Luciusministry

With brotherly love

Lucius Joseph

Friday, April 14, 2023

The Lord's Sabbaths are they current or obsolete?

The Lord’s Sabbaths are they current or obsolete?

I beg to ask a question When the Lord spoke to Moses saying; “Speak also to the children of Israel, saying: 'Surely My Sabbaths (plural) 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” Are these instructions current or obsolete? (Exodus 31:13).

Because the Lord also spoke to the Prophet Ezekiel and said to Him; “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.” Also,” 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, 20).

As far as I can perceive the Sabbaths, is a perpetual sign between God and His people to be observed throughout their generations as a perpetual covenant. This is the period that God has specifically ordained for His people to appear before Him and to have fellowship (communion) with Him and with one another and Jesus Christ our High Priest, the One and only Mediator between God and man, presenting His flesh and blood which we present to Him in the form of the bread and wine in order to grant us access with boldness to the throne of grace.

In order for us to have fellowship with God the Father and with one another, this is what the apostle John wrote; “This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin” (1John 1:5-7).

Please note carefully that the cleansing is current and not something of the past, it is something that transpires during the time of fellowship, because according to the apostle John; “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all un-righteousness: If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us” (1John 1:8-10).

Thus signifying that, in order for one to have fellowship with the Father one must be free from sin and since no one can say I have no sin, or I have not sinned it is imperative that one is cleansed from his/her sin before having fellowship with the Father and it is only through partaking of the cup of the New Covenant that one receives forgiveness for sins.

And hence the reason why the Lord instructed Moses saying: “Command the children of Israel, and say to them, 'My offering, My food for My offerings made by fire as a sweet aroma to Me, you shall be careful to offer to Me at their appointed time” (Numbers 28:2).

Therefore, it is the God’s given responsibility of every individual to find out and be fully convinced for themselves when is God’s appointed time to offer to Him the food for His offerings as He has ordained because, the crux of the matter is, every individual has the prerogative to observe or not to observe but for certain we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.

One should also take into consideration the fact that, salvation is of the Jews and Gentiles are to glorify God together with His people and so the perpetual covenant which the Lord made with the children of Israel for all generations is also applicable to all who profess to believe in Jesus Christ.

With brotherly love

Lucius Joseph

Wednesday, April 12, 2023

The Feast of First Fruits

I am deeply perplexed and overwhelmed to see how so many of us who profess to be believers in Jesus Christ are failing to give to Him the glory and honor that is due unto Him when the scriptures quite explicitly state; “'You shall keep My Sabbaths and reverence My sanctuary: I am the LORD” (Leviticus 19:30;26:2)

It is by observing the Lord’s Sabbaths that we ascribe to the Lord the glory that is due to His name for example;

· The seventh day weekly Sabbath (Saturday) gives glory and honor to the Lord as the Creator who made heaven and earth, the sea and springs of water."

· Passover / days of Unleavened Bread given glory and honor to the Lord as our Redeemer and Savior

· Feast of first-fruits gives glory and honor to the Lord as our resurrection and the life

· Pentecost gives glory and honor to the Lord as our Helper, Guide, Teacher, Healer, Provider

· Feast of trumpets gives glory and honor to the Lord as our Conqueror, Deliverer

· Day of Atonement gives glory and honor to the Lord as our High Priest and sin bearer

· Feast of Tabernacles gives glory and honor to the Lord as our King of kings and Lord of lords

· Eighth Day gives glory and honor to the Lord as our circumcision and the Eternal God.

What is even more perplexing is that the majority of those who observe the weekly Sabbath and are so passionate in doing so have totally rejected the observance of the yearly festivals and what is even more shocking is that, even those who are observing the annual festivals such as the Passover and Days of Unleavened Bread have completely shut their eyes and mind with regards to the Feast of First Fruits, the question is Why?

Why is a festival which is of such great significance to the believer and gives such great honor and glory to the Lord be totally ignored or disregarded by those who proclaim to know and believe in Him when the scriptures state clearly that this festival is an ordinance or statute forever throughout your generations in all your dwellings?” (Leviticus 23:9-14).

The Feast of First fruits is one of the Lord’s ordained festivals from which one arrives at the Feast of Weeks (Pentecost) for we have been instructed saying; “And you shall count for yourselves from the day after the Sabbath, from the day that you brought the sheaf of the wave offering: seven Sabbaths shall be completed. Count fifty days to the day after the seventh Sabbath; then you shall offer a new grain offering to the LORD” (Leviticus 23:13-16).

Now since this statute is a law or decree made by God forever throughout the generations and in all our dwellings, why is this festival not being observed today? When we are admonished to;" Rejoice, O Gentiles, with His people!? (Deuteronomy 32:43, Romans 15:10).

Furthermore, the death of Jesus Christ made both Jews and Gentiles one as we have been duly instructed saying; “For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation, having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace, and that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity” (Ephesians 2:14-16).

One must take into consideration also what Jesus said to the, Samaritan woman He said to her; “You worship what you do not know; we know what we worship, for salvation is of the Jews:” And the admonition given to the Gentiles states as follows: “Therefore receive one another, just as Christ also received us, to the glory of God. Now I say that Jesus Christ has become a servant to the circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made to the fathers, and that the Gentiles might glorify God for His mercy, as it is written: "

For this reason I will confess to You among the Gentiles, and sing to Your name." And again he says: "Rejoice, O Gentiles, with His people!" And again: "Praise the LORD, all you Gentiles! Laud Him, all you peoples!" And again, Isaiah says: "There shall be a root of Jesse; And He who shall rise to reign over the Gentiles, In Him the Gentiles shall hope." (Romans 15:7-12; Deuteronomy 32:43).

So now, in our new dispensation, there is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave or free, there is neither male nor female; for we are all one in Christ Jesus. So when Jesus Christ presented Himself to the Father after His resurrection He reconnected the human spirit which was disconnected from God since the fall of Adam and Eve, to the Spirit of God and gave humanity a new life in the spirit.

And so, the rationale, the purpose, the objective, the intent and the spirit for observing this festival of First Fruits it is to express one’s gratitude and thanksgiving to Jesus Christ for being our hope in receiving a glorified immortal body as summarized by the apostle Paul who wrote; “But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the first -fruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since by man came death, by Man also came the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive. But each one in his own order: Christ the first-fruits, afterward those who are Christ's at His coming.” (1Corinthians 15:20-23)

One should also note as well that, when Mary Magdalene first saw the risen Lord He said to her, “Do not cling to Me, for I have not yet ascended to My Father; but go to My brethren and say to them, 'I am ascending to My Father and your Father, and to My God and your God.' "

And later the same day at evening, being the first day of the week (Sunday) when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in the midst, and said to them, "Peace be with you" (John 20:17, 19).

So the crux of the matter is, worshiping God on the day and for the reason why this day was ordained by Him is not in vain or thus says the Lord; “But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him” (John 4:23).

Surprisingly, I have heard some who profess to be believers in Jesus Christ instructing others saying that, one simply has to believe in Jesus Christ and not necessarily have to observe these festivals. Can this be true?

With brotherly love

Lucius Joseph

Saturday, April 8, 2023

Was Jesus Christ crucified on a Friday (part 3)

So then, what is the rationale, what is the truth? If Jesus Christ stated emphatically that He was going to spend three days and three nights in the heart of the earth, and was placed in the heart of the earth at evening, and was resurrected after the Sabbath, before it began to dawn towards the first day of the week, which is at sunrise on Sunday morning, obviously the three days and three nights would have to be as follows:-

First night, the night He was placed in the tomb and this would have to be on a Wednesday. The second night would have to be Thursday, and the third night would have to be Friday. And, the first day would have to be Thursday; the second day Friday; and the third day, Saturday. The Preparation Day for this High Day Sabbath was on a Wednesday, which was the preparation day for the Jewish Passover, which preceded the first day of the feast of Unleavened Bread, a Holy Day, and a Day of solemn rest.

Even in the New Testament, we are admonished to; “Get rid of the old leaven that you may be a new batch without leaven, as you really are. For Christ, our Passover Lamb has been sacrificed for us Therefore let us keep the Festival, not with the old leaven, the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with bread without leaven, the bread of sincerity and truth” ( 1Corinthians 5: 7-8).

Therefore, the Jews, the high priests, the Pharisees, and the women who followed Christ all rested on that Thursday, which was a High Day Sabbath, the Feast of Unleavened Bread. Then from Thursday evening, which was the end of the High Day Sabbath, and the whole of Friday, which was the preparation day for the weekly Sabbath, that was the time the women brought and prepared spices and fragrant oils, then rested on the weekly Sabbath according to the commandments, and at the end of the Sabbath (sunset Saturday), as the first day of the Week (Sunday) began to dawn, (meaning that it was not yet the first day of the week) Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to see the tomb, bringing the spices with them, but Christ had already risen from the dead. (Matthew 28:1-8).

It was also from Thursday evening after the High Day Sabbath, that the Pharisees and the high priests went to Pilate, and asked that guards be posted around the tomb. The truth of the matter is, Jesus Christ was resurrected from the dead, at the precise time that He was placed in the tomb, after spending three days, and three nights in the heart of the earth, as He said He would. And thus He fulfilled Daniel’s prophecy which states; “But in the middle of the week He shall bring an end to sacrifice and offering” (Daniel 9:27).

One important thing to know also is that the Sabbath is observed between the day light periods between two evenings. For thus says the Lord; “I am the Lord, and there is no other; there is no God besides me. I will gird you, though you have not known me, that they may know from the rising of the sun to its setting that there is none besides me. I am the Lord, and there is no other.” And, “For from the rising of the sun, even to its going down, My name shall be great among the Gentiles; In every place incense (prayer) shall be offered to My name, and a pure offering; For My name shall be great among the nations.” Says the Lord of hosts” Isaiah 45: 5-6; Malachi 1:11).

It is only on the Day of Atonement that one begins observing the fast on the evening before as the scripture clearly states; “Also the tenth day of this seventh month shall be the Day of Atonement. It shall be a holy convocation for you; you shall afflict your souls, and offer an offering made by fire to the LORD.

“It shall be to you a Sabbath of solemn rest, and you shall afflict your souls; on the ninth day of the month at evening, from evening to evening, you shall celebrate your Sabbath" (Leviticus 23:27; 32).

Please note carefully that, the Day of Atonement is on the 10^th day of the seventh month and the fast begins from the evening before which is not regarded as part or the beginning of the tenth day but rather the evening of the ninth day which confirms that a day does not begin in the evening. The reason why the Day of Atonement begins from the evening it is because no food or drink should be consumed on the Day of Atonement and so the fasting must begin from the evening before.

The irony of truth is, if a Christ was buried on Friday evening, and rose on Sunday morning, he is an impostor, a deceiver, because he failed to fulfill his Messianic sign which was to spend three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.

The question now remains: Who will you believe?

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00LAB7T0W

With brotherly love

Lucius Joseph

Friday, April 7, 2023

Was Jesus Christ crucified on a Friday (part 2)

What time was Christ placed in the tomb?

Knowing the time which Jesus Christ was placed in the tomb, is of great significance, because the three days and three nights do not begin at the time of His death, but at the precise time He was placed in the heart of the earth. For it is written; “When evening had come, because it was the preparation Day, that is, the day before the (High Day) Sabbath, Joseph of Arimathea, a prominent council member, who was himself waiting for the kingdom of God, coming and taking courage, went in to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus” (Mark 15: 42-43).

The apostle Matthew gave a similar account stating; “Now when evening had come there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who himself had also become a disciple of Jesus. This man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Then Pilate commanded the body to be given to him, and when Joseph had taken the body, he wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, and laid it in his new tomb which he had hewn out of the rock; and he rolled a large stone against the door of the tomb and departed” ( Matthew 27: 57- 61).

It is clear that the body of Christ was placed in the tomb at the evening of the preparation of a High Day Sabbath which was the first day of the Feast on Unleavened bread and was resurrected in the period between the end of the weekly Sabbath, and towards the dawn of the first day of the week.

Because the scriptures state clearly that; “Because it was the preparation Day, that the bodies should not remain on the cross on the Sabbath (for that Sabbath was a high day), the Jews asked Pilate that their legs might be broken and that they might be taken away.” (John 19: 31),

When, and what was this High Day Sabbath?

Knowing when, and what day was this High Day Sabbath, is the key to knowing the day of Christ’s crucifixion. For it is written; “On the next day which followed the Day of Preparation, the chief priests and Pharisees gather together to Pilate, saying, “Sir, we remember, while He was still alive, how that deceiver said, ‘After three days I will rise.’ “Therefore command that the tomb be made secure until the third day, lest His disciples come by night and steal Him away, and say to the people, ‘He has risen from the dead.’ So the last deception will be worse than the first” (Matthew 27: 62).

We have been admonished to prove all things, and hold fast to what is good. If that preparation Day which preceded the High Day Sabbath was a Friday, and this High Day Sabbath was a Saturday, how do we reconcile with the following:

a. At what time did the women purchased and prepared the spices?

How much time did the women who followed Jesus Christ, and observed the tomb and how His body was laid had, to return, prepare spices and fragrant oils, and then rested on the Sabbath according to the commandment, when it was already evening when the body was laid in the tomb? (Luke 23: 54-56; Mark 15: 42).

b. What time did the chief priest met with Pilate and discussed the posting of the guards

If the day which followed the Preparation Day was the weekly Sabbath (Saturday) as it is commonly assumed, and for certain, the chief priests and the Pharisees kept the Sabbath, and rested, so when did they gather together with Pilate to discuss the posting of the guard?

c. When were the guards posted?

If they were gathered together with Pilate after the Sabbath, then by the time they would agree to post the guards, Christ would have already been raised from the dead. However the scriptures confirm that, there were guards posted by the tomb when Christ resurrected from the dead, so when were the guards posted?

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00LAB7T0W

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B077M5T68T

To be continued, stay tuned

With brotherly Love

Lucius Joseph

Thursday, April 6, 2023

Was Jesus Christ crucified on a Friday?

Was Jesus Christ Crucified on a Friday?

Good Friday, the Friday before Easter Sunday, is celebrated worldwide among Christians as the anniversary of Christ’s death on the cross. This day was set apart as a holy day as long ago as the 300’s, in the time of Constantine. But the big question is: Was Christ truly crucified on a Friday?

This should not be taken lightly, because if we desire to worship and serve the Lord, we are to do it in truth, for the time has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks to worship Him.

Jesus Christ in predicting His death said to His disciples “We are going up to Jerusalem, and everything that is written by the prophets about the Son of Man will be fulfilled. He will be turned over to the Gentiles. They will mock Him, insult Him, spit on Him, flog Him and kill Him, and on the third day He will rise again” (Luke 18:31-34).

So the question is, on what day was Jesus Christ Resurrected?

In the event that one does not know the day on which Christ was crucified, I believe that by knowing the day of His resurrection will help determine the day of His crucifixion, if we believe in the scriptures which state as follows; “On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb, they found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus, and while they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightening stood beside them” (Luke 24: 1-3).

“In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them; “Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; He has risen! Remember how He told you, while He was still with you in Galilee: ‘The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.’ Then they remembered His words.”

The apostle John wrote his account of the resurrection stating; “Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the entrance.” From all indications Jesus Christ had already risen by the time the women went to the tomb, very early while it was sill dark as it began to dawn towards the first day of the week, thus indicating that, it was not yet the first day of the week ((John 20: 1; Matthew 28:1).

And so, the logical question is, at what time was Jesus Christ resurrected?

If we believe the scriptures there will be no ambiguity as to when Jesus Christ was resurrected from the dead, for the scripture confirms that, “After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb. There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it, his appearance was like lightening, and his clothes was white as snow. The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men. Then the angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus who was crucified. He is not here: He has risen, just as He said. Come and see the place where He lay.”

Mark’s account states it this way; “Now when He rose early on the first day of the week, He appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom He had cast seven demons” (Mark 16: 9).

Another question is how long Jesus Christ predicted He would stay in the grave?

The angel told Mary Magdalene and the other Mary “He has risen just as He said.” What did Jesus say before He was crucified? He said; ‘The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.’ Again He said. ‘Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” “Go tell that fox, ‘Behold I will drive out demons and heal people today and tomorrow, and on the third day I will be perfected.”

And to the scribes and Pharisees who wanted a sign from Jesus Christ to prove that He was indeed the true Messiah He said; “An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth” (Matthew 12:39-40).

There is absolutely no ambiguity as to whether a part of a day constitutes a day, it is three full days, and three full nights, each constituting 12 hours, making it a total of seventy two (72) hours. There is no shadow of a doubt that, a day consists of twenty four (24) hours. For we have all learned that, there are twenty four (24) hours in a day. Jesus Christ Himself said, “Are there not twelve hours in the day? If anyone walks in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of the world. But if one walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him” (John 11:9-10).

So I beg to ask the question again, was Jesus Christ crucified on a Friday and resurrected on Sunday?

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00LAB7T0W

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B077M5T68T

https://www.amazon.com/dp/145385777X

To be continued, stay tuned

With brotherly love

Lucius Joseph

Monday, April 3, 2023

The manifold wisdom of God

The manifold wisdom of God which is, the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the ages has been hidden in God who created all things through Jesus Christ; is now the responsibility of the church to make known to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places, the eternal purpose which God the Father accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Unfortunately, the majority of believers have not grasped and understood the profoundness, the magnitude and the rationale of this fellowship of the mystery which the Father accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord. For example, most professing believers do not comprehend the phraseology which states; “For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death till He comes.”

They do not know how often it should be taken when the Lord Himself spoke to Moses and said to him; “Command the children of Israel, and say to them, 'My offering, My food for My offerings made by fire as a sweet aroma to Me, you shall be careful to offer to Me at their appointed time” (Numbers 28:2).

There is therefore, a prescribed, ordained time for which we are to offer to the Lord the food for His offerings. Remember, the reformation did not do away with the ordinance it simply replaced the copy and the shadow with the reality, so instead of animal sacrifices with their food and drinks we now have the body and blood of Jesus Christ in the form of the bread and wine.

The other misunderstood factor concerning the fellowship of the mystery which the Father accomplished in Jesus Christ our Lord is the phraseology; “you proclaim or commemorate the Lord's death till He comes.” The question is how do we proclaim or commemorate the Lord’s death until He comes?

To proclaim or commemorate the Lord’s death is a call to remembrance the purpose, the rationale and the reason for Christ’s death which is first and foremost to destroy the works of the devil which is sin and death as we have been duly admonished saying; “He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil” (1John 3:8).

Therefore, whenever we partake of the fellowship of the mystery which the Father accomplished in Jesus Christ we are destroying the works of the devil by having our sins forgiven and guaranteeing our eternal life Just as Jesus Christ plainly said; “Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.”

Please note carefully that it is while we have fellowship with one another at the appointed time ordained by the Lord Himself to offer to Him the food for His offerings that the blood of Christ cleanses us from our sin. As alluded to by the apostle John wrote; “But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin” (1John 1:7).

Again note carefully that the word is “cleanses” something that is current and not cleansed as in the past. This also coincides with the statement made by the apostle Paul when he wrote; “Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry. I speak as to wise men; judge for your-selves what I say. The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion (fellowship) of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion (fellowship) of the body of Christ? For we, though many, are one bread and one body; for we all partake of that one bread” (1Corinthians 10:14-17).

The apostle had to chastise the church in Corinth due to the manner in which they partook of the fellowship offering, he said to them; “For first of all, when you come together as a church, I hear that there are divisions among you, and in part I believe it. For there must also be factions among you, that those who are approved may be recognized among you. Therefore when you come together in one place, it is not to eat the Lord's Supper. For in eating, each one takes his own supper ahead of others; and one is hungry and another is drunk. What! Do you not have houses to eat and drink in? Or do you despise the church of God and shame those who have nothing? What shall I say to you? Shall I praise you in this? I do not praise you” (1Corinthians 11:18-22).

But after chastising them for the manner in which they partook of the Lord’s Supper he then instructed them saying; “Therefore, my brethren, when you come together (as a church) to eat(the Lord’s supper) wait for one another. But if anyone is hungry, let him eat at home, lest you come together for judgment. And the rest I will set in order when I come” (1Corinthians 11:33-34).

And the possibility of coming together for judgment is as the result of not discerning the Lord’s body, by eating and drinking of the body and blood of Jesus Christ in an unworthy manner and it is for this reason many of us are weak, sick and some have died. God has overlooked this time of ignorance and now commands all men everywhere to repent. I implore you; let us make it our aim to truly understand the manifold wisdom of God..