Keep holy the Sabbath Day. . .WHENEVER it is!
I just ran across an article on WorldNetDaily.com written by Joe Kovacs, executive news editor for WorldNetDaily.com.
It had as its heading, with the words “Breaking News” flashing alongside:
SABBATH VS. SUNDAY: THE REST OF THE STORY
WorldNetDaily Exclusive‘Deception’: Christians
war over worship day
Centuries-old clash continues
over disputed commandment
–WND
I decided to drop a line to Joe. I thought my response might serve as a blessing to a few people. Here it is:
Dear Joe,
While reading your interesting article regarding “the Sabbath,” one thing stood out
like a sore thumb, i.e, how many times in your article references were made to
“worship day” and “Sunday (or Saturday) observance, “church services” and the like.”
We Westerners, with all our shrinking, socially irrelevant denominations, apparently,
have WAY too much time on our hands. While the persecuted Church suffers and
grows, many of whose leaders I am personally mentoring by eMail and to whose
congregations I have preached through interpreters via the telephone, we Americans
have time to argue about what day to hold services.
We should take our cue from that segment of Christianity where “The Church” is
actually growing. Too logical, I guess. Note that, throughout history, it’s usually
under persecution when phenomenal growth occurs.
Truth is, Joe, there’s a move of God taking place in America right now. It’s being
called “the House Church movement” with an estimated 43 million adherents each
month, people whose desire is to return to early New Testament Christianity.
These are people who no longer GO to Church; they ARE The Church. Though
some within their ranks may continue attending church services, by and large,
these are people who are willing to share their lives with other believers, not
merely for an hour on Sunday while staring at the back of one another’s heads
(show me THAT example in Scripture…it’s not there!). As early as this morning,
a Texas woman wrote me saying, “I still love God with all my heart….I just can’t
“do church” like this any more.”
I get messages like that all the time.
These House Church people are putting their money where their doctrine is, no
longer tithing to pay overhead costs for a corporation housed in a usually-empty
edifice. Instead, they’re sowing into people’s lives, many of which have great
resources available with which to help a Member whose car is broken down - or
a non-Christian coworker whose having some financial troubles.
By the way they’re infiltrating the workplace, too, a place we spend up to 70%
of our lives (I’m a Workplace Chaplain myself, paid to go into the workplace
and bring “The Church” to the people).
When do these House Churchers meet? Most would probably say “Sunday” though
my own group meets on Wednesday and Thursday. Frankly, because we believe
we ARE The Church, any time we meet is a meeting of “The Church.”
What are our gatherings like?
Think family reunion.
Think Christmas morning.
Think friends gathering at a restaurant or going to a concert, being “The Church”
everywhere they go, ever on the look-out for people to love and minister to. Think
of a bunch of people becoming a family and, in the process, becoming a warring clan.
We war in prayer.
We war with love.
We are willing to leave the meeting, jump in our cars and head to the side of a
sick Member in a New York minute.
In effect, our Sabbath Day - our day of rest - is EVERY day. We find our peace in
Jesus.
I was disappointed at the comments made by the “professors” and “experts” that you
interviewed on this subject. As Jesus said, “They err because they do not know the Scriptures.”
The apostle Paul tells us in Romans 14: “One person considers one day more sacred than
another; another person considers every day alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his
own mind.”
In Colossians 2: 16,17, he also taught us not to be legalistic about sabbaths: ” Therefore, let no one
pass judgement on you in questions of food and drink or with regard to a festival or a new moon
or a sabbath. These are only a shadow of what is to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ. “
The reality is Jesus Christ. It’s all about an intimate relationship with God through Him - not about
acts of righteousness performed in His Name in a holy building by holy people while spectators
look on.
What’s my Sabbath day? Today! For Scripture declares, “This is the day the Lord has made, I will
rejoice and be glad in it,” (Psalm 118:24).
Yes, Joe, the true meaning of the Sabbath is found only in Him, and the meaning is this: through
Jesus Christ, we are set free from having to obey Old Testament laws and serve other people as slaves.
There’s nothing we must do to gain God’s acceptance and nothing we can do to fall out of His favor.
We are His children, not slaves. May we all enter into a Sabbath-relationship with God…a place
where our “day of rest” is found through the intimacy of relationship with Him at ALL times.
How else can we find the strength to “Rejoice in the Lord Always,” as Paul while he was “in chains”?
By the way, I once had an article posted on WND’s site, submitted upon the urgings of a friend,
Author/Speaker Jim Rutz. You can read it here.
Every blessing,
Michael Tummillo
Workplace Chaplain
March 23rd, 2008 at 10:15 am
Hallelujah!! Thanks Michael for glorifing Jesus through His Word. As christians, worship and praise of our Lord and God is to be a way of life. In all we do, we are to honour Him each and EVERY day that He Blesses us with life.