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Jesus the Law Giver

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Jesus the Law Giver

By Lenny Cacchio

Then Moses went up to God, and the LORD called to him from the mountain and said, “This is what you are to say to the descendants of Jacob and what you are to tell the people of Israel.” (Exodus 19:3 NIV)

 Now when Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him. (Matthew 5:1 NIV)

After Israel left Egypt they made a stop at a place called Mount Sinai where God delivered to them ten rules. They were simple things like “don’t lie”, “don’t mess with other people’s stuff,” “watch your mouth”, etc. These are the same kinds of things that your mother told you when you were a kid. You probably learned early that these ten simple rules of life might be simple, but they aren’t easy, and although they are simple, they are huge in making life work. In fact they have the power to transform the culture if kept by society as a whole.

The scribes and Pharisees of Jesus’ day honored the Ten Commandments. Like us, they did not keep them perfectly, but when Jesus said, “Unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of God” (Matthew 5:20 NKJV), he was alluding to something well beyond keeping these laws to the letter. That’s quite a challenge, given how hard they are to live by as they are.

Jesus says, “You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder,’ and ‘Whoever murders will be in danger of judgment.’ But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of judgment. And whoever says to his brother, ‘Raca!’ shall be in danger of the council. But whoever says ‘You fool!’ shall be in danger of hell fire.” (Matthew 5:21 – 22 NKJV)

A follower of Jesus must go beyond refraining from murdering someone. Harboring anger and hatred is just as bad in Jesus’ eyes because it gets to a problem of the heart, which is where the act of murder begins. Root out the seed of bitterness and the weed cannot take root. Purge out the leaven before it leavens the whole lump.

Take a look at verse 27 of Matthew 5, followed by verse 28:

You have heard that it was said of old, “You shall not commit adultery”. But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery in his heart.

You’re not running around on your spouse? Good! But remember that these types of sins begin in the heart. All the #metoo memes circulating these days would be completely unnecessary if the world would heed the words of Jesus and his expansion of the intent behind that commandment. We should also consider the wrecked psyches and stunted relationships of those who engage in the voyeurism of the day, not to mention the resulting lack of respect and trust in our relationships and friendships regardless of the gender of those with whom we come in contact.

Root out the seed, and the weed cannot take root. Purge out the leaven before it leavens the whole lump.

We can do this type of analysis with all the Ten Simple Rules for Living, and in fact Jesus essentially does. Read the four gospels and you’ll see that. But that leads me to a question that is even harder to answer: If the Ten Commandments when understood and kept to their full intent would lead to better lives and a better culture, why do so many insist that they have no place in the public square? How can anyone argue that the commandment against murder plus Jesus’ exegesis on that command is a danger to the Republic? How, if we were to publish Jesus’ warning about planting the seeds of adultery through objectification of the opposite sex, we are somehow imposing our religion on someone, even though secular feminists would agree with what Jesus instructed?

Who wouldn’t want to live in a world where everybody else is living by the words of Jesus?

To be honest, most people have no objection to most of the commandments as given through Moses nor with the expansion as taught by Jesus. Most of the commandments.

The problem arises with the first few commandments. Example: “I am the Lord your God. … You shall have no other gods before me.”  For many people, that’s asking too much. Put God first in your life? That’s asking a lot. That flies against the modern trend of personal autonomy. It challenges the idea that we are masters of our own fate and that we, without God, can mold the progress of history and create our own perfect world.

Most of all, it allows us to make our own interpretations of the Ten Rules, interpretations that often go in the opposite direction from Jesus’ teaching. People like what the serpent promised: “Ye shall be as gods.” We get to decide what is right and wrong for ourselves, including which tree’s fruit we are to sample in our search for what will make us wise.

“They did not like to retain God in their knowledge,” wrote Paul.

If you are looking for the seed, for the root, for the little leaven behind the coarsening on our culture, you’ll find it there. We like the commandments that keep other people from violating our autonomy. We don’t like those that reveal a Higher Authority who demands the same of us.

(First published March 25, 2018)

You can follow Lenny Cacchio at his blog: Morning Companion

http://morningcompanion.blogspot.com/

The History of Sabbath and Sunday

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The History of Sabbath and Sunday

By John Kiesz

This book provides a brief overview of Sabbath keeping from Jesus until now. It shows that there have always been Christians keeping the Sabbath from the time of the original Apostles. Here is an excerpt from pages 23-24.

“Of the Christians of the British Isles, before the mission of Augustine to that country in about A.D. 596, we note that they had not been in subjection to Rome. When Augustine arrived he found the northern part well-nigh filled with Christians and Christian institutions….

Those Christians were Culdees, whose chief seat was the island of Iona, on the western coast of Scotland. Their chief missionary leader was Colomba (borth 543), and he was an observer of the seventh-day Sabbath. On this point we quote a standard Catholic author, Dr. Alvan Butler, who recorded some of Colomba’s dying words:

“Having continued his labors in Scotland thirty-four years, he clearly and openly foretold his death, and on SAtuirday the ninth of June said to his disciple Diermit: ‘This day is called the Sabbath, that is, the day of rest and such will it truly be for me; for it will put an end to my labors’” (Butler’s Lives of the Fathers, Martyrs, and Principle Saints, art. St. Colombo, A.D. 597).

Sabbath History Seventh Century to the Reformation

“Rome never succeeded in driving the Sabbath wholly from its dominions. We have reasons to believe that there have been Sabbath-keepers functioning in every century, some in the wilderness, and some in and around the Alps. In their time, they were known by such designations as Nazarenes, Cerinthians, Hypsistari, and later as Vaudois, Cathari, Toulousians, Albigenses, Petrobrusians, Passagii and Waldenses….”

 

To order this book, click here:

https://biblesabbath.org/shopping/pgm-more_information.php?id=2&=SID

 

 

 

 

Sabbath Action Blast!

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Sabbath Action Blast
Sabbath Action Blast!

But the rest of us. . . well, we’ll be mentally high-fiving those creative people who’ve found ways to really celebrate God’s special day! In these pages are 101 of the best Sabbath activity ideas that Guide editors have ever seen ─ nearly 2 years’ worth of fun! Some of these activities are great for groups, while others are perfect for solo ventures. And whether you plan ahead or flip through on the spur of the moment, you’re sure to find something to make you smile, laugh, have fun, and learn about God!

To order this book, just click the link below:

https://biblesabbath.org/shopping/pgm-more_information.php?id=103&=SID

The Miracle of the Seventh-Day Ox

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The Miracle of the Seventh-Day Ox

By Bradley Booth

Nickolai Panchuck was a Sabbath-keeping minister in Communist Russia. He was arrested for his faith and refused to give up the names of his congregants. He was subsequently exiled to Siberia by the KGB. In this incredible, riveting story, you will learn how Nickolai kept his faith in God and the seventh-day Sabbath during the entirety of his imprisonment. His faith led to others believing in Jesus and eventually led to his release from prison.

Here is an excerpt from page 50:

“The first time Nickolai had been severely beaten by both Yuri and the warden. The second Sabbath they had locked him up in a box for 10 days. On the third time around would they finally give up, or would the persecutions continue?

Nickolai wondered how much worse things could get. He was sure that there would be another confrontation with the warden, and he dreaded it, but he also knew that he had to remain faithful to God no matter what. He couldn’t give up now. The Sabbath was a special blessing from God. With all of his heart he wanted to honor the sacred day and the Creator God who had designed it….”

To read more from this breath-taking story, order the book from the BSA (click the link below)

https://biblesabbath.org/shopping/pgm-more_information.php?id=105

 

Sabbath Evening (Erev Shabbat) Family Service

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Sabbath Evening (Erev Shabbat) Family Service

(also Called “Erev Shabbat”, Hebrew for Evening of the Sabbath)

 

Throughout the week, we are all running to and fro. We are going to ballgames, work, school, and other events. The Erev Shabbat Service is a special service performed by the Jewish people for over 2,000 years. It would have been performed in the time of Jesus. It is a great way to welcome in the Sabbath as a family and make the dividing line between Holy Time of the Sabbath and the common time of the week we are leavening behind.

While it is mostly performed by Sabbath keepers with a Messianic background, it is a great learning tool for all Sabbath keepers. It is a way to speak life and blessing into your family. It is a great way to spend interactive time with your family.

 

Just click the link below to access this FREE resource!

https://kellymcdonaldjr.com/erev-shabbat-ceremony/

Sabbath Keepers in Government

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Sabbath Keepers in Government

by Bill Lussenheide

“Currently the newswires and the media are abuzz about the Presidential election in the United States to be held in 2012. Speculation abounds about who will be running and what will be their platforms. As Christians serving as God’s ambassadors, we face interesting questions in regards to what level of participation we should have in regards to political activity, voting, and serving in office.

Should Sabbatarians be serving in civil government? It is a question that many seventh day observing groups have attempted to tackle over the last century, with differing opinions on the appropriateness of doing so. The issue has been debated down to the point of whether or not Christians should even vote.

This article will take an overview of Sabbatarians who have served in office, or have been involved in politics over history. We will discover that seventh day observers have a long history of serving in a Godly fashion in secular government, and in being very effective in doing so…”

(this article is an excerpt from the November–December 2011 edition of the Sabbath Sentinel)

To read the rest of this article, which starts on page 8, click this link:

http://biblesabbath.org/media/TSSNovDec2011Issue552.pdf

What is the meaning of Romans 14:5-6?

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Understanding Romans 14:5-6

by Kelly McDonald, Jr. 

Romans 14:5-6 is among the most misunderstood verses in the Bible. Let’s look at the two verses in question: “5 One man esteems one day as more important. Another esteems every day alike. Let each man be fully assured in his own mind. 6 He who observes the day, observes it to the Lord; and he who does not observe the day, to the Lord he does not observe it. He who eats, eats to the Lord, for he gives God thanks. He who does not eat, to the Lord he does not eat, and gives God thanks” (Romans 14:5-6, KLV).

These verses have been misunderstood as negating the Sabbath and other commandments. We will examine the example of Paul, the context of Romans 14, and some history. These sources will clarify the meaning of Paul’s words.

One of the ways we interpret history is through what we call primary sources. This can include people who were eye witnesses to events as well as archaeological findings from the time period. The Apostle Peter was a contemporary of Paul and thus a primary source to the subject matter at hand. Here is what Peter said about Paul:

“15 And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also, according to the wisdom given to him, wrote unto you; 16 as also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; wherein are some things hard to be understood, which the ignorant and unstedfast wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction. 17 Ye therefore, beloved, knowing these things beforehand, beware lest, being carried away with the error of the wicked, ye fall from your own stedfastness” (2 Peter 3:15-17, ASV).

We learn some important details from Peter’s words. Apparently, Paul wrote some things that are hard to understand, but they do not negate the other Scriptures. The other Scriptures are a reference to the Old Testament. They did not have a New Testament in that time. Paul was a very educated man, which is why some people struggled with his words.

With this background understanding from Paul’s life, let’s look further at the context of Romans 14:5-6 and the specific language used.

First of all, in Romans 14:1 Paul informed us that this issue was considered disputable. This means it is not clearly defined by Scripture. “Now accept one who is weak in faith, but not for disputes over opinions.” Secondly, the Greek word Paul uses for day, hemera, refers to any common day. It refers to the other six days of the week. Thus, he is addressing common days, not holy days like the Sabbath.

Third, the Greek word for holy, hagios, is not even found in this chapter (Romans 14). Thus, he is addressing common days, not holy days like the Sabbath. If he were referring to the Sabbath, Paul would have used a specific Greek word for Sabbath, such as sabbaton (or similar words). Fourth, Paul was not addressing which days God considers to be holy, but what days men esteem higher than others. God is the one who consecrated the Sabbath, not man.

Lastly, one must also consider his audience. Paul wrote these words to the Romans. He is applying these verses specifically to days that the Romans considered to be important. Let’s take a look at some primary sources from the time before, during, and after Paul that will illuminate the meaning of these verses.

The Romans were very superstitious. They considered some days of the week to be unlucky, such as Saturday (Tibullus, Elegies, 1.3,17-18; Propertius, Elegies, 4.1,81-86). They also considered certain days of the month bad for specific activities such as business or travel (Marcus Varro, On the Latin Language, 6.29-31; Plutarch, Roman Questions, 25). There were even days of certain months on which activities were discouraged, such as marriage (Ovid, Fasti, 5.470-492). On some days, common activities were encouraged, such as eating certain foods (Ovid, Fasti, 6.169 – For instance, beans and spelt were eaten on June 1st to honor Juno).

The Romans conducted their behavior in this manner for one or more reasons. Sometimes these prohibitions were to honor a specific god or goddess (such as their activity on June 1st). Sometimes a certain date coincided with a fortunate or bad event that happened in Roman history (for instance, June 23rd was considered ‘lucky’ because a Carthaginian general, who was an enemy of Rome, killed himself on that day – Ovid, Fasti, 6.769).  At other times, the Romans were just superstitious. For instance, the Romans considered odd numbers as unlucky. Certain odd days of a month were considered bad for business (Plutarch, Roman Questions, 25).  For the superstitions of Augustus, who even thought his shoes were an omen, see Seutonius, Life of Augustus, XCII.

Another issue raised in Romans 14:5-6 is the issue of abstaining from meat. There was a strain of thought in the Roman world which believed very strongly in vegetarianism (Ovid, Metamorphosis,15.76-112, 140-142, 458-462; Seneca, Epistulae, 108.17-22; Plutarch: On the Eating of Flesh, 1.41 and On Isis and Osiris, sections 2,4,7; Lucius Apuleis, Metamorphosis, 11.26-29).  From these sources we can see that their vegetarian beliefs were rooted either in the worship of other gods (such as Isis and Osiris) or in a form of reincarnation which viewed the spirits of dead people as dwelling in animals.

With this historical understanding, we can better ascertain the meaning of these verses. Paul himself was an educated man and even a Roman citizen. While he grew up Jewish, he also grew up in a culture that practiced these Roman superstitions. He was aware of them.

What do we learn from Romans 14:5-6? If we are going to consider a common day as important to perform a specific activity, then we should do so unto the Lord and not to a pagan deity or superstition. He is addressing this specific Roman cultural activity for common days and activities, not the Sabbath or any day declared holy by God.

Paul’s example in the Bible shows us that he did not condemn any observance of the law, but that he continued to keep and reverence the Sabbath even after his conversion to Christianity (for a few examples: Acts 13, Acts 17, 18, Acts 20:16, Acts 27:9, and I Cor.16:8). All of the early churches kept the Sabbath on the seventh day of the week.

God is the one who declared the Sabbath Holy, not man (Genesis 2:1-3, Exodus 31:12-18, and Leviticus 23:1-6 to name a few). The seventh-day Sabbath persists even into the New Heavens and the New Earth (Isaiah 66:22-24).

Kelly McDonald, Jr.

BSA President – www.biblesabbath.org

Time is the Ally of Deceit

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Time is the Ally of Deceit

by Richard Rives

This exciting book and 5-part DVD series explains in great detail the events that led to people trying to replace Sabbath worship with Sunday worship.

Many aspects of Traditional Christianity cannot be found in the Bible. They can however be traced directly to the worship of pagan gods which predate Christianity by centuries. How is it that precepts that have nothing to do with Christ and everything to do with pagan sun worship have found their way into our churches? History reveals that there is one very good answer.

Part 1: Flee To The Mountains. First century believers, based on the warning by Jesus, left Jerusalem prior to its destruction in 70 A.D. 53 mins.

Part 2: Baal Comes To Rome. During the 2nd and 3rd centuries, aspects of pagan sun worship were combined with the true faith of first century believers, resulting in a Christianity unlike anything that those who walked and talked wtih Christ would have recognized. 70 mins.

Part 3: The Persian Sun God Mithra – Greco Roman Christianity. Historians report that during the 4th century the worship of the Persian sun god Mithra mysteriously vanished as Christianity was established as the religion of the Roman Empire. Was it Mithraism that vanished, or true Christianity? 53 mins.

Part 4: The Conversion Of Constantine And The Nicean Council. While his coins state that he was committed to the sun god Sol Invictus, Constantine was also recognized as the First Christian Emperor. Presiding over the Nicean Council, the date for the observance of Passover was changed from the Biblically prescribed timing. 51 minutes.

Part 5: Remember The Sabbath Day – A Delight – The Holy Of The Lord – Honourable. Many theologians would tell us that Sunday has replaced the 7th day Sabbath, that in fact, the law has been “nailed to the cross.”” Yeshua, Jesus said that until heaven and earth pass away not even the slightest aspect of the law would change. See an overview of historical events that led to the abandonment of Biblical precepts and their replacement by Traditional Christianity. 93 minutes.

To order the book only, click the link below:

https://biblesabbath.org/shopping/pgm-more_information.php?id=43&=SID

To order the book and DVD set, click the link below:

https://biblesabbath.org/shopping/pgm-more_information.php?id=44&=SID

 

Another View of I Corinthians Chapter 13

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Another View of I Corinthians Chapter 13

By Kelly McDonald, Jr.

In this article, we want to discuss the proper view of love. The commandments of God will be the standard for us. We must learn to live by every Word that proceeds from the Mouth of God (Deut. 8:3, Matt. 4:4).

Paul wrote an entire chapter on love in his first letter to the Corinthians. To give you some background, the Corinthian church had some serious issues. They wanted all of these gifts, manifestations, and mysteries, but their personal lives were a wreck. We all start out that way, but there should be change over time if we are truly converted.

In I Corinthians chapter 13, Paul focused on love. He then lists a series of actions that we would normally consider expressions of love. He tells us that we can perform them without having love!

He mentions:

  • Martyrdom
  • Giving to the poor
  • Prophesy
  • Knowledge
  • Unveiling mysteries

He tells us that none of these actions in and of themselves are love. Notice that there is ONE thing he does NOT mention that is very important. He does NOT say – “if you obey God’s commandments and have not love…”

Let us recall a previous verse from this same letter: “Circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is nothing, but the keeping of the commandments of God” (I Cor. 7:19).

Paul focused their actions towards the commandments of God.  Jesus clearly connected the commandments to love (see John 14:15-21). The commandments are a Law or Instruction of love. Let’s look at an excerpt in the Torah that helps us to understand how we love other people.

Leviticus 19:11-18 (NIV)

“11 Do not steal. Do not lie. Do not deceive one another. 12 Do not swear falsely by my name and so profane the name of your God. I am the Lord. 13 Do not defraud or rob your neighbor. Do not hold back the wages of a hired worker overnight. 14 Do not curse the deaf or put a stumbling block in front of the blind, but fear your God. I am the Lord. 15 Do not pervert justice; do not show partiality to the poor or favoritism to the great, but judge your neighbor fairly.16 Do not go about spreading slander among your people. Do not do anything that endangers your neighbor’s life. I am the Lord. 17 Do not hate a fellow Israelite in your heart. Rebuke your neighbor frankly so you will not share in their guilt. 18 Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against anyone among your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the Lord.”

If we compare I Cor. 13:4-7 and Lev 19:11-18, we see tremendous similarities:

I Corinthians 13:4-7

4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

I Corinthians 13:4-7 Leviticus 19:11-18
Love is patient, kind All of the Lev. 19:11-18
It does not envy “Do not hate a fellow Israelite” or  bear a grudge” – verses 17, 18
Love does not boast, it is not proud “Judge your neighbor fairly”, “Do not spread slander” – Verses 15-16
Love always protect, trusts, and hopes; it is not self seeking. Does not delight in evil. “Do not do anything that endangers your neighbor’s life” – verse 16
It keeps no record of wrongs; it is not self seeking Does not delight in evil. “Do not hate a fellow Israelite” “Do not bear a grudge in your heart” “Love your neighbor as yourself” verses 17-18

We can see how well these chapters flow together. Paul was a tremendous student of the Torah. He knew it well. When he described love, where would he derive his definition? He had to derive it from the Old Testament.

The Law of God is an expression of the Love of God. The Law teaches us how to allow the Love of the Holy Spirit to flow through us properly. Without that standard, the definition of love becomes skewed, as it happened in the Corinthian church and as still happens today.

Kelly McDonald, Jr. BSA President

You can follow Kelly at: www.kellymcdonaldjr.com

 

 

Why I Am a Sabbath Keeping Christian

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WhySabbathKeepingChristian

Why I Am a Sabbath Keeping Christian

By Dan Jarrard

In this easy to understand book, Dan Jarrard explains his journey from Sunday keeping to honoring the Sabbath. This book will inspire and encourage you in the faith. It will serve to unfold the reasons why many have chosen to travel a path that is different from yours and their choice is worthy of your understanding. Your path does not, in and of itself, make you a better Christian than “Sunday-keeping” Christians. But, at the same time, neither does it make you less of a Christian.

Here is an excerpt from page 6:

“Shortly after becoming a “Sabbath-keeping” Christian a friend asked me, “Why?” Before I could get very far in explaining, he almost screamed at me, “You are not Jewish! Don’t you know the Sabbath was given just for the Jews?” Before I could respond he rapidly walked away. We never spoke of the subject again.

Since then I have discovered that his premise is one that is shared by many Christians. What I wanted to share with my friend was that the Sabbath was not a Jewish institution – the Sabbath pre-dated Judaism….”

 

To order this book, click the link below:

https://biblesabbath.org/shopping/pgm-more_information.php?id=110&=SID