“I am a Catholic, and I wholeheartedly accept death for God. Had I a thousand lives, I would offer all of these to Him.” ~ St. Lorenzo Ruiz, Filipino, martyred by *tsurushi*. *Tsurushi* (Japanese for “hole hanging”) involved cutting open a victim’s forehead, hanging him upside down, then lowering him headfirst into a pit filled with excrement until he either died or agreed to apostatize. The bleeding from the forehead ensured he didn’t die quickly from rising cranial blood pressure but as slowly & painfully as possible. He wasn’t suffocated or drowned in the excrement, just suspended in the fumes right above it. Death could take up to 13 days, as in the case of St. Magdalene of Nagasaki.

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Editor’s note: This July, we are praying for the Chinese diaspora throughout Asia. This week Ruth, a Chinese missionary in Japan, introduces us to the many Chinese living in Japan. She and her family hope that, as they minister to Chinese, they will also be able to share the hope of the gospel with the Japanese. Today, she tells us about the struggles Chinese face as they seek to establish themselves in Japan. Japan: Praying for the Chinese Diaspora Meet the Missionaries China Partnership: Can you introduce yourself, your family, and your church? Lily: Before I married my husband, both of us already had a fairly clear missionary calling. We studied theology, then planted a church in [a northeastern Chinese city]. We hoped we could become missionaries, sent out by our own church. God prepared everything very smoothly. We were successfully sent out by our church as missionaries, and came to Japan a few years ago. We have already begun an international church in Japan. So far, our main group is still Mandarin-speaking Chinese, but our goal is not only to serve the Chinese community. Our church has some second-generation bilingual Chinese, and some second-generation Chinese who speak only Japanese. We are also very grateful that a Japanese auntie came to faith among us a month or two ago. Waves of Immigration to Japan CP: What are the needs of the Chinese community in your city? What struggles and hopes do Chinese in Japan commonly face? And what kind of challenges do they encounter as they adapt cross-culturally? Lily: It may be clearer if we briefly review the history of Chinese in Japan. There were three waves: the 1980s, where science and engineering international students came to earn money; the 1990s and 2000s, where many came for tech-related fields and better career opportunities; and then 2015 to the present, where many people brought their families seeking a better education and better life. The main struggle of these groups is identity. They know they are Chinese. But living in Japanese society, there is a sense of not quite fitting in. Then there are descendants of Chinese in Japan. The children of those first migrants may now be second- or even third-generation. Some were born and raised in Japan, while others spent part of their childhood in China and then came to Japan. The cultural world of first category is basically Japanese, and mainly shaped by Japanese culture. Another group is shaped by both Chinese and Japanese cultures. The main struggle of these groups is identity. They know they are Chinese. But living in Japanese society, there is a sense of not quite fitting in. On the surface, they appear to form a stable part of the structure of Japanese society, and would find it hard to return to China. But even so – do they truly belong to Japanese society? This struggle is a major part of their experience. Their dreams are not mainly for themselves, but for their descendants. Many Chinese born and raised in Japan choose Japanese citizenship when they grow up, because many basically cannot even speak Chinese. Some hope to migrate again, to what they consider an even better country. For those who have not been in Japan very long and have not yet obtained long-term, stable status, the struggle is security and stability. Japan’s immigration policies toward Chinese communities have tightened, which creates great unease. Can people settle down amid a rapidly changing Japanese society and a rapidly changing global economy? New immigrants here less than five years have even greater struggles. Language, finances, family, understanding culture and adapting to Japanese society all bring many challenges. Identity: Who Am I? For [children raised here], identity is a deep struggle: “Who am I? Japanese people look at me and think I am Chinese; Chinese people look at me and think I am Japanese.” They seem to know the gospel, but they have not truly gained a God-given identity from the gospel. They may be a confused generation. Although Japan accepts immigrants from many countries, it is still a nation with strong ethnic homogeneity. Its culture is very strong, and is not highly open. There are real survival challenges: basic consumption is very high. In Japan, it is even possible to go hungry, because the basic cost of living – rice, flour, cooking oil, food, housing, transportation – is high. These are struggles that would be hard to imagine facing in China. For children of Chinese families who were born and raised in Japan, there is this issue: their families keep telling them, “You are Chinese,” but they have never understood China and cannot identify themselves as Chinese. One feature of Japanese society that may be more pronounced than in other countries is that Japan is a collectivist society. There is a strong tendency to go along with the crowd; if everyone else is doing something, it is hard not to. Although Japan accepts immigrants from many countries, it is still a nation with strong ethnic homogeneity. Its culture is very strong, and is not highly open. There is something overwhelming about this. If someone does not have an identity rooted in the gospel, it can be very painful. The descendants of Chinese in Japan face major challenges in their relationships with their parents. Some Chinese children are Japanese not only in language, but in their way of thinking. Their parents, however, may not even speak Japanese well. This means the generations may be unable to communicate deeply. It’s very common that children become dissatisfied with their parents’ Chinese way of doing things. Parent-child relationships are deeply entangled with language and cultural differences. Passing the Faith to the Next Generation For Christians, faith transmission is a major issue. Around fourth grade, Chinese children in Japan “must” attend cram school and take entrance exams for private middle schools. Not only does this consume money; more importantly, it consumes time. A lot of these children stop coming to church around this time. In their parents’ choices, the children see their parents’ values: “Oh, God is not that important; worship and commitment to the church are not that important. You tell me to believe in God, but when decisions are made, it’s cram school.” Parents subtly pass on to their children society’s values: faster, higher, stronger, and better. This is a very, very big challenge. I met some sisters here who were deeply grieved their children no longer came to church. We reflected together on when their child’s attitude toward faith began to change, and they traced it back to those moments and choices. The important question is: what is your primary identity? Are you seeking identity from Japanese society, or are you living in the identity Christ gives you? This becomes more visible in this Japanese social culture, but is a general issue in Christian families’ transmission of faith. If you care about your child’s faith, that concern must be embodied in every daily decision. This is the challenge facing the church: we cannot skip the first generation and directly shepherd the second generation. We can only reach children through the parents; we cannot skip one generation and directly enter the next. What is your primary identity? Are you seeking identity from Japanese society, or are you living in the identity Christ gives you? It is essential for the church to proclaim the gospel in a contextualized way. Children need to see God’s grace, love, and power in the gospel. They must not simply be pushed into church community or seek Chinese identity in the church community – they must truly come to know God there. In God, they receive a renewed identity. Then, as they live on earth, they can become genuine witnesses of the kingdom of heaven. That is the foundation for a stable identity in the future. The most important thing for Chinese Christians is their faith, their relationship with God, their identity in Christ, and whether they can live out that real identity in society. This may also be the biggest challenge.

Guidelines for Living. July 2nd, 2026 How to Trade Revenge for Forgiveness If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head. Romans 12:20 “I don’t get mad—I get even!” reads the message on a bumper sticker. The taste of vengeance is so sweet–or is it? When the Japanese invaded China in World War 2, William’s family was torn apart. His father was imprisoned and died there in what prison officials called an “accident.” His sister was also imprisoned. And eventually, they came for William. It seemed that one Japanese official had it in for the family which was active in the small church in their village. William plotted his revenge. After the war was ended and William was eventually allowed to leave China, he determined to go through Japan on his way to the United States. His will was to locate the man who had so hurt the family, and, at least, discredit and shame him before his family and his colleagues at work. The long-awaited taste of vengeance seemed to grow sweeter day by day. In Japan, he stayed with a friend. While he was there, he picked up a book by Corrie ten Boom, a Dutch woman who had also been badly victimized by the injustices of war. In her book, Corrie told how forgiveness—not vengeance—is the only answer to the hatred which destroys people. Through this, God began speaking clearly to William. He knew what he was about to do was wrong. Scripture speaks so clearly, “Vengeance is mine; I will repay, says the Lord” (Romans 12:19). Could it any clearer? William did look up the man, but instead of taking revenge, he forgave the man, and continued on his journey, cleansed and whole. Few stories, however, end as this one, which is completely factual. Why does God say so specifically that we have no right to take vengeance on our enemies? Paul knew that treating evil with kindness is contrary to human nature, yet he also knew that revenge only multiplies itself in an unending torrent of pain and wrongdoing. Here’s what he said: “[Don’t] take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: ‘It is mine to avenge; I will repay,’ says the Lord. On the contrary: ‘If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.’ [Don’t] be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good” (Romans 12:19-21). Paul’s reference to heaping coals of fire on a person’s head may have been an allusion to a practice that was observed in Egypt, where to show remorse over wrongdoing, an individual would literally take charcoal and bear the coals in a dish on his head. Paul is saying, “Leave the business of getting even to God because He has a long memory. Don’t worry about it! It’s His responsibility, not yours.” In giving this advice, Paul echoes what Moses wrote 1400 years before, as God told people not to take vengeance on each other. God said, “It is mine to avenge; I will repay. In due time their foot will slip; their day of disaster is near and their doom rushes upon them” (Deuteronomy 32:35). Overcoming evil with kindness produces shame in those who do wrong. It is the only kind of a transaction that forever cancels wrongdoing and lets it die. A final thought. What Paul wrote is not easy, but it is possible. If you have been wronged and you secretly await your day of getting even, release that attitude in prayer and ask God to give you grace to forgive. God will, and when you forget about getting even, you will be amazed how quickly things get better. Leave vengeance to God; He’s much better dealing with it than we are. Resource reading: 1 Peter 2:23-25

Amazing Facts Daily Devotionals Two Transformations July 2nd, 2026 At the end of World War II, Louis Zamperini finally came home. An Olympic runner for the United States in 1936, he was a bombardier during the war. After his plane crashed in the Pacific, he survived 46 days on a life raft only to become a Japanese prisoner-of-war. Zamperini suffered brutal treatment at the hands of his captors, but he survived. Following his return, he married and had two children. But the memories of his captivity haunted him, and he turned to alcohol to numb the pain. His home life became desperate, and Zamperini’s wife Cynthia finally begged him to attend a Billy Graham crusade in Los Angeles in 1949. There, facing a crisis that could have cost him his marriage and children, Zamperini accepted Graham’s invitation to trust in Jesus. After that, Zamperini’s life dramatically changed. His story of triumphing over tragedy became history, the subject of several motion pictures and the bestselling book Unbroken. Less noted from some accounts is the change in Zamperini’s life after he accepted Christ: The nightmares stopped, the drinking ended, and Zamperini was able to forgive the Japanese who tortured him. What happened to Louis Zamperini after his conversion is a miraculous transformation that can happen to each believer after receiving Jesus as Savior. When we surrender to God’s will, we can exchange our old behaviors for “kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, [and] self- control.” Don’t you believe this world could use a lot more kindness and goodness, not to mention gentleness? If the only thing salvation gave us was the opportunity to have eternal life in heaven, that would be far more than enough, and far more than we would deserve. But eternity is not the only part of the package: By having our very natures renewed, receiving the positive attributes we may not have always shown before, we can start living in our own “heaven on earth” starting today! Apply It: As you thank God for His goodness and for the gifts of the Spirit that come with salvation, remember to exercise those gifts, especially when things get tough! Dig Deeper: Mark 9:2–29; Jude 24; 2 Corinthians 10:5 Key Bible Texts But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, (Galatians 5:22 KJV)

Amazing Facts Daily Devotionals From Death to Life. June 17th, 2026 Carl Ruse of the U.S. Air Force arrived at the Yokkaichi-Ishihara Sangyo labor camp in Nagoya, Japan, in September 1944. Captured by the Japanese over two years earlier, Ruse had been starved down to 80 pounds and had lost hope of surviving much longer. But then a fourteen-year-old Japanese boy who worked at the factory where Ruse was laboring began—at the risk of his own life—to smuggle food to the emaciated prisoner of war. It saved Ruse’s life. A year later, the newly freed Ruse took food rations to the boy’s family as a gift, and the boy gave him a small photo of himself. The memory of this boy’s kindness made Ruse a better person throughout his life; he was devoid of the bitterness that gnawed at the hearts of so many POWs. In a sense, we humans are all prisoners of war in the great conflict between good and evil. Due to the sad choice of our ancestor Adam, our enemy is able to enslave us, starve us spiritually, and destroy us. “Your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour” (1 Peter 5:8). Left to ourselves, we would have no hope. But Jesus stepped in as the representative of all humanity and was willing to risk His life, and even to die, “that whoever believes in him should not perish” (John 3:16). Through His death and resurrection, we can receive spiritual food, forgiveness, and healing. Through His provision, we are rescued, reconciled to God, and given life that never ends. Because of Adam’s sin, we’ve inherited the rebellious tendency to turn away from God—the only One who can help us—and are headed for certain disaster. As the prophet Isaiah wrote, “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned, every one, to his own way” (Isaiah 53:6). But Jesus has the power to help us—if we choose—reverse our self-destructive path, point us in the right direction, and save us. Apply It: List three reasons you are thankful that Jesus is your representative. Dig Deeper: 1 John 2:1, 2; Romans 5:18, 19; 1 Peter 3:18 Key Bible Texts For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. (1 Corinthians 15:22 KJV)

An Olympic Gold Medallist Eric Liddell refused to race on a Sunday at the 1924 Olympics because it was the Lord's Day. Honouring God was more important than the chance of an almost certain Olympic gold medal in the 100 metres. He ran instead in the 400 metres, a completely different event, requiring completely different training and skills. On the morning of the final he was handed a note from his masseur which simply reads "The Bible says, 'He that honours Me I will honour.' Wishing you the best of success always." God did honour him as he went on to win the 400 metres in a new world record time. His desire to serve God led him in 1925, one year after winning Olympic gold, to retire from athletics and travel to Tientsin, China, as a missionary. His missionary work took him to outlying villages and he worked in constant danger as the Japanese occupied China. Foreigners risked internment or worse, yet Liddell continued his work serving God. In 1941, with fears for their safety running high, Liddell's wife of seven years and his two daughters sailed to Canada leaving him behind. In March 1943 he and his colleagues were taken to an internment camp at Weihsien, where he was to end his days. In the misery and squalor of the camp it was Liddell who constantly tried to brighten the lives of the hundreds of inmates. Working far too hard with insufficient rest and nourishment he was a father, brother, friend and teacher. He missed his wife and daughters (one of whom he had never seen) and would often be found gazing at photographs of them. His selfless work took its toll and his health began to suffer. He continued cheerfully, but ultimately, it proved too much for him. On 21 February 1945 at the age of 43 Eric Liddell died of an inoperable brain tumour. With his last breath he whispered to a long time friend, "It's complete surrender." He surrendered himself into the arms of God and went to be with Him. At the funeral, attended by the entire camp, Liddell's favourite hymn was sung- "Be still my soul; the Lord is on your side." Eric Liddell received accolades from all aspects of the media and was universally acclaimed as a hero. "Scotland has lost a son who did her proud every hour of his life." "Probably the most illustrious example, Christianity has ever known." These were just two of the headlines. Liddell did not seek those headlines. God had given him a gift, which he used to the full.. He never once compromised his principles and with God's help, ran the race set out before him and achieved the prize which was far greater than any Olympic medal. Christ is Victor, AUGUST 2004

A Little Light Reading. How to keep the Sabbath Holy. Doug Bachelor. During the Paris Olympics in 1924, Scotsman Eric Liddell, the son of a missionary and a celebrated sprint- er, was expected to win gold in the 100-me- ter race. However, he discovered that the time trials for his event were going to fall on a Sunday, which he believed to be the biblical Sabbath. Even though he had relentlessly trained and his country had emotionally and finan- cially invested in him, he absolutely refused to run in a race on that day. This difficult decision put him under immense pressure from politicians, teammates, and even some How to Keep the Sabbath Holy TEXT.indd 7 2/13/14 2:45 PM 8 How to Keep the Sabbath Holy friends. “God will understand,” they plead- ed. “Your country is counting on you! Do it just this one time!” But he said, “No. I can’t do it—not even once.” Well, it later turned out, providentially, that Liddell could run in another event that did not conflict with his beliefs: the 400-me- ter run. However, during the time trials, he didn’t perform very well. Teammates won- dered about his ability to secure even a bronze medal. But Liddell believed the re- sults were in God’s hands; all he needed to do was do his best. Then, just prior to running the final heat, he was handed a slip of paper from an American trainer with this profound mes- sage written on it: “Those who honor me, I will honor” (1 Samuel 2:30). When the start gun sounded, Liddell went off like a shot, ran like lightning, and broke the standing record to finish first! Eric Liddell firmly believed in obey- ing God no matter the cost—and that meant following every one of His Ten Commandments, including the fourth. This How to Keep the Sabbath Holy TEXT.indd 8 2/13/14 2:45 PM 9 How to Keep the Sabbath Holy deep faithfulness and devotion is to be ad- mired; even if he had the specific day wrong, he had the principle right. For him the Sabbath commandment was no less important than the ones that say, “Do not murder,” and, “Do not commit adultery.” It’s very difficult for some people to wrap their minds around that idea; “After all,” they say, “It’s just a day!” But I also believe it is absolutely true that this commandment is as equally important as any other. Very few people, after accepting Christ, dispute nine of the Ten Commandments, but the fourth they often see as a “personal preference” or an optional commandment. But it’s not just a recommendation from Moses; it’s the very law of the Almighty. The Bible tells us, “For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all” (James 2:10). The devil doesn’t care whether your sin is adul- tery or idolatry or murder or Sabbath break- ing, just as long as he can get you to sin and separate you from God. He knows that in God’s view, the Sabbath commandment is not any less important How to Keep the Sabbath Holy TEXT.indd 9 2/13/14 2:45 PM 10 How to Keep the Sabbath Holy than the other nine. That’s why I believe it is the devil’s plan to erode our convictions about the Sabbath through rationalizations and compromises, so that when the big test of the last days comes, when we must choose whom we will worship on penalty of death, many people will have been so trained to stumble that they won’t be prepared to take a stand. That’s why it is so important to be faithful now in keeping the Sabbath holy; it’s all about preparation. But before we delve too far into the hows of keeping the Sabbath holy, let’s first begin by determining what it means for a day to be holy … What Is Holy? Let’s start our study of the Sabbath by taking a careful look at the commandment itself, found in Exodus 20: "Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh How to Keep the Sabbath Holy TEXT.indd 10 2/13/14 2:45 PM 11 How to Keep the Sabbath Holy day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God. In it you shall do no work: you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates. For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the sev- enth day. Therefore the Lord bless- ed the Sabbath day and hallowed it" (vv. 8–11, my emphasis). God says there is holy time; what does He mean? The word “holy” means something “ded- icated, set apart, or consecrated to God.” And it’s clear from the Bible that some things are holy and should not be profaned or treated as common. For one, marriage is called holy. You can court someone for years, but it’s not a holy relationship until you seal the covenant and marry him or her. Profaning that holy rela- tionship is a violation of the commandment against adultery. Tithe is also called holy How to Keep the Sabbath Holy TEXT.indd 11 2/13/14 2:45 PM 12 How to Keep the Sabbath Holy (Leviticus 27:30). It can be hard to grasp that one dollar among every ten dollars of income you earn is considered holy by God, but nonetheless, using that sacred 10 percent to make a car payment profanes something God has declared to be sacred. Well, likewise, God also points out in the Sabbath commandment that a certain amount of time each week is holy—not be- cause a particular church teaches it, but be- cause He said so. No man in the world can call common what God has blessed as holy. Nor does God say, “Remember the Sabbath to make it holy.” We can’t make it holy; God is the one who makes something holy. In the fourth commandment, He is saying, “I’ve al- ready made it holy, so recognize what I have done and respect me.” Keeping the Sabbath holy is all about a love relationship with God. The Sabbath Before the Commandments Did you know that the fourth command- ment takes us all the way back to Genesis? How to Keep the Sabbath Holy TEXT.indd 12 2/13/14 2:45 PM 13 How to Keep the Sabbath Holy “Thus the heavens and the earth, and all the host of them, were finished. And on the seventh day God ended His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done. Then God blessed the seventh day and sancti- fied it, because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made” (Genesis 2:1–3). The Sabbath was not made only for the Jews but for all humanity. This is why Jesus said, “The Sabbath was made for man” (Mark 2:27). He is referring back to the time of the garden of Eden; the Sabbath was made for all mankind. The idea that the Sabbath was first presented at Mt. Sinai is a common misunderstanding. Exodus 20 might be where we hear God first speaking the fourth commandment—in fact, He hasn’t even written it down in stone at this point—but it is in Exodus 16, a few chapters before the commandment is actual- ly spoken by God, that the Lord rains down How to Keep the Sabbath Holy TEXT.indd 13 2/13/14 2:45 PM 14 How to Keep the Sabbath Holy manna from the heavens six days a week. On Fridays, the Israelites were to collect twice as much manna because there would be no manna raining down from the sky on the seventh day of the week. God was treating the Sabbath as if it was something the Jews already clearly understood. When some of them went out on the Sabbath looking for bread, God responded, “How long will you refuse to keep my laws?” He was calling the Sabbath a law before they ever arrived at Mt. Sinai. Does mankind need rest? Yes! This principle comes from the very beginning. Some believe that because the Bible is si- lent on something, it must not have existed. Yet because you don’t read a lot about the Sabbath in Genesis, it’s no reason to assume that it wasn’t there or didn’t exist. Still, it’s quite obvious that it was there when God rested on the seventh day and hallowed it at the creation. In fact, there is no spo- ken or written commandment before Mt. Sinai that says we’re not to commit adul- tery, but Joseph acknowledged that adultery was a sin even before God wrote it in the How to Keep the Sabbath Holy TEXT.indd 14 2/13/14 2:45 PM 15 How to Keep the Sabbath Holy Ten Commandments. It’s clearly stated in Genesis 39:9. And, of course, it was a sin for Cain to kill Abel long before God said, “You shall not murder.” Also take notice—when you look at the Ten Commandments, how many of them involve the word “keep”? “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.” The com- mandment does not say, “You shall not keep adultery.” There is one place in the commandment dealing with idolatry that says “showing mercy unto thousands that love me and keep my commandments.” But that’s really a general phrase for all of the commandments. So the only law that spe- cifically uses the word “keep” is the Sabbath commandment. It seems strange, then, that it’s really the only commandment that much of the Christian world says is no longer an obligation to keep. But as we’ve seen, it was there in creation at the beginning. And the Bible promises it’s going to be in the New Earth (Isaiah 66:22, 23). God wants us to keep it now—it is an eternal, holy gift to all creation! How to Keep the Sabbath Holy TEXT.indd 15 2/13/14 2:45 PM 16 How to Keep the Sabbath Holy A Dangerous Topic Unfortunately, it is easy to be misunder- stood or to appear to be extreme when some- one is committed to Sabbath observance—it might even be labeled “legalistic.” In the time of Jesus, two fanatical religious groups struggled for supremacy, the Sadducees and the Pharisees. They were, for lack of better words, the liberals and the conservatives of their day. The Sadducees didn’t believe in angels or resurrection; that’s pretty liberal theology. The Pharisees, on the other hand, were so meticulous in their Sabbath keep- ing, they manufactured many intricate rules to ensure you didn’t walk too far on Sabbath or carry anything that might be considered a burden. For instance, I understand that de- vout Pharisees carried a ball of string they would unravel to measure off the distance they travelled to ensure they would only walk the appropriate distance on any given Sabbath. They didn’t want to carry a burden on the Sabbath day either, and if you carried How to Keep the Sabbath Holy TEXT.indd 16 2/13/14 2:45 PM 17 How to Keep the Sabbath Holy a handkerchief to blow your nose on the Sabbath, it was a burden and you were con- sidered to be working. So they got around their own rules by sewing the handkerchief to their clothes. They’d blow their nose on the hankie, which was now considered a part of their clothing. It doesn’t sound very good to us to blow our noses on our clothes, but they figured at least they wouldn’t be carry- ing a burden! They had hundreds of such manmade rules about the Sabbath and other religious duties. Well, Jesus often battled with the Pharisees regarding Sabbath observance; He would heal somebody that day and then be accused of breaking the Sabbath. While the commandment certainly doesn’t forbid heal- ing on the Sabbath, and Jesus, God Himself, did it, we should also realize that Jesus never responded to His accusers by saying, “You don’t need to keep the Sabbath anymore.” Every debate He had about the Sabbath was about how to keep it holy, not whether or not to keep it. Interestingly, the spiritual problem in the time of Christ was certainly more about How to Keep the Sabbath Holy TEXT.indd 17 2/13/14 2:45 PM 18 How to Keep the Sabbath Holy legalism. But before then, in the time of Jeremiah and Isaiah, Sabbath problems were more like the problems we face today. The Jews in their time were largely ignor- ing the Sabbath, not keeping it any better than the pagans. They were being careless in their Sabbath observance. And that’s the crisis in the Christian community at large today: We treat God’s commandment with sloppy indifference. As a pastor, I’m not just writing to you. I’m writing to the Batchelor family. My wife, Karen, and I are constantly educating and reminding ourselves about what is right and what is not right on the Sabbath. We are liv- ing in such a relentlessly busy culture that it takes conscious thought, planning, and effort to really rest. I confess that at times I’ve neglected to keep the Sabbath the way I should—so this isn’t about judging you; rather, it’s a Bible study for all people who love the Lord and want to do His will. It’s not legalistic to love the Lord and want to please Him by showing you’re serious about keeping the Sabbath day holy according to His commandment. How to Keep the Sabbath Holy TEXT.indd 18 2/13/14 2:45 PM 19 How to Keep the Sabbath Holy So don’t let people accuse you of being legalistic because you’re asking practical questions about what a person should and shouldn’t do on the Sabbath. That’s our pur- pose here—to ask realistic questions that help us get closer to God’s will for our lives. Finding Out How to Keep It Holy The Ten Commandments are, in some ways, an abbreviation of the law of God. For instance, when it says, “You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain,” the commandment doesn’t go into great detail to explain every possible way in which a per- son could take God’s name in vain—wheth- er it’s swearing, using God’s name carelessly, or claiming you’re a Christian but living as a hypocrite (Exodus 20:7). The commandment that says to not commit adultery is pretty brief (see Exodus 20:14). But I think you and I know there is a lot more to that one statement than a commentary on husband and wife. What How to Keep the Sabbath Holy TEXT.indd 19 2/13/14 2:45 PM 20 How to Keep the Sabbath Holy else does it involve? How about two people who aren’t married having sex? Is it adultery then? You must invest a little practical study and understanding in how to rightly obey the adultery commandment when you’re mar- ried and when you’re not married. As Jesus clearly teaches, it’s broader than the summa- ry statement you find etched in stone. So the details of the law require our further study, and you’ll find examples of this command- ment being honored or disregarded in other ways in many places in the Bible. In regard to our goal of better under- standing the fourth commandment, we also need to look at the specifics of Scripture through a study of Bible principles. For example, in Hebrews 4:11, we read, “Let us [labor] therefore to enter into that rest” (KJV). Laboring to rest? That sounds like a contradiction, doesn’t it? But that’s really what happens when we prepare for the Sabbath. We invest additional labor so that we might enjoy the blessed rest of the Sabbath more fully. While I’m not compar- ing the Sabbath with a typical family vaca- tion, if you’re going to have a good vacation, How to Keep the Sabbath Holy TEXT.indd 20 2/13/14 2:45 PM 21 How to Keep the Sabbath Holy it does require extra work, planning, and preparation to make it happen. I believe that in order for us to really enjoy the release and peace that God has designed for this holy day, we must labor to enter the Sabbath rest. And this involves educating ourselves. God throughout His Word gives us a lot more details about what is involved in keeping the Sabbath holy. As we’ll see, it does not mean that you simply swing in a hammock all day long, sipping pineapple juice through a straw. There’s a lot more to God’s rich rest! Of course, the fourth commandment is also the longest of all the commandments— precisely because it goes into the most detail. It says that people are to rest, their animals are to rest, their servants are to rest—every- body within their gates, their borders of au- thority, are to rest and enjoy the fruits of the Sabbath day. The Sabbath commandment is also somewhat different from most of the others because it makes statements in both a posi- tive sense and a negative sense. Most of the others are only stated in the negative—“you How to Keep the Sabbath Holy TEXT.indd 21 2/13/14 2:45 PM 22 How to Keep the Sabbath Holy shall not.” The Sabbath commandment says, “You shall keep it holy” and “you shall not work.” It gives both sides, so I’m going to ap- proach this message in the same way. Preparing for the Sabbath John Wesley tells a good story about a devoted new convert to Christianity who was hurrying to shine his shoes just before the Sabbath. It took him about 15 minutes to do each shoe. Well, he got one shoe done, but realized the sun would go down before he could finish the other one, so he put it away. Did he make the right decision? He went to church the next day with one bright, shiny shoe and one dull, scuffed shoe. Would you call him a fanatic? Maybe even a Pharisee? I believe to call this fanaticism is to misun- derstand the principle that specific time is declared holy by God. We think, “How can it be okay to be shining a shoe one moment, but then after a few more ticks of the clock, it’s suddenly a sin?” How to Keep the Sabbath Holy TEXT.indd 22 2/13/14 2:45 PM 23 How to Keep the Sabbath Holy Well, in a similar way, a young man might have a girlfriend he is very fond of, but it’s inappropriate for him to gaze upon her unclothed form or to be with her inti- mately. But after they make some vows be- fore God in a wedding ceremony, suddenly what was once a sin is now holy and good. So yes, little things, like the tick of a clock or saying “I do,” can mean all the difference between holy and common. In many of our Sabbathkeeping homes, we have become very sloppy, saying, “Oh, the sun is down, but I’ve still got a few more dishes to do.” And why stop mowing the lawn at sundown when you only have a few more passes to make to complete the job? “It’s not that big of a deal … right, God?” For one thing, what is your unbelieving neighbor thinking as he drives by and sees that the sun is down and you’re still mow- ing? What message are you sending to your family and your neighborhood? In your mind, the devil is saying it’s not a big deal. In the mind of the witness, the devil is calling you a hypocrite. It is part of Satan’s game to highlight our inconsistencies and to erode How to Keep the Sabbath Holy TEXT.indd 23 2/13/14 2:45 PM 24 How to Keep the Sabbath Holy our commitment. Please don’t let him use you as a pawn in his game. And most important, God is watch- ing. So it truly is better to leave something common undone than to defile the edges of the Sabbath. What Is Your Attitude? Does God want us to dread the ap- proaching Sabbath? No! He wants it to be a blessing. But if we don’t have a love rela- tionship with Jesus, we’ll be watching the clock instead of enjoying time with Him. When the Sabbath nears, we’ll be thinking, “Oh, heavens! I’ve got all this stuff to do. Is it Sabbath already? Now I don’t have time to do it.” It’s as if the Sabbath is a burden rather than a blessing. That’s not the attitude God wants us to have. God wants us to eagerly look forward to the Sabbath. And who hasn’t heard a young child say, “Is it still Sabbath?” They’re looking for the moment they can do whatever they want, right? I’ve even caught myself looking How to Keep the Sabbath Holy TEXT.indd 24 2/13/14 2:45 PM 25 How to Keep the Sabbath Holy wistfully out the window at twilight and wondering if the Sabbath is over so I can get on with my next project. I’m ashamed of having done that. Should we have that kind of attitude? It means we need a change in our hearts. The Bible mentions that this very thing was a problem even in Old Testament times. In Amos 8:5, people say, “When will the new moon be gone, that we may sell corn? and the sabbath, that we may set forth wheat?” They were waiting for the sun to go down and the Sabbath to be over so they could do their own thing. Well, let’s suppose a young man is smit- ten by a young woman, but because of their schedules, they can only spend a few hours a week together. He arranges his schedule to get all of his business concluded, but while they’re together, she’s talking to him and he doesn’t seem to be paying attention. As they’re walking side by side, she says, “You seem like you’re a thousand miles away.” He confesses, “Well, you know, I’m thinking about my next work project I’ve got coming up this week.” How to Keep the Sabbath Holy TEXT.indd 25 2/13/14 2:45 PM 26 How to Keep the Sabbath Holy Or what if they’re sitting together over a dinner that she’s spent time preparing and he keeps checking the text messages on his phone or looking at the clock, saying, “Is our date over yet? You mind if I leave ear- ly?” What would that say about his heart? Would that hurt her feelings? His words and attitude indicates something is wrong with the relationship. We want the Lord to have our hearts, and when He has our hearts we won’t be asking those kinds of questions about the Sabbath. God wants the Sabbath to be a delight. And I believe the more we come to know and love God, the more delightful the Sabbath will become. The Sabbath is a time for rest, so it should start and end with peaceful and biblical worship. There ought to be de- cisive beginnings and endings too—we should “guard the edges” of the Sabbath. We shouldn’t be scrambling around an hour after the Sabbath has begun and say- ing, “Well, I guess we should stop what we’re doing and have a little prayer.” Instead of really worshiping, singing, and reading How to Keep the Sabbath Holy TEXT.indd 26 2/13/14 2:45 PM 27 How to Keep the Sabbath Holy something of substance, we’re in a state of hurried panic. True, it does take a little more effort and planning to give God the honor He de- serves. If a great king were coming to visit our home, we would plan how to prepare for his entrance and receive him with hon- or and respect. Jesus, our true King, said He will come again. We want to do all we can to be ready to welcome Him when He returns, right? Well, every Sabbath we have a chance to practice welcoming our King as He comes into our homes to bring us a blessing. Why put off God to the last minute any- way? When catching a plane, I like to get to the airport early. If I’m going to wait a little while, I would rather wait at the terminal, packed and ready to go, than to wait at home and fret over whether some traffic problem is going to make me miss my flight. I say be ready early! And that’s the way it is with the Sabbath. When it’s coming to an end, don’t watch the clock, blow the whistle, and an- nounce, “It’s over! We can finally do our own thing now.” That makes Jesus feel like you’re in a hurry to show Him the door. How to Keep the Sabbath Holy TEXT.indd 27 2/13/14 2:45 PM 28 How to Keep the Sabbath Holy Remember, if you keep the Sabbath with your heart, you might be accused of being legalistic and Pharisaical and fanatical, but it will always be worth it in your relationship with God. Jesus is the one you are seeking to please. In fact, let’s take some time to see how God’s people honored Him over their own self-interests and in the face of persecution and the doubts of those around them … Daniel and King Darius I once watched a Muslim friend excuse himself from our lively game of racquet- ball, find a corner in the middle of a crowd- ed health club, roll out a prayer rug, and begin praying toward Mecca. Although it might have seemed odd to most people, the devoted man knew it was the time for his prayers—and he did not care what anyone else around him thought. He was more in- terested in what his god thought. Similarly, in Daniel chapter 6, we read about a political law that required an entire How to Keep the Sabbath Holy TEXT.indd 28 2/13/14 2:45 PM 29 How to Keep the Sabbath Holy nation to pray to King Darius for 30 days; those who refused faced a grizzly execution. This meant that the Jews in the land were legally forbidden to worship their Lord, but Daniel had a custom he was not about to break. Three times a day he’d go to an upper room in his house, kneel down, and, in front of an open window, pray and give thanks to God. He always faced toward Jerusalem, as Solomon said, so passersby would know the identity of the God he worshiped (see 1 Kings 8:48). When the law was enacted, Daniel had to make a choice—to obey an earthly king or to obey God. But what we sometimes miss in this story is that Daniel had actually made the choice a thousand times before when he boldly and openly prayed to his God in a pa- gan land. It was his custom. So even though he risked getting torn limb from limb by rav- enous lions, it was his custom to honor God with his regular devotions. He could have compromised—perhaps even just a little bit. How easily he could have said to himself, “Well, look … I don’t want to offend the king. It might be a bad witness. I How to Keep the Sabbath Holy TEXT.indd 29 2/13/14 2:45 PM 30 How to Keep the Sabbath Holy could look obnoxious, so I’m just going to shut my window.” It would have been easy for him to argue within himself, “I’m going to kneel and pray quietly, but I’ll face the royal palace so people don’t know that I’m really praying to Jehovah.” He had so many rationalizations at his fingertips, but he re- fused to grasp on to them for selfish reasons. Did God honor Daniel because Daniel honored Him? Yes! The Lord delivered his faithful prophet and destroyed his enemies. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego Then, of course, you have the example of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in Daniel chapter 3. The three Jews faced an- other government law requiring false wor- ship. The Bible records the decree as saying that if anyone failed to bow and pray to the golden image that the Babylonian king set up, they were going to die in the flaming fur- nace. The Jews could even see the colossal oven smoldering in the distance. How to Keep the Sabbath Holy TEXT.indd 30 2/13/14 2:45 PM 31 How to Keep the Sabbath Holy How easy it would have been for the three Hebrew slaves to say, “When the music plays and everyone else bows down to the idol, let’s all just stoop down to adjust our sandals. I’m not actually going to pray to the image, but, you know, we don’t want to be a spectacle and disrupt the king’s party.” They could have found any number of additional excuses to look innocent and not really wor- ship the king. They’d totally pray to the Lord with all their hearts. After all, that’s what really matters—right? How many rational- izations they could have found to just cut corners, but they said, “No! We will not even appear like we’re compromising our worship of God.” They stood up for God, and God stood up for them! I can guarantee you—in the same way the three young Hebrew men probably had some friends tugging on their trousers to bow down when the music played, you will be challenged and tested when you de- termine to keep God’s Sabbath. As every- one else bowed to the image in Babylon, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego prob- ably heard, “Get down! Are you crazy? Just How to Keep the Sabbath Holy TEXT.indd 31 2/13/14 2:45 PM 32 How to Keep the Sabbath Holy this once. Don’t be a fanatic!” Yes, the world, even some in the church, probably thought they were fanatics, but God honored them, because Jesus said, he that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much. Mordecai In the book of Esther, we find a similar story regarding Haman the Aggagite, one of God’s enemies, who was descended from the Amalekites, the first nation to attack the children of Israel when they left Egypt. A law was made by the king of Persia that said everybody was to bow down and worship Haman. Mordecai, a Jew living in Persia, said, “I can’t do that, even if it means that I lose my life.” He knew that his people would be targeted for his actions, but even though his devotion might lead to the suf- fering of others, he said, “I’m not going to compromise.” And indeed, a law was made to exterminate all of God’s people. Did God intervene to deliver His people despite the threats? He most certainly did. I encourage How to Keep the Sabbath Holy TEXT.indd 32 2/13/14 2:45 PM 33 How to Keep the Sabbath Holy you to read the story for yourself and marvel at how God will bless you if you choose to make His worship supreme. Desmond Doss I had the privilege of becoming friends with a man who received the Congressional Medal of Honor. It’s the highest award that can be given in the United States. It was awarded to only one non-combatant in his- tory—a Seventh-day Adventist Christian named Desmond T. Doss. When called to serve during World War II, he said, “I will serve. I will try to save lives, but I refuse to pick up a weapon or take lives.” He also told them right from the beginning that he wouldn’t work on the Sabbath un- less it was a medical emergency. Actually, he didn’t say, “I won’t do it.” He said, “I can’t do it, because as much as I respect my officers and superiors, God comes first.” The army would try to put a rifle in his hands, and he wouldn’t hold it. They would try to make him work, and he would say, How to Keep the Sabbath Holy TEXT.indd 33 2/13/14 2:45 PM 34 How to Keep the Sabbath Holy “On the Sabbath, I can’t. I’ll work six days a week, 24-hours-a-day, but from sundown Friday to sundown Saturday, I can’t work.” If a life was in danger, he would gladly assist— but when it came to chores like sweeping the barracks or shoveling dirt, he flatly refused. And for this commitment, he was jeered, tormented, ridiculed, and given the most unpleasant assignments all through his mil- itary experience … that is, until they got to the front lines in the Pacific theater. His unit participated in some of the worst fighting in Okinawa during World War II. They were once called to storm a Japanese-held escarp- ment, and a hail of fire was coming down on them. Many marines and soldiers were killed, and scores of wounded lay on top of the bluff. Doss heard their pleas for help and went up the cliff time after time to tend to them, and then lower them back down to safety, all while under a constant blizzard of ene- my bullets. Every time he got back, the other soldiers would say, “You better stop. Don’t push your luck.” But when he heard anoth- er person calling out, he went back. No one How to Keep the Sabbath Holy TEXT.indd 34 2/13/14 2:45 PM 35 How to Keep the Sabbath Holy else went. In the end, Doss singlehanded- ly brought back 70 wounded men! He was fearless, saying, “I’d rather die than disobey God’s Sabbath.” Remember, the Bible says, “Those who honor me, I will honor.” The Attitude of Devotion During World War II, many Jews in con- centration camps were told they had to go dig up potatoes on Sabbath. The Nazis loved forcing people to compromise their beliefs. I have Jewish relatives who experienced this evil firsthand, and they were made to work on the Sabbath. Some of the victims were deter- mined to be true, saying, “I cannot do this. It’s God’s Sabbath.” And they were either killed or tortured. Just like that. Others, of course, did compromise to save their lives, and I’m not here to judge them in that experience—it’s nothing I’ve ever had to face in my life … yet. In the days of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, when they stood up, do you think they were the only Jews in the crowd that day? I’m sure there were some who How to Keep the Sabbath Holy TEXT.indd 35 2/13/14 2:45 PM 36 How to Keep the Sabbath Holy bowed down. I’m afraid to say that there will be some Sabbathkeeping Christians who will go along with the world in the last days to save their lives. That’s why this message is important. And if you don’t know how to make a decision to honor the Sabbath when it is relatively easy, you need to ask the Lord for help now. Here’s why … A Last-day Test In these stories of Daniel, Mordecai, and the three Hebrew slaves, the issue was about whether to obey the commandments of God or men. (In fact, a dispute over true worship was also the issue involved when Cain killed Abel; see Genesis 4:2–15.) Could it also be that the last test before the end of time also revolves around the issue of proper worship? Revelation 13:15 explains that in the future, a terrible law will be enacted by the beast power, who is “granted power to give breath to the image of the beast, that the im- age of the beast should both speak and cause as many as would not worship the image of How to Keep the Sabbath Holy TEXT.indd 36 2/13/14 2:45 PM 37 How to Keep the Sabbath Holy the beast to be killed.” A law is going to be made regarding worship, that if you do not worship in the way the beast power dictates you should—at first you will not be able to buy or sell, then, ultimately, they will declare the death penalty. In Revelation chapter 14, where we find the three angels’ messages, an angel declares, “Worship Him who made heaven and earth, the sea and springs of water” (v. 7). That’s a quote right out of the Sabbath commandment! “For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea.” Then Revelation 14:12 says, speaking of the saved, “Here is the pa- tience of the saints; here are those who keep the commandments of God.” It is contrasting those who keep the commandments of God with those who worship the beast— “If anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives his mark on his forehead or on his hand, he himself shall also drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out full strength into the cup of His in- dignation” (v. 9). How to Keep the Sabbath Holy TEXT.indd 37 2/13/14 2:45 PM 38 How to Keep the Sabbath Holy The most fearsome curse in the Bible is found right here in Revelation 14, and it’s identifying those who worship the beast. Just a few verses later, on the other hand, it talks about those who keep the commandments of God. And it doesn’t mean some of the com- mandments, because everybody keeps some of them. It’s talking about a people who con- sistently keep all of the commandments. And whether you know something is holy or not, it’s still holy. Yes, there are go- ing to be many people in heaven who might have kept the wrong day as the Sabbath; they simply did not know the full truth, and the Lord will judge and bless them accord- ing to the light they had available. But they honored what they believed to be His com- mandments, just as Eric Liddell did. So now that we have explored and un- derstand the principles of why keeping the Sabbath holy should be our priority, what about some practical ways to ensure you’re keeping it the way God wants you to keep it? We’ll cover that in the next section … How to Keep the Sabbath Holy TEXT.indd 38 2/13/14 2:45 PM 39 Part 2 A Cornell University study con- firms the detrimental effects that work-related stress can have on families. Married couples with children and also burdened by long hours of work report the lowest quality of life among couples. Additionally, 43 percent of all adults suffer adverse health effects from stress, and at least 75 percent of all physician office visits are at- tributed to stress-related ailments, according to the American Psychological Association. Stress is also linked to the six leading causes of death in the United States: heart disease, cancer, lung ailments, accidents, cirrhosis, How to Keep the Sabbath Holy TEXT.indd 39 2/13/14 2:45 PM 40 How to Keep the Sabbath Holy and suicide. So many people are in desper- ate need of rest! Before Moses approached Pharaoh to seek liberation for Israel, he met with the op- pressed Hebrew leaders. During this meet- ing, Moses encouraged the people to conse- crate themselves to the Lord and told them that God was about to deliver them from slavery with a mighty hand. The Israelites had been laboring seven days a week to maintain their heavy work- load for the Egyptians. But after this meet- ing, they evidently decided to renew their covenant with God and began resting again every seventh day. A furious Pharaoh said to Moses, “You make them rest from their la- bor!” (Exodus 5:5). The angry king figured he must do something drastic to keep the slaves under his control, so in an effort to crowd God from their thoughts, he drowned them further in rigorous labor and increased their workload (see Exodus 5:7, 8). But in an incredible way, God liberated His people from their bondage. Well, God is about to do great things for His people again. Soon they will be delivered How to Keep the Sabbath Holy TEXT.indd 40 2/13/14 2:45 PM 41 How to Keep the Sabbath Holy from the slavery of sin and journey to the heavenly Promised Land. And, once again, as God is now trying to turn the minds of His people toward the importance of the Sabbath rest, the devil is seeking to drown this generation in work and stress. Most people in the world don’t un- derstand the dire consequences of break- ing the fourth commandment. Even many Christians believe the Sabbath is just a day where you put in your two hours at church and then go to a football game, visit the mall, or mow the lawn. But is this trend a bibli- cal one? How is a Christian to keep God’s Sabbath day holy? And again, before Christ comes, the Bible teaches that loyalty to God’s Sabbath will be a dividing issue between God’s people and the rest of the world. If someday keeping the Sabbath will potentially cost us our lives, should we take a soft approach to this sacred day right now? It’s like taking a pop quiz in school with questions that will appear on the final. We’ve been warned that these quizzes will happen, so we make choices to prepare ourselves for How to Keep the Sabbath Holy TEXT.indd 41 2/13/14 2:45 PM 42 How to Keep the Sabbath Holy the final test by being ready for the pop quiz- zes. Passing a weekly quiz now helps us to be ready for the final test—and in the case of the Sabbath, that means determining our commitment to God. Remember Reminder The fourth commandment begins with the word “Remember.” Why does God begin the Sabbath law with this word? Perhaps be- cause the Lord knew how inclined we would be to forget! In fact, notice how within this one command you will find the what, the where, the who, the how, the when, and the why for keeping the Sabbath. God must have known we would have a lot of questions about the Sabbath, so this commandment has more specifics than any other. Let’s look at the different parts: “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy [what]. Six days you shall labor and do all your work [how], but the seventh day [when] is the Sabbath of How to Keep the Sabbath Holy TEXT.indd 42 2/13/14 2:45 PM 43 How to Keep the Sabbath Holy the Lord your God [who]. In it you shall do no work [how]: you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger [who] who is within your gates [where]. For in six days the Lord made the heav- ens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it [why]” (Exodus 20:8–11). God covered a lot of ground in just this one commandment. Some people think that this is the least of the Ten Commandments, one that we can modify on a whim or totally skip over. But Jesus said, “Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these command- ments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:19). Is the Sabbath a “little” commandment? If you were to pick one commandment to break, perhaps you might think the Sabbath is How to Keep the Sabbath Holy TEXT.indd 43 2/13/14 2:45 PM 44 How to Keep the Sabbath Holy not as important as not committing adultery, stealing, or worshiping idols. Yet, in the Old Testament, the penalty for Sabbath breaking was death. There was retribution for stealing, but the Sabbath law had a severe penalty. Perhaps you’ve read about this incident of Sabbath breaking in the Old Testament: “Now while the children of Israel were in the wilderness, they found a man gathering sticks on the Sabbath day” (Numbers 15:32). Here was someone who was clearly violating God’s holy commandment and went against the express will of the Lord. This purpose- ful sin was met with the penalty of death (vv. 35, 36). I am certainly not recommend- ing anyone be executed for breaking the Sabbath, but obviously this commandment is very important to God. A message from the Lord through Ezekiel also brings out how seriously the Lord takes the significance of the Sabbath: “Moreover I also gave them My Sabbaths, to be a sign between them and Me, that they might know that I am the Lord who sanctifies them. Yet How to Keep the Sabbath Holy TEXT.indd 44 2/13/14 2:45 PM 45 How to Keep the Sabbath Holy the house of Israel rebelled against Me in the wilderness; they did not walk in My statues; they despised My judgments, ‘which, if a man does, he shall live by them’; and they great- ly defiled My Sabbaths. Then I said I would pour out My fury on them in the wilderness, to consume them” (Ezekiel 20:12, 13). Not only is the Sabbath a sign of our saving relationship with the Lord, breaking the Sabbath is not an issue God takes lightly. Verses 20 to 24 also bring out how earnestly the Lord feels about profaning the Sabbath day. If we let our consciences be our guide and let our feelings determine how to keep the Sabbath, we will ignore the specific in- structions given in the Bible for keeping God’s day in a way that honors Him. Avoiding Both Extremes Before sharing some specifics on how to keep the Sabbath, I want to highlight a couple How to Keep the Sabbath Holy TEXT.indd 45 2/13/14 2:45 PM 46 How to Keep the Sabbath Holy of extremes that can distort our thinking on how to honor this distinct day. When Jesus was on this earth, the Pharisees taught people to keep the Sabbath in an extremely legalistic way. They went so far as to accuse Jesus of breaking the Sabbath! Of course, Jesus never sinned or did any- thing that violated the Sabbath command- ment as outlined in Scripture. Jesus said, “I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in His love” (John 15:10). Christ did violate some of the Pharisees’ manmade traditions regarding the Sabbath. He said, “For laying aside the command- ment of God, you hold the tradition of men” (Mark 7:8). Just before this, Jesus explained, “In vain they worship Me, teaching as doc- trines the commandments of men” (v. 7). Worship and the Sabbath are intimately con- nected. Mankind’s traditions should never set aside or eclipse God’s requirements. Neither Jesus nor His disciples ever broke the Sabbath or taught others to turn away from observing God’s holy day. In fact, the New Testament gives us plenty of examples of Christ and the apostles worshiping on the How to Keep the Sabbath Holy TEXT.indd 46 2/13/14 2:45 PM 47 How to Keep the Sabbath Holy Sabbath. Luke writes how Jesus “went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up to read” (Luke 4:16). Christ not only wor- shiped on Sabbath, He also participated in the service. It was His custom. Most of the conflict over the Sabbath in the Gospels was Jesus working to clear up the Sabbath from manmade restrictions. Another example of distorting the Sabbath is found in how we might inter- pret the word “pleasure,” found in this Old Testament passage that speaks about how to keep the Sabbath. “If you turn away your foot from the Sabbath, From doing your plea- sure on My holy day, and call the Sabbath a delight, the holy day of the Lord honorable, and shall hon- or Him, not doing your own ways, nor finding your own pleasure, nor speaking your own words, then you shall delight yourself in the Lord” (Isaiah 58:13, 14). How to Keep the Sabbath Holy TEXT.indd 47 2/13/14 2:45 PM 48 How to Keep the Sabbath Holy The word “pleasure” in this passage doesn’t mean anything that you enjoy do- ing is automatically wrong on the Sabbath. In fact, this passage calls Sabbathkeeping “a delight.” It is actually speaking of following your own personal pursuits, your own busi- ness plans, and your own selfish ways. If we understood this passage to be a restriction on anything in which we might find enjoyment, then we probably wouldn’t even sit down to a delicious Sabbath meal. Obviously, that’s not what the verse teach- es. It means to set aside pleasures that are self-focused and not God-focused. Walking through the beauty of nature is pleasurable, but going water skiing or snow skiing for the adrenaline rush would likely cause us to focus more on our own selves and not on the Lord or His glorious creation. So we need to avoid extremes in how we keep the Sabbath holy. We should not be- come so legalistic with manmade rules that we find the Sabbath a burden, but neither should we focus so much on our own plea- sures that we lose sight of our Lord who gave us this day. How to Keep the Sabbath Holy TEXT.indd 48 2/13/14 2:45 PM 49 How to Keep the Sabbath Holy Let’s now consider some guidelines and activities, based on the Bible, for leading us to truly keep the Sabbath day holy, as God asks us to do in the Ten Commandments. A Time for Corporate Worship The Sabbath is a day for us to come to- gether in community worship. Notice how the Bible speaks about coming together for worship on Sabbath: “ ‘And it shall come to pass that … from one Sabbath to another, all flesh shall come to worship before Me,’ says the Lord” (Isaiah 66:23). In another place it says, “Six days shall work be done, but the seventh day is a Sabbath of solemn rest, a holy convocation” (Leviticus 23:3). A convocation is an assembly or gath- ering of people. In Leviticus, it refers to a coming together of God’s people to worship the Lord. The last book of the Bible tells us how important it is to worship. The first angel’s message states, “Fear God and give glory to Him, for the hour of His judgment How to Keep the Sabbath Holy TEXT.indd 49 2/13/14 2:45 PM 50 How to Keep the Sabbath Holy has come; and worship Him who made heav- en and earth, the sea and springs of water” (Revelation 14:7, my emphasis). Worship fo- cuses on the Lord as our Creator. I once read an article in a Christian magazine that suggested staying home and worshiping God is just as appropriate as go- ing to church. To make its claim, the writer quoted Exodus, where Moses told the peo- ple there would be no manna on the seventh day; God says, “Let every man remain in his place” (Exodus 16:29). According to the ar- ticle, they were to keep the Sabbath by stay- ing at home. But that’s not what it means. Moses was telling them not to go out of the camp to look for manna (or firewood). The sanctuary, where they would gather together and worship the Lord, was in the camp. The Sabbath is not a day to stay at home. Now, I realize that some people, because of illness or injury, are homebound and can- not get out. This isn’t about their situation, and God is understanding and merciful. But the Bible doesn’t support the idea that you can be blessed just as much by staying at home on Sabbath as you can be in coming How to Keep the Sabbath Holy TEXT.indd 50 2/13/14 2:45 PM 51 How to Keep the Sabbath Holy together with God’s people. It’s not a time to just hang out in your “tent” at home; it’s an opportunity to corporately praise and wor- ship the Lord as a church family. I once stumbled across this point while reading the story of the Shunammite wom- an’s son who died. When she told her hus- band she was going to see the prophet Elisha, he answered, “Why are you going to him today? It is neither the New Moon nor the Sabbath” (2 Kings 4:23). Did you catch the point? In other words, Sabbath was a day to come together with others, not sit at home alone. There are lots of examples in the Bible that show Sabbath is a day for corporate worship. One of my favorites is, “And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assem- bling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approach- ing” (Hebrews 10:24, 25). Not only do we come together to worship the Lord, but also to encourage one another. That’s difficult to do when you are cooped up by yourself. And How to Keep the Sabbath Holy TEXT.indd 51 2/13/14 2:45 PM 52

Daily devotion for May 19th The Path Of Love We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love our brothers. Anyone who does not love remains in death. 1 John 3:14 It is rather fascinating that the apostle who wrote this has become known as the apostle of love. But if you read the gospel records of John, you will note that this is not his nature at all. He and his brother James earned from Jesus the title Sons of Thunder (Mark 3:17) because they were constantly wanting to blast back at those who opposed them. John's temperament was not naturally inclined to show love. But when he was born again, there was born into his heart the life of God, and this man began to show love. Jacob De Shazer bombed Tokyo early in World War II. He was captured by the Japanese and put in prison. He hated his Japanese captors and was so violent and vicious that they feared him. They kept him in solitary confinement because of the hatred with which he lashed out against them. But he obtained a copy of the Bible and began to read it through. In the loneliness of his cell, he came to realize the life that is in Jesus Christ. An amazing change came over this man. His hatred of the Japanese changed completely. He began to love his captors and to show love toward them, and they were utterly astonished by what had happened to him. Instead of burning with wrath, resentment, and viciousness against them, he became the most docile of prisoners, eagerly cooperating with his captors and praying for them. Eventually, the story of his change of heart was written up in a little tract, and, after the war, it fell into the hands of a young Japanese captain, Mitsuo Fuchida, the man who led the air raid against Pearl Harbor and gave the command to drop the bombs on that fateful day of December 7. Mitsuo Fuchida was a hero in Japan after the war because of that exploit and others, but his own heart was empty. Somehow he read the tract that told the story of De Shazer's amazing change of heart. He was arrested and puzzled by the story. From somewhere he obtained a New Testament and began to read it with growing interest. At last he came to the story of the crucifixion. When he read the Lord's words from the cross, Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing (Luke 23:34), his heart broke. He realized that this one who could love His enemies and pray for those who persecuted Him was manifesting a quality of life that no natural human being could possibly show. Mitsuo Fuchida became a Christian and an evangelist, telling the story of a love that can change human hearts. Such love is the sign of the new life. It is a love that you not only extend toward those who love you, but toward those who do not love you. It is a love that does not depend upon a reciprocal relationship but loves the unlovely, the unqualified, the ungrateful, the selfish, and the difficult. This, then, is the character of true love, and it is always evidence that a new life has come, the life born of God. Lord, I realize that I am not to love others because they love me but because I have been loved by God, and I have in me a life that loves despite any reason to love. Teach me to let that life show through me.

Guidelines for living. May 18th, 2026 Who Do You Say That Jesus Is? Jesus and his disciples went on to the villages around Caesarea Philippi. On the way he asked them, “Who do people say I am?” Mark 8:27 A Japanese businessman was invited by his American host to go to church with him—he quickly agreed. At the end of the message, which was delivered by the Methodist clergyman Ralph Sockman, his host asked him what he thought about it. In his discreet, polite manner, the Japanese friend commented, “Well, to hear him tell it, Jesus was an American, a Methodist, and an Arminian,” quickly adding, “But we know that isn’t true, because Jesus was actually a Japanese, a Baptist, and a Calvinist.” Question. Was Jesus white? Dark skinned? Or slightly dark as are many today of Jewish descent? Was His appearance more like a white Anglo-Saxon as much of the religious art of the centuries has portrayed him? If Jesus appeared today, would He look as if He had just stepped out of a Holman Hunt painting? And what of His world outlook? Was He for business or the working class? Would He have been a Marxist or a champion of democracy? The reality is that Jesus Christ has been all things to all people. In Africa, artists portray Him as being black, just as they are. In Asia, Jesus is often portrayed with Asian characteristics, and rightly so. Of Him, Warren Webster writes, “The color of his skin was probably darker than mine and lighter than some of yours, for he was born of the almond-colored descendants of Shem. With respect to time and place, color and race, his position will always remain central in the history and life of mankind. He was born midway between East and West that he might be Savior of both. We have difficulty imagining Buddha, Confucius, Socrates or Mohammed awakening equal devotion in people who live as far apart as the South Sea Island, Sweden, Brazil, Japan and Uganda. Yet this is precisely the attraction which Jesus Christ has. Today his followers are found in every country. They have come from every religion, every culture, every race, every language family, even stratum of society, because Christ, and He alone, is the Savior of the world.” The fact is, Jesus Christ was born at the crossroads of three great continents—Asia, Africa, and Europe. He learned to walk in Africa where Mary and Joseph had fled to Egypt. Born in Asia, He was neither a European nor an American. His cross was placed outside the gates of the city where anyone who traversed from North to South had to pass by it. It was in the marketplace He taught and preached, thereby showing us that He should never be confined to the cathedral or church, embellished by stained glass windows and art which makes Him appear as someone always different from us. He challenged the great and the mighty, but He fed the multitudes of common people who labored with their hands and knew the feel of hard labor. He was food for their hunger, light for their darkness, hope for their despair, rest for their weariness, and certainty for their soul. He didn’t simply influence history. He changed it forever in such a way there is no going back. Scores of people, having grown up with skepticism and unbelief, have made the decision to refute what He said and did, but in researching what He taught, their lives have been forever turned about as they embraced Him as the unique and only begotten Son of God. Jesus said, “Follow me; I am the way, the truth, and the life.” Thomas à Kempis, the churchman of the Middle Ages, adds, “Without the way there is no going; Without the truth there is no knowing; Without the life there is no living.” It’s still true. Resource reading: Mark 8:27-30