It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man (Psalms 118:8).

I revere God as my personal Father. As I study His faithful and unwavering character and His desires for mankind, I learn how awesome He created every law and set them in motion to guard and protect the health and welfare of it’s followers, thus liberating them (Exodus 15:26; Leviticus 26:1—13; Deuteronomy 28:1—14; Matthew 11:28—30; John 8:31—32; James 1:25; 2:12).

With today’s economic downturn, the prophecies which foretold of this become meaningful and real; particularly the all-time prophecies from over 3000 years ago where God promised blessings for obedience to His commandments, and curses for disobedience (Leviticus 26; Deuteronomy 28). Scriptures prove that He keeps His Word and promises, which are valid testimonies for us today (1 Corinthians 10); still being fulfilled today; the latter days. In Deuteronomy 4:30—40 blessings are promised for obedience to Him when tribulations come in the latter days. In chapters 30 & 31 He warns us how we will corrupt ourselves in the latter days by using man’s ways instead of His for which evil will befall us (also Psalms 118:8; Proverbs 3; Acts 5:29; Romans 3:4; James 4:4)! Our generation is a living testimony to these prophecies.

North America (Canada & USA), has been blessed tremendously in the past 2 centuries; beyond any generation on record. In the last few decades, God and His commandments have had to take the back seat, or rather the trunk, so that perhaps He can get out and push when needed!! His commandments got buried, thus forsaken, by commandments of men through traditional Church doctrine (Matthew 15; Mark 7). Political rulers followed suit, and ironically, the traditional Christians are screaming and pawing the ground because of it! I don’t understand why, because they kicked Him out before the politicians did. We need to wake up and come to grips with the only eternal God, repent, and keep His commandments. But I can’t see national repentance in the tea-leaves, in which case desolation-destruction is inevitable; it’s a promise from the Creator of the universe Himself! Thus, we are reaping the fruits of our labours (Matthew 7:15—22)!

But, there is HOPE! Each will answer for his own. If the Nation is cursed, I need not be part of it. No one’s salvation will be lost because of another’s wrongs (Ezekiel 18); just like Lot’s family (Genesis 19). In Isaiah 56 & 58, and Jeremiah 17, God promises blessings for those who delightfully keep Holy His Sabbaths. Throughout the Gospels, the Messiah liberates people of FAITH on His Sabbaths. God’s Kingdom will consist of people who keep His commandments while faithfully following the Messiah (Revelation12:17; 14:12; 22:14). His commandments are not burdensome (Matthew 11:28—30; 1 John 5:2—3), but liberating (James 1:25; 2:12; Romans 7:12, 22). We faithfully, and patiently take comfort and HOPE in these awesome promises of God.

I will make a hard statement: as long as one supports the traditional Church system, it’s virtually impossible to learn God’s true instructions for His children, because it has built a wall of partition between the Messiah and His Father. They preach that the God of the Old Testament gave His commandments ONLY for the Jews, whom that system has condemned as “the murderers of our LORD”; a strict canonized decree from Constantine 1 the Great in the 4^th century, and amplified by extreme ‘anti’-Jew thus ‘anti’-Torah theologians like Martin Luther; hence is borne a common traditional Church doctrine which portrays the Messiah as a New Testament authority who was put on this earth to move us away from God’s so-called burdensome ‘JEWISH’ commandments!! This doctrine brings the warning prophecy of Deuteronomy 13 to pass, which is confirmed in Matthew 7:15—23; 2 Corinthians 11:3—4; 13—15!

My family turned away from that system a few years ago, repented, and started following the instructions of the God of Abraham (Joshua 24:15). After worshipping Him in our home, we began to understand His Word, for which we are grateful to Him and overwhelmed. We have no traditional doctrines to defend, nor a Church, preacher, or any man. We are now free to take a stand for, and follow our God and Messiah; the only One who can liberate us, thus guiding us in the only way by which to be saved (Acts 4:12)!

A few friends have gone through a similar experience with whom we study the Scriptures on Sabbath (Saturday). I study the Scriptures with our 14 year old daughter a few evenings each month. We teach her about creation at every opportunity, so she knows the truth when topics arise involving creation-evolution-science. She understands, accepts, and appreciates keeping God’s Holy days instead of the Babylonian holidays. This is a blessing, and we continually pray that God will be glorified. In Deuteronomy 6 God specifically commands us, as responsible parents, to teach our children the meaning of His commandments, laws, and Holy days.

As a family desiring to glorify the Creator of heaven and earth, we realize how, and why He liberates those who obey His commandments (Leviticus 26; Deuteronomy 28; Matthew 11:28—30; 19:17; John 14:15; Romans 7:22; James 1:25; 2:8, 12). He is a jealous God, wherefore He condemns trading His laws for man’s (Exodus 20:5; Deuteronomy 5:9; 6:14—15; Psalms 118:8; Matthew 15; Mark 7; Acts 5:29). But He gives us a choice (Deuteronomy 11:26—28; 30:15—20; Joshua 24:15; 1 Kings 18:21; 1 Samuel 8); and we must choose!

Ironically, in traditional ‘law-done-away’ Christendom, lawlessness has come to mean liberty, while in the same breath they claim that one will go to hell for not obeying their Church doctrines and laws!! And this confusion is what children are indoctrinated with in their Sunday school and Church!

kterwilliger, flickr

We’ve invited our Creator into our home, where we worship Him and study His Word and instructions in order to grow spiritually into His faithful servants; for His honour and glory, and to our benefit. We practise His commandments, which includes HIS seventh-day Sabbath (Exodus 20:8-11), which is bound to HIS Holy days (Leviticus 23:2—4). This sets us apart while it frees us from the enslavement of the traditional-Babylonian-system (Galatians 4:8—10; Ezekiel 8:14—16), which has become the foundation of the traditional Church (Jeremiah 50; Isaiah 47; Matthew 15; Mark 7; Revelation 14—18). God’s Holy days are a foreshadow of what is to come (Colossians 2:17). The Messiah fulfilled the Passover as our Passover Lamb (1 Corinthians 5:7), and He commands us to keep observing it until He returns to keep it with us again (Matthew 26:29; Luke 22:19). He fulfilled the days of Unleavened Bread by showing us by His example to avoid sin (become unleavened). Paul exhorts us to keep these Feasts (Acts 18:21; 1 Corinthians 5:7—8; 11:23—27) as he did.

At Pentecost the Holy Spirit was delivered to His congregational assembly, which depicts God’s late-spring/early-summer harvest; which is His calling out of a select few to help Him rule and reign for 1000 years after He returns (Revelation 14:1; 20:1—6). The last 4 Holy days have not yet been fulfilled, which depict God’s final and great harvest: 1) Feast of Trumpets = Messiah’s return to earth at the last trumpet (Matthew 24:29—31; 1 Corinthians 15:52; 1 Thessalonians 4:16; Revelation 11:15—19). 2) The day of Atonement = putting away Satan during His 1000 year rule (Revelation 20:1—6). 3) Feast of Tabernacles = restoration process after He returns and resurrects His saints and dwells (tabernacles) in their hearts (Isaiah 11:7—10; Ezekiel 36:26—27; Daniel 7:9, 22, 27; Matthew 19:28; Luke 22:30; Romans 8:17; Acts 3:19—21; Revelation 5:10; 20:4). 4) Last Great day = the resurrection, to mortal life (i.e. Ezekiel 37), after the 1000 years, those who never had a chance to know the Messiah. Satan will be loosed for that period of time (about 100 years, Isaiah 65:20), to give them a choice; thus leading to the ‘great white throne judgement’ (Revelation 20:5—11).

By practicing God’s Holy days and Sabbaths, the miraculous role which our Messiah plays in God’s awesome salvation plan for mankind is revealed to us, giving us tremendous hope and encouragement to follow and endure in His steps until the end (Matthew 10:22; Hebrews 3:14; Revelation 2:26). Thus, it establishes our FAITH in the true and unfathomable saving power of the Messiah’s sacrifice. (Scriptures KJV).

For the people (particularly the traditional Christians),  that disagree and rebuke my stance on traditional religion, and for my abandoning the same; I have a challenge for you. According to ‘New Testament—law-done-away’ Christianity, there must be millions upon millions of ‘Jews’ (as they call all Israelite and Hebrew people) that have already burned in hell for thousands of years for breaking God’s commandments; especially the first and fourth one’s, which are the ‘idolatry’ and ‘Sabbath’ commandments. The Creator God promised wrath and destruction for everyone who breaks His commandments; and He keeps His Word and promises.

Consider this: let’s say that there are millions of the so-called Jews who have burned in hell already for a few millennia for breaking God’s commandments. Now, according to traditional Church doctrine, as soon as I die I will also go straight to hell for keeping God’s commandments, especially the one which commands me to keep the LORD’s Sabbaths. In hell, I might go up to an ever-burning Jew and ask him why he is there, to which he would respond something like, “I’m here for keeping Sunday instead of the LORD’s Sabbaths, for keeping pagan holidays instead of God’s appointed Holy days, for eating the flesh of scavengers, etc..” In turn, he might ask me why I am there, to which I would then have to answer, “I’m here for keeping the LORD’s Sabbaths instead of Sunday, for keeping God’s Holy days instead of the pagan holidays, for not eating the flesh of scavengers, etc..”

Remember, that Jew and I were judged by the same eternal God who does not change or waver (Malachi 3:6; Hebrews 13:8; James 1:17), and cannot lie (Titus 1:2). I’m not telling you to change your religion because of what I believe to be true. But I must ask you to think real soberly and unbiased about what that sort of philosophy makes our LORD and Saviour out to be. The Messiah did not change God’s laws (Matthew 5:17—19), and there cannot be any division between Him and His Father (Matthew 12:25; Mark 3:24).

No offense, but this sort of teaching comes from the traditional Church system from which God is calling His children out (Jeremiah 50: 1—8; 2 Corinthians 6:14—18; Revelation 18:1—4). And by severing from it we expect to be saved from the certain wrath and plagues which will befall the followers of that Babylonian system. cornieb@siscanada.ca; corniebanman.com