WORSHIP TIME

The truth of the word of God concerning Christian fellowship has been forgotten in our own generation. People born centuries after the early apostles met corrupt doctrines. Being ignorant of the truth they embraced falsehood any way. The Spirit warned early enough, that at latter times, some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrine of devils (1 Tim: 4:2); also in Acts 20: 29-30 it said, “I know that grievous wolves shall enter in among you; also men shall arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them”.

The antic of the devils is to hold people in ignorance. Only those who are versed in their devices escape these manipulations (2 Cor. 2: 11).Because Satan working through his surrogate kingdom, which is, Babylon, the mother of harlots, and abominations of the whole earth, “The Mystery Babylon”, (Rev. 17: 1-6) gets advantage of the simple. Therefore my people are gone into captivity, because they have no knowledge; having their understanding darkened, they are alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart (Isa. 5: 13, Eph. 4: 18).

Total importation of falsehood into Christianity was done by the Roman Church, through their pioneer, Constantine, the Emperor of Rome, (305-336 AD). He ventured into Christianity with the conscience of idol (1 Cor. 8: 7). He was a worshipper of the sun god prior to his declaration for Christianity. In his new found faith (as he claimed) he could not separate from his allegiance to the sun god. In 321 AD this worshipper of the sun-god decided to honour his god (while yet being a Christian) by declaring a mass for him in his day (sun-day), he called it, the “VENERABLE DAY OF THE SUN”. And it was made a public holiday in 538 AD by the Roman Catholic Church after the council they held in Orleans. From that time till this day Christians are lured in the trap of worshipping the Sun-god unawares. Today Christians all over the world observe sun-day morning as the proper time of fellowship – not asking how it came about. Through this means Christians worship the sun - unawares, by venerating his day with sacramental commitment. Therefore, they join the Roman Eucharist to the Sun every Sunday morning. Prior to the declaration of 538 AD Christians had no such thing as: keeping the Sabbath, or resting from servile works on Sunday.

WHAT IS THE CENTER PIECE OF THE GATHERING OF THE CHURCH, FOR FELLOWSHIP?

Where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in their midst (Matt. 18: 20). Our gathering is unto the Lord, that is, to fellowship in the Lord. As it is explained in 1 Cor. 1: 9, God is faithful, by whom you are called < unto the fellowship of his son > Jesus Christ our Lord. The expression, “fellowship” is rendered in Greek as “KOI NONIA”, which means, partnership, communion or fellowship. A Commune is a group of people living together as a group, sharing possessions mutually. Therefore, our gathering is communal, that is, there is something that we own in common that we are gathering to share. Our communion is with the father, who called us to join in partnership with him in owning his son. This communion (fellowship) is also with the Holy Spirit (Phil. 2:1). What we are gathering to do, or to fellowship in should be understood first. We are gathering as a community to share what we have in common; that is, Christ Jesus our Lord. Jesus said, “I am the bread of life…this is the bread that come down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die. I am the living bread, which came down from heaven: if any man eats of this bread, he shall live forever: and the bread that I give is my flesh, which I give for the life of the world. For my flesh is food indeed and my blood is drink indeed. He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him (John 6:48 - 58).

We shall endeavor through this write up to give a clearer understanding of this mystery to aid us in the proper perception of what Christian fellowship is all about. Those who know the mystery of Christian fellowship are careful enough to see that it is not substituted with any counterfeit ritual. The early saints knew this so well, that was why they called it “feast of love” (Jude 12). With this festal mind they emotionally assembled at the Lord’s Table. They celebrated it so religiously; none willingly ignored it. Take, eat, this is my body, which is broken for you: do this in remembrance of me…. This cup is the New Testament in my blood; do this in remembrance of me.

THE LORD’S SUPPER: WHAT IS IT’S SIGNIFICANCE?

Christ died to fulfill the Law of Moses, as he said, “I have not come to destroy the law or the prophets, but I come to fulfill them” (John 19:28-30, Matt. 5:17). The section of the Law in question that concerns this write-up is the ordinance of Passover/unleavened bread. Exo. 12: 1-20…let every household take a male lamb…your lamb will be without blemish, a male of the first year…kill it in the evening. And they shall take of the blood, and strike it on the two side posts and on the upper door post of the houses…and they shall eat the flesh in that night, roast with fire, and unleavened bread…and the blood shall be for a token to you…when I see the blood, I will pass over you.

Christ came as the lamb without blemish (1 Peter 1:19). The scriptures confirmed also that Christ is our Passover lamb (1 Cor. 5: 7). That was why he died in the time that the usual Passover lamb was killed (Luke 22:7-15 Matt. 27:7-15, Duet. 16:1-8). Having fulfilled the Passover, he obtained for us an eternal redemption; even as the animals sacrificed in Egypt obtained redemption for the Israelites.

And he said, “With desire have I desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer” (Luke 22:14-15), after eating the Passover he replaced it with a new communion and enjoined his disciples to keep to the new fellowship. Just as it is written in Matt. 26:26-30, this is the New Testament in my blood. With this, Christians are not required to keep the Jewish Passover and unleavened bread, because the Lord fulfilled it. Rather they should keep to the breaking of bread, which signifies the sharing of the body of Christ. 1 Cor. 10:16-17) it is written, “The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the body of Christ”. Fellowship is not just coming together to pray, sing and dance: but to have fellowship and fellowship means; coming together to share Christ. And this is done at a set time.

WHAT WAS THE ACTUAL TIME THAT THE EARLY CHURCHES GATHERED FOR FELLOWSHIP?

It is only by the revelation of God that one could trace accurately what time or hour that the early saints gathered for fellowship. Indeed some denominations have discovered that the veneration of the day of the Sun (Sun-day worship) is idolatrous: however not being instructed by the unction of the Lord on what is appropriate, they reverted to keeping Saturday holy as the Israelites, thinking that The Jewish Sabbath is obligatory to Christians. Others, being at crossroads decided to continue with the Babylonian doctrine anyway, consequently they walk contrary to the truth. To them the keeping of Sun-day - Sabbath is a replacement of the usual Sabbath. However, we want to explain the Jewish Sabbath, to see whether it concerns a Christian.

WHAT WAS THE ACTUAL TIME THAT THE EARLY CHURCHES GATHERED FOR FELLOWSHIP?

It is only by the revelation of God that one could trace accurately what time or hour that the early saints gathered for fellowship. Indeed some denominations have discovered that the veneration of the day of the Sun (Sun-day worship) is idolatrous: however not being instructed by the unction of the Lord on what is appropriate, they reverted to keeping Saturday holy as the Israelites, thinking that The Jewish Sabbath is obligatory to Christians. Others, being at crossroads decided to continue with the Babylonian doctrine anyway, consequently they walk contrary to the truth. To them the keeping of Sun-day - Sabbath is a replacement of the usual Sabbath. However, we want to explain the Jewish Sabbath, to see whether it concerns a Christian.

SABBATH: IS IT FOR THE CHURCH?

Primarily, the Law of Moses was not given to the Gentiles, nor to the church but to the Jews only (Deut. 4:5-14, Rom 9:5). We know that whatever the law is saying it speaks to those who are under it (Rom 3:19). Jehovah said in Ex. 31:12-18 that Sabbath was a sign between him and the Israelites. It is attitudinal with God that whenever he calls someone or a people he gives him or them a sign. He gave unto Noah the sign of Rainbow (Gen. 9:12-13), to Abraham he gave the sign of circumcision (Gen 17:9-14), when he called out the Israelites (out of Egypt) he gave them the sign of Sabbath. These signs did not extend to the Church: because to the Church he gave its own sign in Mark 16:17-18. To this generation he gave the sign of Jonah (Matt. 12:38-40).

When the Lord came, He said, “Sabbath was made for man and not man for Sabbath” (Mark 2:27-28). He said also that he (Christ) is the Lord of the Sabbath. It is on record that the Lord did not keep the Sabbath when he was in the world (Matt. 12:1-3, John 5, John 9). Remember that he told his disciples “I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done” (John 13:15) therefore his disciples emulate him, by ignoring the Sabbath. The Church was not enjoined to keep the Sabbath day holy, rather he said to the church – there remaineth (in future) a Sabbath (rest) to the people of God (Heb. 4:3-9). Paul emphatically said in Colossians 2:16, “let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink or in respect of a holy day, or of the sabbath days: Which are a shadow of things to come”. By this injunction, no man has the right to impose on a Christian any holy day or Sabbath days. Therefore, neither the propagators of Saturday as Sabbath, nor the advocates of the keeping of Sun-day as Sabbath are right before God. Christ is our Sabbath, “come unto me and I will give you rest” (Matt. 11:28-30). This is a spiritual rest - not physical.

FELLOWSHIP TIME: IS GOD INTERESTED IN IT?

Some people say that God is not interested in the time that we gather, basing their assertion on what is written in Romans 14:5-6 which says, one man esteemed one day above another: another esteemed every day alike. He that regarded the day, regarded it unto the Lord; and he that regarded not the day, to the Lord does he not regard it. They misconstrue this to mean that: every Church could choose the time that they prefer, and set such aside for the fellowship of the Lord’s body and blood. However, the singular noun “one man” was speaking of a person, not “the whole Church”. A man may personally choose to regard a day. That is, one might choose to set a day aside to personally seek the face of God through fasting and prayers or other spiritual exercises. So it is not a congregational injunction.

The book of Romans was mainly addressed to the Hebrews living in Rome, for the very reason that Jews traditionally regarded unto the Lord, according to their law, so Paul addressed that issue suitably by saying to them - it is now personal, not congregational. This issue came up because after their conversion to Christianity some Jews were not able to divorce the idea of keeping some holy days unto the Lord, (but some unobserved that tradition). Therefore, Paul taught them to bear with one another, because from origin, these holy days were actually commanded by the Lord to the Jews. (Note: no Jew has ever been able to forsake the law totally, not even Paul, Acts 21: 19-26). Some verses in the book of Romans proved explicitly that the book of Romans was addressed to Hellenist Jews. Examples are: Romans 2:17-29,3:1, 4:1…behold thou art called a Jew, and rested in the law…. which has the form of knowledge in the law…what advantage hath a Jew…what shall I say that Abraham our father according to the flesh. With these verses, and many more, we comprehend that the book of Romans was written to Jews. From chapters 2 – 15, Paul was explaining to them the differences between their old religion and their newfound faith. That was why he said to them “our father according to the flesh”. The possessive determiner “our” is an indication that he was speaking to a people who had the same genealogical background with him. Therefore he was referring to the Jewish holy days, which some Jewish Christian could not jettison.

THE HOLY COMMUNION IS A FEAST

The bible calls the Holy Communion “A FEAST”. The Breaking of bread, is not a mere church activity, but a feast. The bible explained it so in 1 Cor. 5: 8, let us keep the feast, not with old leaven. The word “feast” is rendered as festival in Greek, “heortazo”. After saying that Christ our Passover is sacrificed, the Apostle implored us to keep the festival (feast). This is the only feast of the saints in the New Testament. Feasts are set apart as a commemoration of certain important event or person. The Church was not told to set apart their preferable days for the breaking of bread. We must note that God has interest in the time that we gather. We are not without law unto Christ (1 Cor. 9: 21).

This day shall be unto you for a memorial; and ye shall keep it a feast to the Lord… ye shall keep it a feast by an ordinance forever (Exo. 12:14). This is quoted to prove that God ordains feasts, and it is for a memorial. The feast of Passover/ unleavened bread was in memorial of the exodus of the Hebrews from Egypt; whenever they feasted they would recall their ordeal in Egypt. Even so the Lord said, “do this in remembrance of me”

Therefore, there is someone that we are gathering to commemorate. That is the Lord himself; do this in remembrance of me, we also remember his death, “for as often as you eat this bread, and drink this cup, you do show the Lord’s death till he comes” (1 Cor. 11:24-26). Therefore, it is a celebration of both the life of Christ and his death. Consequently the scriptures call it “feast of love” (2 Peter 2:13, Jude vs. 12). In this festival we remember the love of God and Christ while in we are in fellowship with the Father. The Corinthian Church knew this, but they abused it by getting drunk while feasting before the Lord (1 Cor. 11: 20-21).

The purpose of Christian fellowship is to celebrate the Lord, while doing this we sing an ode unto him, even a service of songs. God ordained all the religious feasts of Israel, and their modalities: each having its time and reason, the Jews dare not change the time and season. Rather they observed them accordingly. Feasts are of the Lord (Lev. 23: 4). Therefore we have no right to re-order the feast of the Lord in our own generation. The Lord’s Day fellowship is not a mere assemblage but a solemn feast of the Lord. Churches could fix the time they desire to assemble to share the word or edify one another, but churches should avoid a routine Sunday morning weekly gathering for fellowship because it is a signature program of the Roman sun-god “nathalis invinci”. But the weekly communion which is an act that we do “in remembrance of” is beyond the regulatory authority of man.

Since it is called “THE DAY OF THE LORD” (Rev. 1:10), it is beyond human manipulation. It means, the day that the Lord has chosen. If it is a day that man has chosen or can choose the early Apostles would not have referred to it as “the Lord’s day”. The bible proved that the day and time was a commandment of the apostles through the Holy Spirit. In 1 Cor. 16: 1-2 Paul wrote, “As I have ‘given order’ to the churches of Galatia, even so do ye. Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store. (This “lay in store” is the traditional offering that follows immediately after the breaking of bread). It is an ordinance, that’s why he said, “I have given order”.

What time did they actually gather on the first day of the week, and what did they gather for? In Acts 20:7-9 it is written, upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them…and continued his speech until midnight. Moreover, there were many lights in the upper chamber, where they were gathered. The Church in Troas gathered for the traditional purpose of breaking bread, and it was at night. That was why there were many lights in the chamber were they gathered. Believers were admonished not to forsake this assembly of one another (Heb. 10: 25). If it were a day that someone chooses to esteem more than other days unto the Lord – others are not to be bound by such decision; others were free to participate or not, non-compelling them. Of this he said, “don’t forsake”. Since it is a feast that the whole Church must participate in (in concert); the Corinthians were told, “When you come together to eat, tarry for one another”. Further proofs abound, showing that it is not what you do at will. This necessitated their being reprimanded, “When you come together into one place, this is not to eat the Lord’s supper” (1 Cor. 11: 20). The Corinthians were celebrating this hallowed fellowship loosely. Paul protested to them and said, “the fellowship of the saints is not what you do any how, any time, and anywhere” emphasizing that this is tantamount to despising the Church of God.

IT IS CALLED “THE LORD’S SUPPER”

Every syllable used in the bible must be noted, and precisely interpreted, and not misapplied as if it is phrase less. Those who overlook this principle end up misinterpreting and wrongly applying the scriptural tenses in the general context. The word used is “SUPPER”, not lunch, neither breakfast nor any meal. The English meaning of the word ‘supper’ is “a light evening meal”. In Greek the word used was “deipnon” i.e. ‘the chief meal usually eaten in the evening’. The Greek word for breakfast is “ariston” (therefore deipnon was appropriately used, for they have also words for breakfast and other meals in their vocabularies). This meal was eaten at night, that was why he said “everyone takes before the other his own supper” (1 Cor. 11: 21).

The breaking of bread is a replacement of the Passover; the very image, not the shadow; “the body is of Christ”. As the Hebrews ate the flesh of the lamb that redeemed them from Egypt and sprinkled its blood (Exo. 12:1-13), so we eat the flesh of the Lamb of God that redeemed us from the wrath of God, and sprinkle his blood in our consciences (John 6:53, Heb. 9:14). Passover was kept at night in Egypt, “this is that night of the Lord to be observed, for bringing you out from the land of Egypt” (Exo. 12: 11-24,40). If it were not necessary that the very image of this feast be observed at night, the Lord should have changed it by himself. We must note that, the Lord changed the aspects of the ‘shadow type’ that needed to be changed. Examples: instead of the roasted flesh of a lamb or goat - bread was used; in place of the blood of the lamb - wine was employed. If it were needful to change it from supper to lunch or breakfast, the Lord should have done that. Remember, looking unto Jesus.

The apostle reported “I have received of the Lord that which I delivered unto you; that the Lord Jesus “in the same night” which he was betrayed, took bread and wine and gave his disciples and said “do this – exactly this” (1 Cor. 11:23-25). We have no right to do it another way.

THE MONTH, ABIB AS IT RELATES TO OUR WORSHIP TIME OF THE EVENING OF THE FIRST DAY OF THE WEEK

And the Lord spoke unto Moses and Aaron saying, this shall be unto you the beginning of the months: it shall be the first month of the year to you…The feast of unleavened bread shall thou keep. Seven days thou shall eat unleavened bread…in the month of Abib: for in the month of Abib thou camest out from Egypt (Ex. 12: 1-2, Ex. 34: 18).

This Jewish sacred first month of Abib is the seventh month in the Empirical civil calendar, called Nissan. Abiyb means: to be tender, green, i.e. a young ear of grain (a sprout). That is to say, the first thing to come forth. In this beginning of the year, the Jews were commanded to keep the feast of unleavened bread. In the fourteenth day of the first month, at even is the Lord’s Passover. And on the fifteenth day of the same month is the feast of unleavened bread (Lev. 23:5-6). We want to trace the reason why Christians gather to fellowship in the night of the first day of the week from the wisdom of what was obtained from the shadow of this event in the law. The Jews started the year with this month, in which a week was set aside for avoidance of yeast. Yet it shall not be at the beginning of that month, but at the beginning of the second half of the month. In the law era when this feast was an annual event; the first half of the month was allowed to elapse.

When Christ established the very image, he commanded that this feast should be an event that must be celebrated often. In 1 Cor. 11:26 it is written, “as often as you eat this bread, and drink this cup, you do show the Lord’s death till he come”. The word ‘often’ was written in Greek as “pollakis” which means “frequently”. This feast of the Lord (in the New Testament) must be frequently observed. It could have been a daily activity if not that the Lord demanded that, one must live a life unleavened by malice and wickedness for seven days before he could be qualified for another feast. For he said, seven days should no leaven be found in your habitations. When it was an annual event it was held at the beginning of the year, now that it is a weekly event, it must be held at the beginning of the week, (i.e. the first day of the week). When it was been held at the beginning of the year, it was not commemorated at the beginning of that month, but at the beginning of the second half of that month. Now that it is slated for the beginning of the week, it must not be commemorated at the beginning of that day (morning), but at the beginning of the second half of the day (at even). This is the true mystical calculation of this mystery of God. This informed the reason why the early saints gathered at night for the Lord’s Day fellowship. If not for the corruption by The Roman Catholic church, the early Churches were worshipping God as approved by him in the night of the first day of the week. Today Sun worship has replaced the true way of fellowship, but majority of Christians know it not. It is a difficult task today to convince and restore them to the path of truth. Some say, “it doesn’t matter” So they are still, under the mysterious religion of Babylon as one of her daughters. The truth has been buried for many centuries ago, because of this – the new generation of Christians have not known the appropriate way to fellowship, because they were born and bred in Babylon. Blinded in the Babylonian system they don’t know any other truth. When Roman Catholic church decreed the venerable day of the sun in 538 AD as a sabbath they did it to please their god because they are aliens to the commonwealth of true believers. Today Christians in ignorance still follow this heathen practice.

WHAT OF THE DAY OF PENTECOST?

This is a recurrent question that people ask concerning this doctrine. They reason that, if Sunday morning fellowship is improper, what about the day of Pentecost? For Peter said to the people in Acts 2:15, “it is but the third hour of the day” (9 am). They say, if the Disciples of Christ held fellowship on Sunday morning (on Pentecost day) what makes it idolatrous for Christians to fellowship the same time now. This argument is borne out of ignorance, because fellowship (communion) of the Church is not been well understood by many.

Things to be considered are:

*what activities actually make up Christian fellowship?
*Could the day of Pentecost event be described as the formal fellowship?
*Finally, what is Pentecost?

We have said earlier that the centerpiece of Christian fellowship is to gather and break bread i.e. to gather to share the Lord Jesus (among us, in type). Other activities follow, like singing psalms, preaching sermon (to the Church), revelations (prophecies), tongues and interpretation, offering and prayers (1 Cor. 14: 26, 1 Cor. 16:1-2). Now, which of these activities took place on that day of Pentecost? None.

If fellowship is well understood, one will know that the disciples held no fellowship on that day. For on that day of Pentecost, they did not break bread, neither did they sing, nor gave any offering. The tongues that were spoken on that day were different from the ones that were later in use in the Churches. Rather it (tongues spoken on that Pentecost day) was to fulfill the prophecy of Isaiah 28:11, “for with stammering lips and another tongue will he speak to this people”. The tongues that were later in use in the Churches were directed to God (man can only understand them when they are interpreted to him through the Holy Spirit) “for he that speaks in an unknown tongue speaks not unto men, but unto God: for no man understandeth him” (1 Cor. 14:2). The tongues that were spoken on that Pentecost day ministered to men (for men understood naturally what was being spoken). That day the Holy Spirit came, and preached the gospel through other tongues to the Jews who converged from all nations, (in their individual tongues). The other activity of that day was in the same direction; Peter preached the gospel to unbelievers by which about 3000 souls were saved. Having elaborately explained, could someone still say that the disciples fellowshipped on the Pentecost day? If we should be repeating the Pentecost day event what we need to do is to gather every Sunday morning by 9 am and proceed on evangelism. The Church later started to fellowship (formally) in breaking of bread, doctrine, and giving (Acts 2:42-47).

Moreover Pentecost means: a feast of leavened bread, for in Lev. 23:15-21 Pentecost feast is, the offering of two loaves of leavened bread. This is the feast of leavened first fruits unto the Lord. Signifying: the harvesting of both Jews and Gentiles (the two loaves) from the whole world as first fruits (James 1:18), unto the Lord, all with leaven. To be created into one new unleavened lump (Church) in Christ (Eph. 2:12-16,1 Cor. 5:7). These (two loaves) being made one shall feast before the Lord without leaven. If one suggests that we go back to Pentecost that person is asking us to go back to our old leavened nature. For Pentecost feast is a feast of leavened bread, of which the Lord told us to purge out. We’ve proved that the first day of the week fellowship is not just a formality, but a feast, a supper. It is not just coming together to sing, dance and study bible. If any is spiritual, let him recognize that this is the Lord’s commandment.