“¹¹ To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices unto Me? says 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.

¹² When you come to appear before Me, who has required this at your hand, to tread My courts?

¹³ Bring no more vain oblations (offerings); 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.

¹⁴ Your new moons and your appointed feasts My soul hates: they are a trouble unto Me; I am weary to bear them.”  Isaiah 1:11-14

The worship which God Himself had ordained was made of no effect by the Israelites.  The appointed feasts, calling of assemblies, sabbaths and new moons were an abomination to Him.  The Israelites began looking to the ceremony for the cleansing of their sin (sanctification).  They drew near to God with their mouth, and with their lips honored the Lord, but their hearts were far from God (Isa. 29:13, Matthew 15:8).

The Hebraics Roots movement has swept through the modern church causing Christians to run around in prayers shawls with yamakas (skull caps) on their heads, blowing shoffars.  Their favorite scripture is “If ye love Me, keep My commandments.” John 14:15.

I want to tell you Brothers and Sisters, if you love Jesus Christ, you will keep His Commandments because love compells us to obedience.  Law forces or constrains us to obey.

“This is the Covenant that I will make with them after those days, says the Lord, I will put My Laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them;”  Hebrews 10:16

A feast, festival or ceremony cannot be written on our hearts.  The 4th Commandment was the only Commandment not spoken of by Jesus in the New Testament because it was a ceremonial law.  All of the other Commandments are moral laws.  We now have the Holy Spirit to convict us of right and wrong and to guide us into all Truths according to the Word of God.

Furthermore, whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all (James 2:10).  When asked where they perform their annual sacrifices, as required by all under the Law, they reply Jesus is their Sacrifice.  No my friend, this cannot be so.  We cannot mix Law and Grace.  This is clearly and emphatically taught throughout the New Testament.

“For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continues not in all things which are written in the Book of the Law to do them. But that no man is justified by the Law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith.” Galatians 3:10-11.

The Blood of Jesus Christ, which was symbolized by the blood of bulls and goats, is the only way in which sin can be taken away.  Just to be clear, the blood of bulls and goats, could not pay the sin debt of fallen man but atoned for and restored fellowship with God. It did not remove sin from man’s account.  The Blood of Jesus Christ, paid our sin debt in full and completley removed any and all debt owed to God for our sin (Salvation) and gives us dominion over our sin nature (Sanctification).

The modern church no longer trusts in the Sacrifice God has provided to atone for our sin and reconcile us to Him through faith in HIS Redemption Plan through the Blood of Jesus Christ but prefers the ceremonies, appointed feasts and vain oblations.  Sadly, many in the modern church is looking to the mere form as they stand at the altar of Cain. They are forced by law to be obedient instead of compelled by love.  The law is lifted up from the pulpit, instead of Jesus Christ, Who He is and what He has done on Calvary’s Cross.

“Come now, and let us reason together, says 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.” Isaiah 1:18.

Repent and  find grace.  Sanctifying grace.  Grace that will write His Laws on our heart and compell us to obey His Word.  Grace that will give us victory over the sin that so easily besets us.  God has given us the only Sacrifice He will except to reconcile us to Him and His name is Jesus Christ.  Jesus is standing at the door knocking.  He is jealous of the mere forms and vain oblations in which God’s Children are offering for sanctification.  Jesus’ finished work is of no effect for those standing at Cain’s altar.  The Holy Spirit is not commissioned to give us victory over the world, the flesh and the devil when we no longer trusts the finished work of the Sacrifice God has given but rather the ceremony.

If you don’t believe your faith is in the ceremony, don’t partake in the ceremony and you will feel the pressure…the compulsive drive to follow that law.  This is because your faith is in that law and that is what the law does…pressures, condemns, forces us to obey.  Love compells.  Love writes His Law on our hearts.  Not my love, not your love but the love of Jesus Christ.  Learn of Him; for He is meek and lowly in heart: and you shall find rest unto your souls (Matthew 11:29).

“There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death.”  Romans 8:1-2

God is a Spirit and we worship Him in spirit and in truth.

-Donna Clark Warren

“The thief comes not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.” John 10:10

The devil wants to steal your increase.  He wants to kill and destroy the life you have and your more abundant life the Lord has promised. That is who satan is and what he does – kills, steals and destroys.

“⁶ I (Apostle Paul) have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase.

⁷ So then neither is he that plants any thing, neither he that waters; but God that gives the increase.

⁸ Now he that plants and he that waters are one: and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labor.” 1 Corinthians 3:6-8

He who plants and he who labors are one…but God gives the increase.  The planter nor the laborer are the Revelator, the Holy Spirit reveals – He gives the increase.  I remind you, the devil wants to steal your increase.  We receive our reward according to our own labor. However, we must be sure to understand the reward and the labor required to receive the reward.

Spiritual growth, drawing nearer to God through faith in His Redemption plan, is the increase. Knowing the Living God, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God of the Bible, is our reward.  Learning of Jesus, Who He is and what He has done for whosoever will believe, brings the increase.  Jesus IS life and life more abundant.  Fighting the good fight of faith in Jesus Christ as the source and His Cross as the means…the ONLY means by which the promises of God are yes and amen…that is our labor, not outward ordinances of religion.

Outward ordinances of religion are not labor.  They do not plant nor do they water but are in fact nothing more than lustful desires of the flesh.  The religious ceremonies are an abomination to God (Isaiah 1:14).  They are a mere form which are emptied of significance that religion exalts as “labor”.  This labor will always leave the Believer looking for the increase which never comes. Their increase has been stolen by satan, who is the source, and religion is his means. The devil has many means to steal our increase and all too often, for the Believer, religion is the means.

“²⁹ For unto every one that has shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that has not shall be taken away even that which he has.”  Matthew 25:29.

The slothful and unprofitable servant did not labor, he did not plant nor did he water his talent.  Satan not only stole his increase but was allowed to take that which he had been given.  For every one that has labored, fought the good fight of faith and desires more of Jesus for Who He is and what He has done, they shall have an abundance…they shall have life and life more abundant.  However, for those who have not the desire to fight the good fight of faith but labor in the outward ordinances of religion, that which they have shall be taken away.

“¹⁴ Wherefore, beloved, seeing that you look for such things, be diligent that you may be found of Him in peace, without spot, and blameless.

¹⁵ And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is Salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him has written unto you;

¹⁶ As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest (fight), as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction.

¹⁷ You therefore, beloved, seeing you know these things before, beware lest you also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own
steadfastness.

¹⁸ But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To Him be glory both now and for ever. Amen.” 2 Peter 3:14-18.

The devil comes to kill, steal and destroy.  Don’t let him steal your increase.  Don’t allow him to destroy your reward.  Grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ…He will give the increase in abundance.

-Donna Clark Warren