Christ's Return.

 127 years ago- that's how long it's been since the Excerpt I've been studying was written. In the excerpt the author talks about the imminence of Christ's return and our preparation for it, and he fully believed He'd see Christ return in his time even though he states we can't know the time. 

127 years ago. How different life was back then, but not so different that they didn't believe the world met a lot of the criteria for Christ's return.

41 years ago a sign that hadn't been given as enlightenment 86 years prior to then, came to pass. Up until 41 years ago, Jerusalem was under the control of the Gentiles. Jesus gave this sign- 

Luk 21:24  And they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all nations: and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled.

The times of the Gentiles was fulfilled 41 years ago in 1980.  Now you ask, what does it mean that the times of the Gentiles was fulfilled?  We'll discuss that further tomorrow by the grace of God.

CONTINUED- 

(Excerpt)

Christ and the Pharisees -OR Christ's Faithfulness in Sabbath-Keeping.

BY A. T. JONES. 1894 [Religious Liberty Library, No. 1

We stand now at the point where that nation stood when Pilate surrendered and took jurisdiction of the case when he knew he had no jurisdiction. And when they stood at that point, the doom of the nation was sealed. As that which they did at that time fixed unalterably the doom of that nation for destruction, as the destruction certainly followed, so the destruction of this nation will follow as the consequence of that which has been done, us certainly as the destruction of that nation followed that which they did back there that night.

When that was done that night, and the doom of the nation was fixed, that doom did not fall at once. No; Jesus told his disciples that they should bear witness of him in Jerusalem, and in Judea, and then in Samaria, and unto the uttermost parts of the earth. In Jerusalem and in Judea first, because ruin hung there; then to all the world afterward. But to Jerusalem and Judea first, in order to save by this gospel such as would be saved from the ruin that was

certain to fall. And this nation stands now where that one did then. Ruin is determined; that is fixed; it is only a question of time as to when it comes.

But behold, Jesus has a people to-day who are maintaining his Sabbath, and God's idea of the Sabbath as he reveals it to the world. To this people he says by the voice of the angel:-

"Go ye into all the world, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation and kindred and tongue and people." Mark, 16:15; Rev. 14:6, 7.

This thing concerns every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people, because the influence of this nation is world-wide, and that which this nation has done in this land, will lead all the other nations in the same evil way, and the ruin that falls on this, takes in all the others.

Well then, the message now is, "Go forth," as certain as it was then, "to all the world," because it is doomed. Go, bearing the everlasting gospel to save such as will be saved from the ruin that is fixed by this which has been done. But before those disciples could go, Jesus said unto them:- 

"Tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high;" "but ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you; and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth." Luke 24:49: Acts 1:8.

They did not go until Pentecost had endued them with the power. We are in the presence of the second Pentecost. We must be endued with the power. Will you seek for that power? 

You cannot be faithful to the Sabbath of the Lord as Jesus Christ was, without his living presence which that Holy Ghost brings. "Let this mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus." 

Will you? Now the call is: Go to all the earth and preach this gospel to every creature, that there may be saved out of the world such as will escape the ruin that is so certain to fall, and that speedily, too. We and this nation are now standing where they were that night when they rejected Jesus Christ, and when the doom of that nation was fixed. We stand now where they stood then, and it is only a question of time as to when that ruin will certainly fall.

As the Sabbath of the Lord-the seventh day-is the Lord's own sign of the salvation of Jesus Christ, as it is the sign of what Christ is to men, so in rejecting the Sabbath of the Lord they are rejecting Christ. As the Pharisees back yonder in rejecting Christ rejected the Sabbath of the Lord, so these down here in rejecting the Sabbath of the Lord are rejecting Christ. For the Sabbath of the Lord means Jesus Christ, and Christ means the Sabbath of the Lord. To those back yonder he said, "The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner." "This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner. Neither is there salvation in any other; for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved." Matt. 22:42; Acts 4:11. 

And to these down here he says the same thing. As their salvation was wrapped up in that

which they rejected back there, so the salvation of these now is wrapped up in this which they have rejected down here. True, the princes of this world back there did not know what they were doing, for if they had known it "they would not have crucified the Lord of Glory." But they did it. Neither did these know what they were doing. But they, too, did it.

They, back there, did not know what they were doing, when they condemned and rejected Jesus on account of the Sabbath. These who have done this great evil in our day do not know what they have done, or what they are doing-they do not know that in condemning and rejecting the Sabbath they are also condemning and rejecting the Lord Jesus Christ. These do not know that in this which they have done they have doomed this nation. They did not

know it back yonder, either. But didn't they do it back there? Assuredly.

(To be Continued)

Twisted, Sick, Painful, Beautiful Life.

 Time.

Time for us right now is finite.

Time when we die- ceases for us.

When Jesus Christ sounds the trumpet and the dead in Christ rise, time will begin again- and for those rising saved through Christ- it will be eternal time.

During our pilgrimage here on earth as the years go by we are caught up in a twisted, sick, painful, heartbreaking and also- beautiful life. 

Men's heart failing them for fear -

Luk 21:26  Men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken. 

Luk 21:27  And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. 

Today, it is so easy to let ourselves fear. There is so much uncertainty in our world on every side. There is no such thing as feeling secure and safe in our life, not really. We can go days, weeks, months and years without too many problems, but that's not often the case. Some people live in a perpetual state of insecurity, uncertainty, feeling vulnerable and yes, scared, fearful. People can and do make themselves sick with fear and worry. Just knowing that we don't know what the future holds and only appears grim, can trouble us deeply. So much in our lives scream out for us to worry and be afraid. 

God tries to tell us this very important lesson we’re likely to forget-

Mat 6:34  Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof. 

Mat 6:25  Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? 

Mat 6:26  Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? 

Mat 6:27  Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature? 

Mat 6:28  And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: 

Mat 6:29  And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 

Mat 6:30  Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? 

Mat 6:31  Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? 

Mat 6:32  (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. 

Mat 6:33  But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. 

Mat 6:34  Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof. 

So much TRUTH to learn!

We are living in very tumultuous times. And we have every reason to fear should we choose to allow this temporary life take precedence over our eternal life.

We are to SEEK the Kingdom of God and His righteousness FIRST before anything else- before money, food, clothes, shelter, health, all things.

Help us to this end, Lord. We would not that our hearts fail us for fear looking after the things coming, no matter what those things are. We ask that You uphold us with the right hand of Your righteousness and give us the peace that passes ALL understanding! Help us to trust in You with ALL our heart and lean NOT to our own understanding. We can't hope to understand what isn't ours to do so. Satan would have us understand everything, but he is evil and wants us to take our eyes off you and keep them on ourselves. Please, Lord, help us to keep our eyes EVER on you even as our individual lives fall apart piece by piece around us, never staying the same, never staying in a place we can be secure and content. Let us fine our security in YOU, no matter what chaos befalls us! Please, LORD, save us from ourselves! Save us! Keep us from evil! Keep our Hearts so they don't fail!

All through Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior, now and forever!!!!!!! Amen!

CONTINUED- 

(Excerpt)

Christ and the Pharisees -OR Christ's Faithfulness in Sabbath-Keeping.

BY A. T. JONES. 1894 [Religious Liberty Library, No. 18] [Cont.]

But that was not the end of the story. They did this to save the nation from the Romans. They said, If we let this man thus alone, all men will believe on him, and the Romans will come and take away both our place and nation. They did not let him alone, and the Romans came and took away both their place and nation forevermore. Their efforts to save the nation destroyed the nation. 

Self-efforts for salvation will always destroy him who makes them.

But let us follow this in its direct intent and purpose. Their efforts to save the nation, not only brought destruction to the nation; but the thing which they did that night settled the doom of destruction for that nation forever. There was no more salvation for that nation, as such, after that night, than there was for Sodom when Lot went out of it. It was only a question of time when the destruction would come. And in view of that destruction Jesus sent forth his disciples with the everlasting gospel of this same Saviour whom they had crucified; to call every one in the nation, as an individual, to believe on him, not only for salvation from self, but for salvation from this destruction that was so certain to come.

Every believer in Jesus escaped the destruction that was to come. Those who did not believe on him, did not escape. From that time forth they needed Jesus Christ for their salvation in this life as well as for the other life. They were just as dependent upon Jesus Christ to save them from the ruin that was to come, as they were dependent upon him to save them from their own personal sins. And he gave them a sign by which they were to know when to flee for their lives and escape that ruin:-

"When ye shall see Jerusalem compassed with armies, then let them which be in Judea flee into the mountain; let not them that are in the countries enter thereinto; let them that are in the midst of it depart out; let him which is on the housetop not come down to take anything out of his house: neither let him which is in the field return hack to take his clothes. But pray ye that your flight he not in the winter, neither on the Sabbath day, for these be the days of

vengeance. Luke 21:20-22; Matt. 24:16-20.

So the doom of the nation was fixed that night. And all that the Lord himself could do for them after that was to send his saving message to the whole nation, to all the people, telling them to believe in Jesus and they would be saved out of the nation, and from the ruin that was to come upon all the nation who did not believe.

We have already spoken of a parallel to this line of things in our day. Let us notice this further now. There have been in this nation for nearly fifty years now, a people, the Seventh-day Adventists, giving a special message in which God's ideas of the Sabbath are most prominently advocated, believed, and observed. The Pharisees and the doctors of the law saw it when it began, and they have watched it ever since; and they have said, "O, it will amount to nothing; this is just a little flurry; their preaching creates quite a stir for a little while, but as soon as they are gone, the whole thing will die out, and it will amount to nothing." They have said that at the beginning, and all the way along; but steadily they have seen that it does not work that way. Steadily they have seen God's ideas of the Sabbath finding a place among the people, more and more, and becoming more widespread. Although the word might be spoken in weakness, there was that about the words that were spoken, which caused them to linger with the people, and to stay in a person's heart for twenty years or more, and at last bring him to God. They saw it doing this. And then they saw that they would have to take more active measures than that, if they were going to maintain man's ideas of the Sabbath against the Lord's, and they did it. They enforced the State Sunday laws to a greater or less extent at different times, and in different places; but that did not stop the spread of God's Sabbath. Still it went on. Then they said, "If we let this thing alone, and let this people alone, this will become a whole nation of Sabbath-breakers. They go into a community and preach, and they get only a few at the most, and probably none at all, to keep the Saturday; but they break up the people's keeping Sunday, and therefore they are simply making the nation a nation of Sabbathbreakers; and it must be stopped, or the nation will perish for Sabbath-breaking; the judgments of God will come upon the land, and destroy us all."

Therefore they were compelled to have the power of the nation joined to them to put under foot and crush out pf existence, as far as lay in their power, God's idea of the Sabbath, and exalt man's. They tried it little by little, and more and more, upon the national legislature and the national power; but large numbers of the national legislature, like Pilate of old, said at first: "We find no fault in this; we will have nothing to do with it; attend to it yourselves; it is a controversy of your own; it is a religious matter; and if it comes up here, we will vote against it, every one of us." Scores of them said that. Then these Pharisees and doctors of the law said to the representatives of the government, "If you do not do what we ask of you, if you do not vote for that Sunday law, setting up Sunday here for the Sabbath of this nation, we will never vote for one of you again as long as we live, for any office under the sun." 

Then too, just like Pilate at last, these legislators surrendered and said, "We will do it-we will do it." They sat down in their official seat and took jurisdiction of the case, under the threats of these Pharisees and doctors of the law. And in the doing of this, these Pharisees and doctors of the law did as certainly turn their backs upon God, and join themselves to Cesar-to earthly power-as did the Pharisees and priests and doctors of the law of old. The gospel is the power of God unto salvation; the power of God belongs to every professor of the gospel, and he who has the power of God cannot possibly have any other. No power can be added to the power of God. 

Then he who professes the gospel, and calls for any other power, denies the power of God; and when he denies the power of God, and puts his confidence in the power of man, whether man as an individual, or man assembled in governments, he puts his trust in human power instead of the power of God. And when these people sent up their petitions and their prayers to Congress instead of to God, they turned their backs upon the Lord, upon the power

that goes with the gospel, and turned their attention to man for their help, to carry out this work in which they were engaged.

And thus they got Congress-yes, they got the whole government of the United States-to take jurisdiction of the case. They took the fourth commandment as recorded in God's word, and put it in the official record of the governmental proceedings, and then deliberately changed it. They definitely and purposely put the Sabbath of the Lord, the seventh day, out of God's commandment, and put the Sunday of the papacy in its place. They said the words Sabbath day "may mean Saturday or Sunday; it may be one day or the other, and we declare that it is and shall be the first day of the week commonly called Sunday," and that that is the meaning of the fourth commandment. Thus under these threats the Pharisees and the doctors of the law of to-day, got the governmental authority to do just what it did back yonder,-they got the governmental power to put the Sabbath of the Lord under foot, and as far as lies in their power, to crush it out of existence, and put man's ideas of the Sabbath in it instead. That thing is done. Everybody on earth knows that that is past. And to day we are that far along in the record made by Jesus in his faithfulness to Sabbath-keeping. This nation stands now where that nation stood when it rejected Jesus Christ because of his ideas of Sabbath-keeping. Back there they did it to maintain their own ideas of the Sabbath against the

Lord's, and they did it to save their nation. And these here did it for the same purpose. Three United States senators, each one in his place, said definitely that this must be done for the salvation of the nation. Two of them had more to do than any others to carry it through, and the third one not much less,-Senators Hawley of Connecticut, Colquitt of Georgia, and Frye of Maine, each of the three placed the salvation of the nation as the purpose of setting up. Sunday as the Sabbath under these threats. Then, as the same thing has been done here and now by the like parties, for the same purpose, and by the same means, we are that far along in the account. Then what comes next? Will the rest of the account be met? Must assuredly it will; for it was all written for us.  (To Be Continued…)

God of All Humanity.

 Wrongful persecution. Jesus was wrongfully persecuted, it's a well-known fact. Jesus didn't refuse to teach the right way of Sabbath keeping, he wanted the people to know that they were perverting the commandment with their man-made, excessive strictures. When He tried to explain that David even ate the temple shewbread, they ignored all that truth though it was right there in the scriptures, and they persecuted Him. When he mentioned they thought nothing was wrong with helping one of their livestock if it was in dire straits on the Sabbath, yet they reject helping other human beings- they again, ignore Him and His truth.

Jesus was a living example of truth and how it was to be kept by us. There was a place and time for the ceremonial laws of sacrifice and such, but Jesus the human sacrifice, wiped all that away. The Messiah came to FREE the people of God from the ceremonial sacrificial services, from the temple services. No longer would the temple services be necessary. The huge wall of separation between the Jewish people and the Gentiles was being broken down so that all could comprehend God is the Father of ALL HUMANITY. As the Father of ALL HUMANITY, God was revealing a way for all humanity to find eternal life through His only begotten Son. The Messiah was for all humanity, not just the Jewish people. Many Jewish people believed in Jesus as the Messiah, and many Gentiles as well. 

Truth. 

We need to dig into the Word of God-

Joh 5:39  Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.

SEARCH the scriptures.

2Ti_2:15  Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

STUDY to show yourself approved unto God.

Mat 4:4  But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. 

We are to LIVE by EVERY WORD that proceeds out of the mouth of God! Do we? Do we really?!

Let's STOP just skimming over the Bible and dig deep for the meat of the word!

Heb_5:12  For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat.

We need STRONG MEAT!

1Pe 2:2  As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby

When we are new Christians we need to desire the sincere milk of the word and grow. As we grow in Christ we need strong meat.

There are deep meanings behind the messages of our Savior, heart messages, spirit messages, we are to LIVE by the WORD- in order to live by the Word we must know the word. 

God help us all!  All through our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ! Now and forever!!!!!!! Amen. 

*******

CONTINUED- 

(Excerpt)

Christ and the Pharisees -OR Christ's Faithfulness in Sabbath-Keeping.

BY A. T. JONES. 1894 [Religious Liberty Library, No. 18] [Cont.]

They tried one more tack, however, before proceeding to open violence. They set a trap by which to get him to say some word or give some sign which they could twist into a charge of treason or of disrespect for authority, so as to get him into the clutch of the Roman power and authority. "Then went the Pharisees and took counsel how they might entangle him in his talk." And they watched him. "And they sent out unto him their disciples, with the Herodians," as spies, who should feign themselves to be just men, that they might take hold of his words that so they might deliver him unto the power and authority of the governor. And they asked him that insidious question concerning the tribute, when he answered, "Render unto Cesar the things that are Cesar's and unto God the things that are God's. And when they heard it, they were not able to take hold of the saying before the people: and they marvelled greatly at his answer, and held their peace; and left him and went their way." Matt. 22:15-22; Luke 20:20-30; Mark 12:17 (R. V.). 

This was Tuesday before the crucifixion. Then the very next day, "were gathered together the chief priests and the scribes and the elders of the people unto the court of the high priest who was called Caiaphas; and they took counsel together that they might take Jesus by subtlety, and kill him. But they said, Not during the feast, lest haply a tumult arise among the people, for they feared the people." 

Then that same day (Wednesday) came Judas to the chief priests and captains and offered to betray him secretly unto them. They gave him the thirty pieces of silver, "and he consented, and from that time he sought opportunity how he might conveniently deliver him unto them in the absence of the multitude." And the night of the very next day they captured him in Gethsemane, after midnight, and led him to Annas, and then to Caiaphas, then to Pilate, then to Herod; and back to Pilate. Pilate tried twice to get them to judge him themselves; but they

answered, "It is not lawful for us to put any man to death." "We have a law and by our law he ought to die" And when Pilate had insisted, even to the sixth time, that he found in him no fault, and spoke three times of releasing him, and really sought a way to release him, then it was, that in their desperation, they cried: "If thou let this man go, thou art not Cesar's friend. Whosoever maketh himself a king speaketh against Cesar." Pilate then took the judgment seat, and they demanded that Jesus should be crucified. Pilate said, "Shall I crucify your King?" And in utter renunciation of God and all that he had ever done for them, they replied: "We have no king but Cesar." Then therefore he delivered him unto them to be crucified. "And they led him away to crucify him." "And they crucified him."

Thus they accomplished their purpose; thus they persecuted Jesus to death for Sabbath-keeping-calling it Sabbath-breaking all the time. Thus they destroyed the Son of God, the Saviour of the world, and did all that lay in their power to shut away from, the world God's ideas of the Sabbath, in order that man's ideas might prevail. 

They shut away from the world the Son of God, and his salvation, and his sign of it, that they might appear themselves to save themselves from themselves. But how was it they accomplished this? When Pilate was determined to let him go, and sought how he might release him, and they saw he was about to slip through their hands, then they made it a

charge of high treason, involving both Pilate and Jesus; Pilate, if he let him go, and Jesus, if Pilate took judgment in the case.

Now, any one who set himself up for king, or made any pretentions toward it at all, in the Roman empire, even by a sign or a word, was guilty of high treason at that time; for Tiberius ruled. For a Jew to do such a thing was worst of all, and for a Galilean Jew to do so was even worse than the worst. For the Jews were the most unruly people under the Roman yoke, and the Galileans the most turbulent of the Jews. And when they said to Pilate, "If thou let this man go, thou art not Cesar's friend: whosoever maketh himself a king speaketh against Cesar's they simply said to him in other words, "Here is a Jew, and a Galilean Jew at that, who has set himself up for king of the Jews. We, the Jews, have prosecuted him before your tribunal. Now, if you refuse to take notice of this case, and thus let this pretended king of the Jews escape you, and escape us, when we inform Tiberius at Rome, that a Galilean Jew set

himself up for king and we ourselves rejected him, and prosecuted him before Rome's tribunal, and you sanctioned his kingship, and let him go, and refused to hear us,-you know what you will get. You know it will be your ruin." That was what their argument meant,

and he knew and they knew, that such a report to Tiberius would mean only death to him, for sanctioning the kingship of a Jew. And therefore under this threat they got Pilate to do what he was determined otherwise not to do.

And when they said, "We have no king but Cesar," and thus that they would carry to Rome with the rest of their report, this, that they had unanimously proclaimed themselves loyal to Cesar, and Pilate himself had turned traitor to Cesar, and had fought them down against all their wishes,-you can see what an immense weight it would give to such a charge in their threatened representations, or misrepresentations, to Tiberius. Thus they finally accomplished their persecuting purpose against Jesus for keeping the Sabbath in a way that did not suit them. (End Excerpt)

Would You Recognize Truth?

 Miracle workers, do you know of any? Right now, right today, do you personally know of any miracle worker walking the earth going from town to town healing all the sick, diseased, deformed, demon-possessed people? Have you ever known such a person?

We hear of the occasional miracle that goes beyond the ability of people to comprehend, and some attribute a miracle or two to certain people in the past. Since Christ walked the earth, since Christ's apostles walked the earth, there have not been miracles of such magnitude, and so widespread.

Guess what? When Jesus began to do the miracles He was doing, no one had heard of anyone doing such a thing before, either.

Today if a man started going from place to place healing everyone without regard to race, creed, nationality, finances and so on- and the word spread- there would be a whole lot of skeptics.  How many of those skeptics would remain skeptical if they witnessed firsthand the miracles? How long before this man was on television and internet being live streamed as he healed people? Many would doubt it, they doubted Jesus even after witnessing the miracles themselves. They wanted people who had been known to be sick and deformed since birth to be liars, even as they could see, they could walk when they never had before! Liars the lot of them! But they weren't, Jesus was healing them all!

Miracles weren't enough though. They didn't cry to keep the miracle worker alive so He could keep healing all their sick and infirmed, and even their dying because- yes - He'd brought the dead back to life! They were consumed with hatred because the Healer wasn’t consulting them on how to do all His wonders, but was doing everything as it pleased Him, on His own gaining His own followers. The Healer was revealing the hypocrisy of the rulers - the rulers did not care about the welfare of the people- they preferred them in their unhealthy states as long as they were following their leadership. It was all about their power to dictate the rules. They honestly thought they were protecting God's truth because they had perverted that truth to suit them over time. Jesus was living a life of pure truth and they couldn't recognize that as being what it was. Even when their hearts were pricked by the truth, they steeled themselves against it because it would upset their entire way of life.

We do that.. We don't like anything upsetting our beliefs. A lot of people keep their beliefs so basic, so generic that they don't have to worry about anyone upsetting them.  They keep the basic tenets of the Christian faith and when a strange belief comes along they can simply say 'to each his own as long as it doesn't disturb my walk with Christ'.  They don't let it bother them and they pat themselves on the back for being such good Christ followers. 

Unfortunately, the truth often arrives as a strange belief because men and woman have wallowed in their twisted truths covered in thick coatings of lies. When the coatings are removed and the twisting no more, they can't recognize the truth for what it is! 

The leadership in Jesus' day did not recognize the truth when it was exposed, when it was pulled from the lies and perversions. The truth appeared to them to be the lie and they refused to believe otherwise. Today it is the same, exactly the same.

So many cherish their lies and the truth is so alien to them they can't recognize it at all. 

May God open the eyes to ALL seeking ONLY HIS TRUTH no matter how much it interferes with cherished lies, traditions, and ways of life!

All through the love of Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior now and forever!!!!!!!

Amen

******

CONTINUED- 

(Excerpt)

Christ and the Pharisees -OR Christ's Faithfulness in Sabbath-Keeping.

BY A. T. JONES. 1894 [Religious Liberty Library, No. 18] [Cont.]

While they were allying themselves to political power, he was holding fast to God. While they were putting their trust in earthly power, he was showing his steadfast trust in God. For the next point on this, turn to the ninth chapter of John beginning with the first verse. 

There Jesus met the man who had been born blind, and anointed his, eyes with clay, and sent him to the pool of Siloam, and the man went and washed and came seeing. His neighbors and others brought to the Pharisees him whose sight had been thus given him.

"And it was the Sabbath day when Jesus made the clay, and opened his eyes, . . . therefore said some of the Pharisees, This man it not of God because he keepeth not the Sabbath day." Verse 14-16.

The next instance is related in Luke 13:10-17:-

"And he was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath. And, behold, there was a woman which had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bowed together, and could in no wise lift up herself. And when Jesus saw her, he called her to him, and said unto her, Woman, thou art loosed from thine infirmity. And he laid his hands on her; and immediately she was made straight and glorified God.

And the ruler of the synagogue, answered with indignation, because that Jesus had healed on the Sabbath day, and said unto the people, There are six days in which men ought to work; in them therefore come and be healed, and not on the Sabbath day. 

The Lord then answered him, and said, Thou hypocrite, doth not each one of you on the Sabbath loose his ox or his ass from the stall, and lead him away to watering? And ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan hath bound, lo, these eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath day? And when he had said these things, all his adversaries were ashamed; and all the people rejoiced for all the glorious things that were done by him." 

Again we read:-

"As he went into the house of one of the chief Pharisees to eat bread on the Sabbath day, they watched him. And behold there was a certain man before him which had the dropsy. And Jesus answering spake unto the lawyers and Pharisees, saying, Is it lawful lo heal on the Sabbath day? And they held their peace. And he took him, and healed him, and let him go; and answered them, saying, Which of you shall have an ass or an ox fallen into a pit and will not straightway pull him out on the Sabbath day? And they could not answer him again to these things." Luke 14:1-6.

Every time they watched to see whether lie would do so and so on the Sabbath day, they saw just what they were looking for. And they saw it so plainly, too, that there was no mistaking it, Nor did he ever make any apology for it; nor did he ever attempt to prove that what he did could not have "disturbed" anybody. Next we read in the 11th chapter of John. Jesus went on doing his miracles, even to raising Lazarus from the dead, and they went so far as to try to kill Lazarus, to destroy the evidence of Christ's power to raise the dead. But as the work went on with Christ, they found they were losing ground more and more with the people, as Christ was gaining more and more influence.

"Then many of the Jews which came to Mary, and had seen the things which Jesus did, believed on him. But some of them went their way to the Pharisees, and told them what things Jesus had done." John 11:45, 46.

That was when he had raised Lazarus from the dead. Now the story goes right on from there. Some of them went to the Pharisees and told what things Jesus had done in the resurrection of Lazarus. Then and there the chief priests and Pharisees took counsel and said:-

"What do we? for this man doeth many miracles. If we let him thus alone, all men will believe on him; and the Romans shall come and take away both our place and nation." Verses 47, 48. Now notice the argument that was in their hearts, and in their words in fact. They were accusing Jesus all the time of Sabbath breaking; and here now they say, "If we let him thus alone, all men will believe on him," and that will make all men Sabbath-breakers, and it will be a nation of Sabbath-breakers, and when the nation becomes a nation of Sabbath-breakers, the judgments of God will be visited upon us, and the Lord will bring the Romans and sweep away the whole nation.

"And one of them, named Caiaphas, being the high priest that of year, said unto them, Ye know nothing at all. Nor consider that it is expedient for us, that one man should die for the people, and that the whole nation perish not. Then from that day forth they took counsel together for to put him to death." Verses 49, 50, 53.

Now why do they determine to put him to death? His Sabbath keeping which they insist is Sabbath-breaking is the reason. And now, they argue, if he goes on thus breaking the Sabbath, all men will believe on him, that will make all men Sabbath-breakers, and then this will be a whole nation of Sabbath-breakers; the nation itself will be a Sabbath-breaker. Therefore, in order to save the nation, they propose to kill Jesus. But when they do that, they are killing the Saviour. So in order to save the nation, yes, to save themselves and the nation, they would destroy the Saviour of themselves and the nation. Then whom did that make the Saviour of themselves and the nation?-

Themselves. 

Jesus was the Saviour of the nation, and the Saviour of the people if they would believe on him. Jesus was keeping the Sabbath, the sign that he is the Saviour. So now they rejected his salvation, and himself, and all with it, Sabbath and all, in order to save the nation; so that makes them their own saviours, and this makes self-salvation the way of salvation,

instead of Christ the way of salvation.

Then in the last analysis, the contest between Christ and the Pharisees was whether it was salvation by Christ or salvation by themselves. They were destroying him, the Saviour of themselves and the nation, in order for themselves to save themselves and the nation. So that it came to just this: whether Christ is the way of salvation, or self is the way of salvation? And the Sabbath, in Christ's idea of the Sabbath, is the sign of salvation by Christ. Man's idea of the Sabbath is the sign of self-salvation, the salvation of self, by self, through self, and for self self all the time. So that, in the Sabbath question in that day, as in this, there was involved the question: Who is the Saviour? Is it Christ, by the faith and power of God alone? or is it the self-appointed church leaders, by the power and force of earthly

government?  (End Excerpt)

The Remember Commandment.

 It's okay to murder. 

Are you shocked to hear me say such a thing? Surely I can't believe that it's okay to murder. And, you're right. I don't believe it's okay to murder. 

So, why did I make the statement, stating that it's okay to murder? Because when you read it -immediately you were taken aback, wondering how in the world I could say that. You didn't believe I could say that. It's safe to say you were a bit shocked to read such a thing. We all know it's not okay to murder, there's nothing okay about murder, and there's nothing okay about failing to keep the other nine commandments either.

We like to rate the ten commandments according to our own standards- it's okay to steal as long as it's just the occasional pen, and or extra jelly pack at the restaurant, or maybe take a few extra straws, or napkins. It's okay to covet that new car your neighbor bought, yours is old and run down, and shouldn't you want a new one? Okay, so my mind wandered a bit while looking at that **other** guy, no harm done, right? WRONG! All ten of the commandments are equally meant to be obeyed. They aren't a group of commandments we get to pick and choose from. They all have to do with obeying God out of LOVE.

Do you know anyone personally who has been murdered? I do. My grandfather was murdered when I was young, but not so young I don't remember it in vivid detail.

We all agree murder is wrong. 

We all agree stealing is wrong.

We all agree adultery is wrong. 

We all agree lying is wrong.

We all agree …

Are you shaking your head in disagreement? There are quite a few who would argue against some of the above being wrong, believing that under certain circumstances some of those things are just fine and it's the system that is broken.

What is my point here, you know I have to have one.

The point is- God gave us ten commandments that encompass loving Him and loving others. 

Let's look at one of those Ten Commandments - that we must keep - as we keep ALL of them by the grace of God and Christ's righteousness.

He told us to REMEMBER in only one of those commandments.

Why didn't He tell us to remember to honor our father and mother, remember not to steal, remember don't covet, remember don't lie, remember don't take God's name in vain, remember not to have any other gods before Him, remember don't commit adultery, remember don't murder, remember worship no graven images? Aren't they all worth remembering? 

Yes, they are. 

When only one of the ten commandments comes with a note to REMEMBER shouldn't we pay particular attention to that commandment?  We have to realize there would be a reason for doing so. That reason is because this commandment contains the seal of God- it has ALL the components of a legal seal.  

Name, territory, authority.

God, heaven and earth, Creator.

The reason to remember is because this particular law would be changed and this particular law has to do with time- a day.  An evil power would think to change times and laws. The evil power would be so overwhelmingly deceptive it would deceive all but the very elect, and when Christ comes it's going to be hard for Him to find faith on earth. 

The righteousness of our Savior is throughout the entire ten commandments, including the Remember commandment.

Our Savior was PERSECUTED because of the perverted, twisted nature the Remember commandment had become. 

While our Savior sought to correct the meaning of the Remember commandment, He was wanted by the leaders of the day to be put to death for doing so. The importance of the Remember commandment was marked by Jesus' ministry as being one of the highest authority and we need to take heed and NOT overlook that commandment as being an unimportant. 

Over and over again the Jewish leaders used the Sabbath commandment against Jesus. We need to realize this as a FACT and NOT overlook this fact! 

How many people actually realize that Jesus was a wanted man because he was FALSELY accused of breaking the Sabbath - the Remember- Commandment?  They needed a legal reason to want Him dead and they grabbed a hold of His revealing Sabbath truths they did not want to keep, truths they did not want to know about, truths that revealed they'd twisted God's Sabbath commandment into something it was never intended to be.

We need to understand this and not think it's not important, Satan wants us to think it's not important, that we just continue on as we are, ignorantly following deceptions instead of His truth.

God help us! Please, Lord, help us, we need eyesalve so we can see Your truths!

All through Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior, now and forever!!!!!!! Amen!

(Excerpt)

Christ and the Pharisees -OR Christ's Faithfulness in Sabbath-Keeping.

BY A. T. JONES. 1894 [Religious Liberty Library, No. 18] [Cont.]

The next instance is in the seventh chapter of John. This follows on not a great while after the other. Beginning with the first verse:-

"After these things Jesus walked in Galilee; for he would not walk in Jewry, because the Jews sought to kill him."

And why did they seek to kill him?-Because he kept the Sabbath of the Lord according to God's ideas and would not surrender to them, nor their ideas.

"Now the Jews' feast of tabernacles was at hand. His brethren therefore said unto him, Depart hence, and go into Judea, that thy disciples also may see the works that thou doest. For there is no man that doeth any thing in secret, and he himself seeketh to be known openly. If thou do these things, show thyself to the world. For neither did his brethren believe in him. Then Jesus said unto them, My time is not yet come; but your time is alway ready. The world cannot hate you; but me it hateth, because I testify of it, that the works thereof are evil. Go ye up unto this feast: I go not up yet unto this feast; for my time is not yet full come. When he had said these words unto them, he abode still in Galilee. But when his brethren were gone up, then went he also up unto the feast, not openly, but as it were in secret. Then the Jews sought him at the feast, and said, Where is he? And there was much murmuring among the people concerning him: for some said, He is a good man: others said, Nay; but he deceiveth the people. Howbeit no man spake openly of him for fear of the Jews. Now about the midst of the feast Jesus went up into the temple, and taught."

And as he was teaching in the temple, we have this, the 19th verse:- 

"Did not Moses give you the law, and yet none of you keepeth the law? Why go ye about to kill me? The people answered and said, Thou hast a devil; who goeth about to kill thee? 

Jesus answered and said unto them, I have done one work, and ye all marvel. Moses therefore gave unto you circumcision (not because it is of Moses, but of the fathers); and ye on the Sabbath day circumcise a man. If a man on the Sabbath day receive circumcision, that the law of Mosey should not be broken; are ye angry at we, because I have made a man every whit whole on the Sabbath day? Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment."

What is the controversy still?-The Sabbath. 

Read the 30th verse:-

"Then they sought to take him: but no man laid hands on him, because his hour was not yet come. And many of the people believed on him, and said, When Christ cometh, will he do more miracles than these which this man hath done? The Pharisees heard that the people murmured such things concerning him; and the Pharisees and the chief priests sent officers to take him." 

But when the officers got there, they heard him speaking, and they stood there charmed, listening to his words. And when Jesus ceased speaking, they turned and went buck without him to the Sanhedrim whence they were sent.

Now beginning with the 43rd verse:-

"So there was a division among the people because of him. And some of them would have taken him; but no man laid hands on him. Then came the officers to the chief priests and Pharisees; and they said unto them, Why have ye not brought him? The officers answered, Never man spake like this man. Then answered them the Pharisees, Are ye also deceived? Have any of the rulers or of the Pharisees believed on him? But this people who knoweth not

the law are cursed. Nicodemus saith unto them (he that came to Jesus by night, being one of them), Doth our law judge any man, before it hear him, and know what he doeth? They answered and said unto him, Art thou also of Galilee? Search, and look; for out of Galilee ariseth no prophet. And every man went unto his own house." John 7:43-53.

And in their angry zeal they were about to judge and condemn him right there, without any hearing, and without his presence even, but Nicodemus put a check upon the proceedings by the inquiry, "Doth our law judge any man before it hear him, and know what he doeth?" The assembly broke up and every man went unto his own house. But Jesus went unto the "Mount of Olives," John 8:1. 

While they went on with their wicked plotting against him, he himself went to the Mount of Olives to pray, and to pray for them. Ps. 31:13-15; 69:11-13

Psa 31:13  For I have heard the slander of many: fear was on every side: while they took counsel together against me, they devised to take away my life. 

Psa 31:14  But I trusted in thee, O LORD: I said, Thou art my God. 

Psa 31:15  My times are in thy hand: deliver me from the hand of mine enemies, and from them that persecute me. 

 

Psa 69:11  I made sackcloth also my garment; and I became a proverb to them. 

Psa 69:12  They that sit in the gate speak against me; and I was the song of the drunkards. 

Psa 69:13  But as for me, my prayer is unto thee, O LORD, in an acceptable time: O God, in the multitude of thy mercy hear me, in the truth of thy salvation. 

(End Excerpt)

Keep the Commandments of God, Not Man.

 Luk_4:16  And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up for to read.

Act 17:1  Now when they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where was a synagogue of the Jews

Act 17:2  And Paul, as his manner was, went in unto them, and three sabbath days reasoned with them out of the scriptures

Jesus had a custom, and that custom was to go into the synagogue on the SABBATH DAY.  

Years later, Paul, as his MANNER was - went into the synagogue THREE SABBATH DAYS.

Jesus kept the Sabbath the Jews kept, He was a Jew, born a Jew, raised a Jew, and He died a Jew. 

Paul, an Apostle of Jesus', was a Jew and the same was said for him, born, raised a Jew, and died…a Jewish Christ follower. 

Christ was the Messiah spoken of in the Scriptures (the Old Testament)…

Luk 18:31  Then he took unto him the twelve, and said unto them, Behold, we go up to Jerusalem, and all things that are written by the prophets concerning the Son of man shall be accomplished.

Luk 24:25  Then he said unto them, O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken: 

Luk 24:26  Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory? 

Luk 24:27  And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself. 

Jesus was the Jewish Messiah- a longed for Messiah, a predicted Messiah. 

Luk 2:22  And when the days of her purification according to the law of Moses were accomplished, they brought him to Jerusalem, to present him to the Lord; 

Luk 2:23  (As it is written in the law of the Lord, Every male that openeth the womb shall be called holy to the Lord;) 

Luk 2:24  And to offer a sacrifice according to that which is said in the law of the Lord, A pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons. 

Luk 2:25  And, behold, there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon; and the same man was just and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel: and the Holy Ghost was upon him. 

Luk 2:26  And it was revealed unto him by the Holy Ghost, that he should not see death, before he had seen the Lord's Christ. 

Luk 2:27  And he came by the Spirit into the temple: and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him after the custom of the law, 

Luk 2:28  Then took he him up in his arms, and blessed God, and said, 

Luk 2:29  Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word: 

Luk 2:30  For mine eyes have seen thy salvation, 

Luk 2:31  Which thou hast prepared before the face of all people; 

Luk 2:32  A light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel. 

Luk 2:33  And Joseph and his mother marvelled at those things which were spoken of him. 

Luk 2:34  And Simeon blessed them, and said unto Mary his mother, Behold, this child is set for the fall and rising again of many in Israel; and for a sign which shall be spoken against; 

Luk 2:35  (Yea, a sword shall pierce through thy own soul also,) that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed. 

Luk 2:36  And there was one Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Aser: she was of a great age, and had lived with an husband seven years from her virginity; 

Luk 2:37  And she was a widow of about fourscore and four years, which departed not from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day. 

Luk 2:38  And she coming in that instant gave thanks likewise unto the Lord, and spake of him to all them that looked for redemption in Jerusalem. 

The Jewish Messiah, Jesus. 

Jesus loved His people. Jesus came to save them! Jesus made Apostles of His people, every single Apostle was of Jewish descent. 

Jesus came to reveal to His people that the entire sacrificial system had been set up pointing to His coming. The prophets foretold the suffering of the Messiah, the Son of Man. The Messiah was to be the ultimate sacrifice and once His sacrificed was offered there would no longer be a need for the sacrificial system that had been put into place. The change being made was Jesus sacrificing Himself to save them, not the animal lamb brought constantly in which sins were placed. There was no longer going to be a need to sacrifice animals once Jesus was sacrificed. The Jewish leaders could not fathom anything changing the way they sacrificed in the temple. Their eyes were blinded to the truth in prophecy. 

Jesus came to show them a better way, a perfect way, and they wanted nothing to do with it. The leaders of Israel, of the Jewish faith turned their backs on the sacrifice of Jesus leading them into a new way of life, living without the temple sacrificial services.

The animal sacrifices existed for man to atone for his sin, it was an action of faith they committed to find forgiveness, and cleansing once a year. This whole sacrificial system was a huge part of the Jewish life, changing that was unheard of. Only past forced captivity kept any Jew from living out the sacrificial system. Once they were freed to the point of being able to return to Jerusalem and the temple was restored- it's services were restored. Even today there are many Jews waiting to initiate a return to the sacrificial system- they do not recognize Jesus as their Messiah as having done away with the need for the sacrificial system.

The Sabbath WAS not part of the sacrificial system. 

The Sabbath WAS given and first kept by God and Adam and Eve in the Garden after the six days of creation, God created the Sabbath. The Sabbath was in place before any sin was committed by Eve or Adam. 

The Sabbath was a weekly rest on a day made holy and blessed by God.

Jesus did NOT come to do away with the ten commandments. Jesus did not come to do away with the sin of murder, of stealing, of adultery, of coveting, of idol worshiping, of lying, of taking God's name in vain, of not putting God first, of not honoring our mothers and fathers, and He did not come to do away with the seventh day Sabbath.  

He made NO attempt whatsoever to change the day of the Sabbath, how could He, why would He, it was a day appointed at CREATION. Christ instituted the Lord's Supper to commemorate His life and death. He told us to do it OFTEN in REMEMBRANCE of HIM! He did not say to switch the Sabbath from the seventh day to the first day in remembrance of Him!  He gave a specific ceremony of remembrance, of celebrating His life and death. He also told us that being baptized would be us burying the old man in us, killing the old us and rising up out of the water into new life in Christ!  These are what He did and He didn't do them sneakily or subtly, so that it wouldn't be very plain for all to comprehend from His Holy Word. 

Paul continued on keeping the Sabbath - the day UNCHANGED. All the Apostles continued on that way, every single one of them. It was a commandment of those which not a single dot of an i or a cross of a t would be altered! It was the CHRIST FOLLOWER'S SABBATH, the CHRISTIAN SABBATH - it was something they ALL carried over from their lives, as being holy and unchanged by Jesus, and it wasn't called by them- the Jewish Sabbath, it was simply the Sabbath because that is what is was, is and always will be!  

History has proven that the change to the first day of the week as the supposed Christian sabbath did NOT occur until many years later under the dictate of man, NOT GOD. Remember--

Dan_7:25  And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws…

It happened! One of God's LAWS was changed! And still today the majority of Christians are DUPED into believing it's fine and of no consequence whatsoever because God is an understanding God and He knows the heart of His followers. They alter God to suit them and their holding fast to deceptions because that's how they've been raised and that's what the majority believes. 

Martin Luther - one of the founding fathers of the Reformation did what He did because He was able to read God's word for Himself, something the common person was not able or allowed to do. Once He read God's word for himself he couldn't comprehend why the church of his time, the papacy, did not adhere to God's word in many things. He was led by the Spirit to begin questioning the lies of man substituted for God's truth. Did he uncover all the deceptions, no, there were so many of them. 

God led people to His truth as time went on, and the Holy Spirit convicted them of all they needed to know to be His wholly without following any deceptions blindly.  This had to be done before our Savior would return, there had to be a people left for the Savior- following all truth, undeceived and able to stand firm in God when Jesus would stand up and announce the end of probation for all mankind. Those living when He does that will belong to Him and will be undeceived in all ways and holding fast to Him in all truth!

Rev 14:12  Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus. 

They keep the commandments of GOD, not of man, and they have the faith of Jesus.

WAKE UP! Seek the Lord with all your heart!

Jer_29:13  And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.

PLEASE, don't be among the deceived! Please… please!

May the Lord bless us and keep us in His truth, His way, His life always! All through the Lord our Savior, Jesus Christ now and forever!!!!!!! 

Amen!

(Excerpt)

Christ and the Pharisees -OR Christ's Faithfulness in Sabbath-Keeping.

BY A. T. JONES.

[Religious Liberty Library, No. 18]

[Cont.]

Here is another element which enters in now. The Pharisees took counsel with the Herodians. The Herodians were a sect of the Jews, who stood at the extreme opposite pole from Phariseeism. They derived their title-Herodians-from being the friends, the supporters, and the rigid partisans of Herod and his house in their rule over the nation of Israel. The Pharisees were the "godly" of the nation, especially in their own estimation. They held themselves to be the righteous ones of the nation, the ones who stood the closest to God, and therefore they stood farthest from Herod and from Rome. They despised Herod; they hated Rome. The Herodians were the political supporters of Herod, and consequently the friends of Rome and Roman power. Therefore as denominations, as sects, the Pharisees and the Herodians were just as far apart as they could be. Now Herod was the stranger that sat on the throne of Judah when the prophecy was fulfilled which Jacob had spoken: "The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be." Herod, a stranger, an Idumean, a heathen, was sitting on the throne of Judah and was lawgiver to Judah by direct appointment of Rome and the Roman Senate; and they all knew that the time was come when the Messiah should appear. For when  the wise men came to Jerusalem, and said, "Where is he that is born King of the Jews," Herod was troubled "and all Jerusalem with him." Why was Herod troubled and all Jerusalem with him when they heard that Christ was born?-Because they knew the time was come that he should be born. And therefore they called the scribes and inquired where Christ should be born, and they said, "In Bethlehem of Judea: for thus it is written by the prophet, And thou Bethlehem, in the land of Juda, art not the least among the princes of Juda: for out of thee shall come a Governor, that shall rule my people Israel." Matt. 2:1-6; Micah 5:2. 

Herod was that stranger, and the Pharisees hated him and his family, because he was the one from the Gentiles, from the heathen, that was ruling over the house of God, More than that, they hated Rome, because it was Roman power that not only held them down, but that held up Herod.

By this it is seen also that these Herodians were a political sect,-they were a religious sect too, for that matter, but more political than religious. They were the partisans of Herod and his household, to sustain him among the people, to plead for him, to apologize for him, and set him in the most favorable light all the time; and also, as a consequence, they had to be friendly to Rome, and do the same thing for Rome, because Roman power sustained Herod. Now when the Pharisees saw that, Christ was not going to yield to their ideas of Sabbath-keeping, they, in order to carry out their purpose to kill him,-it was a far-reaching purpose,-joined themselves, not only to their sectarian enemies, but to these particular religio-political sectarian enemies, so that they could get hold upon Herod, arid at the last upon Pilate, so that they might have the government on their side, that they might have the civil power under their control, and thus make effectual their purpose to destroy Jesus. So they entered politics. 

At the last, Herod and Pilate were made friends over this very thing; the priests and the scribes and the Pharisees took Christ to Pilate, and Pilate sent him to Herod for Herod to judge him, and  he did. Then they took him again to Pilate, and they afterward under threats drove Pilate to judge him also. Now we can see the far-reaching purpose which the Pharisees had in this counseling with the Herodians. It was to get both Herod's and Rome's power in their hands, to carry out their determined purpose to kill Jesus because he would not yield to their ideas of the Sabbath, and give up God's ideas of the Sabbath.

That is why they joined the Herodians-they wanted political power, and political power, too, which they themselves despised, The Pharisees despised this political power; and were professedly separated from it, and infinitely above it. They despised Herod and hated Rome, but they hated Jesus more than they hated these. And in order to carry out their purpose against Jesus-which was as really against the Sabbath-they joined themselves to their extremist sectarian enemies, in order to get political power to carry out their wishes; because they could not carry out their wishes without political power. Well, we may as well carry along the parallel. Haven't we and all the people seen the same thing not only in our day, but within the last five years? Haven't we seen a people professedly and confessedly separated from political power-Protestants, pledged to a total separation from political power, and having nothing whatever to do with it-haven't we seen a professed Protestantism, in plain opposition to the Sabbath of the Lord, joined with politicians and with Rome herself, the chiefest political power on earth, and religio-political also? Haven't we seen this Protestantism taking counsel with Catholicism, to get possession of the civil power, in order to crush out of existence God's idea of the Sabbath, even the Sabbath of the Lord as he made it and as he has named it, and to set up man's, even the Sunday of the papacy, as the Catholic Church has appointed it? Then do we not need to consider Christ Jesus, the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, in his faithfulness to Sabbath-keeping in such a time as that, when we live now in just such a time? 

This story of Jesus was written for us. It was written for the people who live in the United States and in the world to-day. Then let us see that we consider his faithfulness, and draw from him that faithfulness that will keep us as faithful to God's ideas of the Sabbath, as it kept him. And just here is another important point. The record says: "They were filled with madness; and communed one with another what they might do to Jesus. And it came to pass in those days, that he went out into a mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God." Luke 6:11, 12. 

While they were plotting, he was praying. While they were courting political power, he was praying for the power of God. While they were putting their dependence upon the power of man and earthly government, he was putting his sole dependence upon the God of heaven and earth. Let it be so now with us, and with all who would be like him.

(End Excerpt)

Do Good On the Sabbath.

 Jesus asked this question…

"Is it lawful to do good on the Sabbath?" 

Mar_3:4  And he saith unto them, Is it lawful to do good on the sabbath days, or to do evil? to save life, or to kill? But they held their peace.

They weren't disputing the DAY - it was the Sabbath and Jesus was in full agreement with that fact. What a perfect opportunity Jesus had right then and there to change the Sabbath day if that was something He wanted to do. He didn't say… "Today is no longer the Sabbath day, so I'm not breaking the Sabbath laws."  

What Jesus did say was… IS IT NOT LAWFUL TO DO GOOD ON THE SABBATH DAYS…

The Sabbath day was NEVER brought into contention against Jesus, never. The Jewish leaders would have jumped on that point as yet another awful part of this man Jesus' rabble rousing. 

Jesus did things ON the Sabbath that the Jewish leaders had added to the rules and regulations of the day, things that Jesus never meant to be added to the day He'd blessed and sanctified. 

ON the Sabbath days we are to do GOOD and that should be our MAIN focus as it was HIS. Good towards God and good towards others- all within the keeping of His ten royal laws. The main thrust of those laws all ten of them was to that end-  Good to God, Good to Man. The good to God comes first because our being able to be good to man comes from our relationship with God. Jesus sought God all the time, praying and communing with God, He had to because God was His source of power in all things. He'd left His God powers behind when He became human, and He had to depend on the Father for everything- without Him Jesus could do nothing!

Joh 14:10  Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works. 

Joh 14:11  Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me: or else believe me for the very works' sake. 

Joh_5:19  Then answered Jesus and said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise.

Joh_5:30  I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me.

Jesus wanted the Sabbath to be a blessing for all, not a day of pettiness and nitpicking. Jesus wanted man to LOVE keeping the Sabbath day holy in the way intended, not regard it as a day of restriction but a day of liberation to worship God! The blessing of keeping the Sabbath is so important God made it one of His ten royal commandments! 

How many people are reading this and feeling blessed that they keep the Sabbath by going to church on Sunday and resting from work? I'm sorry to tell you that you are NOT keeping the Sabbath day, but a day consecrated by a man, not God. And NO your intentions are good enough now that you have been made aware you are worshiping on the wrong day.  It does matter, it matter eternally, because God wants His laws kept, not the laws man has dared to alter. It matters because our God is a God of truth, not deception. It matters because our God told us the sabbaths would be a sign between Him and His people. God also told us that certain powers would think to change times and laws- the Sabbath is both- a law and a law connected to time. It matters and if you're sitting there shaking your head saying God wouldn't be that picky, that He knows your heart and you're doing good, keeping your own chosen sabbath day better than most keep theirs. God wants you to keep His commandments, His truth, His way. 

Rev_14:12  Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.

May we, by the grace and mercy, the love of God  be among those saints.

All through Jesus Christ, our LORD and SAVIOR, now and forever!

Amen!

(Excerpt)

Christ and the Pharisees -OR Christ's Faithfulness in Sabbath-Keeping.

BY A. T. JONES.

[Religious Liberty Library, No. 18]

[Cont.]

Shortly after this we have the record in the second chapter of Mark, 23rd verse, to the third chapter 6th verse: it is also in the twelfth chapter of Matthew, and the sixth of Luke, verses 1-12; but Mark's record gives a point that is not in either of the others, and it is all-important:-

"And it came to pass, that he went through the corn-fields on the Sabbath day; and his disciples began, as they went, to pluck the ears of corn. And the Pharisees said unto him, Behold, why do they on the Sabbath day, that which is not lawful? And he said unto them, Have ye never read what David did, when he had need, and was an hungered, he, and they that were with him? How he went into the house of God in the days of Abiathar the high priest, and did eat the shewbread, which is not lawful to eat but for the priests, and

gave also to them that were with him? And he said unto them, The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath: therefore the Son of man is Lord also of the Sabbath." 

Now Matthew and Mark carry the record right on as though it was the same Sabbath day. Luke's record says it was "on another Sabbath;" but at any rate it seems not to have been later than the next Sabbath. Thus we read.-

"And he entered again into the synagogue; and there was a man there which had a withered hand. And they watched him, whether he would heal him on the Sabbath day; that they might accuse him."

Now notice; they were already persecuting him for keeping the Sabbath,-for breaking the Sabbath as they would have it,-and they were ready to kill him. The next time they have an occasion, they are watching him to see whether he will yield to their demands, and compromise the Sabbath, or compromise himself, in order to please them. They are watching him now to see whether their attempt to get him to compromise with them and yield to their ideas is succeeding; and so they watch him to see what he is going to do, so that they may accuse him if he does as he has formerly been doing. And if he does not now compromise and yield to their ideas of the Sabbath, they will accuse him, and follow it up in the way which the record shows.

And Jesus knew they were watching him, and what they were thinking about, and what they were watching him for. He knew that their attention was all on him. And that they might have the fullest evidence possible, he called to the man who had the withered hand, and said to him, "Stand forth in the midst." The man stepped out into the midst of the synagogue. This drew everybody's attention to Jesus, and the man standing there waiting. Then he asked the Pharisees and those who were accusing him, "Is it lawful to do good on the Sabbath days, or to do evil? to save life, or to kill?" They could not say it was lawful to do evil, for that would be contrary to all their own teaching, and they did not dare to say it was lawful to do [original illegible], because then they

would sanction his healing this man on the Sabbath. "Is it lawful to save life or to kill?" They did not dare to say it was lawful to kill, and they did not dare to say it was lawful to save life. For he told them to their faces, and they knew it was so, that if one of them had a sheep that fell into a ditch on the Sabbath day, they would pull it out to save its life. Whether they would do this out of mercy to the sheep, or for fear of losing the price of it, matters not, they

knew it was so. Therefore, "they held their peace," and if they had done the same thing oftener, they would have done a good deal better.

"And when he had looked round about on them with anger, being grieved for the hardness of their hearts, he saith unto the man, Stretch forth thine hand. And he stretched it out; and his hand was restored whole as the other. And the Pharisees went forth, and straightway took counsel with the Herodians against him, how they might destroy him."  (End Excerpt)