Christmas Gifts: Kingly Present or Ancient Eastern Custom?

It is the 26th of December and Christmas is past. Yesterday in many parts of the world Christmas was observed. Families gathered, gifts were exchanged.

On what scriptural basis do people in the Christian world exchange gifts? The scriptural support for gift giving is found in Matthew 2:11,

“And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him. And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh.”

Does this quote support exchanging gifts in observance of Christmas? Although giving gifts based upon Matthew 2:11 indicates a misinterpretation of what is happening in the verse. First, let us look at the historic origin of trading gifts back and forth, then see exactly what the Bible does say about it.

From the Bibliotheca Sacra, volume 12, pages 153-155, we quote, "The interchange of presents between friends is alike characteristic of Christmas and the Saturnalia, and must have been adopted by Christians from the Pagans, as the admonition of Tertullian plainly shows."

The fact is, this custom of exchanging gifts with friends and relatives at the Christmas season has not a single trace of Christianity about it, strange though that may seem. This does not celebrate Christ's birthday or honor it or Him! Suppose someone you love has a birthday. You want to honor that person on his or her birthday. Would you lavishly buy gifts for everyone else, trading gifts back and forth with all your other friends and loved ones, but ignore completely any gift for the one whose birthday you are honoring? It would seem rather absurd, when viewed in that light.

Yet this is exactly what people the world over do. They honor a day that is not Christ's birthday by spending significant amounts of money to buy presents to trade back and forth among friends and relatives.

Now consider what the Bible says about giving gifts when Christ was born in Matthew 2. Let’s examine the passage:

“Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, saying, "Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him."” (Matt 2:1-2)

• Note they were seeking a king they would worship.

“When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born.” (Matt 2:3-4)

• The arrival of these men from the east upset Herod because he saw this king as threatening his rule in Judea and apparently the men’s search for a king stirred Jerusalem as well.
• An inquiry was made to determine where the Christ was born.
• Matthew 2:5-6 tells us that the Messiah was to be born in Bethlehem.
• Matthew 2:7-8 informs us that Herod wanted to know when the men began their journey and asks that when they find this king they are to report back to him.
• How long was the journey of these men from the east? Matthew 2:16 tells us that Herod set about killing all infants aged two years and younger. Herod had determined from the inquiries of the men from the east that their journey began approximately two years earlier. Since the men did not return to tell Herod of the location of this king, he killed all that fit into that time frame with the hope of eliminating his supposed rival.
• Note Matthew 2:10 tells us that the child was not in a manger in Bethlehem since about two years had passed. Christ, was no longer a newborn, but was possibly as old as two. He was living in all probability in his home town of Nazareth.

Now back to the verse we addressed at the outset,

“And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him. And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh.” (Matt 2:11)

Notice, they inquired for the child Jesus, who was born King of the Jews! Now why did they present gifts to Him? Because it was His birthday? Not at all, because it was some time after the date of His birth! Was it to set an example for us, today, to trade gifts back and forth among ourselves? No, notice carefully! They did not exchange gifts among themselves, but "they presented unto Him gifts." They gave their gifts to Christ, not to their friends, relatives, or one another!

Why did they give gifts to the child? Let me quote from the Adam Clarke on Matthew 2:11, “The people of the east never approach the presence of kings and great personages, without a present in their hands. This custom is often noticed in the Old Testament, and still prevails in the east, and in some of the newly discovered South Sea Islands.” (From Adam Clarke's Commentary, Electronic Database. Copyright © 1996, 2003, 2005, 2006 by Biblesoft, Inc. All rights reserved.)

They were not instituting a new Christian custom of exchanging gifts with friends to honor Christ's birthday. They were following an old and ancient eastern custom of presenting gifts to a king when they come into his presence. They were approaching Him, born King of the Jews, in person. Therefore custom required they present gifts—even as the Queen of Sheba brought gifts to Solomon—even as many people today take a gift along when they visit the White House for an appointment with the President.

The custom of trading gifts back and forth does not stem from this scriptural incident at all, but rather, as quoted from history above, it is the continuance of an ancient pagan custom.

Have a most pleasant Sabbath,

Gary Smith

Black Friday and the Merchants of the Earth

The day after Thanksgiving is known as Black Friday. It is one of the most intense shopping days of the year. It is quite a contrast to the purpose of Thanksgiving which is to express thanks and gratitude to God for all of His blessings. Most shoppers have little thought for God’s blessings as they rush into the Black Friday fray. After all Thanksgiving was yesterday.

Working part-time at Home Depot, Black Friday is a serious time for the store. For weeks prior to that date, freight of all kinds is coming into the store. Once the freight is unpacked the aisles are filled with sale items and covered with black visqueen to hide the items until Black Friday arrives.

Additionally, very few employees are given time off on this Friday. Management wants all hands on deck for the sale.

As one stops to analyze Black Friday one can only stand amazed at the amount of commerce that takes place on that day. Not only is Home Depot swarming with customers but the company has more than 2,200 convenient locations throughout the United States (including the territories of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands), Canada, China and Mexico. In considering the amount of business conducted in one day one has to additionally note that J.C. Penney, Macy’s, Kohl’s, and myriads of other stores are running sales also. Not only are the brick and mortar stores busy, but so is e-commerce that accounts for additional sales.

All of this effort by stores, employees and customers is all geared toward maximizing sales for the Christmas season. We might ask, “What does this have to do with the birth of Christ?” The simple answer is that Black Friday has nothing to do with the Friday after Thanksgiving.

Black Friday is about commerce pure and simple. Should we be surprised? Consider what we are told about commerce in the book of Revelation. "The kings of the earth who committed fornication and lived luxuriously with her will weep and lament for her, when they see the smoke of her burning, standing at a distance for fear of her torment, saying, 'Alas, alas, that great city Babylon, that mighty city! For in one hour your judgment has come.' And the merchants of the earth will weep and mourn over her, for no one buys their merchandise anymore: merchandise of gold and silver, precious stones and pearls, fine linen and purple, silk and scarlet, every kind of citron wood, every kind of object of ivory, every kind of object of most precious wood, bronze, iron, and marble; and cinnamon and incense, fragrant oil and frankincense, wine and oil, fine flour and wheat, cattle and sheep, horses and chariots, and bodies and souls of men. The fruit that your soul longed for has gone from you, and all the things which are rich and splendid have gone from you, and you shall find them no more at all. The merchants of these things, who became rich by her, will stand at a distance for fear of her torment, weeping and wailing, and saying, 'Alas, alas, that great city that was clothed in fine linen, purple, and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls! For in one hour such great riches came to nothing.' Every shipmaster, all who travel by ship, sailors, and as many as trade on the sea, stood at a distance and cried out when they saw the smoke of her burning, saying, 'What is like this great city?'” (Revelation 18:9-18)

Black Friday is part of a greater commercial system that is central to this present age. The system provides all of the goods that we love as human beings. This system is corrupt and God inspired the Apostle John to let us know that this system will one day cease to exist. There will no Black Friday sales events.

There will no longer be a system based upon get, greed and covetousness. Instead, the world will come to treasure the real treasures that can only be acquired from God. "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:19-21). Put another way, God offers us things that are lasting and cannot be acquired in a store or on a website.

Have a most pleasant Sabbath.

Gary Smith

Trials - God's Good and Perfect Gifts

As this Sabbath arrives, Thanksgiving has come and gone, but hopefully the concept of thankfulness is still on our minds.

As I ended last week’s Sabbath Thought, I referenced James 1:17, “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.” When James says that God is the Giver of every good gift, what is included?

In considering the significance of this verse, we need to consider the context of what the Apostle James is saying. The context goes all the way back to verse 2 of chapter 1, “My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials.” It’s hard for us to believe that trials and tests, whatever they may be, are to accepted with joy.

Why should we count trials and tests with joy? He tells us in James 1:3-4, “Knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.” Trials and tests challenge our faith. Do we believe in God and His word? Will we follow it when we are under pressure? Will we follow it when it is hard? Do we believe in God and His word enough that we will do what is right regardless of the temptation to sin or compromise in some way?

As those called out of this world, we have been given a vantage point that allows us to be ever aware of God and His plan being worked out here below. It is working every moment of every day. It is working when we rise up, throughout our work day, and in the evening when we return home. Throughout each day, we are challenged by other drivers, by sales clerks, by our bosses, by our spouses, by our children, and by our enemies. How will we deal with them? Will we deal with them based upon our faith and God’s word? Or will we deviate from the faith and handle matters in our own way which usually leads to sin.

God is the one who established the world in this way. He set it up this way because if we did not face the trials of life that challenge us we would not grow. With the “various trials” God’s work in us would have no chance of “being perfect and complete, lacking nothing.”

Interestingly, in this context, James also says, “Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren” (James 1:16). What he is telling God’s people is that when we face trial it may seem easier, better, wiser to compromise with the faith. To compromise with the truth of God, the faith, is a deception. The only outcome of doing things our own way is sin and death (Proverbs 14:12).

With these things about trials in mind, we might say that trials are among God’s good and perfect gifts to His people. They are a part of the human realm because God, as the Giver of the gifts, desires our enduring the trials in order that we can be made perfect and complete. As God’s work is completed in us, we will be given eternal life.

What trials do you face at this time? Do you count whatever trial or trials you are currently enduring as good and perfect gifts from God above? If that is not your vantage point, consider taking the time to look at your life from this perspective. Even trials are a gift from God for which we should give thanks.

Enjoy God’s gift of the Sabbath.

Gary Smith

Thanksgiving Gratitude

In light of Thanksgiving, I began a new book, “Thanks! How
Practicing Gratitude Can Make You Happier” by Robert A.
Emmons, PhD. The book provided a quote to begin this
week’s Sabbath Thought on page one.

The quote stood out because it offers us a sure fire get rich
scheme. When you read of a “sure fire” get rich scheme, you
are probably thinking what I’m about to say is not reliable.
But consider the quote before making judgment. After
reading the quote, you will probably see how it really is a
certain scheme to insure you will be rich.

“I cannot tell you anything that, in a few minutes, will tell you
how to be rich. But I can tell how to feel rich, which is far
better, let me tell you firsthand, than being rich, Be grateful . .
.It is the only totally reliable get-rich quick scheme.”
—Ben Stein, actor, comedian, economist

The author of the book has researched the subject of gratitude
and sees it as helpful to conceive of it in two stages. He says,
“First, gratitude is the acknowledgement of goodness in your
life. In gratitude we say yes to life. We affirm that all things
taken together, life is good and has elements that make life
worth living. . . . Second, gratitude is recognizing that the
source(s) of goodness lie at least partially outside the self.
The object of gratitude is other-directed; one can be grateful to
other people, to God, to animals, but never to oneself. . . .
Thanks are directed outward to the giver of gifts.”

Proper thanksgiving is important. Notice the emphasis the
apostle Paul places on thanksgiving:

In Ephesians 5:20, Paul admonishes us to give,"thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ."

In 1Thessalonians 5:18, the same apostle instructs us to give thanks "in everything... for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you."

In Colossians 2:7, Paul says we are to abound, and to overflow with thanksgiving. 

Paul practiced what he preached! Aside from the statements of

thanksgiving that he makes in the bodies of his letters, as in

Philippians 4:6, he opens no less than five letters by thanking

God. You will find that in Romans 1:8, 1 Corinthians 1:4,

Philippians 1:3, Colossians 1:3, and 1 Thessalonians 1:2.

In Colossians 3:17, Paul says that, "whatever you do in word

or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to

God the Father through Him." Here in this verse Paul

indicates the fundamental benefit of gratitude. Being grateful

to God for all that He has given to us impacts how we

approach every day.

We may be facing adversity, struggles, persecution,

heartbreak, pain, and yet we can approach life as the richest

people on the planet. We may be well off, financially set,

have a nice family and home, and our health is good. But we

realize that our riches are not in this world they are the riches

that come from God.

Our riches are based upon our being called out of this world,

God forgiving us of our sins, opening our minds to His truths

and our being prepared for the soon coming Kingdom of

Heaven through Jesus Christ working in our lives through the

Holy Spirit. God has extended His grace and mercy to us

through His Son. Nothing in the physical world can change

that.

This Sabbath before Thanksgiving take some time to recognize the

blessings God has sent your way and to acknowledge the

Giver of every good gift (James 1:17).

Have a pleasant Sabbath and make this Thanksgiving a day of

gratitude to God.

Gary Smith

The Doulos of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ

In this week’s submission for your reflection, I’d like to begin by quoting a portion of the first verse of the epistle of James, “James, a bondservant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ . .” Of the eleven words quoted, I would like to focus upon the word “bondservant.”

In Greek, the word bondservant is “doulos”. It is a word that could also be translated as “slave.” From a scriptural point of view James in citing the word for bondservant or slave is telling his audience where he is coming from in what follows in the epistle. He is telling his audience that he is a slave of God and of Jesus Christ.

What does James mean by this term? A few verses give us some insight into the meaning.

Matthew 8:9 For I also am a man under authority, having soldiers under me. And I say to this one, 'Go,' and he goes; and to another, 'Come,' and he comes; and to my servant, 'Do this,' and he does it."

• From this we can see that a doulos is under authority and what it means to be under authority.

Matthew 20:27 And whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave —

• Those who will be first in the Kingdom of Heaven must be doulos, bondservants, to the others in the group.
• We might say that the doulos of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ will approach life as a willing servant of God in all situations.

Matthew 24:45-47 "Who then is a faithful and wise servant (doulos), whom his master made ruler over his household, to give them food in due season? 46 Blessed is that servant whom his master, when he comes, will find so doing. 47 Assuredly, I say to you that he will make him ruler over all his goods.

• The doulos of God must be actively serving his master—an ongoing mode of conduct.
• Being a doulos means that we are actively serving our Master every day in all we do.

Romans 6:16-17 Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one's slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness? 17 But God be thanked that though you were slaves of sin, yet you obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine to which you were delivered.

To whom are we a doulos?
o Sin-disobedience
o Righteous—obedient
o Are we obedient from the heart? That is the doulos of God.
o To obey from the heart is not enslavement, but deliverance from sin and death.

Not only James, but Jude (1:1), Paul and Timothy (Philippians 1:1), Moses (1 Kings 8:53; Daniel 9:11; Malachi 4:4), Joshua and Caleb (Joshua 24:29; Numbers 14:24), Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (Deuteronomy 9:27), Job (Job 1:8) and Isaiah (Isaiah 20:3). Doulos is distinctively the title by which the prophets were known (Amos 3:7; Zechariah 1:6; Jeremiah 7:25).

William Barclay in his commentary on the book of James summarizes doulos well, “By taking the title doulos James sets himself in the great succession of those who found their freedom and their peace and their glory in perfect submission to the will of God. The only greatness to which the Christian can ever aspire is that of being the slave of God.” (From The Daily Study Bible, by William Barclay: First Edition. Biblesoft Formatted Electronic Database Copyright © 2015 by Biblesoft, Inc. All rights reserved.)

As we take time to reflect this Sabbath consider, “If I were writing a letter to offer instruction to others, would I even consider using the approach of James?” Might I say, “(Your name) a bondservant of God and the Lord Jesus Christ?” It is a worthy title to consider?

Gary Smith

Cosmology and the Big Bang Theory

One of the blessings of the Sabbath is to remember our Creator. Exodus 20:11 states, “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.” The word “therefore” in this verse points us back to what has gone before. In essence we are being told, “As a result of God making the heavens, the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, God rested the seventh day.” God wants us to look back to what was brought into being by the Creator.

With the Creator in mind, I’d like to refer to the word: cosmology—a noun that is defined as “the science of the origin and development of the universe. Modern astronomy is dominated by the Big Bang theory, which brings together observational astronomy and particle physics.”

Over my years in the Church, I have always believed the entire universe came into being as a result of “a big bang.” It seemed a reasonable explanation. My view was there was nothing until God decided to bring the physical universe into being. In a great burst of energy, the universe began. However, that theory is just that “a theory.”

In last weeks, current events section published in the October 31, 2015 Houston bulletin another theory was posed in the article, New Astronomy Findings Challenging Big Bang Theory, by Tom Olago, October 27, 2015. The article reads, “Researchers in the field of astronomy have recently announced what is described to be a ‘truly monstrous’ structure, consisting of a ring of galaxies around 5 billion light-years across. Reported findings show that the seemingly unprecedented galactic ring, which was revealed by nine Gamma-Ray Bursts (GRBs), is located 7 billion light-years away.

“These GRBs, and by extension the galaxies they inhabit, are believed to be somehow associated since all nine are located at a similar distance from Earth. The odds of this distribution are said to be as low as 1 in 20,000. This means that they are very likely associated with the same structure; which structure should not even exist according to cosmological models led by the famous ‘Big Bang’ theory.

“The ‘Big Bang’ theory is an effort to explain what happened at the very beginning of our universe. Scientific findings have shown beyond a reasonable doubt that our universe did in fact have a beginning. The ‘Big Bang’ theory is an effort to explain what happened during and after that moment.

“It’s proponents in effect dismiss the possibility that the universe was directly created by God, and even the possibility that the ‘Big Bang’ is just an attempt to be scientifically descriptive of a process God may have chosen to use in creating the universe.”

As I considered this new theory of the origin of the universe, which might overturn “the Big Bang Theory”, how does this impact my overall view of the origin of the universe? Interestingly, it does not overturn what the Bible says in any way.

We are told, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth (Genesis 1:1). God brought all into being. God does not explain what method He used to bring all into being. We as human beings can seek the origins of the universe, but it is a daunting task given the vastness of the heavenly realm.

The Apostle Paul also speaks of how all came into being, “For by Him (Jesus Christ) all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him” (Colossians 1:16). Again, we are reminded of the Originator of the universe.

It is likely that theories of the origin of the universe will change over time and this side of the coming of the Kingdom of God we may never know the exact beginning point of origin. If we do figure out the origin of the universe it will be a most interesting piece of information. But regardless of the cosmological theory we know that, “. . . without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.” (Hebrews 11:6).

Each Sabbath, we are to remember the Creator regardless of what cosmological theory holds sway in the realm of men.

Rejoice in the Creator this Sabbath.

Gary Smith

God's Unchanging Standard

As promised in last week’s Sabbath thought, I want continue the discussion about the benefits of standardization. This week we will look at this subject from a more spiritual perspective.

At one time in America, Protestant Christianity was the standard. Judeo-Christian morality was commonly accepted. Christianity was a routine part of American society.

However, our world has dramatically changed what is now standard. An assistant football coach helps to illustrate our changing standards in regard to what is religiously accepted.

Joe Kennedy was a coach at Bremerton High School in the state of Washington. Since 2008, the coach has offered on-field prayers at the 50-yard line after each game. While he typically goes on the field to pray alone, students and players often voluntarily join Kennedy — and that is what has sparked controversy and concerns over the separation of church and state.

Because of the school district’s concern over separation of church and state, the coach was told to cease these public prayers.

The coach felt that this restriction placed on him by the school district was an infringement on his religious liberty as an American. He continued to pray after a game and ended up being suspended as an assistant football coach.

There was a time in America when praying before or after a football game would not have been controversial but standards have changed.

How will this religious freedom issue work out in 21st century America? Time will give the answer to that question.

As Christians, we know that there is an unchanging standard in which we can have unwavering confidence. We know that God and His spiritual standard does not change. Let’s consider a few scriptural passages that illustrate this point:

Malachi 3:6 "For I am the Lord, I do not change; therefore you are not consumed, O sons of Jacob.” God does not change in His nature, His purposes and His promises. If God were changeable He would have consumed the Jews for their sins.

James 1:17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.

James tells us that good and perfect gifts come down from heaven, “from the Father of lights.” God is the creator of these heavenly lights; He himself is nothing but light. Therefore, darkness cannot exist in the presence of God. In this light, God displays his holiness, goodness, love, integrity, and unchangeableness.

In the New Testament Commentary by Hendrikson and Kistemaker, they “Note that James calls God the “Father” of lights and uses this figure of speech to illustrate God's absolute stability. God “does not change like shifting shadows.” The being, nature, and characteristics of God are unchangeable (Mal. 3:6). As the earth, sun, moon, and stars move in their ordained courses, we observe the interplay of light and darkness, day and night, the longest and the shortest day of the year, the waning and the waxing of the moon, eclipses, and the movements of the planets. Nature is subject to variation and change. Not so with God! He is the Father of the heavenly lights, who is always light and does not change. He has an abiding interest in his children.”

Finally consider Hebrews 13:8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Jesus Christ embodies the same standard at all time as does the heavenly Father.

As we consider the world of men, standards change over time. God never changes in His character or in His truth. God’s unchanging standard gives us confidence as we go about our lives.

As we observe the weekly Sabbath, rejoice in God’s unchanging standard.

Gary Smith

Standardization

I’m currently reading a book entitled Popular Economics by Robert Tamny. He makes a number of interesting points about economics by using examples to which we can relate here in the 21st century: The Rolling Stones, Downton Abbey, and LeBron James. My goal in this week’s Sabbath thought is not to focus on celebrity illustrations about economics, but to focus on a topic that on the surface seems pretty insignificant. However, once you consider the topic, you will quickly see how fundamentally important it is.

The topic that is fundamentally important to life is: standardization.

The title of the author’s chapter on standardization is “A Floating Foot, Minute and Second Would Give You Ugly House, Burnt Wings, and Slow NFL Draft Picks.” His point in the chapter title is if there was no set standard measure for an inch, a foot, or a yard we would most certainly have “ugly houses”. Imagine if every carpenter measured based upon what he thought a foot should be? One carpenter measures a foot as thirteen inches, a second measures a foot as 8 inches, another sees it as 18 inches. The outcome would be construction that did not fit together to form a precise whole. In other words, we would have pretty ugly homes.

The other items mentioned “burnt wings” and “slow NFL Draft Picks” apply the importance of standard measurements to something as simple as preparing and cooking “Buffalo wings” or to how fast a potential NFL player can run and how high he can jump. Standardized measures, a cup or a tablespoon, or a second or an inch insure delicious wings or help an NFL team pick the best rookies for their team.

The author states, “A standardized minute, pound, and foot are essential to much that we do.” We count on a foot being a foot, a cup of liquid being a cup, and a pound being a pound.

The scriptures tell us that God is interested in standardization of all measures. Look at Deuteronomy 25:13-16, "You shall not have in your bag differing weights, a heavy and a light. You shall not have in your house differing measures, a large and a small. You shall have a perfect and just weight, a perfect and just measure, that your days may be lengthened in the land which the Lord your God is giving you. For all who do such things, all who behave unrighteously, are an abomination to the Lord your God.”

The point about honest weights and measures is also made in Leviticus 19:35-36, 'You shall do no injustice in judgment, in measurement of length, weight, or volume. You shall have honest scales, honest weights, an honest ephah, and an honest hin: I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt.”

Standardization is important to a well-functioning society where honesty prevails. When people can rely upon one another whether, business man or customer, it creates a system where people can be certain in all transactions from building a house to making a cake.

There is more to the subject of standardization. We will examine this subject once again, in the next Sabbath thought.

Enjoy the Sabbath day,

Gary Smith

Experts Predicting the Future Might As Well Be Picking Out of a Hat

In considering a topic for this week’s Sabbath Thought, a point made in Megan McArdle’s book, The Up Side of Down, sparked my interest.

In a chapter entitled “The Experimenters” she discusses experts and predictions. She discusses a study of experts in various fields who made predictions about a variety of events from the Cold War to Argentina’s Gross Domestic Product. The outcome of the study was surprise because the predictions of the “experts” missed the call. A non-expert could have done as well by picking out of a hat.

She says, “We think that experts do better than they actually do because we tend to remember their successes, but not their mistakes. That’s particularly true if their predictions are spectacular and bold. An economist who goes on television and says that it’s hard to know what the stock market will do is undoubtedly correct, but he will not be famous. One who predicts that it will soar to new heights and sees this prediction borne out will win renown as a prognosticator particularly if everyone else is predicting a bear market.”

Why don’t human experts get it right? Because stock markets, politics, and climate change are all hard to predict precisely. Why? They are hard to predict because they are all complex issues that have a multitude of variables that “experts” cannot fully assess.

One example of this complexity is in the 2016 presidential race. Who of the Republican and Democratic candidates will be president? Experts are predicting sure outcomes, but can they really assess all of the factors? Can they know what will sway the voters? Can they know the backroom deals that are done to infuse money into a particular campaign? Can they predict the voter fraud that can take place in crucial locations? Can they predict economic or societal issues that motivate the electorate? The bottom line in the human realm, it’s hard to predict many outcomes.

That predicting the future is hard doesn’t mean people don’t try. Predictors of the end of the age have repeatedly given this prediction a try.

One of those predictors was William Miller. Based upon Daniel 8:14, Miller became convinced that Christ would come 2300 years after the decree of Artaxerxes in 457 BC. Through his public lectures and publishing his ideas caused many others to become convinced of the timing. All these hopes were dashed when Christ did not return in 1844.

Coming forward in time, the Church of God felt strongly that the tribulation would begin in 1972 and that Christ would return in 1975. However, here we are in 2015 and obviously Christ did not return.

The bottom line is that we can all expertly predict or more actually know that Christ is coming again. We are reassured of this in the book of Acts, to name one passage, “Now when He had spoken these things, while they watched, He was taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight. And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as He went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel, who also said, "Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven." (Acts 1:9-11).

We know Christ is coming, but we don’t know the day or the hour. “Now learn this parable from the fig tree: When its branch has already become tender and puts forth leaves, you know that summer is near. So you also, when you see all these things, know that it is near — at the doors! Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all these things take place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away. But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only” (Matthew 24:32-36).

It is given to us to know that Christ is going to return. We are assured of that knowledge. And we are further assured of that coming by the Sabbath every seventh day.

Have an enjoyable Sabbath,

Gary Smith

We Are One, Overwhelmed and in Need of Rest

“What hath God wrought?” Those words were uttered by Samuel Morse in 1844 when the first telegraphic line was set up. The inventor of the telegraph saw the telegraph as a blessing from God.

The invention of the telegraph was a massive technological leap. Prior to the telegraph, communication and transportation were linked. Information was carried by people on foot, by horse, or ship. It took time to spread information. This linking had been the case from the time of the most ancient peoples to 1844.

With the invention of the telegraph, information could be transmitted in an instant by wire. For instance in rowing races held at Poughkeepsie, New York to determine the team that would go to the 1936 Olympics in Berlin, a man was ready at the telegraph to announce to the world the outcome of the races. Instant communication of this sort was viewed as miraculous at that time, but we being accustomed to seeing events around the world in real time see this as almost quaint.

“We are one!” recounted the poem “The Victory,” giving tribute to the telegraph’s inventor, Samuel Morse. Morse’s machine annihilated time and space by allowing information to be transmitted in seconds. Anticipating how the technology could produce a new “global village,” Morse wrote, “. . . the whole surface of this country would be channeled for those nerves which are diffuse, with great speed and thought, a knowledge of all that is occurring through the whole land; making, in fact, one neighborhood of the whole country.” Up until this time few people actually wanted or even needed to know all that was occurring in the land. Nevertheless, the telegraph invited a new type of public conversation that provided information with little or no context” (The Vanishing Word, by Arthur W. Hunt III, p.128).

“This was a new way of perceiving the world—taking it all in whole. Of course, one cannot take the whole world at one time. . . Information, then, became a commodity, a package of fragments and discontinuities of far-off worlds, made to be sold every single day as “news.”

Every day we receive news from all around the world on our TV’s, our radios, our computers, our cell phones, and our IPads. The challenge is there are times when it is overwhelming.

We can probably all remember 9/11/2001 as pictures of planes flying into the Twin Towers were broadcast to the world. It was shocking to see the planes crash into the building and smoke boil out of the building. Our horror was magnified as first one building collapsed and then the other. The event and the images greatly impacted America in 2001, but we are 14 years further along the road of history and there a new images that bombard us daily. Riots, beheadings, natural disasters, inventions, sports to name a few all come our way.

Communication and the images that accompany them flow without ceasing unless we choose to shut the flow off. Our ability to shut out the world from Friday sunset to Saturday at sunset is a precious blessing that God has given us. The Sabbath gives a chance to put “the news” that really matters into perspective. We know that the “news” that really matters is the Good News of the coming kingdom of God. Each Sabbath provides us a time to be refreshed with God’s truth so that as we venture back out into a technologically advanced world we can keep it all in the proper perspective.

Enjoy the Sabbath,

Gary Smith

What Kind of Leader Does Our Nation Need?

A thought we might consider this week comes in light of the Republican presidential debate held this week.

I was watching a discussion among voters who had volunteered to be a part of a group gathered by pollster, Frank Luntz. I was struck by what some voters had to say about the candidates and religion.

It was noted that one of those running for the highest office in the land appears to be quite religious. He allows his Christian religion to enter into his speech and to be reflected in the policies he would promote. The majority of the audience felt that it was unacceptable to mix politics and religion.

It was mentioned that one’s religion was to remain private and there was no need for a president to reflect his religion at all. In fact, it was said that religion was not really needed because of the inherent goodness of the American people.

My point in mentioning this is that if a president’s religion is to remain in private would it be a positive outcome for the nation?

Consider the fact that George Washington was notably religious. You cannot read his writings and not make note of that. He may not have had complete understanding of God and His great plan, but George Washington knew the importance of biblical morality, honesty, and integrity. He lived by many true principles and the nation was enhanced by it.

A second example is found in Abraham Lincoln. Lincoln was not the perfect Christian, but he reflected upon God, and sought to point the nation toward God as President during one
of the most trying times in history. What could be more religious than to call for a national day of prayer requesting that the God of the Bible would save the nation torn apart by war?

One only has to examine the great leaders of the Bible to note that the greatest leaders of the nation of Israel were those who were closest to God. They were not perfect leaders, but their example helped the nation of Israel stay on track during their time of rule. It’s interesting to note what happened to Israel upon the death of a faithful man leading the nation. The outcome was rarely good.

Does our nation need a leader who is a Christian? Does it need a leader who is faithful to God and the people he serves? Does not our nation need a leader who is a true servant? Do we need a leader who is truthful? We need a leader who is all of these things and more. If we had such a leader it would make a huge difference in our nation, but it seems doubtful that such a leader will be raised up at this time.

Thankfully, we know that the leader our nation and the world needs will assume His position as King of Kings and Lord of Lords with the sounding of the seventh trump. His rule will be based upon truth and righteousness. No one will question whether we should have a ruler who is religious. The fruits will be available for the whole world to see.

Happy Sabbath!

Gary Smith

The Boys in the Boat: Pain is Part and Parcel of the Deal

The Sabbath thought for this week is based upon a book recommendation at this year’s ministerial conference in Cincinnati. The book is entitled, The Boys in the Boat by Daniel James Brown. As it says on the cover of the book, it is about “nine Americans and their quest for gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics”.

The sport in which the men competed for Olympic gold was rowing. I don’t know much about rowing and to this point I have not had a lot of interest. But one cannot help but have an interest after getting into the book.

I was especially impressed with the rigors of rowing which are described in chapter three of the book. The following quotes help one to understand how exacting rowing is on a competitor.

“Competitive rowing is an undertaking of extraordinary beauty preceded by brutal punishment. Unlike most sports which draw primarily on particular muscle groups, rowing makes heavy and repeated use of virtually every muscle in the body, despite the fact that a rower….scrimmages on his posterior annex.” (p. 77, Thorndike Press Large Print Version).

“. . .Pound for pound, Olympic oarsmen may take in and process as much oxygen as a thoroughbred racehorse. This extraordinary rate of oxygen intake is of only so much value, it should be noted. While 75-80 percent of the energy a rower produces in a two-thousand-meter race is aerobic energy fueled by oxygen, races always begin, and usually end, with hard sprints. These sprints require levels of energy production that far exceed the body’s capacity to produce aerobic energy, regardless of oxygen intake. Instead, the body must immediately produce anaerobic energy. This, in turn, produces large quantities of lactic acid, and that acid rapidly builds up in the tissue of the muscles. The consequence is that the muscles often begin to scream in agony almost from the outset of the race and continue screaming until the very end.

“The common denominator in all these conditions—whether in the lungs, the muscles, or the bones—is overwhelming pain. And that is perhaps the first and most fundamental thing that all novice oarsmen must learn about competitive rowing in the upper echelons of the sport: that pain is part and parcel of the deal. It’s not a question of whether you will hurt, or of how much you will hurt; it’s a question of what will you do, and how well will you do it, while pain has her wanton way with you” (p. 77, Thorndike Press Large Print Version).

As I read this description, I thought who would take on such a painful challenge? Amazingly, there are men and women all across the country that are willing to compete in this demanding sport.

The question for all oarsmen is, “what will you do, and how well will you do it, while pain has her wanton way with you.” It is a pertinent question for all of us as God’s people as well.

Paul addresses this issue in 1 Corinthians 9. There he uses the Olympic type games that were common in his time to make his point. He speaks about running a race and he tells us in 1 Corinthians 9:24 to run so that we may obtain the prize.

We are all in a race to obtain the kingdom of God. At times, the race is intense and demanding just like rowing. The question we all have to answer is this, “What will we do and how well will we do it as the challenges of being a Christian intensify?”

It is a worthy consideration for us on the Sabbath day.

Gary Smith

God Is Always There

My subject for this week’s Sabbath Thought comes from an event that occurred on Sunday, July 12.

On that date a group of church members met at Haak Winery in Santa Fe, Texas for a winery tour and tasting. It was a most pleasant opportunity to get together with brethren in a social situation.

As the occasion came to a close we headed back home on Highway 6. About the time we arrived in Alvin, Texas my phone rang. On the line was a woman who was frantic. We had difficulty hearing the caller but eventually deduced that the lady had just arrived back in Houston from the Middle East and was requesting anointing for her son.

We also learned that her son had been in prison for eight months and just been released fairly recently. Upon his release he went back to taking drugs and had taken drugs and gotten behind the wheel of his car. Not being used to the amount of drugs taken, he suffered cardiac arrest and had an accident.

When rescuers arrived at the scene, they did not think that the driver of the vehicle had survived. But they got him out of the vehicle and transported him to the hospital. There he remained unresponsive for three days before his mother arrived.

The mother of this young man was not a member of the United Church of God, but a part of the many “Churches of God” that characterize this age of the Church. She also understood anointing and that God is capable of intervention to heal. She was applying God’s instruction in James 5:14-15, “Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven.”

We arrived at the hospital and met the mother and father. The mom was especially emotional because the prospects for her son’s recovery were not good.

I anointed the young man asking God to intervene in the situation and as I did so I could see his eyes open a bit. It seemed he was looking at me, but there was no recognition.

After speaking with the mother for a short time, we went home assuring the mother that we would be praying for her son’s healing. As we looked at the seriousness of the situation, we realized that without God’s direct intervention there was little hope. That realization is very hard for a parent to accept.

Interestingly, on Monday, we received a call from the mother in regard to this young man. She told us that the boy had awakened and had become responsive. The doctor was surprised by the outcome, but the nurse and the mother knew why the young man had taken a turn for the better. They knew that God in His mercy had intervened in this tragedy in order to give the youth another chance at life.

Why did God choose to intervene in this particular situation? We know, “for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust” (Matthew 5:45). We know God is gracious and He is merciful to all in many ways. It is not always clear why God chooses to intervene in one situation over another.

But we can be assured that when we go to God with our ailment through being anointed by an elder that God hears our prayer and considers our situation. He will then act in the way that is best for us as it relates to eternal life in the Kingdom of God.

We can take comfort in the fact that God is always there for us.

Happy Sabbath,

Gary Smith

Preaching the Gospel

As the Sabbath day arrives, I would like us to consider “the preaching of the Gospel.”

When Jesus began His ministry, He began to preach a particular message. Mark mentions this in Mark 1:14-15, “Now after John was put in prison, Jesus came to Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, and saying, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel."”

After His death and resurrection, Christ re-emphasized the work that the Apostles were to carry out, “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Amen (Matthew 28:19-20). Clearly the Apostles were to carry on the work that Christ began in Galilee. They were to preach the gospel message of the soon coming kingdom of Heaven. They were to make disciples, which can only be done by teaching the truths of the Bible. These verses emphasize repentance since one can only have their sins washed away in the waters of baptism upon repentance.

Did the Apostles preach the gospel? We only have to look at what happened on the day of Pentecost in 31 AD. Acts 2:38-41 “Then Peter said to them, "Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call." And with many other words he testified and exhorted them, saying, "Be saved from this perverse generation." Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them.”

The Gospel was preached. Disciples were added to the Church by God and congregations were established throughout the world. For a time, the Church of God enjoyed a relative freedom to preach the truths of the Bible and to meet the Roman Empire and beyond.

However, by the end of the 1^st Century, distortion of the truth and persecution upon the Church had begun. By 325 AD, with the decisions of the Council of Nicaea and Roman Emperor, Constantine, God’s people had to go into hiding for better than 1280 years. At the end of that time, the door was slowly opened for the Church to go forward to openly preach the Gospel.

For those of us associated with the Radio Church of God and its later manifestation, the Worldwide Church of God, we have lived in a remarkable time. A hundred years in which there has been relatively little suppression of the truth. It has been a time when the church could proclaim the Gospel to the world, over the airwaves, on TV, and in print. It has been an era in which the Church could meet in peace without fear of oppression.

On Friday, June 26, 2015, the Supreme Court decided a case legitimatizing something that is condemned by the scriptures. It opens the door for actions to be taken against those who wish to follow the scriptures.

Some questions:

• Will we be able to meet in peace while holding fast to the truth?
• Will we individually and collectively come under attack because our religious beliefs?
• Will we be able to hold jobs where we are forced to accept something we know to be in opposition to God’s way of life?
• Most fundamentally, can we continue to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ if we can no longer preach the message of repentance from dead works?

Pandora’s Box has been opened and there is no putting what has been unleashed back in the bottle.

Will we follow the Apostles admonition as we go forward in preaching the truth even if we are threatened and persecuted? Note what Peter and the other apostles said in response to the religious authorities seeking to suppress the truth, “We ought to obey God rather than men. The God of our fathers raised up Jesus whom you murdered by hanging on a tree. Him God has exalted to His right hand to be Prince and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. And we are His witnesses to these things, and so also is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey Him." (Acts 5:29-32).

How the future will unfold exactly is unknown, but all of God’s people must be aware that on June 26, 2015 we crossed a threshold that can only bring challenges for God’s people.

We especially need God’s protection, wisdom, and guidance as we journey on to the Kingdom of God.

Stay focused on the hope we receive every Sabbath day and may God hasten the reality that the Sabbath portrays.

Gary Smith

Why Doesn't God Intervene?

At present, I am reading through the Minor Prophets and just finished the book of Habakkuk. Habakkuk is a three chapter book that we can quickly read through without considering some important spiritual principles contained in the book. In this Sabbath Thought, I would like to bring out some of what we can glean from this prophetic book.

Because of conditions at the time the prophet lived, he questioned God. There were two main reasons why the prophet had questions for God. The reason for the first question is found in chapter one of the book, “O Lord, how long shall I cry, and You will not hear? Even cry out to You, "Violence!" and You will not save. Why do You show me iniquity, and cause me to see trouble? For plundering and violence are before me; there is strife, and contention arises. Therefore the law is powerless, and justice never goes forth. For the wicked surround the righteous; therefore perverse judgment proceeds” (Habakkuk 1:2-4). The observation: Judah is filled with sin and injustice. The question: Why don’t you intervene to stop it?

The second question arises because the Babylonian Empire is on the rise. The prophet noting this, can see that it is inevitable that Babylon will march against the nations of the Mediterranean coast. The prospect of Judah falling to Babylon is hard for the prophet to understand. His question: How can God allow Judah to fall prey to a cruel, idolatrous, and oppressive people?

Habakkuk was not unlike many people today who are troubled by the world around them. Seeing the evils and the accompanying suffering we wonder, “Why doesn’t God do something about all the problems of humanity?”

“Why doesn’t God intervene?” was a pertinent question in Habakkuk’s time and it is a relevant question for us living in the 21st century.

What is the answer to the prophet’s question? The answer is found in Habakkuk 2:4, “Behold the proud, his soul is not upright in him; but the just shall live by faith.” We see that the proud do not live by faith in God. They live apart from God following their own ways and desires. However, the follower of God lives by faith. He lives a life trusting in God that He will be with us no matter what, and in the end, He will answer our questions.

As the world unfolds before us in the years ahead, our consideration of what it means “to walk by faith” might very well make the difference in our holding fast to the end.

Gary Smith

Rain

Living in Houston, the topic of rain seems to be something worthy of consideration this Sabbath.

God is the one who sends or holds back the rain. Like Goldilocks and the Three Bears, there can be too much, too little, or it can be just right.

We can make note of the relationship between God, His people Israel, and rain in Deuteronomy 11. In that chapter Moses was inspired to describe the land God was giving to Israel and to contrast the land of promise with Egypt. Deuteronomy 11:10-12, “ For the land which you go to possess is not like the land of Egypt from which you have come, where you sowed your seed and watered it by foot, as a vegetable garden; but the land which you cross over to possess is a land of hills and valleys, which drinks water from the rain of heaven, a land for which the Lord your God cares; the eyes of the Lord your God are always on it, from the beginning of the year to the very end of the year.”

The land of Israel was not like the land of Egypt which could depend on the River Nile to flood its banks each year to replenish the soil, and to provide irrigation for its crops. The Egyptians saw the Nile as a “god” because it provided the water necessary for food production.

However, the land of Israel was a land with no great river flowing through it. Israel had to depend upon God to provide rain for the growing of crops. Deuteronomy 11 again tells us the criteria by which God would provide rainfall, “ 'And it shall be that if you earnestly obey My commandments which I command you today, to love the Lord your God and serve Him with all your heart and with all your soul, then I will give you the rain for your land in its season, the early rain and the latter rain, that you may gather in your grain, your new wine, and your oil. And I will send grass in your fields for your livestock, that you may eat and be filled.' Take heed to yourselves, lest your heart be deceived, and you turn aside and serve other gods and worship them, lest the Lord's anger be aroused against you, and He shut up the heavens so that there be no rain, and the land yield no produce, and you perish quickly from the good land which the Lord is giving you” (Deuteronomy 11:13-17).

Rain is a blessing from God when it falls at the right time and in the right amounts. Rain falling “on your land in its season, the early rain and the latter rain” insures the initial growth of crops and the latter rain insures that plants will mature and bear abundantly.

In Deuteronomy 11 it speaks of God shutting off the rain if Israel turned aside to idolatry and sin. Are we seeing God limiting rainfall in California because of sin? California has had periods of drought before, but is the lack of rainfall God shutting off the spigot or is it just a natural occurrence? Time will tell.

While Deuteronomy 11 does not speak of too much rain, we living Houston, are well aware of the destruction of too much rain. Ten to eleven inches of rain in a short span of time overwhelms the drainage, floods roadways and homes. The pictures of the destruction of the flooding are amazingly sad. Again is such abundance of rainfall God’s blessing?

As stated earlier, rain is to be a blessing. Several scriptures remind us of the blessing of rain.

Joel 2:23-24 points us to a future time when the people of Israel will rejoice in God, “Be glad then, you children of Zion, and rejoice in the Lord your God; for He has given you the former rain faithfully, and He will cause the rain to come down for you — the former rain, and the latter rain in the first month. The threshing floors shall be full of wheat, and the vats shall overflow with new wine and oil.” Israel and other nations by “rejoicing in the Lord your God” as opposed to being at enmity with Him (Romans 8:7) will be blessed with rain resulting in an abundance of grain, oil, and wine.
The prophet Zechariah foresaw a time when Israel and Judah will receive the latter rain and there will be plenty of grass for herds and flocks to prosper (Zechariah 10:1).

Finally, the Apostle James encouraged his audience with a most beautiful picture of rain that fits in with the Sabbath, “Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, waiting patiently for it until it receives the early and latter rain. You also be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand” (James 5:7-8).

It is likely that our world will be subjected to too much rain or a lack of rain, between now and the end of the age. But we know that God who controls the rain will one day bless all mankind with the early and latter rain. God will cause it to rain at just the right time and in the right amounts to provide abundance for all who rejoice in the Eternal.

Enjoy the Sabbath day,

Gary Smith

Pentecost

As this Saturday and Sunday will make up Pentecost weekend, it is only appropriate that we consider a subject concerning Pentecost.

When a person receives the Holy Spirit at the moment of repentance and baptism, what should happen?

There is the mistaken idea that once a person receives the Holy Spirit there should be an immediate display of the Holy Spirit.

The first time it was given, and a few subsequent times, there was a display of some of the special gifts that came with the initial giving of the Spirit. Acts 2 is an example.

“When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance” (Acts 2:1-4).

The sound of a mighty rushing wind was heard by people in the temple area. People heard the rushing wind and moved toward it. Tongues of fire were manifested at this time as well. Additionally, Peter and the other 11 apostles spoke in different known languages, and people heard them speaking in their own tongue.

This manifestation of the Holy Spirit was not the unintelligible and uncontrolled gibberish associated with Pentecostalism. Such demonstrations have nothing to do with God’s Holy Spirit.

Why this powerful manifestation of the Holy Spirit? This all happened to demonstrate to those in the temple on Pentecost that something very powerful was taking place. In fact, what was taking place had been prophesied in the book of Joel. Peter quotes from the book of Joel as he gives the first inspired sermon and states, “And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God,

“That I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your young men shall see visions, your old men shall dream dreams. And on My menservants and on My maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those days; and they shall prophesy. I will show wonders in heaven above and signs in the earth beneath: blood and fire and vapor of smoke. The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the coming of the great and awesome day of the Lord. And it shall come to pass that whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.'” (Acts 2:16-21)

As prophesied by Joel, God is beginning to pour out the Holy Spirit on all flesh. He is beginning His church. In time as the plan of God is worked out, there will come a time when the Holy Spirit will be truly poured out on all flesh.

The Bible records speaking in tongues occurred on three occasions to people when they received the Holy Spirit, and they were all given for essentially the same reason. It was a special sign that God was doing something different from the way He had worked with Israel. God was teaching them something they needed to know. God poured out His Spirit in this dramatic way to help His people see the direction He wanted them to go.

The second time the Holy Spirit was poured out was upon the House of Cornelius in Acts 10. This event occurred about 10 years after Pentecost in 31 AD. God was showing that He was going to now work with the Gentiles. The pouring out of the spirit and speaking in tongues showed those of the circumcision that God was now going to work in the Gentiles in the same way as He worked with the circumcision.

The third example of speaking in tongues upon being baptized occurs in Acts 19. In this example the Holy Spirit was given to the disciples of John who were re-baptized in the name of Jesus.

They only knew about of the baptism of John. They did not know of the baptism of Jesus, nor had they known of the Holy Spirit. When hands were laid on them, the Spirit poured out and they spoke with tongues to demonstrate that this was the right thing to do.

Interestingly, we find evidence of speaking in tongues in the Corinthian church, but we don’t have evidence that they were given this gift at baptism. Additionally, we find 3000 were baptized on Pentecost, but there is no indication of special outward signs given upon their receiving the Holy Spirit.

There were outward displays on these occasions. God was putting His approval on what was being done. The three occasions where people spoke in tongues upon receiving the Holy Spirit were only special instances

Some people look for something today. People expect an outward sign. When a person receives God’s Spirit, it is by faith, and there are no outward demonstrations that accompany it.

However, the Spirit has been given to the people of God to accomplish something truly awesome. We are given an inkling of the magnitude of God pouring out His Spirit in 2 Timothy 1:7. There Paul says, “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.”

Paul gives us something most worthwhile to consider as we keep the Sabbath and Holy Day of Pentecost.

Gary Smith

The Good Old Days Are Yet To Come

As those of us of an older generation look at world conditions, we also tend to look back. In looking back, we many times conclude that the days of yesteryear were better. We might refer to them as, “The good old days.” But we must ask, “Are the Good Old Days Really Good?”

Ecclesiastes 7:10 contains a thought often heard these days: “Do not say, ‘Why were the former days better than these?’ For you do not inquire wisely concerning this.” The times we live in are indeed becoming steadily more difficult. Christian values are consistently being attacked. Under such circumstances, a person is apt to say what Solomon warns us against saying. It is easy for us to let ourselves become “down.” But we need to be careful because discouragement is a child of impatience. In difficult situations, we want the trouble to pass quickly. However, be aware that in such times it is easy to allow one’s carnality to take the bribe of doing a “quick and dirty,” less-than-good job in order to make life less stressful and tiring.

To take a quick and easy approach is understandable these days because conditions in this nation give no sign of positive change. It seems that those governing us are delivering us into the hands of the nation’s enemies. Others who are illegally invading us are dragging us into the gutter, and at the same time, much of the nation’s wealth is flowing into the hands of the few. Jobs are becoming scarcer.

All of those things are indeed true to some degree, but we have to resist allowing this influence to get a firm grip on us, as it indicates that our focus is too much on carnal men and all their self-centered flaws rather than on what God is accomplishing to fulfill His promises. Yes, living is growing less comfortable, but He is telling us to look ahead and focus on what He will accomplish in the future. God wants us to evaluate honestly what we have received by virtue of His calling.

Consider an interesting aspect of the mindset of Abraham. Genesis 13:2 describes him as very rich in livestock, silver, and gold. Hebrews 11:10 reports that despite all that wealth, he looked for a city whose Builder is God. We know that Abraham was wealthy enough to put together an army of over 300 men, but in this way, God shows us what dominated his mind.

What lay in the future, not the present, motivated his life. Abraham bought no land to call his own, and Hebrews 11:9 records that this very wealthy man lived in tents. A tent is a symbol of temporariness, as well as lack of wealth and status. The wealthy live in solid homes; the poor live in tents because they can afford nothing better. Yet, Abraham was not merely wealthy, but very wealthy.

Abraham was certainly aware of the riches of the world around him. He came from Ur of the Chaldees, a very prosperous city. He visited Egypt, the world’s most powerful and wealthiest nation at that time. Pyramids cannot be built without wealth. Movies like The Ten Commandments attempt to depict the splendor. What Hebrews 11:9 does not say is that, all the while he lived in what appears to be a lowly status, he was heir of the world (Roman 4:13)! To a person of faith that means a great deal.

Some may perhaps mistakenly think that everybody lived in tents in Abraham’s time, so the way he lived was the way every wealthy person lived. This assumption leads one to conclude there is nothing unusual in the Bible pointing these things out. Not so. The way Abraham lived reflected where his heart was, a glimpse into his faith, vision, and humility. Archeologists have compiled and recorded a great deal of evidence about the time Abraham lived. The people of that day built fine houses and huge buildings. The cultures were highly developed, and their building projects were grand and extensive.

It has been said that the “good old days” are the result of bad memory and good imagination. We old folks have a proclivity to look back and say, “The old was better.” That is true sometimes. Solomon’s advice is trying to help us understand that, though we must look back to learn, the future must nonetheless dominate our minds. If one is looking over his shoulder while trying to move forward at the same time, he is likely either to crash into something, or to trip and fall over some impediment.

Jesus cautions in Luke 9:62, “No one, having put his hand to the plow and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.”

Solomon is urging us, the called, to move on with life and its problems by looking and working toward the future. The Sabbath urges us to focus upon the future when the “good old days” of this present age will be paled by the truly good days of God’s Kingdom.

Have a good Sabbath

Gary Smith

Regardless of Negative World Events, God's Plan Relentlessly Moves Forward

Most Sabbaths a bulletin is produced containing local announcements, the local calendar, and a Sabbath Thought. Most weeks the bulletin also contains news articles addressing current trends from around globe. The time and effort that goes into the bulletin is much appreciated.

In this week’s reflection for the Sabbath, I wanted to consider the current events portion of the bulletin. Consider some of the headlines:

ISIS HAS CAMPS ON THE U.S. BORDER, BUT OBAMA SAYS ‘RIGHT-WING EXTREMISTS’ ARE THE GREATEST TERROR THREAT

ISRAELI OFFICIALS: IRAN MASSIVELY RAMPING UP ARMING OF HEZBOLLAH IN PREPARATION FOR MAJOR ASSAULT ON ISRAEL

RUSSIA-IRAN MISSILE DEAL MAJOR THREAT TO MIDDLE EAST

DESPITE HIS ALL-OUT EFFORT TO DEFEAT ISLAMIC TERRORISM AND INSURGENCY, PRESIDENT SISI HAS YET TO ACHIEVE THE RESULTS NEEDED TO PREVENT THE COUNTRY SLIPPING BACK INTO ANARCHY AND CHAOS

THE EXTINCTION OF EASTERN CHRISTIANITY MAY FIGURE EUROPE’S OWN FUTURE

I cite these five headings, not because they stand out from others, but they are all similar in that not one of them is positive. Each one signals a negative trend in our world.

I know that there have been times when I have finished reading the weeks current events section, and the thought comes to mind, “What’s the point of going on? Every trend, every week is negative.” The reality is that our world is never going to be made right no matter what men do.

But the God who rules heaven and earth has the answers to the problems that plague mankind. It will take the direct intervention of Jesus Christ to bring malice and wickedness to an end.

Every Sabbath, we are reminded that our hope is not in this world but in the God who brought everything into being. He tells all people, "Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God. In it you shall do no work: you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates. 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). God wants us to take a full day to consider that there is a God who is working out a wonderful plan to bring many sons to glory (Hebrews 2:10).

God’s plan is working every day of every week. The working of the plan never stops or is thwarted. It relentlessly moves forward.

So as we consider the weekly news, most of which is “bad”, our Creator reminds us through the Sabbath that we are His creation, He loves us, and He has great plans for us. In fact the regularity of the Sabbath is a reminder of what, “He Himself has said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you." So we may boldly say: "The Lord is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?" (Hebrews 13:5-6)

Have a pleasant Sabbath,

Gary Smith

The Days of Unleavened Bread Are Over But Our Battle with Sin is Not

As the weekly Sabbath begins, the annual Sabbath, the Seventh Day of Unleavened Bread, has come to a close.

In hearkening back to two significant historical events that occurred on the Last Day of Unleavened Bread, we are reminded of a most important realization.

The first event that occurred on the Last Day of Unleavened Bread is Israel passing through the Red Sea. God opened the way for Israel to pass through an impassible physical barrier. They were under great pressure as the army of Pharaoh chomped at the bit to recapture the slave nation and return them to slavery. They had no time to come up with their own solution. They had to trust God to make a way for them to escape.

God did make a way for Israel to pass through the Red Sea, but was their journey complete? No, Israel had to continue to follow God on to the Promised Land.

We have renewed our covenant with God and have completed the Days of Unleavened Bread. But we like Israel have not reached the Promised Land. We must continue to follow Jesus Christ.

A second historical event occurring at the close of Unleavened Bread was the fall of Jericho. Israel had entered the land as God miraculously parted the waters of the Jordan. Israel encamped at Gilgal and it was there that all the males were circumcised as part of the covenant with God. They kept the Passover and then began the conquest of Jericho throughout the Days of Unleavened Bread. It was on the Seventh Day of Unleavened Bread that the walls collapsed and Israel conquered the city.

One city in the land of Canaan had fallen, but the conquest was far from complete. There were many more cities to conquer. We must realize that the conquest of sin is not complete in our lives either. As human beings, we are going to continually be battling sin. As Israel submitted to and followed God’s instructions in marching around Jericho, so we must continue to follow Christ until the conquest of sin is complete.

Our need to continue to follow Christ to the land of promise and to conquer sin is summarized beautifully by Paul in Philippians 3:12-14, “Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”

As the Sabbath begins, it is good for us to reflect on the fact that we have not yet attained and our need to continue to reach “forward to those things which are ahead.” We press on toward the conquest of sin and maturity of Jesus Christ. As God completes His work in us through Jesus Christ, we will receive the eternal inheritance.

Enjoy the Sabbath,

Gary Smith

Our World Needs Servants Who Will Follow Christ’s Example, Not More Lords

On Tuesday evening of Nisan 14, 31 A.D., Jesus sat down with His disciples to observe the Passover. “When the hour had come, He sat down, and the twelve apostles with Him. Then He said to them, "With fervent desire I have desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer; for I say to you, I will no longer eat of it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God” (Luke 22:14-16).

One part of the Passover service is found in John 13. There we find a most meaningful ceremony established. “And supper being ended, the devil having already put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, to betray Him, Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into His hands, and that He had come from God and was going to God, rose from supper and laid aside His garments, took a towel and girded Himself. After that, He poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples' feet, and to wipe them with the towel with which He was girded. . . . Jesus answered and said to him, "What I am doing you do not understand now, but you will know after this."

So when He had washed their feet, taken His garments, and sat down again, He said to them, "Do you know what I have done to you? You call Me Teacher and Lord, and you say well, for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet. For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you. Most assuredly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master; nor is he who is sent greater than he who sent him. If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them” (John 13:2-7, 12-17).

We might ask, “Why did Jesus wash the feet of His disciples on Passover evening? Why did He take the opportunity to give them an example of service?”

Luke recounts an incident of human nature on display even at the Passover itself. “Now there was also a dispute among them, as to which of them should be considered the greatest. And He said to them, "The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them, and those who exercise authority over them are called 'benefactors.' But not so among you; on the contrary, he who is greatest among you, let him be as the younger, and he who governs as he who serves. For who is greater, he who sits at the table, or he who serves? Is it not he who sits at the table? Yet I am among you as the One who serves” (Luke 22:24-27).

Christ settled the question of who is the greatest by showing them what a servant is all about. Surely those who were to become the Apostles of Christ were mortified when Christ, their teacher and master, washed their feet and explained that the greatest in the kingdom of God will be the one who serves.

We, who are members, participated in the footwashing ceremony on Thursday evening, and one of the great reminders of that ceremony is that we are to follow Christ’s example of service to all. Christ’s example of service reminds us we don’t need more lords who exercise authority over others. Our world needs servants who will follow Christ’s example and show what true greatness is all about.

Have most pleasant Sabbath, the first day of Unleavened Bread,

Gary Smith

The Lamb of God

As the Sabbath comes upon this week, we are a little less than a week from the Passover. It is a time for us to consider our Savior, Jesus Christ. The Bible reveals a great deal about the one who became God in the flesh and died on behalf of all mankind.

One description of Jesus Christ is given to us by John the Baptist. In John 1:29, we see John clearly recognized who Jesus was, “The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, "Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!”” A day later as they were walking along, he makes the same point to two of his own disciples, “Behold the Lamb of God!”

John was not making an idle statement. He was declaring something of great significance for the people of his time. The Apostle John recorded this declaration because it is still a most significant point for all of us living two thousand years later.

Declaring that Jesus was the Lamb of God points to the promises that had been made from the foundation of the world (Revelation 13:8). The significance of the Lamb of God continues to be emphasized in the New Testament especially in the book of Revelation.

It is significant that Christ came as a lamb and not a lion, leopard, bear or other wild predator. He came into the world as a lamb, an animal whose only defense is to flee in the face of attack. Jesus knew from early on in His life that He was the Lamb of God who was to be the ultimate offering for sin. He knew He was to die for the sins of all mankind. We all know that at some point we are to die, but none of us carry the weight knowing for certain we will die a humiliating and excruciating death.

The church deacon, Philip was inspired by God’s Spirit to travel down the road leading from Jerusalem southward toward Gaza. As Philip traveled along, an Ethiopian eunuch was traveling along in a chariot, returning home from worshiping in Jerusalem. Philip encountered this man as he was reading in the book of Isaiah.

This encounter is addressed in the book of Acts, “So Philip ran to him, and heard him reading the prophet Isaiah, and said, "Do you understand what you are reading?" And he said, "How can I, unless someone guides me?" And he asked Philip to come up and sit with him. The place in the Scripture which he read was this:

"He was led as a sheep to the slaughter; and as a lamb before its shearer is silent, so He opened not His mouth. In His humiliation His justice was taken away, and who will declare His generation? For His life is taken from the earth."

So the eunuch answered Philip and said, "I ask you, of whom does the prophet say this, of himself or of some other man?" Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning at this Scripture, preached Jesus to him” (Acts 8:30-35).

The quote above is found in Isaiah 53 and in the whole context of the Messiah to come it speaks of him as a “sheep” or “lamb” who is to be slaughtered. It’s hard not to see a correlation between the “sheep” of Isaiah, the declaration concerning “the Lamb of God” and Jesus Christ.

I would like to bring this Sabbath thought to a close by considering two passages recorded for us by the Apostle Peter. In both quotes, we can see that Peter ties Jesus Christ in with “the Lamb of God.”

1 Peter 1:17-21 And if you call on the Father, who without partiality judges according to each one's work, conduct yourselves throughout the time of your stay here in fear; knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot. He indeed was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you who through Him believe in God, who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.

Clearly, Christ was our Passover sacrificed for us (1 Corinthians 5:7).

1 Peter 2:21-25 For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps: "Who committed no sin, nor was deceit found in His mouth"; who, when He was reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously; who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness — by whose stripes you were healed. For you were like sheep going astray, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.”

Without a doubt, Peter ties Jesus to Isaiah 53 which is a prophecy concerning the coming of the Lamb of God.

Jesus was “the Lamb of God.” He came as a lamb and died as “the” Passover lamb for our sins.

What is especially beautiful is that He lived as a lamb and died on our behalf. From that experience, Christ now serves as “the Shepherd and Overseer” of our souls. Who could be more qualified to be our Shepherd than one who experienced being a lamb?

Have a great Sabbath,

Gary Smith

There Is A Way That Seems Right To A Man

As we look at the present world, we can see that it is filled with problems: hunger, ignorance, poverty, sickness, disease, hatred, violence, and war to name a few.

Everyday mankind struggles with these various problems, but men only seem to make limited, if any progress, with the myriad problems. Sadly, this is not a condition that is recent in origin. The problems we face trace all the way back to the first man and woman, Adam and Eve.

Adam and Eve received clear instruction from God on how to live. God told them, “And the Lord God commanded the man saying, of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.” (Genesis 2:16-17)

God gave man a choice. To walk humbly before God by eating of the tree of life, or to walk in a way contrary to God by eating of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Regrettably, Adam and Eve chose what the book of Proverbs describes as the foolish path. They chose the way that seems right to a man (Proverbs 16:25), and the end result of that path is death.

Death is the ultimate consequence of choosing to live a life apart from God. In the meantime, what impact did the choice of Adam and Eve have? “Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned” (Romans 5:12). In other words, Adam set the pattern of sin and all of his descendants have followed that same path.

Sadly, mankind is going to continue to follow the way that seems right in their own eyes, and the problems we face on this earth will not be resolved.

However, as the Sabbath approaches, we might consider that God in His mercy has opened our minds to see that there is a better way. It is not the way that seems right to a man, but it is the way that seems right to God. “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction.”

One cannot gain knowledge of spiritual things if he begins at the wrong point, refusing to fear the Lord (i.e., to recognize God's character and respond by revering, trusting, worshiping, obeying, and serving Him).

The outcome of the fear of the Lord is described throughout the book of Proverbs, but the introductory verses give us a foretaste of what we can learn with the fear of the Lord as our foundation. “To know wisdom and instruction, to perceive the words of understanding, to receive the instruction of wisdom, justice, judgment, and equity; to give prudence to the simple, to the young man knowledge and discretion — A wise man will hear and increase learning, and a man of understanding will attain wise counsel” (Proverbs 1:2-5).

What a difference it will make once man learns that it is only through the fear of the Lord, and the application of God’s truths, that all these problems that plague mankind will be eradicated one by one.

Each Sabbath is a reminder that a world in which the “fear of the Lord” is foundational is sure to come.

Enjoy the Sabbath day,

Gary Smith

Mardi Gras - An Excuse for "Christians" to Sink Into Drunken Debauchery?

Being out and about this week, I was oblivious to two significant events going on in the Christian world. As a result of going to Galveston to take care of some Feast of Tabernacles business, I became aware that Tuesday, February 17, 2015 was a big day for both Christians and non-Christians. Galveston was in the midst Mardi Gras festivities.

I was reminded of the second significant Christian observance when I came into contact with individuals who had a cross marked on their foreheads with black ashes. This cross on the forehead marked Ash Wednesday and the beginning of Lent.

For many, the words Mardi Gras conjure up all sorts of images in our minds. We think of parades, floats, masquerades, balls, beads, doubloons, parties, king cake and revelry. New Orleans promotes it as “the greatest free show on earth”, and it is considered by most to be a good wholesome time of frolicking and fun.

Most people think that Mardi Gras came to us from the French, and that its history dates back only a century or so (The first “REX” parade in New Orleans was held in 1872). There are also accounts of some sort of Mardi Gras celebrations dating back to the early 1700’s (though those celebrations were little more than drunken brawls).

In actuality, the Mardi Gras celebration originated in the pagan pre-Christian celebrations of spring. Ancient Greeks would sacrifice a goat, cut its hide into strips and run naked through the fields while their pagan priests lashed them with the goat-hide strips. This was a part of their spring fertility rite to insure a productive harvest for their fields and increase the fertility of their flocks and women. The custom was degenerate, even by pagan standards, being a time of lewdness, immorality, drunkenness and revelry and was associated with the worship of the Greek god “Pan”.

“Pan”, besides being the Greek god of fields and pastures, was even more closely associated with cattle, flocks and herds than with agriculture. He was a fertility god and therefore always represented as crude, wanton, and lustful. He took the form of half goat and half man, having the legs, ears, and horns of a goat (the goat is the ancient symbol of Satan), but the torso, arms and face of a man.

The Romans, also thoroughly enjoyed this Greek festival. It was held each year in Rome during mid-February.

One writer says of this predecessor to our modern Mardi Gras: “It became known as “Lupercalia”, after the grotto on the Palatine hill where the festivals of the god PAN were held. The Roman aristocracy of the time preferred debauchery and licentiousness to legality and morality. Men donned women’s clothing, the better to abandon themselves to orgy; thus the masquerade tradition began.” (Errol Laborde, MARDI GRAS! Picayune Press, N.O.LA. p.33).

Another writes: “Most scholars see a relationship between present day Mardi Gras and the ancient tribal rituals of fertility that welcomed the arrival of spring. A possible ancestor of the celebration is the Lupercalis, a circus-like orgy held in mid-February in Rome.” (Arthur Hardy, NEW ORLEANS MARDI GRAS GUIDE, 1982 ed. p.9).

Obviously, the celebration was totally licentious. Though it is mistakenly believed that our present Mardi Gras celebration is of more recent descent, sociologists and historians trace the present celebration directly to these obscene pagan spring fertility rites. Of course, most of the elements attending the ancient pagan celebration: (i.e., the drunkenness, lewdness, men-masquerading-as-women, obscenity, nudity, etc.,) have survived and are still very much a part of the present Mardi Gras celebration.

Mardi Gras is the last chance for Christians to eat, drink, and revel before Lent begins with Ash Wednesday and the marking of the forehead. With the beginning of the Lenten season Christians are to fast (abstain from chosen item) for forty days.

It is hard to believe that a festive occasion characterized by eating, drinking, and debauchery can be considered Christian, but in a world under Satan’s sway it is not a problem.

What were your thoughts on Tuesday and Wednesday? Were they upon Mardi Gras and Ash Wednesday?

Or were your thoughts upon those things that are biblical? More specifically, have we begun to think of the Passover? Have we begin to focus upon examining ourselves in order to be prepared to renew our covenant in the Passover ceremony described in 1 Corinthians 11 and John 13?

We are blessed to be able to know the truths of the Bible concerning the Passover and the Days of Unleavened. God’s festival plan will begin to unfold in just a few weeks. The coming festivals give us significant things to consider in the weeks ahead.

Perhaps we can use the Sabbath as time to study and consider the magnitude of the sacrifice of our Savior and be renewed in our commitment to God the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ.

Gary Smith

Then You Shall Delight Yourself in the Lord

Over the last three weeks, we have been considering God’s instruction concerning keeping the Sabbath as laid out for us by the prophet Isaiah.

God inspired Isaiah to tell us that we must honor God in our approach to the Sabbath. We keep the Sabbath holy as we avoid doing our own ways, finding our own pleasure, or speaking our own words. This approach to the Sabbath requires us to change our approach to life. We must put God first, instead of ourselves, and focus our thoughts and deeds on keeping the Sabbath holy.

Keeping the Sabbath as God instructs goes against our natural inclinations and it most assuredly goes against the direction the world is going. We must make choices in regard to what is most important in our lives.

Here are few examples to consider. On the Sabbath, should we devote extra time to prayer, or should we work on the house project that needs doing? Should we take extra time to diligently study God’s word, or should we tune into a TV program we like on Friday night. After all, watching TV is relaxing, isn’t it? On the Sabbath should we meditate on the things we have been studying in the Bible, or should we think about the work week ahead? On the Sabbath should we go to church services, or should we rest up from a hard week at work? After all, can’t we just listen to a sermon online or tune in to the cybercast?

It is true that to keep the Sabbath we must deny ourselves. But is that denial of self all that significant when we consider what God offers us?

Isaiah 58:14 describes the impact of our taking seriously God’s instruction concerning the keeping of the Sabbath. Verse 14 says, “Then you shall delight yourself in the Lord; and I will cause you to ride on the high hills of the earth, and feed you with the heritage of Jacob your father. The mouth of the Lord has spoken.”

Let’s consider a few points in verse 14. “Then” tells us that if we implement God’s instructions in verse 13 there will be a most positive result. The most significant result of living by Isaiah 58:13 is that we will delight ourselves in the Lord. In other words, we will find pleasure in God, His truth, and His way of life.

Not only will we take delight in the Lord, but there are also specific rewards that will come our way. I think Deuteronomy 32:9-12 offers us some insight into what God offers the Sabbath keeper, “For the Lord's portion is His people; Jacob is the place of His inheritance. He found him in a desert land and in the wasteland, a howling wilderness. He encircled him; He instructed him; He kept him as the apple of His eye. As an eagle stirs up its nest, hovers over its young, spreading out its wings, taking them up, carrying them on its wings. So the Lord alone led him, and there was no foreign god with him.” Figuratively speaking, God offers us the physical blessings of Jacob now and the spiritual blessings of Jacob in the future.

Is it worth keeping the Sabbath holy? Only if we truly want to honor God and to enjoy the blessings God only offers to those who honor Him by keeping the Sabbath.

Gary Smith