What is this Sunday Law agitation all about?

Who should we believe?

What should we believe?

1) We can follow the idea that a national Sunday law is just a hoax.
2) We can follow the idea that a national Sunday law is a fact.
3) We can follow the idea to suspend judgment until more is known.

Some may have concluded that this matter of an approaching Sunday Law is utter foolishness so we shall try to update these pages on new developments - especially what people in Europe say about it.

They may say that the idea of a Catholic/Ecumenical conspiracy to coerce the U.S. Congress to enact a National Sunday Law would be totally impossible for years to come. Yet, even now, signs are growing that stringent Sunday laws are imminent. First they get people used to no businesses open on Easter Sunday, than on all Sundays (Germany), then Sunday church going laws. Don't do it. It is better to obey the Lord than to receive the mark of the beast. They are flexing their muscles on issues like home schooling.

Yet both the Bible and Prophecy have predicted that this is exactly what is going to take place! The working out of religious and secular events, combined with natural disasters, clearly indicate that we are living at the end - and that such a law is imminent. [GC 433-450, 563-592, 603-612.]

The website www.one.org/us/onesabbath/ {they have security settings} is eagerly arranging and working with several well known clergy for the false Sabbath to be promoted and kept in America. They will succeed.

Pope Benedict's speech before the UN contained some veiled language. He said that the RCC "makes its contribution according to the dispositions of international law," as it "helps to define that law, and makes appeal to it, promoting peace and good will throughout the earth." [Speech of the Pope before the UN, Friday, April 18, 2008.]

What does it mean? He is saying that the Vatican will be involved in law making, internationally, that means he will ignore the separation of church and state, and influence all nations to see things his way. It means to say, when he "contributes", he contributes `Canon Law' to get his way every time. When he says, that this will help to bring "peace and good will throughout the earth," he is saying it will deal with those who disagree with his interpretation of the Bible, that those will be dealt with according to what he "contributed" to then internationally enforced Canon Law. It means he will act the part Revelation ascribes to his rule on earth and make things difficult for people whose conscience is bound to God's Word, vs the Vatican's word.

The Pope calls for a `God centered' global economy

July 7, 2009

This is the 3rd encyclical `Caritas in Veritate (Cherity in Truth)' released as the rich leaders of the world meet in Italy. The Pope says such an authoritative approach is urgently needed to end the current worldwide financial crisis (which his office started up in the first place). The encyclical, a major teaching, is a theologically dense explication of RCC social teaching that draws heavily on actions in this area by former popes, especially by Paul VI's critique of capitalism 42 years ago and John Paul II's words, "every economic decision has a moral consequence," echoed by the current pope.

The encyclical also echoes the pope's many speeches, saying that to reach a sound global economy every responsibility and commitment must be rooted in the values of Christian truth.

Without that, he says, "there is no social conscience and responsibility." Neither, he says, are mere "good sentiments" enough. Human progress requires God, and today's choices concern "nothing less than the destiny of man."

Although the pope says the church has no "technical solutions to offer," he asserts that religion has a role in the public square. His very specific suggestions on the economy, ecology and justice are addressed not just to Catholics, but to everyone, from heads of state to household shoppers.

Other commentators noted the "strong language here on the redistribution of wealth — not something people like to talk about in the USA. If the Catholic right is against the redistribution of wealth, they're against the pope. He doesn't believe an unregulated marketplace is going to solve all the problems of economy and poverty."

Whenever the head of the RCC speaks of "religion"or at other times, when he speaks of "with the Lord's grace - and only with it - can we ever have a new hope that the future will be better than the past," we know it means the religion of the mother church and her daughters (Rev. 17:1-5), and the "grace" which is grace only for those who belong to this mother/daughter world wide body.

Things appear to be very poised
Looking at the world as we enter August, 2010, things seem very poised. The hatred of the supposedly Sabbath keeping Jewish nation is at an all time high. The giant oil spills appear to be used to put together new emergency legislations. The Arizona border controversy, illustrates how the Roman power fans the pro-migration instincts of the Catholics in governments and among the people. These issues were written about especially also in 1952 in the 'Exsul Familia,' of Pope Pius XII.

Most of you probably already know that the German High Court has confirmed a 1919 Sunday closing type law to be enforced by 2010. It appears all other member states of the EU will follow suite. They appear to test the waters for now to see what kinds of situations come up. Their goal is full enforcement and control. They will succeed for a while, then they will wish they hadn't.

For Your Information
In international standard ISO-8601 the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) has decreed that Monday shall be the first day of the week. [See website.] How to evaluate this as to urgency at this time is not quite clear.

Sunday legislation agitation reoccurs ever so often. According to the cnn.com Law Center, July 1, 2004, "Penalties include a fine of up to $500 for each offence."

Virginia's Department of Labor and Industry asked state Attorney General Jerry Kilgore whether the law could be interpreted on its intent -- not the outcome. The answer was: `Probably not.'

Democratic Gov. Mark Warner, who signed the bill into law, said he would support legislation in the January session that would fix the bill retroactively.

But Kilgore spokesman Tim Murtaugh said that solution will not work either because the attorney general would essentially be asked not to enforce a law.

Attorney Gregory B. Robertson said he is advising his corporate clients to abide by the law unless there is any change. He said they should prepare to honor all written requests from employees who want off Sunday or Saturday as a rest day.

This "accidental" "Day of Rest" law is not forcing employees to honor it, but is forcing employers to honor it. The wicked powers do things very nicely in a way, most would not expect. The Constitution says, "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof." The article uses the word "Sabbath" in describing what this law is "respecting" with a penalty of "a fine of up to $500 for each offence." What kind of "radical changes in American Society" must come before such an "accidental" law as this can fool millions of people, and help lead to the Sunday law that God says is coming?

How long will it take? The prophet of God cries out, "While the Protestant world is making concessions to Rome, and danger is increasing on every hand, let us arouse to comprehend the situation, and to see the contest before us in its true bearings. .. Are we ready for the issue involved in the Sunday movement? Any movement in favor of religious legislation is really and act of concession to the Papacy, which for so many ages has steadily warred against liberty of conscience. When our nation shall so abjure the principles of its government as to enact a Sunday law, Protestantism will in this act join hands with the Papacy; it will be giving life to the tyranny which has long been eagerly watching for its opportunity to spring into active despotism." The universal Sunday law fulfills the words where it says, "The hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth." Rev. 3:10.

Therefore, wake up America. Lift up your voice and give the clear message of God for this time, for if the trumpet gives an uncertain sound, who shall prepare himself for this spiritual battle? . . . A great crisis awaits the people of God. A great crisis awaits the world. The most momentous struggle of the ages is before us.

Swiss Sunday Rest Law of 1947 and changes by 2003

"The Sunday law mirrors the societies circumstances as they existed in 1947. So it was not permitted on public days of rest to do the following: a) To go out hunting
b) To engage in professional and profitable fishing,
c) To engage in profitable collection of berries
d) To engage in prize-fighting
e) To move on that day to a new house
f) Expositions of all types
g) Singing and shooting
h) Exercises and inspections of the fire department
i) shooting and gymnastic events and training for them
j) playing of cards, bowling, javelin street jousting, etc.

Later these explicit restrictions were discontinued and instead a more flexible form of law adopted which states, that the following is not permitted:

a) On public holidays (church holy days) it is not permitted to disturb the rest which would spoil the character which the particular day of rest deserves.
b) The appointed Directorate can issue exceptions if a need is proven and the majority interests of rest are not affected.

Punishment could include arrest or a fine of 5000 Swiss francs, (Art. 9).

The government of Croatia was pressured to pass a Sunday law which will take effect January 2009.

During the papal visit in Sidney, Australia, the current pontiff attracted some 500,000 people, `the world wondering.' One of the upshots of the visit for the occasion of a Catholic World Youth Day, was that a `Thou shalt not annoy on Youth Day' law was passed which allowed police to arrest and fine people $5,500. - Civil libertarians had never such a law before. In comparison, if someone flashes obscenely a World Youth Day participant they could be fined $1,100, if they were a T-shirt with an anti-Catholic slogan, the fine is $5,500. But really the law was broader and could get even people in trouble who would happen to stand near someone with such a T-shirt. If such T-shirts even existed is not known at this time.

Such a law was also passed during the WYD in New South Wales in 2006.

So, here we see a government protecting the rights of one religion over all others. Not only that, Australia also paid more than half the 150 million dollar bill, to the tune of 86 million dollar, claiming that this religious event would generate 200 million dollar for the local economy. Who are they trying to fool with such arguments? It should be obvious that you cannot violate a fundamental constitutional principle for the sake of helping the economy. The constitution doesn't really mean anything if you violate it for these kinds of reasons. The Australian WYD was also the occasion for the pontiff reviving medieval indulgences, only this time in Australia, and no Martin Luther stood up and spoke out against it. These WYD are designed to get young people to become nuns (God forbid) and priests (God forbid). The main sponsors were Coca Cola, Mercedes-Benz, Quantas Airline, Telstra Telecommunications, The Daily Telegraph, Avis, Sanitarium and 15 others. The company called `Sanitarium' in Australia owns the `Sanitarium Health Food Company'. They, "in a small ecumenical gesture provided `Weetbix' for the pilgrims' breakfasts."
[http://www.ethics.org.au/ethics_forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=3196]

I "When was this change made? The RCC declares, `Perhaps the boldest thing, the most revolutionary change the church ever did happened in the 1st cent. The holy day, the Sabbath, was changed from Saturday to Sunday. The day of the Lord was chosen, not from any direction noted in the scriptures, but from the churches sense of its own power. People who think that the scriptures should be the sole authority, should logically keep Saturday holy.'" [St. Catherine Church Sentinel, Albanick?, MI, May 21, 1995.]

II "Some theologians have held that God likewise directly determined Sunday as the new day of worship in the new law. That He Himself had explicitly substituted the Sunday for the Sabbath. But this theory is now entirely abandoned. It is now commonly held that God simply gave His church the power to set aside whatever day or days she would deem suitable as holy day. The church chose Sunday, the first day of the week, and in the course of time added other days as holy days." [John Lock, A Course in religion from Catholic High Schools and Academies, Ed. 1936, Vol. I, p. 51.]

III "The Cath. church for over 1000 years before the existence of a Protestant, by virtue of her divine mission, changed the day from Saturday to Sunday. The Protestant world, at its birth, found the Christian Sabbath too strongly entrenched to run counter to its existence, it was therefore placed under the necessity of acquiescing in the arrangement, thus implying the Cath. Church's right to change the day for over 300 years. The Christian Sabbath is therefore to this day the acknowledged offspring of the Catholic Church as the spouse of the Holy Ghost without a word of remonstrance from the Protestant world." [James Cardinal Gibbons, `The Catholic Year, Sept 23, 1893. ]

IV "The authority of the church could therefore not be bound to the authority of the scriptures, because the church had changed the Sabbath into Sunday, not by the command of Christ, but by its own authority." [`Canon and Tradition,' p. 263.]

V `To Tell You The Truth' - "For example, no where in the Bible do we find that Christ of the apostles ordered that the Sabbath be changed from Saturday to Sunday. We have the commandment of God given to Moses `Keep holy the Sabbath day,' - that is, the 7th day of the week - Saturday. Today, most Christians keep Sunday because it has been revealed to us by the RCC outside the Bible." [`The Catholic Virginian, Oct 3, 1947, p. 9.]

VI "They (the Protestants) deem it their duty to keep the Sunday holy. Why? Because the Cath. Church tells them to do so. They have no other reason. The observance of Sunday thus claims to be an ecclesiastical law entirely distinct from the divine law of Sabbath observance. The author of the Sunday law is the Cath. Church." [`The Ecclesiastical Review,' Febr 1914.]

VII "It is well to remind the Presbyterians, Baptists, Methodists and all other Christians, that the Bible does not support them anywhere in their observance of Sunday. Sunday is an institution of the RCC and those who observe the day, observe a commandment of the Cath. Church." [`The News,' Elizabeth, N.J., March 18, 1903.]

VIII "It was the Cath. Church which has transferred this rest to Sunday in remembrance of the resurrection of our Lord. Therefore, the observance of Sunday by the Protestants is an homage they pay, in spite of themselves, to the authority of the Cath. Church." [Monsignor Louis Figure, `Plain Talk about Protestantism of Today,' p. 213.]
The Bible gives no hint that God transferred the sanctity of His holy day to resurrection day. That day is only to be preached about often to lead people to Jesus Christ. It is not a day to be kept `holy' every week.

IX "Protestants accept Sunday rather then Saturday as the day for public worship after the Cath. Church made the change. In observing the Sunday they are accepting the authority of the spokesman for the church, the pope." [`Our Sunday Visitor,' Febr. 5, 1950. ]

X "I have repeatedly offered one thousand dollars to anyone who can proof to me from the Bible alone that I am bound to keep Sunday holy. There is no such law in the Bible, it is a law of the holy Cath. Church alone. The Bible says, `Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy.' The Cath. Church says, `No! By my divine power I abolish the Sabbath day and command you to keep holy the 1st day of the week. And lo, the entire civilized world bows down in reverend obedience to the command of the Holy Cath. Church." [Father T. Enright, Redemptory College, Kansas City, `A Lecture at Hartford, KS, Feb. 18, 1884. In `History of the Sabbath,' p. 802.]

The bill propsed by Senator Blair reads as follows:

"In the Senate of the United States, May 21, 1888, Mr. Blair introduced the following bill, which was read twice, and referred to the Committee on Education and Labor:

`A bill to secure to the people the enjoyment of the first day of the week, commonly known as the Lord's day, as a day of rest, and to promote its observance as a day of religious worship.'
`Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled. That no person, or corporation, or the agent, servant, or employee of any person or corporation, shall perform or authorize to be performed any secular work, labor, or business, to the disturbance of others, works of necessity, mercy, and humanity excepted; nor shall any person engage in any play, game, or amusement, or recreation, to the disturbance of others, on the first day, or during nay part thereof, in any territory, district, vessel, or place subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the United States; nor shall it be lawful for any person or corporation to receive pay for labor or service performed or rendered in violation of this section.'
`Sec. 2. That no mails or mail matter shall hereafter be transported in time of peace over any land postal route, nor shall any mail matter be collected, assorted, handled, or delivered during any part of the first day of the week: Provided, That whenever any letter shall relate to a work of necessity or mercy, or shall concern the health, life, or decease of any person, and the fact shall be plainly stated upon the face of the envelope containing the same, the postmaster-general shall provide for the transportation of such letter.
"Sec. 3. That the prosecution of commerce between the State and with the Indian tribes, the same not being of necessity, mercy, or humanity, by the transportation of persons or property by land or water in such way as to interfere with or disturb the people in the employment of the first day of the week, or any portion thereof, as a day of rest from labor, the same not being labor of necessity, mercy, or humanity, or its observance as a day of religious worship, is hereby prohibited; and any person or corporation, or the agent or employee of any person or corporation, or the agent or employee of any person or corporation, who shall willfully violate this section, shall be punished by a fine of not less than ten nor more than one thousand dollars, and no service performed in the prosecution of such prohibited commerce shall be lawful, nor shall any compensation be recoverable or be paid for the same.
"Sec. 4. That all military and naval drills, musters, and parades, not in time of active service or immediate preparation therefor, of soldiers, sailors, marines, or cadets of the United States, on the first day of the week, except assemblies for the due and orderly observance of religious worship, are hereby prohibited, nor shall any unnecessary labor be performed or permitted in the military or naval service of the United States on the Lord's day.
"Sec. 5. That it shall be unlawful to pay or to receive payment or wages in any manner for service rendered, or for labor performed, or for the transportation of persons or of property in violation of the provisions of this act, nor shall any action lie for the recovery thereof, and when so paid, whether in advance or otherwise, the same may be recovered back by whoever shall first sue for the same.
"Sec. 6. That labor or service performed and rendered on the first day of the week in consequence of accident, disaster, or unavoidable delays in making the regular connections upon postal routes and routes of travel and transportation, the preservation of perishable and exposed property, and the regular and necessary transportation and delivery of articles of food in condition for healthy use, and such transportation for short distances from one State, district, or Territory, into another State, district, or Territory as by local laws shall be declared to be necessary for the public good, shall not be deemed violations of this act, but the same shall be construed, so far as possible, to secure to the people rest from toil during the first day of the week, their mental and moral culture, and the religious observance of the Sabbath day."

Rev. A.H. Lewis, D. D., representative of the Seventh-day Baptists, had spoken, and asked that a section be added to the bill granting exemption to observers of the Seventh day; but in answering the questions that were asked by the Chairman, Mr. Lewis compromised his position, and was followed soon after by Dr. Herrick Johnson, of Chicago, who remarked that Dr. Lewis had "given his whole case away." This is what is referred to in my (A.T. Jones') introductory remarks to the effect that we did not intend to "give our case away." A.T. Jones.
[The whole procedure on how this Blair bill was defeated, thank God, by the testimony of A.T. Jones is described in the actual minutes recorded in his book, `The National Sunday Law', Argument of Alonzo T. Jones before the United States Senate Committee on Education and Labor; Washington, D.C., Thursday, Dec. 13, 1888. Anyone wondering how important it is to keep church and state separate ought to read this book]

". . . Christ says, "But I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the day of judgment, than for you. And thou, Capernaum [Seventh-day Adventists, who have had great light], which art exalted unto heaven [in point of privilege], shalt be brought down to hell: for if the mighty works, which have been done in thee, had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. But I say unto you, That it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment, than for thee." At that time Jesus answered and said, "I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent [in their own estimation], and hast revealed them unto babes." {Matthew 11:22-25}
"And now, because ye have done all these works, saith the Lord, and I spake unto you, rising up early and speaking, but ye heard not; and I called you, but ye answered not; therefore will I do unto this house, which is called by my name, wherein ye trust, and unto the place which I gave to you and to your fathers, as I have done to Shiloh. And I will cast you out of my sight, as I have cast out all your brethren, even the whole seed of Ephraim." {Jeremiah 7:13-15; RH, August 1, 1893 par. 5, 6}

Bills to Watch and Study

It is instructive to consider the impact of the following bills:

1. HR1388
   
2. HR 1444
   
3. S277
   

Also check out: http://org.law.rutgers.edu/publications/law-religion/nurinst1.shtml -- Look at Part 3.

America is headed for a Nazi or Marxist, totalitarian style government with a foreign and Islamic presence to keep the people under control. However since countries like Canada and probably also European countries have similar tendencies these days, it appears to be orchestrated from a more central power, like we know who, making it part of the aspirations of the NWO (GC, 565,566). Watch Fox tv this Sunday (1-31-10), 9 PM eastern, 8 PM central. [That tv program apparently never aired judging by when I tried to find info about it on the Internet. Someone must have cancelled it.]

The only thing that can save the world is that man subordinates his will to our Creator God's will.

"Speak thou also unto the children of Israel (i.e. the 12 children of Jacob), saying, Verily my sabbaths ye shall keep: for it is a sign between me and you throughout your generations (Christians are the NT seed of Abraham); that ye may know that I am the Lord that doth sanctify you. Ye shall keep the sabbath therefore; for it is holy unto you: every one that defileth it shall surely be put to death: for whosoever doeth any work therein, that soul shall be cut off from among his people. Six days may work be done; but in the seventh is the sabbath of rest, holy to the Lord: whosoever doeth any work in the sabbath day, he shall surely be put to death. Wherefore the children of Israel shall keep the sabbath, to observe the sabbath throughout their generations, for a perpetual covenant. It is a sign between me and the children of Israel for ever: for in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day he rested, and was refreshed." Exodus 31:13-17; Galatians 3:29.

Sabbath keeping has now been proclaimed for about 162 years, why then has it not had more impact on the world? If the Sabbath is God's holy day, why has it not more power, recognition, keeping, followers? Why does the world seem still to be arrayed against it?

Is the Sabbath not as important to God as we first thought? - Or is it?

Whose day is it anyhow? Is it God's day or the Jews day?

What do we read?

"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 of the Lord, honourable; and shall honour him, not doing your own ways, nor finding your own pleasure, nor speaking your own words: Then shall you delight yourself in the Lord; and I will cause you to ride upon the high places of the earth, and feed you with the heritage of Jacob your father: for the mouth of the Lord has spoken it." Isaiah 58:13,14.

Clearly, Isaiah tells us that the Sabbath is God's holy day and calls all to do on that day only what pleases the Lord. If man treats God's holy day that way, then the following blessings will materialize . . .

1. you will be able to delight in the Lord
   
2. and you will be living an uplifted, an upbeat life
   
3. then you will be able to "feed" on the heritage of the great `fathers' in faith.

Here we have a picnic scenario, a garden party, a vision of family togetherness drawn for us in a few words.

It depends on us denying our own self interests for each Sabbath's duration and regarding only the interests of the Lord instead.

Why are we being asked to react that way? Are churches, having subscribed to evolution, becoming friends with Rome again, trying to chuck off their Judea-Christian heritage in our days? Are the trying man-made solutions for the world's problems? Do they doubt the Creator God and put now their trust in a man-made god?

Let us be firm, the only true God is the great Creator, the Almighty God of heaven and earth, of all the stars and galaxies, of the mountains and the valleys, the trees and all living creatures, of the life forms in the depths of the oceans and the hardy life on the top mountainous rocks of the earth.

And while Jacob is mentioned, we recall that Jacob was not a Jew, he was only the father of Juda, his son.

To remind us again, how did God distinguish Creation Week? What do we read?

"And to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to every thing that creepeth upon the earth, wherein there is life, I have given every green herb for meat: and it was so. And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day." Gen. 1:30,31.

After all the inanimate things were created, God created the animated creatures after their kind. Then God looked upon his handiwork and said, it was very good. What next was left to be given space and meaning too?

When man accomplishes something, what do we do? Man sets up memorials. In that we just mimic what God did at the very beginning of time on earth.

We read,

"Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made. 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 2:1-3.

And God finished His Creation and set aside a memorial for what He did for man. But it was God who announced which day His holy day was on which all men were to remember their Creator, and it was God who announced which tree it was that was the `Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil.' Yet God gave man everything for free. Adam had to do nothing, he did not need to plant, to water the garden or pick weeds or fight insects. God had created everything in complete harmony so that it was "very good." He had made man as the apex of all that he had created. Adam was a man of excellent gifts. Rightly used, his gifts would have made earth a resounding place of eternal joys and music to glorify Creator God. Glorify God for His love and care He had put in creating everything, his tender arrangement of all created beings around His throne, His voice and speech, His song and giving of gifts, his unsearchable riches in uniqueness He gave everything, His unfathomable wisdom and care in the working together of His universe, His wisdom implanted in all the created intelligence's and His far reaching creations in all directions - all creatures were so enthralled, so full of life and thankfulness to be part of God's very good and perfect worlds.

But man was totally dependent on God - for air, sunshine, water, fruit trees, berry bushes, herbs and flowers, nuts and peaches.

So we ask, `What happened to the covenant when man sinned?'

When man sinned, when he thought to doubt God, God said, `Ok, if you want to do things your way, you are on your own. You were made of clay, and to dust you will return.'

1:18 "For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness;
1:19 Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath showed it unto them.
1:20 For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:
1:21 Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.
1:22 Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,
1:23 And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.
1:24 Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves:
1:25 Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.
1:26 For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature:
1:27 And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompense of their error which was meet.
1:28 And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient." Romans 1:18-28.

Paul shows here the continuous breakdown of human society under the influence of sin. What could stop it? What might be a solution to such a worsening in human relations with each other and to their Creator?

The answer God gave was, He gave them a day of rest. A time set aside for turning the thoughts of man outside of themselves, away from sin, and consider His priorities and situation. It was Jesus Himself who gave the medicin to the problems of man. He said,

11:25 "At that time Jesus answered and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes.
11:26 Even so, Father: for so it seemed good in thy sight.
11:27 All things are delivered unto me of my Father: and no man knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him.
11:28 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." Matthew 11:25-28.

What is this rest Jesus had in mind all about?

Will man desire this God given gift and use it to the full of its availability?

Will it restore the covenant relationship between God and man broken when man sinned?

"And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life." Genesis 3:17.

For us as the descendents of Adam, it is important that we realize that we cannot take care of ourselves. Look around, what ever man tries has seeds of decay and breakdown in it. Man built the loftiest structures, painted gorgeous paintings, wrote beautiful music, but in time all vanishes. We haven't found a media to preserve it on which will last forever. Even if we had some kind of paper, CD or DVD which could last millennia, the instruments to play it on would change and man would forget how to play the old songs.

The reason given for the continuous decay and breakdown is this,

"And the Lord God said unto the woman, What is this that thou hast done? And the woman said, The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat." Genesis 3:15.

The face of sin was right away to deny guilt, to deny culpability.

Anyone or anything else made me do it, Eve said. We people repeat this excuse every day today. It is as old as sin is.

Yet, even so man rebelled against God, God still took care of man and provided them clothing. Had He not helped man; fear, in short order, would have increased and brought about death shortly if God would have totally forsaken man.

Why?

There is no rest in our life as long as there is sin, as long as there is this enmity between God and man. This estrangement.

Man can rest only when there is salvation from sin, a new beginning in our life like there was a new beginning with Creation, and like there will be again after the earth is made new.

What does God want us to find in the Bible?

God wants us to find this Sabbath rest which is the foundation of our salvation.

Let us explain that a bit more from scripture.

We read,

1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
1:2 The same was in the beginning with God.
1:3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.
1:14 . . . And the word was made flesh." John 1:1-3,14.

Here John, the disciple of Jesus, underlines that it was Jesus who is the Creator of the world.

But how does the Creator weave together Creation and Redemption?

Let us read the following scripture,

1:3 "We give thanks to God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you,
1:4 Since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus, and of the love which ye have to all the saints,
1:5 For the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, whereof ye heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel;
1:6 Which is come unto you, as it is in all the world; and bringeth forth fruit, as it doth also in you, since the day ye heard of it, and knew the grace of God in truth: . . ."

1:7 "As ye also learned of Epaphras our dear fellowservant, who is for you a faithful minister of Christ;
1:8 Who also declared unto us your love in the Spirit.
1:9 For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding;
1:10 That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God.
1:11 Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness;
1:12 Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light:
1:13 Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son:
1:14 In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins." Colossians 1:3-14.

This "power of darkness" has been with man since Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden. It is the power which may cause us to desire and look to find a rest from; a power which does not want to allow us to come to our senses in a way which allows restoration from the losses sin causes in man's existence. It is a power which discourages meticulous research and asking of probing questions. It is a power which pitches man's worldview against that of God and His followers. It is a power which elevates man above God.

So we ask, `Has God provided for us some kind of enhancement for our Sabbath keeping?'

What could it be?

We read,

"I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world." John 17:14.

We may conclude, the work of redemption finishes nothing. It adds or takes away nothing . . . unless what?

Unless we open our hands, our hearts and our minds and accept His word as the vehicle which will enhance our relationship with Him so He can remodel us inside out.

God wants to restore the image of God in us as it was before sin entered, Psalm 51:12.

To achieve that He shows us His day of which He testifies,

"For as the new heavens and the new earth, which I will make, shall remain before me, saith the Lord, so shall your seed and your name remain." Isaiah 66:22.

God assures man of a complete restoration, a recreation of everything as it was before sin entered. He promises us a great pick-nick in heaven on the earth made new.

There is this golden link between the Sabbath, Creation, salvation, redemption and consummation to bring it all about.

Yet, why does the world not acknowledge the seventh day Sabbath of the Lord?

Looking at the history of the Jews, we realize, that they were Saturday keepers, not Sabbath keepers, for they rejected the Lord of the Sabbath.

That is why we read,

"Moreover also 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.

No other institution which was committed to the Jews tended so fully to distinguish them from surrounding nations as did the Sabbath. God designed that its observance should designate them as His worshipers. It was to be a token of their separation from idolatry, and their connection with the true God. But in order to keep the Sabbath holy, men must themselves be holy. Through faith they must become partakers of the righteousness of Christ. When the command was given to Israel, "Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy," the Lord said also to them, "Ye shall be holy men unto Me." Exodus 20:8; 22:31. Only thus could the Sabbath distinguish Israel as the worshipers of God. {DA 283.3}

What we read tells us that those who are partakers of the righteousness of Christ will hate sin. They will say "No" to sin and "Yes" to God.

Man, because he became self-dependent, turned his face against God.

"For all seek their own, not the things which are Jesus Christ's. Phillippians 2:21.

All of us are affected. There is none who has not this experience.

"Behold, ye fast for strife and debate . . . Is it such a fast that I have chosen? a day for a man to afflict his soul? . . . wilt thou call this a fast, and an acceptable day to the Lord? . . . to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke?" Isaiah 58:1-6.

The truth is, man got tired even though while resting on the Sabbath. We ought to realize that we cannot save ourselves even in the smallest way. We must depend on God for everything.

That is why we read,

"Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified."

"For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them." Galatians 2:16; 3:10.

If we fail to keep the law perfectly we cannot find a way or method to truly find rest.

So, what does God do?

"To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons. And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father. Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ." Galatians 4:5-7.

What does it mean to "keep" something - like the Sabbath?

To keep something means to treasure, never lose sight of, to keep in contact, to understand what it is about.

Right now, for an everlasting covenant relationship, the world is headed in the wrong direction. Only God's holy day, His Sabbath, provides a way of escape from self-dependence.

Look at this world, what has self-dependence brought for us? Has it not only brought continuous problems and disasters all through history?

Coming back to dependence on God, what does that do for us?

"Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?" Mathhew 6:31.

It would mean that God will take care of what? - Of all of our needs.

"The importance of the Sabbath as the memorial of creation is that it keeps ever present the true reason why worship is due to God," because he is the Creator, and we his creatures. "The Sabbath therefore lies at the very foundation of divine worship; for it teaches this great truth in the most impressive manner, and no other institution does this. The true ground of divine worship, not of that on the seventh day merely, but of all worship, is found in the distinction between the Creator and his creatures. This great fact can never become obsolete, and must never be forgotten." It was to keep this truth ever before the minds of men, that God instituted the Sabbath in Eden; and so long as the fact that he is our Creator continues to be a reason why we should worship him, so long the Sabbath will continue as its sign and memorial. Had the Sabbath been universally kept, man's thoughts and affections would have been led to the Creator as the object of reverence and worship, and there would never have been an idolater, an atheist, or an infidel. The keeping of the Sabbath is a sign of loyalty to the true God, "him that made heaven and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters." It follows that the message which commands men to worship God and keep his commandments, will especially call upon them to keep the fourth commandment. {GC88 437.2}

This is also the meaning we find in the following scripture. It answers how we should keep the Sabbath of the Lord our God.

"And remember that thou wast a servant in the land of Egypt, and that the Lord thy God brought thee out thence through a mighty hand and by a stretched out arm: therefore the Lord thy God commanded thee to keep the sabbath day." Deuteronomy 5:15.

We are to remember God's holy day without fail.

The reason for man keeping God's seventh day Sabbath is the gratitude we have in realizing what it cost the Son of God to save us. It will cause us to confess . . . That

". . . hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us." Romans 5:5.

We are here reminded that God puts His love in us so that we can love Him back.

But if we are self-centered, can we then love Him back?

"And this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment." 1.John 3:23.

We should disregard our own inclinations born of a life of sin. We must die to self and look to God for our salvation, to what Jesus Christ has done for us.

Establishing a relationship with God means we accept God's terms - who looks for faith in us.

Ultimately, we see how the world is rejecting Christ. It does not seek what? The "rest" only God can give.

"For he that is entered into his rest, he also has ceased from his own works, as God did from his. Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief." Hebrews 4:10,11.

Why do we keep the Sabbath?

"And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come." Matthew 24:14.

We keep the Sabbath because the Bible teaches that keeping God's Sabbath holy means that we honor God on His holy day. It is a token that we accept His righteousness to prepare us for the day when He comes again.

Sin brought two opposing days before the world to choose from.

The one is the Sunday-sabbath: A day of self-righteousness; and the other is the Seventh-day Sabbath: A day of righteousness by faith in the only true God, Acts 17:31.

Ultimately then, those who insist on keeping the Sunday-sabbath, will end up rejecting Christ, Mark 7:9. They will choose to set up the "abomination of desolation" in their own hearts, Matthew 24:15. Theirs will be the same history as that of the Jews, who were Saturday keepers, when Jerusalem was destroyed.