Sunday, July 24, 2016

It's NOT "pagan" to "worship on Sunday!"

I keep seeing memes and posts on FaceBook about how it's "pagan" to "worship on Sunday." The thing is, we can and are supposed to "worship" EVERY and ANY day. But the Seventh Day is YHWH's Day of REST. We are to REST on Shabbat and to keep it holy. So Sunday worship is not "pagan"; it's just that Christianity has turned it into THE day to "go to church" and worship. They don't bother with the "resting" part - and one has to wonder why, because ADONAI kept reiterating it throughout the entire "Old Testament, and we saw Y'shua and the disciples and apostles keeping it.

Christians don't seem to realize that the death of Jesus didn't negate the command to keep the Seventh Day holy/set apart, nor did it abolish or replace the rest of YHWH's Divine Instructions in Righteousness (Torah).. Nor did his death suddenly usher in "grace" because "grace" has always been around!

It was grace that allowed Adam and Eve to continue living after they sinned. It was grace that kept Cain alive after he killed Abel. It was grace that allowed Noah and his family to begin the human race from scratch after the Flood. It was grace that saved Lot and his family from destruction. And it was grace that caused our divine Messiah to be born to a human woman and to die as our final SIN Sacrifice/Offering. (For my Jewish brethren reading this, it's true that God never expected human sacrifice, but it's also true that Y'shua wasn't "sacrificed" ... he martyred himself, against which there is no law....)

It's true that the Church today is following in the idolatrous footsteps of ancient and modern Israel according to Ezekiel 8:14 and Jeremiah 10 and 17. The vast majority of Christians twist these verses to teach that Shabbat and the Feasts of YHWH “were fulfilled by Christ and are no longer necessary” which completely contradicts what Paul taught – that ADONAI’s Feasts are a shadow of things to come; not to mention, they are rehearsals for the Bride of Mashiyach! What Mashiyach and Paul call “good,” Christianity calls evil; even suggesting their pagan based rituals are sanctified through a “Christian” label (see Isaiah 5:14-23).

Galatians 4:8. Then, for when you did not know Elohim, you served those things who, by their very nature, are not Elohim. 9. Now that you have knowledge of Elohim, and especially have knowledge from Elohim[1], that you have returned to those weak and poor principles, wishing to come under their bondage. 10. You have observed days and months and times and years[2]. 11. I am afraid that perhaps my being among you has been in vain. (AENT)

Having said that, let's take a look at some of the pertinent scriptures:

Exodus 31:16 The people of Isra'el are to keep the Shabbat, to observe Shabbat through all their generations as a perpetual covenant. 17 It is a sign between me and the people of Isra'el forever; for in six days ADONAI made heaven and earth, but on the seventh day he stopped working and rested.'"

Ezekiel 20: 11 I gave them my laws and showed them my rulings; if a person obeys them, he will have life through them. 12 I gave them my shabbats as a sign between me and them, so that they would know that I, ADONAI, am the one who makes them holy.

Exodus 20:8 "Remember the day, Shabbat, to set it apart for God. 9 You have six days to labor and do all your work, 10 but the seventh day is a Shabbat for ADONAI your God. On it, you are not to do any kind of work -not you, your son or your daughter, not your male or female slave, not your livestock, and not the foreigner staying with you inside the gates to your property. 11 For in six days, ADONAI made heaven and earth, the sea and everything in them; but on the seventh day he rested. This is why ADONAI blessed the day, Shabbat, and separated it for himself.

Isaiah 56: 2 Happy is the person who does this, anyone who grasps it firmly, who keeps Shabbat and does not profane it, and keeps himself from doing any evil. 3 A foreigner joining ADONAI should not say, "ADONAI will separate me from his people"; likewise the eunuch should not say, "I am only a dried-up tree." 4 For here is what ADONAI says: "As for the eunuchs who keep my Shabbats, who choose what pleases me and hold fast to my covenant: 5 in my house, within my walls, I will give them power and a name greater than sons and daughters; I will give him an everlasting name that will not be cut off.

6 "And the foreigners who join themselves to ADONAI to serve him, to love the name of ADONAI, and to be his workers, all who keep Shabbat and do not profane it, and hold fast to my covenant, 7 I will bring them to my holy mountain and make them joyful in my house of prayer; their burnt offerings and sacrifices will be accepted on my altar; for my house will be called a house of prayer for all peoples."

Isaiah 58: 13 If you hold back your foot on Shabbat from pursuing your own interests on my holy day; if you call Shabbat a delight, ADONAI'S holy day, worth honoring; then honor it by not doing your usual things or pursuing your interests or speaking about them. 14 If you do, you will find delight in ADONAI - I will make you ride on the heights of the land and feed you with the heritage of your ancestor Ya'akov, for the mouth of ADONAI has spoken."

Isaiah 66: 23 And it shall be that from one New Moon to another New Moon and from one Sabbath to another Sabbath, all flesh shall come to worship before Me, says the Lord.
Jeremiah 17: 21 Here is what ADONAI says: "If you value your lives, don't carry anything on Shabbat or bring it in through the gates of Yerushalayim; 22 don't carry anything out of your houses on Shabbat; and don't do any work. Instead, make Shabbat a holy day. I ordered your ancestors to do this, 23 but they neither listened nor paid attention; rather, they stiffened their necks, so that they wouldn't have to hear or receive instruction. 24 However, if you will pay careful heed to me," says ADONAI "and carry nothing through the gates of this city on Shabbat, but instead make Shabbat a day which is holy and not for doing work;

Romans 14:5. One man discriminates between days; and another judges all days alike. But let every one be sure in regard to his knowledge. 6. He that esteems a day, esteems (it) for his Master: and he that esteems not a day for his Master, he does not esteem (it). And he that eats, eats to his Master and gives thanks to Elohim: and he that eats not to his Master he eats not and gives thanks to Elohim. (AENT)

Does the above suggest that Paul said it is up to each of us to decide what we should eat and what day we should keep?

Absolutely not! The context of this passage was a dispute over whether one can eat food that may or may not have been offered to idols. In those days food that may or may not have been offered to idols was usually put out for sale to people on a certain day of the week – and some believers refused to purchase or eat food on those days, just to be on the safe side. On the other hand, some did because they figured, since they didn’t know for sure whether or not it had been offered, it wouldn’t be wrong to eat it.

In Romans 14:5-6, Paul was not addressing kosher foods or Sabbath day observance at all; he was referring to the disagreement over whether market place food, because of idolatry, should be bought and eaten on a certain day of the week.

Please check out David H. Stern’s explanation in the preface of his Complete Jewish Bible, wherein he demonstrates the difference between “kosher” and “ceremonially clean.” Stern says YAHWEH never said pork, shellfish, etc. were food. People called these animals food in rebellion against God….

The passages in Romans are dealing with the animals God gave us to eat and whether they are ceremonially clean and can be eaten at that time.

Even in Peter’s vision (Acts 11), Peter would never have eaten the kosher animals that had been in contact with treif (non-kosher) animals. The vision was to show that, as Peter knew which animals were clean and which were not because as God had shown him, Peter was to accept the Gentiles as God had now shown him they were “clean”. The rest of the passage in Acts 11 shows that this is the correct interpretation and what the vision was all about (see Acts 11:18).

People truly need to stop trying to force Scripture to say something it doesn't say (just so it will line up with their opinions and ideas of what they WANT Scripture to say)! Instead, they need to start asking the Ruach haKodesh (Holy Spirit) to guide them as they remove "themselves" and begin to methodically read their way through the Bible with clear spiritual eyes.

2 comments:

  1. Speaking of people forcing Scripture to say something it doesn't, I was watching a show last night about Creation hosted by Dr. Ken Hovind. During one segment of the program he was attacking some Christians who accept the evolutionary and long age beliefs taught in schools today. As a matter of fact, I retitle the "Theory of Evolution" the "Lie of Evolution".

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  2. I think it becomes a problem because of what is being taught in churches on the wrong day, causing Christians to believe they are fulfilling Sabbath.

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