~ Something meant to deceive or give a wrong impression: a     false statement deliberately presented as being true; falsehood ~



~ God says what He means, means what He says and does not deviate from what He says or change ~

Isn’t it wonderful that there is something one can count on?  Mankind is prone to changing their mind at the drop of a hat or the blink of an eye.

Have ever read a Want Ad and saw something you wanted to buy, called the phone number given in the ad, told the person you wanted to purchase the item, asked the person to hold the item for you and that you would be there shortly to purchase it, to which the person agreed, only to find when you arrived that they just sold the item to someone else?  I have and I was not very happy about it either.  So, to me, it’s wonderful to know that there is someone I can depend on, Jesus.  Praise His Holy Name!

In Daniel 6:8 we read where mankind, at least, at some level, has endeavored to fashion their life after that of God, “Now, O king, establish the decree, and sign the writing, that it be not changed, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which altereth not.”

Wouldn’t it be wonderful if our Government followed this practice too?

The Prophet Malachi, in Malachi 4:4 said, “Remember ye the law of Moses my servant, which I commanded unto him in Horeb for all Israel, with the statutes and judgments.”

In the Book of Exodus God told Moses and the Children of Israel to Remember the Sabbath Day, the 7th day of the week, to keep it Holy. Now, here in the last Book of what is called the Old Testament, God is still instructing His Chosen People to Remember that which He has said.

In the four Gospels of what is called the New Testament Jesus said that He only did what His Father told Him to do.  In these same Gospels, He tells those that want to be part of the Heavenly Kingdom to follow Him, in other words, do as I have done.

In Deuteronomy 7:9 we read where God said, “Know therefore that the LORD thy God, he is God, the faithful God, which keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love him and keep his commandments to a thousand generations;”

To the best of my understanding a Generation of time is counted as being from forty two to forty five years.  Therefore, the above statement would indicate that His Commandments or Laws would be in force for at least Forty Two Thousand Years.  The world as we know it, has not been in existence that long.  So, don’t you think it would behoove us to observe, keep or do His Commandments now, while it is still called today?

In St. Matthew 5:17-18 Jesus said, “Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.  *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.”

If you think about it, the Prophets are already decayed in their graves so, there would be no need to do away with them.  The Scriptures state the Law of God is Spirit (Romans 7:14) and we know that, that which is Spirit is forever therefore, He wouldn’t be doing away with them either.

Let me ask you one question.  When you open your eyes, do you see the earth and the heavens?  If you can, that means, God’s Laws are still in force and still require our obedience.

Furthermore, in St. Luke 16:17 we find another witness that states, “And it is easier for heaven and earth to pass, than one tittle of the law to fail.”

Here’s the Scripture in Romans 7:14 that I mentioned earlier, "For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin."

The Prophet Isaiah warned the people of his day and the warning is still applicable for us today.  Isaiah 30:1 states, "Woe to the rebellious children, saith the LORD, that take counsel, but not of me; and that cover with a covering, but not of my spirit, that they may add sin to sin:"

Are you one of the rebellious children?  Are you one that takes their counsel from the world instead of looking into God’s Holy Word for instructions and direction?  And are you one of those that try to cover up or find and excuse for what you do?  If so, let me say, the best way to get it right is, to read the Bible, God’s Holy Word.

In Psalms 1:1 we read, "Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly."

Do you want your life to be blessed?  I think most people would answer, yes, to this question.  Therefore, it would behoove us to read the Bible and implement its sayings in our life.

Here is an interesting Scripture in Malachi 3:8, it reads, "Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings."  I did not mention this Scripture in order to have you give me money.  However, this Scripture does pose something for thought.

We know that the Laws of the United States include the definition of robbing / stealing and lays out the punishment for said offences.  I don’t think any of us want to have to pay the price for stealing / robbing.  If we think the punishment for violation our Laws are bad, don’t you think stealing / robbing from God would be more severe?

While we are on this vain of thought, let me mention another way in which mankind might be accused and found guilty of stealing / robbing from God.  The Bible states the there are six days in which mankind is to work and on the seventh day they should rest or stop working.  In Ezekiel 20:12 God said that the Sabbaths are His.  We could also be considered a thief if we use the Sabbath (the seventh day of the week) for that which it was not intended.  It might also be possible to say we are a thief if we use the first day of the week or the sixth day of the week for a Sabbath on a continual basis when, God said they are for work days.  Just a thought!

King David in Psalms 119:130 said, “The entrance (or depositing) of thy words giveth light; it giveth understanding unto the simple.”  And his son, King Solomon in Proverbs 4:22 said that in keeping God’s Words, it will be health to all (our) their flesh.  Isn’t this a wonderful thought?

I often ask people the following question in reference to the aforementioned Scriptures: Could you write me a personal check in the amount of 410,000.00?  To which most people answer, “no.”  I then ask them why they can’t write me a check for that amount, to which they usual reply that they do not have that much money in their bank account.  The reason they do not have that amount of money in their account is because they have not made enough deposits.  The same thing applies to the Written Word of God; the more you put in, the more ability you have to properly use the Word of God.

Let’s end with something the Apostle Paul told Timothy in 1st Timothy 1:5 where he said, “The end of the commandment is charity (Love as defined in 1st Corinthians 13:1-13 ) out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned:”

God tells us in His Holy Word, the Bible the way in which a person is to live so, trust Him to tell you what is right and good and you can’t go wrong.  Praise His Holy Name!

Derwood A. Stewart, Minister
House of Payer Sabbath Ministries
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