Sabbath – Fundamental Belief 20

The beneficent Creator, after the six days of Creation, rested on the seventh day and instituted the Sabbath for all people as a memorial of Creation. The fourth commandment of God’s unchangeable law requires the observance of this seventh-day Sabbath as the day of rest, worship, and ministry in harmony with the teaching and practice of Jesus, the Lord of the Sabbath. The Sabbath is a day of delightful communion with God and one another. It is a symbol of our redemption in Christ, a sign of our sanctification, a token of our allegiance, and a foretaste of our eternal future in God’s kingdom. The Sabbath is God’s perpetual sign of His eternal covenant between Him and His people. Joyful observance of this holy time from evening to evening, sunset to sunset, is a celebration of God’s creative and redemptive acts. (Gen. 2:1-3; Ex. 20:8-11; Luke 4:16; Isa. 56:5, 6; 58:13, 14; Matt. 12:1-12; Ex. 31:13-17; Eze. 20:12, 20; Deut. 5:12-15; Heb. 4:1-11; Lev. 23:32; Mark 1:32.)

The Sabbath In Light of The Cross

Copy NE Church

“The sacrifice of Christ as an atonement for sin is the great truth around which all other truths cluster. In order to be rightly understood and appreciated, every truth in the Word of God, from Genesis to Revelation, must be studied in the light that streams from the cross of Calvary. I present before you … Continue reading –>

Preparation Day – the Other Forgotten Day

RB5c

Friday evenings always bring fond memories of Sabbaths at home when I was a kid. We always had our Friday rituals even though they changed from time to time. We would play family games, or go on drives when I was little. Later, I remember we would get all the chores and baths done and … Continue reading –>

Sabbath: Holy Ground

GoodSalt.com-wjpas0363

How many hours of sleep do you get on an average night? Do you get the full eight, or do you feel lucky to get five? How many hours a week do you work (for pay)? How many more do you work at home? Do you ever feel really rested? I heard someone remembering being … Continue reading –>

The Sabbath; A Sign of Grace and Holiness

brightlight

“Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them.  And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made. And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it … Continue reading –>

The Origin of the Sabbath and the 7-Day Week

seven-days2

Many, even among those who call themselves Adventists, question the true origin of the Sabbath and of the 7-day weekly cycle. Of course, the Bible claims that God instituted both during the Creation Week described in Genesis. However, critics of the biblical account claim that the seven-day week was actually invented by the Assyrians, or … Continue reading –>

The “Perfect” Debate
avatar

Image © Krieg Barrie from GoodSalt.com

In Christ’s day in Palestine, you could start a heated debate in the church by just saying the word “resurrection.” Today you can accomplish the same thing during fellowship lunch by just casually using the word “perfect.” In my 47 years of being an Adventist I have observed something ironic. I have met people who … Continue reading –>

Unforgivable
avatar

http://www.goodsalt.com/details/epcas0321.html?r=ssnet

Does anybody remember the call-in radio show with Dr. Laura? For a while, Laura Schlessinger had a very popular radio advice program where she told people exactly what she thought about their behavior and how they should fix themselves. She often didn’t let the caller get to the actual question before she started telling them … Continue reading –>

Further Study: Trusting God’s Goodness
avatar

future_study

Read the following comments and discuss how they help us to understand better Habakkuk’s messages. “There is an answer to Habakkuk’s question. It is an answer, not in terms of thought, but in terms of events. God’s answer will happen, but it cannot be spelled out in words. The answer will surely come; ‘if it … Continue reading –>

08: Trusting God’s Goodness – Thought Starters
avatar

green-question-question-mark

“For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea.” Habakkuk 2:14 NASB [Thought Questions for Trusting God's Goodness May 22, 2013] 1. Filled with God’s knowledge. Remember reading a few weeks ago about the time in the future when people will be gnashing … Continue reading –>

Wednesday: Remembering God’s Fame
avatar

Image © Janet Hyun from GoodSalt.com

Read Habakkuk 3. What is Habakkuk doing there, and why is that so important, especially given the tough circumstances and difficult questions he is facing? Habakkuk expresses his acceptance of God’s ways in a prayer set to music (Hab. 3:19). Being fully aware of God’s power, he asks the Lord to remember His mercy when the … Continue reading –>

08: Trusting God’s Goodness – Teaching Plan
avatar

gless08

Key Thought : We may not understand why tragedy happens, or injustice, violence, and evil; but we can trust God through it all. [Teaching plan for Trusting God's Goodness May 20, 2013] 1. Have a volunteer read Habakkuk 1:2-5 A. Ask class members to share a short thought on what the main idea of this … Continue reading –>

Tuesday: For the Earth Shall Be Filled
avatar

Image © Bill Osborne from GoodSalt.com

God’s answer to Habakkuk’s question in Habakkuk 1:17, as recorded in chapter 2, continues in the form of a song that mocks the proud oppressor. No less than five woes (Hab. 2:6, 9, 12, 15, 19) affirm the message that Babylon’s doom is sealed. The punishment on the enemy will be in accordance with the “measure for measure” principle. What … Continue reading –>

Monday: Living by Faith
avatar

Image © Rolf Jansson from GoodSalt.com

In Habakkuk 1:12-17, God’s answer to Habakkuk’s questions poses an even more vexing question: can a righteous God use the wicked to punish those who are more righteous than they? Habakkuk’s question in verse 17 had to do with divine justice. Habakkuk was puzzled, not only by the degeneration of his own people but also by the certainty … Continue reading –>

Sabbath: Trusting God’s Goodness
avatar

gless08

Read for This Week’s Study: Hab. 1:1-17, 2:2-4, Gal. 3:11, Heb. 11:1-13, Habakkuk 3, Phil. 4:11. Memory Text: “‘For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea’” (Habakkuk 2:14, NASB). Key Thought: We may not understand always why tragedy happens, but we can trust God, no matter what.May not understand always why … Continue reading –>

07: God’s Special People – Thought Starters
avatar

green-question-question-mark

“He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?” (Micah 6:8).   [Thought questions for God's Special People May 15, 2013] 1. Destructive judgment. Why were the prophets so distressed about the … Continue reading –>