Think For Yourself
C.Y. from
Connecticut writes, “Thanks so much for your service to God’s people. Please don’t be discouraged by complaints
from those who worship at the throne of Nicolaitan hierarchy, especially those
who believe that only men chosen by other men, rather than God, are allowed to
study the Scriptures and write about them.
“Your efforts have
prodded me to take my beliefs more seriously and to stop relying on mere men
selected by other men for my ‘truths’ and beliefs. I am disappointed by friends who respond with comments such as
‘I’m no scholar’ when I challenge them to also study for themselves. One long-time church member said God honors
the dictates of men who claim to be our superiors, and we do well to follow
their teachings without question. I
strongly disagreed.”
COMMENT: We shall all stand before the judgment seat
of Christ, Romans 14:10, II Corinthians 5:10. Ministers and teachers of God’s Word will
not be there filling in for us. We will
stand on our own. Now, more than ever
before, for our spiritual well-being, we must think for ourselves.
I was pleased to
attend and speak at the Jubilee 95 Seminar, in San Antonio, Texas, December
23-25, 1995. It was sponsored by Friends
of the Sabbath, a group of laymen dedicated to cultivating supportive
communication and continuing education, to obtain a greater appreciation of,
and devotion to, one another among the community of Sabbath believers, with
each contributing according to the gifts which God has granted us to accomplish
His work.
Dr. Samuele
Bacchiocchi was the featured speaker, joined by fifteen other speakers and
panelists. Seventh-day Adventists,
United Church of God, Global Church of God, Church of God, Seventh Day, and
various independents were represented.
There was time for discussion and questions from the audience. The theme of the seminar was “Sabbath &
Holy Days in the 21st Century.” Dr.
Bacchiocchi spoke on “My Search for the Sabbath at a Vatican University,” “Holy
Day or Holiday,” “Divine Rest for Human
Restlessness,” and “My Research on the Biblical Holy Days.” He announced his latest book, God’s
Festivals in Scripture and History:
Part 1, The Spring Festivals.
This seminar was the second in a series of seminars sponsored by Friends
of the Sabbath, the previous one being held at Dana Point, California, in
May of 1995. Cassette tapes and videos
of both seminars are available from: Friends
of the Sabbath, 27068 La Paz #500, Laguna Hills, CA 92656.
The Friends of
the Sabbath has similar purposes to the Bible Sabbath Association. The BSA concentrates on printed material in
support of the seventh- day Sabbath, and co-operation among
Sabbath-keepers. The Friends of the
Sabbath specializes in co-operation between Sabbath-keepers through a series of
lecture format seminars. We commend the
work of Friends of the Sabbath. We
encourage you to attend the next Friends of the Sabbath seminar in your
area. During 1996, several seminars are
planned for the United States, as well as Mexico and Australia. I plan to attend more than one. It is a positive development when
Sabbath-keepers from different backgrounds can meet on friendly terms, get to
know one another, and share ideas.
Although we do not totally agree on every doctrinal point, we can and
must work together in areas of commonality.
In Australia, Friends of the Sabbath is promoted by our good
friend, Craig White, PO Box 864, Sydney, NSW 2001.
Seventh-day
Adventist, Dr. Samuele Bacchiocchi, author of the book, From Sabbath to
Sunday, has researched the subject of the Biblical Holy Days for the
better part of a year. The results of
his study have been published in a newly released book, God’s Festivals
in Scripture and History, 260 pages, published in December, 1995. This is Part I, which covers the Spring
Festivals.
Bacchiocchi says,
“This research has been for me full of surprising discoveries. Perhaps the greatest surprise was to
discover that I was wrong in assuming that the annual Feasts came to an end
with the sacrifice of Christ, simply because they were connected with the
sacrificial system of the Temple. I
came to realize that the continuity or discontinuity of the Feasts is
determined not by their connection with the sacrificial system, but by the
scope of their typology. It came as a
pleasant surprise to discover that the Feasts typified not only the
redemptive accomplishments of Christ’s first Advent, but also the
consummation of redemption to be accomplished by Christ at His second
Advent. The realization that the
typology of the Feasts was initially fulfilled at Christ’s first Advent, but
will be ultimately realized at His second Advent, caused me to take a fresh
look at the continuity and desirability of Israel’s Festivals for the church
today.”
Bacchiocchi traces
the observance of the Feasts through the early Church. He says:
“Practically all the books I have read dealing with the Feasts, ignore
the witness of the early Church. Yet a
study of the observance of the Feasts in early Christianity can help us
understand what factors caused many Christians to change the Biblical Holy
Days into pagan holidays. I
believe that this is the area where perhaps my research makes the greatest
contribution. Having spent many years
of my life investigating the change from Sabbath to Sunday in early
Christianity, I welcome this opportunity to extend my investigation to the
change of the annual Feasts also. It is
my fervent hope, that this new research on the Holy Days may enrich the worship
experience of those who are willing to take time during the course of the year
to celebrate the great saving acts of God.
We cannot preach the whole Bible in one sermon. We cannot celebrate the whole redemption in
one Sabbath. A church calendar
patterned after the calendar of Israel can help to do justice to all the great
saving acts of God. It provides an
opportunity to experience afresh what God has done in the past, is doing in the
present, and will do in the future. It
enables us to take the time which God has created and offer it back to God
through Jesus Christ who has redeemed it.”
Although we do not
concur with all the conclusions of Dr. Bacchiocchi regarding the Holy Days, we
do admire the amount of research he has amassed on this important subject. God’s Festivals in Scripture and
History retails for $15.00. You
may receive a copy from Giving & Sharing for a suggested donation of $9.50.
[ ]Yes,
please send a copy of God’s Festivals in Scripture and History.
I have enclosed a donation of $9.50.
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Giving & Sharing,
PO Box 100, Neck City, MO 64849
When will we take personal responsibility for our
actions? In the matter of divorce, you
hear some of the most ridiculous excuses for lack of responsible behavior. Prince Charles in his 1994 biography said
that he never loved Princess Diana and didn’t want to marry her. My niece recently divorced her husband,
saying, “he didn’t fulfill my emotional needs.” She and her former husband immediately began dating other
individuals. A well-known pastor in one
of the smaller ex-Worldwide Church of God groups justified his divorce and
remarriage with the excuse that Mrs. Loma Armstrong “forced” him to marry his
first wife. Years later, he decided he
didn’t love her, and sought other sexual activity.
Remember, the Eternal is listening to our lame
excuses. Love is not a feeling, a
satisfaction of our needs. Love is
commitment, determination to give and serve the other. Love is the basis for God’s form of
government. The family is the foundation
of God’s government, where husband and wife are to love the other as much as
they love themselves, and love their children more than themselves. Sacrifice, dedication, faithfulness,
commitment: these are the hallmarks of
Godly love in marriage and family.
Let’s stop making excuses and start living God’s way. We encourage you to write for our newly
revised and expanded booklet, Biblical Marriage and Family.
Christian Sabbath-keepers are planning three-day weekend
camp outs for fellow believers of all affiliations, and independents. Sabbath services planned include as speakers
Jim Rector, Ray Wooten, and Carl Franklin.
Three camp outs are scheduled in northern Indiana and southern
Michigan: May 17-19, 1996 at Yogi
Bear’s Jellystone Park in Freemont, Indiana; June 21-23, 1996 at Holly State
Recreation Area in Holly, Michigan; and August 23-25, 1996, at Yankee Springs
State Park, Middleville, Michigan. For
more details, contact Sabbath Campers Fellowship, phone 810-232-2288, or Tom
and Joy Moody, PO Box 520, Genesee, Michigan, 48437-0520. We encourage other brethren to institute similar
fellowship.
Our 236-page book, Early Writings of Herbert W.
Armstrong, is available for a suggested donation of $9.00. For 3-9 copies, the cost drops to $7.50 per
copy, and for ten or more copies, $6.00 per copy. This book is a gold mine of information. We encourage small Bible Study groups to use
these articles to enhance group Bible Study.
The most noted Sabbath-keeping minister of the 20th Century has much to
tell us, straight from the Word of the Almighty.
The January 22, 1996, issue of In Transition says
that Giving & Sharing “sells books and other study materials at a
discount.” The truth is, G&S does
not sell anything. All our
material is available on a donation basis.
Our suggested donation covers our costs. As our order blank states, “If you cannot afford to send a
donation, we will send an item free or on loan, as funds are available.”
Giving & Sharing, PO Box 100, Neck City,
MO 64849