Sabbath Work Questions

Posted on June 1, 2024 by Rod Reynolds

Controversy over the Sabbath and its observance has been an obstacle for many over the span of time, not only from the time of Christ up till now, but even before, as we see in the manner in which Jesus was sometimes condemned by certain Jewish leaders because of things he did or allowed on the Sabbath.

The tendency since then, and often before, is to simply neglect the Sabbath and disregard any concerns about what may or may not be done on the Sabbath. Most, of course, in our age flatly reject the Sabbath altogether.

But those who are convicted about the Sabbath frequently have genuine questions about what kind of activities are appropriate or not for the Sabbath. For those who are concerned about such questions, “Sabbath Work Questions,” is intended to provide some guidelines from Scripture that may be of help to you in properly keeping the Sabbath without going to extremes God does not intend.

“Sabbath Work Questions” audio recording by Rod Reynolds, is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

cogmessenger.org

Messenger Church of God
PO Box 619
Wentzville, MO 63385
USA

Keep the Sabbath

Posted on May 18, 2024 by Rod Reynolds

COG Messenger · Keep the Sabbath

The Sabbath was made holy at the time of the creation, or the restoration of the earth to a habitable condition, and the renewing of life on the earth, as described in Genesis 1. The Israelites, most if not all of whom had forgotten the Sabbath command and lost track of when the Sabbath occurs, had the Sabbath revealed to them in the wilderness, before they reached Mt. Sinai (Exodus 16). The Sabbath had been, like a number of other commandments of God, a commandment from the time of creation.

The Sabbath command included specific blessings for obedience, and curses and punishment for disobedience. Yet most of the Israelites, and of course the rest of mankind, over the course of history did not take it seriously, disregarded it, and have suffered curses as a result.

The Sabbath was not just for the Jews, and the command to keep the Sabbath, not on just any day of the week, and not on Sunday, but on the day God himself sanctified and made holy, is still in force today, and will be kept by all nations after Jesus Christ returns to establish the reign of the Kingdom of God on earth.

Learn more about what the Bible teaches about the Sabbath, its history and future.

“Keep the Sabbath” audio recording by Rod Reynolds, is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

cogmessenger.org

Messenger Church of God
PO Box 619
Wentzville, MO 63385
USA

2024 Festival Observance Planned

Posted on February 27, 2024 by Rod Reynolds

The Messenger Church of God keeps the festivals God commands his people to keep. The commanded festivals and annual Sabbaths are listed in Leviticus 23. They include, in addition to the weekly Sabbath, the Passover, the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the Feast of Pentecost, the Feast of Trumpets, the Feast of Atonement, the Feast of Tabernacles, and the Last Great Day, associated with the Feast of Tabernacles, but technically a separate feast. The 2024 festival observance planned by the Church for the commanded annual festivals is summarized below.

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Sabbath Questions

Posted on January 7, 2023 by Rod Reynolds

COG Messenger · Sabbath Questions

Even though the Sabbath command is one of the ten commandments (Exodus 20:8-11), and is mentioned many places in the Bible in both the Old and New Testaments, it is routinely neglected and ignored by most people.

It’s not unusual for people, when confronted with the idea that the Sabbath ought to be kept, to have objections or questions. This often includes even those who’ve thought of themselves as Christians for years or for a lifetime. This is not to be unexpected, given the confusion that has been sown concerning the Sabbath from various quarters, and the common disregard and outright contempt for the Sabbath that is commonplace.

Yet, there are some here and there who are willing to consider the proposition that perhaps the Sabbath ought to be taken seriously, but have questions they would like to have answers to. Perhaps you are one of those people. Or perhaps you already keep the Biblical Sabbath. If you are one of the latter, could you answer common questions that frequently come up about the matter?

In this message, we address questions that have been asked of us about the Sabbath. These are not the only questions concerning Sabbath keeping we are confronted with, but some of the most common. Perhaps they are questions that have occurred to you, or that you have been challenged by.

I hope you will find the answers given insightful and convincing. God promises, “Everyone who keeps from defiling the Sabbath, And holds fast My covenant–Even them I will bring to My holy mountain, And make them joyful in My house of prayer” (Isaiah 56:6-7).

If you are not currently a Sabbath keeper, perhaps you will find yourself asking another question, as some have, “Why not keep the Sabbath?”

“Sabbath Questions” by Rod Reynolds, COGMessenger is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.