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The
Letters:
# 1. Faith,
Discipleship &
Spiritual
Warfare.
# 2. Prayer,
Judgmentalism
& Forgiveness.
# 3. The
Ekklesia
(Church)
-vs-
Religion.
# 4. God,
His Love &
His
Discipline.
# 5. Spiritual
Gifts, Humility
& God's
Power.
# 6. The
Ruach ha Qodesh
and God's
Word.
# 7.
Reconciliation
& Sin - The
curse and our
need.
# 8.
Reconciliation
& Sin - The
consequence
of the curse.
# 9.
Reconciliation
& Sin - Sin's
cure.
#10.
Reconciliation
& Sin - Our
Choice.
#11.
Discipleship.
#12.
Works of Faith.
#13. The
Gifts of
the
Ruach ha Qodesh
- and a Test.
#14.
The Sign Gifts.
#15. The
Support Gifts.
#16. The
Service Gifts.
#17. Living
as Disciples.
#18.
The Snatching
(Rapture) &
Tribulation.
#19.
Prophesy & a
Closing.
#20.
Beware the
false prophets
and teachers.
#21.
The Signs
of Messiah's
Return.
#22. Oneness
&
The Trinity,
and the Names
of God!
#23.
Understanding
Righteousness,
While
Acknowledging
The enemy.
#24.
The Matter of
the Sabbath.
Simple Poems.
About the
Author.
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Letter #24 -
The Matter of the Sabbath... Our Father's Gift!
Dearest Mathetes;
I sincerely pray that this letter finds you well, and that you are
ever continuing onward and upward in your search for God's
truth. I also pray that your walk and ministry for the Beloved is
receiving His anointing, and that your joy is being made complete,
day-by-day, as you strive in your labor for His glory, honor and praise. We, in Him,
are well! Thank you for your most coveted prayers on our
behalf.
Beloved, every writing set forth within these letters either
declares or supports the fact that as we approach the time of the
return of Yahshuah, and the revealing of the children of God, that
further revelation and prophetic truth will unfold. This
unfolding will happen joyously for those who
faithfully seek Him, but the unfolding will happen drastically, radically and condemningly for those who do
not! In the fullness of the times in which we live,
therefore, I am convinced that Abba is speaking clearly to us today,
with new and revealing messages. It is my fervent desire that His faithful Disciples will be blessed in the hearing
of His voice and truth, and that those who remain asleep might be
awakened through His new revelations.
For the past seven months (From the time I began writing this
Letter) I have been moved by Ruach ha Qodesh,
to gain an understanding for the fullness of the
Sabbath. At the core of this moving has been a keen desire
to know if the Sabbath - as proclaimed, commanded, practiced and
honored in the Old Testament - and by our Master during His walk
among us - is to have any significant meaning to the Born-Again
children of faith, today. At the forefront of my search has been
the nagging question, "Is the Old Testament Sabbath meant to
play a role in the lives of the Born-Again children of grace, who
are striving to abide as Disciples of Yahshuah - today? And if it
is, HOW?" Adjunct to
this has been the question, "If the Old Testament
Sabbath does have a role in our lives today,
on which day of the week does the Sabbath truly take place: Friday /
Saturday, as described and
practiced in the Old Testament, or
on Sunday, as is
practiced and
promoted by most of the 'church', and the world, today?"
The difference
between the two time periods is significant, and I
have been moved to take note of these things.
On one hand, most of the
'church' calls Sunday the Sabbath, and observes the day by 'going
to church' on Sunday morning, singing a few songs, listening to a
message, and then going on with their lives as if the remainder of
the day was insignificant. Typically,
Sunday brunch is eaten at some restaurant (causing any number of
'servants' to labor) followed by whatever
other activity might seem satisfactory.
On the other hand, there are those within the 'church' who believe
they are observing a Friday /
Saturday Sabbath, but they too seem to defile the notion of the
very Sabbath they are striving to honor. How? They defile
the true Sabbath by making their pastoral teams
labor hardest
on the very day that they KNOW is to be set
apart as holy. And, if you are a Sabbatarian, and you think
I am looking at this improperly, then tell me you are not laboring
(nor your elders) when you "pass the plate" on the
Sabbath, thereby literally allowing these 'church' leaders to earn
their very keep - collecting their very income - on the day that
is supposed to be the Sabbath... There are numerous other
conflicts that we could discuss, but I will not belabor this
point.
We have reached a point in time, however, when the Ekklesia must acknowledge that assembling with a group of likeminded faithful
believers, on whatever "Sabbath" you currently recognize, is not the same as
'Laboring in the Harvest'. And,
regardless of which Sabbath you acknowledge today, or how you
uphold that Sabbath, the
things being done on the Sabbath by the 'church' defy the very
commandment that many believe they are honoring.
In spite of the hypocrisies evidenced throughout the 'church'
today though, if in fact
the Sabbath is applicable today, Babylon still believes that they are correct in their practices. As I have
studied this matter, however, I have discovered that neither form
of observance agrees with Scripture! Prayerfully, the fullness of
The Matter of the Sabbath will speak to your heart, because the traditions of
men have held the Ekklesia in check for centuries. But now is
the time to move past
worldly traditions... There is work to be done!
Of the Sabbath, God originally commanded that we:
"Remember
the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor
and do all your work, but the seventh day is a sabbath of YAHUAH
your God; in it you shall not do any work, you or your son or
your daughter, your male-servant or your female-servant or your cattle or
your sojourner who stays with you. For in six days YAHUAH
made the heavens and the earth, the sea and all that is in them,
and rested on the seventh day; therefore YAHUAH
blessed the
sabbath day and made it holy" (Exodus 20: 8-11).
Clearly, there is a significant difference between what is being practiced today as a
Sabbath celebration, and what is described in God's Word, and Ruach ha Qodesh
has stirred my heart to
acknowledge this difference as well...
It is of these
matters then, that I am writing to you today!

As I wrestled over this issue of the Sabbath, Ruach ha Qodesh had me digging into His Word - implanted in my
heart - in order to unearth the truth that He wanted me to see.
While many of you have suggested that I read some
publication or another, or visit some web site or another, in
order to discover what others have written, I must confess that to
date I have not read the suggested articles. This is
not said in a prideful manner, but is stated for your edification, because it must be known that the conclusions I
am presenting here are those which I have found solely through
the study of God's Word - under His guidance and direction. No outside source
has played a significant role in influencing what I am being moved to
share with you today.
While this has been true of nearly everything we have written in
The Letters, I believe it is important to fully note
this fact here, because Ruach ha Qodesh is moving powerfully in the
Ekklesia, and I did not want to quench His moving by toiling in any other
fields...
As in all things spiritual though, every Disciple of Yahshuah must
recognize the fact that the world and its religions
have distorted the truth. Prayerfully, this letter, and the concordance
provided, will prove that the Sabbath has been terribly
distorted for centuries, and that our comprehension of this matter
is vital to the life that we seek to have in our Master and
Messiah. The Sabbath is amazingly significant
today, beloved, and God's Word is speaking reams to those who
are willing to hear. I implore you, therefore, to uphold God's law of validation as
you study this matter, because the outcome of your study will prove to be
amazingly significant to your life as well...
That being said, I will also say that the fullness of the Sabbath
is far different than you might imagine, and that this
presentation is going to startle even the most ardent disciples.
It startles me!

I have no doubt that as you
progress through the opening portions of this letter, you will convince yourself that my heart has turned "LEGALISTIC", and that I am leaning
toward a Lawful Sabbath Day observance. The
opening discussions presented herein will naturally point in that
direction, because many of the passages used to defend or promote
current Sabbath day practices, by Babylon, have been misused, abused and
misrepresented by that 'church'. The legal arguments that I
am presenting, therefore, are done so for clarification and
edification, and appear appropriate and essential to our
understanding. We must clear out the cobwebs before any earnest discussion on the Sabbath can take place.
Furthermore, I truly do believe that any conversation on
the Sabbath must begin with the Law, because that is where the
Sabbath is first explained. Of necessity then, this letter begins there
as well. What you must know, however, is that the Law of
Love is at the forefront of my heart, mind and soul, and that the
bottom line of this matter may not be what you initially perceive
it to be. Prayerfully, you will see this unfold as we
progress past the legal arguments.
It is equally important for me to tell you here, however, that the
bottom line of this matter may very well prove to be much more
demanding than you might originally suspect. Abiding in the
fullness of the Law of Love is not an easy task, and I am deeply
concerned that too many have forgotten that fact! Nevertheless, "In much wisdom is much grief, and increasing knowledge increases pain" (Ecclesiastes 1:18).
While the fullness
of The Matter of the Sabbath may result in tremendous spiritual peace and joy,
it may (also) very well result in increased pain
(temporally). I thought you should know this before you
continue!

Let us begin this discussion on the Sabbath then, with the
truth that the Sabbath is, and always has been, from Friday at
sunset to Saturday at sunset. The fact that Yahshuah was
raised on the first day of the week (Sunday) never changed the
verity that the Sabbath, the last day of the week, is a Friday /
Saturday event. From very early on (throughout the New
Testament) we see the Disciples assembling on the first day of the
week - for any number of reasons - to "worship" and
break bread in remembrance of Yahshuah, but,
Setting aside time on Sunday to assemble and
worship with likeminded believers,
is not the same as "Observing the Sabbath".
The two are not interchangeable, and we
stand in error if we believe that they are!
There is much more that needs to be said on this
issue, beloved, but I must reserve those comments for later.
What is important for every Disciple to begin grasping right now though, is
that the Sabbath, and what is referred to today as, "The Lord's
Day", are not the same! The whole of Scripture will
uphold
this conclusion, and I will simply allow the passages used
throughout this study (and the remainder of Scripture) to convey that fact.
Now - please do not conclude from these statements that I am
teaching any sort of Sabbath Day observance. That is not
what was just said! The above statements merely teach that
the Sabbath is a Friday/Saturday event, and that attending a
worship service on Sunday is not the same as observing a Sabbath.
The two are not interchangeable...
With that said, we are then left with the primary question about the Sabbath, which
is, "As
Disciples of Yahshuah, are
we (and if so, how are we) to observe the Sabbath TODAY?"
The answers require considerable time and thought...
For a very long time, the 'church' has empirically stated
that the Old Testament Sabbath has no hold on a 'Christian', and cite the fact
that this is so because nowhere in the New Testament can we find
the command to observe the Sabbath. Interestingly enough
though, what Ruach ha Qodesh has showed me, was that in the 60 times where
the word Sabbath is used in the New Testament, nowhere can it be
found where we are commanded NOT to observe that day!
Granted, this is a subtle twist, but isn't that what spiritual
warfare is all about?
The Sabbath, as part of the original moral law, set forth by God in the Ten Commandments, remains as much a part of those ten
commands as "Thou shalt not kill" and "Thou shalt
not steal". While Scripture clearly points us to the
fulfillment of the Law of Love, as the completion of a portion of the
Law, we have somehow
lost our comprehension for the fullness of the Law of Love, and
how that Law relates to the Sabbath and the other nine commands.
How, you ask? In the simple fact that we cannot be in violation of
the Ten Commandments, and still believe that we are upholding the
Law of Love! God's Word proves this...
Consider these thoughts: Can we premeditatedly kill, and still believe that we are maintaining and
upholding the Law of Love? How about stealing, is that
permissible? Well, then, what about adultery? Surely, coveting is
acceptable, isn't it? Don't you see, beloved? While the Law of
Love may be the fulfillment of a portion of the Law, the other commands are
also part and parcel to maintaining that Law of Love. They are inseparable,
and we have been deceived into thinking that the link no longer
exists! And, there are even stronger links, as you will
see...
My prayer is that our Father in heaven will grant us eyes to
see, ears to hear and the courage to respond according to His
will, because what I am being moved to write today
differs from every 'religious' practice employed by
Babylon. In fact, the fullness of this teaching
may very well be the defining call to arms that the Disciples
of Yahshuah ha Mashiach have been waiting for... No matter, the
desire of my heart is simply that Yahshuah be glorified, and that
the Ekklesia be His joy!
The
Sabbath is a matter of faith, beloved, just as adhering to the
other nine commandments is a matter of faith. And as you already
know, a Disciples' walk of faith is not for the weak at heart!

In Mark 7:6-13, Yahshuah rebuked
the spiritual leaders of His day, because they had, 'set aside one
of the Ten Commandments in order to maintain their traditions'.
In His rebuke, He is heard to say that they have, "Set aside
the commandments of God", and that in so doing, they
"Invalidate the word of God". May our Master
forgive us if we ever knowingly set aside or invalidate His Word!
Elsewhere, in Luke 6:5, Yahshuah is heard
saying, "The Son of Man is Master of the Sabbath". As His servants, wouldn't it be wise of us to know how His Mastership of the
Sabbath applies to us? After all, if we are His servants,
and He is our Master, and at the same time He has proclaimed
Himself to be Master of the Sabbath, then His Mastership over us and the Sabbath must be reconciled. Mustn't it?
Yahshuah repeatedly reconciled the Ten Commandments unto Himself by
the manner in which He discussed the Commandments. He NEVER set
any of them aside; He never
invalidated them. What He did, however, was to expand upon the fullness
of our understanding for each of the commandments, so
that His express desires would be known. The Epistles
all stand in support of His instructions! In true fashion,
therefore, His Word clearly tells us everything we need to know
about His Sabbath, but the revelation has been withheld --- for His
end time harvesters.
Babylon has hidden the breadth and width of Scripture for
centuries. Among those hidden truth's are matters like: The Fullness of God's
Names, the Truth of the Gifts and the
Correct and Complete Manner of Assembly.
It should not surprise any disciple, therefore, that Babylon has
also hidden the
breadth and width of Scripture
regarding the Sabbath. The meaning of God's
Word has been distorted to fit their purposes, and in true fashion, this
distortion has gone unchallenged - until now! Clinging to a few flimsy
passages that have been misconstrued to speak against a Sabbath
Day observance of any sort, or embracing even fewer passages that distort
which day of the week the Sabbath is to be observed, Babylon has
openly declared that the lack of instruction provided for the
Sabbath is an indicator that the Friday / Saturday Sabbath has no
place in the New Testament era. While it is true that we
cannot find an open discussion on the Sabbath in any of Yahshuah's
conversations, we must not erroneously conclude from this lack of
open discussion that the Sabbath is irrelevant today.
Scripture has much to say about the Sabbath, and we must open our
eyes and ears to God's Word, because, I firmly believe, at this
moment in time, those who choose to follow the fullness of
His Commandments today, Are His End
Time Harvesters!
This is a very bold statement,
beloved, but if you will stick with me for awhile, I believe that
the fullness of Scripture will support this assertion; support the
boldness of my heart!

The reason the Sabbath was never
openly discussed with Yahshuah, was because there was no lack of understanding about
the need for, or requirements of, observing the Sabbath! The
Sabbath simply never came up in conversation, because the Sabbath Day
observance was a given and known fact. It was fully
understood! I realize that this is another slight twist in things,
beloved, but spiritual deceit does not normally come in huge
variances. Subtlety is an art form, and deceitful subtlety
was first displayed to us by Satan in the Garden of Eden. He
has not changed his ways...
Yahshuah fully explained His desires for us, with relationship to
His Sabbath, but we have been deceived. Satan can only
distort what he has already seen and knows. We must
recognize the fact, however, that God's revelations are
exceptionally subtle sometimes
too. And, reverent subtlety is quite amazing!!!
An example of reverent subtlety is found in the fact that there
is a truth about Yahshuah's resurrection that has escaped
our notice. The simple fact of the matter is, Yahshuah was raised on the first day of the week, because according to His
Law, He could not have
been resurrected on the Sabbath! God Himself would have
been found in violation of His Sabbath, if Yahshuah were to have
been resurrected on the Sabbath...
Add to this the very simple fact that not one of His Disciples would have
noticed that He was resurrected on the Sabbath (unless He
Personally visited them) because every
one of His Disciples was off observing the Sabbath. (Matthew 28; Mark
16; Luke 24; John20).
Nobody went to the grave on the
Sabbath... Nobody!
And God knew it would be so!
Think about it...
Yahshuah had just ended a week of labor that is unrivaled in
human history: A final teaching with His Disciples, in which He
humbled Himself more than anything imaginable. A period of
prayer so intense that His pores oozed blood. A
betrayal. A phony trial. A horrendous period of
extreme torture. An even more horrifying crucifixion.
Death. Three days in the ground - two of which were spent descended into the very pits
of hell to proclaim His Victory! And on the third day?
Beloved, God (Father, Son and Ruach ha Qodesh) rested on
that third day. It was the Sabbath... To do anything else would have
violated everything that we know about Him! God cannot
change, beloved, and from the very first week of creation
(Genesis 2) we know that He rested on the Sabbath!
Unless He was harvesting, or teaching about His Harvest, He
rested...
And what happened after That Sabbath's Day Rest? Once resurrected, His labor began
all over again!

As I contemplated every angle and argument that
might be presented in defense of what is believed and practiced today,
I was drawn back to the original Ten Commandments over and over
again. And, in each visit, Yahshuah's Words from Matthew 5
echoed loudly in my heart. In part He said, "Do not
think that I come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not
come to abolish, but to fulfill. For amen I say unto you,
until heaven and earth pass away, not one jot or tittle shall pass away from the Law, until all is
fulfilled" (Matthew 5:17-18).
And then, as if to place an exclamation mark deeply in my heart
over this matter, Ruach ha Qodesh reminded me of three significant facts
regarding the Ten Commandments that might touch your heart
as well, because the simplicity of these thoughts was nearly
overwhelming to me:
First, He had me
consider the order in which the Ten Commandments are issued...
Now this may appear to be a simple thing, but if
you have never considered the fullness of this matter, perhaps it
is time you do, because when God makes any presentation
whatever, His order of things is always significant...
In regard to the Sabbath, we must recognize that observing the
Sabbath is the Fourth Commandment issued. It follows and
abides with those commands that deal with our relationship to God, and
precedes those commands that deal with our relationship to other
humans. I believe this is tremendously significant.
In full, however, this is
what YAHUAH wrote for us on the mountaintop that day:
"I am YAHUAH your God, who brought you out of the
land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. You shall have
no other God before Me.
You shall not make for yourself an idol, or any likeness of what
is in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the water under
the earth. You shall not worship them or serve them; for
I, YAHUAH your God, am a jealous God, visiting the
iniquity of the fathers on the children, on the third and the
fourth generations of those who hate Me, but showing
lovingkindness to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My
commandments.
You shall not take the name of YAHUAH your
God in vain, for
YAHUAH will not leave him unpunished who takes His name in
vain.
Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you
shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a
sabbath of YAHUAH your God; in it you shall not do any work,
you or your son or your daughter, your male or your female
servant or your cattle or your sojourner who stays with
you. For in six days YAHUAH made the heavens and the
earth, the sea and all that is in them, and rested on the
seventh day; therefore YAHUAH blessed the sabbath day and made
it holy.
Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be
prolonged in the land which YAHUAH your God
gives you.
You shall not murder.
You shall not commit adultery.
You shall not steal.
You shall not bear false witness against your
neighbor.
You shall not covet your neighbor's house; you
shall not covet your neighbor's wife or his male servant or his
female servant or his ox or his donkey or anything that belongs
to your neighbor" (Exodus 20:2-17).
First comes our relationship with God -
including honoring His Sabbath - then comes our relationship with
our fellow man...
As I pondered these things, I could not help but acknowledge the
fact that no true Disciple of Yahshuah would ever knowingly or
voluntarily disregard any of the first three commands, nor would
we deliberately violate any of the last six commands (without tremendous anxiety and remorse).
If this is the case for nine of the commandments, then why are we
so willingly, flippantly and readily abandoning the fulfillment of
the fourth commandment? What is it about this particular commandment
that has us stymied - if not for the fact that we have been
spiritually deceived?

The second thing He had me notice was the amount of
'space' that He dedicated to His fourth commandment. Look at
the ten again, beloved!
Three Hundred and Eight (308) words are used in presenting the
Ten Commandments to us.
The first three commands are issued
in One Hundred and Thirty Five (135) words. That averages out to
Forty Five (45) words per commandment.
The fourth commandment, of which we are speaking, took Ninety Five
(95) words to issue and explain.
The
final six commandments (everything that we have been given
regarding our relationship to our fellow man) is summed up in
Seventy Eight (78) words. That is a mere average of only Eighteen
(18) words per commandment.
(I recognize that we are looking at the English translation of the
original Hebrew text, but - don't be deceived in this either,
because the
English translation is a direct reflection of the Hebrew, and His
original writing on those stone tablets occupied proportional
space).
In considering this then, we must see that nearly one third of the total space used on the two tablets is
dedicated to the observance of the Sabbath. Nearly one third
of everything said, in the issuance of His Commandments to us, deals
with only one tenth of those commandments.
The matter, therefore, must carry
significant weight with Him, don't you think?

The
third matter Ruach ha Qodesh had me consider is the fact that when Yahshuah returns,
all things are going to be restored...
Now, detailing the fullness of what that restoration means would
take an entire book to explain, but one thing that is certain is
the fact that the Ark of the Covenant, which has been lost to the
world for centuries, will be revealed when Yahshuah returns.
He knows where the Ark is today, beloved, and He will bring this
coveted artifact out of hiding - and place it in His Temple in Yerushalayim
(Jerusalem)... All things will be restored!
When He opens the Ark upon His return, He is going to
reveal its contents to us once again, and in that revelation He is
going to present three things for our consideration. Those three
things are: Aaron's budded rod, a
jar of manna, and two tablets of stone upon which He personally
etched the Ten Commandments! As He unveils these things for us, and as He restores all things
that will be restored, including the observance of the Sabbath
throughout His one thousand year reign, I believe we are going to hear Him say,
"Amen I say unto you, until heaven and earth pass away, not one jot or
tittle shall pass from the Law, until all is fulfilled" (Matthew
5:18)..
Truly, beloved, I believe we have been deceived!
But, how do we reconcile this deception with everything
we have been 'taught' to understand about the Word of God - in
relation to the Sabbath? How
do we categorize, classify and summarize the fullness of faith
through grace, and our release from the Law (as we currently
understand it) through our Beloved
Messiah, while even considering recognizing the Sabbath? The only
way I know to work through the maze confronting us, is to examine
Scripture, because as we know only too well, the Truth is
found only in His Word. Prayerfully, the following
examination will set us
free to know the Sabbath as Yahshuah desires us to know it today,
because, clearly, our comprehension of this matter is
sorely lacking.
We begin, therefore, with the legal aspect...

GALATIANS
As most of you already know
through The Letters, the Master used the Book of Galatians to
open my eyes to the truth about the Levitical Law in the New
Testament age. In that Book we are told:
"A
man is not justified by the works of the Law; but through faith in Messiah
Yahshuah, even we have believed in Messiah
Yahshuah, that we may be justified by faith in Messiah,
and not by the works of the Law; since by the works of the Law
shall no man be justified "
(Galatians 2:16).
The Greek word used here for justified is DIKAIOO,
and it means, "To be just or innocent; to be free; be
righteous".
DIKAIOO is the same word that James uses throughout his
writing, and it is
forcefully applied in that Book to those who would follow Yahshuah... James boldly declares that, "A man is justified by
works and not by faith alone. And in the same way, was not Rahab
the harlot also justified by works, when she received the
messengers and sent them out by another way? For just as the body
without Ruach ha Qodesh is dead, so also faith without works is
dead" (James 2:24-26).
There appears to be a contradiction between what Paul is saying in
Galatians, and what James is saying here, doesn't there? There is
not, as you will see...
Before we expand on this though, let us continue on in Galatians,
because we are also told,
"For as many as are of the works of the Law are under a
curse; for it is written, 'CURSED
IS EVERYONE WHO DOES NOT ABIDE BY ALL THINGS WRITTEN IN THE BOOK OF
THE LAW, TO PERFORM THEM' " (Galatians
3:10)
"The Scripture has shut up everyone under sin, that the promise by faith in Yahshuah
ha Mashiach might be given to those who believe.
But before faith came, we were kept in custody under the law,
being shut up to the faith which was later to be revealed. Therefore
the Law has become our tutor to Messiah,
that we may be justified by faith. But now that faith has come,
we are no longer under a tutor. For you are all sons of God
through faith in Mashiach Yahshuah" (Galatians
3:22-26).
"Now
I say, as long as the heir is a child, he does not differ at all
from a slave although he is owner of everything, but he is
under guardians and managers until the date set by the father. So
also we, while we were children, were held in bondage under the
elemental things of the world. But
when the fullness of the time came, God
sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law, in
order that He might redeem those who were under the Law, that we might
receive the adoption as sons "
(Galatians 4:1-5).
"But
now that you have come to know God,
or rather to be known by God,
how is it that you turn back again to the weak and worthless
elemental things, to which you desire to be enslaved all over
again? You observe days and months and seasons and years "
(Galatians 4:9-10).
"You
have been severed from Messiah,
you who are seeking to be justified by law; you have fallen from
grace " (Galatians 5:4).
"For the whole Law is fulfilled in one statement, 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself'"
(Galatians 5:14).
"But
if you are led by the Ruach,
you are not under the Law "
(Galatians 5:18).
Paul's argument throughout Galatians is clearly directed against
the Judaizers who were seeking to bring the newly born-again
disciples
"Under the Levitical Law"; circumcision being the first order of
business, and the remainder of the Law following.
In Galatians 4:10,
for instance, Paul was moved to condemn the observance of "days and
months and seasons and years". His argument, however, directly matches the Septuagint
translation of the ordinances outlined in Numbers 28 and 29, and
in so doing, Paul (moved by Ruach ha Qodesh) clearly drew a line to the
sacrificial portion of the Levitical Law. In Galatians 4:10 in particular,
Paul is speaking to that aspect of the Levitical
Law that requires sacrifices on the various Sabbaths of days and
months and seasons and years... And, he is rightly
condemning all of these practices now - in Yahshuah!
The seventh day Sabbath, however, of which we are speaking today,
pre-dates the Levitical Law, and never required any sacrifice (See Genesis
2).
Justification through the Levitical Law was attained not only by
practicing every facet of the Law for daily living, it also
involved compliance with the sacrificial portion of that Law when
the daily living portion missed the mark (sin). Paul, in Galatians and elsewhere, is clearly delineating
the remarkable difference between any righteousness gained through
those elemental and worldly "works of the Law" that provided justification -
meaning the sacrificial aspect of the Law - and the righteousness
wholly imparted by our Father to those who believe upon the
Sacrifice of His Son, Yahshuah, through faith...
Anybody seeking to be justified through any form of sacrifice, in
accord with the Levitical Law, instead of through faith alone in
the shed Blood of Yahshuah ha Mashiach, will be severed from
Messiah.
According to Ruach ha Qodesh though, as set forth in the Book of
James and elsewhere, FAITH WITHOUT WORKS IS DEAD!
Just like setting aside time on Sunday to assemble and worship
with likeminded believers, is not the same as "Observing the
Sabbath", and we stand in error if we believe that they are,
Sacrificial works of the Levitical
Law, and works of faith,
are entirely different, and we have been deceived
by not
comprehending and acknowledging that difference.

COLOSSIANS
Many Babylonian scholars have taught that the legal
observance of the Sabbath terminated at the cross. They uphold their
claim by citing Colossians 2:13-17. If we really examine Colossians 2
closely, however, I believe we will discover that God is really telling us
something else... In context, the passage says,
"And
you, when you were dead in your sins, and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you
alive together with Him, having forgiven all our offences,
having blotted out the decree of debt against us, which opposed us; and He has taken it out of the
way, nailing it to His cross; and despoiling the
rulers and authorities; He made a public display of them, having
triumphed over them in Himself. Therefore, let no man judge you in regard to food or drink or in respect to a festival or a
new moon or of the Sabbaths - which are a mere shadow of things to come; but the
body is of Messiah" (Colossians
2:13-17).
Throughout the New Testament, Yahshuah and His Disciples were
criticized for the work they performed on the Sabbath. In
response to these criticism's, however, Yahshuah always declared Himself,
"Master of even the Sabbath" (Matthew 12:8; Mark 2:27-28
& Luke 6:5). Later on, in Peter's visions (Acts 10:9-16) and in the
direction he personally received for the Ekklesia from Ruach ha Qodesh, in regard to those visions, we are clearly shown and told that as the Disciples of
Yahshuah toil in His Harvest, we are free to eat and drink whatever is
placed before us. And, we are free to labor on the Sabbath - aside from any and all of the
ceremonial or dietary restrictions imposed by the Levitical Law!
In light of the fullness of Scripture, Colossians 2 reaffirms the
fact that as His harvesters, we have already received release from the Levitical Law. And, this release allows us to labor
freely in the harvest of the Master of the Sabbath, wholly unfettered
by any restrictions whatever...
But, beloved, if Yahshuah is truly Master of the Sabbath, and our Master has
repeatedly declared the Sabbath "Holy", set aside for
Himself, then how should we treat that day today?
The answers to that question, as presented in His Word (that are mulling about in my heart
and mind), are going to surprise you. They are surprising me!

ROMANS
Before we delve into answers, however, we must
also consider the fact that any discussion dealing with the Old Testament
Commandments must certainly cross paths with Romans 13:8-10,
because it is here that we read:
"Owe
no man anything except to love one another; for he who loves his
neighbor has fulfilled the law. For this, 'You shall not
commit adultery, You shall not murder, You shall not steal, You
shall not covet,' and if there is any other commandment, it is
summed up in this word, 'You shall love your neighbor as
yourself.' Love works no wrong to a neighbor; love therefore, is the
fulfillment of the law" (Romans 13:8-10).
From these words, we must earnestly strive to comprehend precisely
what the fulfillment (PLEROMA) of the
law really means - in context - because PLEROMA,
Greek for fulfillment (PLEROO for
fulfilled) means to make replete, complete, accomplish or
satisfy... But just what law, or better yet, what portion of
the law, is Paul being moved to discuss here?
As we analyze the whole of the Epistle to the Romans, we see that Paul
had already discussed righteousness, or right living, as a key to
man's relationship with God (Romans 1 - 8); had already
imparted an understanding for the connection between Israel and
the Gentiles in God's plan (Romans 9 - 11); and is here, in
Romans 13, discussing the proper attitude and conduct expected of
a Disciple - in their relationship with humanity, as
representatives of Yahshuah (Romans 12 - 15). Look at the
Romans 13:8-10 passage again, beloved, and SEE that
Paul is speaking wholly to the fact that, "Love works no
wrong to a neighbor"... In Romans 13, Paul is teaching
about fulfilling that portion of the law that deals with humanity
- Fulfilling Commandments Five through Ten.
Think not?
Watch now, beloved, as a truth unfolds, because as we faithfully, diligently and appropriately apply Paul's words
in Romans, to the whole of Scripture, we must note that this
discussion in Romans 13 speaks of those commandments dealing with
our relationship to humanity, and, in no way, is this teaching meant to supersede or surpass
Yahshuah's own
teaching on
this same issue:
Lest we forget,
"When the Pharisees heard that Yahshuah had silenced the Sadducees, they
gathered themselves together. 35 Then one of them, a lawyer, testing Him, asked Him, 36 'Master, which is the great commandment in
the Law?' 37 And Yahshuah said to him, "
'YOU SHALL LOVE
YAHUAH
YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR
SOUL AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND.' 38 This is the first and
greatest commandment. 39 The second is like it, 'YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR
AS YOURSELF.' 40 On these two
commandments hang the whole law and the prophets" (Matthew
22:34-40).
Yahshuah spoke of the whole law - in its entirety. Paul spoke
of the fulfillment of that portion of the law that dictates how we
deal with our fellow man. To believe anything else is to set
aside and invalidate Scripture. We
cannot permit Babylon to influence our right thinking any longer,
beloved, and we must fully come out from under Babylon's
teachings, and surrender ourselves completely to the will and desire of our Beloved
Master, Messiah and King!
Paraphrased, Yahshuah said;
Love God with all your heart, soul and mind; and in so doing,
do not disregard His wishes (which surely would never violate
commands one through four)... And, love your neighbor as
yourself (which simply will not permit a violation of commands
five through ten)... Do these, and the whole law is
satisfied!!!

I am left wondering though, and this from the depth of my heart,
what happens when we fail in fulfilling the Law of Love? Seriously,
even if Babylon wants to contend with the fullness of Yahshuah's
Words in Matthew 22, and even if they choose to stick with their belief that
the whole law, and not just the human relations portion of the
law, is fulfilled in keeping the law of love, what happens when we
fail to fulfill that Law of Love?
And, doesn't fulfilling the Law of Love also have to do with the
Love we display toward our God in heaven? After all, we
certainly cannot go about violating the first three commandments,
and still believe that we are saved, can we? CAN
WE?
Can we
have any other God before Him in our lives, and still believe
we are saved? Many think so today, but we know that is not true.
Can
we supplant Him in our hearts through idolatry and / or idol
worshipping, and still think that we can cling to His cross for
salvation? No, we know we cannot!
Can
we repeatedly take His Name in vain, and still believe that He
will hear us when we do call out to Him?
Even if Babylon chooses to disregard Matthew 22, all rationality
and common sense dictate that we
cannot be in violation of any of these commandments, and still
believe that we are upholding the Law of Love! CAN
WE?
Can we kill, and still believe that we are maintaining and
upholding the Law of Love? How about stealing, is that
permissible? Well, then how about adultery? Surely, coveting is
acceptable, isn't it? Don't you see, beloved? While the Law of
Love is the fulfillment of every command dealing with humanity,
commandments five through ten are the heart, body and soul of that
Law of Love. They are inseparable,
and we have been deceived into thinking that the link no longer
exists!"
And, if the link still exists to commandments five through ten,
then please do not be deceived into thinking that commandments one
through four have been removed, because they have not!
Free from the Law? Are we free from the Law the way Babylon wants to interpret Romans 13?
Be cautious how you respond, beloved!!!

I received a most remarkable letter from a brother in Yahshuah
some time ago, and the love of God was so evident in that letter,
that I was moved to tears of joy. (I had never heard from
this brother before). In his encouragement to
me though, our brother displayed an openness, kindness and loveliness
that I have rarely encountered (including that which I display toward
others)! Through this
letter though, Yahshuah momentarily opened my eyes to
the fulfillment of His Law of Love, and in that revelation I am
left wondering what happens when we fail to fulfill His Law of
Love in our lives?
We all know that loving our neighbor as we love ourselves is not an
easy task, but, beloved of God, how often have we really viewed
the fullness of the Law of Love - in light of the fullness of Yahshuah's Command?
From His Sermon on the Mount, He said,
"You have heard it said, 'THOU SHALL LOVE YOUR
NEIGHBOR AND HATE YOUR ENEMY.' But I say
unto you, love your enemies
and bless them who curse you; do well by them that hate you, and
pray for them who slander and persecute you, so that you may be children of your Father
who is in heaven; for He makes His sun to rise on evil and good, and
sends rain on the
righteous and unrighteous. For if you love those who love you, what
reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same?
If you embrace only your brothers, what more are you doing than
others? Do not even the
tax collectors do the same? Be perfect, therefore, as your
Father in heaven is perfect" (Matthew 5:43-48).
Perfect? As our Father in heaven is perfect?
Well, I believe we have just hit a huge bump in the road for those who are electing to stand solely on the Law
of Love. I believe that the Master's own Word derails any
notion that we can set aside and invalidate the supporting and
connecting Ten Commandments. Perfect? As our Father in
heaven is perfect?
I realize that what I am going to say will be perceived as
judgmental, but from what we know and see within the
'church', and from the general population of this world today, (in
direct relationship to maintaining and keeping the Law of Love), I hear one word, "OOPS,
OOPS, OOPS",
resounding in my mind over and over again! And that,
Mathetes, with as
much sarcasm as Ruach ha Qodesh will allow me to generate within myself.
Who are we kidding here? Ourselves alone, to be sure!
In my attempt to be perfect, as our Father in heaven is perfect, I
have failed many times - MISERABLY! (May God
forgive me)... The Law
of Loving thy neighbor as thyself is HARD!
So, beloved of Yahshuah, what happens when we
fail to uphold and abide by that Law of Love?
Is it not true, in light of all that we now SEE
in His Word, that
aside from the Law of Love (and yet wholly connected to that Law
of Love) there remains only the Ten
Commandments? At the very least then - when all else fails - we
must be held to the standard of those Ten Commandments, mustn't we?
At the very least, is not that what the Word is
saying? If all the Commandments are fulfilled in one
Command, then what happens when we fail to fulfill that one
Command? What happens when we fail to fulfill the Law of
Love? We are left struggling to fulfill the other commandments, aren't we?
Or, let me present this in another way: Without the enmity
caused solely by the Law, just how is it possible for us to fail
in fulfilling the Law of Love? If the Ten Commandments are dead
and buried with Yahshuah, and if the Law is no longer applicable, as Babylon
teaches, then precisely how can we fail to fulfill the Law of
Love? If God makes His sun to rise and set on evil and good; on
the righteous and the unrighteous, precisely what standard is
there that separates these two classes? Listen to what God has
to say about this - from the New Testament:
"For when the Gentiles, who do not have the Law, do naturally
the things of the Law,
these, not having the Law, become a Law
unto themselves;
for they show the work of the Law written in
their hearts,
their conscience bearing witness,
and their thoughts
either accusing or else defending them,
on the day when God will judge the secrets of men
through Yahshuah ha Mashiach"
(Romans 2:14-16).
If it is true that when those who do not have the Law, do
naturally the things of the Law, and those actions become a Law
unto themselves, then what happens when we, who have been tutored
by God's Law (in bringing us to the knowledge of the Messiah)
totally abandon and forsake that Law? How do we reconcile that
abandonment with the remainder of God's Word?
Rhetorical? I'm not so sure! Certainly, if nothing else,
these thoughts are worthy of deep introspection - and possible repentance... Don't you think?

As I considered these questions, and as I considered all of the passages
already quoted, and yet to come (in context and in the fullness
of all that I know to be true of faith through grace), I could not
help but be drawn to another passage that has been ever present
and foremost in my heart and mind, as I have tried to walk the walk of a
disciple. This passage reverberates in my heart, because it warns against continuing in sin
after receiving the knowledge of the truth... And, beloved,
it is here, discussed fully in the Book of Hebrews, that I believe
a major deception can be uncovered.
Hebrews 1 speaks of Yahshuah's superiority - over everything
created... Over man, over the Prophets, over the Angels, over the
entirety of the cosmos. His
absolute superiority over everything created is clarified here...
Hebrews 2 tells us, therefore, that we must pay attention to HIM!
Hebrews 3 - 5 inform us that Yahshuah is our High Priest, and
outline for us His role on our behalf. We also learn about our role as
children who believe in Him...
Hebrews 6 speaks of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward
God. Hebrews 6 also reveals the truth that salvation CAN be lost
(Hebrews 6:4-8).
Hebrews 7 compares Yahshuah's Priesthood with that of Melchizedek,
and declares His priesthood to be eternal. (The Sacrificial
aspect of the Levitical Law is dead in Messiah Yahshuah)...
Hebrews 8 initiates a discussion on the "New Covenant" -
based upon the sacrifice of Yahshuah - and again declares that the first
sacrificial covenant is "Obsolete"...
Hebrews 9 declares with absolute authority that the old covenant
that has been abolished by Yahshuah the Messiah, is the Levitical
Law of sacrifices and of, "Days and months and
seasons and years"...
Hebrews 10 teaches that the cleansing received by the Old
Testament sacrificial system was a weak substitute for the Sacrifice offered
by Messiah, and that the cleansing we receive today through Him is
perfect and eternal... Then, Ruach ha Qodesh speaks of
the new life that we have in Messiah, and, beloved of Yahshuah, it is here that I believe we have ignored the Word of
God, because He says,
"Having, therefore, brethren, confidence to enter into the holy place by the blood of
Yahshuah, by a new and living way
which He inaugurated for us through the veil, that is, His
flesh, and having a High Priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a truthful heart in full assurance
of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil
conscience and our bodies washed with clean water.
Let us hold fast the confession of our hope
without wavering, for He is faithful who promised; and let us
consider how to provoke one another to love and good works,
not forsaking the assembly, as some are accustomed, but
exhorting one another; and even more as you see
the day drawing near.
For if we sin willfully after
receiving the knowledge of the truth, there remains no longer a
sacrifice for sins, but a frightful expectation of judgment and
THE RAGE OF A FIRE WHICH SHALL CONSUME THE ADVERSARIES.
Any man who casts off the Law of Moses dies
without mercy under two or three witnesses.
How much severer punishment do you think
he deserves, who has trampled under foot the Son of God,
and has counted the blood of the covenant as unholy, by which
he was sanctified, and has insulted the Spirit of grace?
For we know Him who said, "VENGEANCE
BELONGS TO ME, I WILL REPAY." And again, "THE
MASTER WILL JUDGE HIS
PEOPLE." It is a frightful thing to fall into the
hands of the living God" (Hebrews 10:19-31).
Hebrews 11 speaks of abiding Faith!
Hebrews 12 encourages us to live in the discipline of Yahshuah -
following His example - empowered by His Ruach ha Qodesh.
Hebrews 13 closes the writing with an outline of daily living in Yahshuah
- and a blessing...
In the light of these Words, I again ask, "If it is true that when those who do not have the Law, do
naturally the things of the Law, and those actions become a Law
unto themselves, then what happens when we, who have been tutored
by God's Law (in bringing us to the knowledge of the Messiah)
totally abandon and forsake that Law? How do we reconcile that
abandonment with the remainder of God's Word?"
At this juncture, I think this becomes much more than a rhetorical
series of questions. But I must leave that determination,
and answer, to you!

Perhaps the most striking passage that is used today to defeat an
Old Testament style Sabbath
Day observance, is found in the verses of Romans 14:4-13, where we
are instructed to not pass judgment on the servant of another;
instructed to never pass judgment on those who observe a day (or
against those who do not observe a day). And it is here that
a firm Scriptural argument against a Sabbath Day observance might be
found. In full, God's Word says,
"Who are you
to judge another's servant? To his own master he stands or
falls. And he will stand, for the Master is able to make him
stand. One person esteems one day above another, another
esteems every day alike. Each person must be fully persuaded
in his own mind. He who regards the day, regards it for
the Master, and he who does not regard the day, to the Master he
regards it not. He who eats, does so for the Master, for he gives
thanks to God; and he who eats not, for the Master he does not
eat, and gives thanks to God. For not one of us lives to
himself, and not one dies to himself. For whether we live, we live for
the Master, or whether we die, we die for the Master; therefore whether
we live or die, we are the Master's. For to this end Messiah
died and rose again, that He might be Master both of the dead and
of the living. But you, why do you judge your brother?
Or why do you regard your brother with contempt? For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of
God. For it is
written, 'As I live, says YAHUAH, every knee shall bow to Me, and
every tongue shall acknowledge God.' So then every one
of us will give an account of himself to God. Therefore,
let us not judge one another anymore, but rather
judge this - that you not put a stumbling block or an occasion to
fall in a
brother's way" (Romans 14:4-13).
Our position on judgmentalism is well
documented (and, prayerfully, applied). Romans 14:4-13 is quoted and referenced frequently throughout The Letters, to
support our position and belief regarding judgmentalism.
For this discussion, however, we must focus on verses 5 and 6,
because that is where any substantial argument against the Sabbath
might be
made. Here, the Word says, "One person esteems one day above another, another
esteems every day alike. Each person must be fully persuaded
in his own mind. He who regards the day, regards it for
the Master, and he who does not regard the day, to the Master he
regards it not"
(Romans 14:5-6).

"For all who
have sinned without the Law shall also perish without the Law; and
all who have sinned under the Law shall be judged by the Law; for
not the hearers of the Law are just before God, but the doers
of the Law shall be justified. For when the Gentiles, who do
not have the Law, do naturally the things of the Law, these, not
having the Law, become a Law unto themselves; for they show the
work of the Law written in their hearts, their conscience bearing
witness, and their thoughts either accusing or else defending
them, on the day when God will judge the secrets of men through
Yahshuah ha Mashiach" (Romans 2:12-16).
Undoubtedly, this is where we must re-insert the whole of Romans
14 again, just as a reminder that we are not to judge another - in
any way, shape or form.. But the fullness of this matter, for each individual, lies in the fact that
God knows
the hearts and minds of all, and He wants, "Each person (to
be) fully persuaded
in his own mind" about
what he approves or disproves (Romans 14:5).
"Have you faith? Have it to
yourself before God! Happy is he who does
not condemn himself in what he approves. But he who doubts
is condemned if he eats, because whatever is not from faith is sin" (Romans
14:22-23).
And, with that said, we can pretty well stop our conversation
here!

As long as we remain convinced that the Sabbath does not matter,
and as long as we can faithfully remain happy in our self
approval, of whatever it is that we approve, then the Sabbath really
does not matter, and we are free to do whatever we please!
Amen? Amen!!! Do you agree?
The problem I have with stopping here, is the fact that every
true Disciple of Yahshuah that I have ever spoken with or exchanged
letters with, has always expressed an earnest heart-felt desire to
walk closer with the Master. Every one! In their
quest to draw ever nearer to Yahshuah, each child of faith has spent countless
hours studying the Word in search of His understanding, knowledge
and
wisdom - so that they could apply these things in their walk for
His glory... And therefore, ultimately, draw closer to Him.
Is this not true of you, beloved? Have
you not sought for Him, even to the dismay of the world around
you? Have you not also found tremendous joy in being the delight of your Master and Messiah?
How many times have you coursed through the whole of Scripture, seeking for clues, hints, encouragement and truth?
How often have you prayed for understanding, knowledge and
wisdom? How frequently have you asked for permission to draw
nearer unto Him?
Those who are currently trapped within Babylon refuse to grow or expand in
their walk of faith with Yahshuah, but we are not trapped
within Babylon are we? We are not of the mindset to permit
others to tell us what we are supposed to believe, because the
calling we have received from our Father drives us to comprehend
more, to seek for more, to be more - for the praise, honor and
glory of His Most Holy Name!
We are compelled to drive onward and upward, because we know that
our hearts will not find peace until we hear, "Well done,
thou good and faithful slave"! And, from the fullness
of my heart, I do not know one Disciple who is convinced that
their life warrants such an accolade from HIM!
Surely, try as I might, in my estimation, mine does not! But, thankfully and
mercifully, He does not permit us to judge ourselves. Praise
be unto our Messiah, Master and King, for His purchase of our souls
- for great is the price that has been paid!!!

So, in spite of our shortcomings, and in spite of
our sin, we continue to study - and to apply. We
continue praying for, and seeking for, His truth (as if for gold).
And, the reason I cannot stop this conversation at Romans 14, is
because in my continuing search for God's Truth, I am
confronted with other portions of His Word that tell me all
is not entirely right... His Word does not allow me to have complete
peace in what has been approved, for the simple reason that we are
not experiencing the fullness of everything that God has
promised or approved for Yahshuah's Disciples. And, in these unfulfilled
promises and obvious lacking, my heart is crying out for more.
Through our many conversations I know you feel the same...
So, just what does His Word say that causes doubt in my heart,
mind and soul? Well, let's start
with a really big one:
"Amen,
amen, I say to you, he who believes on Me, the works that I do
shall he do also; and greater than these shall he do;
because I go to the Father. Whatever you ask in My name,
that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.
Anything you ask Me, in My name, I will do. If you love
me, keep My commandments. And I will beseech the Father, and
He will give you another Comforter, that He may be with you
forever; that is the Ruach of truth, whom the world cannot
receive, because it does not see Him or know Him; but you know
Him, because He dwells with you and shall be in you. I will
not leave you orphaned: I will come to you. Yet a little
while and the world sees me no more, but you see Me. Because
I live, you shall also live. In that day you shall know that
I am in the Father, and you in Me, and I in you. He who has My
commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves Me; and he who
loves Me shall be loved by My Father, and I will love him, and
will show Myself to him" (John 14:12-21).
The whole of John 14, 15, 16 and 17 is directed to Yahshuah's Disciples. Directed to us! As a
disciple, therefore, when I consider these words,
I am
left wondering about the fact that there are a great many 'things'
that I have sought from our Father in heaven, in the name of the
Son, that I have not received. And these were not mere
whimsical requests either. These were 'things' which given, would have
truly glorified the Name of our Master and Messiah. Why is it
then, that these requests have gone unanswered? God cannot lie, can He?
No, God cannot lie!
Since God cannot lie, there must be another reason why (our)
prayerful requests are not being fulfilled... Many will respond to this
by saying that the reason my
requests were not fulfilled, was because they were: 1. Not in
accord with our Father's will. 2. Not in our Father's
timing. Or 3. Personally motivated and
self-gratifying.
I think it is significant to note, however, that Yahshuah said, "Anything
you ask Me, in My name, I will do!" There are no qualifiers
here! There are no pre-set conditions for the fulfillment of
these words, are there?
Or are there?
The Greek word we interpret,
commandment or commandments, by the way, is ENTOLE,
and ENTOLE is neither singular nor plural;
the word speaks collectively of the
Precepts of God... The promise made by Yahshuah above,
therefore, is simply that if we
'keep' His precepts, we need but ask, in His name, and our
Father in heaven will fulfill our every request.
Why is it then, that even though we yearn from every pore of our bodies
to please Him and to follow Him, that we are not abiding in the
fullness of the POWER that He
displayed during His ministry? Why is it that so many of our
sincere, heartfelt, faithful prayers are going unanswered, or are
flatly denied? Could it be that we are
missing something significant in our walk with Him, and that until
we determine to set our lives truly aright in His sight, that we
will continue to stagger?
Listen to what else Yahshuah said,
"If
you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish,
and it shall be done for you. In this is My Father glorified, that you bear much fruit, and so
be found to be My
disciples. As the Father has loved Me, I also have loved
you. Abide in My love. If you keep My commandments,
you shall abide in My love; just as I also have kept My Father's
commandments, and abide in His love. These things I have
spoken to you, that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be
made full" (John 15:7-11).
How "full" is your joy today, beloved? How much fruit are you
bearing today, in relationship to the fruit He bore during His
ministry? How much satisfaction are you receiving from your
studies? Or, are you even studying? How effective are your
prayers? Or, are you even praying as faithfully as you once did?
If your answers are not as favorable as you know they should be -
or as favorable as you want them to be - then maybe something is
missing in your life. Maybe something is not right!
Please permit me to add to this conversation by adding Yahshuah's
words from Matthew 18:19, where He
said,
"Again
I say unto you, if two of you agree on earth concerning
anything that they shall ask, it shall be done for them by My
Father who is in heaven."
And from John 16:23-24, where He said,
"Amen, amen I say unto
you, if you ask the Father for anything in My name, He will give it
to you. Until now you have not asked anything in
My name; ask and you shall receive, that your joy may be made
full."
Oh, how we yearn for the fulfillment of these words! Why
though, are we falling short? Why are we failing to achieve the
entire promise of John 14-17, or these other passages, in our lives? Could it be that
we have not kept the commandments of our Master, and that until we
do, we simply will not see the fulfillment of these remarkable
Words? Could this explain the near two-thousand year dry spell
that the 'church', in Babylon, has experienced?
And, could there be a link between maintaining the fullness of His
Commandments, and the use of His proper
Name? I have a very strong
suspicion that there is! Surely, time will tell...
Nevertheless, four chapters from one Book of Scripture convicts me of so many
things. Four chapters, in my Master's own words, cause me to pause in my understanding
and force me to reevaluate my comprehension of what the 'world' -
and the Babylon church - has promoted for centuries. After all, we
strive to adhere to nine of His ten commandments, surely our Sunday
adherences to our perception of a Sabbath must be sufficient. Aren't they?
In a phrase, and from the depth of my heart, mind and soul, I
believe the only response available to us today is, "NO THEY ARE NOT!"

Inasmuch as we are speaking of His precepts then,
please allow me to present a few other passages that cause me to
pause in my understanding, because they too are forcing me to reevaluate my
comprehension of what Babylon teaches today about the
Sabbath. Perhaps you have noticed these passages as well,
but have never fully investigated the matter before.
We'll
start slowly here, beloved, but we'll pick up a full head of steam
rapidly as we progress in His Word. I will strive not to belabor the point by
offering a myriad of verses, but the latter passages I am presenting rival in significance the Words of
Yahshuah uttered in John 14 - 17 above, and they truly highlight the
questions which those chapters have forced me to ask:
"Teach me goodness,
discretion and knowledge, for I believe in Thy commandments"
(Psalms 119:66).
"My
people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have
rejected knowledge, I also will reject you from being a priest
unto Me.
Since you have forgotten the law of your God, I also will
forget your children" (Hosea 4:6).
"My son, if
you will receive my words and hide my commandments with you,
incline your ear to wisdom, and apply your heart to
understanding; if you cry for knowledge, lift your voice for
understanding; if you seek her as silver and search for her as hidden treasures; then you will discern the fear of
YAHUAH, and
discover the knowledge of God" (Proverbs 2:1-5).
"My son, do not forget my Law, but let your heart keep
my commandments; for length of days, years of life and peace
they shall add to you" (Proverbs 3:1).
"Then he
taught me and said to me, 'Let your heart hold fast my words; keep
my commandments and live' " (Proverbs 4:4).
"My son, keep
my words, and hide my commandments with you. Keep my
commandments and live, and my Law as the apple of your eye'
" (Proverbs 7:1-2).
The whole of
Jeremiah 17 speaks toward God's Sabbath, and is worthy of
considerable note.
Ezekiel 20 speaks forcibly of the Sabbath, and even delineates the
differences between the Levitical Law and the Sabbath.
YAHUAH said, "I gave them My statutes, and taught them My
ordinances, which if a man observes them, he will live. And
I also gave them my Sabbath, to be a mark between Me and them,
that they would know that I am YAHUAH who sanctifies them" (Ezekiel 20:11-12).
And this interpretation is truer than any other I have seen.
The Hebrew word used for "Sabbath" here, SHABBATH
is singular, not plural - as most translations present it.
And, the word OWTH, which
most translations render as 'sign', really speaks of a monument, a
flag, a token - hard evidence - as in a mark, not some sort of
nebulous 'sign' as many now understand that word.
And, in the correct interpretation of this passage, we see a
direct link drawn between the proper maintenance of the Sabbath,
and the End Time Harvesters, because maintaining the Sabbath will
be a Mark between YAHUAH
and His Disciples.
If this is so, then this truly is a significant matter!
In a warning and
command issued Prophetically by Yahshuah, He personally said that
the End Time Disciples were to, "Pray
that your flight will not be in the winter, or on a Sabbath; for
then there shall be great tribulation, such as has not occurred
since the beginning of the world until now, nor ever shall be"
(Matthew 24:20-21).
If the Sabbath were to have no meaning for His New Testament era
Disciples, why did Yahshuah say these things? And please, let us not
debate the fullness of the snatching
(rapture) again, because of this passage and these questions. The Ekklesia
goes when Ruach ha Qodesh is removed, and not one moment
before!
Nevertheless, we know that in the full context of this passage, these words are
intended for the End Time Disciples, because He said these things
in response to the disciples' request that He, "Tell us, when
shall these things be, and what shall be the sign of Your coming,
and of the end of the age?" (Matthew 24:3).
This command, therefore, issued by our Master, that we pray
that our "flight will not be in the winter, or on a Sabbath," is
significant for us today - but we do not understand how!
"Thus says YAHUAH,
'Protect justice, and do righteousness, for My salvation is near
to come and My righteousness to be revealed. Blessed is
the man who does this, and the son of man who takes hold on it;
who keeps from profaning the sabbath and keeps his hand from doing
any evil. Let not the son of a stranger who has joined himself to
YAHUAH say, "YAHUAH will divide and separate me from His
people." Nor let the eunuch say, "Behold, I am a dry
tree." For thus says YAHUAH to the eunuchs who keep My
sabbaths, and choose what pleases Me, and hold fast My covenant,
"To them I will give in My house and within My walls a place,
and a name better than that of sons and daughters; I will give
them an everlasting name which shall not be cut off. Also the
sons of the strangers who join themselves to YAHUAH, to worship Him, and
to love the name of YAHUAH, to be His servants, every one who
keeps from profaning the sabbath, and holds fast My covenant; even
those I will bring to My holy mountain, and make them joyful in My
house of prayer. Their burnt offerings and their sacrifices
shall be acceptable on My altar; for My house shall be called a
house of prayer for all the people. The Master, YAHUAH, who
gathers the outcasts of Israel, says, 'Yet will I gather to him, to those already gathered'""
(Isaiah 56:1-8).
Isn't it true, beloved, that all who are not born of the house of
Israel
- every Gentile - is a "son (or daughter) of a
stranger who has joined
themselves to YAHUAH?" Aren't these Words, therefore,
meant to have some significance for us today? Is not the
whole of Scripture inspired?
I do not know how many years ago I did this, but my personal copy of the Holy
Scriptures has
lines drawn around Isaiah 56:9-12, and the passage is headed with
my handwritten note, "FALSE CHURCH!"
Until Ruach ha Qodesh moved me to study the fullness of the Sabbath,
however, I never comprehended the difference between the
blessings promised by YAHUAH in Isaiah 56:1-8, and the dire
warning issued to the false church in Isaiah 56:9-12. Truly,
the chapters of John 14-17 find roost in the differences!
Listen to what else
Isaiah was inspired to write about the Sabbath: "If you
turn your foot from the sabbath, from doing your own will on My holy day, and call the sabbath a delight,
and the holy
day of YAHUAH glorious, and shall glorify it, abstaining from your
own ways, from seeking your own pleasure, and speaking your own
words, then you will delight in YAHUAH, and I will cause you to
ride on the high places of the earth; and I will feed you the
inheritance of Jacob your father, for the mouth of YAHUAH
has
spoken" (Isaiah 58:13-14).
Throughout the whole of Scripture, we are repeatedly told that if
we honor His commandments, of which the Sabbath is prominently
written in stone, He will honor us. We are repeatedly
promised that if we abide faithfully according to His express
desires; if we honor Him fully, including the keeping of His sabbath, then we will, "Ride on
the high places of the earth".
Answer this, beloved, are
you riding on the high places of the earth?
If not, why not?
What are we doing wrong - or not doing properly - today? What
is it that has us at odds with God's Word? If we are not
experiencing the fulfillment of His promises in our lives - then
we must ask ourselves one very simple question, "WHY
NOT?"

Earlier on I said that,
"Setting
aside time on Sunday to assemble and worship with likeminded
believers,
is not the same as 'Observing the Sabbath'.
The two are not
interchangeable, and we stand in error if we believe that they
are!"
At that time, I also stated that
much more needed to be said on this issue, but that I had to
reserve those comments for later. Well, 'later' has
arrived...
Yahshuah
frequently taught and
healed on the Sabbath, drawing considerable condemnation from
the Pharisees and teachers of His day. His Disciples were
criticized for plucking grain from the standing wheat, as they
walked through the fields on a Sabbath, because in so doing the
'religious' leaders perceived that they plucked in violation of the commandments of
God. In His rebuke of their
criticism, however, Yahshuah made it clear that laboring in His
harvest on His Sabbath (which is what He and His Disciples were
doing back then) is a desirable thing to do, and that whatever is needed to successfully complete
the task of reaching out to the lost souls of this world, on the
Sabbath, is not only acceptable to Him - it is pleasing to Him!
In other instances, we see Yahshuah sending His Disciples into His harvest, two-by-two,
spiritually empowering them to do whatever is needed to promote
the Good News. Afterward, we see them gathering and assembling
together again with Him to celebrate their victories over the
realm of evil. Although the Sabbath is never mentioned in
conjunction with this particular instance, I am left with the very strong sense
that we must gain something from these matters,
and that our labor in His harvest must be in accord with His walk
and manner. After all, we can only do as we see our Master doing!

Personally, at this instant, and for the first time, I have been
allowed to see a
metaphor in use here - in the picture of the Disciples walking
through the fields of standing grain on the Sabbath,
plucking the harvest as they go. And, I am being
reminded of Paul making tents during the week, and entering the
harvest field of his era on the Sabbath. As I ponder these
things, I am being impressed by the notion that we must all make
note of the fullness of these matters, because they have meaning
for us,
For, in case you have forgotten, The Great Harvest
looms before us today!
And now, today (three days after I
wrote the above paragraph) as I edit what has been written thus
far, Ruach ha Qodesh has touched me yet again at this juncture
with another picture. This time, however, the picture is of
the end time disciples walking through the fields of standing
grain on Yahshuah's Sabbath, plucking the harvest in earnest, and
gathering (as the true Ekklesia) on Sunday to celebrate our
victories over the realm of evil... And, beloved of Yahshuah,
this is where Babylon has been confused for centuries. This
is where we have missed the mark!
It does not matter which 'camp' one might be attached to today,
whether a Sabbatarian or one who upholds a Sunday Sabbath, both
camps are failing - miserably - in truly reaching and impacting
the lost of this world for the glory, honor and praise of our
Beloved Yahshuah! Let not pride tell us otherwise...

Repeatedly through Paul's missionary journeys we are shown how he
entered the synagogues on the Sabbath and proclaimed the Gospel
message. Or, when the Jews rejected his message, he went to
the 'public squares' or public gathering places (THE
MALLS) on the Sabbath, and proclaimed the Gospel message to
the Gentiles... And this, we are told, was done on every
Sabbath (Acts 18:4 - also see Acts 13:14-44; 16:13).
Furthermore, it must be noted, it is only after these
things had taken place, that we are provided with the picture of
the early Ekklesia assembling on the first day of the week to
praise and worship our Master and Messiah...
It is the fullness of this truth that we are missing today!
The reason Babylon's assemblies are not representative of what we know
to be true of an assembly of the Ekklesia, as set forth in His
Word and as described in our earlier
letters, is because Babylon is not capable of laboring in the Master's field as His Ekklesia.
No matter how hard they might try, they are incapable of
teaching the whole truth of God!
And, the reason
our prayers are not answered, or our walk is not witnessed by the
power and authority that Yahshuah promised - to those who follow His
commands - is because we have not fully followed His commands!
Truly, we are almost guilty of trampling underfoot the Son of God
- but, we did not know! In our lack of knowledge we have been
convinced that what we were doing was acceptable (and all who have passed before us, who abided to the fullness of
what they knew, are well in their faith - abiding today in the fullness of Yahshuah's protection in the heavenlies). But today, beloved, we are
entering into His Harvest, and we must know the fullness of The Matter of the
Sabbath.
And, we must comprehend the fact that the Sabbath truly is Our Father's Gift to
us!
His revelation continues to unfold for His obedient disciples, and we must be
willing to hear what He is saying today!
Right from the beginning, the faithful leaders of the Ekklesia entered the harvest field on the Sabbath (every
Sabbath) and proclaimed the Gospel message to the lost children of God.
Then, they assembled together on the first day of the week, Sunday, to glorify,
praise, honor and worship our Father in heaven, and to fellowship in the
partaking of the Body and Blood of our Beloved Yahshuah.
And, these Sunday
assemblies brought together the new-born children who were touched by the grace of
God on the Sabbath!!!
Baptism's, healings, cleansings - teachings and truth - all spewed forth
following a day of labor in His Harvest!
Attempting to participate in one aspect of this spiritually whole truth, without
participating in the other, results in what we have seen in Babylon for
centuries: Death and Dry Bones!
We are not of Babylon though, beloved, we are Yahshuah's Ekklesia, and the honor
befalls us to faithfully enter into His Harvest once again - Today!

I have often wondered what Ruach ha Qodesh meant when He inspired the
Words, "There remains, therefore, a Sabbath rest for the people of
God" (Hebrews 4:9). If the Sabbath were to have no meaning
for the New Testament era disciple (and in context, the passage is wholly referring to the Sabbath of
the Fourth Commandment) what need would there be for us to have a Sabbath rest
at some time in the future? If we were not supposed to be doing something else
with our Sabbath's today, what need would there be for a future time of
rest?
Listen once again to what God has said TO US about the
Sabbath: "If you turn your foot from the sabbath, from doing your own
will on My holy day, and call the sabbath a delight, and the holy
day of YAHUAH glorious, and shall glorify it, abstaining from your
own ways, from seeking your own pleasure, and speaking your own
words, then you will delight in YAHUAH, and I will cause you to
ride on the high places of the earth; and I will feed you the
inheritance of Jacob your father, for the mouth of YAHUAH
has
spoken" (Isaiah 58:13-14).
What do you suppose is meant by the sentiment, "abstaining from your own
ways, from seeking your own pleasure, and speaking your own words"?
If we examine Yahshuah's ministry closely, we see Him ministering - constantly -
on the Sabbath. The same is true for the first century disciples.
Paul, for instance, always proclaimed
the gospel message to any and all who would hear - on the Sabbath. Could it be that
not speaking our own words on the Sabbath - talks directly toward
the issue of proclaiming His Word on the Sabbath? Could it be that
abstaining from seeking our own pleasure on the Sabbath - is inseparable from the
fact that He wants us to seek only His pleasure on the Sabbath? And, could it
really be true, that if we will only do the things He desires on the Sabbath, that
we will actually, "Ride on the high places of the earth"?
In John 14 - 17, Yahshuah has given us a picture of the full potential and
promise of His glory in our lives - if only we will obey His commands. I believe that
Isaiah 58,
and the other
passages quoted throughout this letter, confirm that fact...
Yahshuah is Master of the Sabbath, and as such, He has declared the Sabbath
holy. Yahshuah, along with the Apostles, Disciples, Evangelists and the remainder of His
first century Ekklesia, ministered powerfully on the
Sabbath. Yahshuah clearly taught that every commandment is summed up in the
commandments that we:
1. Love God
above all else.
2. Uphold His Law of Love
in our relationships with our fellow man.
Until we connect
these commandments to our labor in His Harvest, however, out under the hostile gaze of the 'religious'
leaders and skeptics of this age, I believe that we remain a lamp hidden under the peck-measure!
Could it really be the time for the children of God to enter into the labor
of His Great Harvest - toiling on His Sabbath - by going wherever the
lost children of God might be found?
Beloved, I believe that the time has either arrived, or is just around the
corner! And, I fully believe that this writing is a preparatory
statement and declaration of that fact. I wholeheartedly believe that The Great
Harvest is upon us, and the time to prepare our hearts for the fullness of
His labor has
finally arrived!!!
And, if the answer to these questions really is
"Yes", then what are we to do
today? Just how are we to "honor His Sabbath" today?
We have already learned that all are not gifted in the same way. It would
be wrong, therefore, to imagine that every disciple will be gifted to speak
out in the public meeting places today. If we review His gifts though, we find
example after example of brothers and sisters laboring together in the use of
their gifts. One speaks, another prays, another witnesses one-on-one with
a soul stirred by the first speaker... All the while, others are further enhancing the words
being spoken through the laying on of hands for healing; others still issuing
forth words of wisdom, words of knowledge... The gifts of Ruach ha Qodesh are meant to
abound for the glory of God through the Body of Yahshuah, and it is in
the fullness of these things that I believe we must unite and labor today...
Please revisit our teachings on the gifts, beloved, because the time has
arrived for the fullness of the unity and application of those
gifts. The time of glory is truly drawing near, and we must pray
faithfully and steadfastly about these matters, seeking guidance from our
Beloved Master, Messiah and King. (Letters Five,
Thirteen, Fourteen, Fifteen
and Sixteen, should prove invaluable to every
disciple, because they all teach the full and proper use of the Gifts
of Ruach ha Qodesh)...
And, in case you think that the uniting process has not already begun,
I urge you to consider the number of brothers and sisters who
have already come out from Babylon, who are meeting around the
world today - in homes and store fronts. Yahshuah started the
calling out process years ago, beloved, and for years the brethren
have been assembling in small groups; studying, praising,
worshiping and preparing!
In light of these matters, therefore, I urge each and
every 'home' assembly to fervently pray over their collective gifting,
because Ruach ha Qodesh is going to begin revealing His truth through the gifts
already in place within those assemblies. How? Once we set aside our
pride, and honestly assess the gifts and assets available to us today, I believe
that Ruach ha Qodesh will reveal the astonishing truth that every cell of the Ekklesia
already has most or all of the gifts needed to fulfill the vision
of this letter, present within their assembly... And, in the
confirmation of these matters, the Ekklesia is to find tremendous assurance,
reassurance, comfort and power!
I wish I could count the times I have heard, "I have come out
from Babylon, but now what? Where should I go, and what should I do?"
I am assembling with a small home based group, but we do not seem to
have focus or purpose. What do you suggest? Could it possibly be that
this revelation is the answer to those questions? With all my heart, I
believe it is! With all my heart I believe that the time has either arrived,
or is drawing very near, for these "home" assemblies to "take it to the
mall" together...
And, in the fullness of all these things, we must recognize that The Sabbath, in The New Testament era of the Last Days, is meant for
Harvest... Sunday is meant (just as in Paul's day) to assemble together
after laboring in the harvest; to rejoice through the praise, honor and worship of
the Ekklesia - unto Yahshuah our Messiah! The years of 'home' assembly may
now be finding its fruit - and its true purpose - in Yahshuah's
Harvest!
And, in all of this, our hearts should be leaping for joy!!!
I sincerely believe that the revelation before us
sheds light upon why we have not witnessed the fullness of Yahshuah's
Ruach ha Qodesh - or power - in our lives or in our assemblies,
to the extent that His Word proclaims.
But our vision is now much improved... And it does not matter
anymore if you have been encamped with the Sabbatarians or the Sunday
Worshippers in the past, because what we now know clearly shows that both camps have feebly entrenched
themselves in doctrines of sand! Gathering together with like-minded believers, on
whichever "sabbath" you might uphold, does absolutely NOTHING
to glorify our Master, Messiah and King, and we know this because He says, "I
hate and reject your festivals, nor will I enjoy the odor of your
assemblies" (Amos 5:21).
Why is this so?
The influence of Babylon within society has had us all seeking personal entertainment instead of
the glory of God in heaven. Through every and any association with the false
practitioners of religion, the 'church' has learned to seek self gratification instead of
our Father's righteousness.
And, we have all been afraid to
get our hands dirty - desiring instead that the Nicolaitans tell us that
we need not get our hands dirty; that we are not gifted to get our hands
dirty - and that the responsibility for reaching out to the lost belongs
to those trained for such things. "So, just keep your money flowing, and
all will be well."
Tell me this is not so! Convince yourself that this is not so - and still
find Yahshuah's joy in your heart!
You cannot deny these things, beloved, because it is so! And it has been
so. And because
it is so, all will not be well until Yahshuah returns... All is not well today!
The world is imploding, but Babylon is too conceited, self-centered,
self-absorbed and apostate, to care. Society is terrified! Who
better to comfort and console the frightened and wayward sheep, than
the faithful children of God? Therefore, once again, the voice cries out, "Come out of her My
beloved"... Come out from Babylon, all you children of God. The day has arrived; the harvest is upon us. Pick up
your tools of labor and enter into the harvest of Yahshuah...
As I prayed this evening, a recurring thought came to mind,
that many will want to know exactly how we are to honor the Sabbath today -
with regard to the conveniences of this world. For instance, my furnace
clicks on automatically, as do my refrigerator and freezer, whenever the
temperature exceeds or falls below desired levels. Are we to turn these
conveniences off?
How about our vehicles; are we allowed to drive? Are we allowed to cook meals?
The list of questions is endless, to be sure.
I believe that the answer to all of these thoughts and notions are
captured in one simple passage from Scripture, because Yahshuah said, "Those who are healthy do not need a physician, but those who are
sick. But
go and learn what this means: 'I PREFER MERCY, AND NOT
SACRIFICE,' for I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners to
repentance" (Matthew
9:12-13).
If we seriously apply all that we now know about Yahshuah's Sabbath, and if we
faithfully practice what we now believe He is calling us to do, I am confident in
saying that none of these other things matter. Not one iota! The
Sabbath is not meant for watching television, or listening to or watching
programs intended for our entertainment. For us, the Sabbath is meant for
Harvest! Once we apply that, once we abide in that, we must have peace in knowing
that Yahshuah does not care about furnaces or refrigerators or freezers.
Preparing a meal for a hungry servant - who has labored in the 'fields' all
day - is an acceptable act.
Remember, beloved, all things are acceptable - as long as they are done in
faith.
Who cares about furnaces? People are dying! Who cares if we drive to the
malls on the Sabbath? Let us do so in haste, as we seek to minister to the
sick and dying! Let us not squabble over
petty issues, but let us instead comprehend the fullness of the fact that Yahshuah, "Prefers mercy, and not sacrifice!"
Today is Saturday... I am sitting at my computer, writing and editing
this letter on the Sabbath. And I am rejoicing in the knowledge that the
fullness of God's Word is being labored over on His Sabbath. This
work will glorify Him. My labor is for His harvest. It takes
electricity to power my computer though, and yet I firmly believe that as long as we toil faithfully in His Harvest, the rest will take care of
itself! His Ruach ha Qodesh will lovingly guide each of us as we strive to
order our lives 'aright' in His sight. To His praise, honor
and glory, and to the overflowing of our joy, He will reveal His will - week
by week - as we strive to faithfully labor in His harvest!
He has proven
this to us repeatedly throughout the past, and I believe He will substantiate
the fullness of these matters now, as we enter into His Harvest!
And, if you think this Matter of the Sabbath is off base, I
want to remind you of the passage from Matthew 5:18, where Yahshuah said, "Amen I say
unto you,
until heaven and earth pass away, not one jot or tittle shall pass away from the Law, until all is
fulfilled."
Here now
what He says in Matthew 5:19-20, because for centuries we have been taught a
passing away of His Law - but not any more... He said, "Whoever therefore nullifies one of the least of these commandments, and so teaches
others, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever maintains and
teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I say
unto you, that unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and
Pharisees, you shall not enter the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 5:19-20).
The Law of Love finds peace in the fullness of The
Matter of The Sabbath, because observed in the light of our Father's
will, as revealed herein and throughout His Word, our love for God and our love for
humanity will all be reconciled unto Yahshuah - as we labor in the Harvest
of His glory... And the fullness of the Sabbath being Our Father's Gift, will be summed up in
the blessing and anointing that every faithful disciple will KNOW
in their lives - as His Ruach ha Qodesh whispers in our ears, "Well done thou good
and faithful slave!"
May every mall and every public meeting place around the world, be
filled on every Sabbath with faithful disciples of Yahshuah, proclaiming
the Gospel Message of Salvation through Yahshuah ha Mashiach...
And, may our Sunday assemblies, once we do begin to assemble again as His True Ekklesia, fully reflect the
unity and love, in praise, honor and glory unto Him,
that we all desire to see. Truly His Ruach ha Qodesh will lead
the way!!!
The practitioners of Babylon have no place in this ministry or
calling, beloved, but they will try! In their failure though,
they will then resort to deriding the faithful children who will
labor in the true harvest. This is prophesied from long ago, but is worthy of a closing reminder.

Romans 7:14 tells us that, "The Law is
spiritual". Romans 8:5-9 then goes on to tell us that,
"Those who are according to the flesh set their minds on the
things of the flesh, but those who are according to the Ruach, the
things of the Ruach. For the mind set on the flesh is death, but
the mind set on the Ruach is life and peace, because the mind set on
the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to
the law of God, for it is not even able to do so; and those who are
in the flesh cannot please God. However, you are not in the
flesh but in the Ruach"...
"So then, brethren, we are under obligation, not to the flesh, to
live according to the flesh - for if you are living according to the
flesh, you must die; but if by the Ruach you are putting to death the
deeds of the body, you will live. For all who are being led by
the Ruach of God, these are children of God" (Romans 8:12-14).
May those who have ears, hear Ruach ha Qodesh, and may the Ekklesia
arise from our wilderness experience, awaken from our slumber, emerge from our
period of learning, and apply what we have been taught by the Ruach
of God, to the praise, honor and glory of Yahshuah our Master,
Messiah and King. The Harvest is Ripe, beloved, and the
time of labor is at hand!
May the Master of the harvest send His laborer's into His harvest, and
may we all ride on the heights of the earth.
I remain faithfully and humbly your servant in Yahshuah our
Messiah,
larry vosen

Topical
Concordance:
Sabbath:
Old Testament: Genesis 2, especially 2:1-3; Exodus 16:22-30, 20:2-17,
32:15-19, 35:1-3; Leviticus 23:3, 26:1-33; Joshua 6:2-4; Nehemiah 13
(all); Psalms 119:66; Proverbs 2:1-5, 3:1, 4:4, 7:1-2; Isaiah 56
(all), 58:13-14; Jeremiah 17 (all); Ezekiel
20 (all), 46:3; Hosea
4:6.
New Testament: Matthew 5:17-20, 5:43-48, 12:8-12, 18:19, 22:36-40, 24:3, 24:20-21,
28; Mark 1:21, 2:27-28, 6:2, 7:6-13, 16; Luke
4:31, 6:5-6, 13:10, 13:115-16, 14:3-6, 24; John 7:22-24, 9:14-16, 14 - 17 (all) especially, 14:12-15, 14:21,
15:7-11, 16:23-24, 20; Acts 6:13-15, 7:53, 10:9-16, 13:14-44;
15 (all);16:13, 17:2-3, 18:4, 20:7; Romans 1:17, 2:12-16, 6 (all), 7:6,
8:5-8, 8:12-13, 13:8-10, 13:19, 14:4-13, 14:14-16, 14:22-23; Galatians
2:16-21,
3:10,
3:20-26, 4:1-5, 4:8-11, 4:21-31, 5:1-4, 5:8, 5:14-18, 5:22-23;
Ephesians 2:12-22; Colossians 2:8-23, 3:17 & 24;
Hebrews (all) especially, 4:9, 10:19-31; James 2:8-13,
2:24-26.
DIVINE NAME NOTATIONS - FOR YOUR INFORMATION AND
INSIGHT:
Yahoshua (Joshua). The name means, YAH
is salvation.
Mechemyah (Nehemiah). The name means, YAH
comforts.
Yeshayah (Isaiah). The name means, Salvation of YAH.
Yirmeyah (Jeremiah). The name means, YAH
loosens.
Yechezqel (Ezekiel). The name means, EL
strengthens.
Hoshea (Hosea). The name means salvation.
.

"Scripture taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, ©Copyright
The Lockman Foundation 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1977,
1995. Used by permission."
Copyright © 2002-2010, Central Point,
OR
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