The Church of the Bible: The Only 100% True Church

9/28/2017 56 Comments

The True Church of God

This is a reply to the comment posted by a reader on my article entitled, “Are We Being Pretentious? Who Cares?!”, which was posted last June 30, 2007. The comment states:

I agree with you. For the most part.

For the record, I don’t think it’s being pretentious, no more pretentious than calling the Bible the Book or Word of God. I was just saying that the founders of the church thought it might be construed as pretentious, as if to say all the other Christian denominations are not of God.

For while having other denominations might not be what God intended, and the walls that divide these denominations are certainly not of God, we cannot say that other denominations are not “of God.”

From my studies, I have not found a denomination or church body that has “all the Truth.” I find that every church has a different element. Some churches have a more complete view of the Truth. But so far, no-one has it 100% right. Not even us Seventh-Day Adventists.

And I find it interesting to note that neither Jesus nor His followers ever addressed the difference in sects or denominations, though in Jerusalem and in Judaism, there were certainly sects that viewed theology, the afterlife, and how we are to treat our fellow man very differently. All He said, it seems, is “This is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.” (John 17:3) That’s it. Not “this church’s view of You” or “this denomination’s take on the afterlife.”

I think that’s what the founders of the SDA church had in mind when they named the church. They wanted anyone and everyone to know the Saviour and didn’t want to offend any of the other churches.

And, as far as your comment about “the Seventh Day Adventist is not the true church because it was founded with the leadership of a woman which is against God’s will in the Bible,” I think it takes a very marginalized view of what God can do with the people who make themselves available to Him. Because while 1 Timothy certainly does say “I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence,” it cannot be taken as the golden standard by which all women must be measured and kept.

If we take just particular passages of the Bible and quote them, we can make any case for any topic. But taking it as a whole, we can see a much broader picture in which women can be leaders. May I direct you to the Book of Esther, a story about a woman who does NOT remain silent? Or Joshua 2, in which the prostitute Rahab saves the lives of the Israelite spies by hiding them, a story in which she very much tells them what to do? The list goes on and on. There are not many women in the Bible, but those that are, are leaders in some form or fashion.

I’m not trying to start an argument, but I find it incredibly ironic that this “debate” started over the idea of Christian pretentiousness.

Scott

Dear Scott,

I am very much saddened to know the kind of reasoning the Seventh Day Adventist Church have taught you. I can not blame you anyway, nor, judge you, because you are not the leader of this church. I only blame religious leaders because it is the kind of battle I am engaged with.

EPHESIANS 6:12
For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

This is the kind of war that is being waged by the ‘seeds’ of the woman against the serpent and his seeds.

GENESIS 3:15
And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.

I have never taught anybody, all my life, to lift a finger and to harm anybody physically — to my loved ones, especially to the Members of the Church of God International. Those that kill or harm anybody physically in the name of religion, like the Catholic Church (see reference below) are not of God.


It is idiotic to believe that you are of God, and at the same time, transgressing His law, “Thou shalt not kill”. Aggravating this is the next commandment, “Love your enemies”.

MATTHEW 5:21, 44
21 Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment:
44 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;

We may safely conclude that killing one’s enemy (especially an enemy of faith, where God is within the parameter of the dispute) is foolish!

Christians do not harm their enemies physically, like the Catholic Church that has inflicted physical harm to her enemies.

2 CORINTHIANS 10:4-5
4 (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds;)
5 Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;

The result of this kind of battle is not physically fatal because it brings the captives to the obedience of Christ. If you are starting arguments do not worry; I love this kind of battle.

Your view that there is no church that is 100 percent right is contrary to what the Bible teaches. The Bible has the record of the teachings of the Church of God — the Church preached by Jesus Christ and the apostles, and they are 100 percent correct, right and true! But I can not blame you because you may have realized the truth that there are errors in the teachings of your church; but to conclude that there is no church which is 100 percent right is ignorance of the Bible. Let me prove this to you.

The teaching of the Church of God in the Bible is 100 percent right.

1 THESSALONIANS 2:3-5
3 For our exhortation was not of deceit, nor of uncleanness, nor in guile:
4 But as we were allowed of God to be put in trust with the gospel, even so we speak; not as pleasing men, but God, which trieth our hearts.
5 For neither at any time used we flattering words, as ye know, nor a cloke of covetousness; God is witness:

If the teachings of the gospel entrusted by God to the apostles were delivered ‘as is’ who will say that it is not 100 percent right? It is illogical because God is 100 percent right! See?

God does not allow error in teachings in His Church.

JEREMIAH 26:2
Thus saith the LORD; Stand in the court of the LORD’s house, and speak unto all the cities of Judah, which come to worship in the LORD’s house, all the words that I command thee to speak unto them; diminish not a word:

This was the way of Jesus Christ, the highest teacher in the Church.

JOHN 12:49
For I have not spoken of myself; but the Father which sent me, he gave me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak.

Not a jot or tittle was omitted by Christ.

MATTHEW 5:18
For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.

John the beloved, wrote the same warning.

REVELATIONS 22:18-19
18 For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book:
19 And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.”

Heeding to all these instructions, and faithfulness to God will result in a Church, with its teachings 100 percent right. See?

Your claim that Jesus, neither, the apostles, did not address the difference in sects or denominations is (again) a big mistake. In fact, the Lord Jesus told His disciples that they must exceed the righteousness of the sect of the Scribes and Pharisees, while condemning the practices of these sects.

MATTHEW 5:20
For I say unto you, that except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.

MATTHEW 23:15
Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves.

Do you see the light now, Brother Scott?

Again, when you said that what 1 Timothy 2:11-14 state “can not be taken as a golden standard by which all women must be measured and kept,” is (again) wrong.

The standard of all truth is God’s word and will!

Jesus Christ, the highest authority in Christianity, did not elect women apostles. Women in the first century Christian Church occupied important positions in the ministry and in the preaching in the gospel, but not one of them was made a leader. They are ‘helps’ as it was ordained by God.

GENESIS 2:18
And the LORD God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a help meet for him.

This is reflected in the role women performed in the Church of God.

PHILIPPIANS 4:3
And I entreat thee also, true yokefellow, help those women which labored with me in the gospel, with Clement also, and with other my fellow laborers, whose names are in the book of life.

They helped the Apostle Paul, their leader, but did not usurp authority over the latter.

ROMANS 16:1-2
1 I commend unto you Phebe our sister, which is a servant of the church which is at Cenchrea:
2 That ye receive her in the Lord, as becometh saints, and that ye assist her in whatsoever business she hath need of you: for she hath been a succorer of many, and of myself also.

Succorer is a helper and not a leader like Ellen G. White!

Rahab, the example you gave, is not a leader; neither is there any mention of any woman leader in the book of Esther.

I hope and pray that you may see the grace of God.

God bless!

Bro. Eli Soriano

56 Comments:

A Healthy and Wise Appetizer for My Readers

9/23/2017 35 Comments

Is there benefit in fasting

As I have said, my taste buds were also deceived. I want to open this topic with a confession, as an appetizer for my readers. The Apostle Paul sometimes also talks about himself.

1 Timothy 1:13
Who was before a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious: but I obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly in unbelief.

Even in international law, something done ignorantly will not merit capital punishments.

I am also a human being; and like anybody else, I am prone to commit mistakes, although others commit them feloniously and intentionally.

Ecclesiastes 7:20
For there is not a just man upon earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not.

When I was young, I am fond of eating sour fruits, with a lot of salt, and sometimes with ‘patis’ (fish sauce) and ‘bagoong’ (shrimp paste). I love them; and it is a favorite snack in the Philippines — my country of origin. As I grow older, I heard a song by Peter, Paul, and Mary in the early 60’s (I wish I can sing it for you) which has a line that goes like this:

“Lemon tree very pretty and the lemon flower is sweet. 
But the fruit of the poor lemon is impossible to eat. 
Lemon tree very pretty and the lemon flower is sweet. 
But the fruit of the poor lemon is impossible to eat.”


This is a cover of the song “Lemon Tree” originally sang by Peter, Paul, and Mary in the 60’s

And to this, I agreed to very much then, because during those times, even oranges with a little sour taste make me crave for salt. When I started my radio ministry way back in the 80’s, because of faith in God’s word, I fasted for almost two weeks. I intended to do it more, but the load of work and my broadcasts compelled me to end my fast and taste a little food. I found in our kitchen some pieces of not-so-ripe ‘lanzones’. A brother told me that they were leftover by a brother because it is very sour. I ate some and to my surprise, I have realized the real taste of ‘lanzones’ — one of my favorite fruits, (I remembered lola Pilar who used to send my auntie Toyang to buy me two kilos of lanzones which I can finish in two sittings), which to me, after some cleansing has occurred in my body due to the fast, tastes very great!

Proverbs 27:7
The full soul loatheth an honeycomb; but to the hungry soul every bitter thing is sweet.

There is wisdom to realize what the Apostle Paul once wrote.

Philippians 4:12 (RSV)
I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound; in any and all circumstances I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and want.

Being hungry sometimes benefits the soul and the body. This is the secret of the biblical instructions of fasting.

Luke 6:21
Blessed are ye that hunger now…

To fast is to experience hunger. It makes us closer to God.

Joel 2:12
Therefore also now, saith the LORD, turn ye even to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning…

This is a biblical admonition even to couples who wanted to strengthen their bonds and learn self-control, necessary for maintaining fidelity with each other.

1 Corinthians 7:5
Defraud ye not one the other, except it be with consent for a time, that ye may give yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come together again, that Satan tempt you not for your incontinency.
 
The Health Benefits of Fasting
http://serendip.brynmawr.edu/biology/b103/f02/web1/wcarroll.html

A study was performed on earthworms that demonstrated the extension of life due to fasting. The experiment was performed in the 1930s by isolating one worm and putting it on a cycle of fasting and feeding. The isolated worm outlasted its relatives by 19 generations, while still maintaining its youthful physiological traits. The worm was able to survive on its own tissue for months. Once the size of the worm began to decrease, the scientists would resume feeding it at which point it showed great vigor and energy. “The life-span extension of these worms was the equivalent of keeping a man alive for 600 to 700 years.”

Later, in my desire to help others and myself, I studied a little of nutritional therapy and alternative medicine. There are poor people who oftentimes approach me asking some remedies for their health problems. A sense of urgency pushed me to search and research for ways to alleviate the sufferings of those poor people whom I dearly love. I love the poor because God loves them.

James 2:5
Hearken, my beloved brethren, Hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him?

My search and research revealed to me a new world; a new understanding; and even strengthened my faith in the word of God. In all those avenues that I have traveled, I found deceit, lies, and fraud! A person suffering from high cholesterol in the blood is given doses of ‘statin’ drugs in fear of a heart attack that may follow because of high cholesterol which is the common knowledge in the medical world; but the truth is, statin drugs that blocks the production of cholesterol in the liver also blocks the production of coenzyme Q10 (COQ10), which is very important for the efficient functions of heart muscles, thus, a heart attack is likely to follow.

Quick facts:
Numerous studies confirm that statin use blocks CoQ10 production, and they also confirm the muscle weakness that occurs as a result.1-4 And don’t forget that the heart is a muscle too: 15 animal studies have shown that statin-induced depletion of CoQ10 increases heart failure, as well as overall mortality.

http://www.thehealthierlife.co.uk/article/3619/heart-disease-cholectin.html

This truth is not being revealed by doctors who profit enormously from the benefits given by drug companies that produce statin drugs. We must condemn to the highest degree these doctors who know this fact, but still prescribe this kind of drugs.

But to those doctors that prescribe them unaware of the dangers and side effects of these drugs, I advise them to have a little research. High doses of vitamin C can prove to be therapeutic to many heart ailments, without harmful side effects. Proper supplementations of proline, lysine, and coenzyme Q10 with high doses of vitamin C can even reverse the damage in the heart of an ailing person.  

THE BASIC ORTHOMOLECULAR RECOMMENDATIONS FOR CONTROLLING HEART DISEASE 

Copyright 2004,2005 By Owen R Fonorow, Naturopath
Last Update: Sun Nov 6 13:54:51 EST 2005

NOTE: Linus Pauling specifically recommended high oral doses of vitamin C and the amino acid lysine.

Other elements in the following Pauling Therapy protocol, ordered by importance, account for many variables. These recommendations are based on the experience of more than a decade recommending Pauling’s protocol, and they feature Pauling’s earlier advice published in 1986. This protocol is designed to help overcome a poor diet, advancing age, or the use of prescription drugs commonly given to heart patients.

Truths are not being exposed, deceit is employed, and fraud is practiced even in the medical world. Thus, the Bible says:

1 Corinthians 1:19
For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.

1 Corinthians 2:6
Howbeit we speak wisdom among them that are perfect: yet not the wisdom of this world, nor of the princes of this world, that come to naught…

There is neither deceit nor fraud in the true wisdom that comes from God.

James 3:17
But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.

I was once deceived, because I also religiously took many tablets of Lipitor prescribed by my cardiologist.

I was once deceived by my perverted taste buds that a lemon is impossible to eat without salt.

I suggest that you do a little experiment that will be of good side effects to your liver and your body as a whole. In the morning, when you break your fast (that you experienced throughout the night), have a sip of fresh lemon juice and you will appreciate the great taste of natural foods prepared by no less than the best Nutritionist — God. Even without salt, you can taste a little salty taste in pure fresh lemon juice. Now I know that the song I used to sing is not true.

“Lemon tree very pretty and the lemon flower is sweet. 
But the fruit of the poor lemon is impossible to eat. 
Lemon tree very pretty and the lemon flower is sweet. 
But the fruit of the poor lemon is impossible to eat.” 

In law, made and promulgated by man, there are deceits and frauds. There is injustice within the halls of justice in many parts of the world. In almost every human wisdom, evil, deceit, and fraud are present.

Ecclesiastes 3:16-17
And moreover I saw under the sun the place of judgment, that wickedness was there; and the place of righteousness, that iniquity was there. I said in mine heart, God shall judge the righteous and the wicked: for there is a time there for every purpose and for every work.

Are you willing to take more? Let us have a right turn!

Sincerely,

Bro. Eli Soriano

35 Comments:

The Great Differences of Christ and Man

9/16/2017 30 Comments

How is Christ different from humans

Paul did not receive his apostleship from man, but from Christ. So, He (Christ) is not man.

GALATIANS 1:1 
Paul, an apostle, (not of men, neither by man, but by Jesus Christ, and God the Father, who raised him from the dead;)

The gospel Paul preached did not come from man, but by the revelation of Christ. Christ is not man.

GALATIANS 1:10-12 
10 For do I now persuade men, or God? Or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ. 
11 But I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man. 
12 For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ.

Worship of anybody who is not God is idolatry.

GALATIANS 4:8 
Howbeit then, when ye knew not God, ye did service unto them which by nature are no gods.

It is God the Father who commanded that Christ be worshiped.

HEBREWS 1:5-6 
5 For unto which of the angels said he at any time, Thou art my son, this day have I begotten thee? And again, I will be to him a Father, and he shall be to me a Son? 
6 And again, when he bringeth in the first begotten into the world, he saith, And let all the angels of God worship him.

1 PETER 3:15 (NLT) 
Instead, you must worship Christ as Lord of your life. And if you are asked about your Christian hope, always be ready to explain it.

All men have sinned. Christ did not.

ROMANS 3:23 
For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;

1 KINGS 8:46 
If they sin against thee, (for there is no man that sinneth not,) and thou be angry with them, and deliver them to the enemy, so that they carry them away captives unto the land of the enemy, far or near;

There is not a just man on earth that sins not.

ECCLESIASTES 7:20 
For there is not a just man upon earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not.

Christ did not sin.

JOHN 8:46 (RSV) 
Which of you convicts me of sin? If I tell the truth, why do you not believe me?

1 PETER 2:22 
Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth:

ROMANS 3:4 
God forbid: yea, let God be true, but every man a liar; as it is written, That thou mightest be justified in thy sayings, and mightest overcome when thou art judged.

No man has seen God.

JOHN 1:18 
No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.

But Christ has seen Him.

JOHN 8:38 
I speak that which I have seen with my Father: and ye do that which ye have seen with your father.

Man came from the dust of the ground.

GENESIS 2:7 
And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.

Christ came from above — from God.

JOHN 6:38 
For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me.

JOHN 13:3 
Jesus knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he was come from God, and went to God;

Christ can see the heart and the mind; man can not.

MATTHEW 23:27 
Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees,hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchers, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men’s bones, and of all uncleanness.

JEREMIAH 17:9-10 
9 The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?
10 I the LORD search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings.

Christ directly talks to the Father; man can not.

JOHN 17:5 
And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was.

JOHN 12:28 
Father, glorify thy name. Then came there a voice from heaven, saying, I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again.

JEREMIAH 30:21 
And their nobles shall be of themselves, and their governor shall proceed from the midst of them; and I will cause him to draw near, and he shall approach unto me: for who is this that engaged his heart to approach unto me? saith the LORD.

Christ has life in Him; He can give and take it away.

JOHN 10:17-18 
17 Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again.
18 No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father.

Man has not power over death. Christ has.

ECCLESIASTES 8:8 
There is no man that hath power over the spirit to retain the spirit; neither hath he power in the day of death: and there is no discharge in that war; neither shall wickedness deliver those that are given to it.

JOHN 11:25 
Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:

Christ came from eternity.

MICAH 5:2 
But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.

God bless!

30 Comments:

The Rationale Why God Created Woman

9/09/2017 48 Comments

Biblical reason for the creation of women

This is a partial reply to a comment made by my reader, Scott Fogg, regarding the article entitled, “The Church Of The Bible: The Only 100% True Church”. In the first part of his comment, Scott wrote the following:

“I’m confused. If Esther, as Queen, was not a leader, what do you consider her? She was, by rank and title, a nation’s leader, was she not? Was she not the one that Mordecai went to, to bend the ear of the king, to save the Jews from slaughter? Did she not lead others in prayer?

Moreover, it does not seem God would discriminate indiscriminately. I seem to recall a time when He even enlisted in the help of a mule to talk one of His prophets into doing his will. Now, I don’t think it’s God’s M.O. to appoint animals into leadership positions, but He always seems to use those that are willing and able. So if God can and will talk through a donkey, why would He not send a vision to a woman? For that is all we claim Ellen White to be or have been, a prophet — one who received a direct, divine message…”

Dear Scott,

There is a saying that, “Behind every great man is a great woman”. Esther is not a leader, but an influential figure to Mordecai, the chief minister of King Ahasuerus, and to the King himself. She is not a prophetess as Seventh Day Adventists claim for Ellen G. White.

Understanding the Bible in its context will teach you that women are not intended to be leaders of God’s people. Consider the following reasons:

Throughout the history of God’s people, the Israelites, it is God’s will that His chosen nation or people be perpetually led by a man.

1 KING 9:5 
Then I will establish the throne of thy kingdom upon Israel for ever, as I promised to David thy father, saying, There shall not fail thee a man upon the throne of Israel.

1 KING 8:25 
Therefore now, LORD God of Israel, keep with thy servant David my father that thou promisedst him, saying, There shall not fail thee a man in my sight to sit on the throne of Israel; so that thy children take heed to their way, that they walk before me as thou hast walked before me.

2 CHRONICLES 6:16 
Now therefore, O LORD God of Israel, keep with thy servant David my father that which thou hast promised him, saying, There shall not fail thee a man in my sight to sit upon the throne of Israel; yet so that thy children take heed to their way to walk in my law, as thou hast walked before me.

JEREMIAH 33:17 
For thus saith the LORD; David shall never want a man to sit upon the throne of the house of Israel;

Such principle was applied to the people of God in the New Testament times.

1 TIMOTHY 2:11-13 
11 Let the woman learn in silence with all subjection. 
12 But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence. 
13 For Adam was first formed, then Eve.

Consider the rationale for the creation of the woman.

GENESIS 2:18 
And the LORD God said, it is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a help meet for him.

1 CORINTHIANS 11:9-10 
9 Neither was the man created for the woman; but the woman for the man. 
10 For this cause ought the woman to have power on her head because of the angels.

By this, God does not “indiscriminately discriminate” women. He is just standing on His principle and the original idea of creation. Authorities of the New Testament understood this.

1 CORINTHIANS 14:34 
Let your women keep silence in the churches: for it is not permitted unto them to speak; but they are commanded to be under obedience, as also saith the law.

In the Church of God, we have a high esteem and respect for our women brethren; but we stand to the divine principle outlined by God in the Bible, and we respect God above our women.

There are collateral realities to consider. Women have caused the fall of some of God’s great men in the Bible. Adam, the best example, was convinced by Eve to eat the forbidden fruit. Solomon was separated from God by his women. Samson fell prey to the Philistine through Delilah.

ECCLESIASTES 7:26
And I find more bitter than death the woman, whose heart is snares and nets, and her hands as bands: whoso pleaseth God shall escape from her; but the sinner shall be taken by her.

There are also prophetic realities to consider:

ISAIAH 3:12
As for my people, children are their oppressors, and women rule over them. O my people, they which lead thee cause thee to err, and destroy the way of thy paths.

Just the thought of a woman leading God’s people spells destruction.

JEREMIAH 51:30
The mighty men of Babylon have forborne to fight, they have remained in their holds: their might hath failed; they became as women: they have burned her dwelling places; her bars are broken.

For God’s will to be fulfilled that His people or chosen nation be led perpetually by a man, He proclaimed the coming of an eternal leader in the person of the Lord Jesus Christ.

ISAIAH 9:6-7
6 For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.
7 Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even forever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.

Remember, as promised by God, the throne of David will be ruled by men, not by any chance, a woman!

1 KING 9:5
Then I will establish the throne of thy kingdom upon Israel for ever, as I promised to David thy father, saying, There shall not fail thee a man upon the throne of Israel.

I welcome your notion that God has the right to use those that are willing and able to be instruments in making His will be known unto people. But I am sorry you gave a wrong example when you mentioned that a mule was used by God to speak to one of His prophets. For your information, Balaam is not a prophet of God. Neither the mule is willing nor able because animals were not given the free-will like men, to be willing to obey God. They are always subjective to God’s will, whether they like it or not.

JUDE 1:11
Woe unto them! for they have gone in the way of Cain, and ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward, and perished in the gainsaying of Korah.

For your information, Balaam is a Mesopotamian prophet for hire! He is not an Israelite and his home was Pethor, near the Euphrates River in Northern Mesopotamia.

It would have been better if you used Luke 19:40.

LUKE 19:40
And he answered and said unto them, I tell you that, if these should hold their peace, the stones would immediately cry out.

Even stones can be made by God to cry out or to speak God’s will, but that is if and only if the apostles will “hold their peace” and keep silent.

See the point?

God Bless!

48 Comments:

The True Sabbath of a True Christian, According to the Bible

True Meaning of Sabbath in Christians

This is my reply to Mr. Scott Fogg, a Seventh Day Adventist (SDA), who posted a well-appreciated comment on my article entitled, “The Church Of The Bible: The Only 100% True Church”.

Dear Scott,

I noticed in your reply that you falsely accused the Church of God of not holding fast to Jesus’ preaching and teachings, claiming we largely ignored the fourth commandment — which is the keeping of the Sabbath. That’s why you concluded that we are not 100% upholding the truth of God’s teaching. I am sorry to say that you are wrong. If we do not keep the seventh day Sabbath, it’s not because we “largely ignored” one of God’s own commandments, as you say. You even cited Matthew 5:18, which I am quoting hereunder:

MATTHEW 5:17-18 
17 Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill. 
18 For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.

You were falsely carried away by the leaders of the SDAC or Seventh Day Adventist Church’s misinterpretation of these verses. When the Lord Jesus Christ said that, He has “come not to destroy the laws and the prophets, but to fulfill”, authorities of the SDAC recklessly interpreted that the “laws” and the “prophets” meant by the Lord are the Ten Commandments. But this is not so!

To give you a brief background, our Lord Jesus Christ came to earth to fulfill the “laws” and the “prophets” intended exclusively for Him by God the Father.

HEBREWS 10:7 
Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O God.

Note the phrase “written of me”, which means the will of God for Him to accomplish. Does it mean the Ten Commandments?

LUKE 24:44 
And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me.

Note again that He is going to fulfill those that were written in the Law of Moses, in the prophets and in the psalms concerning Him.

But why not the Ten Commandments? Because the Ten Commandments were not meant for Christ!

1 TIMOTHY 1:9-11 
9 Knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and for sinners, for unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers, 
10 For whoremongers, for them that defile themselves with mankind, for menstealers, for liars, for perjured persons, and if there be any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine; 
11 According to the glorious gospel of the blessed God, which was committed to my trust.

Consider that the Ten Commandments were not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient! Jesus Christ is righteous and obedient.

HEBREWS 5:8 
Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered;

Jesus Christ is obedient because He fulfilled all the laws and the prophets have written concerning His person and exclusively for Him. SDAC argues that the Lord Jesus Christ fulfilled the Ten Commandments and observed the seventh day Sabbath by going to the synagogues on Sabbath Day. But did He enter the synagogue on Sabbath day to keep it?

LUKE 4:16-19 
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. 
17 And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Isaiah. And when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written, 
18 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, 
19 To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.

LUKE 4:28-30 
28 And all they in the synagogue, when they heard these things, were filled with wrath, 
29 And rose up, and thrust him out of the city, and led him unto the brow of the hill whereon their city was built, that they might cast him down headlong. 
30 But he passing through the midst of them went his way,

If you look closely, Brother Scott, the Lord Jesus Christ went into the synagogue, not to keep the seventh day Sabbath, but to preach the gospel (not the 10 commandments); and when the Sabbath keepers heard His preaching, they rose up against Him, wanting to destroy Him. Why then would the Sabbath keepers destroy a fellow Sabbath keeper? We do not only apply logic here, but verses to prove that Jesus Christ did not keep the Sabbath being kept by the Jews.

JOHN 5:18 
Therefore the Jews sought the more to kill him, because he not only had broken the sabbath, but said also that God was his Father, making himself equal with God.

After all, Jesus Christ is not under obligation to keep the Sabbath or to follow the Ten Commandments which are meant for the “lawless”, and not for a righteous person like Him. Why do I say that He is not under obligation to keep the seventh day Sabbath?

MARK 2:27-28 
27 And he said unto them, The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath: 
28 Therefore the Son of man is Lord also of the sabbath.

Notice that He is Lord, also, of the Sabbath. The Lord is not under the Sabbath but, Sabbath is under Him. The verse said that the Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath.

Sabbath made for man = The Israelites (Deuteronomy 5:15)

Not man for the Sabbath = Meaning not all men are obliged to keep the Sabbath

The Son of Man = Lord of the Sabbath = Not under the Sabbath

Nowhere in the book of Acts (which discloses the activities of the first century Christian church), can you find a verse that the disciples congregate in keeping the Sabbath. The Apostle Paul had been recorded to have entered the synagogue every Sabbath to persuade the Sabbath keepers, and as a result, they opposed him and blasphemed. Again, why should a Sabbath keeper be opposed by a fellow Sabbath keeper?

ACTS 18:4, 6 
4 And he reasoned in the synagogue every sabbath, and persuaded the Jews and the Greeks. 
6 And when they opposed themselves, and blasphemed, he shook his raiment, and said unto them, Your blood be upon your own heads; I am clean: from henceforth I will go unto the Gentiles.

Records in the gospel inform us of the truth that the disciples did not keep the seventh day Sabbath.

MATTHEW 12:1-2 
1 At that time Jesus went on the sabbath day through the corn; and his disciples were hungry, and began to pluck the ears of corn, and to eat. 
2 But when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto him, Behold, thy disciples do that which is not lawful to do upon the sabbath day.

You must remember that it is prohibited for Sabbath keepers to do any work on the seventh day. That is why the disciples and the apostles were charged by the Jews for not keeping their Sabbath.

It is also not lawful to kindle fire on the Sabbath.

EXODUS 35:3 
Ye shall kindle no fire throughout your habitations upon the sabbath day.

Can you imagine the apostles eating corn, raw? It is very evident that they broke the Sabbath because they understood that it was not for them.

There is a holy day for Christians; it was not like the day regarded as holy by the Israelites. The Apostle Paul speaks of it to former 7th day Sabbath keepers who were converted to Christianity.

HEBREWS 4:4, 8 (KJ21) 
4 For He spoke in a certain place of the seventh day in this way: “And God rested the seventh day from all His works.” 
8 For if Joshua had given them rest, then He would not afterward have spoken of another day.

Note that God first spoke of the seventh day in verse 7, which Joshua, who was leading the Israelites to the Promised Land, administered unto them. But on verse 8, He speaks of another day, which means a day other than the seventh day. Paul gave us his basis for this ‘another’ day. He mentioned the Psalms of David.

HEBREWS 4:7 
He again marks out a certain day, saying in David, “Today,” (after so long a time). Even as it is said, “Today, if you will hear His voice, harden not your hearts.”

This day of rest is what ‘remaineth’ for the people of God in the New Testament.

HEBREWS 4:9 
So then there remains a rest to the people of God.

Notice meticulously the terms being used by Paul:

1. another day 
2. certain day 
3. a rest or a Sabbath

Definitely, these terms do not mean the seventh day Sabbath. There are so many seventh days in a year. The New Testament mentions of a certain day (singular), another day (singular), a rest (singular).

What is this day?

It is mentioned in the Psalms of David, according to Paul.

PSALMS 118:20-24 
20 This gate of the LORD, into which the righteous shall enter. 
21 I will praise thee: for thou hast heard me, and art become my salvation. 
22 The stone which the builders refused is become the head stone of the corner. 
23 This is the LORD’s doing; it is marvelous in our eyes. 
24 This is the day which the LORD hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.”

This is a Day with voice! If you hear His voice, harden not your hearts, the verse said. This Day is the gate where the righteous will enter. It is the stone which became headstone of the corner. This is the Day that the Lord hath made (emphasis mine).

This Day is Jesus Christ: the true Sabbath or rest of Christians.

MATTHEW 11:28-29 
28 Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 
29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.

Regardless of the literal day, Christians do congregate; the Day that the Lord has made is with them. Christ is with them. Peace is with them. They are in God’s rest or Sabbath.

MATTHEW 18:20 
For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.

Where the spirit of Christ is, there is peace; there is rest; there is Sabbath.

JOHN 14:27 
Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

Where there’s no peace there’s no rest; and where there’s peace there is genuine rest or Sabbath.

Brother Scott, I hope and pray that you and I may rest in peace — in the real Sabbath of the Lord. Remember the Lord Jesus is the Lord, also of the Sabbath or ‘rest’.

God Bless!

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