Study 41 Called to be set apart - the chosen

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CALLED TO BE SET APART

-THE CHOSEN-

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STUDY 70: THE CALLED AND THE CHOSEN — SET APART THROUGH OBEDIENCE

Written in truth and instruction by John, Servant and Disciple of Christ, Zion’s Roar Holy Spirit Ministry

There’s something you need to understand right from the start.
When God calls a person, it doesn’t automatically mean they’ll be chosen.
God calls many, but only a few are chosen.
Why? Because not everyone obeys what God called them for.
Not everyone answers fully. Not everyone endures the refining that comes after the call.
The call is the invitation, but being chosen is the result of obedience.

Many are called, but few are chosen. (Matthew 22:14)

This is where it begins.
The call is when the Spirit starts pulling at your heart, when you feel that inner stirring that won’t let you go.
That’s God drawing you to Himself. (John 6:44)
But that pull doesn’t make you chosen. It just means He’s giving you a chance.
What you do next determines everything.

The Way of Life

This walk is not emotional. It’s transformation.
It’s death to who you were, and birth into who He wants you to be.
“Be not conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” (Romans 12:2)

This transformation is identity itself, putting off the old man and putting on the new. True identity in Christ is not preserved by clinging to self but by surrendering to God. When we come to Him, our old identity must die so that our new life can begin. The change is not imitation but transformation. The Spirit renews the heart, reshapes the mind, and produces a new character that mirrors the Father’s nature. We are not called to act like Him but to follow Him, to obey, honor, and walk in His ways.

This walk cannot be guided by feelings, because feelings are unstable and easily deceived. Feelings change with circumstances, but faith endures through truth. Scripture warns that the heart is deceitful above all things and cannot be trusted. Those who live by emotion will fall every time the storm comes, but those who walk by faith remain firm. The chosen do not live by what they feel; they live by what they know — the unchanging Word of God.

Faith without obedience is empty, and obedience without endurance is incomplete. Every act of obedience becomes a visible testimony — a good work that confirms transformation. Good works are not for show; they are the fruit of a renewed heart. They prove that the Word is alive within you, that faith is genuine, and that love is active.

God’s plan has always been the same.
Death is no longer the end; it’s the beginning.
It’s how we leave sin and walk into freedom.
“Therefore, if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” (2 Corinthians 5:17)
You can’t walk this path unless your mind is renewed, your heart purified, and your desires turned toward Him.

Those who are called start that process.
Those who are chosen finish it.
A life that’s truly transformed shows fruit, real fruit, the fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith, meekness, and self-control. (Galatians 5:22–23)

These are the visible signs that God is working inside of you.
Christ already described this way of life. Go read Matthew 5.
The poor in spirit, the merciful, the pure in heart, the peacemaker, and the persecuted.
That’s who makes up His Kingdom.

They’re the ones who didn’t just hear the call but proved faithful through obedience.
This call is not for comfort. It’s for transformation.
It’s death to self and birth into holiness.
Only those who endure that change all the way through will stand as chosen before God.

When we come to Christ, we are not simply given a new title — we are given a new life. Identity in Christ means transformation from within. Scripture commands us to put off the old man, which is corrupted by deceitful lusts, and to be renewed in the spirit of our mind, putting on the new man created in righteousness and holiness. Every part of who we were before Christ must yield to who we are becoming in Him.

To remain unchanged under His reign is to resist His kingship. When Christ becomes Lord, He doesn’t just save — He rules. His will replaces our will, His standards become our standards, and His ways replace our ways. A new King means a new kingdom, and that kingdom has no room for the old self.

Endurance is the proof that faith is real. It’s easy to obey when things are easy, but the chosen are those who obey when it costs them everything. Enduring to the end is not just surviving — it is finishing the course in obedience and faith, the same way Christ and Paul did. Those who endure the refining of their faith without giving up prove that the Spirit truly reigns within them.

What God Already Told Us

God already warned us in His love letter.
He said, “My children are dying for lack of knowledge. They are being destroyed because they will not seek truth.”
He told us to wake up. To study. To test every spirit.
He told us not to just listen to what’s popular or emotional but to verify everything with His Word.
And He said this because many have fallen asleep in the faith and are drifting away.
He told us this out of love, not anger.
(Reference: The Love Letter, Study 10)

Love without obedience is only words, and obedience without love becomes routine. God’s warnings are always born out of His love — a love that calls His people to act, not just to feel. The proof of love is obedience. Christ said, “If you love Me, keep My commandments.” Love is not measured by what we say or how we feel but by what we do when He speaks.

Many have forgotten who they are in Him. They started strong but grew weary and distracted, and little by little, spiritual amnesia set in. Forgetfulness makes the called stumble because they forget their covenant, their purpose, and the One who called them. When memory fades, so does obedience. This is why the Word constantly tells us to remember, to meditate, and to renew the mind daily.

We cannot walk by our feelings, because feelings are unstable and deceitful. The heart changes with emotion, but truth never changes. God’s Word does not ask how we feel about His commandments — it calls us to obey them. The chosen don’t live by how they feel; they live by faith that works through love.

Faith works through obedience, and obedience produces fruit — not worldly recognition, but good works that honor God. True good works are born from a heart that remembers what He has done. They are acts of gratitude, not performance. When we remember His Word, we respond with action. When we forget, we become hearers only, deceiving ourselves.

Spiritual amnesia causes believers to forget what God already delivered them from. Just as Peter once denied Christ out of fear but later remembered who he was and rose again with power, we too must be restored in remembrance. Forgetting who we are in Christ weakens our faith; remembering strengthens endurance.

Love and obedience always go hand in hand. Those who truly love God do not delay when He speaks. They test all things, hold fast to what is true, and live by faith that produces good fruit. Love proves itself through action. A heart that loves God will naturally walk in obedience, and that obedience will show itself through endurance and good works.

We cannot walk in obedience if we forget our identity. Memory anchors faith. When we lose sight of who we are, we begin to compromise, conform, and drift into old ways. But when we remember, we stand firm, we resist deception, and we walk boldly as chosen.

The Call

If you’re here, reading this, that’s not random.
That stirring you feel is not emotion or chance. That’s God drawing you. (John 6:44)
He’s saying, “Come.”
But listen carefully.
The call is an open door, not a guaranteed seat.
You’re invited, but you must walk the path and stay on it.
Christ said it Himself, “If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow Me.” (Luke 9:23)
And again, “Whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple.” (Luke 14:33)
You see the pattern? The call costs something.
It costs your comfort, your pride, your control.
To be called is to begin.
To be chosen is to endure until the end.
“Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” (James 4:7)
True submission isn’t weakness. It’s power under control.
It’s when your will bows to His will.

To follow Him means to lay down your old identity and take up a new one. When you are called, you are summoned into transformation, not imitation. The life you once lived must die, and a new one must take its place. The Spirit begins to shape your thoughts, strip away pride, cleanse the heart, and rebuild you into what God purposed from the beginning. It is death to the old man and birth into the likeness of Christ.

The call demands obedience born out of love. Love without obedience is empty, and obedience without endurance is incomplete. Those who answer the call must walk in both. It’s not enough to feel called — feelings fade. The called must love enough to obey and obey enough to endure.

When a new King takes the throne, the kingdom cannot stay the same. His reign changes everything—laws, standards, priorities, and direction. The same happens when Christ takes His rightful place over your life. He doesn’t just forgive your past; He rules your present and future. The called are those who invite Him in, but the chosen are those who yield completely, allowing Him to reign over every decision, every thought, and every desire.

The call is also a call to action. True faith moves. It works through love and expresses itself through good works. Those who are called don’t just listen—they follow, serve, and act. They produce fruit that proves they are not hearers only. Faith without obedience produces nothing; obedience without faith leads to pride. But when love drives obedience, the Spirit produces endurance, and endurance produces maturity.

Endurance is not comfort—it is commitment. It is choosing to obey when the road is hard, when you don’t feel it, when everything inside you wants to quit. The chosen are those who remain faithful in both silence and storm. They walk not by sight, not by feeling, but by the Word of God.

Ask yourself this honestly:
How much is God worth to you?
Is He worth your time? Your comfort? Your ambitions?
You can’t serve both God and the world. (Matthew 6:24)
Your obedience reveals your love.
If obedience feels heavy, your heart’s still divided.
The surrendered heart walks in peace.
Those who are chosen live this daily.

The Difference Between the Called and the Chosen

Many hear the call, but few respond the right way.
It’s one thing to be invited. It’s another thing to prepare yourself for what’s next.
Look at the wedding parable in Matthew 22.
Everyone was invited, but only those who came ready were allowed to stay.
The rest were thrown out. Why? Because they took the call lightly.
Same with the Ten Virgins in Matthew 25.
They were all invited, but only five kept oil in their lamps.
The others fell asleep and missed it.
Being called means you heard the message.
Being chosen means you lived it out.
You obeyed, endured, and stayed faithful no matter what.
God chooses those who prove they mean it.
You might stumble, you might fall, but if you keep getting back up, if you keep pressing forward, that’s what separates the chosen from the rest.
The call is how it starts.
The choosing is God’s confirmation that you finished what He began in you. (Philippians 1:6)

The chosen are those who respond with action, not emotion. They walk in love that produces obedience and obedience that produces good works. The called may start strong, but the chosen endure until the end. It’s not about how loud you began but how faithful you remain. Every step of obedience builds endurance, and every moment of endurance strengthens love.

Love without perseverance fades, and faith without works is dead. The chosen prove their love not through talk, but through consistency. Their actions show what their heart believes. When you truly love God, obedience stops being effort and becomes joy. When love fuels obedience, endurance becomes natural, even in trial.

Those who are called often confuse emotion for faith. They feel inspired but do not change. But those who are chosen understand that faith without endurance is like a fire without fuel—it burns bright for a moment, then dies. The chosen add to their faith daily: virtue, knowledge, temperance, patience, godliness, brotherly kindness, and charity. These are not options; they are the visible marks of those who finish the race.

Being chosen does not mean perfection—it means perseverance. It is choosing to get back up after every fall, to press on when weary, to obey when it hurts, and to love when it’s hardest. God does not reward the perfect; He rewards the faithful. The chosen are those who kept walking when others gave up, who kept serving when others turned back, and who kept believing even when they could not see.

Enduring faith and obedient love are what separate the chosen from the called. The chosen understand that every act of obedience is a declaration: “I still believe.” Every good work is evidence of endurance, and every test overcome is proof of faith that remains alive.

Examples of the Called Who Did Not Endure

This is where many fall short.
They started well. They believed. They even worked beside men of God. But something pulled them away.
God already told us the reason:
“My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.” (Hosea 4:6)
They are dying, not because God failed them, but because they stopped seeking truth.
They stopped studying. They stopped testing. They stopped verifying what they were being taught.
The call is not just to believe but to learn, grow, and prove what is true.
That’s why God also said, “Study to show yourself approved unto God, a workman that needs not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” (2 Timothy 2:15)
The fix is simple — study.
Not emotional religion, not blind tradition, but true study that separates truth from deception.
This is where most fail: they follow voices but never verify if those voices line up with Scripture.
They trust pastors, teachers, and church systems more than the Word itself.
Because of this, many who were called fall into error.
They stop growing, they stop obeying, and slowly they drift back into the world.

They forgot who they were. Like Peter before his repentance, they suffered spiritual amnesia. When fear, pride, or distraction took over, they lost sight of their calling and identity in Christ. They no longer saw themselves as chosen, only as broken. Forgetting who you are opens the door to sin because it disconnects you from the One who gave you purpose. Forgetfulness makes obedience impossible, because obedience begins with remembrance.

They also allowed their emotions to lead where truth should have guided. Feelings became their compass instead of faith. But feelings are not constant — they shift, deceive, and cloud judgment. The heart reacts, but faith stands firm. Many fall away not because they lost the call, but because they followed their emotions rather than the Spirit.

Peter remembered and rose again; Demas did not. Demas was a co-laborer with Paul. He preached the same Gospel, walked with the same Spirit, saw the same miracles.
But Paul later wrote, “Demas has forsaken me, having loved this present world.” (2 Timothy 4:10)
He was called. He was in the work. But the world still had a grip on his heart. He chose comfort over calling.
King Saul was another. He was chosen by God to lead Israel, anointed with oil, filled with the Spirit, and even prophesied. (1 Samuel 10:6)
But when pride and disobedience took over, God rejected him. (1 Samuel 15:26)
He was called, but he lost the place of being chosen.
Judas Iscariot walked with Christ Himself. He saw the blind healed and the dead raised. He was trusted with the ministry’s money.
But his heart loved silver more than truth. He betrayed the very One who called him. (Matthew 26:14–16)
He was called, but he did not endure.
Even Ananias and Sapphira were among the early believers, part of the first church that lived in unity and power. But deceit took hold of them, and they lied to the Holy Spirit. (Acts 5:1–10)
They were called, but their hearts were not clean.
And there’s more.
Lot’s wife was delivered from judgment but turned back to what God pulled her out of. (Genesis 19:26)
The Israelites were called out of Egypt, but most died in the wilderness because of unbelief. (Hebrews 3:16–19)

Then there’s the moment that exposes the heart of many.
In John 6:60–66, many of Christ’s own disciples walked away when the teaching became too hard.
“When many of His disciples heard it, they said, ‘This is a hard saying; who can hear it?’ … From that time many of His disciples went back and walked no more with Him.”
They were called. They saw His miracles. They followed Him for a time.
But when truth cut deep, they turned away.

They forgot what He had spoken, and their hearts hardened. They saw miracles but failed to remember the message. This forgetfulness is the same spiritual amnesia that blinds many today—hearing the Word, but not keeping it. When the cost of obedience appears, they fall back into comfort because they no longer remember the worth of the One who called them.

And here’s the striking part — this happens in John 6:66.
That’s not coincidence. That’s a Godincidence.
The number 666 represents rebellion, the mark of the antichrist, the spirit that refuses to submit to the truth of God.
The verse itself shows what that spirit looks like — those who once followed Christ but turn away when obedience costs too much.

Love without endurance is shallow. Faith without obedience is empty. Many started walking, but when the journey demanded sacrifice, they stopped. The chosen endure because they remember. They remember His love, His truth, and His promises. But those who fall away forget — they let feelings, fear, and fatigue lead them astray.

These examples are not just stories. They are warnings.
The call gets you started. Obedience and endurance keep you chosen.
It’s not how you start that matters most; it’s how you finish.

Examples of the Chosen Who Endured

But not everyone turned away.
Some heard the same call, faced the same fire, and stood firm until the end.
Paul was once a persecutor, but when God called him, he obeyed with his whole life. He endured beatings, prison, and rejection. At the end he said, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” (2 Timothy 4:7)
He was called, proven, and chosen.
Peter denied Christ three times, but he repented and came back stronger. He became a pillar of the faith and was later crucified for the truth he once ran from. That’s what endurance looks like.
Stephen preached truth without fear. Even while being stoned to death, he cried out for mercy on his killers. (Acts 7:59–60)
He was chosen because he stayed faithful through the fire.
Mary Magdalene was delivered from seven demons. She followed Christ even to the cross when others ran away, and she was the first to see Him risen. (John 20:16–18)
She was called and remained loyal until the end.
And there’s John the Apostle, the one who stayed by Christ’s side when everyone else fled. He endured exile and persecution yet still spoke truth and saw the Revelation.
He proved what it means to be chosen.
All of these show that endurance, obedience, and love for truth separate the chosen from the called.
They didn’t walk away when it got hard.
They didn’t stop when they were persecuted.
They pressed forward, trusting that what God began, He would finish.

Those who endure prove their faith through action. Their obedience was not seasonal; it was steadfast. True endurance is not just surviving—it’s continuing in obedience when every reason to quit presents itself. The chosen love God enough to obey even when it costs them everything. Their love isn’t emotional or conditional; it is proven by sacrifice.

Endurance is love in motion. It is the continual choice to obey even when unseen, uncelebrated, and misunderstood. It’s the faith that doesn’t look for reward in this world but treasures what is eternal. The chosen don’t just speak of faith—they live it, work it, and finish it. Their actions become the testimony of their endurance.

Every one of these endured because their love was real. Love kept Paul writing from prison, kept Peter preaching after failure, kept Stephen forgiving in death, kept Mary following when others fled, and kept John speaking truth even in exile. Love made obedience natural and endurance possible.

Endurance is the measure of the chosen. Those who endure to the end will be saved. To endure means to remain unmoved, unshaken, and unbroken by trial. The chosen understand that every hardship refines faith and strengthens obedience. They count it all joy when tested because they know testing produces patience, and patience, when complete, makes them mature and ready for every good work.

Their endurance came from remembrance. They remembered the One who called them, the promise that was spoken, and the purpose for which they were chosen. Pressure did not erase their faith; it purified it. Just as gold is refined by fire, so identity in Christ is shaped in trials.

Rejection, loneliness, and suffering were not signs of failure but of refining. Each endured through remembrance—knowing that their life was hidden with Christ in God. That awareness guarded their hearts from doubt and kept them steadfast when others wavered.

Paul could have lived in shame over his past as a persecutor, but he refused to forget the grace that changed him. Peter could have lived condemned for his denial, but he remembered the forgiveness of Christ. Stephen could have cursed his accusers, but he remembered the mercy of the cross. Mary could have hidden in fear, but she remembered the One who delivered her. John could have grown weary in exile, but he remembered the voice that said, “Come up here.”

Their remembrance kept their identity anchored. Their obedience confirmed their faith. Their endurance proved they were chosen.

Obedience

God already told us, “Obedience holds the key to My Kingdom.”
He said, “Only through obedience do you receive My love.”
He told us love isn’t words or feelings; it’s action.
Many say they believe, but few live as though they do.
He told us, “Continue in love and sacrifice for one another, and don’t be afraid to act.”
So don’t claim to be called if you’re not willing to obey the One who called you.
(Reference: The Love Letter, Study 10)

Obedience is the language of love. It’s the way faith speaks back to God. The chosen don’t just say they love Him—they prove it through submission, action, and endurance. Love is not defined by emotion but by surrender. When love is real, obedience becomes natural, and endurance becomes possible.

Many confuse feeling close to God with being obedient to God. Feelings are temporary; obedience is eternal. The emotional believer follows when it’s comfortable, but the obedient one follows when it’s costly. Feelings shift with seasons, but obedience stands firm through them all. The chosen walk by truth, not by mood.

Obedience restores memory. It reconnects us to who we are and reminds us who we belong to. Forgetfulness leads to rebellion, but remembrance brings realignment with truth. The more you obey, the clearer your identity becomes. Obedience is not blind submission—it is the act of remembering that His ways are higher, His truth unshakable, and His commands life-giving.

Love and obedience cannot be separated. To love God is to obey Him; to obey Him is to love Him. When you obey, you demonstrate trust. You show that His Word means more than your own opinion. Every act of obedience produces good works that glorify His name, because obedience is faith in motion.

Faith without obedience is deception. Obedience without endurance is incomplete. The chosen know that God values consistency over excitement, faithfulness over passion. True obedience isn’t just starting strong—it’s continuing even when the world says stop.

When we walk in obedience, we silence confusion and spiritual amnesia. Each act of obedience becomes a declaration: “I remember who I am in Christ.” The heart that submits becomes the heart that sees clearly. The mind that surrenders is renewed day by day.

Disobedience clouds the mind and weakens identity, but obedience clears the path. The chosen understand that obedience is not an option; it is the mark of those who know Him. Those who obey learn to hear His voice more clearly. They are not swayed by emotion or distracted by the world. They stand firm because obedience anchors them to the truth of their calling.

Endurance and obedience walk together. Endurance keeps obedience alive when the path is long. Obedience fuels endurance when the trial grows heavy. The chosen endure because they obey, and they obey because they love.

Separation

When God called Abram, He separated him for purpose. (Genesis 12:1–3)
That same separation happens now.
Those who are chosen live differently. They keep God’s signs, His commands, His ways.
The Sabbath is one of those signs.
“It is a sign between Me and the children of Israel forever.” (Exodus 31:16–17)
Those who honor it mark themselves as His. Those who don’t, break covenant.
The chosen also honor God in what they eat, what they wear, what they speak, and how they live.
Holiness touches everything.
Separation requires submission, and rebellion destroys it.
You can’t stay holy while resisting authority.

Separation is proof of ownership. To be set apart means you no longer belong to the world—you belong to God. Every command He gives is a mark of His covenant, and every act of obedience is evidence that the covenant is alive. When the chosen obey, they reveal whose image they carry.

Separation begins in the heart before it shows in action. It starts with remembering who called you and who you now belong to. Those who forget their identity drift back to what God pulled them out of, just as Lot’s wife did when she looked back. But those who remember, remain.

The world says identity is about self-expression, but God says it is about transformation. The chosen live by different standards because they serve a different King. Their holiness is not performance; it’s the fruit of remembrance. They live mindful of who they are—redeemed, chosen, and called out from darkness into light.

Separation is not restriction; it’s protection. It keeps you clean from what corrupts and strengthens what’s holy within you. The chosen understand that holiness is not a burden—it’s freedom. When you are truly separated, you no longer fight to fit in; you live to please the One who called you.

Those who are separated will naturally produce good works that reflect the character of their Father. Holiness is seen through action. Love, compassion, humility, and service are all marks of separation because they reveal the heart of God in motion. The chosen do not act holy; they live holy because holiness has become part of who they are.

When you remember your covenant, you remain faithful to it. When you forget it, compromise creeps in. Separation is not isolation; it is dedication. The chosen are set apart, not because they are better, but because they remember. They remember their Deliverer, their calling, and their purpose. That remembrance keeps them from blending into what God has already brought them out of.

Endurance maintains separation. You cannot remain set apart without endurance. Every trial will test your loyalty, every temptation will pull at your identity, and every compromise will try to draw you back. But those who endure, who continue in obedience and love, remain separated and chosen.

Truth and Deception

God warned us again, “Do not accept teachings that are not from My Word.”
He told us, “Be careful with what you’ve learned since you first believed. Verify everything through Scripture.”
That’s why the chosen live by truth.
You can’t be set apart if you still live by error.
(Reference: The Love Letter, Study 10)

Truth and deception cannot live in the same heart. One must drive out the other. The chosen understand that truth is not shaped by feeling but by obedience. Feelings change with pressure; truth does not. When emotion governs faith, deception is close behind. But when obedience governs faith, the believer remains grounded.

Truth is proven through love that obeys. Love that refuses correction is not love—it’s pride. And pride blinds the heart faster than lies ever could. The Spirit of truth works in those who are willing to submit, to be corrected, to align with the Word rather than defend emotion. Many fall into deception not because they were never called, but because they stopped loving truth enough to obey it.

We are not called to live by inspiration but by instruction. The called may chase emotion; the chosen chase truth. When you love God, you will test everything you hear, no matter who says it. Truth invites testing; deception avoids it. When a person fears correction, they’ve already made peace with error.

True love never separates from truth. If what we call love leads us away from Scripture, it isn’t love—it’s compromise. Godly love walks hand in hand with obedience. It corrects, disciplines, and preserves holiness. The chosen love God enough to accept what’s uncomfortable because they know truth always demands change.

Deception often disguises itself as comfort. It makes you feel safe while slowly pulling you away from obedience. That’s why many follow what feels right instead of what is right. The heart can deceive, but the Word never lies. Those who live by emotion lose discernment; those who live by truth grow stronger in clarity.

We are not called to imitate holiness; we are called to become holy through obedience. Imitation acts righteous for appearance; obedience produces righteousness from within. Deception feeds imitation—it copies holiness without surrendering to it. The chosen refuse this; they walk in authenticity, not performance.

Deception takes root where remembrance fades. When you forget what is written, the enemy twists it. When you stop studying, he replaces truth with half-truths. When you neglect prayer, you lose discernment. But when you remember the Word, test every spirit, and stay grounded, you remain unshaken.

Truth keeps your identity clear. The chosen know who they are and who their Father is. They do not chase new doctrines or modern opinions. They stand on what was spoken from the beginning. Truth renews the mind; deception clouds it. Remembering the Word is protection. Forgetting it is destruction.

Truth demands endurance. You can’t walk in truth one day and return to comfort the next. The chosen endure correction, stand firm in study, and prove their love by continuing in obedience. That’s how truth remains alive—through consistent, enduring love that never quits.

Refinement

Refinement is what separates the called from the chosen.
The called hear; the chosen endure.
The early church lived this out. They met daily, broke bread, and continued in fellowship and prayer. (Acts 2:42)
Every time they shared communion, they renewed their covenant with Christ. (1 Corinthians 11:23–30)
Examine yourself. Don’t go through the motions.
Communion without discernment brings weakness, but communion with discernment brings strength.
Refinement brings correction.
Those who love correction prove they belong to God.
Those who resist it show they’re not ready. (Galatians 6:1–2; Proverbs 12:1)
Faith without works is dead. (James 2:17–26)
You can’t say you know God and live in rebellion.
The chosen serve, they endure, they stay grounded, they keep producing fruit.
“Be steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord.” (1 Corinthians 15:58)

Refinement is the proof that faith is alive. It’s the process where belief turns into endurance and endurance turns into strength. It’s where obedience is tested, purified, and made real. The fire of refinement doesn’t destroy the chosen—it reveals them. When trials come, emotion fades but faith remains, and what’s left standing is the genuine heart that truly belongs to God.

Love endures through refinement. Real love doesn’t quit when correction comes. It welcomes it. Those who love God accept His discipline, knowing it’s meant to cleanse and strengthen them. Refinement exposes what’s false, burns away pride, and shapes obedience into something pure and immovable.

Refinement restores clarity and remembrance. It is the process of stripping away everything that clouds who you are in Christ. The fire of refinement burns off pride, doubt, and forgetfulness. It forces you to face yourself and remember the One who called you. When you are refined, you are reminded. You remember what He spoke, what He promised, and who you were before sin tried to rewrite your story.

Every trial is a training ground for the chosen. When you’re refined, you don’t just survive difficulty—you’re reshaped by it. Endurance becomes your testimony. Faith becomes your weapon. Love becomes your reason. The ones who make it through refinement are the ones who refuse to forget that God is working even when it hurts.

Refinement produces good works because purified faith cannot remain idle. The chosen don’t come out of the fire empty—they come out fruitful. Their faith turns to action, their endurance inspires others, and their obedience builds the Kingdom. Their works aren’t born out of pride but out of gratitude, because they remember who brought them through the fire.

The chosen do not run from correction; they welcome it. They understand that every test is preparation for purpose. When God exposes sin, it’s not rejection—it’s restoration. Refinement isn’t punishment; it’s alignment. It brings the called back to remembrance and makes them ready to be chosen.

Correction and Instruction

God said, “The truth of the gospel was given for correction, for instruction in righteousness, so that you may be perfect and ready for every good work.”
He said His Word was never written to make sin comfortable, but to expose it and purify His people.
(Reference: The Love Letter, Study 10)

Correction is a gift from love, not an act of condemnation. Those who love God welcome correction because they recognize it as proof that they are His. Only the rebellious resist instruction, but the chosen understand that discipline is the doorway to maturity. Love corrects; pride rejects. Every correction is an opportunity to grow in endurance and strengthen obedience.

Correction is proof of sonship. Those who love God accept His discipline because they remember that His rebuke brings restoration. Correction is not rejection; it is mercy in motion. It reminds you who you belong to. The Word of God doesn’t crush to destroy—it cuts to heal, exposing what keeps you from growing and revealing who you truly are in Him.

Correction without endurance produces guilt; endurance without correction produces pride. But when both work together, refinement brings maturity. That’s why Scripture says those who endure chastening are received as sons. God doesn’t discipline to shame you—He disciplines to prepare you.

When the mind drifts from truth, discipline brings it back into alignment. The Spirit convicts to awaken remembrance, to bring you back to what you once knew and may have forgotten. This is why many fall—they reject correction and forget the voice that first called them. But the chosen remember that every correction refines their faith and shapes their identity in righteousness.

Instruction is the second half of correction—it teaches you how to walk rightly once you’ve been restored. Correction removes what is wrong; instruction replaces it with what is right. The chosen not only repent—they learn. They take every lesson to heart and let it shape their walk.

Instruction is not just learning; it is transformation through remembrance. To be instructed by the Spirit is to have your memory renewed daily. It is to remember His Word in the moment of testing and to live according to what you’ve already been taught. Those who walk in instruction walk in light. They are guided not by emotion but by truth hidden in their hearts.

Correction and instruction are both gifts of love. They pull you out of confusion, rebuild your foundation, and remind you that you are His. The called hear correction and resist. The chosen receive it and grow. Obedience to correction is good work in action—it is love proved through humility and endurance that leads to holiness.

The Battle

The chosen fight two battles every day: sin and deception.
Most modern churches want comfort without change, grace without obedience.
But that’s not the Gospel.
True discipleship takes three things:
Piety — repentance, submission, and real worship.
Study — staying grounded in Scripture, rightly dividing the Word. (2 Timothy 2:15)
Action — living faith through service, courage, and truth. (Romans 12:9–21)
Service reveals who you belong to.
The called may hear the Word, but the chosen live it. (James 2:24)
Grace covers those who stay under His authority.
Worship is not entertainment. It’s warfare.
It realigns your heart and gives you strength to endure. (John 4:24)
Isolation kills your fire, but fellowship builds endurance. (Hebrews 10:24–25)
Stand firm.
The cost of being chosen is rejection.
The reward is eternal authority with Him.

The battle always begins in the mind, where the enemy attacks identity. He whispers lies to make you forget who you are, what God said, and what you were delivered from. His goal is to make the chosen doubt their calling, to twist truth into confusion, and to turn obedience into burden. The fight is not only against temptation but against forgetfulness. Spiritual amnesia is one of his strongest weapons.

Many fall in battle because they fight with emotion instead of endurance. They respond with feelings instead of faith. But emotion is unstable; it shifts with circumstance. Faith is constant because it’s anchored in truth. Those who are led by feelings exhaust themselves; those led by truth overcome. The chosen fight not from emotion but from remembrance — they remember what God said, who He is, and who they are in Him.

Those who forget their identity grow weak. They start to imitate rather than follow. They lose confidence, stop studying, and drift into emotion-led faith. But those who remember stand strong. They respond to lies with truth. They silence fear with faith. They fight not by power or pride, but through remembrance of the Word and submission to the Spirit.

Every temptation is a test of memory: Do you remember what God said? When Christ was tempted in the wilderness, He overcame by remembering and speaking the Word. The same power works in the chosen. They conquer not by striving, but by standing firm in truth.

Worship is the weapon that restores identity. When you worship in spirit and truth, you are reminded who He is—and who you are in Him. Fellowship strengthens that remembrance. Isolation feeds weakness, but unity in the body keeps your fire burning. Those who surround themselves with truth and believers stay sharp and steadfast.

Obedience is also warfare. Every time you obey, you resist the enemy’s influence. Every time you love when wronged, stand firm when weary, or endure when rejected, you strike a blow against darkness. The real battle is not just against sin but against self—the old nature that wants control, the emotions that demand comfort, and the pride that resists surrender.

The battle reveals who truly belongs to Him. The called may retreat when it gets hard, but the chosen fight through prayer, fasting, and obedience. They know the war is not against flesh and blood but against the forces that war against remembrance. The chosen do not forget. They stand, endure, and overcome because they know whose they are.

Testing All Things

God said in His Love Letter, “Even the teachings of My pastors you must test, as the Bereans did.”
If it doesn’t align with Scripture, it’s not truth.
Truth doesn’t fear testing; error does.
(Reference: The Love Letter, Study 10)

Testing all things is how the chosen remain unshaken. They remember that feelings can lie, but Scripture never does. The Bereans weren’t praised for passion—they were praised for verification. They did not accept a message because it sounded spiritual or emotional; they tested it by the Word. That same discipline is what separates truth from imitation today.

When we forget to test, we begin to trust voices over Scripture. That’s how deception enters. Many fall because they no longer study; they consume emotion instead of revelation. The Word says to “prove all things” not so we can argue, but so we can stay rooted in truth.

Testing truth requires humility. The proud assume they’re right; the humble verify that God is. Love always seeks truth, and true love will never fear testing. If your love for God is genuine, you will want to ensure that everything you believe and do lines up with His Word. Love obeys, and obedience tests.

Feelings may make something seem right, but faith confirms it through the Word. The chosen are not swayed by emotion or popular teaching. They hold every word, doctrine, and action against the standard of Scripture. If it does not align with His commands, it must be rejected, no matter how good it sounds or feels.

The chosen know that testing is not doubt—it’s devotion. It’s the way love protects truth and keeps faith pure. Every time you test what you hear, you’re declaring that God’s Word is your final authority. When emotions demand acceptance, testing forces discernment. This is how the chosen stay anchored when others drift.

The Bereans didn’t just test words—they acted on truth. Their study produced obedience, their obedience produced endurance, and their endurance produced good works. Testing is not just about hearing what’s right—it’s about doing what’s right after the truth is revealed.

When you test all things, you renew your mind. You remember what God said instead of relying on what man says. Every test draws a line between the voice of the Shepherd and the voice of deception. Every study session strengthens remembrance. Every time you open the Word with humility, you sharpen your discernment.

The called may listen to anyone who sounds anointed, but the chosen test every word against Scripture. They understand that the greatest deception begins when believers stop verifying. Those who test everything remain pure, clear, and unshaken. Testing is not doubt—it is proof that you remember.

Final Reminder

He said, “I have great plans for you, but time is short. Wake up and act on what I’ve already given you.”
The called hear this and hesitate.
The chosen hear it and move.
God’s love is action. It’s a call to live holy, to teach truth, and to prepare others for His Kingdom.
(Reference: The Love Letter, Study 10)

The difference between the two is remembrance. The called forget who they are and delay; the chosen remember who they are and obey. Memory stirs urgency. Forgetfulness breeds complacency. When you remember what He’s spoken, you move without hesitation. When you forget, you question, stall, and lose time that cannot be recovered.

Time is the one thing we cannot buy back. Every moment spent doubting or delaying is a moment lost. That’s why Scripture says, “Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.” Those who are chosen live with awareness, understanding that obedience is not tomorrow’s task—it’s today’s command.

Faith is not proven by what you feel, but by what you do. Every command you obey, every truth you act on, every moment you choose righteousness over comfort proves your love for God. Faith that endures always produces good works; obedience that remains will always lead to fruit. The chosen don’t talk about faith—they live it, breathe it, and finish it.

To endure is to finish what was started. To obey is to love without delay. To produce fruit is to show that faith is alive. The chosen are not idle servants—they’re active workers who redeem their time through obedience. They don’t wait to feel ready; they act because God already said go.

Remember who you are in Christ. You were not called to blend in, but to stand apart. You were not chosen to live in fear, but to walk in authority. You were not redeemed to remain idle, but to work while it is day. Forgetfulness dulls the fire, but remembrance keeps it burning.

Your identity is your anchor. The enemy cannot steal what you refuse to forget. Keep the Word close, live in obedience, and walk with endurance. The chosen are those who never stop remembering what God said, who they are, and where they are going.

Love demands endurance. Obedience demands action. Faith demands proof. When all three work together, you become unshakable—steady, fruitful, and ready. God’s love is not passive; it moves through those who remember. The chosen understand this, which is why they act, serve, give, forgive, and finish.

Wake up. Act on what has already been given. The time is now.

42

The Sabbath 

The commandment with an extra blessing if you keep it or punishment and even spiritual death if you do not!

…………………………………….

The importance of the Sabbath Day!

The Sabbath affects EVERYONE, Whether a Jewish person, a Eunuch or a son of the stranger that has joined themselves to the Lord. It even affects the stranger that does not know they have to keep a Sabbath day.

REASONS FOR KEEPING THE SABBATH

1. God sanctified (separated) the Sabbath since creation. 

a. Genesis 2:1-3 (KJV) Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. And on the seventh day YHWH ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made. And YHWH blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which YHWH created and made.

2. The Sabbath is on the seventh day, and it is one of the 10 commandments.

a. Exodus 20:8-11 (KJV) Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: But the seventh day [is] the sabbath of the LORD thy God: [in it] thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that [is] within thy gates: For [in] six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them [is], and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.

b. Lev 23:3 (KJV) Six days shall work be done: but the seventh day is the sabbath of rest, an holy convocation; ye shall do no work therein: it is the sabbath of the LORD in all your dwellings.

3. YHWH says, “It’s a sign, a gift and a blessing for EVERYONE that takes hold of His covenant”.

a. Exodus 31:13 (KJV) Speak thou also unto the children of Israel, saying, Verily my sabbaths ye shall keep: for it is a sign between me and you throughout your generations; that ye may know that I am the Lord that doth sanctify you. 

b. Ezekiel 20:12 (KJV) Moreover also I gave them my sabbaths, to be a sign between me and them, that they might know that I am the Lord that sanctify them. 

c. Ezekiel 20:19 (KJV) I am the Lord your God; walk in my statutes, and keep my judgments, and do them; 20 And hallow my sabbaths; and they shall be a sign between me and you, that ye may know that I am the Lord your God.

d. Isaiah 56:2-7 (KJV) Blessed is the man that doeth this, and the son of man that layeth hold on it; that keepeth the sabbath from polluting it, and keepeth his hand from doing any evil. 3 Neither let the son of the stranger, that hath joined himself to the Lord, speak, saying, The Lord hath utterly separated me from his people: neither let the eunuch say, Behold, I am a dry tree. 4 For thus saith the Lord unto the eunuchs that keep my sabbaths, and choose the things that please me, and take hold of my covenant; 5 Even unto them will I give in mine house and within my walls a place and a name better than of sons and of daughters: I will give them an everlasting name, that shall not be cut off. 6 Also the sons of the stranger, that join themselves to the Lord, to serve him, and to love the name of the Lord, to be his servants, every one that keepeth the sabbath from polluting it, and taketh hold of my covenant; 7 Even them will I bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer: their burnt offerings and their sacrifices shall be accepted upon mine altar; for mine house shall be called an house of prayer for all people.

e. Isaiah 58:13-14 (KJV) If thou turn away thy foot from the sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on my holy day; and call the sabbath a delight, the holy of the Lord, honourable; and shalt honour him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words: Then shalt thou delight thyself in the Lord; and I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth, and feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy father: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it.

f. Acts 13:42-44 (KJV) And when the Jews were gone out of the synagogue, the Gentiles besought that these words might be preached to them the next sabbath. Now when the congregation was broken up, many of the Jews and religious proselytes followed Paul and Barnabas: who, speaking to them, persuaded them to continue in the grace of YHWH. And the next sabbath day came almost the whole city together to hear the word of YHWH. But when the Jews saw the multitudes, they were filled with envy, and spake against those things which were spoken by Paul, contradicting and blaspheming. Then Paul and Barnabas waxed bold, and said, It was necessary that the word of YHWH should first have been spoken to you: but seeing ye put it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, lo, we turn to the Gentiles. For so hath the Lord commanded us, saying, I have set thee to be a light of the Gentiles, that thou shouldest be for salvation unto the ends of the earth. And when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad, and glorified the word of the Lord: and as many as were ordained to eternal life believed.

g. Mark 2:27 (KJV) And he said unto them, The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath:

4. Christ, all the apostles including Paul and all the gentile converts kept the Sabbath. (Paul was not born in Israel, he is a Roman Citizen born in Tarsus)

a. Luke 4:16 (KJV) And He came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as His custom was, He went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up for to read.

b. Acts 13:42-44 (KJV) And when the Jews were gone out of the synagogue, the Gentiles besought that these words might be preached to them the next sabbath. 43 Now when the congregation was broken up, many of the Jews and religious proselytes followed Paul and Barnabas: who, speaking to them, persuaded them to continue in the grace of YHWH. 44 And the next sabbath day came almost the whole city together to hear the word of YHWH.

5. As gentiles adopted by YHWH and being Christ’s, we are now of Abraham’s seed, therefore, we are of the house of Israel. We are the children of Israel. 

a. Galatians 3:28-29 (KJV) There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in “Jesus” (יהושוע Joshua Hamashiach) Christ. And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise. 

b. Galatians 4:7 (KJV) Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of YHWH through Christ.

c. Ephesians 3:6 (KJV) That the Gentiles should be fellow heirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel:

d. Romans 8:17 (KJV) And if children, then heirs; heirs of YHWH, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.

e. Titus 3:7 (KJV) That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life. 

f. Hebrews 11:9 (KJV) By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise:

6. God the Father and “Jesus” (יהושוע Joshua Hamashiach) tell us that “The sabbath is a perpetual covenant”.

a. Exodus 31:16-17 (KJV) Wherefore the children of Israel shall keep the sabbath, to observe the sabbath throughout their generations, [for] a perpetual covenant. It [is] a sign between me and the children of Israel for ever: for [in] six days the LORD made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day he rested, and was refreshed.

b. Isaiah 66:22-23 (KJV) For as the new heavens and the new earth, which I will make, shall remain before me, saith the Lord, so shall your seed and your name remain. 23 And it shall come to pass, that from one new moon to another, and from one sabbath to another, shall all flesh come to worship before me, saith the Lord.

c. Matthew 24:15-22 (KJV) When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:) 16 Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains: 17 Let him which is on the housetop not come down to take any thing out of his house: 18 Neither let him which is in the field return back to take his clothes. 19 And woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days! 20 But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the sabbath day: 21 For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. 22 And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened.

7. There will be punishment for those who do not follow or keep the Sabbath day.

a. Exodus 31:13-15 (KJV) Ye shall keep the sabbath therefore; for it is holy unto you: every one that defileth it shall surely be put to death: for whosoever doeth any work therein, that soul shall be cut off from among his people. 15 Six days may work be done; but in the seventh is the sabbath of rest, holy to the Lord: whosoever doeth any work in the sabbath day, he shall surely be put to death. 

b. Lamentations 2:6 (KJV) And he hath violently taken away his tabernacle, as if it were of a garden: he hath destroyed his places of the assembly: the Lord hath caused the solemn feasts and sabbaths to be forgotten in Zion, and hath despised in the indignation of his anger the king and the priest.

c. Hosea 2:11-13 (KJV) I will also cause all her mirth to cease, her feast days, her new moons, and her sabbaths, and all her solemn feasts. 12 And I will destroy her vines and her fig trees, whereof she hath said, These are my rewards that my lovers have given me: and I will make them a forest, and the beasts of the field shall eat them. 13 And I will visit upon her the days of Baalim, wherein she burned incense to them, and she decked herself with her earrings and her jewels, and she went after her lovers, and forgat me, saith the Lord.

d. Ezekiel 20:13-20 (KJV) But the house of Israel rebelled against me in the wilderness: they walked not in my statutes, and they despised my judgments, which if a man do, he shall even live in them; and my sabbaths they greatly polluted: then I said, I would pour out my fury upon them in the wilderness, to consume them.14 But I wrought for my name's sake, that it should not be polluted before the heathen, in whose sight I brought them out. 15 Yet also I lifted up my hand unto them in the wilderness, that I would not bring them into the land which I had given them, flowing with milk and honey, which is the glory of all lands; 16 Because they despised my judgments, and walked not in my statutes, but polluted my sabbaths: for their heart went after their idols. 17 Nevertheless mine eye spared them from destroying them, neither did I make an end of them in the wilderness. 18 But I said unto their children in the wilderness, Walk ye not in the statutes of your fathers, neither observe their judgments, nor defile yourselves with their idols: 

8. Unbiblical or false (teachers, pastors) do not keep the Sabbath.

a. Ezekiel 22:26 (KJV) Her priests have violated my law, and have profaned mine holy things: they have put no difference between the holy and profane, neither have they shewed difference between the unclean and the clean, and have hid their eyes from my sabbaths, and I am profaned among them.

Christ did not come to get rid of the law (YHWH’s Commandments), He came to fulfill, to make replete that is literally to cram, to level up the scriptures and to fulfill prophecy; some from the prophet Isaiah. See Study 18 “the gospel of Christ” for better understanding.

Matthew 5:17-20 (KJV) Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.

Mark 15:28 (KJV) And the scripture was fulfilled, which saith, And he was numbered with the transgressors.

Matthew 27:35 (KJV) And they crucified him, and parted his garments, casting lots: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, They parted my garments among them, and upon my vesture did they cast lots.

Luke 24:44 (KJV) And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me.

When does the Day start?

It starts at dark and ends before dark begins. From dark to sunset. Dark to evening.

1. The night or darkness was already created. Therefore, the light or day came after. 

a. Genesis 1:1 In the beginning YHWH created the heaven and the earth. 2And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of YHWH moved upon the face of the waters. 3 And YHWH said, Let there be light: and there was light. 4 And YHWH saw the light, that it was good: and YHWH divided the light from the darkness. 

2. YHWH told us that one day is constituted by the evening first and then the morning.

a. Genesis 1:5 And the evening and the morning were the first day.

b. Genesis 1:8 And the evening and the morning were the second day.

c. Genesis 1:13 And the evening and the morning were the third day.

d. Genesis 1:19 And the evening and the morning were the fourth day.

e. Genesis 1:23 And the evening and the morning were the fifth day.

f. Genesis 1:31 And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.

3. Moses also tells us that the evening comes before the morning.

a. Exodus 16:8 And Moses said, This shall be, when the LORD shall give you in the eveningflesh to eat, andin the morningbread to the full; for that the LORD heareth your murmurings which ye murmur against him: and what are we? your murmurings are not against us, but against the LORD.

b. Exodus 27:21 In the tabernacle of the congregation without the vail, which is before the testimony, Aaron and his sons shall order it from evening to morning before the LORD: it shall be a statute for ever unto their generations on the behalf of the children of Israel.

c. Leviticus 24:3 Without the vail of the testimony, in the tabernacle of the congregation, shall Aaron order it from the evening unto the morning before the LORD continually: it shall be a statute for ever in your generations.

d. Deuteronomy 23:11 But it shall be, when evening cometh on, he shall wash himself with water: and when the sun is down, he shall come into the camp again.

e. Judges 19:9 And when the man rose up to depart, he, and his concubine, and his servant, his father in law, the damsel's father, said unto him, Behold, now the day draweth toward evening, I pray you tarry all night: behold, the day groweth to an end, lodge here, that thine heart may be merry; and to morrow get you early on your way, that thou mayest go home.

4. King David also talks about the evening being the start of the day!

a. Ps 55:17 evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray, and cry aloud: and he shall hear my voice.

5. The writer of Nehemias expresses the same!

a. Nehemiah 13:19 And it came to pass, that when the gates of Jerusalem began to be dark before the sabbath, I commanded that the gates should be shut, and charged that they should not be opened till after the sabbath: and some of my servants set I at the gates, that there should no burden be brought in on the sabbath day.

6. Daniels vision starts in the evening first then the morning!

a. Daniel 8:26 And the vision of the evening and the morning which was told is true: wherefore shut thou up the vision; for it shall be for many days.

7. Apostle Mathew and Mark (New Testament), also talks about it!

a. Matthew 28:1 In the end of the sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulchre.

b. Mark 15:42 And now when the even was come, because it was the preparation, that is, the day before the sabbath,

8. Luke 23 covers the death and burial of “Jesus” (יהושוע Joshua Hamashiach), how he was crucified and buried before evening, saying that after the evening the Sabbath drew on! John 19:31 backs it up.

When it comes to the Sabbath days or Holy days, often, we focus too much on what we are prohibited from doing—especially on the weekly Sabbath—and end up neglecting what our Heavenly Father actually commands us to do on this holy day. 

My hope in making a list, is that by focusing on the things God is commanding us to do, we will spend more time with God, glorifying Him, rather than getting caught up in concerns over what is forbidden that can make us end up not glorifying God on this special day.  So, concentrate more on the 27 things we are to do rather than on the billions of things we are not supposed to do on this day, and you will do well.

The basic commandments for the Sabbath day.

We are commanded to do on the Sabbath day:

1. Make preparation before the Sabbath Day. 

a. Mark 15:42 and Luke 23:54

2. Sanctify it Genesis 2:3 and Deuteronomy 5:12

3. Make it an holy day Exodus

4. Keep it holy Exodus 20:8 and Exodus 31:14 and Exodus 35:15

5. Give up your worldly pleasures 

a. Isaiah 58:13 58:13 (KJV) If thou turn away thy foot from the sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on my holy day; and call the sabbath a delight, the holy of the LORD, honourable; and shalt honour him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words: 14 Then shalt thou delight thyself in the LORD; and I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth, and feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy father: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it.

6. Turn from your ways Isaiah 58:13

7. Rest Exodus 23:12 Exodus 31:15 Exodus 35:2 Leviticus 23:3

8. A Holy convocation in your dwellings Leviticus 23:3

9. Worship YHWH Isa 66:23

10. Honor YHWH Isaiah 58:13

11. Hallow the Sabbath Jeremiah 17:21

12. Call it a delight Isaiah 58:13

13. Observe the sabbath forever. Exodus 31:16

Things allowed to do on the Sabbath day. 

1. Gather food to eat Matthew 12:1 Mark 2:23 Luke 6:1 

2. Eat Luke 14:1

3. It is lawful to do well Matthew 12:12  

4. Heal Matthew 12:13 Luke 13:14 John 5:10 John 9:14

5. Preach to anyone Acts 13:42

6. Preach in the congregations Act 15:21  

7. Teach Mark 1:21 Luke 4:31

8. Teach in a congregation Mark 6:2 Luke 13:10

9. Read scriptures to a congregation Luke 4:16 Acts 13:27 Acts 15:21

10. Listen to the word of YHWH Acts 13:44

11. Pray Acts 16:13

12. Reason with people using scriptures Acts 17:2

13. Reason with people in the synagogues Acts 18:4

14. Persuade people to the scriptures Acts 18:4

Things Not allowed to do on the Sabbath day:

1. Cook/bake Exodus 16:23

2. Any work for you or anyone within your gates Exodus 20:10 Leviticus 23:3 Deuteronomy 5:14

3. any work for you Leviticus 23:3 Jeremiah 17:21

4. any work for you 

5. kindle fire Exodus 35:3

6. purchase items or food from anyone Nehemiah 10:31

7. do your own ways Isaiah 58:13

8. speak thyne own words Isaiah 58:13

9. find your own pleasures Isaiah 58:13

10. bring any burden into your home Jeremiah 17:21

11. carry any burden out of your homes Jeremiah 17:21

12. bear any burden Jeremiah 17:21

13. Travel/flight Matthew 24:20 

14. Bury anyone John 19:31

15. Allow anyone to judge you in clean or unclean foods food or holy days Colossians 2:16

16. Prepare anything on the Sabbath day. Mark 15:42

17. Prepare on the Sabbath Day Luke 23:54 

18. Go out of your home Exodus 16:29

19. Servile work Leviticus 23:8 Numbers 28:25 

Consequences for not keeping the Sabbath:

1. Defileth holy day = be put to death Exodus 31:14

2. Work = cut off from among his people. Exodus 31:14

3. Work = be put to death Exodus 31:15

4. Work = be put to death Exodus 35:2

5. Profaning the sabbath = bring more wrath from God Nehemiah 13:18

Colossians 2:16 (KJV) Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days:

The LIE: ☹

· The Sabbath is Sunday and NOT Saturday!

· The Sabbath is called “The Lord’s Day”!

Who changed the Sabbath from Saturday to Sunday?

Roman Emperor Constantine I

On March 7, 321, Roman Emperor Constantine I issued a civil decree making Sunday a day of rest from labor, stating: All judges and city people and the craftsmen shall rest upon the venerable day of the sun.

Who decided to change the Sabbath day and call it The Lords Day?
In 1562 the Archbishop declared that tradition now stood above scripture. “The authority of the Church is illustrated most clearly by the scriptures, for on one hand she recommends them, declares them to be divine, and offers them to us to be read, and on the other hand, the legal precepts in the scriptures taught by the Lord have ceased by virtue of the same authority. The Sabbath, the most glorious day in the law, has been changed into the Lord’s Day. These and other similar matters have not ceased by virtue of Christ's teaching (for He says that He has come to fulfill the law, not to destroy it), but they have been changed by the authority of the Church.” — Gaspare de Posso Archbishop of Reggio, Council of Trent.

The LIE within the LIE:

☹☹

· The Sabbath day has always been on Saturday!

· The Jewish people are YHWH’s chosen people and therefore also considered the timekeepers. They have always kept the Sabbath day properly and just like they do, we have to do the same as YHWH’s adopted children!

YHWH’s TRUTH in scripture form only, so you can see it and verify yourself!

· Gen 1:14 (KJV) And YHWH said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years:

· Isaiah 66:23 (KJV) And it shall come to pass, that from one new moon to another, and from one sabbath to another, shall all flesh come to worship before me, saith the LORD.

What starts the new month, or when does the month start?

The Bible uses the same Hebrew word for both “new moon” and “month.” 

Therefore, the new moon is linked to and sets the beginning of the month.

Word Moon (new moon) and Month.

Strongs Number: H2320

Hebrew Word חֹדֶשׁ

Transliterationchôdesh

Phonetic kho'-desh

Part of Speech Noun Masculine

Strongs Definition: the new moon; by implication a month

BDB Definition

1. the new moon, month, monthly

a. the first day of the month

b. the lunar month

Origin: From H2318, Bible Usage: month ({-ly}) new moon.

Sample Verses for new moon with the Strongs number:

1 Samuel 20:5 H2320morrow is the new moon, and I should not fail to...

1 Samuel 20:18 H2320morrow is the new moon: and thou shalt be missed...

1 Samuel 20:24 H2320 and when the new moon was come, the king sat hi...

2 King 4:23 H2320 it is neither new moon, nor sabbath. And she sai...

Psalms 81:3 H2320 trumpet in the new moon, in the time appointed, o...

Isaiah 66:23 H2320 that from one new moon to another, and from one

Ezekiel 46:1 H2320 the day of the new moon it shall be opened.

Ezekiel 46:6 H2320 the day of the new moon it shall be a young bullo...

Amos 8:5 H2320 When will the new moon be gone, that we may sell...

Strongs Number: H3394

Hebrew Word: יָרֵחַ

Transliteration: yârêach

Phonetic: yaw-ray'-akh

Part of Speech: Noun Masculine

Strongs Definition: the moon

BDB Definition: 1. moon

Sample verses for month with the Strongs number:

Genesis 7:11 H3394 in the second month, the seventeenth day of

Genesis 8:4 H3394 in the seventh month, on the seventeenth day

Genesis 8:5 H3394 until the tenth month: in the tenth month, on

Genesis 8:13 H3394 year, in the first month, the first day of the mo...

Genesis 8:14 H3394 in the second month, on the seven and twentiet...

Genesis 29:14 H3394 him the space of a month.

Exodus 12:2 H3394 month shall be unto you the beginning of month...

Exodus 12:3 H3394 tenth day of this month they shall take to the

When do the Jewish people start counting the days for all their Holy Days?

From the New moon day! Look at their calendar!

So, why is the Sabbath, the only day that start counting from Sunday?

So, there was a time on which the Jewish people adopted the Roman/Greek/Gregorian teachings and calendar days, and this is what our Heavenly Father had to say about that!

Isaiah 1:1 (KJV) The visionof Isaiah the son of Amoz, which he saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah.   

1:2 Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth: for the LORD hath spoken, I have nourished and brought up children, and they have rebelled against me.    

1:3 The ox knoweth his owner, and the ass his master's crib: but Israel doth not know, my people doth not consider.    

1:4 Ah sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, a seed of evildoers, children that are corrupters: they have forsaken the LORD, they have provoked the Holy One of Israel unto anger, they are gone away backward.  

1:5 Why should ye be stricken any more? ye will revolt more and more: the whole head is sick, and the whole heart faint.  

1:6 From the sole of the foot even unto the head there is no soundness in it; but wounds, and bruises, and putrifying sores: they have not been closed, neither bound up, neither mollified with ointment.  

1:7 Your country is desolate, your cities are burned with fire: your land, strangers devour it in your presence, and it is desolate, as overthrown by strangers.   

1:8 And the daughter of Zion is left as a cottage in a vineyard, as a lodge in a garden of cucumbers, as a besieged city.   

1:9 Except the LORD of hosts had left unto us a very small remnant, we should have been as Sodom, and we should have been like unto Gomorrah.  

1:10 Hear the word of the LORD, ye rulers of Sodom; give ear unto the law of our God, ye people of Gomorrah.   

1:11 To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices unto me? saith the LORD: I am full of the burnt offerings of rams, and the fat of fed beasts; and I delight not in the blood of bullocks, or of lambs, or of he goats.  

1:12 When ye come to appear before me, who hath required this at your hand, to tread my courts?  

1:13 Bring no more vain oblations; incense is an abomination unto me; the new moons and sabbaths, the calling of assemblies, I cannot away with; it is iniquity, even the solemn meeting.  

1:14 Your new moons and your appointed feasts my soul hateth: they are a trouble unto me; I am weary to bear them.    

1:15 And when ye spread forth your hands, I will hide mine eyes from you: yea, when ye make many prayers, I will not hear: your hands are full of blood.  

1:16 Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes; cease to do evil;    

1:17 Learn to do well; seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow.  

1:18 Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.    

1:19 If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land:    

1:20 But if ye refuse and rebel, ye shall be devoured with the sword: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it.    

1:21 How is the faithful city become an harlot! it was full of judgment; righteousness lodged in it; but now murderers.    

1:22 Thy silver is become dross, thy wine mixed with water:    

1:23 Thy princes are rebellious, and companions of thieves: every one loveth gifts, and followeth after rewards: they judge not the fatherless, neither doth the cause of the widow come unto them.    

1:24 Therefore saith the Lord, the LORD of hosts, the mighty One of Israel, Ah, I will ease me of mine adversaries, and avenge me of mine enemies:    

1:25 And I will turn my hand upon thee, and purely purge away thy dross, and take away all thy tin:  

1:26 And I will restore thy judges as at the first, and thy counsellors as at the beginning: afterward thou shalt be called, The city of righteousness, the faithful city.    

1:27 Zion shall be redeemed with judgment, and her converts with righteousness. 

1:28 And the destruction of the transgressors and of the sinners shall be together, and they that forsake the LORD shall be consumed.  

1:29 For they shall be ashamed of the oaks which ye have desired, and ye shall be confounded for the gardens that ye have chosen.    

1:30 For ye shall be as an oak whose leaf fadeth, and as a garden that hath no water.  

1:31 And the strong shall be as tow, and the maker of it as a spark, and they shall both burn together, and none shall quench them.

Now that we have established that the month starts on the new moon, we have to ask the following:

· Does the 7-day count to the Sabbath start on the new moon, or the day after the new moon?

The new moon is day 1, so whatever day the “complete established” new moon falls under, will continue the count until 7 for Sabbath day until, the next New Moon!

Apart from being obvious that the day the month starts is the “FIRST DAY” of the month, the clearest path to verify this is on 1 Samuel 20, but I will highlight only the important areas that point out how the month starts the count!

1 Samuel 20:1:4, You can read in your bible. 

5 And David said unto Jonathan, Behold, to morrow is the new moon, and I should not fail to sit with the king at meat: but let me go, that I may hide myself in the field unto the third day at even.    

Verses 6 …. All the way to 17…., you can read on your bible.  

18 Then Jonathan said to David, To morrow is the new moon: and thou shalt be missed, because thy seat will be empty.  

19 And when thou hast stayed three days, then thou shalt go down quickly, and come to the place where thou didst hide thyself when the business was in hand, and shalt remain by the stone Ezel.  

Verses 20 through 23, you can read in your bible.    

24 So David hid himself in the field: and when the new moon was come, the king sat him down to eat meat.    

25 And the king sat upon his seat, as at other times, even upon a seat by the wall: and Jonathan arose, and Abner sat by Saul's side, and David's place was empty.    

26Nevertheless Saul spake not any thing that day: for he thought, Something hath befallen him, he is not clean; surely he is not clean.    

27 And it came to pass on the morrow, which was the second day of the month, that David's place was empty: and Saul said unto Jonathan his son, Wherefore cometh not the son of Jesse to meat, neither yesterday, nor to day?

On verse 24 it states that day was the New Moon!

On verse 27 it states the (morrow) next day was the 2nd day!

The new moon must be already established before the day starts at night, before darkness which comes about 1hr After sunset. 

Whatever day the new stablished moon falls on counts as day #1, and then you continue counting until day #7, on now which becomes the new Sabbath for the next 4 weeks. 

Tulsa, Oklahoma, USA. Date and time of the New   moon. 2025

YHWH’s calendar for the start of the new moon.

The new moon is day one of the month and the Sabbath   is the 7th - 14th - 21st and 28th  day of every month

Jan 29, 6:35am

Wednesday.

Thursday starts at dark

Wednesday did not start with the new moon   completely established, so the new moon day is Thursday.

Thursday will be the   first day of the month. The next four Wednesdays will be the next Sabbaths until the next New Moon.

Feb 27, 6:44pm

Thursday

Friday starts at dark

Thursday did not start with the new moon   completely established, so the new moon day is Friday.

Friday will be the   first day of the month. The next four Thursdays will be the next Sabbaths until the next New Moon.

Mar 29, 5:57am

Saturday

Sunday starts at dark

Saturday did not start with the new moon   completely established, so the new moon day is Sunday.

Sunday will be the   first day of the month. The next four Saturdays will be the next Sabbaths until the next New Moon.

April 27, 2:21pm

Sunday

Monday starts at dark

Sunday did not start with the new moon   completely established, so the new moon day is Monday.

Monday will be the   first day of the month. The next four Sundays will be the next Sabbaths until the next New Moon.

May 26, 10:02pm

Monday

Tuesday starts at dark so Wednesday.

Monday 10pm in God’s calendar is Tuesday and   Tuesday did not start with the new moon completely established, so the new   moon day is Wednesday.

Wednesday will be the   first day of the month. The next four Tuesdays will be the next Sabbaths until the next New Moon.

June 25, 5:31am

Wednesday

Thursday starts at dark

Wednesday did not start with the new moon   completely established, so the new moon day is Thursday.

Thursday will be the   first day of the month. The next four Wednesdays will be the next Sabbaths until the next New Moon.

July 24, 2:11pm

Thursday

Friday starts at dark

Thursday did not start with the new moon   completely established, so the new moon day is Friday.

Friday will be the   first day of the month. The next four Thursdays will be the next Sabbaths until the next New Moo n.

Aug 23, 1:06am

Saturday

Sunday starts at dark

Saturday did not start with the new moon   completely established, so the new moon day is Sunday.

Sunday will be the   first day of the month. The next four Saturdays will be the next Sabbaths until the next New Moon.

Sept 21, 2:54pm

Sunday

Monday starts at dark

Sunday did not start with the new moon   completely established, so the new moon day is Monday.

Monday will be the   first day of the month. The next four Sundays will be the next Sabbaths until the next New Moon.

Oct 21, 7:25am

Tuesday

Wednesday starts at dark

Tuesday did not start with the new moon   completely established, so the new moon day is Wednesday.

Wednesday will be the   first day of the month. The next four Tuesdays will be the next Sabbaths until the next New Moon.

Nov 20, 12:47am

Friday

Friday starts at dark

Thursday did not start with the new moon   completely established, so the new moon day is Friday.

Friday will be the   first day of the month. The next four Thursdays will be the next Sabbaths until the next New Moon.

Dec 19, 7:43pm

Friday

Saturday starts at dark

Friday 7pm in God’s calendar is Saturday and   Saturday did not start with the new moon completely stablished, so the new   moon day is Sunday.

Sunday will be the   first day of the month. The next four Saturdays will be the next Sabbaths until the next New Moon.

Colossians 2:16 (KJV) Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days:

How do you handle New Moon day? 

Psalms 81:3Blow up the trumpet in the new moon, in the time appointed, on our solemn feast day.

Isaiah 66:23 (KJV) And it shall come to pass, that from one new moon to another, and from one sabbath to another, shall all flesh come to worship before me, saith the LORD.

Ezekiel 46:1 (KJV) Thus saith the Lord GOD; The gate of the inner court that looketh toward the east shall be shut the six working days; but on the sabbath it shall be opened, and in the day of the new moon it shall be opened.

Amos 8:5 (KJV) Saying, When will the new moon be gone, that we may sell corn? and the sabbath, that we may set forth wheat, making the ephah small, and the shekel great, and falsifying the balances by deceit?

Ezekiel 46:3 (KJV) Likewise the people of the land shall worship at the door of this gate before the LORD in the sabbaths and in the new moons.

” He that hath ears to hear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.”

42R

REFUTING CONTRADICTIONS TO:

“The Sabbath day is not on Saturdays nor Sundays and changes days according to the new moon.”

…………………………………….

All Mainstream Contradictions

Common    Contradiction

How    Your Study Refutes It

“The   Sabbath has always been Saturday.”

You   show that Scripture never names days, only dates (7th, 14th, 21st, 28th of   the month). You trace how the Roman “Saturday” label was introduced by   Constantine in 321 AD — long after Christ. 

Study   42R Refuting contradictio…

“The   Sabbath is a continuous seven-day cycle since creation.”

You   dismantle this using the Exodus 16 manna cycle, Ezekiel 46:1, and lunar   resets. You show that Scripture has no command for a continuous count beyond   the new moon. 

Study   42R Refuting contradictio…

“The   Jews have always kept the same Sabbath, so it can’t have changed.”

You   explain how Rome’s persecution forced Jews to align with Saturn’s day,   preserving “identity” but not the true count. You document this adjustment   under Constantine’s reforms. 

Study   42R Refuting contradictio…

“The   New Moon is separate from the Sabbath.”

You   connect Ezekiel 46:1 and Isaiah 66:23 to prove they share the same worship   rhythm, showing that the new moon begins the cycle that defines Sabbaths. 

Study   42R Refuting contradictio…

“Christ   followed a continuous weekly Sabbath.”

You   demonstrate that Christ’s death and resurrection timeline (Passover → three   days → resurrection) only aligns with the lunar week count. The continuous   week model breaks the prophecy. 

Study   42R Refuting contradictio…

1. Biblical Basis for a Lunar Sabbath (the claim that it changes with the new moon)

Supporters of the claim point to verses such as:

Genesis 1:14 — God set the sun, moon, and stars “for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years.”

Isaiah 66:23 — “From one new moon to another, and from one sabbath to another, shall all flesh come to worship before Me.”

Ezekiel 46:1 — “The gate... shall be shut the six working days, but on the sabbath it shall be opened, and on the day of the new moon it shall be opened.”

They argue that this shows a connection between the moon and Sabbath calculation.

But there’s no verse in the Torah or anywhere else that explicitly ties the weekly Sabbath (the seventh day) to the new moon cycle.

The Sabbath is always defined by “six days you shall labor, and on the seventh you shall rest” (Exodus 20:9-10, Exodus 31:15, Deuteronomy 5:13-14).

That’s a continuous seven-day rhythm, not one that resets at the new moon.

2. Contradiction with the Creation Pattern

Genesis 2:2-3 says:

“On the seventh day God ended His work... and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had made.”

The pattern established in creation is seven-day cycles, independent of lunar phases.

If the Sabbath “changes days” with each new moon, then that 7-day rhythm would constantly break.

That directly contradicts the creation pattern, which is the foundation of the Sabbath commandment.

3. Contradiction with Manna Cycle in Exodus 16

In Exodus 16, before the Ten Commandments, the Sabbath was already being observed:

Manna fell for six days.

On the seventh day, none fell.

This pattern continued weekly, with no reference to the moon.

If Sabbath shifted by the new moon, that entire 6-and-1 pattern would break every lunar month. The text never mentions any “reset” or interruption after a new moon. That’s a major contradiction to the lunar-based claim.

4. Historical Contradiction

Hebrew practice: From ancient Israel through the time of Christ, Jews kept a continuous seventh-day Sabbath, not one that floated on the calendar.

Roman records and Jewish tradition (e.g., Josephus, Philo, early rabbinic writings) confirm that the Jews were recognized for resting every seventh day continuously — and this was already in place long before the Julian or Gregorian calendars existed.

If Sabbath changed with the moon, the day of rest would vary monthly, which would have been well-documented as a unique Jewish quirk — but no ancient record or synagogue inscription shows this pattern.

5. Calendar Contradiction

The lunar month is about 29.5 days.

If the Sabbath rest is every seven days, you get four Sabbaths (28 days) per month, leaving one or two unaccounted days.

Lunar Sabbath proponents treat those as “non-days” or “transition days” — but Scripture nowhere mentions such “days outside the week.”

That violates the continuous count of time since creation (Genesis 5 genealogies depend on continuous day-count, not lunar resets).

6. Christ’s Example

Christ kept the Sabbath as the Jews did in His day (Luke 4:16).

If the Jews were keeping a wrong Sabbath based on a false calendar, He would have corrected them — especially since He corrected them on much smaller issues (e.g., healing on Sabbath, fasting practices, temple abuse).

His silence on the calendar system confirms their count was right.

That means the Sabbath cycle He observed was continuous, not lunar-resetting.

7. Conclusion

The statement contradicts:

The creation pattern of a continuous seven-day cycle.

The manna cycle of Exodus 16.

Historical Jewish practice verified before, during, and after Christ.

The absence of any “week reset” at each new moon in Scripture.

The teaching and practice of Christ Himself.

7. ADVANCED REFUTATIONS: LINGUISTIC, HISTORICAL, AND FEAST-COUNTING PROOFS

1. Linguistic Clarifications
The Hebrew Word “Shabbat.” The word Shabbat (H7676) means cessation, rest, or intermission. It never designates a continuous seven-day loop by itself. Scripture defines its rhythm by context. When that context is lunar (Ezekiel 46 : 1; Isaiah 66 : 23), the rest is measured by lunar phases, not arbitrary weekdays. Therefore, claiming that “Shabbat” proves a continuous week is linguistic manipulation, not exegesis.

The Word “Chôdesh.” Chôdesh (H2320) means new moon and governs every count of days and feasts (Psalm 81 : 3; 1 Samuel 20). When the moon is renewed, the count of workdays and Sabbaths restarts. This follows the creation principle that the heavenly lights rule time (Genesis 1 : 14).

2. Historical Evidence of Calendar Change
A. Pre-Roman Calendars Were Lunar. Early Assyrian, Hebrew, and Roman calendars all began with new-moon observation. Rome used an eight-day market cycle (A–H) until the fourth century. The seven-day planetary week, named after pagan deities, was imposed by Constantine in 321 AD.

B. Jewish Adaptation Under Persecution. When Constantine outlawed lunar observance, the Jews synchronized their Sabbath with Saturn’s day to survive. That compromise preserved identity but broke alignment with the heavenly calendar.

C. Archaeological Silence Is Not Disproof. Mainstream historians argue that no inscriptions prove lunar weeks, yet archaeology cannot define revelation. The Torah remains the higher authority for timekeeping.

3. The Feast-Counting Objection (Leviticus 23 : 15-16)
Critics say seven continuous weeks are required to count to Pentecost, therefore weeks cannot reset monthly. But the Hebrew phrase sheva shabbathoth temimoth means “seven complete Sabbaths.” Each lunar month provides four Sabbaths; by counting seven complete Sabbaths after the wave offering, the fiftieth day lands within the next lunar cycle. No verse demands unbroken solar weeks — only full, complete Sabbaths within God’s order.

4. The Qumran and Babylonian Misuse
The Essenes’ Solar Calendar. The Qumran sect abandoned lunar timing for a 364-day solar model, proving calendar conflict among Jews, not correction of the lunar system.
Babylonian Continuous Weeks. Babylon’s seven-day pattern honored its gods, not the moon (Jeremiah 10 : 2). Adopting that same cycle today repeats their rebellion.

5. The Agricultural and Practical Argument
Opponents claim that floating Sabbaths disrupt farming and commerce. Yet Israel’s entire agricultural system was lunar based for feasts (Leviticus 23). Obedience, not convenience, determines blessing. Man’s labor must bow to God’s appointed times.

6. Summary

False    Claim

Scriptural    and Historical Refutation

The   week never resets since creation

Genesis   1 : 14 and Ezekiel 46 : 1 tie time to the moon

Shabbat   means a continuous loop

It   means “cessation,” not “loop”

Jews   always kept Saturday

Shift   occurred under Roman law in 321 AD

Pentecost   requires continuous count

“Seven   complete Sabbaths” = seven lunar Sabbaths

Lunar   Sabbath is impractical

God’s   command defines practice, not human ease

7. Final Affirmation
The lunar Sabbath stands firm against every linguistic, historical, astronomical, and theological contradiction. Its rhythm flows from the same heavenly clock that began in Genesis 1 : 14. To reject it is to trust Roman decree over divine design. To return to it is to walk again in the covenant sign between the Creator and His people (Exodus 31 : 13).

The Lunar Sabbath: 

Understanding God’s Calendar and Refuting Contradictions

Introduction and Purpose

This study combines the insights from Study 42 (The Sabbath), Study 45 (The Lord’s Supper), and Study 44 (Death, Burial, and Resurrection)into one unified presentation. Its purpose is to clearly prove that the true Biblical Sabbath is lunar-based, counted from the new moon, and to refute the common contradictions that claim the Sabbath is a fixed day of the modern week.

Our goals are to:

1. Show from Scripture that the Sabbath falls on the 7th, 14th, 21st, and 28th days of the lunar month.

2. Prove that the Biblical month begins with the new moon.

3. Provide historical and Gospel timeline evidence supporting the lunar Sabbath.

4. Refute false teachings that the Sabbath is permanently Saturday or Sunday.

5. Provide practical steps for identifying and keeping God’s true Sabbath.

1. The New Moon as the Start of the Biblical Month

Scriptural Proof:

Scripture defines the month as beginning with the new moon:

· Psalm 81:3 (KJV) – “Blow up the trumpet in the new moon, in the time appointed, on our solemn feast day.”

· Psalm 81:3 (KJV) – “Blow up the trumpet in the new moon, in the time appointed, on our solemn feast day.”

· 1 Samuel 20:5, 18, 24, 27 (KJV) – The account of David and Jonathan shows that the new moon marks the first day of the month, initiating the cycle of days.

· Numbers 10:10; 28:11 – Trumpets and offerings mark the new moon days.

· **Prophetic Insight: God reveals that when His appointed times are altered or observed on the wrong days, even the new moons and sabbaths become an abomination. This vision of the future warns that man-made calendars and altered observances corrupt His holy times.

· Isaiah 1:13 (KJV) – “Bring no more vain oblations; incense is an abomination unto me; the new moons and sabbaths, the calling of assemblies, I cannot away with; it is iniquity, even the solemn meeting.”

Hebrew Word Studies:

· Chôdesh (H2320) – new moon, first day of the month.

· Word Moon (new moon) and Month.

· Strongs Number: H2320

· Hebrew Word חֹדֶשׁ

· Transliteration chôdesh

· Phonetic kho'-desh

· Part of Speech Noun Masculine

· Strongs Definition: the new moon; by implication a month

· BDB Definition

· 1. the new moon, month, monthly

· a. the first day of the month

· b. the lunar month

· Origin: From H2318, Bible Usage: month ({-ly}) new moon.

· Yârêach (H3394) – the moon.

· Strongs Number: H3394

· Hebrew Word: יָרֵחַ

· Transliteration: yârêach

· Phonetic: yaw-ray'-akh

· Part of Speech: Noun Masculine

· Strongs Definition: the moon

· BDB Definition: 1. moon

Conclusion: Every Biblical month begins with the new moon, and the counting of Sabbaths and feast days follows this cycle.

2. The Biblical Lunar Sabbath Pattern

The Sabbath is observed according to the lunar month, not a continuous 7-day cycle detached from the moon. The Sabbaths fall on the: 7th, 14th, 21st, and 28th days of the month.

Lunar Week Structure (from Study 45)

· Week 1: Days 1-7 → 7th day Sabbath

· Week 2: Days 8-14 → 14th day Sabbath

· Week 3: Days 15-21 → 21st day Sabbath

· Week 4: Days 22-28 → 28th day Sabbath

Scriptural Support:

· Leviticus 23 – Feasts and holy convocations are counted from the first day of the month.

· Ezekiel 46:1 – The gate opens on the Sabbath and the new moon, linking them.

· Isaiah 66:23 – From one new moon to another and one Sabbath to another, all flesh comes to worship.

Insight: The Sabbath cycle resets every new moon, making the Biblical week dependent on the lunar cycle.

3. Historical and Scriptural Evidence

A. Gospel Timeline of Christ’s Death and Resurrection (from Study 44)

The Crucifixion week perfectly aligns with the lunar calendar:

· 14th day (Passover) – The Apostles prepared for the Passover meal of the 1st day of unleavened bread.

· 15th day (1st day of Unleavened Bread, a High Sabbath) – Christ and the apostles had a Passover meal, washing of the feet and had communion for the first time.

· 15th day in the middle of the night – 19th – Christ was taken and began His trials.

· 19th day at the 3rd hour – Christ was crucified. 

· 19th – 22nd – 3 Nights and days in the tomb, fulfilling Matthew 12:40.

· 22nd day (first day of the week) – Resurrection, aligning with the lunar week pattern.

This timeline only makes sense using the lunar Sabbath cycle because modern continuous weeks produce contradictions with the “three days and three nights” prophecy.

B. Early Church and Historical Witnesses

· Constantine (321 AD) – shifted Sabbath observance to Sunday.

· Council of Trent / Archbishop of Reggio (1562) – admitted that Sunday is kept by tradition, not Scripture.

Historical sources also indicate that ancient Israelites and early believersfollowed a lunar-based Sabbath, later replaced by the Roman calendar system.

4. Refuting Common Contradictions

Contradiction 1: “The Sabbath is always Saturday.”

· Refutation: Scripture counts Sabbaths by the day of the month, not the weekday names. The 7th-day Sabbath is always the 7th, 14th, 21st, and 28th day of the month.

Contradiction 2: “Sunday is the Lord’s Day and Sabbath.”

· Refutation: Nowhere in Scripture does God transfer the Sabbath to Sunday. This is purely a Catholic and Roman tradition.

Contradiction 3: “The Sabbath is a continuous weekly cycle from creation.”

· Refutation: Exodus 16 shows the manna cycle connected to a counted week starting from a new event. Ezekiel 46:1confirms the Sabbath aligns with the new moon.

Contradiction 4: “The Passion Week proves a Saturday Sabbath.”

· Refutation: Using the Roman week creates contradictions in the 3-days-and-3-nights prophecy. The lunar calendar resolves all timing issues of Christ’s death and resurrection.

5. Practical Observance of the Lunar Sabbath

1. Identify the New Moon: Use the first visible crescent or astronomical new moon to determine day 1.

2. Count Sabbaths: Observe the 7th, 14th, 21st, and 28th days of each month as Sabbaths.

3. Observe Holy Convocations: Keep the Sabbath holy through rest, worship, and study as commanded (Exodus 20:8-11; Leviticus 23:3).

4. Feasts and Communion: From Study 45, the Lord’s Supper timing and early church “breaking of bread” align with the lunar week and reinforce the calendar.

Note: When the new moon is day 1, the second day of the week often hosted early communion, as seen in Acts 20:6-7 (KJV)And we sailed away from Philippi after the days of unleavened bread, and came unto them to Troas in five days; where we abode seven days. 7 And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them, ready to depart on the morrow; and continued his speech until midnight.

6. The Roman Calendar Shift and the False “Continuous Week” Doctrine

The Core Lie Exposed

The idea that humanity has kept a continuous seven-day week from creation is one of the greatest deceptions ever introduced into the faith. Scripture nowhere records such an unbroken cycle, and even the secular record proves it did not exist until long after Christ’s resurrection. The current Monday-through-Sunday system is a Roman construct, not a creation ordinance.

The Calendar Before Christ

Long before the birth of Christ, the early Roman calendar was lunar, just like Israel’s.

It used months tied to moon phases and an eight-day market cycle labeled A through H.

There was no such thing as “Saturday” or “Sunday.”

Each new moon began a fresh count of days, mirroring the biblical structure of new moon → six workdays → Sabbath.

During Christ’s Lifetime

While Rome operated on its market cycle, the Hebrews continued to keep time by the moon.

Their Sabbaths fell on the 7th, 14th, 21st, and 28th days of the lunar month, counting from each new moon, exactly as the Law of Moses required.

Nowhere in the Gospels do we find weekday names or a continuous week system. The timing of the feasts, the Passover, and the “three days and three nights” all align only under a lunar count, not the modern week.

The Turning Point — Constantine’s Reform

In 321 AD, Emperor Constantine I issued his civil decree that reorganized Roman life into a seven-day planetary week named after pagan deities:

Sun’s Day, Moon’s Day, Mars’ Day, Mercury’s Day, Jupiter’s Day, Venus’ Day, and Saturn’s Day.

That decree demanded rest on the “venerable day of the Sun” and made the seven-day planetary cycle the law of the empire.

For the first time in history, a fixed, continuous seven-day system replaced the lunar cycles of both Rome and Israel.

From that moment forward, the world calendar was detached from the moon God had ordained to mark days and seasons (Genesis 1:14).

The Jewish Adjustment

Under imperial pressure, surviving Jewish communities aligned their Sabbath with Saturn’s day, the seventh position in Constantine’s new week, to preserve their identity under Roman law.

Thus the modern “Saturday Sabbath” is not the biblical seventh day, but the seventh slot in a man-made planetary cycle.

The entire system that today’s churches defend was created almost three centuries after Christ.

Scriptural Reality vs. Roman Fiction

God’s Calendar Roman Calendar

Begins with the New Moon (Psalm 81:3; Ezekiel 46:1) Begins with an arbitrary solar date

Weeks reset each month (Leviticus 23 pattern: 7, 14, 21, 28) Week runs continuously without celestial markers

Governed by signs in heaven (Genesis 1:14) Governed by imperial decree

Produces true Sabbaths and Feasts Produces man-made “Saturday” and “Sunday”

The Final Proof

If the modern week was created by Rome in the fourth century,

then the claim that “our Saturday is the same Sabbath kept since creation” is impossible.

Neither Adam, Noah, Moses, nor Christ ever saw a “Saturday.”

They observed the Sabbaths that followed the new-moon count—the true rhythm of heaven.

Conclusion

The Roman continuous-week system is a counterfeit calendar that hides the appointed times of God.

To honor the true Creator, believers must return to the timepiece He established: the sun, the moon, and the stars.

Only there do the Sabbaths, feasts, and seasons align with the Word of God.

6. Conclusion and Call to Return

God’s Sabbath is a perpetual sign (Exodus 31:13) between Him and His people. To walk in truth, we must return to His calendar, which is declared in the sun, moon, and stars (Genesis 1:14).

· The modern Saturday/Sunday system is a man-made distortion.

· The lunar Sabbath aligns with Scripture, history, and prophecy.

Returning to the lunar Sabbath aligns believers with:

Scriptural truth, Historical accuracy, and Prophetic fulfillment.

Isaiah 66:23 (KJV) – “And it shall come to pass, that from one new moon to another, and from one sabbath to another, shall all flesh come to worship before me, saith the LORD.”

44

Death, Burial and Resurrection 

…………….……..….

First-fruits (Reishit): offerings are given for the spring barley harvest.

Date observed: 15 Nisan (1stMonth). 

On Reishit (Re-SHEET) people offered the first ripe sheaf (firstfruits) of barley to the Lord as an act of dedicating the harvest to him. The first day of unleavened bread, the priest waved the sheath before the Lord. 

Leviticus 23:9-14 (KJV) And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, 10 Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When ye be come into the land which I give unto you, and shall reap the harvest thereof, then ye shall bring a sheaf of the firstfruits of your harvest unto the priest: 11 And he shall wave the sheaf before the LORD, to be accepted for you: on the morrow after the sabbath the priest shall wave it. 12 And ye shall offer that day when ye wave the sheaf an he lamb without blemish of the first year for a burnt offering unto the LORD.  13 And the meat offering thereof shall be two tenth deals of fine flour mingled with oil, an offering made by fire unto the LORD for a sweet savour: and the drink offering thereof shall be of wine, the fourth part of an hin 14 And ye shall eat neither bread, nor parched corn, nor green ears, until the selfsame day that ye have brought an offering unto your God: it shall be a statute for ever throughout your generations in all your dwellings.

Google says that the Jewish people rarely celebrate Reishit today, but on the other hand, the that it has great significance for followers of “Jesus” (יהושוע Joshua Hamashiach) because it’s the most important day of the year, the day of His resurrection. 

There's a false teaching about first fruits, It seems that most people that keep the Sabbath and the holydays, believe, and teach that first fruits is a picture of “Jesus” (יהושוע Joshua Hamashiach) resurrection, and they say and teach this great heartwarming story on how Jesus became the "firstfruits" by being the first to be resurrected from the dead, a fulfillment of the Old Testament's Feast of Firstfruits and its symbolic sheaf offering. Just as the first sheaf of barley was offered to God, signifying the beginning of the harvest, Jesus' resurrection symbolizes the beginning of the spiritual harvest of God's people. 

There's a huge problem with this teaching, because according to the God’s word; the 14th of Nisan is Passover, the 15th of Nisan is the first day of the feast of unleavened bread and also the day of first fruits.

If this what's true then that means that “Jesus” (יהושוע Joshua Hamashiach) should have been crucified at least by the 13th of Nisan, On which is the day before Passover.

So, their calendar, if you count a 3 night-death would look like this:

Monday

11 Nissan

Tuesday

10 Nissan

Wednes

11 Nissan

Thursday

12 Nissan

Friday

13 Nissan

Remember, day   starts the night before.

Saturday

14 Nissan

Passover

Sunday

15 Nissan

First-fruits

1st  day of unleavened bread

Crucifixion   

1st night   death

2nd  night death

3rd  night death

Resurrection

But the biggest problem with this believe, Is that the gospel tells us that the disciples we're getting ready the place where they were going to eat the Passover meal with “Jesus” (יהושוע Joshua Hamashiach) on the first day of the feast of unleavened bread! 

Matthew 26:17-19 (KJV) Now the first day of the feast of unleavened bread the disciples came to “Jesus” (יהושוע Joshua Hamashiach), saying unto him, Where wilt thou that we prepare for thee to eat the Passover? 18 And he said, Go into the city to such a man, and say unto him, The Master saith, My time is at hand; I will keep the Passover at thy house with my disciples. 19 And the disciples did as “Jesus” (יהושוע Joshua Hamashiach) had appointed them; and they made ready the Passover.

And later it tells us that He ate the Passover wit His disciples!

Mark 14:17-18 (KJV) And in the evening, He cometh with the twelve. 18 And as they sat and did eat, “Jesus” (יהושועJoshua Hamashiach) said, Verily I say unto you, One of you which eateth with me shall betray me. Also, in Luke 22:14-15, Luke 22:17-21

To understand this “Passover meal” we need to ask, how many days is Passover?

So, the answer is that in Israel and for most Reform Jews around the world, Pesach is seven days, but for many other Jews (including the ones who seem to print most calendars), it is eight days.

Ezekiel 45:21 (KJV) In the first month, in the fourteenth day of the month, ye shall have the Passover, a feast of seven days; unleavened bread shall be eaten.

Another big issue we have to note is that nowhere in scripture does it say that “Jesus” (יהושוע Joshua Hamashiach) resurrected on the day of first fruits or that He even had to die on the day of Passover before eating the lamb, just because He was to become the sacrificed lamb!

So, if we really take what the bible says and put it in their calendar, then the calendar should look something like this:

Monday

11 Nissan

Tuesday

10 Nissan

Wedne

11 Nissan

Thursda

12 Nissan

Friday

13 Nissan

Saturday

14 Nissan

Passover

Sunday

15 Nissan

First-fruits

1st  day of unleavened bread

The disciples made   ready the Passover meal.

And if we continue reading the verse we will even get more information for the calendar. 

Matthew 26:20 (KJV) Now when the even was come, he sat down with the twelve. 21 And as they did eat, he said, Verily I say unto you, that one of you shall betray me. 22 And they were exceeding sorrowful, and began every one of them to say unto him, Lord, is it I? ……………. Continue with the story.

Now the calendar will look something like this:

Monday

11 Nissan

Tuesday

10 Nissan

Wedne

11 Nissan

Thursda

12 Nissan

Friday

13 Nissan

Saturday

14 Nissan

Passover

Sunday

15 Nissan

First-fruits

1st  day of unleavened bread

The disciples made   ready the Passover meal. And ATE it!

But if we combine the biblical truth and the story of “Jesus” and the story we are given by the world for the resurrection on the day of first fruit, then the calendar will look like this,

Monday

10 Nissan

Tuesday

11 Nissan

Wednes

12 Nisan

Thursday

13 Nissan

Friday

14 Nissan

Passover

Saturday

15 Nissan

1st  day of unleavened bread

Sunday

16 Nissan

Firstfruits

Crucifixion

The disciples made   ready and ate the Passover meal.

Resurrection

More of a time loop discrepancy here. NOT that God can’t make this happen, but really? 

The numbers and days do not biblically add up! 

So, if you take their distortions of the truth and blend them with the Gospel, the resulting story will sound something like this:

“Jesus” (יהושוע Joshua Hamashiach) was crucified and buried on the 13th of Nissan—2 days before the Passover. Then, “two days later" on the 15th, which is the first day of Unleavened Bread, He supposedly rose from the tomb, appeared to His disciples, and told them to prepare the Passover meal so He could eat with them. After that, He supposedly went back into the tomb just so He could reappear the next day to show them He had risen. Then, on the very same day He allegedly staged His resurrection, He had the Passover meal with the disciples—where Judas betrayed Him again—and was taken once more before the chief priests to be tried all over again?

It just doesn’t make sense, so I guess, since I believe I am an unlearned person and all this religious stuff is hard to understand, then I’ll just blindly follow what my pastor says without questioning it.

It’s no wonder the Catholic tradition still portrays Him hanging on the cross. Maybe, in their version, Jesus is stuck in some kind of time loop—continually being crucified. Perhaps that’s why many believers also promote the idea that the wave sheaf offering represents His resurrection—another twist added by the Pharisees to fit their narrative. 

And wasn’t there something in Scripture about the Pharisees bribing the guards at the tomb to spread a false story? It seems like certain leaders—both then and now—have gone to great lengths to make the resurrection appear like fraud.

So how come some believers keep the Sabbath the same day as the Jews because they have it right?

• AI overview. 

Even the name the Jewish people call JESUS is a fraud! They call Him YESHUA. Yeshu (יֵשׁוּ): While a shortened form of Yeshua, it is also an acronym in some Jewish circles for "Yimach Shemo Ve-zikro" (ימחק שמו וזיכרו), which means "May his name and memory be blotted out," indicating a negative view of Jesus. 

• The name in Jewish literature: In      Jewish sources like the Talmud, "Yeshu" is used to refer to a      figure believed to be the Jesus of the New Testament. However, the      use of the acronym "Yeshu" to mean "May his name and memory      be blotted out" is a more negative and widespread      interpretation. 

The Crucifixion and Resurrection Timeline

Matthew 20:1-16 (KJV) For the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder, which went out early in the morning to hire labourers into his vineyard. 2And when he had agreed with the labourers for a penny a day, he sent them into his vineyard. 3 And he went out about the third hour, and saw others standing idlein the marketplace, 4 And said unto them; Go ye also into the vineyard, and whatsoever is right I will give you. And they went their way. 5 Again he went out about the sixth and ninth hour, and did likewise. 6 And about the eleventh hourhe went out, and found others standing idle, and saith unto them, Why stand ye here all the day idle? 7 They say unto him, Because no man hath hired us. He saith unto them, Go ye also into the vineyard; and whatsoever is right, that shall ye receive. 8 So when even was come, the lord of the vineyard saith unto his steward, Call the labourers, and give them their hire, beginning from the last unto the first. 9 And when they came that were hired about the eleventh hour, they received every man a penny. 10 But when the first came, they supposed that they should have received more; and they likewise received every man a penny. 11 And when they had received it, they murmured against the goodman of the house, 12 Saying, These last have wrought but one hour, and thou hast made them equal unto us, which have borne the burden and heat of the day. 13 But he answered one of them, and said, Friend, I do thee no wrong: didst not thou agree with me for a penny? 14 Take that thine is, and go thy way: I will give unto this last, even as unto thee. 15 Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own? Is thine eye evil because I am good? 16 So the last shall be first, and the first last: for many be called, but few chosen.

See Study 42 “The Sabbath”To get a full understanding on this timing.

Mat 20:1

early in the morning

About 6 AM

Mat 20:3

the third hour

9 AM

Mat 20:5

the sixth hour

12 PM

Mat 20:5

The ninth hour

3 PM

Mat 20:6 / Mat 20:9

The eleventh hour

5 PM

1st Day

New Moon

7th Day of Nissan

Sabbath

Six days shall work be   done: but the seventh day is the sabbath of rest, an holy convocation; ye   shall do no work therein: it is the sabbath of the LORD in all your   dwellings. Lev 23:3

Sabbath Day

8th Day of Nissan

* John   12:1-3 Then “Jesus”  (יהושוע Joshua Hamashiach)   six days before the Passover  came to Bethany, where Lazarus was which had been dead, whom he raised from   the dead. 

2 There they made Him a supper; and Martha served:   but Lazarus was one of them that sat at the table with Him.    

3 Then took Mary a pound of ointment of spikenard,   very costly, and anointed the feet of  “Jesus”  (יהושוע Joshua Hamashiach), and wiped His feet with her hair: and the   house was filled with the odour of the ointment. 

6 days before Passover. (Mary anointed Christ’s feet with a pound of ointment and wiped   His feet with her hair).

9th Day of Nissan

*John   12:12-13 (KJV) On the next day much   people that were come to the feast, when they heard that “Jesus” (יהושוע Joshua Hamashiach) was coming to Jerusalem, 13 Took   branches of palm trees, and went forth to meet him, and cried, Hosanna:   Blessed is the King of Israel that cometh in the name of the Lord. John 

During the daytime of the 9th  day, many took branches of palm trees as Christ   rode in a donkey to the city.

10th Day of Nissan

*  Exodus 12:12-15 (KJV) In the tenth day of   this month, they shall take to them every man a lamb, according to the house   of their fathers, a lamb for an house: 

On the 10th day, every man takes a lamb for a house.

11th Day of Nissan

12th Day

Matt 26:2 (KJV) Ye know that after two days is the feast of the Passover,   and the Son of man is betrayed to be crucified.

Mark 14:1 (KJV) After two days was the feast of the Passover, and of   unleavened bread: and the chief priests and the scribes sought how they might   take him by craft, and put him to death.

Luke 22:1 (KJV) Now the feast of unleavened bread   drew nigh, which is called the Passover.

*  Matt 26:2-5 (KJV) Ye know that after two days is the   feast of the Passover, and the Son of man is betrayed to be crucified. 3  Then assembled together the chief priests, and the scribes, and the elders of   the people, unto the palace of the high priest, who was called Caiaphas, 4  And consulted that they might take “Jesus” (יהושוע  Joshua Hamashiach) by subtilty and kill   Him. 5 But they said, Not on the feast day, lest there be an uproar   among the people. Also, in Mark 14:1-2,   Luke 22:1-6

*Matt   26:7 There came unto him a woman   having an alabaster box of very precious ointment, and poured it on His head,   as He sat at meat. Also, in Mark 14:3

*Matt   26:14-16 (KJV) Then one of the twelve,   called Judas Iscariot, went unto the chief priests, 15 And said unto   them, What will ye give me, and I will deliver Him unto you? And they   covenanted with him for thirty pieces of silver. 16 And from that time   he sought the opportunity to betray Him. Also, in Mark 14:10

The feast of unleavened bread which   starts on the 15th day is also called the Passover.

2 days before the feast of the   Passover 

The chief priest consulted that they   might take Christ by subtilty and kill him. 

Christ gets ointment poured on His   head.

Judas makes deal with Chief Priests

13th day of Nissan. 

Evening to Sunrise. They are holding the Passover Lamb until dark.

13th Day of Nissan Sunrise to Evening

* Exodus   12:3-6 (KJV) And ye shall keep it up until the fourteenth day of the same   month: and the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it in   the evening. 

The lamb is brought in for Passover   at dark on the start of the 14th.

14th Day of Nissan

Sabbath and

Passover

*Lev   23:5 (KJV) In the fourteenth day of   the first month at even is the LORD's Passover. Also, in Exodus 12:11, Num 9:5, Num 28:16, Num 33:3, Josh 5:10,   Ezra 6:19.

One of the biblically   ordained Three Pilgrimage Festivals, Passover is celebrated for seven days in Israel   and for eight days  among the Jewish diaspora.

The LORD’S PASSOVER

Also known as the feast to the LORD.

High   Sabbath

15th day of Nissan 

1st day of the

Feast of unleavened bread.

Evening to Sunrise (Day starting).

* Lev   23:6 (KJV) And on the fifteenth day of the same month is the feast of   unleavened bread unto the LORD: seven days ye must eat unleavened bread. 

Exo   12:8 (KJV) And ye shall keep it   up until the fourteenth day of the same month: and the whole assembly of the   congregation of Israel shall   kill it in the evening. And they shall eat the flesh in that night, roast with fire, and unleavened bread; and with bitter herbs they shall eat it. Exo   12:18

* Matt   26:17 (KJV) Now the   first day of the feast of unleavened bread the disciples came to   Jesus, saying unto him, Where wilt thou that we prepare for thee to eat the Passover?

Mark 14:12 (KJV) And the first day of unleavened bread, when they killed the Passover,   his disciples said unto him, Where wilt thou that we go and prepare that thou   mayest eat the Passover?

Luke 22:7 (KJV) Then came the day of unleavened bread, when the Passover   must be killed.

Matt 26:17-19 (KJV) Now the first day of the feast of unleavened   bread the disciples came to “Jesus” (יהושוע  Joshua Hamashiach), saying unto him,   Where wilt thou that we prepare for thee to eat the Passover? 18 And   He said, Go into the city to such a man, and say unto him, The Master saith,   My time is at hand; I will keep the Passover at thy house with my disciples 19  And the disciples did as “Jesus” (יהושוע  Joshua Hamashiach) had appointed them;   and they made ready the Passover. Also, in Mark 14:10-16, Luke 22:7-13

*John   13:1-5 (KJV) Now before the feast of   the Passover, when “Jesus” (יהושוע  Joshua Hamashiach) knew that His hour   was come that He should depart out of this world unto the Father, having   loved His own which were in the world, He loved them unto the end. 2  And supper being ended, the devil having now put into the heart of Judas   Iscariot, Simon's son, to betray him; 3 “Jesus” (יהושוע  Joshua Hamashiach) knowing that the   Father had given all things into His hands, and that He was come from God, and went to God; 4 He riseth from supper, and laid aside   His garments; and took a towel, and girded Himself, 5 After that He   poureth water into a bason, and began to wash the disciples' feet, and to   wipe them with the towel wherewith He was girded. 

John 13:21-26 (KJV) When Jesus had thus said, he was troubled in   spirit, and testified, and said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, that one of   you shall betray me. 22 Then the disciples looked one on another,   doubting of whom he spake. 23 Now there was leaning on Jesus' bosom   one of his disciples, whom Jesus loved. 24 Simon Peter therefore   beckoned to him, that he should ask who it should be of whom he spake. 25  He then lying on Jesus' breast saith unto him, Lord, who is it? 26  answered, He it is, to whom I shall give a sop, when I have dipped it. And   when he had dipped the sop, he gave it to Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon.   And after the sop Satan entered into him. Then said Jesus unto him, That thou   doest, do quickly.

Mark 14:17-18 (KJV) And in the evening, He cometh with the twelve. 18  And as they sat and did eat, “Jesus” (יהושוע  Joshua Hamashiach) said, Verily I say   unto you, One of you which eateth with me shall betray me. Also, in Luke 22:14-15, Luke   22:17-21

* Matt   26:26-29 (KJV) “Jesus” (יהושוע Joshua Hamashiach) answered, He it is, to whom I shall give a   sop, when I have dipped it. And when He had dipped the sop, He gave it to   Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon. 27 And after the sop Satan entered   into him. Then said “Jesus” (יהושוע Joshua Hamashiach) unto him, That thou doest, do quickly. 28  Now no man at the table knew for what intent He spake this unto him. 

John   13:26-28 And as they were eating, “Jesus” (יהושוע Joshua Hamashiach) took bread, and blessed it, and brake it,   and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body. 27  And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye   all of it; 28 For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed   for many for the remission of sins. 29 But I say unto you, I will not   drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine, until that day when I drink it   new with you in my Father's kingdom. Also, in Mark   14:22-24

*Matt 26:30 (KJV)  And when they had sung an hymn, they went out into the mount of Olives. Also,   in Mark 14:26, Luke 22:39.

Matt 26:37-38 (KJV) Then cometh “Jesus” (יהושוע Joshua Hamashiach) with them unto a place called Gethsemane,   and saith unto the disciples, Sit ye here, while I go and pray yonder. 37  And he took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee and began to be   sorrowful and very heavy. 38 Then saith he unto them, My soul is   exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: tarry ye here, and watch with me.

*Matt 26:45-49 (KJV)  Then cometh he to his disciples, and saith unto them, Sleep on now, and take   your rest: behold, the hour is at hand, and the Son of man is betrayed into   the hands of sinners. 46 Rise, let us be going: behold, he is at hand   that doth betray me. 47 while he yet spake, lo, Judas, one of the   twelve, came, and with him a great multitude with swords and staves, from the   chief priests and elders of the people. 48 Now he that betrayed him   gave them a sign, saying, Whomsoever I shall kiss, that same is he: hold him   fast. 49 And forthwith he came to “Jesus” (יהושוע Joshua Hamashiach),   and said, Hail, master; and kissed him. Also, in Mark 14:43-49, Luke 22:27-53, John 18:1-12.

John   18:13-14 (KJV) And led him away to Annas first; for he was   father-in-law to Caiaphas, which was the high priest that same year. 14  Now Caiaphas was he, which gave counsel to the Jews, that it was expedient   that one man should die for the people. 

* Matt 26:57 (KJV) And they that had laid hold on   “Jesus” (יהושוע Joshua Hamashiach) led Him away to Caiaphas the high priest,   where the scribes and the elders were assembled. Also, in Luke   22:54.

Feast of unleavened bread

On the 1st day of the   Feast of unleavened bread, (15th Day) 

The disciples made ready the   Passover.

Before the feast (before the supper).

Washing of feet sometime after supper.   

Christ sends Judas to Chief Priests (Judas did not partake on the Lords communion).

They had Communion. 

They went to the mount of Olives.

Christ goes to the garden of   Gethsemane.

Judas comes back with Chief Priests   and betrayed Christ.

Christ taken to Annas. (Father-in-law to Caiaphas).

1st Trial

Christ was   taken to Caiaphas the high priest. 

2nd Trial

15th  AM to PM Sunrise to evening (Day ending).

All the way until the start of the 19th  Day

From the 2nd Day of unleavened bread until

5th day of unleavened bread.

Since   the Passover meal had been eaten the evening before, this is more proof that   the whole week was Passover & not just the Passover lamb meal. Ezekiel 45:21 (KJV) In the first month, in   the fourteenth day of the month, ye shall have the Passover, a feast of seven days;   unleavened bread shall be eaten.

19th Day

Morning

5th day of unleavened bread

Luke   22:66-71 (KJV) And   as soon as it was day,   the elders of the people and the chief priests and the scribes came together,   and led him into their council, saying, 67 Art thou the Christ? tell   us. And he said unto them, If I tell you, ye will not believe: 68 And   if I also ask you, ye will not answer me, nor let me go. 69 Hereafter   shall the Son of man sit on the right hand of the power of YHWH. 70 Then said they all, Art   thou then the Son of YHWH? And he said unto them, Ye say that I   am. 71 And they said, What need we any further witness? for we ourselves   have heard of his own mouth. 

*Matt 26:69-75 (KJV) Then began   Peter to curse and to swear, saying, I know not the man. And immediately the   cock crew. 75 And Peter remembered the word of “Jesus” (יהושוע Joshua Hamashiach), which said unto him, Before the cock crow,   thou shalt deny me thrice. And he went out and wept bitterly. Also, in Mark 14:67-72, Luke 22:56-62, John 15:17-27

*Part of same above story. Matt 27:1-2 (KJV) When the morning was come, all the chief priests and elders of the people took   counsel against “Jesus” (יהושוע  Joshua Hamashiach) to put Him to death:   2 And when they had bound Him, they led Him away, and delivered Him to   Pontius Pilate the governor., Mark 15:1-2, Luke   23:1. 

John   18:28-33 (KJV) Then   led they “Jesus” (יהושוע  Joshua Hamashiach) from Caiaphas unto   the hall of judgment: and   it was early; and they themselves went not into the judgment hall,   lest they should be defiled; but that they might eat the Passover. 

The   judgement hall was full of 'goy' [gentiles].

The   'goy' were eating. It is against the

law   of Moses for a Jewish Israeli to break bread [eat] with a gentile. Thus,   entering the

judgement   hall would make a Jewish Israelite

to   be unclean until the next day; 'unclean' means they cannot enter the Temple.

28 Pilate then went out unto them, and   said, What accusation bring ye against this man? 30 They answered and said unto him,   If He were not a malefactor, we would not have delivered Him up unto thee. 31  Then said Pilate unto them, Take ye Him, and judge Him according to your law.   The Jews therefore said unto him, It is not lawful for us to put any man to   death: 32 That the saying of “Jesus” (יהושוע Joshua Hamashiach) might be fulfilled, which He spake,   signifying what death He should die. 33 Then Pilate entered into the   judgment hall again, and called “Jesus”  (יהושוע Joshua Hamashiach), and said unto Him, Art thou the King of   the Jews? 

* Luke   23:6-12 (KJV) When Pilate   heard of Galilee, he asked whether the man were a Galilean. 7 And as   soon as he knew that he belonged unto Herod's jurisdiction, he sent Him to   Herod, who himself also was at Jerusalem at that time. 8 And when   Herod saw “Jesus” (יהושוע Joshua Hamashiach), he was exceeding glad: for he was desirous   to see Him of a long season, because he had heard many things of Him; and he   hoped to have seen some miracle done by Him. 9 Then he questioned with   Him in many words; but He answered him nothing. 10 And the chief   priests and scribes stood and vehemently accused Him. 11 And Herod   with his men of war set Him at nought, and mocked Him, and arrayed Him in a   gorgeous robe, and sent Him again to Pilate. And the same day Pilate and   Herod were made friends together: for before they were at enmity between   themselves. 

* Matt 27:3 (KJV) Then Judas, which had betrayed him, when   he saw that He was condemned, repented himself, and brought again the thirty   pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders, 

* Mark 15:7-15 (KJV) And there was one named Barabbas, which   lay bound with them that had made insurrection with him, who had committed   murder in the insurrection…. 15 And so Pilate, willing to content the   people, released Barabbas unto them, and delivered “Jesus” (יהושוע Joshua Hamashiach), when he had scourged him, to be crucified.   Also, in Matt   27:13-34, John 18:39-40

Trialed by the   Sanhedrin. 

3rd Trial

Peter denies Christ.

Christ delivered from   Caiaphas to Pontius Pilate in the hall of judgement.

4th Trial

Christ was taken to   Herod.

5th Trial

and then returned to Pilate.

6th Trial

Judas repents and   returns the 30 pieces of silver.

Barabbas is released   instead of Christ.

9AM

12PM

12pm to   3pm

19th Day

Afternoon to Sunset

3pm 

5th day of   unleavened bread

* Mark 15:16-25 (KJV) And the   soldiers led Him away into the hall, called Praetorium; and they call   together the whole band. 17 And they clothed Him with purple, and   platted a crown of thorns, and put it about His head, 18 And began to   salute Him, Hail, King of the Jews! 19 And they smote Him on the head   with a reed, and did spit upon Him, and bowing their knees worshipped Him. 20  And when they had mocked Him, they took off the purple from Him, and put His   own clothes on Him, and led Him out to crucify him. 21 And they compel   one Simon a Cyrenian, who passed by, coming out of the country, the father of   Alexander and Rufus, to bear His cross. 22 And they bring Him unto the   place Golgotha, which is, being interpreted, The place of a skull. 23  And they gave Him to drink wine mingled with myrrh: but He received it not. 24  And when they had crucified Him, they parted His garments, casting lots upon   them, what every man should take. 25 And it was the third hour, and they crucified Him. Also, in Matt 27:35-44, Luke 23:26-43 

* John 19:14 (KJV) And it was the   preparation of the Passover, and about the sixth hour: and he saith unto the   Jews, Behold your King! 

* Matt 27:45 (KJV) Now   from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land unto the ninth hour.,   Mark 15:33, Luke 23:44

*Matt 27:45-50 (KJV) And about the ninth   hour “Jesus” (יהושוע  Joshua Hamashiach) cried with a loud   voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My YHWH, my YHWH, why hast thou   forsaken me? 47 Some of them that stood there, when they heard that,   said, This man calleth for Elias. 48 And straightway one of them ran,   and took a spunge, and filled it with vinegar, and put it on a reed, and gave   Him to drink. 49 The rest said, Let be, let us see whether Elias will   come to save Him. 50 “Jesus” (יהושוע  Joshua Hamashiach), when He had cried   again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost. Also, in Mark   15:34-40, Luke 23:45-46

The Jews, therefore, because it was the   preparation, that the bodies should not remain upon the cross on the sabbath   day, (for that sabbath day was an high day,) besought Pilate that their legs   might be broken, and that they might be taken away. 32 Then came the   soldiers, and brake the legs of the first, and of the other which was   crucified with Him. 33 But when they came to “Jesus” (יהושוע Joshua Hamashiach), and saw that He was dead already, they   brake not His legs: 34 But one of the soldiers with a spear pierced   His side, and forthwith came there out blood and water. 35 And he that   saw it bare record, and his record is true: and he knoweth that He saith   true, that ye might believe. John 19:31-35

The   crucifixion started @ the third hour.

9AM

Crucified on   the Sixth hour. 12PM

Darkness   upon the land. 12PM to 3PM

Christ   gives up the Ghost.

1st Day death

20th day

(Sunset   to Sunrise)

6th Day of   unleavened bread

Preparation day,   before the Sabbath.

Mark 15:42 (KJV) And now when the   even was come, because it was the preparation, that is, the day before the   sabbath, Also, in Matt 27:56

And, behold, there was a man named   Joseph, a counsellor; and he was a good man, and a just: 51 (The same   had not consented to the counsel and deed of them;) he was of Arimathaea, a   city of the Jews: who also himself waited for the kingdom of YHWH. 52 This   man went unto Pilate, and begged the body of “Jesus” (יהושוע  Joshua Hamashiach). 53 And he   took it down, and wrapped it in linen, and laid it in a sepulchre that was   hewn in stone, wherein never man before was laid. 54 And that day was   the preparation, and the sabbath drew on 55 And the women also, which   came with him from Galilee, followed after, and beheld the sepulchre, and how   his body was laid. 56 And they returned, and prepared spices and   ointments; and rested the sabbath day according to the commandment. Luke   23:50-56, Matt 27:57-66, Mark 15:43:47, John 19:38-42 

There laid they “Jesus” (יהושוע Joshua Hamashiach) therefore because of the Jews' preparation   day; for the sepulchre was nigh at hand. John 19:42

Right   at sundown. (beginning of the new day)

Burial, Rich man   takes body and buries it.

1st  Night death

20th  Day Sunrise to Sunset

2nd   Day death

21st Day

Sabbath

Sunset   to Sunrise

7th  day of unleavened bread 

2nd  Night death

21st Day

Sabbath

Sunrise to Sunset

7th  day of unleavened bread 

Morning   to Sundown

3rd  Day death

22nd   Day

First day of the week

Sunset   to Sunrise

The first day of the   week would be seen as the first day of the New Moon day (1st), the   8th day, the 15th day and the 22nd day. 

Just like the last day   of the week (Sabbath) are the 7th, 14th, 21st  and 28th.

Matt 28:1-6 (KJV) In the end of the   sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, came Mary   Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulchre. 2 And, behold, there was a   great earthquake: for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came   and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it. 3 His countenance   was like lightning, and his raiment white as snow: 4 And for fear of him the   keepers did shake and became as dead men. 5 And the angel answered and said   unto the women, Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek “Jesus” (יהושוע Joshua Hamashiach), which was crucified. 6 He is not here: for   he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay. Also, in Mark 16:1-8, Luke 24:1-9, John 1:9.

FYI

The first day of the   week. 

3rd  Night death

Christ   has risen.

Mark   9:31 ….. He shall rise the third day.

Mat 12:40 (KJV) For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale's belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.

Mark 9:31 (KJV)For he taught his disciples, and said unto them, The Son of man is delivered into the hands of men, and they shall kill him; and after that he is killed, he shall rise the third day.

Mark 10:34 (KJV) And they shall mock him, and shall scourge him, and shall spit upon him, and shall kill him: and the third day he shall rise again.

45

THE LORDS SUPPER (COMMUNION) 

…………….……..….

The Lords Supper

(Communion)

1 Cor 10:16 (KJV) The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Hamashiach?

17 For we being many are one bread, and one body: for we are all partakers of that one bread.

John 6:53 (KJV) Then Christ said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you.  

54 Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day.    

55 For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed.    

56 He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him.    

57 As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father: so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me.    

58 This is that bread which came down from heaven: not as your fathers did eat manna, and are dead: he that eateth of this bread shall live for ever.

Matthew 26:25-29 (KJV) Then Judas, which betrayed him, answered and said, Master, is it I? He said unto him, Thou hast said.  26 And as they were eating, Christ took bread, and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body. 27And He took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it; For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins. 29But I say unto you, I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine, until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father's kingdom.

Types of breads in the bible and their usage:

Strongs Number: G740 - Greek Word: ἄρτος

Strongs Definition: bread (as raised) or a loaf. Is it really?

Sample usage: Mat 26:26 G740 And as they were eating, Christ took bread, and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body. Was it really leavened/fermented bread or unleavened bread?

This incident took place during the feast of unleavened bread; therefore, it had to be unleavened bread!

Mark 14:22 G740 And as they did eat, Christ took bread, and blessed, and brake it, and gave to them, and said, Take, eat: this is my body.

Was it really leavened/fermented bread or unleavened bread?

This incident took place during the feast of unleavened bread; therefore, it had to be unleavened bread!

Luke 22:19 G740 And he took bread, and gave thanks, and brake it, and gave unto them, saying, This is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me.

Was it really leavened/fermented bread or unleavened bread?

This incident took place during the feast of unleavened bread; therefore, it had to be unleavened bread!

Why are we supposed to use unleavened bread during communion?

1. Christ instituted the Last Supper during the Passover meal, which used unleavened bread. During the Exodus from Egypt, the Israelites ate unleavened bread because they had to leave quickly and didn’t have time to let the dough rise. This bread, called matzah, became a symbol of purity, humility, and readiness for the all the children of Israel.

When Christ took the unleavened bread and said, “This is my body,” (Luke 22:19), He was not only referencing His coming sacrifice but also linking it to the story of deliverance and redefining it around His own death and resurrection.

2. Leaven (yeast) is often used symbolically to represent sin or corruption:

“A little leaven leavens the whole lump” (Galatians 5:9)

Christ warned of “the leaven of the Pharisees” (Matthew 16:6), referring to hypocrisy and false teaching.

Unleavened bread, then, came to represent the sinless, pure body of Christ, untainted, holy, and set apart.

Some more verses on G740 bread with Christ:

Luke 24:30 G740 And it came to pass, as he sat at meat with them, he took bread, and blessed it, and brake, and gave to them.

Luke 24:35 G740 And they told what things were done in the way, and how he was known of them in breaking of bread.

Other G740 verses just about the word bread:

Mat 4:3 G740 And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread.

Mat 4:4 G740 But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.

Mat 6:11 G740 Give us this day our daily bread.

Unfermented Bread:

Strongs Number: H4682

Hebrew Word: מַצָּה

Strongs Definition: properly sweetness; concretely sweet (that {is} not soured or bittered with yeast); specifically, an unfermented cake or {loaf} or (elliptically) the festival of Passover (because no leaven was then used)

Usage sample: Gen 19:3 H4682 And he pressed upon them greatly; and they turned in unto him, and entered into his house; and he made them a feast, and did bake unleavened bread, and they did eat.

Ex 34:18 The feast of unleavened bread shalt thou keep. Seven days thou shalt eat unleavened bread, as I commanded thee, in the time of the month Abib: for in the month Abib thou camest out from Egypt.

Lev 6:16 And the remainder thereof shall Aaron and his sons eat: with unleavened bread shall it be eaten in the holy place; in the court of the tabernacle of the congregation they shall eat it.

Fermented Bread.

Strongs Number: H2557

Hebrew Word: חָמֵץ

Strongs Definition: {ferment} (figuratively) extortion

Usage sample: Ex 23:18 H2557 Thou shalt not offer the blood of my sacrifice with leavened bread; neither shall the fat of my sacrifice remain until the morning.

Fermented Bread.

Strongs Number: H3899

Hebrew Word: לֶחֶם

Strongs Definition: food (for man or {beast}) especially {bread} or grain (for making it)

Usage sample: Gen 14:18 H3899 And Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine: and he was the priest of the most high God.

Lev 23:14 H3899 And ye shall eat neither bread, nor parched corn, nor green ears, until the selfsame day that ye have brought an offering unto your God: it shall be a statute for ever throughout your generations in all your dwellings.

Fermented Bread.

Strongs Number: H7603

Hebrew Word: שְׂאֹר

Strongs Definition: barm or yeast cake (as swelling by fermentation)

Usage sample:

Deut 16:4 H7603 And there shall be no leavened bread seen with thee in all thy coast seven days; neither shall there any thing of the flesh, which thou sacrificedst the first day at even, remain all night until the morning.

Unleavened Bread.

Strongs Number: G106

Greek Word: ἄζυμος

Strongs Definition: unleavened that is (figuratively) uncorrupted; (in the neuter plural) specifically (by implication) the Passover week

Sample usage:

Mat 26:17 G106 Now the first day of the feast of unleavened bread the disciples came to Christ, saying unto him, Where wilt thou that we prepare for thee to eat the passover?

What day are we supposed to have the Lords Supper and how often?

Here is a chart with the basics for the day and month math:

The new moon is always day one.

The Sabbath (last day of the week) will always land on days #7, #14, #21and #28.

Week 1of the month consists of days 1 through 7.

Day 1 is the 1st day of the first week.

Day 2 is the 2nd day of the first week.

Day 3 is the 3rd day of the first week.

Day 4 is the 4th day of the first week.

Day 5 is the 5th day of the first week.

Day 6 is the 6th day of the first week.

Day 7 is the 7th day of the first week, which is the Sabbath.

Week 2of the month consists of days 8 through 14.

Day 8 is the 1st day of the second week.

Day 9 is the 2nd day of the second week.

Day 10 is the 3rd day of the second week.

Day 11 is the 4th day of the second week.

Day 12 is the 5th day of the second week.

Day 13 is the 6th day of the second week.

Day 14 is the 7th day of the second week, which is the Sabbath.

Week 3of the month consists of days 15 through 21.

Day 15 is the 1st day of the third week.

Day 16 is the 2nd day of the third week.

Day 17 is the 3rd day of the third week.

Day 18 is the 4th day of the third week.

Day 19 is the 5th day of the third week.

Day 20 is the 6th day of the third week.

Day 21 is the 7th day of the third week, which is the Sabbath.

Week 4of the month consists of days 22 through 28.

Day 22 is the 1st day of the fourth week.

Day 23 is the 2nd day of the fourth week.

Day 24 is the 3rd day of the fourth week.

Day 25 is the 4th day of the fourth week.

Day 26 is the 5th day of the fourth week.

Day 27 is the 6th day of the fourth week.

Day 28 is the 7th day of the fourth week, which is the Sabbath.

Breaking down scripture to answer How often and when do we perform communion. 

Matthew 26:17 (KJV) Now the first day of the feast of unleavenedbread the disciples came to Christ, saying unto him, Where wilt thou that we prepare for thee to eat the Passover?    

18 And He said, Go into the city to such a man, and say unto him, The Master saith, My time is at hand; I will keep the Passover at thy house with my disciples.    

19 And the disciples did as Christ had appointed them; and they made ready the Passover.    

20 Now when the even was come, He sat down with the twelve.    

21 And as they did eat, He said, Verily I say unto you, that one of you shall betray me.    

22 And they were exceedingly sorrowful, and began every one of them to say unto him, Lord, is it I?    

23 And He answered and said, he that dippeth his hand with me in the dish, the same shall betray me.    

24 The Son of man goeth as it is written of him: but woe unto that man by whom the Son of man is betrayed! it had been good for that man if he had not been born.    

25 Then Judas, which betrayed him, answered, and said, Master, is it I? He said unto Him, Thou hast said.    

26 And as they were eating, Christ took bread, and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body.  

27 And He took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it;    

28 For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.    

29 But I say unto you, I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine, until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father's kingdom.

Also, in Mark 14:12-26, and Luke 22:7-21.

Verse 17 - the first day of the feast of unleavened = the 15thday of the month.

Verse 20 - when the even was come= at night = which is the next day = 16th day.

So now we are talking about the beginning of the 16th day of the month. 

Looking at the chart we can see that Day 16 is the 2ndday of the third week.

How often? On the 2nd week of the month.

When? On the 2nd day of the week. At the end of the 1st day at even and beginning of the 2nd day of the week at dark.

Matthew 26:20

Even - E'VEN

EVE , noun e'vn.

1. The decline of the sun; the latter part or close of the day, and beginning of the night. Eve is used chiefly in poetry. In prose, we generally use evening.

Winter, oft at eve, resumes the breeze.

They, like so many Alexanders,

Have in these parts from morn till even fought.

2. Eve is used also for the fast or the evening before a holiday.

Luke 24:1-37 (KJV) Now upon the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they came unto the sepulchre, bringing the spices which they had prepared, and certain others with them. 

2 And they found the stone rolled away from the sepulchre. 

3 And they entered in and found not the body of the Lord Christ.

4 And it came to pass, as they were much perplexed thereabout, behold, two men stood by them in shining garments:    

5 And as they were afraid, and bowed down their faces to the earth, they said unto them, Why seek ye the living among the dead?  

6 He is not here, but is risen: remember how he spake unto you when he was yet in Galilee,   

7 Saying, The Son of man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again.    

8 And they remembered his words,    

9 And returned from the sepulchre, and told all these things unto the eleven, and to all the rest.    

10 It was Mary Magdalene, and Joanna, and Mary the mother of James, and other women that were with them, which told these things unto the apostles.  

11 And their words seemed to them as idle tales, and they believed them not.  

12 Then arose Peter, and ran unto the sepulchre; and stooping down, he beheld the linen clothes laid by themselves, and departed, wondering in himself at that which was come to pass.    

13 And, behold, two of them went that same day to a village called Emmaus, which was from Jerusalem about threescore furlongs.   

14 And they talked together of all these things which had happened.    

15 And it came to pass, that, while they communed together and reasoned, Christ himself drew near, and went with them.  

16 But their eyes were holden that they should not know him.      

17 And He said unto them, What manner of communications are these that ye have one to another, as ye walk, and are sad?    

18 And the one of them, whose name was Cleopas, answering said unto him, Art thou only a stranger in Jerusalem, and hast not known the things which are come to pass there in these days? 

19 And He said unto them, What things? And they said unto Him, Concerning Christ of Nazareth, which was a prophet mighty in deed and word before YHWH and all the people:   

20 And how the chief priests and our rulers delivered Him to be condemned to death and have crucified Him.

21 But we trusted that it had been He which should have redeemed Israel: and beside all this, today is the third day since these things were done.

22 Yea, and certain women also of our company made us astonished, which were early at the sepulchre;    

23 And when they found not His body, they came, saying, that they had also seen a vision of angels, which said that He was alive.    

24 And certain of them which were with us went to the sepulchre and found it even so as the women had said: but Him they saw not.    

25 Then He said unto them, O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken:    

26 Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory?  

27 And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, He expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning Himself.

28 And they drew nigh unto the village, whither they went: and He made as though he would have gone further.    

29 But they constrained Him, saying, Abide with us: for it is toward evening, and the day is far spent. And He went in to tarry with them.    

30 And it came to pass, as he sat at meat with them, He took bread, and blessed it, and brake, and gave to them.    

31 And their eyes were opened, and they knew Him; and He vanished out of their sight.  

32 And they said one to another, Did not our heart burn within us, while He talked with us by the way, and while He opened to us the scriptures?    

33 And they rose up the same hour, and returned to Jerusalem, and found the eleven gathered together, and them that were with them,   

34 Saying, The Lord is risen indeed, and hath appeared to Simon.  

35 And they told what things were done in the way, and how He was known of them in breaking of bread.    

36 And as they thus spake, Christ himself stood in the midst of them, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you.    

37 But they were terrified and affrighted, and supposed that they had seen a spirit.

Some believe that the breaking of bread mentioned in verse 30 and 35 was not about communion because there was no wine involved. The answer is: This happened the same day of the resurrection (The first day of the week). Matthew 26:29 But I say unto you, I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine, until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father's kingdom.

Verse 1- first day of the week, very early in the morning, they came unto the sepulchre. We know that Christ was crucified during the week of the feast of unleavened bread, which was the 2nd week of the month. The scripture explains the first day of the week after the crucifixion, so now the scripture is talking about the 3rdweek of the month. And also saying that it was the first day of that week, so it is now the 22nd day of the month.

Verse 21 - today is the third day since these things were done. Here it explains that it was 3 days after the crucifixion. The crucifixion was on day 19, so it confirms dates. See study 44 – Death, burial and resurrection for more understanding.

Verse 29 - it is toward evening, and the day is far spent. It confirms that later that day towards the even, they stopped, and Christ stayed with them.

Verse 30 -And it came to pass, as he sat at meat with them, He took bread, and blessed it, and brake, and gave to them. Later after the evening (at night) they had communion. Verse 35 confirms it was communion. 

So now we are talking about the beginning of the 23rd day of the month. 

Looking at the chart we can see that Day 16 is the 2ndday of the fourth week.

How often? On the 4th week of the month.

When? On the 2nd day of the week. At the end of the 1st day at even and beginning of the 2nd day of the week at dark.

So, they started on the first day very early in the morning drew nigh (near) unto the village. And it was towards the evening and the day was far spent (ending). 

Evening- Strongs Number:G2073

Greek Word:  ἑσπέρα

Transliteration: hespera

Strongs Definition: The eve (G5610 being implied)

G5610 – The hour is implied. So, it is coming to the end of the even.

Acts 20:6-8 (KJV) And we sailed away from Philippi after the days of unleavened bread, and came unto them to Troas in five days; where we abode seven days. 

7 And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them, ready to depart on the morrow; and continued his speech until midnight. 

8 And there were many lights in the upper chamber, where they were gathered together. 

9 And there sat in a window a certain young man named Eutychus, being fallen into a deep sleep: and as Paul was long preaching, he sunk down with sleep, and fell down from the third loft, and was taken up dead.    

10 And Paul went down, and fell on him, and embracing him said, Trouble not yourselves; for his life is in him.    

11 When he therefore was come up again, and had broken bread, and eaten, and talked a long while, even till break of day, so he departed.

Verse 6 - And we sailed away from Philippi after the days of unleavened bread, The days of unleavened bread is on the 2nd week of the month. So, after the days of unleavened bread is the 3rd week of the month.

came unto them to Troas in five days; where we abode seven days. Now we are talking about 12 days after. So the last day of the 3rd week of the month is day 21, plus add 12 days after, gets them to day 33, and since the month only has 4 weeks, about 28.5 days, it just means that in reality, it is now the 1st week of the month. 

And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread. The first day of the week on week one is Day 1, on which is also the new moon. Again, it talks about the disciples getting together on the first day of the week and getting together for the Lords Supper. Even though this time it was not specific about being after the evening. We can deduct from the prior scriptures that the Lord’s supper took place after the evening at night (the 2ndday). 

Looking at the chart we can see that Day 2 is the 2ndday of the first week.

How often? On the 1st week of the month.

When? On the 2nd day of the week. At the end of the 1st day at even and beginning of the 2nd day of the week at dark.

The question no longer remains… Are we to perform the Lord’s supper every year, every month or on a weekly basis?

The truth is that at least monthly on the 1st week, 2nd week, and 4th week of every month. And at the beginning of every 2ndday of those months. 

But since there is nowhere that may contradict that we are also to perform communion on the 3rd week of the month, then it means that it is on a weekly basis and not yearly basis like most of the churches that keep a Sabbath day teach and do. 

Here’s an important insight into communion:
If the Lord’s Supper is offered only once a year, it creates a serious problem for anyone who, in a moment of unrepented sin, finds themselves unable to participate.
Does this mean that because of one moment of spiritual unpreparedness, they must wait an entire year to receive this blessing again? Must they go without the blessing of communion for twelve months, even after they have repented?

Practicing communion on a yearly or even monthly basis turns the Lord’s supper into a once-yearly opportunity for that blessing instead of an ongoing weekly invitation to renewal, restoration, and communion with Christ. 

Regular celebration of the Lord’s Supper allows believers to walk in consistent reflection, repentance, and unity with the body of Christ.

The Problem of Infrequency

What happens when communion is only once a year?

There is a danger of turning grace into a rare ritual rather than a continual invitation.

The Role of Self-Examination

The call to examine ourselves is not a reason for distance, but for daily repentance.

Communion should not punish the repentant but restore them.

Communion as an ongoing blessing.

Frequent communion keeps the church anchored in Christ’s sacrifice and resurrection.

Biblical Patterns of Communion

Early Church practices show frequent participation.

Scripture encourages us to “do this often” in remembrance.

A Call to Return

Encourage believers and leaders to offer communion regularly.

THE WARNING! 

But blessing if we read it on the positive side!   

1 Corinthians 11:28-33 But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup.    

29 For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord's body.  

30 For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep.  

31 For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged.    

32 But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world.    

33 Wherefore, my brethren, when ye come together to eat, tarry one for another.

IN OTHER WORDS:

He that eateth and drinketh (does the Lords supper) worthily, eateth and drinketh salvation to himself, discerning the Lord’s body.

For this cause many are strong and healthy among you and many live. 

IS THE ABOVE STATEMENT NOT BIBLICAL TRUTH?

Supporting scriptures:

Luke 24:35 (KJV) And they told what things were done in the way, and how he was known of them in breaking of bread.

John 6:53–56 (KJV) Then Christ said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you. 54 Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day. 55For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. 56 He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him.

Act 2:42 (KJV) And they continued stedfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.

Act 2:46 (KJV) And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart,

1 Corinthians 11:26–28 (KJV) For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord's death till he come. 27 Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. 28 But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup.

Hebrews 4:16 (KJV) Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.

” He that hath an ear,

let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.”

47

Statement of Faith Part 2 

…………….……..….

14. In keeping the Sabbath Holy. It is a perpetual covenant. (It

never stopped or changed) Exodus 31:16-17 (KJV)Wherefore the

children of Israel shall keep the sabbath, to observe the sabbath

throughout their generations, for a perpetual covenant. It is a sign

between me and the children of Israel for ever: for in six days the LORD

made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day he rested, and was

refreshed.

a. Also found in Isaiah 66:22-23, Matthew 24:15-22, Lamentations

2:6, Isaiah 56:2-7, Mark 2:27.

b. False Priests (teachers, pastors) do not keep the Sabbath.

Ezekiel 22:26 (KJV) Her priests have violated my law and have

profaned mine holy things: they have put no difference between the

holy and profane, neither have they shewed difference between the

unclean and the clean, and have hid their eyes from my sabbaths,

and I am profaned among them.

c. It is the only commandment with a blessing and a curse.If you

keep the Sabbath, it is a blessing to you and your household. If you

do not keep the Sabbath, it is a curse to you and your household.

Isaiah 58:13-14 (KJV) If thou turn away thy foot from the sabbath,

from doing thy pleasure on my holy day; and call the sabbath a

delight, the holy of the Lord, honourable; and shalt honour him, not

doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking

thine own words: Then shalt thou delight thyself in the Lord; and I

will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth, and

feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy father: for the mouth of

the Lord hath spoken it.

Ezekiel 20:13-20 (KJV) But the house of Israel rebelled against me

in the wilderness: they walked not in my statutes, and they despised

my judgments, which if a man do, he shall even live in them; and

my sabbaths they greatly polluted: then I said, I would pour out

my fury upon them in the wilderness, to consume them. 14 But I

wrought for my name's sake, that it should not be polluted before

the heathen, in whose sight I brought them out. 15 Yet also I lifted

up my hand unto them in the wilderness, that I would not bring

them into the land which I had given them, flowing with milk and

honey, which is the glory of all lands; 16 Because they despised my

judgments, and walked not in my statutes, but polluted my sabbaths:

for their heart went after their idols. 17 Nevertheless mine eye

spared them from destroying them, neither did I make an end of

them in the wilderness. 18 But I said unto their children in the

wilderness, Walk ye not in the statutes of your fathers, neither

observe their judgments, nor defile yourselves with their idols:

15. In maintaining the dietary laws Lev 11.(It never stopped).

Judges 13:4 (KJV) Now therefore beware, I pray thee, and drink not

wine nor strong drink, and eat not any unclean thing:

Genesis 7:2 (KJV) Of every clean beast thou shalt take to thee by sevens,

the male and his female: and of beasts that are not clean by two, the male

and his female.

Genesis 8:20 (KJV) And Noah builded an altar unto the LORD; and took

of every clean beast, and of every clean fowl, and offered burnt offerings

on the altar.

Also found in (Due 14:10, Eze 22:26, Eze 44:23, Acts 10 and 11).

16. In maintaining the breaking of bread (communion of the blood

of Hamashiach).

1 Cor 10:15-16 (KJV) I speak as to wise men; judge ye what I say. The

cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood

of Hamashiach? The bread which we break, is it not the communion

of the body of Hamashiach?

Acts 2:42 (KJV) And they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine

and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.

Acts 2: 44 (KJV) And all that believed were together and had all things

common; 45 …. 46 And they, continuing daily with one accord in the

temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with

gladness and singleness of heart, 47 Praising YHWH, and having favour

with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as

should be saved.

Acts 20:6-8 (KJV) And we sailed away from Philippi after the days of

unleavened bread, and came unto them to Troas in five days; where we

abode seven days. And upon the first day of the week, when the

disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them,

ready to depart on the morrow; and continued his speech until

midnight. And there were many lights in the upper chamber, where they

were gathered together.

1 Cor. 11:23-30 (KJV) For I have received of the Lord that which also I

delivered unto you, That the Lord “Jesus” (יהושוע Joshua Hamashiach) the same night in which he was betrayed took bread: 24And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me. 25 After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood:

this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me. 26 For as often as

ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord's death till he

come. 27 Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this

cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of

the Lord. 28 But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that

bread, and drink of that cup. 29 For he that eateth and drinketh

unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning

the Lord's body. 30 For this cause many are weak and sickly among

you, and many sleep. (See 2 Tim 2:15) New wine or alcoholic wine?

(See wine or grape juice study). Leavened bread or unleavened bread?

John 6:53-58 (KJV) Then “Jesus” (יהושוע Joshua Hamashiach) said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you. Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day. For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him. As the living Father

hath sent me, and I live by the Father: so he that eateth me, even he shall

live by me. This is that bread which came down from heaven: not as your

fathers did eat manna and are dead: he that eateth of this bread shall live

for ever.

17. In the pre-millennial return of our Lord “Jesus” (יהושוע Joshua Hamashiach).

1 Thess 4:13-18 (KJV) But I would not have you to be ignorant,

brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as

others which have no hope. 14 For if we believe that “Jesus” (יהושוע Joshua Hamashiach) died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in “Jesus”(יהושוע Joshua Hamashiach) will YHWH bring with him. 15 For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. 16 For the Lord himself shall descend from

heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump

of YHWH: and the dead in Hamashiach shall rise first: 17 Then we which

are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds,

to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. 18

Wherefore comfort one another with these words.

Rev. 19:11-13 (KJV) And I saw heaven opened and behold a white

horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in

righteousness he doth judge and make war. 12 His eyes were as a flame

of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written,

that no man knew, but he himself. 13 And he was clothed with a vesture

dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of YHWH.

18. In separating from current trends in doctrine and practice that

are not in accordance with the Bible. Including: Mormonism,

Catholicism, liberalism, ecumenicalism, tele-evangelism, the tongues

movement, the healing movement, the emerging church

movement, contemporary worship practices, etc. 2 Corinthians 6:14-

17 (KJV) Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what

fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what

communion hath light with darkness? 15 And what concord hath Christ

with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? 16 And

what agreement hath the temple of YHWH with idols? for ye are the

temple of the living God; as YHWH hath said, I will dwell in them, and

walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. 17

Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the

Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you,

19. Non-profit 501c3?

Why keep the money that belongs to the government?

Matthew 22:20-22 (KJV) And he saith unto them, Whose is this image

and superscription? 21They say unto him, Caesar's. Then saith he unto them,

Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar's; and unto God the

things that are YHWH's.

We follow the Apostle’s doctrine as instructed by none other than Christ

Himself in Matthew 28:18-20 (KJV) And “Jesus”(יהושוע Joshua Hamashiach) came and spake unto them, saying, all power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. 19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: 20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

As true disciples of “Jesus” (יהושוע Joshua Hamashiach), we are non-denominational.

God the Father is non-denominational.

“Jesus”(יהושוע Joshua Hamashiach) is non-denominational.

The true apostles and disciples are non-denominational.

2 Cor 6:1-10 (KJV) We then, as workers together with him, beseech you

also that ye receive not the grace of YHWH in vain. 2 (For he saith, I have

heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee:

behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.) 3

Giving no offence in any thing, that the ministry be not blamed: 4 But in all

things approving ourselves as the ministers of God, in much patience, in

afflictions, in necessities, in distresses, 5In stripes, in imprisonments, in

tumults, in labours, in watchings, in fastings; 6 By pureness, by knowledge, by

longsuffering, by kindness, by the Holy Ghost, by love unfeigned, 7 By

the word of truth, by the power of YHWH, by the armour of righteousness on

the right hand and on the left, 8 By honour and dishonour, by evil report and

good report: as deceivers, and yet true; 9As unknown, and yet well known; as

dying, and, behold, we live; as chastened, and not killed; 10 As sorrowful, yet

alway rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet

possessing all things.

48

DISCIPLESHIP

COMMITMENT & ACCOUNTABIBLITY 

…………….……..….

Discipleship = Commitment

Many people are attracted to “Jesus” (יהושוע Joshua Hamashiach) and His teachings, and great multitudes often become believers and even disciples of Him. Very few people even think about considering what it takes or how much we need to be committed to become a genuine disciple of Christ. Yet one of the most crucial points in the bible to even become a follower of Christ is the challenge to examine the depth of our commitment. 

Matthew 16:24-27 (KJV) Then said “Jesus” (יהושוע Joshua Hamashiach) unto His disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. 25 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it. 26 For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? 27 For the Son of man shall come in the glory of His Father with His angels; and then He shall reward every man according to his works.

YHWH gives us two examples of how or what we need to consider before committing to Him as disciples of His only begotten Son “Jesus” (יהושוע Joshua Hamashiach).

Luke 14:26-27 (KJV) If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple. 27 And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple.

The word hate used means to love less. 

Greek Word: μισέω

Transliteration: miseō

Strongs Definition: to detest (especially to persecute); by extension to love less.

The love that is within us must be strong to the Lord. Our loyalty and devotion to “Jesus” (יהושוע Joshua Hamashiach) must supersede our love for anyone else. Unless you love everyone else less, to the point of being totally misunderstood, or even being criticized and prosecuted by your own family, you cannot be a true follower of “Jesus” (יהושוע Joshua Hamashiach).

What are the things in your life that you’re holding onto?
What are the areas you’re struggling to release right now?
Are there habits or behaviors you keep telling yourself you could stop anytime—but still haven’t?
Have these things started to take a deeper hold on you? Could they even be forming into addictions?

As followers of Christ, we must have very light roots because we must be available to do what He says, when He says it, where He says it at any moment or whatever His choice may be. Luke 14:27 (KJV) And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple. 

To live the Christ like life nowhere implies that is simple or is easy or that all of our Christian friends and family will agree with us.

Taking up the cross means that we choose death to the self-live. Meaning that we have chosen death to the flesh. It does not mean that we will never participate in it. It means that the way of living as a lifestyle that we have chosen is death to our old ways. 

When it comes to the things that are sinful in the eyes of YHWH, those are the things we should never participate or look back. We should not have to even have to mention those things, because we should not have done them. Eph 5:3 (KJV) But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints;

The church today is working to get acceptance by the world. YHWH delivered us from acceptance by the world. The worst thing that can happen to the church in America is for unbelievers to stop persecuting and accept us. We don’t want to be accepted by them; we want them to accept our Lord and Saviour. 

In the same way, we are not to conform to this world, nor keep company and be part with anything or anyone that goes against YHWH. Whether they like us, complement us, and say the truth of us or not, we should not be partakers of any of that which represents evil. Acts 16:16-18 (KJV) And it came to pass, as we went to prayer, a certain damsel possessed with a spirit of divination met us, which brought her masters much gain by soothsaying: 17The same followed Paul and us, and cried, saying, These men are the servants of the most high God, which shew unto us the way of salvation. 18 And this did she many days. But Paul, being grieved, turned and said to the spirit, I command thee in the name of “Jesus” (יהושוע Joshua Hamashiach) Christ to come out of her. And he came out the same hour.

Just like we are not to even give the appearance to be evil minded by participating in events or traditions that are not Godly. For example, preaching or giving out Christian tracks on Halloween night dressed as Apostles or any other costumes. 1 Thessalonians 5:21-22 (KJV) Prove all things; hold fast that which is good. Abstain from all appearance of evil. And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray YHWH your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord “Jesus” (יהושוע Joshua Hamashiach) Christ.

Or just like going to a “pride” parade to preach and tell those involved that they need to stop and change their ways. Psalm 1:1 (KJV) Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.

Ephesians 5:3-7 (KJV) But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints; 4Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient: but rather giving of thanks. 5 For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. 6 Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience. 7 Be not ye therefore partakers with them.

YHWH used two examples on the way to contemplate our decision. 

First, we have the parable of someone starting an expensive and time-consuming building project. He noted that no one should begin such an endeavor without first determining that he can follow through on that commitment to the end. Luke 14:28-30 (KJV) For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it? 29Lest haply, after he hath laid the foundation, and is not able to finish it, all that behold it begin to mock him, 30 Saying, This man began to build, and was not able to finish.

In the second example He likened our commitment to a decision to go to war to initiate a long, drawn-out struggle in which we will face repeated hardship, setbacks, and defeats. Are we willing to remain committed to that struggle to the end, regardless of the personal sacrifice it might take?

Luke 14:31-35 (KJV) Or what king, going to make war against another king, sitteth not down first, and consulteth whether he be able with ten thousand to meet him that cometh against him with twenty thousand? 32Or else, while the other is yet a great way off, he sendeth an ambassage, and desireth conditions 

of peace. 33 So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple. 34 Salt is good: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be seasoned? 35 It is neither fit for the land, nor yet for the dunghill; but men cast it out. He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.

34 Salt is good: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be seasoned? 35 It is neither fit for the land, nor yet for the dunghill; but men cast it out. 

There must come a time in our live that we say, YHWH it is all yours. You do with it what you choose. The question is not how much we have, but how much of us does He have. 

The only way to show YHWH that we are completely His, is to truly step across the line and be willing to give Him all of us, including all our treasures.  

We must learn to live with but above and detach ourselves from any and all superficial and material stuff. That is what it means to be free. This does not mean to give it all up or get rid of it. It simply means to have no attachment whatsoever with anything. It plainly means that we can detach from it at any given moment without hesitation. 

As I said in the beginning, “Many people are attracted to Christ and His teachings, and great multitudes often become believers and even disciples of Him”. But there is a serious problem with just being a “believer” and this is due to the biggest lie that teaches that a “believer” is a saved person.

As we have learned and verified previously in the Salvation 101 study book, believing only gets us closer to salvation. And this just means that if we are not fully committed to learning the truth and doing what YHWH asks us to do, then we will just lose our way and eventually leave the faith.

But even as disciples, we have to be fully committed, or else we are just wasting our time! Just like “Demas” one of the disciples that was walking with Paul ended up leaving the faith, because he loved this world more. 2 Tim 4:10 (KJV) For Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world, and is departed unto Thessalonica; Crescens to Galatia, Titus unto Dalmatia.

YHWH does not require for everyone to give up everything that they have to follow “Jesus” (יהושוע Joshua Hamashiach). But if He did, how many of us are willing to do it? 

So very often we must ask YHWH, at this point of my life is there anything of which that I am attached to? Is there anything that has attachments to me? 

If He came to you and said, “you abandon it all and come to follow me”, would you, do it?

What a foolish and selfish mistake it is to hold on to our attachments and give up following Christ. 

Anything that we have not given up to Him, anything that we are not ready to give up, anything that He does not have ready access to, is cheating us out of YHWHs best in our life.

So, think about it, what are you willing to give up for “Jesus” (יהושוע Joshua Hamashiach)? Are you willing to abandon all your attachments; are you willing to lay down your life for His sake? That is exactly what it takes to be a true disciple of Christ. 

A man cannot be attached to both. Is there anything you OWN? 

There is a big difference between, I own this, I earned it, it is mine, than It belongs to YHWH, He has given it to me, or allowed me to have it and He can have it back whenever He wants. 

Because whatever you own, owns you and you are not free. Man cannot serve things and Christ. 

Man cannot be attached to things and Christ. 

Man has to be attached to one or the other. 

The same goes with relationships, we can have no attachments to things or people that are not of YHWH. 

Again, what are you attached to? 

We have to be somewhat attached to our husbands, wives, sons, and daughters, because these are divine appointments that YHWH has given us. These are love and partnership relationships. And even then, there may be a time that we may have to let go of them. If they become ungodly or a hindrance in our walk with Christ, then we have to let them go. 

When we talk about having let go, we are talking about relationships that have a pull or a tug, and relationships that we are attached to and own us. 

Who is it that you have an attachment upon that you are not willing to give up? 

Are you living in it? 

Are you trying to be it? 

Are you wearing it? 

Are you having a relationship with it? 

Do you own it or does it own you?

The disciple’s life is one of liberty and not just on the rejoice of the Lord but liberated for the attachments of life.

John 6:53 (KJV) Then “Jesus” (יהושוע Joshua Hamashiach) said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink His blood, ye have no life in you. 54Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day.  55 For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. 56 He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him. 57 As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father: so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me. 58 This is that bread which came down from heaven: not as your fathers did eat manna, and are dead: he that eateth of this bread shall live for ever. 59 These things said He in the synagogue, as He taught in Capernaum. 60 Many therefore of His disciples, when they had heard this, said, This is an hard saying; who can hear it? 

61 When “Jesus” (יהושוע Joshua Hamashiach) knew in himself that his disciples murmured at it, He said unto them, Doth this offend you?    

62 What and if ye shall see the Son of man ascend up where He was before? 

63 It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.    

64 But there are some of you that believe not. For “Jesus” (יהושוע Joshua Hamashiach) knew from the beginning who they were that believed not, and who should betray Him. 

65 And He said, Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father.    

66 From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with Him.    

67 Then said “Jesus” (יהושוע Joshua Hamashiach) unto the twelve, Will ye also go away?    

68 Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life. 69 And we believe and are sure that thou art that “Jesus” (יהושוע Joshua Hamashiach), the Son of the living God. 70 “Jesus” (יהושוע Joshua Hamashiach) answered them, Have not I chosen you twelve, and one of you is a devil?  71 He spake of Judas Iscariot the son of Simon: for he it was that should betray him, being one of the twelve.

“Our commitment,” said Christ, must be total! Or else we are just wasting our time!

Another example: Over 3 years later when Paul was preaching, three of the disciples chose to leave the faith, because they loved the world more.

1 Timothy 4:9 (KJV) Do thy diligence to come shortly unto me: 10 For Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world, and is departed unto Thessalonica; Crescens to Galatia, Titus unto Dalmatia.  11Only Luke is with me. Take Mark and bring him with thee: for he is profitable to me for the ministry.

Luke 14:33 (KJV) So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple. 

The commitment YHWH expects from us is indeed great. But the reward is even greater. 

Disciples are all in, or they’re not in. That’s what the text is saying.

How do you count the cost when you don’t know what’s coming in your life?” The answer is that Christ requires, upfront, a commitment to the highest possible cost. And nothing later is going to surprise you then because you’ve already totally committed to the highest, most excessive commitment.

In other words, you don’t need to know the specifics of the cost in your own particular case if the agreement you sign is “I’m yours at any cost.” And it’s exactly what these verses say, isn’t it?

Luke 14:33 (KJV) So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple. Now, there are two principles in that sentence. One is found in the phrase whosoever. This applies to every disciple, not just a select few: “Any one of you whosoever does not renounce all he has.” That’s the first principle. The other principle is found in the word “all”. You must forsake all that you have to be my disciple. Your resources may stay in your control as a manager, and guardian, but you must be ready at any time to let go of everything for Christ’s sake.

In other words, there’s no negotiating here with Christ. There’s no calculating. There is no saying, “Well, if the cost reaches this, then I’m not interested in Christ anymore.” Because He says, “You can’t sign up that way; nobody signs up for seventy percent of what I require.” That’s not what disciples say. We don’t talk like that. Hypocrites are the ones that talk like that. 

“Jesus” (יהושוע Joshua Hamashiach) says that there is no cost that you can pay in following Him that won’t be made up and multiplied to you in the resurrection.” Matthew 13:44 (KJV)Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field; the which 

when a man hath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field, A man sees and sells everything he has — everything he has! — to get that treasure. In other words, all the so-called costs and all the so-called losses — everything — are nothing compared to the gains of having Christ and being in the kingdom of YHWH for eternity with Him. Is there any greater treasure?

So yes, we must count the cost in order to be a disciple. The cost is total in principle and may be total in actual experience. In the end, being a disciple of Christ means gain, like Paul says: “Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of “Jesus” (יהושוע Joshua Hamashiach) Christ my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ,” (Philippians 3:8 KJV).

And then, we have the promise of YHWH's help: "I will never leave you nor forsake you" (Hebrews 13:5 KJV).

Paul reminds us that " He which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of “Jesus” (יהושוע Joshua Hamashiach) Christ" (Philippians 1:6 KJV). 

In spite of the hardships he faced, Paul remained focused on "the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing." (2 Timothy 4:8 KJV).

Paul knew and reckoned that " the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us." (Romans 8:18 KJV).

YHWH offers us a future so glorious that the challenges and trials we face in pursuit of it are miniscule in comparison.

As Hebrews 2:1-3 (KJV) tells us, "We ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip. For if the word spoken by angels was stedfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompence of reward; How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard Him;"

Freedom is the greatest treasure in life. When you can live free, liberated and when you are not attached, but you are walking in the liberty of “Jesus” (יהושוע Joshua Hamashiach), then it doesn’t make any difference. So, you see, when YHWH says, “whosoever of you does not forsake (abandon) all that he has cannot be My disciple” He meant exactly what He said. He does not require for everyone to give up everything that they have to follow Christ. But if He did, how many of you are willing to do it? 

So very often we must ask our heavenly Father, “at this point of my live is there anything of which that I am attached to or Is there anything that has attachments to me?” 

I ask again, If He came to you and said, “leave everything behind and come to follow me”. What would you do? Will you hesitate and walk away from Him?

All Disciples of Christ are given to know the mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven!

Matthew 13:10-16 (KJV) And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables? 11 He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given. 12 For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath. 13 Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand. 14 And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive: 

The only way to receive this knowledge is through complete obedience to HWHW. And one of the most important commandments to us as disciples is 2 Timothy 2:15 (KJV) Study to shew thyself approved unto YHWH, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

And why do we study and verify everything? Because we do not want to learn from and follow someone who is not a true disciple of Christ!

Matthew 13:15-16 (KJV) For this people's heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them. 16But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear.

2 Corinthians 11:13-15 (KJV) For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. 14 And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. 15 Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.

ACCOUNTABIBLITY between disciples.

In a biblical perspective, accountability is not only about personal responsibility and correction, but it also involves encouraging one another to develop and use the positive, God-given gifts for the benefit of others and the glory of YHWH. It’s a complete concept that calls disciples to hold each other accountable, not just for avoiding sin, but also for growing in the use of the talents and abilities that our creator has entrusted to each person. In other words, it’s a central aspect of living out the life of a disciple, by encouraging each other towards holiness, righteousness, and spiritual maturity.

Biblical accountability is also a brotherly practice that encourages disciples to take responsibility for their actions and spiritual growth, while supporting and correcting one another in love and action. 

This involves not only correcting each other in sin but also encouraging one another to discover, nurture, and use these gifts in the service to others. Through Scripture, we see that accountability is what helps disciples grow in holiness, spiritual maturity, and the proper use of their God-given gifts and abilities for the building up of Gods’ Church, all for the glory of God.

1. Personal Accountability to our Heavenly Father.

Every disciple is ultimately accountable to YHWH for their actions and the use of their gifts. Scripture teaches that we will give an account to Him for how we live after our baptism, whether good or bad, and also for how we have used the gifts, talents and resources He has given us.

Romans 14:12 (KJV) And the father of circumcision to them who are not of the circumcision only, but who also walk in the steps of that faith of our father Abraham, which he had being yet uncircumcised.

2 Corinthians 5:10 (KJV) For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.

Matthew 12:36-37(KJV) But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. 37 For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.

2. Mutual Accountability within the Children of YHWH.

In the body of Christ, believers are called to hold one another accountable, not only for avoiding sin but also for encouraging the development of the gifts and talents that YHWH has bestowed upon them. 

The gospel shows how mutual accountability can restore those caught in sin but also encourage positive growth in gifts. We are called to hold one another accountable, helping each other live in accordance with God's will.

Galatians 6:1-2 (KJV)Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.  

This passage emphasizes the balance between correction and nurturing, helping one another grow in faith and positive expression of the gifts God has given.

James 5:16 (KJV) Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. This shows the importance of confessing sins to one another as part of accountability, seeking healing and restoration within the community.

1 Thessalonians 5:14 (KJV) Now we exhort you, brethren, warn them that are unruly, comfort the feebleminded, support the weak, be patient toward all men. This reminds us to encourage each other in the development of our God-given gifts, ensuring that everyone plays their part in the body of Christ and grows spiritually and in their gifts.

3. Correction and Restoration within each other.

2 Tim 2:16-17 (KJV) All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: 17 That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.

Biblical accountability includes correction and restoration, but also encouragement to use one's gifts for the glory of YHWH. The goal is always to build each other up, not just in moral living, but in the expression and development of each person’s spiritual gifts.

Proverbs 12:1 (KJV) Whoso loveth instruction loveth knowledge: but he that hateth reproof is brutish. This verse emphasizes the importance of receiving correction and instruction.

Proverbs 3:11 (KJV) My son, despise not the chastening of the LORD; neither be weary of his correction: This verse encourages not despising the Lord's discipline:

Matthew 18:15-17 (KJV)Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother. 16 But if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established. 17 And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church: but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as a heathen man and a publican. Guides us on how to handle sin within the community:

1 Peter 4:10 (KJV) As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. Accountability also means encouraging one another to recognize, develop, and use their spiritual gifts for the common good. 

The process emphasizes restoration, not punishment, and always aims to bring the person back into right relationship with God and the community. 

Galatians 6:1 (KJV) Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted. This verse also echoes this idea, urging gentleness and caution when correcting others.

4. Spiritual Leaders’ Role in Accountability.

Leaders have the responsibility to guide the flock not only in moral living but also in recognizing and cultivating their spiritual gifts. 

Hebrews 13:17 (KJV) Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you. This verse highlights the accountability of leaders to God for their role in guiding others, which includes fostering the growth of talents and gifts.

1 Peter 5:2-3 (KJV) Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind; 3 Neither as being lords over God's heritage, but being ensamples to the flock. Leaders are called to lead by example, shepherding others with humility and care, knowing that they too will give an account for their leadership.

Ephesians 4:11-12 (KJV) And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;      

4:12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: Leaders are called to equip believers for service, helping them use their unique gifts in the work of the ministry and to build up the body of Christ.

5. Self-Examination and Accountability.

Christians are encouraged to examine their own hearts and lives regularly, holding themselves accountable to God’s standards. Not just for repentance but also for identifying and growing in the positive gifts God has given.

1 Corinthians 11:28 (KJV) But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup. urges self-examination, especially before taking communion:
This practice is not only about personal reflection but also about being responsible before God for one's actions, ensuring that believers approach Him in humility and repentance. Self-reflection should include evaluating how we are using the gifts God has entrusted to us and whether we are using them to serve others and glorify YHWH.

2 Corinthians 13:5 (KJV) Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates? This call to self-examine reflects a healthy, ongoing process of accountability where disciples regularly assess their relationship with YHWH. This is not just a test of faith but also of how we are using our gifts and abilities in the service of Christ and His kingdom.

6. The Goal of Accountability: Growth, Holiness, and the Use of Gifts.

Ultimately, the goal of accountability is growth in holiness and spiritual maturity, but also the development and proper use of the unique gifts YHWH has entrusted to each believer.

Proverbs 27:17 (KJV) Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend. Accountability in community strengthens and refines believers, helping them to grow more like Christ. This is true not only for helping one another avoid sin but also for encouraging the development of all gifts and abilities.

Ephesians 4:15-16 (KJV) But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ: 

4:16 From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.
Accountability helps disciples grow together in unity and maturity, not only in righteousness but in the use of their gifts, so that the body of Christ is built up and strengthened.