Keeping the Sabbath: Faith or Superstition

Dr. Daniel Botkin

One definition of superstition is “a belief or practice resulting from a false concept of causation” (Webster’s). Superstitious people believe that practicing certain habits or possessing certain objects can cause good luck or bad luck. The superstitious pagans of Bible times believed that certain days of the week were lucky or unlucky for certain activities. The Hebrews also had some beliefs about the days of the week. They believed that Sunday through Friday were good days to work, and Saturday, the 7th day of the week, was a day to cease working and assemble for worship. This belief, unlike the pagan beliefs, was not a superstition, though. Keeping the Sabbath was and is an act of faith, because it was and is based on a trust in the one true God who gave the Sabbath to be a sign between Himself and His people throughout their generations forever. (Ex. 31:1 2ff) Keeping the Sabbath can cause good things to happen and prevent bad things from happening. Breaking the Sabbath can cause bad things to happen and prevent good things from happening. This is not superstition. This is what the Bible teaches when it promises good things (“blessings”) for keeping the Sabbath and bad things (“curses”) for breaking it.

We may not always see how the blessings or curses are the result of our having kept or broken the Sabbath, but that does not matter to the spiritual man…”

 

(this article is an excerpt from the May-June 2001 edition of the Sabbath Sentinel)

 

To read the rest of this article, which starts on page 7, click this link:

http://biblesabbath.org/tss/489/tss_489.pdf

 

 

How BSA Materials Can Help Your Church (Part 3 of 3)
By Kelly McDonald, Jr.

The Sabbath Sentinel Magazine – The Sabbath Sentinel is a free, interdenominational magazine to encourage, empower, and educate Sabbatarians. In this magazine, you will find insightful articles on the Sabbath and other subjects that relate to Christian living.

The magazine also contains up to date information about happenings within the Sabbath community, which includes advertised events. Lastly, it contains the latest historical research about the Sabbath and linguistic studies from the Bible and history about the Sabbath.

One great aspect of the Sabbath Sentinel is that any Sabbatarian can write for it! We also allow advertising for any Sabbath group (there is a reasonable fee for advertising).

This magazine would be great to put in the entrance to your church as an introduction to new people and a way for current members to stay connected to the Sabbath community.

 

Children’s Materials – The BSA does offer some children’s materials to help guide the younger generation towards the example of Christ.

To look at the BSA materials, click the links below.

http://biblesabbath.org/index.php?pr=Material_For_Children

 

Evangelism Tools

Lastly, we have Evangelism tools to help your congregation.

The BSA has a variety of short, easy to understand pamphlets available. These can help educate new believers, but also evangelize others. We give discounts for bulk orders. We have a brief list below:

• Roman Catholic and Protestant Confessions about Sunday – This pamphlet is a series of quotes by Roman Catholic and Protestant ministers confessing that the true Sabbath is Friday sunset to Saturday sunset
• Whatever Happened to the Sabbath? – This small pamphlet gives a brief overview of the Sabbath. It cites scripture and insightful questions to cause others to consider the importance of the Sabbath.
• Why Do You Observe Sunday? – This pamphlet is an overview explaining that Sunday is just a common day; it then transitions to show the Apostle’s example of keeping the Sabbath.
• Other small tracts available:
• Why the Seventh-Day Sabbath?
• Why the Protestant Reformation Failed!
• 100 Facts on the Sabbath Question
• What Would Jesus Do on the Weekend

You can stamp your Church location and meeting times on these tracts. All we ask is that no doctrinal information be placed on the material and that the BSA name or address is not covered up.

To overview these tracts, click the link below!

http://biblesabbath.org/index.php?pr=Leaflets_and_Tracts

 

Thanks for reading and I hope we can help build your faith!

 

Kelly McDonald, JR.

BSA President

www.biblesabbath.org

 

 

 

 

By Bonnie Williams

“Standley Lake is in our city but it is removed from the buildings, houses and noisy roads. We (Erick, my husband, my Mom, Dad and I) had to walk about 5 minutes to the lake shore in the freezing cold wind. For some reason, the wind blew harder and colder the closer we got to the water ( I felt that Satan must have been upset!).

As Erick and I walked, we could see whitecaps on the lake’s surface and we could smell the colder weather tumbling over the mountains next to us. The sun hid behind clouds and the clouds banded together, determined to keep us cold. The mud at the lake shore was almost like freezing quicksand. The more you walked, the more mud you accumulated on your feet.

Erick went first, since he would have to be wet and cold the longest. From where my mother and I stood, we could see the genuine pain on his face when he sat in the water…”

(this article is an excerpt from the March-April 2000 edition of the Sabbath Sentinel)

To read the rest of this article, which starts on page 16, click this link:

http://biblesabbath.org/tss/482/tss_482.pdf

 

How the BSA Can Help You Individually or as a Church (Part 2 of 3)
by Kelly McDonald, Jr.

In this blog, we will continue looking at practical ways that BSA materials can help you individually or build the faith of your congregation.
Study Idea #4 – Practical Ways to Observe the Sabbath

With this study, the focus is on Biblical principles that guide our practical observance of the Sabbath. This would include activities to avoid on the Sabbath as well as positive activities to apply on the Sabbath (each individual and congregation may have some different views on how to honor the Sabbath).

Suggested Materials: “From Sundown to Sundown, How to Keep the Sabbath…and Enjoy It!” by May-Ellen Colon. In this book, the author tackles honoring the Sabbath from the perspective of our relationship to God as our Father. It will cause you to give deep thought to how you observe the Sabbath. “How to Keep The Sabbath Holy” by Doug Batchelor is a work that asks questions about Sabbath observance and practical ways to address those questions.  “52 Things to Do on the Sabbath” by Glen Robinson is another appropriate work for this subject. It contains practical activities for all ages.

Suggested Practice: In this study, try to navigate issues relating to sabbath observance, such as practical ways to get off work on the Sabbath and how to better incorporate children/families into the Sabbath experience. You could also ask people in the study to share any concepts, traditions, or practices that they have found contribute to Sabbath observance. You might research practices from different Sabbath groups.

 

Study Idea #5 – The Sabbath in Prophecy

The Sabbath also has an interesting place in Bible prophecy. The attempt to change the Sabbath was prophesied in Daniel 7:25. Moreover, it was prophesied that the beast power government would hunt down Christians who practiced the commandments of God.

Suggested Materials: “A Woman Rides the Beast: Roman Catholic Church Last Days” by Dave Hunt. In this provocative prophetic book, Dave goes through history to unveil the identity of the woman of Revelation 17, named the Whore of Babylon. There is also a DVD on this same subject. “Spirit of Antichrist” by Alan Knight is an examination of how past pagan practices have infiltrated Christianity. He takes into account the different Bible prophecies as fulfillment of these events and warns Christians to avoid them in light of unfulfilled prophetic events!

Other Suggestions: In this study, it would be great to include news articles showing how the attack against the Sabbath prophesied in Daniel 7:25 is continuing to happen even in our times. One could look at Sunday laws in different parts of the world, especially Europe (where they have made a revival in recent years.

 

Study Idea #6 – The Ten Commandments

The Ten Commandments are absolute laws to guide Christian living. In this study, you could discuss the place of the Ten Commandments in our modern world. Though the world has changed, the Ten Commandments have not.

Suggested Materials: “The Ten Commandments Twice Removed” – In this short book, you will learn about the recent attack in our country against the Ten Commandments and how the Church in general has not emphasized the commandments to the degree that she should. “The Ten Commandments” by Taylor Bunch. This book explains the spiritual and practical importance of the Ten Commandments. Further, it conveys how the Ten Commandments lay the foundation of human liberty and love.

Suggested Practice: In this study, you might consider going over Bible verses where people broke the Ten Commandments and the consequences they incurred. Also, you could explain more modern applications of the Ten Commandments to emphasize their unchanging nature (for instance, how downloading copyrighted music without paying for it is stealing).

Study Idea #7 – You can always put together your own study group with our materials. These are just some practical ideas that will encourage and edify your faith and the faith of those in your church/Bible Study.

To look at the BSA materials, click the links below.

http://biblesabbath.org/Books.php

http://biblesabbath.org/Books2.php

http://biblesabbath.org/index.php?pr=DVDs

 

Thanks for reading and I hope we can help build your faith!

Kelly McDonald, JR.

BSA President

www.biblesabbath.org

 

 

 

 

How BSA Materials Can Help Your Church (Part 1 of 3)
By Kelly McDonald, jr.

The Sabbath is mentioned over 140 times in the Bible. It is mentioned far more than many other doctrines taught in the church today. This means it has a vital function in our relationship with God. Every human was created with the innate need to rest on the seventh day of the week. Truly, there is more for us to learn about this eternal precept.

The BSA has a variety of materials about the Sabbath and the Ten Commandments. Perhaps quarterly, semi-annually, or annually, your Bible study group or congregation could have a special study on some aspect of the Sabbath. This type of study would deepen one’s understanding of this special day and its practice.

I have some examples of these types of studies below, with suggested materials:

Study Idea #1 – Heroes of the Faith – This study would utilize books or videos about Sabbatarians putting their faith into action. These true-life testimonials would highlight how people honored the Sabbath despite extreme and adverse conditions.

Suggested Materials: “Miracle of the Seventh-Day Ox” – The miraculous story of a man who honored the Sabbath in a concentration camp in Communist Russia. He suffered for his faith, but God provided for Him in a miraculous way. “A Thousand Shall Fall” is a book about a German man who honored the Sabbath and avoided fighting in the war even after he was drafted by Hitler’s Nazi regime. “Chains in China” – A Sabbatarian in China was imprisoned over the Sabbath. He still spread his faith despite the terrible conditions around him.

Other Suggestions: You could read these books consecutively or perhaps do this type of study over the course of a year. You can also ask the study group to input their own stories of perseverance. I’m sure that online you could find inspiring stories from other Sabbatarians or from history. This type of study will encourage people to keep the Sabbath despite threats from employers or others.

Study Idea #2 – Why Do We Keep the Sabbath? – This study would take a look at the fundamental reasons why we honor the Sabbath. It is important for Sabbatarians to be reminded why we honor the Sabbath. We do not want to simply go through the motions.

Suggested Materials: “Why I Am A Sabbath Keeping Christian” by Dan Jarrard. This book details one man’s journey in learning about the Sabbath. “35 Reasons Why I Keep the Bible Sabbath” by Robert Correa. This book gives unique insights as to why we should honor the Sabbath. “The Morality of the Sabbath” by D.M. Canright. This book examines the moral foundation of honoring the Sabbath. It puts forth the idea that the Sabbath is the moral centerpiece that holds the other commandments together. “The Sabbath: Its Meaning for Modern Man” by Abraham Herschel is a philosophical examination the Sabbath; it is very in-depth.

Other Suggestions: This type of study would be good to include a time for people to give testimonials as to how they learned about the Sabbath and how to practice it. It is good for others in the Body to hear personal testimonies of how we came into the Sabbath truth.

 

Study Idea #3 – History of the Sabbath – In this study, you could look at the history of the Sabbath in general or in certain parts of the world. This would help resolve or overcome common objections to keeping the Sabbath such as “the Sabbath wasn’t observed by early Christians” or “Sabbath keeping just started in the 1800s”.

Suggested Materials: “History of the Sabbath” by J.N.Andrews is a thorough, in-depth read. It covers the history of Sabbath and Sunday in Christianity for over 1,000 years. “Time is the Ally of Deceit” by Richard Rives conveys on a simple level how paganism crept into Christianity and tainted it. “From Sabbath to Sunday” by Samuel Bacchiocchi is another in-depth book that covers the first few hundred years of Christianity. It examines the potential causes as to why some people moved away from the true Sabbath. “The Celtic Church in Britain” by Leslie Hardinge looks at Sabbatarians in Britain, especially in early Christianity. We have several other works on Sabbath history available on our website.

Other Suggestions: Participants in the study could discuss historical claims about the Sabbath that they have heard (and even historical arguments against the Sabbath). You could always invite a historian from a Sabbatarian Church to speak at your congregation. Richard Rives is a great speaker to exhort congregations and even evangelize the general public.

We also have several DVD sets available that are great to use with a group.

To look at the BSA materials, click the links below.

http://biblesabbath.org/Books.php

http://biblesabbath.org/Books2.php

http://biblesabbath.org/index.php?pr=DVDs

Thanks for reading and I hope we can help build your faith!

Kelly McDonald, JR.

BSA President

www.biblesabbath.org

Sabbath Truth – Free Videos!

This free website has instructional videos and articles about the Sabbath. One of the prominent features available through this group is a 10-part series understanding the history of the Sabbath.

Just click the link below to access this FREE resource!

 

http://www.sabbathtruth.com/free-resources/seventh-day-video-series/id/966/the-seventh-day-part-1