Installment eleven

We last saw Harold Wilson debating which man to follow; Mr. Anderson
or Captain Mann? He knew only one could be right.
____________________________________________________
Installment Eleven:

"After all," Harold said, "I'll do what my mother used to urge me. I'll just
have to read the Bible for myself."
But if the captain lacked in knowledge, he did not lack in enthusiasm to
see that Harold did not become "entangled in false ideas about the Sabbath."
It came to pass, however, that his earnest efforts to save the young man
from delusion only hastened forward the work of truth which God desired \
to have wrought.
"Young man, let me counsel you again to be careful about this matter of
the day you keep."
"But, Captain Mann, why do you speak this way? No one has said anything
to me about keeping Saturday."
"Well, you will find that Mr. Anderson will soon be telling you that if you
are to live a Christian life, you must keep the day his church keeps. He
will tell you that Sunday isn't mentioned in the Bible, and -"
"Really, captian, is Sunday not spoken of in the Bible? I shall be glad to
have you show me the matter as it is before Mr. Anderson gets to it, if
you think best."
"All right; come in this evening, and I will show you that Mr. Anderson's
church is wrong."
"That makes me think," said Harold as the captain walked away.
"I remember that he told me they had put aboard a supply of reading
materials. I wonder if there is anyhting about Sunday. I will ask Mr.
Anderson about it." He found him aft.
"Mr. Anderson, do you suppose your people have placed aboard this
vessel anything about Sunday?"
"Why, yes, Harold, I presume they have. But what causes you to be
interested about Sunday? You keep Sunday, don't you?"
"Oh yes, but you see, Captain Mann is afraid that I will not keep on
it that way, and tonight he is going to show me that the Bible says
Sunday is the right day. He said you would soon be telling me that
Sunday is not mentioned in the Bible and he wants to prove that it is.
Of course I think I should find out all I can for myself before I meet
him this evening. What should I look for?"
"Well, there are several little leaflets you may well read, such as
"Which Day Do You Keep, and Why?" Or "Sunday in the New
Testament." I think you will find them in that supply, if not, come
to me and I will try to assist you."
While Harold was searching for these leaflets, Captain Mann had
found a bit of leisure time for putting into shape the thoughts he
would present to Harold. He thought he knew in general what would
help the young man, so he set out to find the specific texts he would
use.
_____________________________________________

To be continued......

Installment Eleven

On our previous installment we left Harold Wilson at the moment we he's
meeting Mr. Anderson, who not only knew about him, but also about his
mother and the two Bibles she had marked for him.
_____________________________________________________
"Are you her son, Harold?"
"Indeed I am, sir; and now I believe you have been sent to show me the
way to Christ. Oh, Mr. Anderson, if there is a remedy for my follies, I want
it, and I want it now! I'm a thief, a drunkard, a gambler, a wretch without
a country, a sinner without a God. Can you help me?"
The finding of Harold Wilson seemed so wonderfully beautiful to Mr. Anderson,
so providential, so timely, that his faith laid hold upon the promise of God; an
in a wise, tactful, soul-winning way, he led him to the Master's feet. The
surrender was complete; founded on an intelligent grasp of revealed truth;
and the young man was happy in God.
When the story of Harold's life and conversion came to be known, he was
pointed out by both passengers and crew as "the man with the marked
Bible."
Captain Mann, while a devoted Christian, was nevertheless quite limited
in his knowledge of the Scriptures. So now he became much concerned
lest Harold should be deluded by the "false teachings" of Mr. Anderson.
This concern grew even stronger when the captain learned about the
frequent appointments Harold was making with Mr. Anderson. Now he
sought to counteract the pastor's influence.
"What does this mean?" thought Harold to himself, as he meditated
upon Captain Mann's opposition. "Here are two good men, both of whom
seem honest, yet each one is certain that the other is wrong. I am sure
Captain Mann had his prayers answered and saved my life, and I am
sure Mr. Anderson had his prayers answered in leading me to be a
Christian. What shall I do? I certainly cannot follow both, for they
seem to be going in opposite directions.
_________________________________________________
To be continued...

Installment ten

On our previous installment Harold Wilson had made a commitment to
lead a better life with the help of his Bible and of Captain Mann.
____________________________________________________
Installment Ten:

The "Pacific Clipper" had been plowing her way through the waters
for a week when one day a pleasant-looking man came up to Harold
and, without introduction, very kindly asked him if he was a Christian.
This was the first time in all his life that this question had been brought
home to him. But though greatly astonished, Harold was pleased to be
questioned directly in this way by the gentleman.
"No, sir," he replied, "I am not; but I am just now thinking I ought to
be. And what is your name, sir?"
"My name is Anderson."
"Are you one of the missionaries going to the Philippines, sir?"
"Yes; and why do you ask?"
"Well, Captain Mann has told me that there were missionaries aboard,
and I have been wanting to see one of them to ask some questions. You
see, I have with me a Bible given to me by an old gentleman at the
Oakland Pier. This Bible is marked. It is marked almost the same as
one my Christian mother gave me, but which I threw into the sea
because I hated Christianity. The marking therefore takes me back
to my old home, to things my mother said, and I want someone to
help me know how to begin a true Christian life. "
"Is your name Wilson, my young friend?"
"Yes, sir, but how did you learn my name?"
"It is a rather strange story, but I will tell you. A few days before
I left Oakland, I saw in a San Francisco paper the report of a
certain trial, that of a young man by the name of Wilson, who
had been sentenced, because of some wrongdoing, to a five-
year absence from the country. The reporter made note of
various extenuating circumstances, of a good mother's dying
prayer, and of the hope of strong, good friends, that the young
man would turn and become an honor to his parents, both of
whom had devotedly given him to God. It was stated that the
young man would have a position aboard the "Pacific Clipper"
and I determined to try to meet him and help him if I could."
Harold carefully eyed this new friend; for had not Captain
Mann cautioned him against being led off into wild notions?
Yet Mr. Anderson had a good face, a sincere expression, and
apparently unselfish interest. And really it seemed to Harold
that it was it was more than a mere coincidence that he had
been led to meet him.
"You did not know my mother, did you? She was a great
believer in doing just what the Bible says, and was always
urging me to follow it. She lived in San Francisco."
"Was her first name Helen?"
"Yes! Yes! Did you know her?"
"My boy, your mother was a member of my church. As her
pastor, I have more than once heard her tell of her wandering
child, and of her constant prayer that he would one day
become acquainted with the Lord Jesus. She told of the Bible
she had purchased, of the message she had written, of the
texts she had marked, of the explanation she had placed in
the margins. She believed it would one day touch his heart.
But for long years she heard nothing from him, and finally
she gave him up as lost at sea. When stricken down with
illness, and on her deathbed, she called the old brother
whom you met at the Oakland Pier, and asked him to
place in the distributor another Bible, marked as she had
marked that one years before. And are you her son, Harold?"
_________________________________________
To be continued.....

Installment nine

Michelle Andaya singing God's praises.
_______________________________________
Yesterday we left Harold Wilson at the moment he's
about to meet Captain Mann on his new ship.
_______________________________________
Installment nine

Harold was finally face to face with the captain and he
rushed to grasp his hand. "Captain Mann! Thank God
for the chance to sail with you again!'
The captain's big, wholehearted hand gladly grasped
Harold's, reciprocating fully the spirit of good will; but
he had a puzzled look on his face. "My young man, why
do you thank God? When I knew you, you had no
regard for God."
"Yes, captain; but I have fought long enough what I
know is right. I want to find God and know Him just
as you did that day the fire broke out on the "Alaska
Transport." I want to know and serve Him just as my
mother did. Do you remember the talk you gave us
about the Bible and its promises?"
"Yes, but I have no memory it did you any good."
"That is true, captain; for that very day, I went and
hatefully threw into the sea the Bible my dear mother
gave me. And she had marked it for me, too. Do you
know? She had marked in it that very verse you said
saved us from the fire! But, Captain Mann, I have
another Bible, and one that is marked. That verse in
the Psalms is marked, the Ten Commandments are
marked, yes, and a great number of other texts."
"Where did you find such a Bible, my boy?" the
captain kindly inquired.
Then Harold told the sad story of his mother's death,
his abandonment to sin, his arrest, his sentence, and
the discovery of the Bible, and the meeting of the old
gentleman at the Oakland Pier.
"Oh, yes," said the captain, "I know of that gentleman.
He belongs to a very peculiar people who keep Saturday
instead of Sunday; and he has placed in the reading room
of this vessel a large number of papers and leaflets."
"Well, captain, he found me reading the Bible at the pier;
and when he saw that I was longing for it, he let me bring
it with me. I tell you he was the best man I ever met. He
understood me. And when I told him how far down I had
gone, he had a little tear for me, and prayed that I might
find deliverance from all my wrong habits, and have rest
in Christ. What he said to me seemed to open the whole
plan of right living, and I made up my mind to try to be
a better man. And I want you to help me, captain."
"I certainly will do my best to help you become a
Christian; but I fear I shall not be able to help you
believe as that old gentleman believes, for I think he
is wrong about the keeping of Saturday. There are a
number of his people aboard the vessel, though -
missionaries to the Philippines; and they will help
you. But look out, my boy, and don't go wild."
_____________________________________
To be continued......

Installment Eight

Yesterday we left Harold making his way to the ship that will take him to
Japan. But this journey will be different from the one before. Now he has
found a replacement for the marked Bible he threw overboard years ago.
This time he is determined to read it.
___________________________________________________
Installment eight

Once he was on board, Harold had sometime to meditate:
"Now I am starting on another trip, not because I wish, but because I must.
I am compelled to leave America until I can show that I am a man worth
trusting. But I have no mother and no friends.
No friends? Yes. I have one. I have this Bible. It seems like a mother and
a friend to me. Then that old man at the pier was a good man. He seemed
to understand me. When he prayed something gripped my heart and I
was really glad when he told me I could take the Bible with me. But he
sure said some queer things and he sounded a lot like my mother.
I remember that mother used to tell me that we ought to keep the Ten
Commandments, all of them. She said she didn't understand why
Christians keep Sunday when the Bible says we should observe the
seventh day. But that old gentleman keeps the day mother thought
people ought to keep. The queer thing about this whole business is
the Bible he gave me. In the first place it looks like the one I threw
away; and besides, it is marked almost the same - the same texts,
the same kind of ink, explanations in the margin, and a message
written on the flyleaf. But - what's that?" He now spoke aloud.
He had suddenly been aroused by a voice which seemed like a
ghost of times long since gone. He glanced back, but seeing no one,
concluded he must have been mistaken. But again he heard it. And
this time he looked toward the bridge. There stood captain Mann!
Yes, it was the same old captain, the hero of the 'Alaska Transport,'
who was now in command of this great trans-Pacific passenger liner.
Harold Wilson was almost overcome with emotion. His heart palpitated
with joy. Deep in his heart there was a something which seemed to
tell him that during this journey across the sea he was to learn the
secret of a better life and that the man of prayer on the bridge had
been given to aid him.

It was several days before the opportunity came to the young man
to meet and greet the man he so much revered.
______________________________________________
To be continued.....

Installment seven

Last time we saw Harold Wilson he had obtained a job on a ship sailing to
Japan. He is free on condition that he'd stay out of the country for five
years.
____________________________________________________
Installment Seven:

Harold left the Hoffman home in Oakland for San Francisco, where his
ship lay at the wharf, ready to leave on the morrow. As he passed into
the waiting room at the Oakland mole, he observed a "Free Literature"
distributor. In one receptacle was a Bible; and seeing it, he was struck
with its likeness to the one his mother had given him.
Taking the good book from its place, he opened it and, lo, he found it to
be marked! And it was not only marked, but marked much as the other
had been marked!
Forgetting all else, - forgetting that he was waiting for the ferry boat,
that he was a man banished because of crime; and that he was almost
a helpless wreck of humanity, - he sank into a seat, and for a long hour
he searched back and forth through the Bible. Yes, many of the same
texts were marked; and opposite the message of Exodus 20:8-11 were
these words written in the margin: "God's blessing upon the Sabbath
is His presence in the Sabbath. He who keeps Sabbath has God's
presence in his heart; and all who have his presence will delight to
keep the Sabbath. Isaiah 58:13" How much this sounded like his
mother! And there was Psalm 107:23-31 marked with red ink, the
only text marked in red by his dear mother.
He was deeply stirred. A tear rolled down his cheek. A vision of a
new life floated before him. And in it all, his mother spoke again,
and the Christ she loved made His appeal to a lost soul.
"This Bible! Oh, mother, may I take it with me? How can I go
without it? It was marked for me. Surely it must have been. Mother,
did you mark this Bible, too?" That was the way he spoke out loud to
himself.
Then a voice spoke from behind. "Friend, take that book. It was
marked for you. Take it and God bless you with a knowledge of its
truth, and give you a Christian life."
Harold was startled and embarrassed. The man offered him comfort
with the kind face of a father.
Harold asked; "Do you mean it, sir? May I have this Bible? But, sir,
I have no money to pay for it."
"That matters nothing, my friend. I represent a people who love
God's word, and who are seeking to carry its truth to the whole
world. But what did you mean by referring to another marked
Bible?"
He was in the company of a true friend. Now with brokenness of
heart he told the whole story of his battle against his mother, the
Bible and God. In particular he told the story of how he had thrown
into the sea the sacred gift of his mother's sacrifice and love.
The two men only talked for a brief moment; but during that brief
time Harold Wilson was able to catch a glimpse of the plan of
salvation. He saw God's law in its completeness. He saw sin as its
transgression. He saw Christ as the one who redeems from the
curse.
The man prayed for Harold and he included in his prayer the
following line: "Lord, give him rest from all his evil habits."
Harold took this sentence to heart.

"On what vessel do you sail, young man?" asked the old
gentleman as they were parting. "The 'Pacific Clipper', sir."
"Ah, this is interesting! She sails tomorrow. Some friends of
mine are on the same ship. You will meet them."
With the treasured Bible on his grip, Harold was soon on
his way to the wharf. Great experiences were in store for him.
__________________________________________
To be continued.

Installment six

On our previous installment we saw Harold Wilson determined to outdo
God. Harold was angry because God had taken away his dear mother.
Now he was ready to go deeper into wickedness to teach God a lesson.
__________________________________________________
Installment six:

After learning about his mother's death Harold Wilson became
extremely successful at separating himself from God. Upon reaching
San Francisco he abandoned himself to a life of riotous pleasure,
licentiousness and crime. His companions were of the baser elements
of the city, versed in the business of lawbreaking even to the extent
of staining their hands with the blood of their fellow men.
Howard Huffman, the writer of the message sent to Honolulu, picked
up the morning Chronicle. As he glanced over the headings, his eye
was held by the following:
"Murder in the Mission District. Harold Wilson A Sailor Held As A
Suspect. Police Sure They Have The Right Man. An Old Criminal."
Mr. Huffman dropped his paper. "An old criminal." Yes. He knew it
to be true; for in that robbery of many years before, he himself had
been associated. Now Harold had returned to continue his course in
crime. What should he do?
Without saying anything to his wife, he got dressed and left the house
in a hurry.
Now Mr. Huffman was well-known throughout the city as a man of
sterling integrity and large business acumen, and prosperity had
smiled upon him from the very first day that he turned his feet to
the way of Christianity. He had been at peace for many years but
now he was anxious for Harold's sake. He had trusted that God
would help him redeem his old partner in sin, and lead him to be
a fellow worker in righteousness. But Harold had come, had fallen
even lower, and perhaps the uncorrected and unforgiven past,
now coming to light, would serve to defeat the purpose he had in
mind.
Reaching San Francisco, Mr. Huffman hastened to the police
station, and asked to interview the prisoner.
What a picture met his gaze as he looked upon his companion of
former years! Brutality seemed stamped upon every feature.
But the adage, "so long as there's life, there's hope.," buoyed him
up. With loving interest he sought to have Harold understand
that he still trusted him and would stand by him in this hour of
need. Howard Huffman offered to try very hard to lighten the
penalty Harold was facing. At the end of Mr. Huffman's efforts
Harold received freedom only on condition that he leave the
country for five years, and wtiht he admonition that when he
should return, it must be with a recommendation of good
behavior from his employers.
These conditions made Harold almost a man without a country,
and they seemed hard indeed to meet; but through Howard
Huffman's encouragement he determined to try.
He obtained a position as a common sailor on the "Pacific
Clipper" which sailed from San Francisco to Yokohama one
week later; but little did he suspect that the captain of that
vessel was his old friend, Captain Mann, of the trip of many
years before.
___________________________________________
To be continued...

Installment Five

Last time we saw Harold Wilson he decided to solve
his problems by throwing his Bible down into the
ocean waters. He thought that would be a good way
to put an end to this inconvenient business of
Christianity.
____________________________________
Installment five:

For many years Harold Wilson continued to work
on the ship. Then it was time to return home. His
ship made a stop in Honolulu. There Harold received
a letter with very sad news.
Friend Harold:
"We have been hoping for several weeks for your
return home. We had heard indirectly that you were
on the way home, and we were encouraged to believe
you might come in time to be a support to your mother
during her last illness. Several weeks ago she had a
hard fall, superinducing pneumonia. She made a brave
fight; but her anxiety over you, coupled with financial
reverses, proved too much for her, and she passed
away last Thursday. Her last request was that I
should write to you, and urge you not to forget the
gift she placed in your box the day you left home.
You will know, of course, to what she referred. She
did not tell me its nature, but she did say that it took
all she had in the world to get it for you. By the way,
my boy, since you left us, I have changed my whole
course of life. No more drinking, gambling, or profanity
for me. I am a Christian now and am enjoying life
wonderfully. God Bless You! Don't be discouraged
over your great loss. Live for Christ, and you will
meet her again. I am sending you this to Honolulu
at a venture.
Your one-time friend in booze, but now free,
Howard Huffman."

'Oh, Mother, mother!! Harold exclaimed when he
read the letter. For many years he had been absent
and now he was working his way homeward. It is
true that he had continue his hard life of drinking
and profanity, but he was planning to do better
when he saw his mother again. He had thrown
overboard his beautiful Bible to silence the voice
of the Reprover; but never once had he seen a
day of peace. Somehow the heartless ingratitude
of that moment when his anger caused him to
destroy his mother's gift, had become a nemesis,
which seemed to trail his every step and to bring
him only defeat and failure in all he undertook.
When the ship stopped at Honolulu he was
already beginning to enjoy a foretaste of the
blessed reunion with his mother. Like the prodigal
son of the Scripture he had formulated his
confession; and he was confident that he could make
good once he was restored to his mother.

One may easily understand therefore, what where
his feelings as the letter from home was placed in
his hands - feelings of deep heart satisfaction.
But how cruel was the disappointment! The words
"she passed away last Thursday," fell upon his soul
as a bolt of lightning from out the blue. He was
stunned. 'Oh, Mother, mother,' he cried, forgetting
that all around him were strangers. And then he
said: 'You wanted to help me. You could have helped
me,but now you're gone, g-o-n-e!'
He picked up the letter and hurried into the street
and down to the harbor. 'Harold Wilson, what will
you do now? Will you be a man as you ought to be,
or will you absolutely and forever throw yourself
away?' Such were the questions that something
seemed to whisper in his ear as he boarded the
ship, which was to sail the next day.
The answer was always dictated by his lower nature.
As with many others, the inability on Harold's part
to carry out his plans made him desperate and often
times irresponsible. He had been acknowledging the
existence of God, and he had planned that when he
came to his mother he would lead a better life. But the
disruption of his plans by the death of his mother had
angered him, and he now determined to go deeper
into wickedness than ever before.
'There is no God. If there is, He is only a brute, and I
hate Him. He hates me because he robs me of my mother
when I need her the most. Oh, I'll show him, if he lives,
that Harold Wilson can outdo him. If he won't let me do
right, I'll do wrong."
___________________________________
to be continued tomorrow....

Installment Four

Yesterday our story was cut off at the moment when Harold Wilson is
sent to fetch the ship's captain to help with an emergency in the midst
of a dangerous fire on board.
_________________________________________________
Installment Four:

Pale with fear, the young man hastened to the captain's room. The
door stood ajar. He was about to call out his message when he heard
a voice from within. It was the voice of prayer!
To make certain, he pushed the door a bit farther open, and lo, there
was the captain on his knees, his Bible open before him and his face
turned upward.
The throbbing of the engines and the general uproar aboard had
caused Harold's coming to be unnoticed. So the captain continued
his prayer, while Harold seemed spellbound.
The prayer touched a responsive chord. Why not? It was a prayer
that the God of the Bible should fulfill His promise, and save the
lives of the crew; and Harold Wilson was one whose life was on
the balance. For the first time in his career he was glad to see a
praying man.
Captain Mann's Bible refuge was Psalm 107:23-31. This assurance
was his comfort now. Whether storm or fire, it mattered not; God
would bring them "out of their distresses," "unto their desired
heaven." This was the promise which Harold Wilson heard the
captain claim.
But strange to say, Psalm 107:23-31 was one of the passages Mrs.
Wilson had marked in the Bible she gave him.
Was the captain's prayer to be answered?
Harold had only a moment to wait, for captain Mann was soon on
his feet and hastening back to his perilous duty. Harold made
known his message, and also rushed again to his post.
The fire had been gaining headway rapidly despite heroic
resistance. The vessel seemed doomed. In a few minutes the
vast cargo of oil could ignite and blow up the ship.
But now a great explosion took place. The closed hatches were
almost blown from the deck. The crew were terror stricken,
not knowing if the kerosene was now in flames.
What had happened? Ah! One of those providential things
which only a Christian could understand. A large steam pipe had
now burst and was now pouring an immense volume of super-
heated steam and water into the hold at the point of the
greatest danger. An unseen hand had assumed control. Soon
the volumes of black smoke gave place to clouds of white steam.
The fighters knew that the salvation of the ship was assured.
So wonderful did it all seem. The crew were quick to express
their astonishment and gratitude.
"Do you believe, captain, that the "Big Man" had something
to do with it?' inquired a rough Irishman.
Captain Mann now for the first time talked openly to his crew
about his Christian faith.
"Men," said he, "that steam pipe was broken by the hand of the
Almighty. It did not 'merely' happen.' There is a God who hears
and answers prayer. He has promised to help men who go to
sea and today He has kept His word."
Harold's marked Bible, like an unwelcome spirit, seemed to
haunt him as he listened.
"But, Captain, do you really believe what you're saying?"
asked Pat.
"Ah, my boy. I have believed for many long years."
"But where did you get that idea? Did the "Big Man" tell
you He would take care of us sailors?"
"Pat, I had a good mother, who taught me to pray to God
up in heaven. She taught me also to read the Bible. God
says in the Bible that He will save men who are in trouble
in the high seas. Did you ever see a Bible, Pat?"
"I never did," said Pat. "But believe me, I'd like to get a
hold of one now."
Again Harold Wilson was ill at ease. A good mother, a God,
a Bible, an answered prayer - all these thoughts were as
goads that hurt and hurt deeply. Had he not a good mother?
had she not taught him to believe in God and pray? Had she
not often appeal to him to read the Bible? Yes. All this and
much more.
Pat Moran and others at this time off duty, accepted Captain
Mann's invitation to go to his room and look at the promise
which that day had saved the lives of all on board. Harold
went with them.
The Bible lay open on the table near the door.
"there is the book my mother taught me to love. And right
there is the promise which put out the fire and saved the
lives of all on board." He read to them as he spoke, the
scripture which for a long time had been his refuge.
Harold looked into the captain's face! How clean looking
and how free from coarseness!! Honesty, sincerity, and
nobility were to be traced in every furrow. And this was
a man of the Bible, a practical, helpful, wholehearted sea
captain.
Quickly filling his mouth with a chew of plug tobacco,
Harold hastened from the room to his own part of the
vessel. Nervously throwing open his box, he snatched
up the Bible his mother had given him and tried to find
the verses that the captain had just read. He finally
found them.
In the margin he read these words from his mother's
pen: "I shall ever pray that this promise may be your
refuge at sea, to save you from storm or accident."
He closed the book and angrily threw it down - angry
to think that he had not succeeded in getting beyond
the reach of his mother's influence. The entire experience
was like a nightmare.
No sooner, therefore, did he see this text and its
accompanying statement, than he felt within him all
the old-time antagonism and bitternes. Giving way to
all his pent-up wrath, he sprang to his feet with a curse
on his lips. He took the Bible to the open door and
impetuously threw it far out into the sea.
"There, that ends this whole cursed business," he
muttered; and then, imagining that he had performed
a praiseworthy act, he sauntered on deck.
_____________________________________
The story will continue tomorrow....

Installment three

The last time we saw Harold Wilson he was saying good-bye to his mother
and heading to the wharf in San Francisco where he would board the ship
and work as a deck hand.
___________________________________________________
Installment three:

Now the great ship was making its way into the open seas and Harold for
the first time was missing his loving mother. He could not explain why, but
now that she was no longer within reach, she looked different. After all, she
was beautiful; and if he could, he would gladly have hastened home. There
was even the hint of a tear rolling down his cheek. He brushed the tear
away quickly before anyone could see it. He said to himself to be strong
like a big man.
The crew of the "Alaska Transport" was the usual motley group of
different nationalities, nearly all of whom were abandoned to drink,
profanity, and irreligion. Among them, Harold was a 'hail fellow well met.'

When Harold Wilson went down to his cabin to get some rest, he opened
his luggage to put away his belongings. "What's this?" he exclaimed. "I
never saw this before." Then he hastily removed the wrapper.
"A Bible! A Bible! And did mother think me such an idiot that I would
stand for such nonsense? But it looks expensive. I wonder how much
it cost. My! But this is funny! Me. Harold Wilson, a comon drunk and
a thief having a Bible at sea! I guess I'll ask for the job of preaching to
the boys."
He opened the book "just to see how a Bible looks inside." He saw the
familiar writing of his mother: "My Darling Boy." A big lump came
into his throat. For an instant he was transported back to his childhood,
enjoying the endearing words which he thought he disliked. Again he
was forced to suppress a tear. But he could not resist reading his
mother's message and glancing at the way the pages had been marked.
Afterwards he slammed the book down. "I don't want this thing," he
cried out. "Must I be haunted by this miserable stuff wherever I go?"
Then he went to sleep.

About a month had passed and a hard month indeed it had been.
The seas had been rough and there had been frequent danger. Now,
to top it off, a fire broke out in the hold. The "Alaska Transport" was
carrying a heavy consignment of kerosene oil and a fire meant almost
certain death for all on board. The whole crew was frantically working
to smother the flames before they could reach the cargo of oil.
Captain Mann , who was in charge of the vessel, was a Christian, a
person of few words, and a man whose personality commanded the
respect and even the admiration of his men. He was corteous, brave,
temperate, refined, a striking exception to the rank and file of the
crew that manned the ship. For more than thirty years he had been
in command at sea; but this was his first experience with a burning
vessel. The call of fire had called forth the strongest in him.
He calmly but quickly placed every man at his post. Every man
fought with confidence because of something Captain Mann
possessed in this period of danger. Harold Wilson in particular
took note of the spirit of courage and confidence displayed by
the captain.
But suddenly the captain disappeared. And almost as suddenly
a new emergency compelled the first mate to call for the Captain's
assistance. Harold was dispatched to find him.
_______________________________________________
Tomorrow we will see where the captain is found and what he is
doing.

Installment Two

Yesterday we left off at the moment when Mrs. Wilson perceives that
the Lord has revealed for her in a dream what she should do to lead
her son towards salvation. Here is the continuation of the story:
___________________________________________________
Installment Two

Mrs. Wilson received her dream as a suggestion of a new work of love.
She had found also a new basis for hope, a new vision of possibilities;
and with a mother's loyal quickness, her plans were immediately
formulated for putting the suggestion into practice. That morning she
got out of bed with a blessed mission in her heart. She scraped every
drawer and every corner of the house in search for all the pennies
she could find. She also took with her the savings of many long days
of work. She went to the Christian bookstore and there she selected
the best Bible she could find for her little Harold, who was not so
little anymore. The Bible was expensive and it wiped her out of all
her savings. Was not her son's life more precious to her than her own?

What a really beautiful Bible that was when Mrs. Wilson had
completed in it her beautiful design! From Genesis to Revelation
she marked with great care all those passages which she believed
would one day appeal to the heart of her boy. She specially took
care to underline those texts that emphasized faith in Jesus and
obedience to all His commandments. When Harold should open
the book, she wanted him to find Christ everywhere throughout
the story. She wrote her own message on the flyleaf:
"My Darling Boy: 'I love you. I shall always love you. But there
is one who loves you infinitely more than I, and that one is
Jesus. You do not love Him now, but I am praying that you may
be brought to see how good He is, and be led to yield yourself
to Him. This Book is from Him and from me. Please read it for
His sake and mine. Its promises are all sure; and as you take
them into your heart, they will make you new and clean and
strong and victorious."
She kept the Bible in a secret place until the very last moment.
Then, when he went out on an errand, she quickly tucked it
away in a little corner of his luggage. 'Good-bye, mother.'
'Good-bye, my dearest.' It was a sober farewell, without tears
or emotional outbursts. Mrs. Wilson was able to control herself.
She had determined to retain a smile of peace on her face.
Harold Wilson left home and headed for the wharf where he
would board the "Alaska Transport" ship in the capacity of
plain deck hand.
_____________________________
The story continues tomorrow.

A rebellious son

Plains of Mesopotamia as seen on the background from the roof top of an
ancient building in the city of Mardin, eastern Turkey.
___________________________________________________
Today we continue with the story of the rebellious son Harold Wilson as
told in the book "The Marked Bible."

Installment One:

Mrs. Wilson had been a fine mother. Together with her husband, she had
tried to raise little Harold in the ways of the Lord. It was the supreme
ambition of both father and mother that little Harold should be trained for
the work of the Gospel. They wanted him to devote his life to proclaiming
the good news of Him who died to save from sin, and who one day would
come again in glory to receive His people to Himself. He was a handsome
boy and early gave evidence of a love for the things of God, but the first
tragedy struck.
Harold's father was stricken down with a fatal illness. After much pain
and expenses the poor man died, leaving his widow penniless. The sweet,
little boy Harold used to be, slowly started turning into an alcoholic, a
gambler, and a thief. He seemed the exact opposite of what his parents
had intended for him to be. In fact, he turned out to be just like his
great-grandfather who had been an atheist, blasphemer, drunkard,
murderer, and jailed inmate. Mrs. Wilson reflected often on this likenes
between her son and the great-grandfather. She felt awfully sad because
she saw in her son the fulfillment of the scripture: "visiting the iniquity
of the fathers upon the children unto the third generation."

One day she heard about a recent crime in the neighborhood. All
suspicion rested on Harold Wilson, her only son. She tried to talk
to him about a better life. But when she did so, there came the last
crushing disappointment. She was told never again to mention the
subject of a better life. In fact, there would now be very little chance
for the mother to talk to her son because in just a few days he would
be leaving to work on a ship sailing to faraway places. His reason for
taking the ship was to escape the clutches of the law.
During his last few remaining days at home Harold continue to
defy and blaspheme God in every way he could. In his drunkeness
he even challenged God, if He existed, to come and strike him down
if He dared. Poor Harold Wilson had fallen very low.
By now his mother started to doubt if God really answers prayer.
She felt that so many years of sacrifice and devotion had all just
been wasted. Why was God not listening?

Then a dream came. In that dream Mrs. Wilson saw that bright
and shining morning of the first day after Jesus' return. There in
the glory of the new creation she encountered her husband again.
She was happy to see him, but she was even happier when she
aslo saw her beloved, little son, Harold standing next to her husband.
"Harold, my boy!! How did you get in here?'
Then little Harold answered:
'Mother, do you remember the marked Bible you hid among my
things the day I left you and went to sea? The message you wrote
on the book itself broke my hardened spirit, and I could not find
rest until I laid my weary self at His feet. He lifted me up, he taught
me of the right way, He guided my soul to this better land."

When Mrs. Wilson woke up, she interpreted that dream to be a
blessed re-assurance that her son would eventually be saved.
She also understood the meaning of the dream as heavenly
instructions on how to put Harold in the path towards salvation.
____ * ______ * _______
Tomorrow when we continue with this blog, we will see what
Mrs. Wilson did to try to reach the heart of her son.

God Bless You.

The Marked Bible

Today I'd like to provide a brief synopsis of a classic book about the
Sabbath; The Marked Bible.

The story was written by Charles L. Taylor sometime in the 40's, but
it takes place in the early 1900's, during the days of long travels by boat
for journeys across the ocean. It is a true story and it is full of fateful
twists just like real life often is.
It begins in the early goings with a very young and very bad boy named
Harold Wilson, who does nothing except give headaches to his saintly mother.
The young boy soon turns into an adult and decides to go even deeper into a
life of crime. Very soon he hits the end of his rope here in America and
decides to join a ship as an ordinary deck hand. Before he boards his ship,
"The Alaska Transport," his mother gives him a precious gift: A Bible.
But it is not just an ordinary Bible. It is a Bible with the best passages
specially marked for Harold Wilson to focus on those particular
teachings. Harold said goodbye to his old mother and took the Bible with him
on board, but a few days later he was fed up with life and he decided to
throw the Bible overboard in a rage of anger.
A few months later he received news that his mother had died. He returns
home, but mother is not around anymore. She has been buried. He finds
himself in trouble again. Then decides to board another ship bound for the
far east. As he's walking around the San Francisco wharfs, he stopped by
a passengers' reading room, which had some Christian literature freely
available. Very quickly his eyes were drawn to a Bible strikingly similar to
the one his mother had given him before. He opened it. To his astonishment,
this Bible was also marked and, not only that, it was marked in the very same
passages and the same way his mother had marked the Bible he had previously
tossed into the ocean waters. Now he was deeply moved. He took the Bible with
him. This time he read it and learned from it, drinking daily as if from a
fountain of living waters. On board he became an evangelist and
missionary to the other passengers who had far more education than
him. During the course of the trip he explained to them, drawing
from scriptures, the rich message of salvation found in the observance
of the Sabbath day. It is a beautiful story.

We will start making some entries and comments on it on our next post.

God bless you and happy Sabbath.

The Majority Is Not Always Right

The following story comes from "The Official 1993 Devotional Book For
Super Kids" by Renee Kempf Coffee.
___________________________________________________
Miss Brown stood in front of her classroom. 'Today I'd like to give you
a little math quiz on your multiplication tables,' she said. 'If you know
the answer raise your hand, but don't say anything out loud.'
Turning around Miss Brown wrote 5 X 7 = . The students quickly
raised their hands.
'Keith, what is the answer?'
'Thirty-five,' Keith responded.
'How many agree with his answer?'
Every hand went up.
Miss Brown wrote the next problem, 9 X 7 = .
'Who has the answer?'
Waving hands filled the room.
'Ginny.'
'Sixty-three.'
'How many agree?'
The whole class raised their hands.
'Now the last problem,' said the teacher. She wrote 6 X 8= .
'Who has the answer? Rosa?'
'Forty-two.'
The teacher surveyed the room. 'How many agree?'
Twenty-five of the 30 students raised their hands. The five students
who didn't raised their hands looked around at all their friends and
then slowly raised their hands in agreement. They didn't want to risk
being different. So they went along with the crowd.
What they didn't know was that the other students and the teacher
were in on an experiment. The people in charge of the experiment
wanted to see if students would go against what they knew to be
correct, or if they'd be willing to be different.
Last week at our Sabbath school, the primary leader played a
guessing game with the class. 'Who was the doubting disciple?'
he asked. Three children said Thomas, but the rest said Timothy.
'How many say it's Timothy?' asked the leader. Every hand went up.
Those with the right answer went along with the crowd.
All through life you'll have to choose between right and wrong.
Are you determined to do what's right even if it means being
different?
Those who choose to follow God will never be in the majority, but
they will always be on the right side.
_____________________________________________

So it is with Sabbath observance. Maybe it's not what the
majority does, but it's the right thing to do.

God bless you.

Sunday observance

As we saw yesterday, there is no Biblical evidence
of Sunday observance in Israel or the surrounding
nations even up to the last chapter and final verse of
Revelation. Sabbath observance seems to have been
the norm all around.
Even outside the Bible we never find any evidence
of Sunday observance until we reach the turn of the
first century, but even then the changes happened
only ever so slowly.
One of the earliest decrees regarding Sabbath
observance came about in A.D. 135, when Emperor
Hadrian issued a decree banning the practice of
Judaism and even more specifically making it
illegal across the empire to observe the Sabbath.
Around A.D. 130 - 138 a letter written by a certain
Barnabas talks about the observance of the eighth
day (Sunday). His principal reason for observing
the eighth day was to distance himself from Judaism.

In the early days of Christianity the sun was often
taken as a symbol to represent Jesus Christ. This
connection proved to be important because a calendar
change came about in the second century A.D. The days
of the week were given new names connecting them to
heavenly bodies. So the day of the moon was Monday.
Tuesday borrowed its name from Mars (Martes).
Mercury gave its name to Miercoles (Wednsesday).
Jueves was for Jupiter. Viernes was for Venus,
Saturday for Saturn and Domino for the day of the
Lord (in this case, the Sun or the Lord Jesus). Then
Sunday was moved up to be the first day of the week.
This move coincided also with growing feelings of
anti-Judaism across the Roman empire because there
had been a bitter Jewish rebellion still fresh in Roman
memories. So now it was simply more fashionable to
observe Sunday for two reasons: it distanced the new
Christian religion from the unpopular Jews and it had the
appearance of showing allegiance to Jesus (who was
often represented by the symbol of the sun). Jerome,
one of the early church leaders wrote that "we must
willingly acknowledge" Sunday as the day of the sun
"since it is on this day that the light of the world
appeared and on this day the Sun of Justice has
risen."
These changes explained above represent the
shift of early Christianity from Sabbath observance
to Sunday keeping.

The moderator.

Universal Sabbath

A couple of days ago we studied how Daniel and his friends were
constantly getting in trouble when they arrived in Babylon. First
they were in trouble because they refused to eat the food served
by the king. Next Daniel's friends were thrown into the fiery
furnace because they refused to worship idols. Then Daniel
himself was in trouble because he was praying to God.
We should notice that they were not in Jerusalem. They
were now in Babylon, but none of their problems involved
observance of the Sabbath. Why? The reason is because in
the ancient world the common custom was to observe the
Sabbath. How do we know this? Let's see.
The Bible never explicitly tells us that the common
practice in Biblical times was to rest on Saturday, but
Scriptures give us plenty of hints that this was the case.
The stories in the book of Daniel are one example.
Daniel and his friends never got in trouble for resting
on Saturday simply because that practice was also in
agreement with Babylonian culture. So it did not bother
Daniel's enemies to see him observing the Sabbath.
Then we also see that throughout the Bible the
Lord is angry at the nations surrounding Israel. The
most common grievance the Lord has against these
nations is that they worship idols. Other grievances
usually included sexual immorality and human
sacrifices. There is no instance, however, of the
Lord punishing the nations for not keeping the
Sabbath. It seems like there were occasional
violations of the Sabbath by individuals (most
specially merchants), but at the official level the
practice was apparently sanctioned by the leaders.
Even in Roman times we never encounter any
friction between Jews and Romans regarding the
Sabbath. There were lots of grievances about
taxation and other forms of oppresion and abuse
by the Romans, but there is no instance of any
complaint about the freedom of Sabbath observance.
Later on, after Jesus' death, the early Christians
also had their disputes about the laws of Moses. The
most divisive issue was the traditions concerning
circumcision. Other points of contention involved
eating meats offered to idols, strangled animals,
and fornication. A council of elders was held in
Jerusalem to settle these matters. At the end
the council concluded that "it seemed good to
the Holy Spirit, and to us, to lay upon you no
greater burden than these necessary things:
that you abstain from things offered to idols,
from blood, from things strangled, and from
sexual immorality." (Acts 15: 28 -29)
Why no mention of the Sabbath? Because
it was not an issue at all. Everybody at that
time was practicing Sabbath observance.
Tomorrow we will study how the change
from Saturday to Sunday came about.

God bless you,


The moderator

The Narrow Way

This photo was taken just two days before this beach
was devastated by the 2004 Tsunami.

As we mentioned yesterday, many believe that keeping the Sabbath
is too great a burden because it cuts us off from the rest of society. We
cannot participate in secular activities that take place between sundown
Friday and sundown Saturday. No Friday night concerts and parties. No
Saturday classes. No weekend jobs, etc.
There are indeed many people who are intellectually convinced that
Sabbath is the rigthful day of rest, but they just cannot bring them-
selves to honor it. They wrestle with the idea every now and then, but
they continue in the comfort of their habits and social circles.
In the Bible there are many promises, but none of those promises
states that observing the Sabbath will be easy. The Bible, in fact, warns
us about folowing the easy way. In Matthew 7:13 - 14 Jesus himself
explained about the dangers of just finding the easy way out: "Enter
by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that
leads to destruction; and there are many who go in it. Because narrow
is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are
few who find it."
It is interesting how Jesus again uses the same words we were
studying yesterday: "Many" and "few" as in 'many will be called,
but few will be chosen.
When he says 'Broad is the way that leads to destruction' I can't
help but thinking that he is referring to the days of the week and
the disregard for the Sabbath. Then when he talks about the
"narrow" way, it seems so easy to me to think that he is
referring to the difficulty of observing the Sabbath.

God bless you

Few Will Be Chosen

Some people make an argument against the Sabbath, not from
Biblical principles, but for purely practical reasons. They say
observing Sabbath instead of Sunday will put us out of sync with the
rest of the world. "That's my busiest day', some business owners
claim. 'I am required to work Saturdays,' others say. 'All my friends
go dancing on Friday nights. Sorry, but I can't do this Sabbath
observance.
This kind of thinking that we need to go along with the rest of
society even at the expense of ignoring God's fourth commandment
is absurd. In Matthew 22:14, Jesus himself said that "many will be
called, but few will be chosen." He did not say who will be the many,
but if the final decision is made based on Sabbath observance, we'd
better make sure we are on the group of the few.
Another interesting point is that the fourth commandment
doesn't say: "Remember to be always on the side of the majority."
Neither does it say: "Remember to rest on the same day as the
majority." In fact there are several instances when the Bible
explicitly challenges us to be different from the crowd. In the book
of Daniel alone we find at least three instances in which Daniel and
his friends dare to be different from the people around them even
at the risk of their own lives. Daniel 1: 8-15 tells the story of how
they refused to defile themselves with the food served by the king.
Then Daniel 3: 8-25 records the story of Daniel's friends being
thrown into the fiery furnace for refusing to worship an idol.
Then Daniel 6:10-23 tells the story of how Daniel himself was thrown
in the lions' den for praying to God. So all these instances show that it
is foolish to believe that being faithful to God will come easy. In fact,
Jesus himself tells us that we should strive to be different from
the people around us. Chapter five of Matthew is full of challenges
from Jesus. He tells us to turn the other cheek, to give also our cloak,
and to love our enemies. Why? Because anyone can love their friends.
Even the wicked love their friends. But we should strive to be different.
Tomorrow we will examine the meaning of "the narrow way."

God bless you.

The Wedding Garment

In chapter 22 of Matthew we find the parable
of the wedding feast. This parable at large has been
interpreted to mean that, after the Jews rejected
the offer of salvation, the invitation was extended
to the gentiles. Very well, but here we find a parable
within a parable because the last four verses deal
with the kind of attire we should wear to the feast.
Let's read Matthew 22:10-14,
"...and the wedding hall was filled with guests,
but when the king came in to see the guests,
he saw a man there who did not have on a
wedding garment. So he said to him: 'friend,
how did you come in here without a wedding
garment?' And he was speechless. Then the
king said to the servants, 'bind him hand and
foot, take him away, and cast him into outer
darkness; there will be weeping and gnashing
of teeth. For many are called, but few are
chosen."

What can be the meaning of this "wedding
garment" we are supposed to wear at the feast?
Why only few will be chosen? Could this garment
be the Sabbath day? Could it be that only the
few who observe the Sabbath will be chosen?
Let's explore this idea further?
First of all, in all His wisdom and fairness,
Jesus would surely make the wedding garment
available to all the guests who are invited to the
feast. If the garment had not been available to
all, surely the guest not wearing one would have
explained this to the King in the parable. Some
reasonable explanations would have been:
'I was not given one.' Or 'I could not afford it.'
But the man was simply speechless; which
means he didn't have any excuse for not
wearing the right garment.
Also our belief in Jesus' fairness leads us to
believe that He would have given clear notice
about the proper attire required to attend the
feast. We have a feeling that all the guests had
been notified about the dress requirements
because everybody was dressed properly
except for the one fellow spotted by the king.
It is also very evident that the man knew about
the dress code because we are told that he was
speechless when confronted by the king.
What parallel do we find in the Bible that
could compare to this "dress code" for the
wedding feast. It seems to me that the obvious
equivalent is the Sabbath day. Why? Because
it illustrates God's fairness and infinite wisdom
in two ways (1) He has made the announcement
very clear to all: 'Remember the Sabbath and
keep it holy...the seventh day is the Sabbath of
the Lord your God.
(2) He has made it available to all. If we are
very busy, He has given us six days to do all
our work and take care of our personal
business. He is requiring of us only one day a
week to rest and to have communion with Him
and to worship Him. Moreover, in exchange
for our observance of the Sabbath He has
promised many blessings both in the here
and now as well as in the future (Isaiah 58:13-14).
The biggest blessing of all will be a ticket to that
wedding feast as described in Matthew 22: 1-14.
Maybe some of us will be able to get into the
banquet with a counterfeit invitation or by
squeezing through security, but the King will
be inside conducting an inspection of all the
wedding guests and He will spot us from a
distance. He will approach us and ask: 'Friend,
how did you come in here without a wedding
garment?' And we will be speechless. We will
not be able to say 'Uhh? I've never heard about
the Sabbath.' Or 'I was too busy all week. I didn't
have time to observe the Sabbath.' Then the
Lord will call security and will instruct them:
'Bind him hand and foot, take him away, and
cast him into outer darkness.'
My own experience tells me that it is
very easy to be spotted in a wedding when you
are not wearing the proper attire. Several years
ago I attended a formal wedding as a guest.
The banquet was proceeding nicely until one
guest came in wearing a very casual outfit.
He was a cousin of the bride and so he was
allowed to stay, but he stood out as a sore
thumb for everyone to see. He was wearing
short sleeves with wide blue stripes,
half unbuttoned, docker pants, and white
shoes. Later that same night I saw his
grandmother crying in shame because of
what the grandson had done. The old lady
was crying and asking why did he have to
attend the party dressed like that?

Tomorrow we will explore verse 14 of
this chapter.

God bless you.

Daniel 7:25

South Korean singing group: Golden Angels

Earlier we have studied how the Bible establishes God's promise that
"Surely the Lord God does nothing unless He reveals His secret to His
servants the prophets" (Amos 3:7). We used that text to explain that if
the Lord would want us to observe Sunday instead of Saturday, He would
have made it clear in the Bible.
Today we will use the same text to show that God did reveal to His
prophet Daniel a warning about a horn who would attempt to make changes
to times and laws. This warning is given in Daniel 7:25, which reads:
"He shall speak pompuous words against the Most High,
shall persecute the saints of the Most High, and shall intend
to change times and laws."
What times and laws could this text be referring to? What God's law deals
with times? The fourth commandment, of course.
It has happened just as the Lord warned us. The day of rest has been
changed from Saturday to Sunday in most of the world. Also it has been
changed from Saturday to Friday in many parts of the Muslim world.
Surely, the Lord does nothing unless he reveals His secret to His servants
the prophets.

Happy Sabbath

Any day will do

Today we'll look at another argument sometimes
made by people who can't bring themselves to
accept Sabbath observance. They sometimes say
that any day will do as long as we choose a day to
rest and worship.
There are two serious problems with that line
of reasoning.
First of all God made it very clear that only the
seventh day will do. Genesis 2:3 tells us that "God
blessed the SEVENTH day and sanctified it." It
doesn't say God took a day off and suggested that
we should do something similar once a week. Then
in Exodus 20:10 God emphasizes the point again
when he instructed Moses "but the SEVENTH day
is the Sabbath of the Lord your God." The text does
not suggest simply a day off once a week in any order.
It clearly says the SEVENTH day.

As if to underline how specific these instructions
were, God did not create room for a loophole or a
waiver of this requirement for the priests. It is
very obvious that priests have to do their job on
the Sabbath. The Lord, however, did not create
an exception for them to rest on some other day
during the week. This simply tells us that doing
priestly functions during worship is acceptable
work to be done on the Sabbath. There is no
mention at all in Scriptures about the Levites
enjoying an alternate day off during the week.
This means that only the seventh day will do for
God.
We also know that God's wisdom is infinite.
Therefore there must be something wise about
this commandment. We don't lose anything by
trying.

God bless you,

The moderator

Keeping track of the Sabbath

Some people have argued that, by now, it doesn't
matter on what day of the week we choose to rest
because so much time has gone by since the day
of the creation that it is impossible to keep track
what day it is. Surely we must have lost track by
now. After all, so many disruptive events have
happened, such as the Great Flood, wars, exile
to Babylon, the expulsion of the Jews from
Jerusalem, the destruction of the temple (several
times). How do we know if we haven't lost track
of the seven-day cycle?
Well, when God was providing manna for the
israelites in the wilderness, the manna would fall
for six days, but on the Seventh day there was
no manna. This weekly cycle continued in the
dessert for forty years. If there had been some
mix-up with the days, the Jews would have noticed
it then.
Later on as the Israelites suffered other
calamities, they were able to keep the right
count on the days of the week. If they hadn't,
then the Lord would have settle matters through
His prohets.
When Jesus came to earth, he made no mention
of any time-keeping errors.
In short, there is no record at all of the Jewish people
ever losing track of the seven-day cycle.
We can be confident that we are still error-free on
that front.

God bless you,

The moderator

The great communicator

Since creation God has taken the time to communicate with mankind. He
has done so in many different ways. Sometimes God himself has appeared
to people. Sometimes He has spoken directly to His children. Sometimes He
has sent angels. On other occasions He has sent prophets and seers. Then
we also have His instructions as recorded on Scriptures. When God has
something important to tell us, we can be sure that He will let us know.
In fact God himself has said so in the book of Amos 3:7. "Surely the Lord
does nothing unless He reveals His secret to His servants the prophets."

So with the help of Amos 3:7 we have established that God always
communicates His instructions to us.
Now, we also know that the Sabbath day was very important to God
because He sanctified it and hollowed it. He also emphasized in Exodus
20:8 to "REMEMBER the Sabbath and keep it holy."
So if (1) the Sabbath is important to God and (2) He always communicates
to us His plans, then how could it be that God would transfer the day of
rest from Saturday to Sunday and not communicate His intentions to us?
It simply does not reflect God's character.
If we believe in the Bible and we believe in God and we also believe that
Sunday is the true Sabbath, then we should have some communication
from God to that effect. We believe that God does nothing unless He
reveals His secret to His servants. So we should also believe that God
would tell us very clearly if he wants us to worship and rest on Sunday.
Nowhere in the Bible can we find any instructions for us to observe the
Sabbath on Sunday to commemorate the resurrection of Jesus.

God bless you,


The Moderator

Sunday markets

Today we will continue exploring the suggestion that after the Lord's
resurrection Sabbath observance was transfered from Saturday to Sunday.
Yesterday we noted that no such instruction was given either by Jesus
himself or by the New Testament writers. For the sake of argument,
however, let's say that now Sabbath observance falls on Sunday. If that's
the case, Sunday keepers are not following the observance properly as
the fourth commandent prescribed. If we assume that the new Sabbath
is Sunday, we also have to assume that the rest of the instructions
remained the same according to the original text of Exodus 20: 8 -11.
The only change is the word Sunday. Now the text would read something
like this: "the FIRST 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." The same criteria should also apply to the text
found in Isaiah 58: 13-14. Those verses should now read like this:
"If you turn away your foot from SUNDAY, from doing your pleasure
on my holy day, and call SUNDAY a delight, the holy day of the Lord
honorable, and shall honor Him, not doing your own ways, nor finding
your own pleasure, nor speaking your own words."
For those who say Sunday is the new Sabbath, how do they explain
that it is not being observed as the Bible requires. Among Sunday keepers,
Sunday is not really a Holy Day, except for the fact that some may
attend church for one or two hours. The rest of the day is used to
perform mundane tasks as shopping, washing our car, going to a
football game, having a party, etc. That is not really how the Bible
tells us to keep the Sabbath.
Therefore Sunday keepers are really making two assumptions:
(1) They assume that Jesus changed Sabbath observance from
Saturday to Sunday.
(2) They assume that Jesus also did away with the requirements
about abstaining from work and from worldly business.
If Jesus or the early church elders wanted to implement these
changes, I'd have to think they would have encountered some
very strong resistance. If Jesus had proposed this change, the
Pharisees would have higlighted this offense. If the suggestion
came from the church elders, there would have been a great
fight among those who wanted to keep the traditional Sabbath.
We encounter none of this when we read the New Testament.
Which leads me to believe that no such change from Saturday
to Sunday was ever suggested by the early church.

God bless you,


The moderator

Resurrection Sunday

Today's entry will explore the argument that Christ's resurrection from the
dead is a greater event than the creation of the world. Therefore its memorial
must be greater and we should observe Sunday instead of Saturday as a day
of rest.
Determining which of the two events is greater is clearly subjective.
Nowhere in the Bible do we find a statement declaring that the resurrection
was a greater event than the creation of the world. By the same token,
nowhere in the Bible do we find a single text indicating that the observance
of the day of rest has been transferred from Saturday to Sunday.
After his resurrection, Jesus had contact with his disciples for up to
forty days. Certainly if he wanted to give instructions about such a change
he would have done so during those forty days. Then if the early Christian
church had felt that Sunday was the new Sabbath they would also have written
instructions to do so. In fact, the elders of the early Church did hold a council
in Jerusalem to determine which of the Mosaic traditions were still required
of the Gentiles. The Sabbath is not even mentioned in the discussion there
simply because nobody was questioning or considering a move from Saturday
to some other day.
After Jesus ascencion to heaven, the Bible tells us that he was seen
again here on earth. One such occassion was on the road to Damascus when
he appeared to Saul. The other time was on the island of Patmos when he
visited John. The Lord could have used those two occasions to give instructions
about any changes to the fourth commandment if he was indeed planning any
such changes. In the book of Revelation Jesus dictates letters with lots of
instructions for the seven churches, but none of this instructions reveal that
he wants his followers to observe a new Sabbath on a different day.

In a court of law the burden of proof rests with the party claiming
that an act was carried out. In this case, the act is the transfer from
Saturday to Sunday. So far no Scriptural proof has been found.
I'd like to encourage our Sunday-keeping friends to point out any Biblical
text that shows the new commandment to rest on Sunday.

God Bless You,


The moderator

The Sabbath Was Made for Man

One argument commonly made against observing the Sabbath day is that
God gave the Saturday Sabbath to the Jews only. It was given to them at
Sinai as a memorial of their deliverance from Egypt. Nobody observed the
Sabbath before that time.


When we look at this argument carefully we see that it really breaks down
into three parts: (1) The Sabbath is only for the Jews, (2) It is a memorial to
their escape from Egypt, and (3) Nobody observed the Sabbath before that.

The very words of Jesus Christ as recorded on Mark 2:27 say that "the Sabbath
was made for man." This clearly means that it was not just for one nation in
particular, but for all humanity.
Now, regarding the second part of the argument, the Bible tells us in the book
of Exodus 20:11 that the reason for observing the Sabbath is because "in six
days the Lord made the earth." So it is a memorial of creation. When giving
the fourth commandment, God makes no mention at all of Israel's deliverance
from Egypt.
Finally as for the third part of the argument, it is fair to say that the Bible never
specifically says whether people did or did not observe the Sabbath before the
events at Sinai. We notice, however, that the Jewish people don't seem at all
surprised by the requirements found in the fourth commandment. If Sabbath
observance would have been a new requirement, we would find lots of resistance
and confusion about it. As we read the rest of the book of Exodus and the other
books immediately following, it seems clear to anyone that the Jews saw nothing
unusual in any of the requirements contained in the Fourth Commandment. Also
the use of the word "remember" at the beginning of the commandment seems to
imply that it was something they already knew. God was simply reminding them
about something that was familiar to them.

Thank you all for visiting my blog.
God bless you.

Did God need rest?

Genesis 2:2 tells us that God rested on the seventh day.
Did God need rest?
Certainly not. God rested because he was done with the
creation. He felt accomplished in having prepared a perfect
world for His creatures to enjoy. Now He wanted men to do just
that: Enjoy! So God rested to set an example for men.
In fact, we know that the word Sabbath means "stop" or "rest."
God intended for us to live a life of rest. It was only after the fall
that work came about.
Also we know that in almost every passage of the Bible
where the Sabbath is mentioned, it is in connection with God's
work of creation. We will explore this in greater detail in later
entries. For now let us be happy and thankful that God set aside
the Sabbath for us to stop and to commune with Him.
My personal belief is that in God's infinite wisdom, He knew that
we would delay and postpone spending time with Him because we
are just too busy with the cares of this world. I know many people who
only visit their own mother on Christmas and Mother's Day. Establishing
the Sabbath ensured God that we would spend time with Him at least once
a week. Moreover, He wanted that time to be only for Him. That's why he
commanded that we set aside all manners of business and personal affairs.
The Sabbath is God's quality time for us. With no interruptions. I am so
thankful for that.

The moderator

Luther's Views on the Sabbath

Today we will take a look at the opinions of someone regarded by many as a great authority
on Biblical interpretation; namely Martin Luther. As we know very well, the Lutheran church
and most other protestant churches do not observe the Sabbath. This is because they follow
the Reformation Movement's interpretation on the day of rest, which could be summarized as
follows:
"Scripture has abrogated the Sabbath day, for it teaches
that since the Gospel has been revealed, all the ceremonies of
Moses can be ommitted." (Taken from: "The Sabbath in the
New Testament, S. Bachiocchi).
It seems to me that Martin Luther was correct in saying that 'the ceremonies of Moses can be
ommited.' He was wrong, however, in interpreting the Sabbath as a ceremony instead of one
of God's commandments. Again I would suggest that if we are willing to dismiss Sabbath
observance as an old-fashioned ceremony from Moses' times, then we should dismiss the rest
of the commandments in just the same way.
Clearly there were sacrifices and ceremonies that became unnecessary after Jesus death.
That was because those ceremonies were simply symbolizing and foreshadowing the greater
and true sacrifice that Jesus would perform on earth at a later date. Once the real sacrifice
took place, there was no longer a need for the ceremonies dating to the times of Moses.

I invite visitors to this blog to express their views on this issue. We also welcome questions
about the Sabbath.

God bless you,

The moderator