Appendix II
The Devils Diner
“NOTICE"
This restaurant rejects God’s law and profanes His
Sabbath. We serve another god. He is our master. So
come on in and enjoy the best
food and service in town.
Would you feel as comfortable eating there
as you did prior to this "renovation"?
If your answer is "no" then you are simply the victim of good advertising. You may never find this sign or the accompanying announcement, but every Sabbath you will find the restaurant they describe. It is the one many of God's people visit every week.
"And no marvel; for Satan himself is
Transformed into an angel of light."
2 Cor. 11:14
What is the Point?
The point in presenting this "hypothetical" is to illustrate that what takes place in a restaurant on God's Sabbath goes entirely against His great moral law. On that day, restaurant personnel serve the god of this world, and do his bidding, whether they are aware of it or not. In a very real sense, restaurants that profane God's Sabbath are, FOR THAT DAY, "The Devil's Diner." Simply because they don't post this fact on a sign may provide consolation for advocates of Sabbath dining, but such an omission carries no weight with the Almighty. Both Israel and Judah went into captivity because they forgot about His Sabbath. Is it possible that the same fate awaits His people today, if they continue to engage in this sin? Certainly that was what Nehemiah suggested (Neh. 13:17-18).
What all too many in God’s Church fail to grasp is that a real God-rejecting devil has blinded the minds of those who profane the Sabbath by laboring in restaurants on this day (2Cor. 4:4). Furthermore, that devil has also blinded the minds of those in God's Church who see nothing wrong with seeking out these unbelievers and paying them for their services.
The bottom line is this: Satan desperately wants restaurant personnel to reject God's Sabbath, and he desperately wants God’s people to purchase the fruit of this sin. So far, he seems to be having his way with both.
A Sabbath Diner’s Indignation
When the doctrinal committee of one of the most prominent COG associations saw this portrayal of “The Devil’s Diner,” they were infuriated. Here is how they expressed their outrage.
The outlandish hypothetical situation given above has no relationship with reality. It is inconceivable that such an announcement would be posted. It seems that the point being made is that a restaurant open for business on the Sabbath is by definition a "God-rejecting, Satan-.worshipping restaurant." Hence, we should not patronize such an establishment. If this indeed is the point being made, we would also have to logically conclude that we should not patronize such an establishment any day of the week, Why would we patronize at any time a business that openly declares itself to be a "God-rejecting, Satan-worshipping restaurant"
Furthermore, if this logic is followed, we should only patronize restaurants that are closed on the Sabbath (from sunset Friday to sunset Saturday) and Holy Days. In the unlikely event that such a restaurant could be found, there probably would be other objections to patronizing such a restaurant-for example, what if unclean meats are served, what if smoking is permitted, etc.? Indeed, if the logic of this hypothetical situation is followed, it would be impossible to eat in any restaurant at any time unless it is owned by a Church of God member and its employees and patrons are only Church of God members!
Deceived by Appearances
The indignation expressed by these Church leaders speaks volumes about their approach to deception. According to them it is inconceivable that they could ever be fooled by the devil. After all, they know just what to look for. As soon as they see a man in a red suit with a pitchfork and a tail they will be the first to warn God’s people to stand clear. However, if he appears as an angel of light it must be okay to avail themselves of his services. Regrettably, this is their approach to dining out on the Sabbath. In other words, they would never patronize a restaurant bearing an offensive name or vulgar announcement, but wouldn’t give a second thought to patronizing one whose behavior is an affront to God Almighty as long as it is done in good taste.
With that said, here is a little advice for these COG leaders regarding appearances. Although it is “inconceivable” that a restaurant would ever acknowledge that their Sabbath is fully invested in a behavior inspired by the devil himself, it is also “inconceivable” that Osama Bin-laden would ever call himself a terrorist or, that the Babylonian Mystery religion would ever refer to itself as a false Church.
In one sense the response of these Church leaders actually proves the illustration’s point. Instead of seeing God’s Sabbath being profaned as a clear “SIGN” telling them to avoid such places on holy time, they see a festive atmosphere, scores of delicious meal options, and friendly attentive servers all whispering to them, “Don’t worry, you can keep your Sabbath here.” Unfortunately, they listen attentively. At this point it is significant that a similar enticement was uttered and believed long ago “You will not surely die” (Gen. 3:4).
