THE DAY OF REST AT HAND

William Andrew Dillard
“Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made. And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made.” Genesis 2:1-3
It is interesting to note that both the beginning, and ending of man’s allotted work time on this planet is marked by a day of rest. The first day of rest was a literal solar day (since all the days in Genesis One are marked by an evening and a morning). The last day of rest will be a millennial (1,000 years) day. Consider how they are connected.
The initial day of rest which God hallowed, was virtually ignored for 2500 years. Then, God put it into the Mosaic Law with teeth, that it should be adamantly observed. That the purpose of the Law was to teach, and to bring God’s people to the age of Grace is plainly identified. Notice further that the culmination of man’s work, and history on earth will be a day of rest. This is promised in Hebrews Chapter Four, and is otherwise spoken of as the “Day of the Lord.”
Now notice that the Apostle Peter explains that a day with the Lord is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as a day, 2 Peter 3:8. The principle to understand is: God gives man six days to labor on earth (6,000 years) and the seventh day of rest is the day of the Lord (the millennial reign of Jesus).
Adam and Eve were created 4,000 B.C. Additionally, it is certain that we are very close to 2,000 years since Jesus’ time. That adds up to 6,000 years.
The coming of Jesus effected a change in the reckoning of time from B.C. to A.D. (Anno Domini, the year of the Lord). History has suffered through the Roman, Julian, and Gregorian calendars, one counting a year as ten months of 30 days each to the others being 12 months of varying days, then every fourth year an extra day added to February. So, it is unclear just what precise year we are really living in, but Another possibility of time computation is that of covenants. God has worked with His people in terms of covenants, especially since Abraham. If the 4,000 years B.C. were completed when Messiah was cut off, fulfilling the Law Covenant, and empowering the New Covenant, ( 33 A.D.), then, if modern calendars are correct, this is actually 1987 (2020 minus 33 years). The last seven years of this age is the tribulation period, so that would make it to be almost on top of us.
Conclusion: We have had our six days of labor. It is time for the seventh day, the 1,000-year Day of the Lord, to begin. It is coming right on time. Are you ready for it?

( I am not a date setter, but this is interesting to roll around, unless, of course, you already know it all!)

ON THE OBSERVANCE OF DAYS

William Andrew Dillard

The observance of days was very much a part of the Old Testament Law. However to esteem one day more holy than another is foreign to the New Testament. Still there are many in the religious world who would condemn the most dedicated Christian simply because he paused to worship on the “wrong” day. So just what is the truth about the Sabbath and other holy days? Think with me about this as we reference the scriptures for information.
Under the Law it was forbidden to do anything but rest on the Sabbath day. Once, a man was stoned for picking up sticks on the seventh day. “Sabbath” does come from a word that also gives us the number “seven.” However, that same root word also gives us the meaning of “rest.” Then, under the Law, a number of other holy days were designated for special remembrances and worship. So, I have been asked a number of times and probably you have, too, “Why do you not keep the Sabbath?” Think about it!
I do not keep the Sabbath for the same reason that I freely enjoy pork, catfish, frog legs, etc. The Law was fulfilled and removed from us. Not just a part of the Law, but all of it. Col. 2:14-17. The first church met to worship on Sunday, the first day of the week in commemoration of the resurrection of Jesus, Who arose on the first day of the week. Is this appropriate? Yes it is! But think with me a little further.
Paul told the church at Colosse that they must not allow men to judge them in respect of new moons, holy days or Sabbaths. So, if the observance of days is unimportant, even wrong, then why do we observe Sunday? The truth is we don’t or at least we should not. This may shock you, but think with me.
We do not observe Easter as a holy day. We say that Easter is all the time with us. Our Lord is risen. We do not observe Sunday as a day more holy than Tuesday or Friday either. But, since the “Christian” world has influenced our calendars and Sunday has been set aside for hundreds of years as a time to worship collectively, we do not buck the trend. It is good that we have a time when it is convenient to assemble to worship. The thing that is important is the spiritual organism of which we are a part—the church. It is our Sabbath!
Much is made of this point in Hebrews Chapter Four. The people of ancient Israel were saved people, but God did not allow them to enter into His rest because they failed to believe Him again and again. That promise of rest to them is given to the New Testament church. However, not all who have their names on the church roll enter into that rest because they do not progress in the teaching of Christ enough to know what He is talking about. However those who are saved, then follow the Lord in baptism, Church fellowship, and continuing discipleship do enter into His rest and cease from their labors even as God ceased from His. Now is this getting clearer?
Jesus said, “Come unto me all ye that labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest.” His rest is Sabbath. Every day is a Sabbath day to the knowledgeable, trusting Christian. Hallelujah! And, this rest we know in Him here and now will continue on in the ages to come, but where will people be when there is no calendar, no days….just one day and it is not named?

Great Day In The Morning

The Lord has rewarded us with another day of opportunities. I count the day good when I can roll out of bed. I call the day great after I struggle up off the floor after I roll out of bed. What a great day today and so many opportunities the Lord gives us to witness to others about our Savior. We are given great opportunities to tell others of our church and invite them to come worship with us. At the mall or at the store, opportunities abound. At breakfast or at work our influence and the Word can draw others. Let us use this day as an opportunity to witness.

HEBREW – Day

 

yôm

 

As if the evolutionist’s challenge of divine creation were not bad enough, there have been some Christians who compromise with evolution by actually allowing for “millions of years.” The idea of the “geologic column” was literally invented by the God- and Bible-hating amateur geologist Charles Lyle (1797–1875). It exists nowhere except in the textbooks, and has not even the smallest shred of empirical evidence to support it, but has nevertheless become “gospel” to the evolutionist.

 

Inexplicably, Christian leaders became so intimidated by evolution that they concocted theories that would accommodate both the Bible and the “millions of years” of the geological ages. The “Gap Theory,” for example, was created for the sole purpose of fitting the geological ages into the Bible, teaching that Gen_1:1 indicates complete creation, while Gen_1:2 and what follows is the recreation after a “gap” of millions of years between the two verses. Similarly, the Day Age Theory teaches that each “day” of Creation consisted of millions of years, which again allows for the geological ages.

 

All such God-dishonoring theories are shown to be false not only by the statement that “God created,” but also by the word day. While the Hebrew yôm (H3117) at times refers to an indefinite time, such as the span of life (Psa_102:3) or even a “full” year (Lev_25:29; 1Sa_27:7), its most common and natural reference in its more than 2,200 appearances is to a normal twenty-four-hour period (Gen_39:10). This is all the more clearly demonstrated in the Creation account by the qualifiers first, “second,” “third,” etc., being coupled with “evening and morning,” which is never used in the OT in a nonliteral manner. Further, why were the sun and moon created? To distinguish between and “rule” the two parts of a solar day (Gen_1:16). Further still, nonliteral usages, such as “the day of the Lord” (e.g., Isa_2:12; Eze_30:3), a period that is longer than a single day, are always clarified by the context. This is common even in modern usage and is always clear in context. To deny such truth is not only to dishonor God but to show oneself foolish.

 

The normal use of day in the OT serves to encourage us not only to praise God as Creator “every day” (Psa_145:2), but also to meditate on His Word “all the day” (Psa_119:97).

 

Scriptures for Study: What did the psalmist do seven times a day and why (Psa_119:164)? What else should we do “from day to day” (Psa_96:2)?

 

 

A little clarification from my point of view. The author has correctly state that some that indicate a gap between Genesis 1:1 and Genesis 1:2 is to allow millions of years in there.

 

That I do not refute.

 

 

Yet there are those that believe in a young earth and still believe in this gap because of a firm belief that God does not create an earth without form and void. They believe that the original was created in perfection and a catastrophic event caused the void and no form.

 

 

They believe the rest of the chapter is the event of re-creation which took 6 24 hour days and one 24 hour day of rest. God created a mature, yet young earth.

 

Ode to Mothers

SLAYING DRAGONS AND DEFEATING VILLAINS

SLAYING DRAGONS AND DEFEATING VILLAINS

I awoke this morning and prepared my coffee and looked forward to starting my day. I looked around to find a dragon to slay or maybe a villain to defeat and face to face, toe to toe, eye ball to eye ball; I faced  me. How can this be I thought? Now this is a wonderful thing to think I am a villain that needs slaying. I pursued these thoughts and came to realize that, no matter how good I thought I was, no matter how charitable, no matter how helpful; I was a villain that needed slaying.

Rom 7:19 For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do.

Rom 7:20 Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.

Rom 7:21 I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me.

Rom 7:22 For I delight in the law of God after the inward man:

Rom 7:23 But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.

Rom 7:24 O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?

Rom 7:25 I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.

God’s word truly shows that I am a villain. It does not matter what I think about myself. God sees the heart and mind. Now is there not one of us that has never entertained an evil thought, said an evil word or done an evil deed? How often do we regale one another with stories of how we have told someone off or the thoughts we have had about those that have done things to us that we did not appreciate. What we must remember is that these are carnal thoughts and carnality is at enmity with God. WHAT TO DO!!!

Eph 4:22 That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts;

Eph 4:23 And be renewed in the spirit of your mind;

Eph 4:24 And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.

Eph 4:25 Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another.

Well, there you have it, be renewed in the spirit of your mind, every day, every morning that carnal mind has to be renewed by the reading of the word and communication with God.

Phi 2:5 Let this mind be in you which was in Christ Jesus.

There you have it. That is the dragon I must slay every morning. I am the villain that must be defeated by the Word of God, the Power of Jesus Christ, the Leadership of the Holy Spirit, and the Cleansing of the Word. Happy hunting today.

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Jus’ Ramblin

We, my wife and self and several church members are in Rockford to attend the Illinois State semi-annual meeting. Service was great. Bro Tom Myers did a wonderful job challenging us. Great fellowship after wards while we are sharing food. Catching up on everyone’s situation was wonderful. We leave and get to the Hotel room. I start looking for a place to put my cpap machine. I forgot to bring it. My wife threatened me within an inch of my life. She said if my snoring kept her from getting a good nights sleep she would beat me up and put a pillow over my head and push me into the floor. I thought it might be safer to sleep in the hall way.

Being used to the cpap machine, I found it difficult to go to sleep and, also, my mind was working for a change. I would fall asleep for a while and wake up for a while. When awake, I was busy. I figured out a doctrine that Baptist have been arguing over for years. I also make up 2 brand new doctrines that nobody else has ever thought of.

If you believe the last sentence of the above paragraph, you need to stand on your head and sing the hallelujah chorus. A preacher hears a lot of things during his ministry and lot of those things deal with the last sentence of the above paragraph.

Example of a made-up brand new doctrine — If any one has made it to heaven, surely my MOM made it there. She was a saint. This is a made up doctrine. John said of Jesus, Look and Live. There is only one plan of salvation and that is repentance, confession, and belief in the death, burial, and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ as payment for our sin.  How good the life is live is of NO CONSEQUENCE when heaven is contemplated. One word of admonition, don’t sit in the house of God and testify some nonsense that is not Biblical. We are told by Paul, “Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the Word of Truth.” It is a shame the way we carry on with an unlearned mentality, spouting heresy in the very house of God that stands for truth.

It is high time for God’s Word to judge us in thought and deed. We judge God’s word to be truth or not by our feelings, which are often deceptive and not to be trusted. Example, I know it is true, I saw it, I felt it, it happened to me. These statements show that no matter what God’s Word has to say about the subject, we know it is true because we believe our senses more than we believe the Word of God.

Think seriously on this one thing. Whether we stand before the judgment seat or before the Great White Throne, we will be judged out of God’s Word, not by what we thought or felt.

Are you ready for the judgment day?

Rules For Happy Living

6. Pray everyday. Reserve a time in your day to thank God for His many blessings and ask for His guidance.(Luke 18:1)

7. Do at least one Good Deed each day. Plant the seed of “goodness” and it will produce after its kind. (Acts 10:38)