Information Related to "Letters From Our Readers - January/February 2023"
| Audio/Video |
Thomas Lefebvre/Unsplash
"The Divided States of America" issue was outstanding! Please pass along my appreciation to the writers for all their work, including the editorial, "A House Divided Against Itself Cannot Stand." How timely, given the outcome of the recent election. Again, thanks for all your editorial endeavors.
From the Internet
I wanted to tell you "thank you!" for the issue on "The New Sexual Revolution," but never got around to it. But then I saw in a later issue that some people were upset over it, so I wanted to make sure I told you "thank you" -- for speaking the truth, not wavering and not compromising.
Too many churches are becoming more tolerant to fit in. Thank you for sticking up for God's Word and His principles no matter what. It was such a great issue. I stopped doing holidays about 10 years ago and love your truth about holidays, the trinity, rapture and hell. My eyes have been opened to the truth through your literature and videos. The only thing I miss is celebrating the feasts and being with like-minded believers. The closest UCG congregation is an hour and a half away. But thank you for the magazine and all your resources. I appreciate you all very much.
From the Internet
Your magazine is very informative, and I enjoy reading your articles and am hopeful for our future. Thank you so much, and God bless you always.
From the Internet
I have just been watching your Beyond Today TV episode where your Bible study aid The New Covenant: Does It Abolish God's Law? is offered. I found the teaching to be a very clear explanation regarding what was actually nailed to the cross and the meaning of the written sign. Please can you send me a copy of this study aid, as it will be a physical confirmation of what I have now heard and understood? Thank you for your welcome clear teachings.
Viewer in the United Kingdom
I have not been to church in years but I stumbled on your website in researching the Bible and find your beliefs very close to mine. I would be interested in attending if I can find something fairly close by. Can you possibly help me with a location?
Reader in Oregon
We're glad to hear that! You can find all of our congregations listed at ucg.org/congregations. Feel free to reach out to the pastor of the one closest to you as well.
I have enjoyed your magazine as a truthful, God-inspired Bible study for many years. My struggle has been your insistence that the Sabbath is any one particular day of the week. Your recent article in the Nov.-Dec. 2022 issue, page 28, refers to sunset Friday to sunset Saturday as the Sabbath. You then reference Exodus and Mark as proof. They explicitly say Sabbath, but nowhere in the Bible are the words "Saturday" through "Sunday" used.
This is your manmade decision to call Saturday the Sabbath. God worked for six days and rested on the seventh. He didn't say which day He started. Regardless of one's belief here, my point is simple; we cannot be 100 percent certain what day is truly the seventh day of the week. The seventh day is simply a marker for us, one day out of seven should be our rest.
From the Internet
We appreciate your interest in our magazine and welcome this opportunity to respond. You asked about our statement that the Sabbath is to be observed from sunset Friday to sunset Saturday and that you don't feel we can be 100 percent certain what day is truly the seventh day of the week.
The Bible is clear that God commanded the seventh day be observed as the Sabbath (Exodus 20:10). If you look in almost any dictionary, encyclopedia or calendar it will show that Saturday is the seventh day of the week.
Although man has modified calendars through the centuries and each culture has its own names for each day, the seven-day weekly cycle has remained intact throughout history. The days of the week have always remained in their proper order, with the day we call Sunday as the first day of the week and the day we call Saturday as the seventh. Time has not been lost in this regard.
Jesus repeatedly confirmed that the day the Jews observed as the Sabbath in His day was indeed the weekly Sabbath day. This was the same day for all, not an individually chosen one. And since then, the Jewish people have preserved the same seventh day, which corresponds to Friday sunset to Saturday sunset on today's calendars.
Moreover, mainstream Christian churches, though rejecting the seventh-day Sabbath command, indirectly confirm when that day is by maintaining their tradition of worshiping on Sunday, which they openly acknowledge to be the first day of the week.
It is not up to us to decide which day is holy time. We cannot make anything holy -- only God can. And He already did that at creation by resting on the seventh day and sanctifying it, making it holy (Genesis 2:1-3). He then told His people to remember the seventh day (not just any day, but following the same cycle), and to keep it holy as one of His Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:8-10).
For more information on this important subject, readers may be interested in reading our free study guide Sunset to Sunset: God's Sabbath Rest .
©1995-2023 United Church of God, an International AssociationRelated Information:
Table of Contents that includes "Letters From Our Readers - January/February 2023"
Other Articles by Scott Ashley
Origin of article "Letters From Our Readers - January/February 2023"
Keywords: letters from BT readers
Letters from BT readers: