Of all the churches and different denominations to choose from for worship and spiritual education, I have come to realize the Jewish Religion and variations of 7th Day Sabbath churches are the most exclusive. 

     It is obvious that the Jewish Orthodox Religion  observes the Laws given to Ancient Israel and does not recognize Christ has already come. Then there are the Messianic Jews who believe and still hold to many Jewish Traditions. There are many other 7th Day churches with varied forms of beliefs and traditions. All of these have one thing in common; they seem to cling to and promote the things God assigned specifically to Ancient Israel.

 

     Some churches still observe these days in some fashion. 

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       I am not attacking good intentions; for there is great distinction and valuable lessons to be achieved in the process of trying to re-live these Holy Days. 

 

How does the following scripture square with what is practiced by these groups today? 

Romans 7:4-7  Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another, even to Christ who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God.  

    For when we were in the flesh, the motions of sins, which were by the law, did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death.

   But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter. (Keepers of the fire of the Gospel of Christ and not the ashes of the old rituals for Ancient Israel)

    What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet.

     

How do these specific commanded feasts and holy days become necessary for ritualistic observance for the church Christ established through the Apostles?

     Simple answer is: They are not necessary nor commanded by the conditions of the New Covenant by Christ, as a punishable by death law you must obey; they can however, be a traditional observance in any church by the administrative leadership of any physical corporate church that commands them for their membership. When these feasts and holy days are characterized as "traditions of a corporate church" there is no conflict between Old Covenant commands by God and New Covenant Spiritual understanding established by Christ. A church is then free to choose by what physical ritual they will conduct their people to observe these feasts and holy days. They are traditions adopted, promoted by men, and are not necessary in the Spiritual Church that Christ established.

 

     One of the scriptures of contention is:

Colossians 2:16-23  Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days:     Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ.

    Let no man beguile you of your reward in a voluntary humility and worshiping of angels, intruding into those things which he hath not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind,  

    And not holding the Head, from which all the body by joints and bands having nourishment ministered, and knit together, increases with the increase of God.

   Wherefore if ye be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as though living in the world, are ye subject to ordinances,  (21)   Touch not; taste not; handle not;

   Which all are to perish with the using; after the commandments and doctrines of men?

   Which things have indeed a show of wisdom in will worship, and humility, and neglecting of the body; not in any honor to the satisfying of the flesh.

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This scripture has long been viewed with ambiguity from both observers and non-observers of Annual Feasts and Holy days. However, when it is interpreted with background knowledge of the absolute difference between the Spiritual Church Christ established and the physical corporate churches established by human administrators; its ambiguity disappears. 

There are lessons to learn by remembering these days. It is a church's prerogative to celebrate these Holy Days however they see fit. If you need to feel the worship of these times with other brethren that is great, it is a part of your spiritual training and understanding what God is going to do with mankind.

 

THE WOMAN AT THE WELL

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John 4:19-26  The woman saith unto him, Sir, I perceive that thou art a prophet.

    Our fathers worshiped in this mountain; and ye say, that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship.

   Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour comes, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father. Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews.

   But the hour comes, and now is, when the true worshipers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeks such to worship Him.

   God is a Spirit: and they that worship Him must worship him in spirit and in truth.

   The woman saith unto him, I know that the Messiah is coming, which is called Christ: when He is come, he will tell us all things.

   Jesus saith unto her, I that speak unto thee am He.

 

     Jesus is telling this Samaritan woman that It does not matter what day,where it is, or what the name over the door is; GOD IS A SPIRIT AND HE MUST BE WORSHIPED IN THE SPIRIT AND TRUTH OF YOUR HEART manifest in your actions. 

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Ask yourself this question: Is my corporate church guarding the ashes of physical rituals year after year meant for Ancient Israel; or keeping the Fire of the Holy Spirit alive and burning every day living and exemplary life in the Gospel of Christ? 

     

Don't assume  Weekly Church Services are connected to the 4th Commandment

 

Exodus 20:8-11  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.

 

Did you read anything about some holy convocation or church worship service in that detailed commandment?

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Deuteronomy 5:12-15  Keep the sabbath day to sanctify it, as the LORD thy God hath commanded thee.

   Six days thou shalt 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, nor thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thine ox, nor thine ass, nor any of thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates; that thy manservant and thy maidservant may rest as well as thou.

   And remember that thou wast a servant in the land of Egypt, and that the LORD thy God brought thee out thence through a mighty hand and by a stretched out arm: therefore the LORD thy God commanded thee to keep the sabbath day.

 

Again, as Moses restates the history of commandments; no mention of commanded assembly or worship service on the 7th day Sabbath.

     Having a church service on the 7th day Sabbath is a "CUSTOM OR TRADITION" started by the Jews during the 400 years between the Old and New Testament times; right along with 613 other physical commands by the physical administrators of the Jewish churches.

 

 

Luke 4:14-21  And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee: and there went out a fame of him through all the region round about. And He taught in their synagogues, being glorified of all.

    And 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 for to read.

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Of course Christ went to the synagogue; that is where His mission could be expressed and changes could be introduced to the established system of Jewish teachings could be refuted.

He did not go there as if it were necessary for obedience. He was even several days late to an annual Festival once. 

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     The fact is; church service can be on any day of the week a corporate church administration chooses. Church Services and corporate worship is a good thing anytime, anywhere, two or three are gathered together. Going to a church service on the 7th Day doesn't make you any more right with God than Sunday church services; don't miss the whole point of the 4th Commandment. It is a day of physical rest and spiritual renewal of your mind; from your normal six days a week activities of work. Having a church service on the 7th Day or any day is an added bonus for your spiritual edification; as is doing good for someone, helping someone who needs help, etc. 

 

One needs to consider what Jesus says about the traditions of men.

Matthew 15:1-11  Then came to Jesus scribes and Pharisees, which were of Jerusalem, saying,  (2)  Why do thy disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? for they wash not their hands when they eat bread.  

 (3)  But Jesus answered and said unto them, Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition?

 (4)  For God commanded, saying, Honour thy father and mother: and, He that curseth father or mother, let him die the death.

 (5)  But ye say, Whosoever shall say to his father or his mother, It is a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me;

 (6)  And honour not his father or his mother, he shall be free. Thus have ye made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition.

 (7)  Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying,

 (8)  This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me.

 (9)  But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.

 (10)  And he called the multitude, and said unto them, Hear, and understand:

 (11)  Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man; but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man.
 

Luke 16:15-16  And he said unto them, Ye are they which justify yourselves before men; but God knoweth your hearts: for that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God.

 (16)  The law and the prophets were until John: since that time the kingdom of God is preached, and every man presseth into it.
 

People are more concerned with justifying their beliefs before men and do not realize the things they are teaching people to observe can appear as Idolatry. It is a matter of what is the attitude behind the belief. 

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  Galatians 4:1-11
(1)  Now I say, That the heir, as long as he is a child, differeth nothing from a servant, though he be lord of all;
(2)  But is under tutors and governors until the time appointed of the father.
(3)  Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world:
(4)  But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law,
(5)  To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.
(6)  And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.
(7)  Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.
(8)  Howbeit then, when ye knew not God, ye did service unto them which by nature are no gods.
(9)  But now, after that ye have known God, or rather are known of God, how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements, where unto ye desire again to be in bondage?
(10)  Ye observe days, and months, and times, and years.
(11)  I am afraid of you, lest I have bestowed upon you labor in vain.
 

The begotten children of God are keepers of the fire not guardian of the ashes of the Old Covenant ways. 

Compare verse 9 of Matthew 15 with verse 11 of Galatians 4.

 

 Hebrews 10:9-10
(9)  Then said he, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God. He takes away the first, that He may establish the second.
(10)  By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.
 

We are talking about Old Covenant practices being changed to New Covenant revelation via the Holy Spirit.

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There are many more scriptures and proofs of changes that Christ made. It is no big deal to try and observe the ancient things of Ancient Israel, but, one should consider what profit is it to the spiritually enlightened believer; and more importantly, could clinging to ritual traditions established by a man, be offensive to Christ our Savior? Judgments contained in ordinances that came from the FIRE of God's commands to Moses and ancient Israel are now ashes of the Old Covenant ways. The FIRE is the Gospel of Christ understood through the Holy Spirit and expressed by living a faithful life preparing for and preaching the coming Kingdom of God to this earth! Will the first-fruits of God observe these days when their change comes? 

I REPORT; YOU DECIDE.