There is no shadow of doubt that many people have surrendered their lives to Jesus Christ and even may be performing miracles and doing wonderful works in His name, but this may not necessarily be pleasing to God, for thus says the Lord; "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, 'Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?' And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!' (Matthew 7:21-23).
The confusions and divisions that exist in the church it is not because of the diversities of our gifts, ministries, activities, the measure of our faith or charisma, because it is one and the same Spirit that works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills, and despite the diversities there should be unity.
The source of the division and confusion in the church is that of irreverence. Jesus stated categorically that, “all should honor the Son just as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him” (John 5:23).
When one truly believes and understands that, Jesus Christ is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist. And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence” (Colossians 1:15-18).
Coupled with Jesus’ saying that, “the Father Himself, who sent Me, has testified of Me: You have neither heard His voice at any time, nor seen His form” (John 5:37).
Thus signifying that, the One who spoke to Moses and gave him the laws and statutes was Jesus Christ Himself, and therefore, when the Lord issued such command saying, “You shall keep My Sabbaths and reverence My sanctuary: I am the LORD.”
And the command to, “Speak also to the children of Israel, saying: 'Surely My Sabbaths you shall keep, for it is a sign between Me and you throughout your generations, that you may know that I am the LORD who sanctifies you. You shall keep the Sabbath, therefore, for it is holy to you. Everyone who profanes it shall surely be put to death; for whoever does any work on it, that person shall be cut off from among his people. Work shall be done for six days, but the seventh is the Sabbath of rest, holy to the LORD. Whoever does any work on the Sabbath day, he shall surely be put to death. Therefore the children of Israel shall keep the Sabbath, to observe the Sabbath throughout their generations as a perpetual covenant. It is a sign between Me and the children of Israel forever; for in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, and on the seventh day He rested and was refreshed " (Exodus 31:13-17).
The Sabbaths therefore, is a perpetual sign between God and His people. The Lord further instructed the prophet Ezekiel saying; “Moreover I also gave them My Sabbaths, to be a sign between them and Me, that they might know that I am the LORD who sanctifies them.” He also warned His people saying; “Do not walk in thestatutes of your fathers, nor observe their judgments, nor defile yourselves with their idols. I am the LORD your God: Walk in My statutes, keep My judgments, and do them; hallow My Sabbaths, and they will be a sign between Me and you, that you may know that I am the LORD your God” (Ezekiel 20; 12, 18-20).
And with reference to the New Testament Jesus Christ said, “The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath. Therefore the Son of Man is also Lord of the Sabbath" (Mark 2:27-28).
Therefore, not honoring the Lord by ascribing to Him the honor, the glory, the awe and respect due unto Him as Lord and following the protocol that is associated with it is the root cause of the disunity and confusion that exist in the body of Christ: There are some who honor one particular day and neglect or blatantly reject the others which is also part of the equation.
I am not expecting everybody to agree with me but I beg to ask one simple question, that is, when Satan, the anti-Christ and the false prophet will attempt to unite the world, what mechanism or medium will they use they unite it? God again gave man an option to observe or not to observe, but there will be no option, it will be do or die, because the main objective for all this is the matter of worship, which is Satan`s quest to be worship just as God is worshiped.
The choice is yours.
With brotherly love
Lucius Joseph
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