good on the Sabbath.”

Matthew 12:12

     He went out of his way to heal on the Sabbath. The rulers had made the Sabbath such a burden that no one was able to “call the Sabbath a delight.” Jesus showed us that we should delight in His holy day.

The Bible tells us that the Lord’s day is in fact, the Sabbath or the seventh day:

“For the Son of man is Lord even of the Sabbath day.” Matthew 12:8

“But the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God.” Exodus 20: 10

     The Sabbath was given to us as a sign that God is our Creator. It is a reminder of the Creation and our Redeemer. The weekly cycle is the only part of our calendar that is not ruled by the seasons or by the lunar phases. This is because the weekly cycle was created by God.

“Moreover, I gave them my Sabbaths, to be a sign between me and them, that they might know that I am the Lord that sanctify them.” Ezekiel 20:12

     Early believers, including the Gentiles, continued to worship on the Sabbath. In fact, Matthew 24 is a dual prophecy where Jesus spoke of the fall of Jerusalem 40 years later and of the end of days saying:

“And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come… And pray that your flight may not be in winter or on the Sabbath.” Matthew 24: 20

     He expected His followers to be keeping the Sabbath 40 years after His resurrection!

He expected Believers to be keeping His holy Sabbath during the last days of tribulation. He knew how hard it can be to keep the Sabbath holy if you are on the run. But God’s people will be keeping the Sabbath and all of God’s commandments in the last days.  In fact, Revelation tells us:

“Here is the patience of the saints; here are those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus.” Revelation 14:12

“And the dragon (the devil) was wroth with the woman (the true church) and went to make war with the remnant  of her seed, which keep the commandments of God.” Revelation 12:17

“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.” Revelation 22:14

     Come back tomorrow for Part Four of A Forgotten Promise, part of the If It Were Not So… Series.

A Forgotten Promise: Part Two

If It Were Not So: A Forgotten Promise – Part Two

John 14:15

 “If you love me, keep my commandments.”

The second argument that people will site for not keeping the Sabbath is that keeping the Sabbath is legalistic and no one can “work their way to heaven” so it doesn’t really matter which day we go to church.

I agree that no can work their way to heaven. The only thing that makes us righteous before God is Jesus’ blood covering our sins. HE is the way, the truth, and the life. Jesus is the only way.

Our belief in Him, our relationship with Him, is all that can ultimately save us from eternal death. However just because we are saved by grace does not give us license to break God’s holy law. One would never say it was okay to kill or steal or commit adultery, so why would anyone say it is okay to break God’s fourth commandment?

What did Jesus say? The Bible says:

 “If you love me, keep my commandments.” John 14:15

 “He who says, ‘I know him,’ and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.”

1 John 2:4

 

     And that is not all the Bible says about commandment keeping. God never changes and so,  He promises:

 “If you turn away your foot from the Sabbath, from doing your pleasure on My holy day, and call the Sabbath a delight, the holy day of the Lord honorable, and shall honor Him, not doing your own ways, nor finding you own pleasure, nor speaking your own words, then you shall delight yourself in the Lord; and I will cause you to ride on the high hills of the earth, and feed you with the heritage of Jacob your father.”

Isaiah 58:13,14

     The third argument that people use when trying to justify not keeping the Sabbath is that Jesus’ death on the cross did away with the law. When Jesus died, he did do away with the ceremonial laws such as sacrificing an unblemished lamb. The reason these laws were done away with is because they each pointed to Jesus. Once Jesus had died for our sins we no longer needed to transfer our sins to a sacrificial lamb because our sins were now transferred to Christ Himself.

God’s holy law, the Ten Commandments, have always been and always will be. His holy law is eternal, never changing. The Bible tells us:

“Do not think that I came to destroy the law.”

 Matthew 5:17

“It is easier for heaven and earth to pass, than one tittle of the law to fail.” Luke 16:17

“Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.” Ecclesiastes 12:13

“For sin shall not have dominion over you: for you are not under the law, but under grace. What then? Shall we sin (break the law) because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid.” Romans 6:14, 15

“Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea we establish the law.” Romans 3:31

“For I am the LORD, I change not…” Malachi 3:6

     Would God really change His mind about the Sabbath? Would He change His mind… and then forget to mention it in His Word?

As believers we have an even higher standard to meet. We, as Christ’s followers are to be the shining example in a world that is sinful. We have a great responsibility to uphold the law of God.

It’s like this: Let’s say you are driving along, over the speed limit, and a police officer pulls you over. You know you did wrong and you tell the officer you are sorry. He forgives you and rather than issue a ticket warns you not to speed again. Are you going to pull back out on the road and speed off? Or are you going to obey the speed limit? You are now under the officer’s grace, and you are thankful so you obey the law. The law is still there. You still have broken the law, but you were forgiven.

Christians have a double obligation to keep God’s law! We are to be an example of holy living to the rest of the world.

     The fourth argument people use to say that we do not need to keep the fourth commandment is that as sinners it is impossible to keep God’s law so why try. This is a little ridiculous because if you asked someone if it was possible to not kill or not steal or not commit adultery they would say, “Yes!” You see, no one has a problem with the 1^st commandment or the 10^th commandment or any of the ones in between except the fourth.

No one is perfect. In fact everyone born since the time of Adam and Eve has been born a sinner. The book of Romans tells us that “all have fallen short.” So we all are in need of a Savior.

Since we are all sinners, does that mean we cannot keep the law or should not do our best to keep God’s law? As believers it seems to me that we should do everything we can to keep God’s law and when we fall short we should repent and do our best to do better in the future. The Bible says:

“If you love me, keep my commandments.” John 14:15

“For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome.” 1 John 5:3

“I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts.” Hebrews 8:10

“I can do all things through Christ.” Philippians 4:13

“Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God.” Revelation 14:12

 

What is so wonderful about having a relationship with Jesus is that it causes us to desire His will. We want to obey Him. Keeping God’s law to the best of our ability is something we do because of the awesome gift He gave to us. Jesus died a horrible death – for me! The least I can do is do what he asks of me as best as I can.

By keeping God’s law, we are showing the world our faith.  By obeying God we are demonstrating our faith. The Bible tells us that:

“But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead? Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar? Do you see that faith was working together with his works, and by works faith was made perfect? And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, ‘Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.’ And he was called the friend of God. You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only.” James 2:20- 24

     I find the above passage amazing. As Christians we have an obligation to do more than simply believe there is a God or that Jesus died so that I might have eternal life. For even Satan knows what Jesus has done. Satan does not have the will to obey God’s law – that is why he fell in the first place.

“Do you still think it’s enough just to believe that there is one God? Well, even the demons believe this, and they tremble in terror! Fool! When will you ever learn that a faith that does not result in good deeds is useless?”

James 2:19-20 (NLT)

Come back tomorrow for Part Three of A Forgotten Promise, part of the If It Were Not So… Series.

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