The Seventh Day TV series with Hal Holbrook

Is there something special about the seventh day? What does the Bible say? Why do most christian denominations keep sunday?
The host Hal Holbrook will take you on an eye-opening journey through the history of the seventh day Sabbath. 
Don't miss this! The series is made by LTT productions, and there are 5 parts.


Part 1:

1. Origins - Views of human beginnings from Babylonian and Aztec myths as well as from the Bible and the Koran.
2. The Evolution Explanation - Darwin's theory of evolution challenges traditional view of origins.
3. Beyond Chance - A case against blind chance as a logical explanation of human origins.
4. Intelligent Designer - The Bible's portrayal of Creation and the Creator.
5. The Architecture of Time - The week and the Sabbath in the structure of human life.
6. Point of Contact - The weekly Sabbath in man's relationship with God.
7. A Day for All Mankind - The universal and perpetual purpose for the weekly day of rest.
8. Unholy Sabbath - National disaster strikes the "chosen people" due, in part, to their neglect of the Sabbath.
9. Sabbath Around the World - Somehow the concept of Sabbath extended into the culture and language of many peoples.
10. Reform - Revival of Sabbath observance among the Jews who returned from exile results in heroism and tragedy.

http://www.sabbathtruth.com/free-resources/seventh-day-video-series/articletype/articleview/articleid/966/the-seventh-day-part-1.aspx



Part 2:

1. Religion in Rome - A summary view of Roman religions during the time of Jesus.
2. The Jewish Sabbath - Strict Sabbathkeeping marked the Jews as unique.
3. The Sabbath Reformer - The Bible protrays Jesus as a revolutionary Sabbathkeeper.
4. Prophecy - Jesus predicted that His followers would be still be keeping the Sabbath at the time of the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD.
5. Christians and Jews - The two groups shared a view of a personal God and of the weekly Sabbath, but Christians found new meaning in the holy day.
6. The Christian Sabbath - Clear evidence for Christian observance of the seventh-day Sabbath in the first century AD.
7. Sundaykeepers - Second-century Christians in Alexandria and Rome begin observing the first day of the week instead of the Sabbath.
8. The Day of the Sun - Roman sun worship and its link to Christian Sunday observance.
9. Sunday Law - Emperor Constantine legalizes Sunday as the weekly day of rest in the Roman Empire.
10. The Sabbath Survives - Proof of seventh-day (Saturday) Sabbath observance into the middle of the fourth century.

http://www.sabbathtruth.com/free-resources/seventh-day-video-series/articletype/articleview/articleid/967/the-seventh-day-part-2.aspx




Part 3:

1. Celtic Christianity - The religious background to the story of St. Patrick.
2. The Real Patrick - Once a slave in Ireland, Patrick responds to a divine call and returns to the Emerald Isle as a missionary.
3. Celtic Sabbath - Saturday observed as the Sabbath by Celtic Christians.
4. Margaret of Scotland - Margaret comes from England, marries King Malcolm, and attempts to reform Sunday observance in Scotland.
5. Assault on the Sabbath - The Church of Rome promotes the Sabbath (Saturday) fast as an expression of anti-Jewish sentiments.
6. Power Struggle - The "Sabbath fast" becomes a key issue in the rivalry between church leaders in Rome and Constantinople.
7. Deceptions - The "letter from heaven" threatens Sunday-breakers.
8. Fight for Truth - Resistance to church/state authority brings tragedy.
9. John Wycliffe: Champion of Conscience - An Oxford professor focuses new attention on the Bible as the supreme authority for Christian faith and practice.
10. The Lollards - Wycliffe's followers take his views throughout England and beyond.
11. The Church vs. the Bible - The church-state establishment opposes the spread of the Bible and the ideas of Wycliffe and the Lollards.

http://www.sabbathtruth.com/free-resources/seventh-day-video-series/articletype/articleview/articleid/968/the-seventh-day-part-3.aspx



Part 4:

1. Russian Reformation - This Sabbathkeeping movement reached the highest levels of Russian society and led to fiery executions in Moscow's Red Square.
2. Sabbath vs. Sunday in Ethiopia - Jesuit missionaries succeeded in converting the Emperor to Roman Catholicism, but attempts to quash Sabbath observance resulted in civil war.
3. Inquisition - Civil and religious authorities united to root out "heresy."
4. Purging the Church in Spain - Ferdinand and Isabella, the "Catholic Monarchs," used the Spanish Inquisition to rid their church of Jewish heresies.
5. 5. Portugal Exports the Inquisition - Inquisitors carried their campaign of religious persecution into the new territories of Portugal's expanding empire.
6. Authority: Sola Scriptura? - Protestant Reformers insisted on the authority of the sacred Scriptures, while Catholic leaders defended their church's stand on Tradition.
7. Anabaptists - Persecuted by Protestants and Catholics alike, these radical reformers stood for strict adherence to biblical teachings. Among them were new champions of the Sabbath.
8. The Seventh-day Men - While many Puritan preachers insisted on strict observance of Sunday, other prominent Englishmen called for a return to the Sabbath of the Ten Commandments.

http://www.sabbathtruth.com/free-resources/seventh-day-video-series/articletype/articleview/articleid/969/the-seventh-day-part-4.aspx


Part 5:

1. Roger Williams and Religious Liberty - This nonconformist preacher established the Rhode Island colony on the foundation of freedom of conscience for everybody.
2. To the New World - A Sabbathkeeping Baptist couple emigrate from England to Rhode Island and help establish the first Seventh Day Baptist congregation in America.
3. A Song in the Wilderness - Conrad Beisel and his followers establish a Sabbathkeeping community on Pennsylvania's Cocalico Creek — the Ephrata Coister.
4. A Voice from Germany - Count Ludwig von Zinzendorf directs the Moravian mission to the North American Indians and inspires his community to keep the seventh-day Sabbath.
5. Advent Movement - A Seventh Day Baptist lady shares her Sabbath beliefs with her pastor, and this leads to the establishment of the Seventh-day Adventist church.
6. Kingdom of Heavenly Peace - 19th-century China is shaken by the Taiping Revolution, a huge peasant revolt that is shaped, in part, by bibical principles including observance of the seventh-day Sabbath.
7. Eskimo Prophet - In Alaska's Kobuk River valley a man named Maniilaq learns about "seventh-day resting" from one he calls "the Grandfather."
8. The Shining One - Deep in the South American rain forest Chief Owkwa learns about the Sabbath from a bright celestial visitor.
9. Africa - The Sabbath's deep cultural roots in various parts of this continent.
10. Saving Sunday - The secularization of Sunday in 19th-century America leads some political and religious leaders to promote laws that would protect Sunday as the national day of rest and worship.
11. Sabbath on Trial - People who observe Saturday rather than Sunday as their weekly day of worship sometimes face financial hardship and legal trouble because of their beliefs.
12. People of the Sabbath - Although still a small minority, seventh-day Sabbathkeepers are increasing in number around the world.
13. Challenges - Sabbathkeeping theologians respond to critics who contend that observing the seventh-day Sabbath is legalistic or irrelevant for Christians today.
14. Eternal Sabbath - Bible prophecy points to the Sabbath as part of God's plan for a perfect world in the eternal future.

http://www.sabbathtruth.com/free-resources/seventh-day-video-series/articletype/articleview/articleid/970/the-seventh-day-part-5.aspx

There are also many other interesting info about the sabbath at Sabbathtruth.com

Photo by Digna reklambyrå Jönköping

My life in California

This fall I am going to a bible school at Weimar Campus, California. The school is called: AFCOE (Amazing Facts Center of Evangelism) - trains people in bible - Teaching about main themes of the bible, and how to share our knowledge efficiently. We dig deep into the bible, for instance we learn about prophecies, the sanctuary, doctrines, the mission of the church. We are also trained in bible work and how to preach. I have also choosen a health track, which will learn me about some principles in health evangelism, and how to have health seminars, etc.

We are around 51 students in our class. I experienced the spiritual atmosphere right away, when I arrived 5th of august. The first days we had biblestudies at the dorm, good talks, prayers together. These things have just continued since.

The first week have been an introduction week, with classes. We have also had a week of prayer, about the theme: Revival.

I live at Hillside dorm, with great friends and fellowship. My room mate is from So-Cal, originally from Philippines.

The nature here is awesome! There are mountain lions in the area, which I haven't seen yet. I hope to see one :) There are also several deers and squirrels that are running through campus.

The temperature so far have been up to 35 C. It is very dry in the area, but there are many trails here to hike and you find green plants as well. The other day when we were hiking, it felt like we hiked in a jungle for a while.

We have tons of blackberries around here! I have also seen grapes and apricots :) There are channels through the are which is almost perfect for air bed race :D

It is nice to also have a Swede on campus: Rebecca Sahlin. We are teaching some of the students swedish, and they are doing pretty good.

Some of our teachers are:

Don Mackintosh, Wes Peppers, Eric Flickenger, Doug Bachelor, Tammey Steenson.

The classes so far are awesome!! It will be pretty busy here with everything we are doing, such as classes, homework and outreach. We can sense that the devil is attacking us in many different ways. But God is stronger!

Please pray for me.

I miss you scandinavians!

Christian

"When you walk, your steps will not be hindered,
And when you run, you will not stumble." - Prov 4:12

Cell Phone vs. Bible

I got this story from a friend in an e-mail. It is really thought-provoking.

"Have you ever wondered what would happen if we treated our Bible like we treat our cell phone?

What if we carried it around in our purses or pockets?

What if we flipped through it several time a day?

What if we turned back to go get it if we forgot it?

What if we used it to receive messages from the text?

What if we treated it like we couldn't live without it?

What if we gave it to Kids as gifts?

What if we used it when we traveled?

What if we used it in case of emergency?

This is something to make you go....hmm...where is my Bible?

Oh, and one more thing.

Unlike our cell phone, we don't have to worry about our Bible being
Disconnected because Jesus already paid the bill.

Makes you stop and think 'where are my priorities? And no dropped calls!

When Jesus died for us, he was thinking of you!"

I want to know You more...

This wish, that we want to know God more, should be a daily wish. The sabbath is a special time where we can spend time with God, and put all our daily tasks and worries aside. Enjoy sabbath, get a good rest, and then the batteries will be charged and we are ready to face a new week!



Just the time I feel
that I've been caught
in the mire of self.
Just the time I feel
my mind's been bought
by worldly wealth.
That's when the breeze begins
to blow I know,
the Spirit's Call.
And all my worldly wanderings
just melt into His Love.

Oh, I want to know You more!
Deep within my soul I want to know You,
Oh, I want to know You.
To feel Your Heart and know Your Mind,
looking in Your eyes stirs up within me,
cries that says I want to know You
Oh, I want to know You more.
Oh, I want to know You more.

When my daily deeds
ordinarily lose life and song,
my heart begins to bleed,
sensitivity to Him is gone.
I've run the race but set my own pace
and face a shattered soul,
But the Gentle Arms of Jesus
warm my hungering to be whole.

Oh, I want to know You more!
Deep within my soul I want to know You,
Oh, I want to know You.
And I would give my final breathe
to know You in Your Death and Ressurrection,
Oh, I want to know You more.
Oh, I want to know You more.
Oh, I want to know You more...

Seek, memorize, and act

"For Ezra had prepared his heart to seek the law of the LORD, and to do it, and to teach in Israel statutes and judgments." (Ezra 7:10)

We should do like Ezra.

1. Seek and study the bible - in prayer.
2. Relate it to the practical life - Do what the bible teaches.
3. Teach others what you have learned. Not necessarily by giving a speech, but by telling them what the Bible says.

A good way to teach others, and get the full understanding of what the Bible says is by memorizing it. Because when we memorizes the word, the Holy Spirit will remind us, whenever we need it - for ourselves our other around us.
The Bible commands us to memorize the scripture, many times, not as a burden, but for our best.

"My son, keep my words and store up my commands within you. Keep my commands and you will live; guard my teachings as the apple of your eye. Bind them on your fingers; write them on the tablet of your heart. " (Proverbs 7:1-3)

"And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes. And thou shalt write them upon the posts of thy house, and on thy gates." (Deuteronomy 6:6-9)

"How can a young man keep his way pure? By living according to your word. I seek you with all my heart; do not let me stray from your commands. I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you. Praise be to you, O LORD; teach me your decrees. With my lips I recount all the laws that come from your mouth. I rejoice in following your statutes as one rejoices in great riches. I meditate on your precepts and consider your ways. " (Psalms 119:9-15)

Role model - Andressa Duarte (must see!)

This is an amazing story about a girl, that truly was a role model to all of us. If you don't understand Portuguese, like me, click on "choose language" in the movie window, or click here, and choose english.



Praise the Lord for people like her! The movie speaks for itself.
Remember: "If we don't do our part now, If we want to do it tomorrow, maybe there will be no time."

Here is also a translation from the movie:

Life is a countdown... Hope, framed in the smile, the mission, engraved in the heart, forever.

Sunday - Public Evangelism
And on Sundays, the radio, I start with the devotional. There's some time for the children, where I tell them some stories, then later, there are prizes, and this is the schedule for every Sunday.

Monday - Witnessing
[Andressa Duarte Barragana - 14 years old] Monday, I study in the morning... and in the afternoon we do a lot of missionary work.

Tuesday - Humanitarian Help and Bible Class
Tuesday, I visit the nursing home. There we sing, pray, we play...There are some people, that are so lonely, you know? They really open their hearts to us.

Wednesday - Social Work
Wednesday we get together at my house, to work with the community co-op. We do decoupage, roofing tile decoration, We do... glass work, picture-framing, we decorate refrigerator magnets, lots of arts and crafts, 'cause the families that work at the co-op are very poor families.

Friday - Intercessory Prayer
Friday, I started a group for intercessory prayer. So each kid gets these prayer requests, that comes from several churches, and pray for the name they get on that little piece of paper. The intercessory prayer, it's very interesting, because many requests were already answered through our prayers, you know? Because there is power in prayer.

Sabbath - Personal Evangelism
On Sabbath I wake up a little earlier and invite some kids to go to church. So, that's what my week is like.

Her ministry
On that Sabbath, the same week, I was baptized, then next Thursday I started the small group. The first person that I went to was Robert. I told him, Robert, you're going to be very important for this small Group, Robert. One would take the roll call, the other was a deacon, the other a receptionist, the other a deaconess, the other would distribute the handouts, but, every one that had a position there, they had to bring 2 friends. So, the number of children was increasing. From 10 to 20, then 25... today there are about 45 kids there. The interesting thing is that through my small group it was possible to do all these missionary work.

I'm a normal kid, because I study, I play, when I have time. I enjoy my parents, hang out with my sisters...

Jesus give us 24 hours. If we take 1 hour to do missionary work, distribute a pamphlet, a bible study course, ...because... Jesus is coming, He is showing the signs, the prophecies. All that is being fulfilled.

If we don't do our part now, If we want to do it tomorrow, maybe there will be no time.

...And there was no more time. March 22th, 2008. 7:15 am, Sabbath - Pelotas/RS/Brazil. Last day of Easter Week. While Andressa was on her way to preach at her church, her car crashed into a truck. At that automobile tragedy, 4 women passed away. Including Andressa, 14 years old. In the little time she lived, she did much. More than 100 people were baptized, and innumerable others were influenced by her example.

She did all she could, while she could. How about you?

"If we don't do our part now, If we want to do it tomorrow, maybe there will be no time." Andressa Barragana (1994 - 2008)
I live for Jesus

Series of meetings in Bergen summer 2008

Here is a clip in Norwegian, that shows some of the things we did, when a youth group had series of meetings in Bergen last summer.



The group outside church

Osvald preaching
In church
Playing and singing
In the bus

Massage
At the stand

I got a new friend :)


Passing out free stuff :)
A lot of people came



If you want to join us, going to Finnmark (north of Norway) next summer, check out this site:
http://www.adventistinfo.no/adventistinfo/timen_er_kommet/timen_er_kommet_prosjekt_2009_vil_du_bli_med

God wants to gather His sheep

I really like the verses in Romans 10:9-17. It starts like this:

9 That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.

This is clear and simple, isn't it? The statement is at least clear, but it's easy to fail. We must confess by the words we speak, the sentences we say, and how we act like humans; that Lord Jesus is the one that we believe in. But we can't confess if we do not believe in our hearts, that God has raised Him from the dead. Then it says "you will be saved". Unbelievable!

But it doesn't end here…

10 For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. 11 For the Scripture says, "Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame." 12 For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him. 13 For "whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved."

The last sentence makes it even clearer. We have to call on the name of the Lord from where we have our belief. Then he will hear us. But if we want to hear Him, we have to renew our minds and not hold on to things, but hold on to God alone.

Romans 12:2 says: "And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God."

God warns us to not be conformed to this world. Why? Because it is not in harmony with His will. We have to renew our minds and prove what is good and search for Gods will.

"15 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world. 17 And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever." (1 Joh 15-17)

We do not find Gods will by searching for it in the world. We have to turn our eyes up to heaven and look upon Jesus, what He did hear on earth. He is the great example how the human beings should live.

We should beware of the things in the world. To find out of Gods will, we have to let Him talk to us. That will be easy for God to do, but difficult for us to hear, because of all noise that comes from this world, into our mind. We make choices all the time what we want to put into our mind. We can't hear God clearly in the midst of all noise. We have to live a Godly life daily by studying His word, praying and doing everything to Gods glory.

14 How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher?

God tells us to believe in Him first, and then we can call on Him. But we can not believe in Him if we not have heard Him.

15 And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written:
" How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace,
Who bring glad tidings of good things!"
16 But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, "LORD, who has believed our report?" 17 So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

God is ready to send us out to tell others what we know and what God wants with our lives. But first we have to get ourselves faith by hearing the word of God, and obey it.

Jesus Himself said:

Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Amen.

(Matthew 28:19-20)

Stand firm

This was written one year ago...

I want to share some of the things that came to my thoughts this Sabbath day. I came to church, and God answered my prayers. It was a very Godly and inspiring church service. First he blessed me with uplifting songs. And then a couple of people shared some events from last week, in their walk with God. Very interesting! By the way, I love to hear testimonies. I think we should have more of that in church.
The speech was about to have roots, that we have to have strong roots in our walk with God.
Where do you have your foundation stones? Are they built on what they should be built on? Do you have enough strong roots to stay firm in the Lord?

God is telling us in His word, that it is so important to stand firm to Him and his word if you want Him to be in control in your life.

"If you do not stand firm in your faith, you will not stand at all'" (Isaiah 7:9)

"...but he who stands firm to the end will be saved. " (Matthew 24:13)

I think that we all can learn something from these verses. We have to do what it takes not to do our will but Gods will. We will be exposed to temptations and testing, and in situations like this, we have to stand firm to Gods word. We cannot stand firm if we are not close to God.

Jesus talks about the importance of standing firm in the parable of the sower (Luke 8)

⁵A sower went out to sow his seed: and as he sowed, some fell by the way side; and it was trodden down, and the fowls of the air devoured it. ⁶And some fell upon a rock; and as soon as it was sprung up, it withered away, because it lacked moisture. ⁷And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprang up with it, and choked it. ⁸And other fell on good ground, and sprang up, and bare fruit an hundredfold. And when he had said these things, he cried, He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.

In verse 11, Jesus explains the parable:
¹¹Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God. ¹²Those by the way side are they that hear; then cometh the devil, and taketh away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved. ¹³They on the rock are they, which, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, which for a while believe, and in time of temptation fall away. ¹⁴And that which fell among thorns are they, which, when they have heard, go forth, and are choked with cares and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to perfection. ¹⁵But that on the good ground are they, which in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience.

God is telling us to be on our guard, that we first of all have to receive the word by hearing, make a strong root, that needs water to bring forth fruit with patience. He warn us to fell among the thorns and choke with cares and riches and pleasures of this life.
It is so easy to focus on the things in this world, but Jesus tells us that be shouldn’t do that.

"Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him." (1Jo 2:15)”

This is so clear, but difficult. But if we stay firm in Him it is easy. We have to became doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving our own selves (James 1:22)

"By standing firm you will gain life. " (Luke 21:19)

I will close with these verses:

"So then, brothers, stand firm and hold to the teachings…" (2 Thessalonians 2:15)

For now we really live, since you are standing firm in the Lord.(1 Thessalonians 3:8)

So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don't fall! (1 Corinthians 10:12)

May God bless you!

Christian