REMEMBER SABBATH DAY TO KEEP IT HOLY…. PART I

For some time, the Christian world has observed two different days of worship. Most Christians sincerely observe Sunday, the first day of the week, which they believe is the correct day as it is the memorial of Christ’s resurrection.

On the other hand, a smaller group including the Jewish community, where Jesus Christ was born, and equally sincere Christians believe that the Bible recognises only the seventh day (Saturday) as the true Sabbath and nowhere affirms the sanctity of Sunday. Many people say, “Does it really matter which day we observe as the Sabbath as long as we worship the same God?” Some even say any day is just as good.  Are you sure we are all worshiping the same God of order, who designed the DNA of all living things? Matthew 7:13-14 says: “Enter through the narrow gate” which implies there is another gate to another place.  

As sincere Christians who want to know the truth, we must always ask ourselves: “What matters to Jesus? What does Jesus want us to do?” After all, we want the assurance of following the biblical truth and obeying God’s instruction and he says: “This is the way, walk in it” (Isaiah 30:21).  The other fighting reality is that we are dealing with a very cunning adversary the devil who will stop at nothing to deceive the whole Christian world for his gain. In Genesis 3:1 the bible reads: “Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made”.

In the last days, the greatest battle for the soul will be about control and worship. How we worship determines who we worship.  Matthew 24:11 says: “Many false prophets shall rise and shall deceive many.” Daniel 7:25 says “ he shall speak great words against the highest (God), and shall wear out the saints of the highest (God), and think to change times and laws.” Wear out or tire Gods people such that they stop questioning and seeking the truth. Time and laws have been changed, just like the bible predicted.

The questions we must ask
In deciding about God’s true Day of worship, several important questions need to be asked and answered: 1) “Which is the actual Seventh day of the week?”, 2) “Who changed the Sabbath from Saturday, the seventh day of the week, to Sunday, the first day of the week? 3) Did the Bible authorise such a change? If so, did God, Christ, or perhaps the apostles make the change?

Which is the seventh day of the week?
 For many Christians who don’t know church history or don’t read the bible carefully this question might be asked for the first time. Most calendars have not changed the format still stating Saturday as the seventh day and Sunday as the first day but some have changed. However, biblically the true Sabbath is placed on Saturday and has never been changed. Jesus Was Crucified on the Day of Preparation (Friday). John also mentions that Jesus was crucified on ‘the day of Preparation’ (John 19:31), that is, the Friday before the Sabbath (Saturday) of the Passover week (Mark 15:42). We all remember Easter Friday, and many go to their churches to remember the death of Christ on Friday at 3pm but chose to forget the following day is Sabbath. Then God says; remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy.

Who changed the Sabbath to Sunday?
 This is what God says in his commandments: “Remember the Sabbath day, Saturday, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labour and do all your work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God. In it, you shall do no work. For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore, the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it” (Exodus 20:8-11).

Did Jesus change the Sabbath?
 No. This is what Jesus Christ himself says “Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfil. For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one title will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled. Whoever, therefore, breaks one of the least of the 10 commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the Kingdom of  Heaven; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the Kingdom of Heaven” (Matthew 5:17-19).

The disciples did not change to Sunday
Did you know that all the disciples of Jesus kept going to their synagogue (Church) on Saturday Sabbath until they were all killed one by one including John the Revelator? The same John who wrote the book of Revelation while blind having had his eyes taken out and left to die on the island of Patmos, but kept worshiping on Saturday Sabbath, not Sunday. Apostol Pual who met Jesus on the road to Damascus and was blinded for a while and later wrote most of the books in the bible also went to church on Saturday as was his custom. Surely Jesus would have whispered to the Apostol Pual to change to Sunday. Acts 18:4: Paul reasoned in the synagogue every Saturday Sabbath, and persuaded both Jews and Greeks.  Three hundred years after the death of Christ all early Christians observed Saturday as the true day of worship, the true Biblical Sabbath.

Who changed the Sabbath? (next week part 2)
The change happened in Rome after years of Christian persecution by the Roman Empire, which worshipped many gods. The Roman Emperor Constantine I issued a civil decree on March 7, 321 that made Sunday a day of rest from labour and the beginning of Sunday worship as we all know it today. Next week we will give you the full details of how this was done. The idea is to simply make informed Christians who will worship God in truth and spirit. This knowledge will not necessarily make one a more holy Christian but an informed Christian who understands scripture and knows church history. This Christian cannot be easily deceived. Particularly because great deceptions are coming.
Comment at septembereswatini@gmail.com

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