Majoring in minors?

EDITOR: It is with a wry smile that I read Joel Jack’s letter ‘Lent and Lies’.

Brother Jack asks, “Does the Bible command us to, or give any examples of any disciples of Christ observing Ash Wednesday, Lent, Good Friday or Easter?”{{more}}

Well, the obvious answer is no. However, I hope Brother Jack is not saying that a Christian has no freedom to creative worship.

May I humbly point out that the Bible speaks to this issue.

“One man esteemeth one day above another: another esteemeth every day alike. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind.

He that regardeth the day, regardeth it unto the Lord; and he that regardeth not the day, to the Lord he doth not regard it.” (Romans 14:5,6)

A more important question I would ask is, “Are there any Commandments being violated in the traditions of the Roman Catholic Church?”

Whenever Jesus rebuked tradition, it was because a Commandment was being affected by the tradition.

This was evident in the Corban tradition of the Pharisees, which diverted financial support from one’s aged parents to the temple treasury.

According to Jesus, this violated the Fifth Commandment. He rebuked them by saying, “…Thus have ye made the Commandment of God of none effect by your tradition.

Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying: ‘This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me.’

But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.” [Matthew 15:6-9]

And this is where I respectfully find Brother Jack may be ‘Majoring in Minors’. For ironically, he agrees with the teachings of the Catholic

Church that the Seventh Day Sabbath of the Lord has been abolished. The Catholic Church proclaims Sunday to be her ‘Mark of Ecclesiastical Authority,’ and this is the same day that Brother Jack embraces as his day of worship. There is no condemnation in observing a day unto the Lord, but there is condemnation in rejecting a day that God has specified.

The day that God says is a ‘Sign of His Sanctification of His people’ and a day to be kept Holy, is the very day that Brother Jack hides his eyes from.

Every Christian should know that the Seventh Day was sanctified and blessed at Creation [Genesis 2:1-3], given as a Sabbath to Mankind [Mark 2:27], specified as the day of worship in the Law of God [Exodus 20:8-11] and was commanded by Jesus to be kept holy after His ascension [Matthew 24:3, 20; Hebrews 4:4,10].

Every Christian should know that the Seventh Day remains blessed and holy even now. In the same way, Marriage – which was also blessed at the Creation – remains blessed and holy even now.

The Mark of the Beast is a sign of worship according to the Beast’s doctrine. The Beast mentioned in Revelation Chapter 13 and Chapter 17 is the same identified in Daniel Chapter 7 and Chapter 8 as Papal Rome, which acknowledges openly that it has authority to change God’s time and Law. Revelation Chapter 14:6 indicates that God-ordained worship involves worship of Him “that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.”

Isn’t this the very wording of the Fourth Commandment that some claim is missing from the New Testament?

The festivals that we observe unto the Lord are good. Some of us observe Lent and other Catholic Festivals, most observe Sunday as a day on which to Congregate, “He that regardeth the day, regardeth it unto the Lord; and he that regardeth not the day, to the Lord he doth not regard it.”

However, the Fourth Commandment is not optional to the Christian, it is a Divine Command.

Thank God that the Lord’s sheep hear His voice, and many are coming out of Spiritual Babylon and keeping all the Commandments of God. For this is where the test is, “Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the Commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.” [Revelation 14:12]

Maurice Rogers