Freedom from sabbath by OliveBranchAda

Freedom from Sabbath Keeping A Biblical Response to Ray Comfort ©2014 Steve Gustine, Ada, Oklahoma All rights reserved, including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form. Scripture quotations are primarily from the New American Standard Bible, © 1995, The Lockman Foundation, Holman Bible Publishers, Nashville Other scripture quotations are from the King James Version Bible, or from the Complete Jewish Bible, David H. Stern, © 1998, Jewish New Testament Publications, Clarksville, MD. ISBN-13: 978-1501019302 ISBN-10: 1501019309

Table of Contents Preface

 Introduction ............................................... 1 Sabbath Worship ....................................... 3 The Apostles’ Teachings ......................... 13 Israel and the Church .............................. 27 The Apostles’ Sabbath ............................ 34 Who Changed the Sabbath? .................... 42 What Does Paul Teach? ............................ 46 Blessings and Curses ................................ 54 Sabbath and the Gospel ........................... 64



Preface I want to start off by saying that Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m simply going to teach what I have found to be true, based solely on the evidence I have found in the Word of God. It is not important what my opinion is, but rather what can be proven by the Word. So, as always, donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t take my word for anything . . . be like the good Bereans, who tested everything that Paul told them. They proved out what he was teaching them, by searching it out for themselves from the Word. This is what you should do as well. First, I think that Ray Comfort has done a remarkable job with his ministry over the years. It is very important to show people that they really should be keeping the commandments of God. He primarily focuses on the Ten Commandments, and that is a great place to start, but it really is not the end of the matter. The Ten Commandments only summarize all the

other commandments that we find in our Bibles in the Old Testament, just like the Two Commandments that our Messiah gave us in the New Testament to “Love God with all of our heart, soul and mind,” and the other one, which is to “Love your neighbor as yourself.”

Those two only summarize the Ten Commandments, just as the Ten Commandments summarize the rest that we find in what the Hebrews call the “Tanach.” The Tanach is the Torah, Prophets and the Writings; basically the Old Covenant writings, which you know as the Old Testament. I will post his comments and then give my side of the coin on the question, “Should Christians keep Sabbath?”

Steve Gustine September, 2014

Introduction

Ray Comfort is an evangelist and author. He has worked alongside actor Kirk Cameron for years, evangelizing by using the 10 Commandments to show people that they are sinners in need of a Savior. You may have seen him on his TV program, Way of the Master.

In his tract called Are You Good Enough to go to Heaven?, Ray walks the reader through each of the 54 Commandments. Of the 4th Commandment, “Remember the Sabbath Day, to keep it holy,” he writes, “I ignored this command for 22 years. Even though God gave me the gift of life, never once did I ask what He required of me. I was guilty of breaking this Commandment.” His words about the Sabbath, as stated in his tract, paint a different picture than what He has to say in his article called “Freedom from Sabbath Keeping,” which I saw on Facebook, and you can find on one of his

websites, www.Livingwaters.com, among other sites. We’re going to go through his article point by point, to help you be able to give an answer to these same kinds of arguments that many of us get from friends and family members who just don’t understand—and maybe don’t WANT to understand—why we guard the Shabbat. Do Christians need to observe Sabbath? We will include a link for anyone wanting to read Ray Comfort’s article titled “Freedom from Sabbath-Keeping.” You will find Ray Comfort’s article posted on our website as well as the written manuscript of this rebuttal straight from the Word of God.

Throughout this publication, excerpts from Freedom From Sabbath-Keeping by Ray Comfort will be set apart like this.

Sabbath Worship

Isaiah 58:13 "If because of the sabbath, you turn your foot From doing your own pleasure on My holy day, And call the sabbath a delight, the holy day of the LORD honorable, And honor it, desisting from your own ways, From seeking your own pleasure And speaking your own word, Isaiah 58:14 Then you will take delight in the LORD, And I will make you ride on the heights of the earth; And I will feed you with the heritage of Jacob your father, For the mouth of the LORD has spoken."

We are told by those who insist that we must keep the Sabbath Day that we are in great error because we worship on the first day of the week. We are informed that Sunday comes from the Pagan belief and worship of the Sun god. We are told that Jesus and Paul kept the Sabbath Day as an example for us to follow, and that the Roman Catholic Church is responsible for the change in the day of worship. If we continue to worship on Sunday, then we will receive the mark of the beast. Let's briefly look at their arguments. First, nowhere does the Fourth Commandment say that we are to "worship" on the Sabbath Day.

Ray, actually Godâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Word actually does say we are to come together and worship (more on that later) on the seventh day, which is Shabbat, which He set apart as Holy unto Himself in the first week of Creation. Sabbath was made for all of mankind from the very beginning.

Genesis 2:2 By the seventh day God completed His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done. Genesis 2:3 Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made.

So He blessed it and sanctified it. What does it mean to sanctify?

H6942

‫קדׁש‬ qâ dash kaw-dash’

to be, pronounce or observe as clean (ceremonially or morally): - appoint, bid, consecrate, dedicate, defile, hallow, (be, keep) holy (-er, place), keep, prepare, proclaim, purify, sanctify, wholly.

So we see that Yahweh separated it out from all the other days, sanctified it and proclaimed it to be clean and holy, different from all the other common days. The word Holy, “Kodosh,” comes from this Hebrew root word of “Qadash.” So if this day is definitely from the very beginning of mankind to be different than all the other days, when did it change and who changed it?

First, nowhere does the Fourth Commandment say that we are to "worship" on the Sabbath Day.

Well Ray I am sorry to say, but it really does say we are to come together on that day to worship Him.

Leviticus 23:3 'For six days work may be done, but on the seventh day there is a sabbath of complete rest, a holy convocation. You shall not do any work; it is a sabbath to the LORD in all your dwellings.

So what is the holy convocation the Lord is directly commanding His children to observe? Let’s delve in a bit deeper to see what it is we are supposed to be doing. What is a “Holy Convocation?”

H4744

‫מקרא‬ miqrâ ' mik-raw' From H7121; something called out, that is, a public meeting (the act, the persons, or the place); also a rehearsal: - assembly, calling, convocation, reading

It commands that we rest on that day: "Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labor, and do all thy work: But the seventh day is the Sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day, and hallowed it." (Exodus 20:8-11)

Yes again the commandment is to rest, but also for Godâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s children to assemble in a Holy Convocation as well, as demonstrated in Leviticus 23:3.

Sabbath-keepers worship on Saturday. Do they know where the word "Saturday" comes from? It's from the Latin word "Saturnus--Saturn + Old English dĂŚg day." Obviously Saturday is from the pagan day of worship of the planet Saturn (astrology).

First off, no, we do not worship on what you call Saturday; we worship on what God calls the Seventh Day. From a biblical perspective, God only gave one day of the

week a name… and that day is called “Shabbat,” in Hebrew. All the other days are called the “first day of the week,” the “second day of the week,” and so on. Yes, it is correct that Saturday is named after Saturn. In fact, the names of all the days of the week, and even the months of the year, have been passed down through the centuries, every one of them having been named after false gods (including Roman Emperors) or fallen angels. God did not name the days. He numbered the days—except for the 7th day, which He called Shabbat. It is the only day of the week to be called by name in the Bible. It must be a pretty important day of the week to be the only one… actually named by God. If simply numbering the days of the week was good enough for Almighty God, why in the world would we want to name them? Even more to the point, why did we give them names in honor of pagan deities? And why do believers continue to call them by those pagan names? Let’s consider:

Isaiah 53:6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. KJV

If a Christian's salvation depends upon his keeping a certain day, surely God would have told us.

Well Ray, He did over and over again:

Exodus 16:23 then he said to them, "This is what the LORD meant: Tomorrow is a sabbath observance, a holy sabbath to the LORD…NASB Exodus 16:25 Moses said, "Eat it today, for today is a sabbath to the LORD; today you will not find it in the field. NASB Exodus 16:26 "Six days you shall gather it, but on the seventh day, the sabbath, there will be none." NASB Exodus 16:29 "See, the LORD has given you the sabbath; NASB Exodus 20:8 "Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. NASB Deuteronomy 5:12 Keep the sabbath day to sanctify it, as the LORD thy God hath commanded thee. KJV

This verse tells us not to only remember the sabbath but to keep it as well. This word “keep” in Hebrew is “shâ mar” which actually means to guard. So the Lord is telling us to

not only remember but to guard the Shabbat. I could go on and on with about 50 other verses, but I think you get the point. Next off, no one is saved by keeping commandments; we are only saved by Grace through Faith. But if we really are born again and children of God, wouldn’t we instinctively want to obey our Father’s wishes? Wouldn’t this just be a natural thing to do? I would hope so. Yeshua also goes on to tell us:

John 14:15 If ye love me, keep my commandments.

The fourth commandment about keeping the Shabbat as being Holy… is part of His Big TEN! You see one thing believers seem to be disconnected from is this: Yeshua (Jesus) and the Father are one in the same.

John 10:30 I and my Father are one.

I will give you just one instance… when I could cite many more verses … Yeshua was from the very beginning and created everything in the Universe.

John 8:58 Jesus said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was born, I AM." NASB Yeshua is the one that created the world and all of creation. He is the one that gave the commandments at Mt. Sinai. Most don’t realize that Yeshua is not only our Savior but the Lawgiver as well.

Luke 2:11 for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. NASB Luke 2:11 For today is born to you in the city of David, the Savior, who is YAHWEH, the Messiah. HRB James 4:12 For there is One Lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy. Who are you who judges your neighbor? HRB

So if there is only ONE LAWGIVER and He is the Savior then. The Savior must also be the LAWGIVER… It seems pretty simple to me. Like I have heard said so many times before…

When the plain literal sense makes common sense. Then seek no other sense…. Unless you wind up falling

into utter nonsense.

Hebrews 12:24 and to Yeshua the Mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkling of His blood, which speaks better things than Abel did. Hebrews 12:25 Watch that you do not refuse the One speaking; for if these did not escape, who refused Him who divinely warned them on earth, how much more shall we not, if we refuse to hear him who speaks with us from heaven? Hebrews 12:26 whose voice shook the earth then, but now He has promised, saying, "Yet once, I will shake not only the earth, but also the heavens." (Haggai 2:6) HRB Haggai 2:6 For so says YAHWEH of Hosts: Yet once, it is a little while, and I will shake the heavens and the earth and the sea and the dry land. HRB

Do you see a parallel going on here? James the Apostle and head of the Jerusalem council is the one calling Him the Savior and the One Lawgiver; James was also Yeshuaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s little brother, and donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t you think His brother knew Him better than most?

The Apostles’ Teachings The Scriptures tell us that at one point, the Apostles especially gathered to discuss the attitude of the Christian to the Law of Moses. So, in Acts 15:10-11, 24-29 was God’s opportunity to make His will clear to His children. All He had to do to save millions from damnation was say, "Remember to keep the Sabbath holy," and millions of Christ-centered, God-loving, Bible -believing Christians would have gladly kept it.

First off I have never said that Christians that don’t keep Shabbat are doomed to damnation…I have never said that. That is something that Ray is claiming that some people say. I do say that believers are probably ok as long as what they are doing or not doing, when it comes to the commandments, is done out of ignorance.

A lot of believers are doing what they are doing because grandma did it that way, and so did her grandma…so it must be right. The fact is all this mess was started from the pulpit. Those entrusted to teach God’s Word…they are the ones who are responsible for leading God’s sheep astray.

Jeremiah 23:1 Woe be unto the pastors that destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture! saith the LORD. Jeremiah 23:2 Therefore thus saith the LORD God of Israel against the pastors that feed my people; Ye have scattered my flock, and driven them away, and have not visited them: behold, I will visit upon you the evil of your doings, saith the LORD. Jeremiah 23:3 And I will gather the remnant of my flock out of all countries whither I have driven them, and will bring them again to their folds; and they shall be fruitful and increase. Jeremiah 23:4 And I will set up shepherds over them which shall feed them: and they shall fear no more, nor be dismayed, neither shall they be lacking, saith the LORD. KJV

Ray is implying God’s Law is bondage, and we should really want to to read Acts 15:10. Let’s see what it has to say:

Acts 15:10 Now therefore why tempt ye God, to put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples, which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear? So, Ray is implying that the Torah, the first five books (Genesis-Deuteronomy) of our Bibles and God’s commandments, are a “yoke of bondage?” Was it really God’s Law that was being written about here, or something else? What does God Himself say about His Law and His commandments? Let’s not guess and come to our own conclusions; let’s see what His Word has to say on the subject. Let’s read the “Old” Covenant (“Old Testament”) writing first:

Deuteronomy 30:10 if you obey the LORD your God to keep His commandments and His statutes which are written in this book of the law, if you turn to the LORD your God with all your heart and soul. Deuteronomy 30:11 "For this commandment which I command you today is not too difficult for you, nor is it out of reach. Deuteronomy 30:12 "It is not in heaven, that you should say, 'Who will go up to heaven for us to get it for us and make us hear it, that we may observe it?' Deuteronomy 30:13 "Nor is it beyond the sea, that you should say, 'Who will cross the sea for us to get it for us and make us hear it, that we may observe it?'

Deuteronomy 30:14 "But the word is very near you, in your mouth and in your heart, that you may observe it. Now letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s see the Apostle Paul tell us the same exact thing, remembering that there is nothing new in the New Covenant writings (NT), there are only things TRUE!... (Thank you, Brad Scott.)

Romans 10:6 But the righteousness based on faith speaks as follows: "DO NOT SAY IN YOUR HEART, 'WHO WILL ASCEND INTO HEAVEN?' (that is, to bring Christ down), Romans 10:7 or 'WHO WILL DESCEND INTO THE ABYSS?' (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead)." Romans 10:8 But what does it say? "THE WORD IS NEAR YOU, IN YOUR MOUTH AND IN YOUR HEART" -- that is, the word of faith which we are preaching,

The only commands they gave were to refrain "from meat offered to idols, from blood, things strangled and from fornication."

NASB

Now doesn’t that sound kind of familiar? Again this is not true, there were a lot more than just those four commandments given. In fact, there were over 1,050 New Testament commandments alone given to NC believers. If you don’t believe me, just go to Mike Clayton’s website and check it out. He also has the 603 commandments broken down into the do’s and the don’ts: Here is the link: www.joinedtohashem.org/sh/1050.htm In fact, if you will do some research you will find out that these four were the top four things in the New Covenant writings that the Jews would have to see the new believing Gentiles do, in order to be able to sit down with them and eat a common meal at the same table together. Remember most Gentiles in those days were pagan savages…the Jews were not going to sit down to a table that had pork chops on it…I promise you! Mike Clayton from “Joined to HaShem” brought to my attention something the other day, which was something I have never realized.

The pagans in those days were going to the pagan temples and not only sacrificing the animals like pigs to their pagan deities, but also strangling them very slowly; the slower the death, the more power that was thought to be transferred into the blood. They would then drink the blood in their ceremony, and

finish up with participating in the pagan temple prostitution. So most Christian pastors will try to teach you that the Jewish brethren in those days were teaching Gentile believers that this is all they had to do, these four things. But they always forget to read what comes after.

Let us read the verse that comes right after that, and see what it is actually saying and see what the true context is trying to teach us.

Acts 15:19 "Therefore it is my judgment that we do not trouble those who are turning to God from among the Gentiles,

Acts 15:20 but that we write to them that they abstain from things contaminated by idols and from fornication and from what is strangled and from blood. Acts 15:21 "For Moses from ancient (in other words…Torah) generations has in every city those who preach him, since he is read in the synagogues every Sabbath." NASB

It is a fact when a Jew says “Let’s read Moses,” he is saying let’s read the Torah. Torah is synonymous with Moses, and Moses with Torah. Let’s read it with our new understanding.

Acts 15:21 "For Torah from ancient generations has in every city those who teach the Torah, since Torah is taught in the synagogues every Shabbat.” Now doesn't that sound like the Gentiles were doing a Jewish thing…going to synagogues…why did we change? If we are supposed to be following the example given by the first century believers in Yeshua, then we too are supposed to be going to the assembly every Shabbat and learning Torah as well. Without understanding verse 21, you miss the whole meaning of what is being taught here. What is in essence is being said is this: “Yes, the Gentile believers that are coming into the faith do have to stop sacrificing meat to idols, they do have to not strangle animals to kill them, they do have to stop drinking blood, they do have to stop with the orgies in the pagan temples and taking temple prostitutes. And if they do this, then we will sit down to the same table and break bread with them. This is just a starting point so that we can be in fellowship with them; they will learn even more about how to walk uprightly before the Father because they will be going to the synagogues with us… every Shabbat learning Torah (Moses).” Now doesn’t that make common sense?

Then seek no other… It is that simple; that is what we are supposed to do when we get born again. Being born again is just the first step in our walk in the Kingdom of God. We have to be brought from a state of Unclean, to Clean. This is what accepting Yeshua to be our Savior and King is all about, then we get Mikvah (baptized) to wash away our uncleanliness, bringing us to a state of clean. But then the next step is Sanctification, learning to walk Holy, being separated out from the unclean. The Word of God, (i.e. Torah) is the only thing that can teach us what is clean and what is unclean, that is what Yeshua was trying to tell us about eating things that are clean when dealing with animals and meat.

1 Timothy 4:4 Because all things created by YAHWEH are good, and nothing is to be rejected, if it is received with thanks-giving; 1 Timothy 4:5 for it (our meat…our food) is sanctified through the Word of YAHWEH and prayer. HRB

Let us look at the first time this word sanctified is used in the Word. The word sanctified is a related word to “Holy” #6942:

H6944

‫קדׁש‬ qô desh BDB Definition:

1) apartness, holiness, sacredness, separateness 1a) apartness, sacredness, holiness 1a1) of God 1b) set-apartness, separateness A Related Word by BDB/ Strong’s Number: from H6942

We see that this word sanctified means to separate out; it means to separate out the clean from the unclean, that is the only way something can be made holy. We see another verse talking about the correlation of being separated out and being Holy.

2 Corinthians 6:17 "Therefore, COME OUT FROM THEIR MIDST AND BE SEPARATE," says the Lord. "AND DO NOT TOUCH WHAT IS UNCLEAN; And I will welcome you.

So what happens if we are always touching unclean things? What did He just say His condition was for being welcome?

2 Corinthians 6:18 "And I will be a father to you, And you shall be sons and daughters to Me," Says the Lord Almighty.

So by coming back to this verse on what is food and what is not, letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s approach it with our new understanding.

1 Timothy 4:5 for it (our meat) is sanctified through the Word of YAHWEH and prayer. HRB 1 Timothy 4:5 for our food is separated out what is clean for us and what is not clean for us, through the Word of YAHWEH (the Torah) and prayer.

In fact things that are called unclean would never ever have been considered or even thought about to be food to a first century Jewish believer. Most people to not understand the fact that all the believers in the first twelve years after Yeshua ascended into heaven were all Jews. The very first Gentile written about coming into the faith was Cornelius in the book of Acts, when Peter gets the visionâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;and again the proper context has nothing to do with food.

I challenge you to read the WHOLE chapter for yourself and see what Peter says the vision means; you will be amazed at the lies we have been taught all these years. Again, let’s take a common sense approach to the scriptures. Don’t you think that Yeshua, after being with the disciples for those three and a half years, would have told them in person that after He died He was going to make ham sandwiches kosher? That would have been a major thing to a Jew in those days…even today. But not one word…or even hint at such a thing. I want you to think about it. In the story of Peter going to see the first Gentile believer in Messiah, Peter says: “Lord, I have never put anything into my mouth that was unclean…” Three times he says this. Now if Yeshua was going to do something that big, by making unclean animals kosher…ok to be called clean and food… Don’t you think Yeshua would have told the person He knew was going to be the head of the new Church? Well first off, it wasn’t a church and it wasn’t new…but that is a whole different topic…we won’t go into.

There isn't even one command in the New Testament for Christians to keep the Sabbath holy.

There was never a need to reiterate the Sabbath command to start with, as this commandment was the highest commandment ever given to Godâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s people Israel. In fact the Shabbat is the sign of the Covenantâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;in other words, the wedding ring of our marriage with our creator. First letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s find out how important Shabbat was to the ancient Israelites to start with and see if it was held to the same level as all the other commandments. Shabbat is the most important ritual observance in Judaism. It is the only ritual observance instituted in the Ten Commandments. It is also the most important special day, even more important than Yom Kippur. This is clear from the fact that more aliyot (opportunities for congregants to be called up to read the Torah) are given on Shabbat than on any other day. You can find this resource at: http://www.jewfaq.org/shabbat.htm So to think that Shabbat was possibly not to be kept anymore would not have even entered into the mind of any of the first century believers, Orthodox or even Jews who believed in Yeshua.

It’s like saying, I wonder if my wife wants me to come home after work for dinner, or is it ok for me to stay out all night with the boys? Do you think that thought is even worth entertaining, or… is it just a given understanding? So, what about that sign we were talking about?

Exodus 31:13 "But as for you, speak to the sons of Israel, saying, 'You shall surely observe My sabbaths; for this is a sign between Me and you throughout all your generations, that you may know that I am the LORD who sanctifies you. Exodus 31:14 'Therefore you are to observe the sabbath, for it is holy to you. Everyone who profanes it shall surely be put to death; for whoever does any work on it, that person shall be cut off from among his people. NASB

Is not the sign of the covenant you have with your spouse your wedding ring? We only have two covenants in this world, the first one is with our Creator, Yeshua, made at Mt. Sinai and the second one is with our spouse, when we wed them. Are we not supposed to be the “Bride of Messiah?” Then we are supposed to be wed to Him…and we better have that wedding ring…make sense?

Yeshua says right here that anyone who profanes the Shabbat or works on it will be cut off from the people of God, thus cut off from God Himself. Do you want to even take that chance? You know most people are all caught up today in what the “mark or the sign of the beast is.” Wouldn’t it be much better to try to find out what the “mark or sign of Yahweh” is instead? If you have the mark of Yahweh, you will not be able to have the mark of the beast. If you don’t have the sign of the covenant, can you really be in covenant with the creator?

New Testament references to Sabbath-keeping instruct us not to listen to those who tell us what day to keep (see Colossian 2:16), and that man was not made for the Sabbath, but the Sabbath for man (see Mark 2:27).

Yes Ray has one thing right here: the scripture tells us that Sabbath was made for mankind…that means all mankind, it never says it was made for the Jews. Shabbat was made for all humanity and not just for 1 tribe out of the 12 tribes of Israel. So that means Shabbat was created for all, that means you and me!

The Apostlesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Practice

The Sabbath was given as a sign to Israel (see Exodus 31:13-17). Nowhere is it given as a sign of the Church.

Yes, we just got through speaking about how important this sign to Israel is. The problem is this notion that the Church is a new entity from Israel, when in fact all believers in the Jewish Messiah, Yeshua (Jesus), are grafted into the Olive Tree and that Olive Tree is called Israel. How do we know Israel is the Olive Tree? You just have to read Jeremiah:

Jeremiah 11:16 The LORD called your name, "A green olive tree, beautiful in fruit and form;" With the noise of a great tumult.

Now if we are believers in the Jewish Messiah, don’t we have to be the seed of Abraham (Israel), and be grafted into the Olive Tree? Isn’t that what Paul taught?

Galatians 3:29 And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise. KJV

Ok now sorry we have to take a side trip here…you know I have to do it at least once. Let’s try that common sense thing again. We just read that we are suppose to be heirs of the promise…what promise? Well, the promises God made to Abraham, in other words, the “Covenant of Abraham.” Now, are we all not taught that the newer covenant abolishes and does away with the previous covenant? It is not what is taught here, but it is what is taught in all the Church world. This is why supposedly the New Covenant did away with the Old Covenant of Moses. But we just read that we are still heirs to the Covenant of Abraham…all the covenant promises made to Abraham… remember the fire passing through the pieces? So again, common sense tells me that if the next covenant did away with the previous one, than that would mean that Old Covenant of Moses would have abolished the Covenant of Abraham.

But that is not what we just read…Paul tells us after we are grated into the Olive Tree Israel, then we too still have the promises or the Covenant of Abraham. So the newer covenant must not be able to abolish the older one…make sense? Now just to drive that same point home again, let’s say it one more time…it is that important. If the Old Covenant has been abolished and replaced with the New Covenant, then how can the Apostle Paul tell us that we are heirs of the promise? That promise was given to Abraham in the Old Covenant. I am sorry; we can not have it both ways. The promises are either still there and in full effect, or they have been destroyed and abolished. I know they are still in full effect. We are heirs to all the promises that Yahweh made to Abraham, because that covenant has not been abolished, but added to. All the covenants of God are progressive and all build upon the others. Just one example: God made the covenant with Noah to never destroy the earth again with water. Well, when the Abrahamic covenant came about do you think that God destroyed and abolished the covenant to Noah? When God made the Sinai covenant with Moses and the

children of Israel, did that do away (God forbid) with the covenant made to Abraham, that the Messiah would come through his line? We would be in big trouble today if all those promises were done away with. But they are not! One covenant just builds and adds to the last.

In fact there are a total of seven covenants that are given from the beginning of time until the end, one building on the last. 1. Adam (the Adamic Covenant) symbolized by the Ground of the Earth 2. Noah (the Noahic Covenant) symbolized by the Rainbow and not to destroy by water 3. Abraham (the Abrahamic Covenant) symbolized by the Stars 4. Moses (the Mosaic Covenant) symbolized by the giving of the Torah (Law of God) 5. David (the Davidic Covenant) symbolized by Jerusalem and Messiah would come from his seed

6. Messiah Yeshua (the New Covenant) symbolized by the Passover Cup and Bread 7. Peace (the Covenant of Peace) anticipated by the Messianic Kingdom, Phineasâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; covenant (Num. 25:11-12)

Numbers 25:11 "Phinehas the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, has turned away My wrath from the sons of Israel in that he was jealous with My jealousy among them, so that I did not destroy the sons of Israel in My jealousy. Numbers 25:12 "Therefore say, 'Behold, I give him My covenant of peace;

The real problem here is that the Church has been taught â&#x20AC;&#x153;Replacement Theology,â&#x20AC;? which is straight from the pit of the adversary, HaSatan himself. This theology is that God can replace any of His covenants and even His own people any time He chooses. So IF the Christian Church replaced Israel, then what is keeping God from replacing them as well? No one ever asks that question. How are we to have faith that God will keep His promise to us with the New Covenant? It is because God never changes. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

Malachi 3:6 For I am YAHWEH, I do not change. Because of this, you sons of Jacob are not destroyed. HRB Hebrews 13:8 Yeshua the Messiah is the same

yesterday, today and forever. CJB During my years at my old Assembly of God church, as a young man, I was taught that the verse that says “the gifts and callings of God are without repentance” meant that if God gave us the gift of healing, or of prophecy, or whatever, He would never take those gifts back. Do you really think He would allow you to keep those gifts if you turned your back on Him and went into Satanism? I highly doubt it. Let’s look at what that verse is really referring to.

Romans 11:29 For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance.

This goes back way before the 1st Century. It has to do with “Royal Grant Covenants.” To make it short it means the Suzerain King, “Yahweh” in this case, would give a gift to a Vassal King, “Israel” here in our illustration, and no matter what happened, the Suzerain could never take that gift back.

So in the short form, the promises Yahweh made to Abraham, including giving him the land, can never be taken back or annulled. It stands until the end of time. That is what Romans 11:29 is talking about, not someone speaking in tongues. It has to do with Yahweh issuing a Royal Grant Covenant.

Thousands of years after the Commandment was given we can still see the sign that separates Israel from the rest of the world--they still keep the Sabbath holy (Ezekiel 20:12-13).

Yes, Ray and that is how it is supposed to be. Now let’s dig deeper. First off this statement makes no sense to me. Yes, the sign is to separate us, “the Church,” from the world, “Be in the world, but not off the world.” (Rom. 12:12) But there was never supposed to be a division of God’s people, the Jews and the Gentile believers in Messiah…they are supposed to be ONE!

Galatians 3:28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Messiah Yeshua.

You see it was never supposed to be us and them! Plus there are not supposed to be all these different Christian denominations either. There are 10’s of thousands of different Christian denominations. The Word teaches us:

Ephesians 4:4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as also you were called in one hope of your calling; NASB

The Apostles came together on the first day of the week. The breaking of bread was on the first day of the week (see Acts 20:7).

The Apostles’ Sabbath

So let’s see what Acts really has to say: Now I am going to use a translation that I really don’t like, just to illustrate how off target some translations can be, and trust me King James has its issues as well, with interpreting “Passover” as Easter.

Acts 20:7 On the first day of the week we came together to break bread. Paul spoke to the people and,

because he intended to leave the next day, kept on talking until midnight. NIV

So since this is one of those verses they use to try to defend Sunday Sabbath observance, let’s go back to the Greek to see what it is saying. This verse is always translated as “First day of the week,” but is this a true translation?

Greek: Strong’s:

mia G1520

ton G3588

sabbaton G4521

English:

one

of the

Sabbaths

Incorrect:

first

day of

the week

This is a major error that translators have made and it has been blindly accepted as truth. How are we coming about with this presumption? Let us take a look at some different translations of the Bible that support the idea that Acts 20:7 describes the disciples meeting not on the first day of the week, but on the Sabbath day, Sabbath evening, or Saturday night.

The New English Bible: "On Saturday night, in our assembling for the breaking of bread, Paul, who was to leave next day, ..."

Concordant Version: "Now on one of the sabbath days, at our having gathered to break bread ..." The New Covenant, by William Barclay: "On the Saturday evening we gathered together for our common meal." Good News for Modern Man: "On Saturday evening we gathered together for the fellowship meal." Diaglot, An Interlinear Translation by Ben Wilson: "In the first of the sabbaths, having been assembled of us to break bread ..." The Kingdom Interlinear Translation of the Greek Scriptures: "In but the one of the sabbaths having been led together of us to break bread ..." New International Version Interlinear Greek-English NT: "And on the one (first) of the sabbaths (week) having been us assembled ..." The Interlinear Hebrew-Greek-English Bible, by Jay Green: "On and one of the sabbaths, having been assembled the disciples - to break bread, ..." The Jewish New Covenant: "On Saturday night when we were gathered to break bread, ..."

Ferrar Fenton Version: "Now, on the first of the Sabbaths when we assembled to break bread ..."

We can see here that most of these translators didn’t come to the erroneous conclusion this was a Sunday. Most of them came to the correct conclusion; it was “One of the Sabbaths.” We could have gone on and quoted about a dozen more versions that have come to this same conclusion. How did they come to this proper translation? Because they read it in context of the passages that came before and then after the verse that is in question here.

So, what is the context?

Acts 20:6 We sailed from Philippi after the Feast of Unleavened Bread, and came to them at Troas within five days; and there we stayed seven days. Acts 20:7 On one of the Sabbaths...

That was your clue; it was right after the “Feast of Unleavened Bread.” This speaks to the fact that these “Sabbaths” were special somehow. It actually ties into the Feasts of Yahweh. If you are someone that does not believe these Feast days

apply to you, when you read this you will read right over it, so why would the writer even bother to mention this fact? Notice here they are not called the Feasts of the Jews; Yahweh calls them “HIS FEASTS.” Leviticus 23:4 “These are YHVH’s appointed feasts, the sacred assemblies you are to proclaim at their appointed times: 5 YHVH’s Passover begins at twilight on the fourteenth day of the first month. Leviticus 23:6 On the fifteenth day of that month YHVH’s Feast of Unleavened Bread begins; for seven days you must eat bread made without yeast… Leviticus 23:15 And you shall number to you from the next day after the Sabbath, from the day you bring in the sheaf of the wave offering; they shall be seven complete Sabbaths; Leviticus 23:16 to the next day after the seventh Sabbath, you shall number fifty days; and you shall bring near a new food offering to YAHWEH; HRB

So if we go back to Acts 20:6 we see the Feast of Unleavened Bread being mentioned. So what were they doing?

Acts 20:6 We sailed from Philippi after the days of Unleavened Bread. Acts 20:7 On the first day of the week (one of the Sabbaths), when we were gathered together to

break bread, Paul began talking to them, intending to leave the next day, and he prolonged his message until midnight.

So why is this important? They were counting the seven Sabbaths leading up to the day of Shavuot; you might know this day as Pentecost. You count 7 Sabbaths (49) days + 1 = 50 Days So 50 days from the resurrection of our Messiah He sent us the Holy Spirit. I personally believe Messiah was crucified on Wednesday and was in the grave Wednesday night, Thursday night, and Friday night. This would account for the 3 full days and nights in the grave, just like the story of Jonah. Thus He would have risen at the end of Shabbatâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;which was Saturday as the sun was going down, beginning of the 1st day of the week from a Hebrew reckoning of time. Now why is this day of Pentecost so important? All Christian believers will tell you, it is the day the Holy Spirit came down to indwell in men, which is true, but what else is worth taking note of? I know that is a long explanation to correctly explain just one wrong assumption and translation that we have been fed all of these years, but sometimes it takes this much detail for some people to get the picture of what was really going on back then.

The collection was taken on the first day of the week (1 Corinthians 16:2). When do Sabbath-keepers "gather together?" On what day do they break bread or take up the collection? It's not on the same day as the early Church.

Again he is trying to make a separation between them and us again; remember we are one in Messiahâ&#x20AC;Śthere are not two different sets of rules.

Well yes, we can see in Acts and the rest of the New Covenant writings that there are over 85 different times we can cite that Shabbat was the custom of the first century Church.

Luke 4:16 (NKJV) So He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up. And as His custom was, He went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up to read.

Here is another:

Acts 17:1 (NKJV) Now when they had passed

through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a synagogue of the Jews. Acts 17:2 Then Paul, as his custom was, went in to them, and for three Sabbaths reasoned with them from the Scriptures, Most scholars believe that the book of Acts was written before A.D. 70 and possibly no later than A.D. 62. We can see that even 36 years and beyond after Yeshuaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s death, the disciples were still attending Shabbat services at their places of worship and study. In no place do we see Paul or any other disciple teaching them that they should come back the next day for a 1st day of the week service.

They went to three Sabbath services where there were both Jews and Greeks present. So then the doctrine that says the Jews have their day Shabbat (the 7th day), and the Gentiles have their day (the 1st day), is foreign to scripture and not supported by Godâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Word. If you want more proof, just email me and I will give you a list of about 80 more New Covenant verses that back up the fact that the early Church was honoring and keeping Holy the Shabbat.

They tell us that history informs us that the Roman Catholic church changed their day of worship from Saturday to Sunday. What has that got to do with the disciples keeping the first day of the week?... That was the Roman Catholic church in the early centuries, not the Church of the Book of Acts.

Who Changed the Sabbath?

First of all, Ray, we have shown that the disciples didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t

keep the first day of the week. However, what you are saying is true, it was the Roman Catholic church that changed the day that believers in the Jewish Messiah would have to worship, to Sunday, the day of Mithras, the invincible Sun God. That is where Sunday got its name. As we have shown in the books of Acts and the rest of the New Covenant, there is not ONE verse that will say outright that God changed the Shabbat from the seventh day to the first day. Now let’s use some common sense and reason together for a bit. Let’s say that the early Church did switch the day that the Sabbath was on from the seventh day to the first day. Then what need did the Roman Catholic Church have in making it a law forbidding believers in Yeshua to observe the Sabbath on the seventh day, “Saturday?” If they were already were observing the day on Sunday then what need did Constantine have in saying the following? “I renounce all customs, rites, legalisms, unleavened breads and sacrifices of lambs of the Hebrews, and all the other feasts of the Hebrews, sacrifices, prayers, aspirations, purifications, sanctifications, and propitiations, and fasts and new moons, and Sabbaths, and superstitions, and hymns and chants, and observances and synagogues. absolutely everything Jewish, every Law, rite and custom and if afterwards

I shall wish to deny and return to Jewish superstition, or shall be found eating with Jews, or feasting with them, or secretly conversing and condemning the Christian religion instead of openly confuting them and condemning their vain faith, then let the trembling of Cain and the leprosy of Gehazi cleave to me, as well as the legal punishments to which I acknowledge myself liable. And may I be an anathema in the world to come, and may my soul be set down with Satan and the devils.” (Stefano Assemani, Acta Sanctorium Martyrum Orientalium at Occidentalium, Vol. 1, Rome 1748, page 105) Furthermore, any follower of the “Jewish Messiah” (Yeshua HaMashiach) who wished to join this “holy community” was compelled to adopt a different set of rules and customs. Subsequently special creeds were drafted, to which the Christian would have to swear, such as: “I accept all customs, rites, legalism, and feasts of the Romans, sacrifices, prayers, purifications with water, sanctifications by Pontificus Maxmus (high priests of Rome), propitiations, and feasts, and the New Sabbath “Sol dei” (day of the Sun, ), all new chants and observances, and all the foods and drinks of the Romans. In other words, I absolutely accept everything Roman, every new law, rite and custom, of Rome, and the New Roman Religion.” Additionally, in approximately 365 AD, the Council of Laodicea wrote in one of their canons:  “Christians must not judaize by resting on the Sabbath, but must work on that day. Rather, honoring the Lord’s Day. But if any shall be

found to be Judaizers, let them be anathema (against) from Christ.” Note: Protestants are included as they still observe the holidays and sabbath of Rome, as in “are you going to church this coming Lord’s day?” Concerning Antiochus Epiphanes… He set up an image of Zeus in the Temple which was the Abomination of Desolation spoken of in Daniel 11. For 3 years, he continued to desecrate the Temple. These were the new laws that Antiochus set up: Thou shall profane the Sabbath Thou shall change the set times (festivals) and laws Thou shall set up idols Thou shall eat unclean animals Thou shall not circumcise Thou shall forget Torah Three years and two months later, the Temple was taken back and rededicated. This is known as the Feast of Dedication, or Festival of Lights, or Hanukkah. A thorough search of history will also show you that all the early Christians were celebrating the Shabbat, except for those in Alexandra and Rome. Where did the Universal mother church originate?

You got it: Rome, with all of their other forms of syncretism, mixing Yahwehâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ways with pagan ways.

Romans 14:5-10 tells us that one man esteems one day of the week; another esteems every day. Then Scripture tells us that every man should be fully persuaded in his own mind. We are not to judge each other when it comes to the issue of on what day we should worship.

What Does Paul Teach?

First off, the issue being discussed here is about food, those weak in the faith eating vegetables, whereas those that are strong in the faith may eat meat. What meat? The key is found here in the 14th verse:

Romans 14:14 I know and am convinced in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself; but to him who thinks anything to be unclean, to him it is unclean.

This is about those believers who are new in the faith not knowing if the meat that was served at the table had been sacrificed to an idol or not. How do we know this? Well letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s look at another writing of Paul.

1 Corinthians 8:4 Therefore concerning the eating of things sacrificed to idols, we know that there is no such thing as an idol in the world, and that there is no God but one. 1 Corinthians 8:7 However not all men have this knowledge; but some, being accustomed to the idol until now, eat food as if it were sacrificed to an idol; and their conscience being weak is defiled. 1 Corinthians 8:8 But food will not commend us to God; we are neither the worse if we do not eat, nor the better if we do eat. 1 Corinthians 8:9 But take care that this liberty of yours does not somehow become a stumbling block to the weak. 1 Corinthians 8:10 For if someone sees you, who have knowledge, dining in an idol's temple, will not his

conscience, if he is weak, be strengthened to eat things sacrificed to idols? 1 Corinthians 8:11 For through your knowledge he who is weak is ruined, the brother for whose sake Christ died. 1 Corinthians 8:12 And so, by sinning against the brethren and wounding their conscience when it is weak, you sin against Christ. 1 Corinthians 8:13 Therefore, if food causes my brother to stumble, I will never eat meat again, so that I will not cause my brother to stumble.

So Paul is saying here, hey look there are no such things as idols and there really are not gods behind those idols. You that are strong in the faith know this and know that whatever Yahweh says is clean, it is clean period and you may eat it. To go a step further, it doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t matter even what the Rabbis tell you is clean and is not clean. They tell you that you have to have it cut a certain way, you have to prepare it a certain way, and even have to say certain prayers over it with an ordained Rabbi, for it to be considered Kosher. Paul says Hogwash, well maybe not exactly that, but he is saying donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t let the Rabbis judge you, and at the same time, donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t judge your fellow brethren that are new and weak in the faith.

The Bible makes it clear that the Law has been satisfied in Christ.

In fact if it causes them to stumble to see you eating meat, then don’t eat it in front of them. Let’s all just get along.

I would sure like to see that scripture reference. I hope you are not going to go down the road of “the com-

The reason Paul went into the Synagogue each Sabbath wasn't to keep the Law. If it was, then it was contrary to everything he taught about being saved by grace and grace alone (Galatians 3:11).

mandments were nailed to the cross?” I have a whole book covering just that subject and that one verse alone. You can find it here online free to read at: http://olivebranchada.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/ What_was_Really_Nail_Interior_for_Kindle.pdf

Yes I have to agree; we are only saved by grace through faith, not by observing commandments. But after we are saved, the evidence of our Salvation is our wanting to keep the commandments of the Lord, because Yeshua’s brother James tells us our faith is empty and void if we don’t have works to back up our faith. There has to be action coupled with words. Words can be empty. So James is showing the evidence of his salvation by what

It was so that he could preach the Gospel to the Jews.

he does...he backs up his faith with the works and actions that prove his love and faith. The Apostle John is a bit firmer in this understanding.

1 John 2:4 Anyone who says, "I know him," but isn't obeying his commands is a liar — the truth is not in him. CJB

This is really not true either. Paul was not sent to the Jews but rather to the Gentiles.

Acts 16:14 One of those listening was a woman from the city of Thyatira named Lydia, a dealer in fine purple cloth. She was already a "Godfearer," (Gentile) and the Lord opened up her

This is clearly evident as one reads the Book of Acts. Paul had an incredible evangelistic zeal for Israel to be saved (Romans 9:1-2). To the Jew he became a Jew, that he might gain the Jews (see 1 Corinthians 9:20). That meant that he went to where they gathered on the day they gathered.

heart to respond to what Sha'ul (Paul) was saying. CJB Acts 22:21 "And He said to me, 'Go! For I will send you far away to the Gentiles.'" NASB Paul’s mission was to find the “Lost Sheep of the House of Israel,” that had been scattered among the Gentiles. That topic could take hours alone to cover.

That statement is taken so far out of context. Yes Paul did say:

1 Corinthians 9:19 For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a slave to all, so that I may win more. 1 Corinthians 9:20 To the Jews I became as a Jew, so that I might win Jews; to those who are under the Law, as under the Law though not being myself under the Law, so that I might win those who are under the Law; 1 Corinthians 9:21 to those who are without law, as without law, though not being without the law of God but under the law of Christ, so that I might win those who are without law.

This again is a very long topic to try to cover here. When he says to the Jews, “I became as a Jew, so that I might win Jews; to those who are under the law (Oral Law),” Paul is talking about those who are under the “Oral Law,” the law of the Rabbis, so that he might win some of their souls. But to those “who are without law (Oral Law), as without law (Oral Law), though not being without the law of God (Torah) but under the law of Messiah, so that I might win those who are without law (those under the Rabbis’ Oral Law or Oral Torah).” Paul says right here that He still is under the Law of God, just not the law of the Rabbis.

Paul never spoke ill against the Torah, the Law of God; instead Paul tells us:

Romans 7:12 So the Torah is holy; that is, the commandment is holy, just and good.

Now ask yourself a common sense question. You know that is how I have to approach the Word of God, from a very simplistic, realistic point of view. I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t believe that God wrote His Word so that we needed scholars and theologians to interpret it for us. I believe He wrote His Word so that every one of His children could read it for themselves and understand itâ&#x20AC;Śwhy? Mark 4:11 And he said unto them, Unto you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God: but unto them that are without (unbelievers), all these things are done in parables: KJV

To go back to my last point about looking at scripture from a common sense perspective, when Paul says the Torah (law of God) is Holy, just and good, could he ever say in good conscience that the Law of God is bondage? I hardly think not. He would be double minded, and you know what the Word says about that:

James 1:8 A double minded man is unstable in all

his ways.

D. L. Moody said, "The Law can only chase a man to Calvary, no further." Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law. We are no longer in bondage to it.

Blessings and Curses

The statement above is only partially true.

Messiah has redeemed us from the “Curse of the Law,” but not the Law itself; they are two entirely different things. If we obey the Law, God tells us we will be blessed. If we transgress the Law and disobey, it will bring a curse; this is called the “curse of the Law.” You have to understand the difference. It is like saying a “Traffic Ticket” is “The Law,” not that getting the ticket is the curse or the penalty for breaking the Law. Leviticus 26:2 Ye shall keep my sabbaths, and reverence my sanctuary: I am the LORD. Leviticus 26:3 If ye walk in my statutes, and keep my commandments, and do them; Leviticus 26:4 Then I will give you rain in due season, and the land shall yield her increase, and the trees of the field shall yield their fruit.

If you don’t want to obey His instructions for our lives then here is where He lines out the “curse of the Law.”

Leviticus 26:14 But if ye will not hearken unto me, and will not do all these commandments; Leviticus 26:15 And if ye shall despise my statutes, or if your soul abhor my judgments, so that ye will not do all my commandments, but that ye break

my covenant: Leviticus 26:16 I also will do this unto you; I will even appoint over you terror, consumption, and the burning ague, that shall consume the eyes, and cause sorrow of heart: and ye shall sow your seed in vain, for your enemies shall eat it. Leviticus 26:17 And I will set my face against you…

He goes on for many verses to continue on listing all the curses. Yes the Torah’s job is to lead us to the Messiah, which is its ultimate goal. That is why it is called a tutor and guardian in the book of Galatians. The problem is the Torah is our foundation of our faith. If we don’t have a foundation our faith will not be built on a rock, it will be built on sand.

Matthew 7:24 Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: KJV

Yeshua is saying if we listen to His words then and obey and do them, then our house will be built on that rock, that solid foundation, which is the Torah, the law of God.

John 14:15 ments. KJV

If ye love me, keep my command-

John 10:30 I and my Father are one. KJV John 5:46 For had ye believed Moses (Torah), ye would have believed me: for he (Torah) wrote of me. John 5:47 But if ye believe not his writings (Torah), how shall ye believe my words? KJV Parentheses ( ) are mine for clarity as Moses wrote the Torah and thus Torah is the writings of Moses. Moses = Torah And again talking about Messiah being the ultimate goal of

If we try to keep one part of the Law (even out of love for God) we are obligated to keep the whole Law (Galatians 3;10). That means that we shouldn't separate it into the Moral, Ceremonial and Civil Law and keep the parts we choose. If we keep part of the Law (even out of love for God), then we are obligated to keep the whole 613 precepts. the Torah, this verse has been translated incorrectly for the last 1800 years by those that donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t want to have anything to do with what the early Christian fathers named as the Old Testament. It is given that name to make us feel it was old and outdated. Secondly, the Tanach (OT) is not a testament, but rather a book containing the Older Covenants, all 7 of them,

including the New Covenant as spoken of in Jeremiah 31:31. It was not given to the Gentile Christian Church, but rather to the House of Judah and the House of Israel.

Ray, you are right: if we keep and teach any of them, we had better be doing them all. So why do Christian pastors teach tithing? That comes from the Old Testament. Let us dive into this one.

Galatians 3:10 For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them.

I wonder what passage in the Old Covenant writing Paul is quoting?

Deuteronomy 27:23 Cursed be he that lieth with his mother in law. And all the people shall say, Amen. Deuteronomy 27:24 Cursed be he that smiteth his neighbour secretly. And all the people shall say, Amen.

Deuteronomy 27:25 Cursed be he that taketh reward to slay an innocent person. And all the people shall say, Amen. Deuteronomy 27:26 Cursed be he that confirmeth not all the words of this law to do them... KJV

So yes I believe if you decide to sleep with your mother-inlaw, or beat your neighbor, or slay innocent people, then you will be in jeopardy of being cursed by not following the words of the Torah…do you see how context makes a world of difference? My Christian brethren would like you to believe that you only have to obey Yeshua’s commandments. There are 613 in the Tanach (OT), but there are also 1,050 in the New Covenant writings as well. So if you are a New Covenant believer are you searching out and studying those 1,050 commandments? I hope so, because Yeshua gave us those as well. So Paul in Galatians is quoting Deuteronomy 27:26, that says you are cursed if you do not confirm the Words of the Torah. That word in Hebrew for confirmeth is Strong’s number H6985, look it up for yourself.

H6965 59

‫קּום‬ qû m Koom to rise - abide, accomplish, be clearer, confirm, continue, decree, endure, get up, make good, help, hold, (help to) lift up (again), make, X but newly, ordain, perform, pitch, raise (up), rear (up), remain, (a-) rise (up) (again, against), rouse up, set (up), (e-) stablish, (make to) stand (up), stir up, strengthen, succeed, (as-, make) sure (-ly), (be) up (-hold, -rising). It means we are to confirm and do, abide by the Words of Torah, it means to hold up, to lift up, raise up and to establish and strengthen. Paul tells us that we are to establish the Torah, not to throw it away.

Romans 3:31 Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law.

Isn’t that way different than the idea that if we don’t do every word of the Law perfectly that we are cursed? There is only one person that has walked this earth that has walked out the Torah perfectly and that is the giver of the Torah, the Messiah Himself that came to save us, to save us

from our sin, and that sin is actually breaking the Torah itself. How do we know that sin is actually breaking and not obeying the Torah?

1 John 3:4 Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law (Torah): for sin is the transgression of the law (Torah). KJV

Does anyone here doubt that Yeshua (Jesus) is the Lawgiver? Does anyone doubt that it was Yeshua at Mt. Sinai that gave the Law of God and the commandments to Moses and the children of Israel?

Isaiah 33:22 For the LORD (Yahweh) is our judge, the LORD (Yahweh) is our lawgiver, the LORD (Yahweh) is our king; he will save us. KJV

If anyone is confused why I added Yahweh in italics, this is the reason: it is the Hebrew name of God. Ok, that word that Isaiah is using for Lord is the Tetragrammaton. In the Strongâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s concordance you will find that word to be

#H3068

‫יהוה‬

That word for LORD in your bibles is the Ineffable Name or the personal name of our Creator; most translate it as “Yahweh,” coming from “YHVH.” So Isaiah is telling us that Yahweh is our savior. Now let’s see what the direct blood brother of Yeshua our Messiah has to say about Yeshua, and who it was that gave the Law at Mt. Sinai:

James 4:12 There is one lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy… So James is telling us there is only one, speaking of Yeshua that is able to save us, and that same one is also the Lawgiver, the one who gave us the Torah to start with. Seems pretty simple to me…what about you? In fact another big problem that is prevalent in the Church world today is an identity crisis. The Church doesn’t really know who they are.

Christian pastors will tell them that they are a new creation that was born at Pentecost, but that is not what my bible says. You know when King James tells us the Church was really born?

You will never guess.

Acts 7:38 This is he, that was in the church in the wilderness with the angel which spake to him in the mount Sina, and with our fathers: who received the lively oracles (Torah) to give unto us: KJV

So here we have Luke, the writer of the book of Acts and the book of Luke, whose writings actually make up over 28% of the New Covenant (NT) writings, or as some like to call it, the Apostolic writings. Luke’s writings make up more of the New Covenant than Paul or John’s writings. Luke tells us as we just read above that the Church was not born at Pentecost, but rather at Mt. Sinai when the Torah was given to Moses to bring down to the Church (children of Israel). See, believers in Messiah are grafted into Israel, they are not a separate entity that is outside of Israel. That is what Paul’s writings about the wild olive tree are all about.

Romans 11:17 And if some of the branches (Jews) be broken off, and thou, being a wild olive tree (Gentiles,) wert graffed in among them, and with them partakest of the root and fatness of the olive tree;

So Paul is talking about the Gentile believers in Messiah being the wild branch, and the natural branch would have been his Jewish brethren. We have to be grafted into the Olive Tree and that Olive Tree is not a new Gentile entity called the Church. The God of Israel has NEVER made a covenant with any Gentiles anywhere in scripture. I challenge you to try to

If those who insist on keeping the Sabbath were as zealous about the salvation of the lost as they are about other Christians keeping the Sabbath, we would see revival.

find just one. How do we know the Olive Tree is Israel? Speaking of Israel the Lord says this:

Jeremiah 11:16 The LORD called thy name, A green olive tree, fair, and of goodly fruit: KJV

Sabbath and the Gospel 64

Well, two things, Ray. First off the Sabbath is one of the top four of all the Commandments. It is part of the first four given, which is why we are zealous about keeping it. The first half of the Ten Commandments sums up, but not in great detail…they teach us how to love God. The last half of the Ten Commandments teach us how to love our neighbor. This summary of the 10 commandments is fleshed out in great detail on how to carry out these 10, within the whole of the Torah; this is why we need to study Torah. If we don’t study the first five books of Moses, learn how our Creator wants us follow His big Ten, then it is just left up to man and his own heart to decide how to carry them out…which is looking for big trouble.

Acts 15:21 For Moses (Torah) of old time hath in every city them that preach him, being read in the synagogues every sabbath day.

Again, Torah, Moses, was being taught in the assemblies every Shabbat. It doesn’t say Sunday or the 1st of the week, does it? Shouldn’t we be following the Acts of the Apostles? Secondly, I would like to address Ray’s comments about

Sabbath keepers not being concerned about the salvation of the lost. That is most definitely not true, but to be honest that is not what our Messiah commanded us to do. He did not command us to go out and “win souls for Jesus.” What did he command us in the “Great Commission?”

Matthew 28:19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Matthew 28:20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you… KJV The “Great Commission” was to go out in the world and make disciples, teaching them to obey all of His commandments. And again, if He is the Savior and the one and only Lawgiver as we have already discussed here, then “whatsoever I have commanded you” means all the commandments from Genesis to Revelation. The reason we are so adamant that believers should keep the Shabbat is that it is the sign of the Covenant. If you are in Covenant with the God of Israel, don’t you think having that sign might be a good thing ?

Exodus 31:13 Speak thou also unto the children of

Charles Spurgeon said, "I am no preacher of the old legal Sabbath. I am a preacher of the Gospel.

Israel, saying, Verily my Sabbaths ye shall keep: for it is a sign between me and you throughout your generations; that ye may know that I am the LORD (Yahweh) that doth sanctify you. KJV

Two things to notice here. First, He calls it â&#x20AC;&#x153;My Sabbath,â&#x20AC;? not the Sabbath of the Jews. God also tells us here that the Shabbat is the sign of the covenant between Him and us; it seems pretty simple to me, what about you?

Spurgeon goes on to say: The Sabbath of the Jew is to him a task; the Lord's Day of the Christian, the first day of the week, is to him a joy, a day of rest, of peace, and of thanksgiving. And if you Christian men can earnestly drive away all distractions, so that you can really rest today, it will be good for your bodies, good for your souls, good mentally, good spiritually, good temporally, and good eternally."

My question is this: Are we really supposed to care what Charles Spurgeon said? Do we want to “follow the early church fathers” and those who followed in their footsteps, or do we want to follow the “Father of the Church?” You have to make that decision up in your own mind. But as for me and my house, we will follow Yahweh and what He tells us.

Joshua 24:15 And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; … but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD. KJV

He also starts off his statement that the “Sabbath of the Jew” is to him a task. That is too bad and so far from the Truth. If keeping Shabbat is bondage, that why have I seen so many families restored, and miracles happen, even in my own life? It is the greatest day of the week, and we look forward all week to the Shabbat coming again. Let’s see what the Lord says about His Shabbat:

Isaiah 58:13 "If because of the sabbath, you turn your foot From doing your own pleasure on My holy

day, And call the sabbath a delight, the holy day of the LORD honorable, And honor it, desisting from your own ways, From seeking your own pleasure And speaking your own word, Isaiah 58:14 Then you will take delight in the LORD, And I will make you ride on the heights of the earth; And I will feed you with the heritage of Jacob your father, For the mouth of the LORD has spoken." NASB

Now we just read that the Lord calls the Shabbat, “His Holy Day,” not the day of the Jews. He told us IF we honor it and desist in “our own ways, our own delights,” it will be a “Delight.” Does that sound like a harsh task to you? Whose word are you going to take, Spurgeon’s or the Word of the Lord? Again, as all the Anti-Semitic early church fathers taught, as early as 2nd century, the Sabbath was given only to the Jews. But as we have learned here, Sabbath was given to all mankind in the Creation in Genesis. The Commandments were not given to the Jew either; they were given to all of Israel, all 12 tribes, not just the “Tribe of Judah,” (Jews). They were not only given to the 12 tribes, but also to all the Gentiles that walked out of Egypt with the children of Israel

--remember the “Mixed Multitude?” The commandments were given to those who wish to follow the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. They were given to the Church as the book of Acts tells us.

Exodus 12:37 And they (the Israelites) journeyed from Rameses to Succoth, about six hundred thousand on foot that were men, beside children. Exodus 12:38 And a mixed multitude went up also with them; and flocks, and herds, even very much cattle.

This is where the where the grafting in process really begins; it didn’t start with Paul in the book of Romans. In fact, this grafting-in process really started in the very beginning, after the fall of Adam. If you think about it, even Abram wasn’t a Hebrew until he decided to cross over and God changed his name. We too have to decide if we are going to one day cross over into the Promised Land. We cannot continue to wander around aimlessly, in the wilderness out here with no sense of direction. Yes, accepting Yeshua does save us out of the bondage of sin; He does deliver us out of our spiritual Egypt. But that, my friend, is only the beginning of our walk of faith. As did the children of Israel and the mixed multitude, we

too must also go through the Red Sea (mikveh, baptism), and then come out and go to Mt Sinai to get the Torah, the commandments, which are our Ketubah, our wedding contract, with the Creator. Don’t you want to be the “Bride of Messiah?” The Torah is also our road map, if you will, of how we find our way out of this world system and its ways. It is time to come out of Babylon and not partake of her sins. It is the roadmap that shows us how to cross over and go into the Promised Land. Yeshua our Passover Lamb is our Salvation, but it is only through learning Torah and walking in it do we grow in our Sanctification, learning how to walk Holy before our King, our Creator, our Savior.

Will that trip be easy? No. Are there giants in that land we will have to fight? Yes, of course! But, just as Joshua and Caleb told the children of Israel: With Yahweh on our side, how can we fail? Let’s go forth and take the Kingdom of God to the world and take His people away from the enemy!

Shalom