Let us take note of the difference between personal worship and corporate worship. Personal worship is expected of us everyday as individuals. Corporate worship is when two or three gather in the Most Holy Name of God. Sabbath observance (doing sacred assembly at the God-appointed days) is an example of corporate worship.
Sacred assembly is holy mass to the Catholics, worship service to the Born Again Christians, and holy convocation in the King James Version of the Bible. Sabbath is the God-appointed day when we must do sacred assembly.
3 You must observe My Sabbaths. LEVITICUS 19
20 Keep My Sabbaths holy. EZEKIEL 20
30 Observe My Sabbaths and have reverence for My sanctuary. LEVITICUS 19
Did you notice that God is talking of Sabbaths (plural) and not Sabbath (singular)? Lucifer loves it whenever the Fourth Commandment is written as “Observe the Sabbath” because those who are not well-versed in the Scripture are likely to assume there is only one Sabbath. The truth is, there are different Sabbaths, all holy days.
9 [God] made some days holy and important, and made other days ordinary. SIRACH 33
Popularly known is the Seventh-Day Sabbath. There are seven others:
§ The Passover Feast (“Pesach”)
§ The Feast of Unleavened Bread (“Matzah”)
§ The Feast of Firstfruits (“Yom Ha’Bikkurim”
§ The Feast of Harvest (“Shavu’ot”)
§ The Feast of Trumpets (“Yom Teruah”)
§ The Day of Atonement (“Yom Kippur”)
§ The Feast of Tabernacles (“Suk-kot”)
4 These are the Lord’s appointed feasts, the sacred assemblies you are to proclaim at their appointed times:
The SEVENTH-Day Sabbath is a weekly memorial of the Creation. It reminds us that God is the Creator and that the creative process is continuing. God is re-creating in His image and likeness those who submit to Him.
3 There are six days when you may work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath of rest, a day of sacred assembly. You are not to do any work; wherever you live, it is a Sabbath to the Lord. LEVITICUS 23
The Passover Feast reminds us of the day Christ died; also, of the day when the New Covenant was formally instituted.
5 The Lord’s Passover begins at twilight on the fourteenth day of [Abib] the first month [in the Jewish calendar, March or April to us]. LEVITICUS 23
The Feast of Unleavened Bread reminds us of our need to get rid of the old hametz (the satanic yeast of wickedness and lawlessness) in us, so we may be pure, for nothing impure can enter the kingdom of God.
6 On the fifteenth day of [Abib] the Lord’s Feast of Unleavened Bread begins; for seven days you must not eat bread made with yeast. 7 On the first day hold a sacred assembly and do no regular work. 8 And on the seventh day hold a sacred assembly and do no regular work. LEVITICUS 23
The Feast of Firstfruits reminds us of LOVE-in-action: that part of holiness which mirrors the love of Christ and helps complete the ministry He began.
10 Speak to the Israelites and say to them: When you enter the land I am going to give you and you reap its harvest, bring to the priest a sheaf of the first grain you harvest. 11 He is to wave the sheaf before the Lord so it will be accepted on your behalf; the priest is to wave it on [Abib 16] the day after the Sabbath. LEVITICUS 23
The Feast of Harvest (aka. Day of Pentecost) reminds us of the day of Baptism in the Spirit of the first Christians, an assurance of our full empowerment before we are sent to the warfront.
15 From [Abib 16] the day after the Sabbath, the day you brought the sheaf of the wave offering, count off seven full weeks. 16 Count off fifty days up to [Sivan 6, which could be in the month of May or June to us] the day after the seventh Sabbath, and then present an offering of new grain to the Lord… 21 On that same day you are to proclaim a sacred assembly and do no regular work. LEVITICUS 23
The Feast of Trumpets reminds us to keep an eye on the Great Tribulation, the Second Coming, and the Judgment which shall put an end to all earthly existence.
24 Say to the Israelites: On the first day of [Tishri] the seventh month [in the Jewish calendar, September or October to us], you are to have a day of rest, a sacred assembly commemorated with trumpet blasts. 25 Do no regular work, but present an offering made to the Lord by fire. LEVITICUS 23
The Day of Atonement reminds us of the new High Priest who came down from heaven to perfect the Ten Commandments, make atonement for our sins, and lead us back to the kingdom.
27 The tenth day of [Tishri] is the Day of Atonement. Hold a sacred assembly and deny yourselves…28 Do no work on that day… 30 I will destroy from among his people anyone who does any work on that day. 31 You shall do no work at all. LEVITICUS 23
The Feast of Tabernacles reminds us of the day of nativity (birth, incarnation) of Christ.
34 Say to the Israelites: On the fifteenth day of [Tishri] the Lord’s Feast of Tabernacles begins, and it lasts for seven days. 35 The first day is a sacred assembly; do no regular work. 36 …and on the eighth day [Tishri 22] hold a sacred assembly… It is the closing assembly, do no regular work… 39 The first day is a day of rest, and the eighth day also is a day of rest. LEVITICUS 23
Observance of the Sabbaths is mandatory, a must (imperative for all to obey) and not a matter of choice.
13 You must observe My Sabbaths. EXODUS 31
22 They must observe the Sabbath as a holy day, as I commanded their ancestors. JEREMIAH 17
It makes sense to observe the Sabbaths, as God commanded, for they come from a very practical God. He does not tell us to observe the Sabbath everyday because only a handful can do so. And He does not allow us to observe the Sabbaths any day we want to because then some will do it on Friday, some on Saturday and some on Sunday. That will not make possible for neighbors and their families to gather as one and to feast with God altogether. God wants to gather all of us as one body.
Sabbath observance is a crucible test that distinguishes the obedient (children of God) from the disobedient (children of Lucifer).
10 For it is written: Worship the Lord your God, and serve Him only. MATTHEW 4
1 Since the promise of entering His rest still stands, let us be careful none of you be found to have fallen short of it. HEBREWS 4
BESIDES MAKING US BELIEVE THERE IS ONLY ONE SABBATH, WHAT ELSE HAS LUCIFER DONE TO STOP US FROM OBSERVING THE SABBATHS?
Lucifer has replaced the lunar calendar (the time system and reference point for the Sabbath days) with the solar calendar. Western culture has adopted the Gregorian solar calendar. It begins its year in the middle of dead winter—not in the early spring as God instituted (Exodus 12:2). Also, it is 11 days longer than the lunar calendar. The effect is that a Sabbath like the Passover Feast is March 29 in 2010 and April 16 in 2011 and April 6 in 2012. The running dates have caused confusion (in the western world most particularly) as to when exactly to observe the Sabbaths. The confusion has often resulted in the failure of many to observe.
The confusion is very pronounced in the case of the Seventh-Day Sabbath. The Muslims observe it on Fridays, from sunrise to sunset. The Messianic Christians, the Adventists and the Jews observe it from Friday sundown to Saturday sundown. The Catholics and the Born-Again Christians do it on Sundays. Yet God did not say Saturday or Friday or Sunday. “Observe the Sabbath on the seventh-day of the week,” said He. Which seventh day? God gave the instruction through the Jews, referring to the seventh day of their week.
Lamentable Consequences. Lucifer has confused the days. Thanks to him, the world today says it couldn't care less on what day of the week the Seventh-Day Sabbath is observed. The world today has set aside the importance of observing the Sabbaths (God-made holy days) and rather given importance to man-made holidays: eg. municipal and village fiestas, Independence Day, Labor Day, Heroes Day, All Soul’s Day, All Saints Day, Christmas Day, New Year’s Day, Valentine's Day, Thanksgiving Day, Easter Sunday...
The replacing of God's holy days with man-made holidays has been prophesied in the Scripture:
25 The fourth beast will try to change the set times and the laws. DANIEL 7
Set times is a euphemism for the Sabbath days. Appointed feasts in Leviticus 23:4 is another euphemism for it.
Thanks to Lucifer, the world today makes a semblance of celebrating the nativity of Y'shua ("Jesus Christ" to the world). We say semblance because the nativity actually happened on the Feast of Tabernacles (October 13 in 2011) and yet the world is celebrating it on December 25.
Also, the world today makes a semblance of commemorating Y’shua’s death. We say semblance because the death actually happened on the Passover Feast (April 16 in 2011) and yet the world is commemorating it on Good Friday (April 22).
Observing the Sabbaths outside their appointed times is equivalent to non-observance of the Sabbaths and disobeying God. It does not please God.
Billy Graham was said to have acknowledged the Sabbath truth but stated, “If I were to teach this truth, I would lose most of my listeners.” (http://www.sabbath-day.net)
As a Pastor I would rather lose most of my sheep than sacrifice the truth. Love of neighbor dictates that we who know the truth should exert our best effort to promote the truth and, by our living examples, make it attractive for everyone to accept.
As a Pastor I would rather lose most of my sheep than sacrifice the truth. Love of neighbor dictates that we who know the truth should exert our best effort to promote the truth and, by our living examples, make it attractive for everyone to accept.
Y’shua said we are to both obey and teach the Ten Commandments, and not to sacrifice truth at any cost.
He also said “If you do not keep the Sabbath as the Sabbath, you will not see the Father.” (The Gospel of Barnabas, verse 27)
He also said “If you do not keep the Sabbath as the Sabbath, you will not see the Father.” (The Gospel of Barnabas, verse 27)
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