Dear Editor,
Worship comes from 2 words, “worth-ship,” meaning showing of respect and esteem to a higher authority.
The key elements are fear, humility and ultimately LOVE. Fear does not mean terror, but respect for another’s awesome power and authority.
The Hebrew concept means OBEISANCE, or the status of a servant who obeys his master (Romans 6:15-16). the word “OBEY” comes from the Hebrew word “OBED”, or servant. The prophet “OBADYAH’S/OBIDIAH’S” name means “servant of YAH.”
Worship is something we perform and is seen as OBEDIENCE. Worship is not something we do only several times each week, but everyday; by adopting the “pattern of living” we see in the ten commandments.
Genesis 22:1-13: “…So Abraham said to his young men, stay here with the donkey while the boy and I go over there and worship, and come back to you.”
Abraham was told to take his son Yitshaq (Isaac), whom he loved and go to the land of Moriyah, and offer him there as an ascending offering and Abraham obeyed. When Yitshaq asked about the lamb for an ascending offering Abraham said Elohim would provide the lamb and he bound Yitshaq and laid him on the alter and stretched out his hand and took the knife to slay his son. But the messenger of Yahuah called to him from the heavens and said “do not lay your hand on the boy, for I know that you fear Elohim…”
Matthew (Mattithyahu) 4:8-11: “…all these things I shall give You if You fall down and worship me. Then Yahushua said to him, go, Satan! For it has been written, you shall worship Yahuah your Elohim, and Him alone you shall serve…”
To worship and serve Him is to be obedient to Him.
Ernest Andrews
Charlotte
The message of the Gospel of Christ is the only good news for a lost and dying world. Paul's letter to the Christians in Rome makes this crystal clear.
Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God, (Which he had promised afore by his prophets in the holy scriptures,) Concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh; And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead: By whom we have received grace and apostleship, for obedience to the faith among all nations, for his name: Among whom are ye also the called of Jesus Christ: To all that be in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ. First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, that your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world. For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of his Son, that without ceasing I make mention of you always in my prayers; Making request, if by any means now at length I might have a prosperous journey by the will of God to come unto you. For I long to see you, that I may impart unto you some spiritual gift, to the end ye may be established; That is, that I may be comforted together with you by the mutual faith both of you and me. Now I would not have you ignorant, brethren, that oftentimes I purposed to come unto you, (but was let hitherto,) that I might have some fruit among you also, even as among other Gentiles. I am debtor both to the Greeks, and to the Barbarians; both to the wise, and to the unwise. So, as much as in me is, I am ready to preach the gospel to you that are at Rome also. For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith. Romans 1:1-17 (KJV)
"The JUST SHALL LIVE BY FAITH."
Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Romans 5:1
Let those who glory, glory in the LORD!
Sincerely, Brett Jones
The choice is simple really, either we believe the Apostle Paul or a the opinions of a few men who think everyone else is wrong but them. It is a simple choice when you stop to think about it a moment.
Consider the WORD OF GOD in Galatians 3. " O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you? This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh? Have ye suffered so many things in vain? if it be yet in vain. 5 He therefore that ministereth to you the Spirit, and worketh miracles among you, doeth he it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? Even as Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness. Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham. And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed. So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham. For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them. But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith. And the law is not of faith: but, The man that doeth them shall live in them. Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree: That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith. Brethren, I speak after the manner of men; Though it be but a man's covenant, yet if it be confirmed, no man disannulleth, or addeth thereto. Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ. And this I say, that the covenant, that was confirmed before of God in Christ, the law, which was four hundred and thirty years after, cannot disannul, that it should make the promise of none effect. For if the inheritance be of the law, it is no more of promise: but God gave it to Abraham by promise. Wherefore then serveth the law? It was added because of transgressions, till the seed should come to whom the promise was made; and it was ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator. Now a mediator is not a mediator of one, but God is one. Is the law then against the promises of God? God forbid: for if there had been a law given which could have given life, verily righteousness should have been by the law. But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe. But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed. Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster. For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise."
1 Timothy 1:5-17 "Now the end of the commandment is charity out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned: From which some having swerved have turned aside unto vain jangling; Desiring to be teachers of the law; understanding neither what they say, nor whereof they affirm. But we know that the law is good, if a man use it lawfully; Knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and for sinners, for unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers, For whoremongers, for them that defile themselves with mankind, for menstealers, for liars, for perjured persons, and if there be any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine; According to the glorious gospel of the blessed God, which was committed to my trust. And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who hath enabled me, for that he counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry; Who was before a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious: but I obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly in unbelief. And the grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant with faith and love which is in Christ Jesus. This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief. Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might shew forth all longsuffering, for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting. 17 Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honour and glory for ever and ever. Amen.
Romans 10:4 For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.
No where in the New Testament are believers in Christ commanded to keep the Sabbath day. New Testament believers met on the first day of the week and every day is a day to worship and serve the LORD Jesus Christ.
Sincerely, Brett Jones
Presently I am using/studying from A "Brief Introduction to the Old Testament/Tanak-The Hebrew Bible in its context" by Michael D. Coogan. The Scriptues are always my final authority and will remain so even in this study. Jesus is not a Hebrew name, but our Messiah is Hebrew and has a Hebrew Name. Acts 4:12 says this "And there is no deliverance in anyone else, for there is no other Name under the heaven given amon men by which we need to be saved." Do you have authoritative evidence that Jesus is a Hebrew Name and was used during His lifetime. Search the Scriptures daily rather than using man's teaching (see Matthew 15:7-9). In short, there are a thousand excuses for not keeping His coandments (Torah) and His Sabbath, but the only one that counts is the one we give on judgment day. Are you saying that the Hebrew translation is inadequate? For over fifty years my beliefs were no different from yours. Everything changed when I began an extensive, intensive, in-depth study of Scriptures, beginning with the KJV and later "the Scriptures" by the Institute for Scripture Research- a Hebrew to English translation.