The Lord’s table is our Holy Convocation, and all that that implies
Matthew 10:38 And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me.
The gospels lay out for us what this Holy Convocation is in a very precise way. Jesus flipped the tables of the money changers in the temple. He didn’t do that in Wall Street, or in Babylon, He did that in the church. You need to take a very clear stand against turning the church into a house of merchandise. Jesus told the fig tree to never bear fruit again as it was barren when He came looking for the fruit of righteousness. In the same way we must declare the judgments of God on this mountain known as human government. The fig tree is not a national symbol for Israel. If God says “my Fig tree” then yes, that is referring to Israel, but in general the fig tree points to Adam and Eve sinning in the garden and refers to sinful man as a whole. Human government is a fig tree, and has grown into a great big mountain that must be cast into the sea. Jesus was examined and tested and taught in the temple. Then He instituted the Lord’s table from the Passover dinner. This is like changing the water to wine. All the Old Testament verses were made new. He was arrested, monkey trial, mocked, scourged, and crucified. Then buried and laid in the tomb for three days. After that He rose in glory. This is what we must do in the church age, if you refuse, then after the rapture you will be left behind to be arrested, tried, mocked, scourged, crucified, dead and buried all during the first half of the seven year tribulation.
Matthew 16:24 Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.
Every single believer is given the option to deny themselves. You can pursue money and all that the world has to offer or you can pursue the Lord. If you pursue the Lord absolutely you will have to deny yourself. You don’t need to convince me, it is the Lord who knows whether or not you denied yourself and took up your cross and followed Him or not.
Mark 10:21 Then Jesus beholding him loved him, and said unto him, One thing thou lackest: go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and follow me.
This is about a rich man who wanted to know what he must do to inherit eternal life. This is like asking what must I do to be raptured. Every single one of us that takes up our cross and follows the Lord must sell many things that are precious to us. I know that many try to say that this does not apply to everyone, just to this person. In principle it applies to everyone. Paul said the things that he counted as gain, those he counted as loss that he might gain Christ. There is no way to pursue the Lord absolutely without having to count all the things other than Christ that we counted as gain as loss.
Luke 9:23 And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.
Every single day you have an opportunity to deny yourself. For example, when you read the Bible you are denying yourself, you should be doing that every day. When you go to a meeting for prayer or fellowship you are denying yourself. When you go to serve at the soup kitchen you are denying yourself.
Hebrews 12:2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.
This is the last verse in the New Testament that mentions the cross. We have a hope that is set before us and the only way to get there is to take the way of the cross. That is our holy convocation, that is our dress rehearsal. This is what we are told to keep in the New Testament. No believer is required to keep the Lord’s feasts in the Old Testament, but you are required to take up your cross and follow the Lord. You are given very specific outline of what that means and it is much more specific than any Old Testament Feast day.