By Michael Tummillo Regarding my own House Church gatherings, I get asked from time to time, "Does your House Church meet on Sunday?" Actually, no. In fact, 99% of the time, the house church I belong to does NOT meet on Sunday. However, considering that we ARE the Church - the ekklesia, the "called out ones" - we meet ALL the time. We might take in a movie with some friends, go to dinner, watch a ball game. Whatever we do, we ARE the Church. We will ALWAYS be the Church so, who knows where we might find ourselves? We just might even accidentally get together with Christian brothers and sisters on a Sunday, too. Today - on Sunday afternoon - I'm with my wife and, very shortly, I will join her staining wood in our new addition. We will be "being the Church" again just as we were yesterday in Dallas at a conference that lasted from 10am to 6pm. A few of us had Mexican food afterward and were The Church there as well as in the van all the way home for two hours. Ah, such freedom in Christ we have! Are we "forsaking the assembling of ourselves together" (Heb 10:25)? Hardly. We are two or more with Jesus in our midst, carrying within us the very Spirit that raised Him from the dead. Frankly, all by myself, I'm never NOT the ekklessia. The Kingdom is not a place; it's the dominion of a person. That person dwells within me. And you. Paul asked the Galatians, "But now after you have known Godhow is it that you turn again to the weak and beggarly elements, to which you desire again to be in bondage?" (Gal. 4:9). What was the evidence of their "turning again"? Paul accused them of "observ[ing] days and months and seasons and years" (Gal. 4:10). Likewise, circumcision was another source of contention. Paul wrote, "You have become estranged from Christ, you who attempt to be justified by law; you are fallen from grace" (Gal. 5:4). In other words, they were trying to be justified by keeping the laws as is man's nature. Paul addressed this with the Roman Christians as well and dealt with such issues as eating meat versus vegetarian diets. Regarding the Sabbath question, he wrote, "One person esteems one day above another; another esteems every day alike. Let each be fully convinced in his own mind. He who observes the day, observes it to the Lord; and he who does not observe the day, to the Lord he does not observe it" (Rom. 14:56). Under the new covenant, Believers are now free to observe, or not observe, the Sabbath according to their consciences. We are NOT free to judge each other in this regard (verse 10). "THIS is the day that the Lord has made; I will rejoice and be glad in it" (Ps 118:24). We must bear in mind that such legalism does not line up with the teachings of Christ or any of the Gospel writers. You have read that "There is therefore now no condemnation from those who are in Christ Jesus" (Romans 8:1). You have read also that, "all things are permissible but not all things are beneficial" (I Cor 6:12;10:23)For those who think these verses imply that it's Ok to go on sinning because of God's grace, you've also read "God is not mocked. A man will reap as he sows." (Gal 6:7). Though nothing can separate us from the love of God (Rom 8:35-39), we WILL reap as we sow. Frankly, even if breaking the Sabbath WERE a sin, it would be a sin no greater than lying, gossip, lusting, fear, doubt, or a lack of faith. In man's attempts to compare ourselves with ourselves (2 Cor 10:12), Sabbath-keeping is used as a unit of measurement; a deceptive standard of a person's goodness and a means for classifying the heathen among us. We forget that "there is none good but God" (Ps 14:1;53:1) and that "our righteousness is filthy rags" (Is 64;6). So, has God erased the command about keeping the Sabbath? Yes, He has. With His new and better covenant (Heb 8:6), once ratified by the shedding of the Blood of Jesus, ALL the debts have been paid. All our feeblest attempts at holiness, righteousness, goodness and rule-keeping have been fulfilled as we are now seen as "the righteousness of God in Christ" (I Cor 1:30). In many ways God has changed His commands and laws. Our failure to grasp the concept that God has, in many respects, revised His commands, has created confusion as we interpret the Scriptures. Too frequently, we attempt to channel the things of God through our carnal, Adamic nature, placing all the emphasis on our own ability to keep rules, make the grade, or do better than the next guy. How can humans, so engrained in a world that rewards the best - from gold star book reports to Olympic Gold Medals - easily grasp the concept that our best will NEVER be good enough and that somebody ELSE had to do all the work because we were simply too incapable, even with the most noble of efforts? LET THEM EAT MEAT! Does God change His laws? Certainly! A clear illustration can be found in regard to the eating of meat. God gave Adam and Eve a vegetarian diet (Gen. 2:16-17). Prior to the fall, we do not read of Adam and Eve eating meat. After the Fall, they were commanded to sacrifice animals. Mmmmmmm...bar-b-que! You think they nibbled on some of that delicious meat, its splendid aroma filling the air? I would have! Later, under the law of Moses, the one offering the animal sacrifices WAS allowed to partake of certain of sacrifices, such as the peace offering (Lev. 7:1118). After the flood, people were meat-eaters. God declared, "Every moving thing that lives shall be food for you. I have given you all things, even as the green herbs" (Gen. 9:3). His only restriction was that the blood not be consumed with the meat (Gen. 9:4). I guess everything had to be cooked well-done? Oh, no! Another law to keep! So much for having that steak medium rare. Is prime rib now out of the question! I'm kidding, of course but share this example to show a revision that God instituted in one of His initial laws. When things changed, God did a new thing. Pretty simple. The Jews were at Sinai were given dietary restrictions by God (Lev. 11) when He distinguished between clean and unclean animals (sorry, shrimp lovers). The point is not that God declared some animals clean and others unclean - Noah had taken both clean and unclean animals onto the ark in Genesis 7:2. The point is that God restricted the eating habits of the Jews - and ONLY the Jews - to a specific diet at that moment and with reasons. The diet of ALL mankind was unrestricted prior to that time, according to Genesis 9:34. After the cross, all such Jewish dietary regulations were abolished. This is clearly revealed in Peters vision (Acts 10:916, 28; 11:510) and in Pauls epistles (Rom. 14:23; Col. 2:16; 1 Tim. 4:35). Likewise, the Sabbath is no longer binding on Christians (Col. 2:16). Christ has set us free from the law of sin and death. HOLY DAYS GONE BYE BYE. Yes, we are released from keeping holy the Sabbath. His blood on the cross abolished all the Mosaic ordinances, including the Sabbath commandment. Ever notice that only nine of the Ten Commandments are repeated in the New Testament? That's because the fourth commandment was part of the Jewish law which Paul referred to as "the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us" (Col. 2:14). The moral standards in the other nine commandments regarding worshiping other gods and idols, taking Gods name in vain, dishonoring parents, murdering, committing adultery, stealing, lying, and coveting remain in effect because they reflect the character of God and, as such, are timeless. The expression of these moral standards in the form of the Ten Commandments, however, was not timeless. Paul clearly stated that Christ took this "handwriting of requirements" and "nailed it to the cross" (Col. 2:14). The result could not be clearer. In Colossians 2:16, Paul writes, ""Therefore, let no one judge you in food or in drink." That statement is based on the fact that the shed blood of Jesus canceled the debt, those Old Testament regulations that had burdened the Jews for centuries. Those regulations were instantly abolished. Pork is now as lawful as beef, chicken, or fish. Even meats offered to idols were suddenly not prohibited, unless eating such food might cause a weaker brothers conscience to stumble (1 Cor. 8:49). In verse 16, Paul added that no one can judge you "regarding a festival or a new moon or Sabbaths." Why? Because Jesus Christ abolished those observances, which were mere shadows, whereas Jesus Himself is the substance; the body that creates the shadow. This verse 16 reference to the yearly festivals like Passover, Pentecost, and Tabernacles (Deut. 16:16), the monthly festival of the new moon (Num. 10:10; Ps. 81:3) and the weekly observance of the Sabbath used the same terminology found elsewhere in the Old Testament (Isa. 1:1314; Ezek. 45:17; Hos. 2:11) therefore, it was familiar to Pauls Jewish readers. The Sabbath rest also represents a picture of Gods finished, completed work, initially at Creation and later with salvation by faith in Christs substitutionary death, burial, and resurrection. The writer of Hebrews used the Sabbath analogy to note that when one believes, he enters into the reality of Gods rest, pictured by the Sabbath. As a result, the believer "has himself also ceased from his works as God did from His" (Heb. 4:10). Those who keep the Sabbath do so with a belief that law can be divided into moral and ceremonial aspects. They believe Sabbath observance is part of the moral aspect and remains in effect, but the detailed instructions are part of the ceremonial aspects that have been done away with in Christ. The law, however, cannot be so easily divided. Deuteronomy 27:26, for example, cited by both Paul (Gal. 3:10; cf. 5:3) and James (James 2:10), shows that one's attempts at "keeping the law" is a two-edged sword; to fail in one point makes one guilty of breaking ALL. The New Testament, furthermore, provides no clear distinction between moral and ceremonial aspects of the Mosaic law and frequently speaks of the entire law (for example, Gal 3:23-24; 4:4-5). IF WE TRULY KEPT THE SABBATH... What would Sabbath keeping look like if we were to practice it today? Let's take such thinking all the way out to its logical conclusion, shall we? According to Exodus 16:29, God required strict home-abiding on the Sabbath for all Israelites. Imagine the airlines, buses, trains, and roadways being empty and the impact on the economy. I've read that Orthodox Jews in some parts of Jerusalem still stone cars that are driven through their neighborhoods on Saturday. Hmmm. Are they violating Sabbath to defend Sabbath? Numbers 15:32,35 forbids the gathering of sticks but NOT the stones for stoning those who gather sticks...OK, I guess that's kosher. Nehemiah took stern action against buying and selling on the Sabbath (Neh. 10:31; 13:1522). So, our beloved shopping malls would need to remain closed. So would restaurants and individuals who fall under the ban on baking and boiling food (Exod. 16:23). If seeking and finding ones "own pleasure" and doing ones "own ways" were also prohibited on the Sabbath (Isa. 58:13), so much for heading to the lake after church. Death would be the lot of such day-trippers, including whoever performed any yardwork or went into the office (Exod. 31:1415; 35:2). When Jesus healed a lame man on the Sabbath, rather than rejoicing with that man, the Pharisees condemned Him to which He replied. "I am the Lord (Kyrios, or "owner") of the Sabbath." In other words, "I am the Creator of this day, time itself." What COULD we do on the Sabbath if we were still under such restrictions? Jesus - who was living under the Mosaic law Himself - attended synagogue, worshiped God, taught and applied the Scriptures, performed deeds of mercy and encouraged others to do the same, and He no doubt rested from some of His usual labor. But when moved by compassion to help others, even He stepped out. Now, under the New Covenant, all those legalistic shackles have come off, thank God! If there IS a principle that one day should belong totally to God, then it should be used to arrest us from our normal pursuits and allow us to devote more attention to Gods Word and work. Who do you know who does that, even on the so-called "Day of rest"? Christians are not obligated to observe the Sabbath. We are NOT committing apostasy if we exercise the freedom we have in Christ NOT to do so. Frankly, for a lover and follower of Jesus, serving God and doing everything to His glory, is nothing less than a 24/7 lifestyle. From the movies we watch to the things we wear and listen to, whether we eat or drink or whatever we do, let's do it all to the glory of God (I Cor 10:31). Finally, lest anyone forget, the Sabbath was the day we now know as Saturday. In Italian, Saturday is Sabato. In Spanish, it's Sabado. Those words look an awful lot like the word "Sabbath" to me. Point being, for those who think our Sunday is anything like the Hebrew Sabbath, that's wrong, too. You want to meet on Sunday? Go right ahead...and with God's blessing. For those who meet, let's say, at lunch time on a Tuesday at 1:00 because you have a shift on Sunday, God's blessing is on you, too! ABOUT THE AUTHOR His mission is to bring Discipleship and Encouragement to the Body of Christ. Since '99, he has broadcast over 600 inspirational articles and a dozen booklets on subjects sure to interest the thinking Christian and accelerate the process of spiritual development. He is the founder of t.e.a.m. ministries. An Author, Pastoral Counselor and Teacher, his eMail broadcasts, known as "Your Town for Jesus" are read around the globe. Subscribe at team1min@our-town.com.com A licensed/ordained minister, a Certified Workplace Chaplain, and a Professional Member of NIBIC, he has ministered in Methodist, Pentecostal, Charismatic, Baptist, Disciples of Christ, College and Cowboy churches. He is the Workplace Chaplain for a Texas firm, overseeing the Spiritual Development of over 500 employees at ten facilities throughout the state. He is a strong advocate for the House Church Movement, readily available to assist Christians feeling that same inclination. A Speaker on the Christian Speaker Network, he may be available to speak to your church or Christian group. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Michael_Tummillo http://EzineArticles.com/?Should-We-Keep-Holy-the-Sabbath?&id=435308 where to buy phentermine without
cheapest phentermine online without a prescription
buy phentermine 30 mg
buy phentermine 180
