End-Time Gospel Commitment
I recently returned from a speaking engagement in Guam, a beautiful island in the Western Pacific. There I met Steve. Steve is the owner and manager of the best-known beach club on the island. He offers visitors waterfront experiences like jet skiing, parasailing, dolphin watching and snorkling. About three years ago he became convicted that the Sabbath (Saturday) was still binding on Christians like himself. But he realized that Saturday was the busiest day of the week for his business. And Saturday was also the day when people signed up for Sunday, the second busiest day. So he would be losing the two biggest revenue days every week and he was already millions of dollars in debt. It was likely that it if he closed on Sabbath his business would go bankrupt and he would have to let all of his employees go. He reasoned that it was not fair to them to be so heavily affected by his own personal decision.
But under the conviction of the Spirit he decided to trust God and close his business on Sabbaths. Informing the major beach hotels of his decision, he received only derision and a complete cut-off of their business, and they had been the source of most of his business! Nevertheless, he moved ahead. That Friday night, he closed the business, turned the lights out and left the answering machine on. That Sabbath was the worst weather Guam had seen in some time! When he checked the phone on Saturday night he was amazed to find scores of reservations for Sunday, far above the norm! This weather pattern continued every weekend for six months. Sabbath was terrible and Sunday was beautiful. With the Christian spirit of service and caring concern for people filtering down through his employees, his beach club not only did not fail, it became the dominant player in the market! I saw this with my own eyes. There were long lines of people waiting to get on Steve’s boats, other boats were half empty. It was a touching reminder to me that God is real and he honors those who risk all in faith.
But what if his business had failed? What if he had gone bankrupt? Steve is still convinced that the only way to happiness and peace is through the gospel of Jesus Christ and through a response to that gospel that includes full obedience to all of God’s commandments. Steve feels that it is better to have nothing in this world than to lose what you have in Christ. This was the kind of spirit manifested by the martyrs of the past. Steve’s commitment is the kind of commitment called for at the end of time, according to the Book of Revelation (Rev 13:15-17). So Steve has gotten a taste, not only of end-time gospel commitment, but of the power of a creator God to make something out of nothing (Rev 14:7)!
When my daughters, Chris and Tricia were going to school for Medical Assistants up in Akron ,Ohio, the final testing at the end of the course was on Sabbath. Tricia told them she could and would not take the test that would be held the following Sabbath. They were coming in from a state out west to give the testing and they said that was the only time they could be there, so Tricia resigned herself to failing the course. That week they called her into the office and told her that they would come in to give her the test on another day. She passed with flying colors. God is faithful to those who are faithful to Him. When she went to apply for a job, it was required that she work 2 Sabbaths a month, she told them that she would not work on Sabbath as that belonged to God. They hired her anyway.
God bless, Betty
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Hello Betty,
From what I've seen in my own life, it more than pays in peace of mind to just take God at His word. It is far better to keep faith with Him- there is joy, peace and a sense that God Himself is near.Nothing can replace this. I know for sure staying faithful to God gives an assurance, a "peace that passes all understanding". His work on behalf of one does not always occur on the spot, and one may need to wait, and maybe endure some testing unpleasantnes and strife. But if the way closes entirely, hold on, and He will turn circumstances around so that things do work out for one. God bless you and your girls,Linda
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