Bible Talk: Universal Sabbath?

The Sabbath: Cultic or Universal?

According to Pastor Vance Stinson of the Church of God International, the Ten Commandments are a "universal" feature of God's Law - meaning that they apply to everyone. Of course, as part of the Decalogue, that would also include the commandment to "remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy." Is that, however, consistent with what Scripture has to say about the Sabbath? OR Does the Bible reveal that the Sabbath was a "cultic" feature of God's Law - meaning that it applied to a relatively small group of people as a religious practice which set them apart from the religious practices of other peoples?

First, although the book of Genesis informs us that the Sabbath was created at the end of God's six days of work after "he" had finished creating (or recreating, as some would say) the earth and universe. Even so, we do not see the Sabbath mentioned again until God introduced it to the children of Israel after "he" had rescued them from Egyptian slavery.

In the sixteenth chapter of the book of Exodus, we read that "the whole congregation of the people of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness" because they were hungry (Exodus 16:1-3). As a consequence, we read that God told Moses: "Behold, I am about to rain bread from heaven for you, and the people shall go out and gather a day's portion every day, that I may test them, whether they will walk in my law or not. On the sixth day, when they prepare what they bring in, it will be twice as much as they gather daily." (Exodus 16:4-5, ESV) A little later, in the same chapter, we read: "On the sixth day they gathered twice as much bread, two omers each. And when all the leaders of the congregation came and told Moses, he said to them, 'This is what the Lord has commanded: ‘Tomorrow is a day of solemn rest, a holy Sabbath to the Lord; bake what you will bake and boil what you will boil, and all that is left over lay aside to be kept till the morning.' So they laid it aside till the morning, as Moses commanded them, and it did not stink, and there were no worms in it. Moses said, 'Eat it today, for today is a Sabbath to the Lord; today you will not find it in the field. Six days you shall gather it, but on the seventh day, which is a Sabbath, there will be none.'" (Exodus 16:22-26, ESV) In this way, God introduced the children of Israel to the Sabbath.

Later, at Mount Sinai, we are informed that God included the observance of this Sabbath in the Ten Commandments which "he" gave to Moses (Exodus 20:8-11). Of course, in so doing, the Sabbath became an integral part of God's covenant with the Children of Israel. Indeed, this was made clear at the conclusion of that account of God's dictation to Moses of the terms of the covenant. We read there: "And the Lord said to Moses, 'You are to speak to the people of Israel and say, ‘Above all you shall keep my Sabbaths, for this is a sign between me and you throughout your generations, that you may know that I, the Lord, sanctify you. You shall keep the Sabbath, because it is holy for you. Everyone who profanes it shall be put to death. Whoever does any work on it, that soul shall be cut off from among his people. Six days shall work be done, but the seventh day is a Sabbath of solemn rest, holy to the Lord. Whoever does any work on the Sabbath day shall be put to death. Therefore the people of Israel shall keep the Sabbath, observing the Sabbath throughout their generations, as a covenant forever. It is a sign forever between me and the people of Israel that in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day he rested and was refreshed.'" (Exodus 31:12-17, ESV)

Thus, we can see that the Sabbath was a special feature of God's covenant with the children of Israel. Certainly, the Gentile nations of the world had no such tradition or practice. Hence, if Mr. Stinson is correct in differentiating between "cultic" and "universal" commandments, then we would have to say that the Sabbath commandment is "cultic"!

Miller Jones/Lonnie C Hendrix

COGWA delays building of their new learning center

 

In March of this year, COGWA posted that they are looking at building a new auditorium/learning center, something every true Church of God MUST have! Herbert had one and Flurry has one, so why can't we?

They posted this:

Before I conclude this letter, I wanted to give you a brief update on where we are with the potential building of an auditorium on our property here in McKinney, Texas. We are currently in the process of negotiating with three contractors (we began with five) to see if this project will be viable. We were surprised that from the time we began our planning for this potential auditorium, building costs have gone up exponentially, by 50 percent according to some. To be perfectly clear, our goal from the beginning was to pay cash for any new building, or possibly pay mostly cash with a small, short-term loan that could be paid off in two or three years. If we can’t arrive at a price that we can afford, then we will put the project on hold until we have the cash to complete what we started. This should be determined in the next few weeks. At that time, I will meet with the Ministerial Board of Directors, and a decision will be made as to whether we: (1) put the project on hold for possibly another year, (2) cancel the project or (3) go forward with building. The determining factor will be the cost. I will keep everyone informed when a decision is made.

Now three months later, they have decided to delay the builing yet again. They plan on looking at it in January after the elections and to see whether or not we are in the midst of WWIII. Plus, the average age of COGWA members is getting old and money slows down at that point.

One of our options for this project has always been to delay. With that in mind, during a recent meeting of the administration and the Ministerial Board of Directors, a unanimous decision was reached to delay any building until at least January 2025. Here are the reasons that were discussed for such a delay:

• Economic conditions. There is uncertainty about the future of the U.S. economy. We should have more clarity by waiting until the end of this fiscal year (December 2024).
• Contentious U.S. presidential election. While one can say that this happens every four years, I don’t believe this year’s election will be typical of the past. This won’t be a normal election and could further divide our nation, creating more economic uncertainty.
• Building costs. The cost of construction rose by more than 50 percent in 2023, but the general consensus is that the overall cost of construction (labor and materials) will drop by the end of 2024. We have already seen a decrease in some prices this year, but there are certainly no guarantees that this will be true at the end of this year.
• New budget year. In December of 2024, the MBOD will approve a budget for the fiscal year 2025. Some important facts will be known by that time that are not known at the present time. What will our budget priorities be for 2025? What will our total income be in 2024? (Currently our income is ahead of last year and above budget projections.)

It isn’t because of a lack of funds that we are making the decision to delay. The Church is in an excellent financial position with the capacity to build an education center with cash, and without affecting the annual operation of the Church or our efforts to preach the gospel. The reality, of course, is that once funds are expended, they are gone and no longer available for other projects. During this recent MBOD meeting, we asked ourselves if we are willing to spend funds at the present time or if we should wait an additional seven months in order to analyze economic conditions and the future needs of the Church. The administration and MBOD unanimously concluded that it would be better to wait until January 2025 to make that decision.

In addition to the points mentioned above, there is another consideration that cannot be ignored. Because of the inevitable factor of age, it is obvious to all of us that within the next five to 10 years we will be losing some of our best teachers and pastors to retirement. How we will replace them is on my mind continuously. An education center may not be absolutely essential at this time, but I believe it would benefit our current education and leadership development programs and any new ones we choose to develop for the future. These programs will be essential for the future of the Church and must be given high priority.

Thank you for your support and patience as we work through all these details. Please continue to pray for this important decision for the future of the Church. We are a work of faith and we depend on God to take care of us, but we want to do our part in gathering facts and making the best decisions for the future based on those facts.

 

 

UCG: Even though income is up close to 9% we need more of your money to help us through there perilous end times

In these perilous end times as prophecy comes alive around us and even though you are giving money to us, we need more of it to do our vital ministry. So give, and give, and give, and give and give! You must perform this good work to show God that you are supporting this most vital work. Otherwise, He will be extremely disappointed in you and your salvation may be at stake. Give now as you never have before! We need to get this vital message to the world! Time is short! 

It isn't just UCG doing this; it's almost every COG out there demanding more money from their followers. God can't be bothered till he sees money in the till.

UCGIA Financial Update

With the end of June marking the final month in fiscal year 2023-2024, we are encouraged to report that (unaudited figures throughout) total income has increased more than five percent year over year. This also represents just under a nine percent increase over budget for the same period measured. 

 

Inflationary challenges continued in many expense categories this fiscal year and (as of the date of this writing) expenses, in the aggregate, exceeded annual budgeted amounts—though by less than two percent. We very much appreciate God’s blessings of increased income to cover these additional expenses. 

 

I am again reminded of Philippians chapter 4 where the apostle Paul writes about the generosity of faithful followers in Philippi, and how pleasing it is to God (Who is ultimately the source of it). Verse 19 reads, “And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus. Now to our God and Father be glory forever and ever . . .” 

 

With the mission of the Church to preach the gospel, make disciples, and care for those disciples, including the recognition of its responsibility to help those with financial needs, God continues to bless the Church with the means and opportunity to give and provide this much needed care and support. 

 

Also, in recognition of our commitment to members outside the United States, the Church, in the form of international subsidies, provided just under $1.7 million this fiscal year to international areas. These funds are in support of their respective operations, including financial assistance to those in need. 

 

God continues to provide the Church with all it needs. We know and trust He will see us through whatever comes our way, with an ever-changing world in which prophecy continues to unfold. We are grateful to Him, and to the members, coworkers and donors who faithfully support the Work. May we all continually seek God’s will and be faithful in submitting to it. 

 

Until next time, if you have any questions about the finances of the Church, please feel free to contact me.
—Barry Korthuis, Treasurer