Warm hellos once again friends, brethren, fellow laborers, spiritual family, and scattered children of God from here on the Gulf Coast of lower Alabama. My wife and I pray and hope this finds you doing well, and that again your week has been blessed.

The United States has again this winter had some challenging weather covering a good portion of the nation, including here where we live on the Gulf Coast. The storm as of last Monday impacted the Northeast, with heavy snow from Upstate New York to southern Maine. Significant totals were recorded in New York (17.6 inches in New City) and New Jersey (17 inches in Branchville).

In the Mid-Atlantic/Midwest many locations in this region, including parts of Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois, saw over a foot of snow, with 16.9 inches in Zanesville, Ohio, and 14.5 inches in Columbus, Indiana.

In the Southern Plains: Oklahoma and Arkansas received significant snow, with 14 inches in Sayre, Oklahoma.

The storm has left a 1,300-mile swath of heavy snow and ice from the southern Rockies to New England, causing over 4,000 flight cancellations and leaving 700,000+ customers without power as of Monday morning.

Bonito Lake, New Mexico received 31 inches (highest in the U.S. for the weekend). One man from the New Bethlehem, Pennsylvania (about an hour from Pittsburgh) mentioned to me “this was the heaviest snow he had ever seen in his lifetime”.

I vividly remember snow from our many years living in Wisconsin and Nebraska, often traveling in it there as well into the Dakotas and Manitoba in service to God’s children. I’ll have to be honest, I don’t miss shoveling or blowing it!

While we are on the subject of snow, there is a common saying we use in English I’d like to examine. What is a “snow job?”

The phrase was evidently first used in 1943. The meaning of the phrase varies from “an intensive effort at persuasion or deception” to “an effort to deceive, overwhelm, or persuade with insincere talk”. Synonyms include “invention, falsehood, untruth, misinformation, fabrication.” We live in a time where this all too often seems to be the norm.

Just like during a snow storm the wind can whip snow particles here and there, causing even the inability to see during a blizzard, the same occurs when humans try to reason and explain what they see through their lens, even when it is not in agreement with our Creator.

One of the biggest “snow jobs” that has deceived many individuals and covers up truth, is the assertion that the day set aside for worshipping God has been changed from the seventh day Sabbath to Sunday, the first day of the week. Erroneous arguments are often used.

It is “claimed” by many professing Christians, that Jesus was resurrected from the tomb on Sunday, and so that as a result, Sunday is the day for assembling to worship. I realize that many do know the truth – that Jesus was not resurrected on Sunday. But not as many are willing to teach, believe, or live that truth.

The Gospel accounts tell us that Jesus was already gone from the tomb before sunrise of the first day of the week. “Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene went to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb.” (John 20:1)

Of course, Jesus was resurrected hours before near the end of the Sabbath day. Jesus died shortly after 3 pm (the ninth hour) (Luke 23:44-46) The body of Jesus was taken by Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus and quickly prepared and placed in the tomb on the preparation day of Passover shortly before the high day Sabbath of Unleavened Bread began. (Luke 23:50-54; John 19:38-42).

Jesus had predicted that he would be 3 nights and 3 days in the tomb following His death. (Matthew 12:40)

Even the enemies of Jesus realized that He predicted he would rise from the dead after three days. The chief priests and Pharisees appealed to Pilate on the day after Jesus died to secure the tomb where Jesus lay until the third day. This he did. They met with Pilate on Thursday, as we’ll see shortly, and the guards would then remain until Sunday or for 3 days after they met with Pilate. (Matthew 27:62-66)

The evidence from the Gospels of Matthew, Luke and John reveal that there were two Sabbaths during the week that Jesus died, the annual high day Sabbath (the First Day of Unleavened Bread) and the weekly Sabbath. There was a work day between the Sabbaths (Luke 23:54-56) on which the women purchased spices. After they purchased the spices, they “rested on the Sabbath according to the commandment” (Luke 23:56)

Jesus had to be crucified on the fourth day of the week, a Wednesday, and He died a little after 3 PM. He would have been resurrected and thus risen to life again after the third day or during late afternoon of the seventh day of the week or weekly Sabbath. He left the tomb then shortly before sunset, exactly three nights and three days after he was placed in the tomb.

Thus the argument that the day of worship was changed to Sunday because Jesus was resurrected on that day doesn’t concur with scripture. Even if Jesus had been resurrected on a Sunday, we should ask, where is the Scriptural argument and proof to make the day of His resurrection a holy convocation?

We will examine more of some teachings many hold on to next time. Let’s remember to base our beliefs on God’s Word, and not traditions of men.

Arms up friends! Our sincere prayers and thoughts are with you daily. Thanks in advance for your heartfelt prayers for us.