C.H. Spurgeon on Roman Catholicism
"Cursed be the man before the Lord, that riseth up and buildeth this city Jericho." Joshua 6:26
"Since he was cursed who rebuilt Jericho, much more the man who labours to restore Popery among us. In our fathers' days the gigantic walls of Popery fell by the power of their faith, the perseverance of their efforts, and the blast of their gospel trumpets; and now there are some who would rebuild that accursed system upon its old foundations. O Lord, be please to thwart their unrighteous endeavours, and pull down every stone which they build. It should be a serious business with us to be thoroughly purged of every error which may have a tendency to foster the spirit of Popery, and when we have made a clean sweep at home we should seek in every way to oppose its all too rapid spread abroad in the church and in the world. This last can be done in secret by fervent prayer, and in public by decided testimony. We must warn with judicious boldness those who are inclined towards the errors of Rome; we must instruct the young in gospel truth, and tell them of the black doings of Popery in the olden times. We must aid in spreading the light more thoroughly through the land, for priests, like owls, hate daylight. Are we doing all we can for Jesus and the gospel? If not, our negligence plays into the hands of priestcraft. What are we doing to spread the Bible, which is the Pope's bane and poison? Are we casting abroad good, sound gospel writings? Luther once said, 'The devil hates goose quills,' and doubtless, he has good reason, for ready writers, by the Holy Spirit's blessing, have done his kingdom much damage. If the thousands who will read this short word this night will do all they can to hinder the rebuilding of his accursed Jericho, the Lord's glory shall speed among the sons of men. Reader, what can you do? What will you do?"
From "Evening By Evening" by Charles Spurgeon
Uhrichsville, Barbour and Company, 1991. (Emphasis mine)
See also The bloody Roman Catholic Cult and A Cult is a cult
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Jerusalem posters call for 3rd Temple
By ABE SELIG
Posters leaving out Al Aksa mosque plastered on buses with e. Jerusalem routes.
While tensions continue to simmer around the Temple Mount after riots in and around the capital’s Old City earlier this month, a new campaign calling for the construction of the Third Temple atop the holy site has made its way to the sides of 200 Egged buses in the city, which now sport posters featuring a picture of a rebuilt temple on the Mount, and nothing else.
The posters, which contain the phrase, “May the Bais Hamikdosh [holy temple] be rebuilt speedily and within our days,” were sponsored by the Our Land of Israel group, which is led by Rabbi Shalom Dov Volpo and activist Baruch Marzel, leave out the site’s current structures – namely the the Aksa Mosque and the Dome of the Rock.
The campaign’s organizers chose to plaster the posters on buses whose routes take them through predominately Arab neighborhoods of east Jerusalem.
With regards to the campaign, Volpo said Israel is waiting breathlessly for the coming of the messiah and the rebuilding of the temple.
“The Arabs and President Obama know that the Temple will be built on the Temple Mount,” he said. “Instead of the temporary buildings that are there today.”
Speaking to The Jerusalem Post on Sunday, Marzel said it was no mistake that the Islamic shrines were left out of the picture...
Click here to continue
************
Both the Bible and history reveal Jerusalem's holiest site is the TEMPLE Mount, not the mosque hill. It's past time the Jews and Israelis prove they're serious about their claims to a united Jerusalem forever and remove the foreign objects that presently pollute and occupy the Temple Mount and build the Third Temple.
The Temple Mount is meant to host the "House of Prayer for All Peoples" who seek to worship the God of Jacob.
Let the Zionists reclaim Judaism's holiest site and stake their claim to Jerusalem by removing the Arab threat and restore the Temple Mount as the Temple Mount.
Will the pope act like Belshazzar or Cyrus?
Will Rome learn from history and receive instruction from the Bible or harden their hearts and be destroyed like pharaoh and Babylon?
A House of Prayer For All Peoples?
Jewish guards prevent Christians and Jews from exercising their religious right to pray on the Temple Mount? That's right! Only Muslims have unlimited access to Judaism's most holy site. Only the Koran is permitted within. The Tanach (Jewish Scripture, known to much of the world as the "Old Testament") and Christian Scriptures (the New Testament) are forbidden. Yet Israel claims to respect the religious rights of all people.
Major Upheaval in Israel?
Will an EARTHQUAKE shake Israel to its foundations and rock the world? Would the destruction of the Western/Wailing Wall and the demolition of the "Dome of the Rock" and Al-Aksa mosques—by an ACT OF GOD—serve further notice that it's time to build the Temple?
Third Temple Coming Soon to Jerusalem!
"And let them make me a Sanctuary that I may dwell among them" (Ex. 25:8). This holy command in the Scriptures seems clear enough, so what's the problem? Why has Israel tolerated Jerusalem’s "abomination of desolation" — a Temple Mount without a Temple? Why haven't the religious leaders encouraged the people to do what they can in fulfilling this mitzva?
The Temple of God in Holy Jerusalem
Paul, speaking of the imminent Third Temple, the holy TEMPLE OF GOD (the Temple of God - not just of the Jews or any other conspiracy theory that contradicts Scripture), that Europe's wannabe divine emperor will pollute, coveting it since Satan knows (even if some religious folks don't) it is the TEMPLE OF GOD...
Jews Must Demand Rights to Temple Mount
During a 1995 Root and Branch lecture in Jerusalem, Professor Nahum Rakover, author and then Deputy Attorney General of Israel, publicly agreed with me that it isn't illegal for Christians or Jews to pray upon the Temple Mount, even though it is forcibly prevented by the police.
The Issue of the Temple Mount
The common knowledge of our time is that the vast majority of Rabbis of this generation have prohibited the Jewish people from entering the Temple Mount (Har HaBayit), the holiest site in Judaism. The Temple Mount is the site of where the Beit HaMikdash (the Jewish Temple) once stood and the place where the Moslems have erected one mosque, the al-Aqsa and a site of pilgrimage, the Dome of the Rock.
Restore Israeli Sovereignty Over Temple Mount
The Wakf, the militant Muslim authority that oversees Jerusalem's Temple Mount, Judaism's holiest site and Islam's alleged third holiest site (following Mecca and Medina) continue to show blatant disregard for Jewish, Christian and biblical history and non-Muslim sensitivities.
Where's the Temple On the Temple Mount?
Something's missing. Rome is synonymous with the Vatican, Mecca with the Kaaba, and Jerusalem's known for its Western Wall. But why should we stand before the wall, letting it obstruct our vision, when we could be praying in a Temple? Why should Jews continue to bow before an illegitimate Gentile decree that tells them where to pray? (Isaiah 10:1).
The Vatican Must Return the Temple Treasures
The Jews have prayed for 2,000 years to again see the Temple upon the Temple Mount. It's past time for prayers alone: ACTION is necessary to put faith into practice!
G-d Doesn't Listen to Jewish Prayers at the Western Wall
Gershon Salomon warned Israel and its leadership that as long as the shameful situation on the Temple Mount continues, and as long as they do not obey the call of G-d, peace will not come to the land. The enemies of Israel will continue to desire her land and will pressure those in power to divide it. Obedience to the call of G-d will bring peace, all of Israel's enemies will be removed and no one will wish to divide or desire the land.
Why Edward Abington, Jr. Must Be Investigated!
"The American Diplomat in Arafat's Corner," published in The Jerusalem Report, came as no surprise to me. It was referring to Edward Abington, Jr., the United States' former consul general in Jerusalem who is now "guiding the Palestinians through the labyrinths of Washington. And his firm is being paid $2.25 million for his expertise."
Israel's Unjust Deportation of David Ben-Ariel
As a Christian-American member of the Temple Mount Faithful Movement, I had been privileged to participate in their legal demonstrations during my 10-month stay in Jerusalem awaiting dual citizenship. Israeli television often showed me with my Jewish friends carrying Israeli flags throughout the Old City.
Blow Up the Mosques or An Expired Visa?
Once again, an attempt to spread DISinformation about my unjust deportation from Israel, only provides me with another opportunity to clearly state my case and continue to highlight the plight of the Temple Mount suffering under a Nazi-Muslim occupation...
From Toledo to Jerusalem
You could say I have a God-given love for the Jews and the nation of Israel (Isaiah 62:6-7). That sacred bond has been strengthened over the years by the fact that I've been blessed to have lived all over Israel, getting to know its land and people quite well.
Dangerous Ideas?
During my brief appearance before Israel's High Court, the prosecution charged that I hold "dangerous ideas." I suppose the short-sighted prosecution would ban the Bible if he could since it contains the "dangerous ideas" that millions believe in! What are those "dangerous ideas?"
American Detained in Jerusalem's Russian Compound
Nobody arrested me. I was detained when I faithfully reported to the police office at 9 a.m. Monday morning, January 9, 1996 (day before my birthday) the day after The Jerusalem Post published on their front page an article shedding light on what they were doing in the dark: "GSS Seeks to Deport American Citizen for Plot to Blow Up Al Aksa Mosque."
God commands Israel to build Temple!
Posters leaving out Al Aksa mosque plastered on buses with e. Jerusalem routes.
While tensions continue to simmer around the Temple Mount after riots in and around the capital’s Old City earlier this month, a new campaign calling for the construction of the Third Temple atop the holy site has made its way to the sides of 200 Egged buses in the city, which now sport posters featuring a picture of a rebuilt temple on the Mount, and nothing else.
The posters, which contain the phrase, “May the Bais Hamikdosh [holy temple] be rebuilt speedily and within our days,” were sponsored by the Our Land of Israel group, which is led by Rabbi Shalom Dov Volpo and activist Baruch Marzel, leave out the site’s current structures – namely the the Aksa Mosque and the Dome of the Rock.
The campaign’s organizers chose to plaster the posters on buses whose routes take them through predominately Arab neighborhoods of east Jerusalem.
With regards to the campaign, Volpo said Israel is waiting breathlessly for the coming of the messiah and the rebuilding of the temple.
“The Arabs and President Obama know that the Temple will be built on the Temple Mount,” he said. “Instead of the temporary buildings that are there today.”
Speaking to The Jerusalem Post on Sunday, Marzel said it was no mistake that the Islamic shrines were left out of the picture...
Click here to continue
************
Both the Bible and history reveal Jerusalem's holiest site is the TEMPLE Mount, not the mosque hill. It's past time the Jews and Israelis prove they're serious about their claims to a united Jerusalem forever and remove the foreign objects that presently pollute and occupy the Temple Mount and build the Third Temple.
The Temple Mount is meant to host the "House of Prayer for All Peoples" who seek to worship the God of Jacob.
Let the Zionists reclaim Judaism's holiest site and stake their claim to Jerusalem by removing the Arab threat and restore the Temple Mount as the Temple Mount.
Will the pope act like Belshazzar or Cyrus?
Will Rome learn from history and receive instruction from the Bible or harden their hearts and be destroyed like pharaoh and Babylon?
A House of Prayer For All Peoples?
Jewish guards prevent Christians and Jews from exercising their religious right to pray on the Temple Mount? That's right! Only Muslims have unlimited access to Judaism's most holy site. Only the Koran is permitted within. The Tanach (Jewish Scripture, known to much of the world as the "Old Testament") and Christian Scriptures (the New Testament) are forbidden. Yet Israel claims to respect the religious rights of all people.
Major Upheaval in Israel?
Will an EARTHQUAKE shake Israel to its foundations and rock the world? Would the destruction of the Western/Wailing Wall and the demolition of the "Dome of the Rock" and Al-Aksa mosques—by an ACT OF GOD—serve further notice that it's time to build the Temple?
Third Temple Coming Soon to Jerusalem!
"And let them make me a Sanctuary that I may dwell among them" (Ex. 25:8). This holy command in the Scriptures seems clear enough, so what's the problem? Why has Israel tolerated Jerusalem’s "abomination of desolation" — a Temple Mount without a Temple? Why haven't the religious leaders encouraged the people to do what they can in fulfilling this mitzva?
The Temple of God in Holy Jerusalem
Paul, speaking of the imminent Third Temple, the holy TEMPLE OF GOD (the Temple of God - not just of the Jews or any other conspiracy theory that contradicts Scripture), that Europe's wannabe divine emperor will pollute, coveting it since Satan knows (even if some religious folks don't) it is the TEMPLE OF GOD...
Jews Must Demand Rights to Temple Mount
During a 1995 Root and Branch lecture in Jerusalem, Professor Nahum Rakover, author and then Deputy Attorney General of Israel, publicly agreed with me that it isn't illegal for Christians or Jews to pray upon the Temple Mount, even though it is forcibly prevented by the police.
The Issue of the Temple Mount
The common knowledge of our time is that the vast majority of Rabbis of this generation have prohibited the Jewish people from entering the Temple Mount (Har HaBayit), the holiest site in Judaism. The Temple Mount is the site of where the Beit HaMikdash (the Jewish Temple) once stood and the place where the Moslems have erected one mosque, the al-Aqsa and a site of pilgrimage, the Dome of the Rock.
Restore Israeli Sovereignty Over Temple Mount
The Wakf, the militant Muslim authority that oversees Jerusalem's Temple Mount, Judaism's holiest site and Islam's alleged third holiest site (following Mecca and Medina) continue to show blatant disregard for Jewish, Christian and biblical history and non-Muslim sensitivities.
Where's the Temple On the Temple Mount?
Something's missing. Rome is synonymous with the Vatican, Mecca with the Kaaba, and Jerusalem's known for its Western Wall. But why should we stand before the wall, letting it obstruct our vision, when we could be praying in a Temple? Why should Jews continue to bow before an illegitimate Gentile decree that tells them where to pray? (Isaiah 10:1).
The Vatican Must Return the Temple Treasures
The Jews have prayed for 2,000 years to again see the Temple upon the Temple Mount. It's past time for prayers alone: ACTION is necessary to put faith into practice!
G-d Doesn't Listen to Jewish Prayers at the Western Wall
Gershon Salomon warned Israel and its leadership that as long as the shameful situation on the Temple Mount continues, and as long as they do not obey the call of G-d, peace will not come to the land. The enemies of Israel will continue to desire her land and will pressure those in power to divide it. Obedience to the call of G-d will bring peace, all of Israel's enemies will be removed and no one will wish to divide or desire the land.
Why Edward Abington, Jr. Must Be Investigated!
"The American Diplomat in Arafat's Corner," published in The Jerusalem Report, came as no surprise to me. It was referring to Edward Abington, Jr., the United States' former consul general in Jerusalem who is now "guiding the Palestinians through the labyrinths of Washington. And his firm is being paid $2.25 million for his expertise."
Israel's Unjust Deportation of David Ben-Ariel
As a Christian-American member of the Temple Mount Faithful Movement, I had been privileged to participate in their legal demonstrations during my 10-month stay in Jerusalem awaiting dual citizenship. Israeli television often showed me with my Jewish friends carrying Israeli flags throughout the Old City.
Blow Up the Mosques or An Expired Visa?
Once again, an attempt to spread DISinformation about my unjust deportation from Israel, only provides me with another opportunity to clearly state my case and continue to highlight the plight of the Temple Mount suffering under a Nazi-Muslim occupation...
From Toledo to Jerusalem
You could say I have a God-given love for the Jews and the nation of Israel (Isaiah 62:6-7). That sacred bond has been strengthened over the years by the fact that I've been blessed to have lived all over Israel, getting to know its land and people quite well.
Dangerous Ideas?
During my brief appearance before Israel's High Court, the prosecution charged that I hold "dangerous ideas." I suppose the short-sighted prosecution would ban the Bible if he could since it contains the "dangerous ideas" that millions believe in! What are those "dangerous ideas?"
American Detained in Jerusalem's Russian Compound
Nobody arrested me. I was detained when I faithfully reported to the police office at 9 a.m. Monday morning, January 9, 1996 (day before my birthday) the day after The Jerusalem Post published on their front page an article shedding light on what they were doing in the dark: "GSS Seeks to Deport American Citizen for Plot to Blow Up Al Aksa Mosque."
God commands Israel to build Temple!
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Never forget the sacrifice of the Lamb of God
Yeshua is the Suffering Servant
He is despised and rejected by men, A Man (not a nation, a man) of sorrows and acquainted with grief. And we (collective Israel, especially Judah) hid, as it were, our faces from Him; He (one man) was despised, and we (Israel/Judah) did not esteem Him.
The Passover Memorial
When did God decree that Jesus could declare "it is finished" and die on the stake? Why at the very same time that THE JEWS were sacrificing their Passover lambs at the Temple! The Jews had always killed the Passover lambs during the final hours of the 14th. It was towards the end of the 14th, not at the beginning of the 14th, that the Passover lambs were killed.
http://www.davidbenariel.org/
He is despised and rejected by men, A Man (not a nation, a man) of sorrows and acquainted with grief. And we (collective Israel, especially Judah) hid, as it were, our faces from Him; He (one man) was despised, and we (Israel/Judah) did not esteem Him.
The Passover Memorial
When did God decree that Jesus could declare "it is finished" and die on the stake? Why at the very same time that THE JEWS were sacrificing their Passover lambs at the Temple! The Jews had always killed the Passover lambs during the final hours of the 14th. It was towards the end of the 14th, not at the beginning of the 14th, that the Passover lambs were killed.
http://www.davidbenariel.org/
The Resurrection Was Not on Easter Sunday!
Millions of professing Christians gather for Easter sunrise services every year. Even many who rarely go to church at any other time will attend worship services at the church of their choice on Easter Sunday. But did you know that the Good Friday-Easter tradition actually denies the only sign that Jesus offered the religious leaders of His day to prove His Messiahship? Incredible as that statement may seem, it is true—and you can prove it!
The Resurrection Was Not on Easter Sunday!
The Resurrection Was Not on Easter Sunday!
Sunday, March 28, 2010
Rapture?
Don't Fall for the Rapture!
We meet the returning Christ in the air and RETURN TO EARTH - to the Mount of Olives - and reign with but under Him, composing the Kingdom of God: just like the Bible clearly says once we remove traditional blinders.
We meet the returning Christ in the air and RETURN TO EARTH - to the Mount of Olives - and reign with but under Him, composing the Kingdom of God: just like the Bible clearly says once we remove traditional blinders.
The Rapture or Place of Safety?
We know those who are accounted worthy to escape WWIII, those with a prayerful attitude and watchful spirit, growing and overcoming and sensitive to the lead of the Holy Spirit (Luke 21:34-36), will be more than provided for in "Her Place," as our gracious Lord of Hosts has promised (Revelation 12:14).
We know those who are accounted worthy to escape WWIII, those with a prayerful attitude and watchful spirit, growing and overcoming and sensitive to the lead of the Holy Spirit (Luke 21:34-36), will be more than provided for in "Her Place," as our gracious Lord of Hosts has promised (Revelation 12:14).
The REAL JESUS Can't Return Until...
Prophecy clearly reveals that the REAL JESUS CHRIST will not return to Earth from Heaven (in full view of all mankind -- not from some secret EU or Vatican chamber or desert cave) until after Jerusalem has suffered under a Gentile EU occupation for three and one half years
Prophecy clearly reveals that the REAL JESUS CHRIST will not return to Earth from Heaven (in full view of all mankind -- not from some secret EU or Vatican chamber or desert cave) until after Jerusalem has suffered under a Gentile EU occupation for three and one half years
Saturday, March 27, 2010
Why Government Health Care Will Fail
Bob Webster (Editor, Publisher, WEBCommentary)
Why Government Health Care Will Fail
A recent cancer seminar provided a good example why government run health care will always fail.
(read more ...)
Why Government Health Care Will Fail
A recent cancer seminar provided a good example why government run health care will always fail.
(read more ...)
Does New Covenant Mean "New Commandments?"
By Jack Hertzog
God has ways to love Him, which He has revealed to Israel and humanity (Ex.20:6 ~ Ps. 78:7 ~ Matt.19:17 ~ John 14:15 1 John 2:3), and God says also "By this, we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and keep His commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments, and His commandments are not burdensome" ( 1 John 5:2,3).
All through the scriptures, from the earliest to the latter scriptures (Rev.22:14), the keeping of the commandments are heavily stressed as the way to love and please God; and we can not find any place that says anything different. Is any other commandment mentioned? Yes, but not any change from the original Ten Commandments.
The "New Commandment" (John 13:34) is, that we love one another, as Christ Loved us, and a New Commandment I give you" (1 John 2:8). But this commandment was not really new. It was just new to the church (1 John 2:7), who hadn't had much knowledge about the spiritual connotations of God and His Word. Remember, Christ said "Love one another, as I have loved you", and Christ was stressing love one another as I have Loved you. There was only one way that Christ Loved them and that was by the love and power of the Holy Spirit, which will always lead people toward the obeying of the ten commandments.
There is also a scripture that says "The Letter kills, but the Spirit makes alive" ( 2 Corr. 3:6 ), and "Not in the oldness of the letter, but in the newness of the Spirit"(Romans 7:6). This says nothing about no longer keeping the Ten Commandments, which we've always been commanded to keep, from the earlier scriptures unto the latter scriptures, because Paul says in (Romans 7:7), is the Law sin? Certainly not! He was showing that he was serving the Law of God in His inward being (Romans 7:22), but he was showing also, that he fell down before God's law quite often, because of his human weakness.
The Scripture "The Letter kills, but the Spirit makes alive shows that though we are always expected to keep the Ten Commandments, we still need something else, and that is to love as Christ loved (John 13:34), and that is, to obey the commandments in the spirit of the law, with our heart (Very innermost being).
Under the New Covenant now, if we have the Holy Spirit, we now keep God's Commandments by the spirit of love shed abroad in our heart. Instead of the rituals of the law, we now do it of the heart, and also of our desire and intent. We obey the first commandment by certainly having a personal relationship with the Father. We know that He exists and cares for each of us, and so much, that He gave His only Son for our behalf; we also know that there are no other God's.
We obey the second commandment in the Spirit, as we know that our God created all things. All of the physical things will be dissolved in due time (2 Peter 3:11,12), and there is nothing else worth worshipping. Everything we do, should be done for our True God. We still need to fight to keep our minds from getting to involved in any physical pursuits, lest we even make an idol out of our time, and not devote enough time to God.
Then we can pray to our God, to give us more of His Spirit, so that our relationship will be closer. We keep the third commandment, by holding in great reverence the name of God, and realizing just how great, and just who He is. We realize that our eternal life depends upon Him. Also we need to realize that we can become His literal children, and He expects us to speak to Him, as a literal child of His, calling Him "Abba" Father, and yet speak to Him and tell Him everything, that troubles us, or to ask for faith, mercy and understanding.
God does not tell us not to use His name, just not to use it in vain. If we are breaking the other commandments, we could very well be using His name in vain, until we repent of breaking His other commandments.
We keep the fourth commandment, a day of a special rest, where we rest from normal labors, and even forsake our normal thoughts, so that we can have much extra communication with our Father, that we do not have on other days. God has blessed and sanctified the Sabbath, so that His presence is upon the Sabbath.
We honor our human parents, as our life givers under God, and by honoring our fleshly parents, we do indeed honor God.
We do not murder, and to avoid this we do not even hate or think ill of our brethren. We can sometimes be leery or wise and discerning toward our brothers and sisters, but we do not hate them, because hatred can lead to the killing of our brethren. If we find ourselves thinking ill toward our brethren, then we should ask God to help us to have His very love for them, that we do not by nature have, and then God will give us love, instead of hatred.
We will think about no wrong sexual desires, because this could lead to literal wrong acts, and does not show God's love toward our brethren. We can ask God to purge any wrong thoughts from our minds.
We do not take from our brethren, or take holy time (The Sabbath) from God. We instead see just how much we can give to God and our brethren too, because God loves a cheerful giver, not a taker.
We tell the truth to our neighbor, because lying shows that we are hiding something, or planning some wrong deed. Yet, we can always be truthful in a way that is not trying to hurt our brethren. Sometimes even truth can be used in a hurtful way, but keeping the ninth commandment involves showing love toward our God and neighbor.
The apostle Paul learned to be content, in whatever state he was in, not that he didn't want to improve things. We can always try to improve things too, but not if our hearts are set on wrongs, or upon things that are beyond that which we need, or other people's things and possessions.
We keep the Tenth commandment, because, it helps keep our very thoughts in check. If we cannot keep our thoughts in subjection by not coveting, then we will fall down and break the other nine commandments. If we are living by the Spirit of God, then we will be thankful for everything God has given us, and we will not be consumed with lust for various objects, that will eventually perish.
Christ obeyed the Ten Commandments, having the Holy Spirit without measure. These commandments are living commandments of love, and Christ wants us to obey them in the same way He did and does (John 13:34). Happy are we, if we do these things as Christ commanded, and all will know that we are His disciples as well.
Jack Hertzog is a member of the Sabbath-keeping Church of God. He lives in New Mexico.
God has ways to love Him, which He has revealed to Israel and humanity (Ex.20:6 ~ Ps. 78:7 ~ Matt.19:17 ~ John 14:15 1 John 2:3), and God says also "By this, we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and keep His commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments, and His commandments are not burdensome" ( 1 John 5:2,3).
All through the scriptures, from the earliest to the latter scriptures (Rev.22:14), the keeping of the commandments are heavily stressed as the way to love and please God; and we can not find any place that says anything different. Is any other commandment mentioned? Yes, but not any change from the original Ten Commandments.
The "New Commandment" (John 13:34) is, that we love one another, as Christ Loved us, and a New Commandment I give you" (1 John 2:8). But this commandment was not really new. It was just new to the church (1 John 2:7), who hadn't had much knowledge about the spiritual connotations of God and His Word. Remember, Christ said "Love one another, as I have loved you", and Christ was stressing love one another as I have Loved you. There was only one way that Christ Loved them and that was by the love and power of the Holy Spirit, which will always lead people toward the obeying of the ten commandments.
There is also a scripture that says "The Letter kills, but the Spirit makes alive" ( 2 Corr. 3:6 ), and "Not in the oldness of the letter, but in the newness of the Spirit"(Romans 7:6). This says nothing about no longer keeping the Ten Commandments, which we've always been commanded to keep, from the earlier scriptures unto the latter scriptures, because Paul says in (Romans 7:7), is the Law sin? Certainly not! He was showing that he was serving the Law of God in His inward being (Romans 7:22), but he was showing also, that he fell down before God's law quite often, because of his human weakness.
The Scripture "The Letter kills, but the Spirit makes alive shows that though we are always expected to keep the Ten Commandments, we still need something else, and that is to love as Christ loved (John 13:34), and that is, to obey the commandments in the spirit of the law, with our heart (Very innermost being).
Under the New Covenant now, if we have the Holy Spirit, we now keep God's Commandments by the spirit of love shed abroad in our heart. Instead of the rituals of the law, we now do it of the heart, and also of our desire and intent. We obey the first commandment by certainly having a personal relationship with the Father. We know that He exists and cares for each of us, and so much, that He gave His only Son for our behalf; we also know that there are no other God's.
We obey the second commandment in the Spirit, as we know that our God created all things. All of the physical things will be dissolved in due time (2 Peter 3:11,12), and there is nothing else worth worshipping. Everything we do, should be done for our True God. We still need to fight to keep our minds from getting to involved in any physical pursuits, lest we even make an idol out of our time, and not devote enough time to God.
Then we can pray to our God, to give us more of His Spirit, so that our relationship will be closer. We keep the third commandment, by holding in great reverence the name of God, and realizing just how great, and just who He is. We realize that our eternal life depends upon Him. Also we need to realize that we can become His literal children, and He expects us to speak to Him, as a literal child of His, calling Him "Abba" Father, and yet speak to Him and tell Him everything, that troubles us, or to ask for faith, mercy and understanding.
God does not tell us not to use His name, just not to use it in vain. If we are breaking the other commandments, we could very well be using His name in vain, until we repent of breaking His other commandments.
We keep the fourth commandment, a day of a special rest, where we rest from normal labors, and even forsake our normal thoughts, so that we can have much extra communication with our Father, that we do not have on other days. God has blessed and sanctified the Sabbath, so that His presence is upon the Sabbath.
We honor our human parents, as our life givers under God, and by honoring our fleshly parents, we do indeed honor God.
We do not murder, and to avoid this we do not even hate or think ill of our brethren. We can sometimes be leery or wise and discerning toward our brothers and sisters, but we do not hate them, because hatred can lead to the killing of our brethren. If we find ourselves thinking ill toward our brethren, then we should ask God to help us to have His very love for them, that we do not by nature have, and then God will give us love, instead of hatred.
We will think about no wrong sexual desires, because this could lead to literal wrong acts, and does not show God's love toward our brethren. We can ask God to purge any wrong thoughts from our minds.
We do not take from our brethren, or take holy time (The Sabbath) from God. We instead see just how much we can give to God and our brethren too, because God loves a cheerful giver, not a taker.
We tell the truth to our neighbor, because lying shows that we are hiding something, or planning some wrong deed. Yet, we can always be truthful in a way that is not trying to hurt our brethren. Sometimes even truth can be used in a hurtful way, but keeping the ninth commandment involves showing love toward our God and neighbor.
The apostle Paul learned to be content, in whatever state he was in, not that he didn't want to improve things. We can always try to improve things too, but not if our hearts are set on wrongs, or upon things that are beyond that which we need, or other people's things and possessions.
We keep the Tenth commandment, because, it helps keep our very thoughts in check. If we cannot keep our thoughts in subjection by not coveting, then we will fall down and break the other nine commandments. If we are living by the Spirit of God, then we will be thankful for everything God has given us, and we will not be consumed with lust for various objects, that will eventually perish.
Christ obeyed the Ten Commandments, having the Holy Spirit without measure. These commandments are living commandments of love, and Christ wants us to obey them in the same way He did and does (John 13:34). Happy are we, if we do these things as Christ commanded, and all will know that we are His disciples as well.
Jack Hertzog is a member of the Sabbath-keeping Church of God. He lives in New Mexico.
GODDESS EASTER
Does your Church honor the goddess Easter?
"Why do you perpetuate pagan fertility symbols of rabbits and eggs and don't have anything for Passover? No little lambs, nothing. John the Baptist called Jesus the 'Lamb of God' - not the Easter bunny!" - so I wrote a popular family restaurant about their country store (see The Big Lie of Easter). I could have just as easily written another popular down on the farm restaurant questioning why they're disrespectfully offering Easter ham when the Bible strongly expresses its distaste for such an abomination that Jesus and the apostles never ate and the Scriptures forbid (see Is All Animal Flesh Good Food?).
If you walk into any store or restaurant at this time of year, you quickly see how the pagan Easter rabbit has supplanted the Passover lamb. A myth has replaced the truth! It's totally absurd and illogical as both the Bible and history condemn Easter as a spring goddess and yet these professing Christian churches aren't ashamed to blazon the name of the GODDESS EASTER on their church billboards! Would they also advertise Venus or Ishtar? Are they all asleep in the pews? Don't their ministers have a clue? God says the names of these pagan gods and goddesses will be history and yet they're kept alive by apostate Christian ministers! "For I will take from her mouth the names of the Baals [false gods], And they shall be remembered by their name no more" (Hosea 2:17). Who are they serving? Certainly not our Great Creator God, the God of the Bible, the God of Jacob.
How can any professing Christian not take offense at this baptized paganism, these whitewashed heathen customs that mislead the masses? Shame on those (especially the worthless ministers) who continue to let folks get carried away with idolatrous traditions rather than set them free with the plain truth!
"How can you say, ‘I am not polluted, I have not gone after the Baals'?" (Jeremiah 2:23). You advertise the GODDESS EASTER with your Easter Egg Hunt, your Easter Egg Roll, your Easter ham, your Easter Sunday. Others pimp Easter and her fertility symbols of rabbits and eggs with Easter Egg trees and Easter decorations. We're a nation of spiritual drunks and whores in denial, whoring around with pagan gods and goddesses, going through the mindless motions of pagan traditions and flirting with heathen customs and we see nothing wrong with it since we're deaf, dumb and blind (Isaiah 42:19).
Such Easter "offerings" based upon colorful fables certainly aren't acceptable or cute to God ( 2 Timothy 4:3-5). “Were they ashamed when they had committed abomination? No! They were not at all ashamed nor did they know how to blush. Therefore they shall fall among those who fall [the slain] at the time I punish them..." (Jeremiah 6:15). Traditional Christianity, like an adulterous woman, "…eats and wipes her mouth, and says, ‘I have done no wickedness..
Sin that's been dressed up, camouflaged, made to appear harmless, is still sin in God's eyes and He hates the mass religious deception that has been going on for too long and will hold the nation accountable for living a lie and promoting whitewashed paganism. The rotten ministers who have failed to stand in the gap, to expose such error and call upon the people to turn from such vain traditions, are especially guilty (Ezekiel 22:30-31).
Hosea 4:6
6 My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I also will reject you from being priest [minister] for Me; Because you have forgotten the law of your God [that you may keep your own traditions], I also will forget your children.
It's past time we remember our Hebrew roots and biblical responsibilities and return to the Faith once delivered - the Faith that focuses on the Lamb of God and keeps Passover - and stop mixing pagan error with biblical truth (spiritual adultery). We must serve the God of Israel wholeheartedly as Elijah encouraged (when he mocked Baal and Easter) or go into national captivity like Israel did who failed to take God's Word seriously! What will it be: return to the Faith once delivered or return to slavery?
The Plain Truth About Easter
Easter or Passover: Which Is Christian?
http://www.davidbenariel.org/
If you walk into any store or restaurant at this time of year, you quickly see how the pagan Easter rabbit has supplanted the Passover lamb. A myth has replaced the truth! It's totally absurd and illogical as both the Bible and history condemn Easter as a spring goddess and yet these professing Christian churches aren't ashamed to blazon the name of the GODDESS EASTER on their church billboards! Would they also advertise Venus or Ishtar? Are they all asleep in the pews? Don't their ministers have a clue? God says the names of these pagan gods and goddesses will be history and yet they're kept alive by apostate Christian ministers! "For I will take from her mouth the names of the Baals [false gods], And they shall be remembered by their name no more" (Hosea 2:17). Who are they serving? Certainly not our Great Creator God, the God of the Bible, the God of Jacob.
How can any professing Christian not take offense at this baptized paganism, these whitewashed heathen customs that mislead the masses? Shame on those (especially the worthless ministers) who continue to let folks get carried away with idolatrous traditions rather than set them free with the plain truth!
"How can you say, ‘I am not polluted, I have not gone after the Baals'?" (Jeremiah 2:23). You advertise the GODDESS EASTER with your Easter Egg Hunt, your Easter Egg Roll, your Easter ham, your Easter Sunday. Others pimp Easter and her fertility symbols of rabbits and eggs with Easter Egg trees and Easter decorations. We're a nation of spiritual drunks and whores in denial, whoring around with pagan gods and goddesses, going through the mindless motions of pagan traditions and flirting with heathen customs and we see nothing wrong with it since we're deaf, dumb and blind (Isaiah 42:19).
Such Easter "offerings" based upon colorful fables certainly aren't acceptable or cute to God ( 2 Timothy 4:3-5). “Were they ashamed when they had committed abomination? No! They were not at all ashamed nor did they know how to blush. Therefore they shall fall among those who fall [the slain] at the time I punish them..." (Jeremiah 6:15). Traditional Christianity, like an adulterous woman, "…eats and wipes her mouth, and says, ‘I have done no wickedness..
Sin that's been dressed up, camouflaged, made to appear harmless, is still sin in God's eyes and He hates the mass religious deception that has been going on for too long and will hold the nation accountable for living a lie and promoting whitewashed paganism. The rotten ministers who have failed to stand in the gap, to expose such error and call upon the people to turn from such vain traditions, are especially guilty (Ezekiel 22:30-31).
Hosea 4:6
6 My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I also will reject you from being priest [minister] for Me; Because you have forgotten the law of your God [that you may keep your own traditions], I also will forget your children.
It's past time we remember our Hebrew roots and biblical responsibilities and return to the Faith once delivered - the Faith that focuses on the Lamb of God and keeps Passover - and stop mixing pagan error with biblical truth (spiritual adultery). We must serve the God of Israel wholeheartedly as Elijah encouraged (when he mocked Baal and Easter) or go into national captivity like Israel did who failed to take God's Word seriously! What will it be: return to the Faith once delivered or return to slavery?
The Plain Truth About Easter
Easter or Passover: Which Is Christian?
http://www.davidbenariel.org/
The Lamb of God
Commentary: Why the world needs the Lamb of God
As I write, millions of Hindus in India are celebrating Kumbh Mela, the largest single religious gathering in the world. The Purna (Complete) Kumbh Mela is celebrated every twelve years in one of four cities, depending on the relative positions of the sun, moon and the planet Jupiter in Indian astrology. Between January 14 and April 28, 2010, at least 50 million pilgrims will have visited the ancient and (to them) holy city of Haridwar on the Ganges River. Read more
Friday, March 26, 2010
Chuck Baldwin knows the Constitution better than the Bible?
"I won’t even address the inferred unconstitutionality of Congress doing business on the Lord’s Day." - Chuck Baldwin
What you need to address, in your personal Bible study, is the Lord's Day has NEVER been Constantine's SUNday! The Lord's Day has always been the seventh day Sabbath from Genesis to Revelation, as honest folks submit. I respect your vast knowledge of the Constitution and efforts to uphold it and voted for you, but I encourage you to as vigorously defend the plain truth of the Word of God over idolatrous traditions of men.
“Work shall be done for six days, but the seventh is the Sabbath of rest” (Exodus 31:15).
“The seventh day is a Sabbath of solemn rest, a holy convocation. You shall do no work on it” (Leviticus 23:3).
“The seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God. In it you shall do no work” (Deuteronomy 5:14).
“Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God … For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it” (Exodus 20:9- 11).
Isaiah reveals pagan SUNday keeping will be history, and everybody will keep the biblical seventh day Sabbath as God has ordained:
“‘And it shall come to pass that from one New Moon to another, and from one Sabbath to another, all flesh shall come to worship before Me,’ says the Lord” (Isaiah 66:23).
Matthew 5:18-20
18 For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled. 19 Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 20 For I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.
Roman Catholic and Protestant Confessions about Sunday
The vast majority of Christian churches today teach the observance of Sunday, the first day of the week, as a time for rest and worship. Yet it is generally known and freely admitted that the early Christians observed the seventh day as the Sabbath. How did this change come about?
Remember the Sabbath
Did you ever stop to think why Christians keep Sunday? Did they get it from the Bible? Is there a clear-cut command that says, "Thou shalt keep Sunday?" Why did Jesus worship on Saturday? Was it only because He was a good Jew? Or does it go beyond that?
Table of Contents
What you need to address, in your personal Bible study, is the Lord's Day has NEVER been Constantine's SUNday! The Lord's Day has always been the seventh day Sabbath from Genesis to Revelation, as honest folks submit. I respect your vast knowledge of the Constitution and efforts to uphold it and voted for you, but I encourage you to as vigorously defend the plain truth of the Word of God over idolatrous traditions of men.
“Work shall be done for six days, but the seventh is the Sabbath of rest” (Exodus 31:15).
“The seventh day is a Sabbath of solemn rest, a holy convocation. You shall do no work on it” (Leviticus 23:3).
“The seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God. In it you shall do no work” (Deuteronomy 5:14).
“Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God … For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it” (Exodus 20:9- 11).
Isaiah reveals pagan SUNday keeping will be history, and everybody will keep the biblical seventh day Sabbath as God has ordained:
“‘And it shall come to pass that from one New Moon to another, and from one Sabbath to another, all flesh shall come to worship before Me,’ says the Lord” (Isaiah 66:23).
Matthew 5:18-20
18 For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled. 19 Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 20 For I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.
Roman Catholic and Protestant Confessions about Sunday
The vast majority of Christian churches today teach the observance of Sunday, the first day of the week, as a time for rest and worship. Yet it is generally known and freely admitted that the early Christians observed the seventh day as the Sabbath. How did this change come about?
Remember the Sabbath
Did you ever stop to think why Christians keep Sunday? Did they get it from the Bible? Is there a clear-cut command that says, "Thou shalt keep Sunday?" Why did Jesus worship on Saturday? Was it only because He was a good Jew? Or does it go beyond that?
By Herbert W. Armstrong
Does it make any difference WHICH day we observe—or whether we keep it? Does the Bible establish SUNDAY as the LORD’S DAY? Was the Sabbath given for the Jewish people only—while Christians are commanded to keep SUNDAY as the LORD’S DAY?
Table of Contents
| Chapter 1 | But Does It Make Any Difference? |
| Chapter 2 | Who Made and Established the Sabbath? |
| Chapter 3 | God—Not Moses—Gave the Law |
| Chapter 4 | A Special Eternal Covenant |
| Chapter 5 | Which Day for Gentile Christians? |
| Chapter 6 | Why Israel and Judah Made Slaves |
| Chapter 7 | Is Sunday Mentioned in the New Testament? |
| Chapter 8 | The Amazing Truth About Christian Fellowship |
Polycarp and Polycrates kept Passover!
I side with Polycarp and Polycrates for Passover and against Easter. They both dared to reject the subversion of the Romanizers who thought to add and subtract from the commands of the Lord, and attempted to reason with Rome who was increasingly wayward (rife with apostasy) and threatening but not yet reprobate:
"Acceptance of Easter over Passover did not come without resistance. Two religious leaders of the mid-second century—Polycarp, bishop of Smyrna; and Anicetus, bishop of Rome—debated this very point.
Anicetus argued for Easter while Polycarp, stated Encyclopaedia Britannica, defended observing "the Christian Passover, on the 14th of Nisan, the first month of the Jewish ecclesiastical calendar, regardless of the day of the week" (15th edition, Micropaedia, Vol. VIII, p. 94, "Polycarp").
Polycarp taught observance of the Passover as the early Church had observed it. Eusebius said Polycarp did so because this was the way "he had always observed it with John the disciple of our Lord, and the rest of the apostles, with whom he associated" (Eusebius' Ecclesiastical History, 1995, pp. 210-211). These Christians of the second century were still following the example of Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 11:1; 1 Peter 2:21; 1 John 2:6) in observing the Passover.
Several decades later another leader, Polycrates, argued with Victor, bishop of Rome, over the same issue. Eusebius wrote of the continuing debate:
"There was a considerable discussion raised about this time, in consequence of a difference of opinion respecting the observance of the paschal [Passover] season. The churches of all Asia, guided by a remoter tradition [biblical truth preceded Roman confusion], supposed that they ought to keep the fourteenth day of the moon for the festival of the Saviour's passover, in which day the Jews were commanded to kill the paschal lamb ...
"The bishops ... of Asia, persevering in observing the custom handed down to them from their fathers, were headed by Polycrates. He, indeed, had also set forth the tradition handed down to them, in a letter which he addressed to Victor and the church of Rome. 'We,' said he, 'therefore, observe the genuine day; neither adding thereto nor taking therefrom. For in Asia great lights have fallen asleep, which shall rise again the day of the Lord's appearing, in which he will come with glory from heaven, and will raise up all the saints ...
"Moreover, John, who rested upon the bosom of our Lord; ... also Polycarp of Smyrna, both bishop and martyr. Thraseas, ... Sagaris, ... Papirius; and Melito ... All these observed the fourteenth day of the passover according to the gospel, deviating in no respect, but following the rule of faith. Moreover, I, Polycrates, who am the least of all of you, according to the tradition of my relatives, some of whom I have followed. For there were seven, my relatives [who were] bishops, and I am the eighth; and my relatives always observed the day when the people (i.e., the Jews) threw away the leaven.
"I, therefore, brethren, am now sixty-five years in the Lord, who having conferred with the brethren throughout the world, and having studied the whole of the sacred Scriptures, am not at all alarmed at those things with which I am threatened, to intimidate me. For they who are greater than I, have said, 'we ought to obey God rather than men'" (Eusebius, pp. 207-209)."
Easter: Masking a Biblical Truth
"Acceptance of Easter over Passover did not come without resistance. Two religious leaders of the mid-second century—Polycarp, bishop of Smyrna; and Anicetus, bishop of Rome—debated this very point.
Anicetus argued for Easter while Polycarp, stated Encyclopaedia Britannica, defended observing "the Christian Passover, on the 14th of Nisan, the first month of the Jewish ecclesiastical calendar, regardless of the day of the week" (15th edition, Micropaedia, Vol. VIII, p. 94, "Polycarp").
Polycarp taught observance of the Passover as the early Church had observed it. Eusebius said Polycarp did so because this was the way "he had always observed it with John the disciple of our Lord, and the rest of the apostles, with whom he associated" (Eusebius' Ecclesiastical History, 1995, pp. 210-211). These Christians of the second century were still following the example of Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 11:1; 1 Peter 2:21; 1 John 2:6) in observing the Passover.
Several decades later another leader, Polycrates, argued with Victor, bishop of Rome, over the same issue. Eusebius wrote of the continuing debate:
"There was a considerable discussion raised about this time, in consequence of a difference of opinion respecting the observance of the paschal [Passover] season. The churches of all Asia, guided by a remoter tradition [biblical truth preceded Roman confusion], supposed that they ought to keep the fourteenth day of the moon for the festival of the Saviour's passover, in which day the Jews were commanded to kill the paschal lamb ...
"The bishops ... of Asia, persevering in observing the custom handed down to them from their fathers, were headed by Polycrates. He, indeed, had also set forth the tradition handed down to them, in a letter which he addressed to Victor and the church of Rome. 'We,' said he, 'therefore, observe the genuine day; neither adding thereto nor taking therefrom. For in Asia great lights have fallen asleep, which shall rise again the day of the Lord's appearing, in which he will come with glory from heaven, and will raise up all the saints ...
"Moreover, John, who rested upon the bosom of our Lord; ... also Polycarp of Smyrna, both bishop and martyr. Thraseas, ... Sagaris, ... Papirius; and Melito ... All these observed the fourteenth day of the passover according to the gospel, deviating in no respect, but following the rule of faith. Moreover, I, Polycrates, who am the least of all of you, according to the tradition of my relatives, some of whom I have followed. For there were seven, my relatives [who were] bishops, and I am the eighth; and my relatives always observed the day when the people (i.e., the Jews) threw away the leaven.
"I, therefore, brethren, am now sixty-five years in the Lord, who having conferred with the brethren throughout the world, and having studied the whole of the sacred Scriptures, am not at all alarmed at those things with which I am threatened, to intimidate me. For they who are greater than I, have said, 'we ought to obey God rather than men'" (Eusebius, pp. 207-209)."
Easter: Masking a Biblical Truth
The Great Heresies of Traditional Christianity
The Great Heresies
#9. To: gcruse (#0)
Heresies
The early Church of God faithfully kept the SEVENTH DAY SABBATH (sunset Friday to sunset Saturday) for several hundred years. Later, under political pressure and religious opposition, they backed down. They allowed the observance of “the venerable day of the Sun” back-to-back with God’s Sabbath. What a tragic mistake! We’re still suffering the consequences of such shameful compromise.
By sanctioning Sunday services, the Church gave SUNday the necessary clout to claim “equality.” That peaceful coexistence was short-lived, however. Soon the Gentile “converts” managed to make it illegal for Christians to keep the “Jewish Sabbath!” In 365, during the Council of Laodicea, they forcibly substituted Sunday for the seventh day Sabbath! Constantine or Christ? Yeshua said He was Lord of the Sabbath - the seventh day Sabbath is the Lord's Day.
Yet Constantine pimped SUNday and his Christian reprobates- apostate Orthodox, Catholic and Protestant followers - continue to keep it as an idolatrous tradition over the commandment of God. This plain truth angers many of the self-righteous!
Earlier, to promote “unity”—NOT the truth—the Council of Nicea (in 325 AD) ruled the Christian PASSOVER (commemorating Jesus’ death) had to go! Whoever disagreed faced the death penalty! Their religious fabrication supposedly emphasized Jesus’ resurrection—in direct violation of Christ’s command!
Eventually the apostates stopped their charade of keeping the Jewish Passover of the Lord, moved their new Roman holiday to a different date that the faithful - like Polycarp and Polycrates who kept the biblical Passover - opposed, knowing it was devised by deceived and deceiving Gentile men) and eventually even called their celebration Easter instead of Passover or Pascha.
But the apostates forgot to give it a Christian-sounding name. Easter’s the Babylonian spring goddess—Baal’s playboy bunny! They had given up the kosher Lamb of God for a rabbit trick! And to this day, many Gentilized Christians, misled by Romanizers, even go so far to add insult to injury by pigging out on Easter ham and having Easter egg hunts!
In time, anything even remotely “Jewish” about the Church of God came under attack. The Gentile minority-turned-majority demanded changes to reflect their “universal” appeal. They wanted to appear more inclusive—at the expense of the Church’s Jewish (read biblical) heritage. They were intent on destroying the doctrines they once held dear. - Apostate Christians
The great heresies of TRADITIONAL Christianity are the accursed replacement theology of SUNday for Sabbath, Easter for Passover, a Gentilized Jesus and gospel instead of the powerful Gospel of the Kingdom of God preached by the Jewish Yahshua, among many other traditional religious lies that have supplanted the plain truth of the Bible.
To learn more click on this link: The History of Early Christianity
#9. To: gcruse (#0)
Heresies
The early Church of God faithfully kept the SEVENTH DAY SABBATH (sunset Friday to sunset Saturday) for several hundred years. Later, under political pressure and religious opposition, they backed down. They allowed the observance of “the venerable day of the Sun” back-to-back with God’s Sabbath. What a tragic mistake! We’re still suffering the consequences of such shameful compromise.
By sanctioning Sunday services, the Church gave SUNday the necessary clout to claim “equality.” That peaceful coexistence was short-lived, however. Soon the Gentile “converts” managed to make it illegal for Christians to keep the “Jewish Sabbath!” In 365, during the Council of Laodicea, they forcibly substituted Sunday for the seventh day Sabbath! Constantine or Christ? Yeshua said He was Lord of the Sabbath - the seventh day Sabbath is the Lord's Day.
Yet Constantine pimped SUNday and his Christian reprobates- apostate Orthodox, Catholic and Protestant followers - continue to keep it as an idolatrous tradition over the commandment of God. This plain truth angers many of the self-righteous!
Earlier, to promote “unity”—NOT the truth—the Council of Nicea (in 325 AD) ruled the Christian PASSOVER (commemorating Jesus’ death) had to go! Whoever disagreed faced the death penalty! Their religious fabrication supposedly emphasized Jesus’ resurrection—in direct violation of Christ’s command!
Eventually the apostates stopped their charade of keeping the Jewish Passover of the Lord, moved their new Roman holiday to a different date that the faithful - like Polycarp and Polycrates who kept the biblical Passover - opposed, knowing it was devised by deceived and deceiving Gentile men) and eventually even called their celebration Easter instead of Passover or Pascha.
But the apostates forgot to give it a Christian-sounding name. Easter’s the Babylonian spring goddess—Baal’s playboy bunny! They had given up the kosher Lamb of God for a rabbit trick! And to this day, many Gentilized Christians, misled by Romanizers, even go so far to add insult to injury by pigging out on Easter ham and having Easter egg hunts!
In time, anything even remotely “Jewish” about the Church of God came under attack. The Gentile minority-turned-majority demanded changes to reflect their “universal” appeal. They wanted to appear more inclusive—at the expense of the Church’s Jewish (read biblical) heritage. They were intent on destroying the doctrines they once held dear. - Apostate Christians
The great heresies of TRADITIONAL Christianity are the accursed replacement theology of SUNday for Sabbath, Easter for Passover, a Gentilized Jesus and gospel instead of the powerful Gospel of the Kingdom of God preached by the Jewish Yahshua, among many other traditional religious lies that have supplanted the plain truth of the Bible.
To learn more click on this link: The History of Early Christianity
Making Haste
"And this is how you shall eat it: your loins girded, your shoes on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and you shall eat it in haste, it is a Passover offering to HaShem." (Exodus 12:11)
Nisan 11, 5770/March 26, 2010
"Haste makes waste." That's what they tell us. And we tend to accept this as axiomatic. But is it necessarily true? Torah tells us otherwise. Torah tells us that haste is an essential ingredient of the redemptive process. Our forefathers seized the opportunity which G-d created for them and left Egypt in great haste. This need for haste was eternalized by the Torah commandment for all generations for each family of Israel to prepare a lamb for a korban Pesach - Passover offering - make a pilgrimage to Jerusalem, slaughter the lamb within the Holy Temple courtyard, roast the lamb in Jerusalem, and eat the lamb in its entirety before midnight. This process of haste could, in many cases, extend over two weeks time, beginning with the pilgrimage preparations, and concluding, in an ever greater sense of haste, with the eating of the lamb. Since the destruction of the Holy Temple, from which point in time the korban Pesach has not been offered, this sense of urgency has been embodied by the intense Passover preparations made in each individual home, often exhausting, often conducted right to the last minute, and concluding with the Passover Seder, again, which must be concluded by midnight.
Why did G-d insist that the children of Israel eat the Passover offering in haste? After all, G-d planned and carried out every detail of the exodus from Egypt, beginning with His first call to Moshe, continuing throughout the ten plagues, and concluding with the korban Pesach and the midnight escape. Nothing was left to chance. Why the last-minute rush?
Click here to continue
Nisan 11, 5770/March 26, 2010
"Haste makes waste." That's what they tell us. And we tend to accept this as axiomatic. But is it necessarily true? Torah tells us otherwise. Torah tells us that haste is an essential ingredient of the redemptive process. Our forefathers seized the opportunity which G-d created for them and left Egypt in great haste. This need for haste was eternalized by the Torah commandment for all generations for each family of Israel to prepare a lamb for a korban Pesach - Passover offering - make a pilgrimage to Jerusalem, slaughter the lamb within the Holy Temple courtyard, roast the lamb in Jerusalem, and eat the lamb in its entirety before midnight. This process of haste could, in many cases, extend over two weeks time, beginning with the pilgrimage preparations, and concluding, in an ever greater sense of haste, with the eating of the lamb. Since the destruction of the Holy Temple, from which point in time the korban Pesach has not been offered, this sense of urgency has been embodied by the intense Passover preparations made in each individual home, often exhausting, often conducted right to the last minute, and concluding with the Passover Seder, again, which must be concluded by midnight.
Why did G-d insist that the children of Israel eat the Passover offering in haste? After all, G-d planned and carried out every detail of the exodus from Egypt, beginning with His first call to Moshe, continuing throughout the ten plagues, and concluding with the korban Pesach and the midnight escape. Nothing was left to chance. Why the last-minute rush?
Click here to continue
Pagan Easter Egg Roll
Ban the White House's Pagan Easter Egg Roll!
Obama Excludes Private and Catholic School Children From Easter Egg Roll Ticket Giveaway
By Penny Starr
(CNSNews.com) – The Obama administration announced on Tuesday it has reserved 3,000 free tickets to the annual White House Easter Egg Roll for students in D.C.-area public and charter schools, but not for children who attend private or parochial schools.
Click here to continue
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The pagan fertility rites of an Easter Egg Roll have no place upon the lawn of the White House in this professing Christian nation. Easter - a pagan goddess - and her fertility symbols of rabbits and eggs are a disgrace. Besides, who is paying for the "live music, sports courts, storytelling, egg rolling – and cooking stations" - American taxpayers? I'm a Christian and I certainly don't want a single red cent going toward these heathen customs God hates as an an abomination. We should teach our children to avoid such whitewashed pagan practices like the plague - not mislead and deceive them that such unclean things are harmless, especially in light of the Bible and history that prove otherwise.
The Big Lie of Easter
"Why do you perpetuate pagan fertility symbols of rabbits and eggs and don't have anything for Passover? No little lambs, nothing. John the Baptist called Jesus the 'Lamb of God' - not the Easter bunny!" - so I wrote a popular family restaurant about their country store and was informed they received my email and would respond.
The Plain Truth About Easter
Has it ever occurred to those stuffing their faces with Easter ham that Jesus would puke at the thought? Neither Jesus or Peter, James or John ever ate forbidden foods. They wouldn't feel too comfortable at plenty of people's dinner tables.
Easter or Passover: Which Is Christian?
Many believe that God's endorsement of Passover ended with Christ's death—and that He has since replaced it with the observance of Easter as a celebration of Christ's resurrection. But is that so?
http://www.davidbenariel.org/
By Penny Starr
(CNSNews.com) – The Obama administration announced on Tuesday it has reserved 3,000 free tickets to the annual White House Easter Egg Roll for students in D.C.-area public and charter schools, but not for children who attend private or parochial schools.
Click here to continue
************
The pagan fertility rites of an Easter Egg Roll have no place upon the lawn of the White House in this professing Christian nation. Easter - a pagan goddess - and her fertility symbols of rabbits and eggs are a disgrace. Besides, who is paying for the "live music, sports courts, storytelling, egg rolling – and cooking stations" - American taxpayers? I'm a Christian and I certainly don't want a single red cent going toward these heathen customs God hates as an an abomination. We should teach our children to avoid such whitewashed pagan practices like the plague - not mislead and deceive them that such unclean things are harmless, especially in light of the Bible and history that prove otherwise.
The Big Lie of Easter
"Why do you perpetuate pagan fertility symbols of rabbits and eggs and don't have anything for Passover? No little lambs, nothing. John the Baptist called Jesus the 'Lamb of God' - not the Easter bunny!" - so I wrote a popular family restaurant about their country store and was informed they received my email and would respond.
The Plain Truth About Easter
Has it ever occurred to those stuffing their faces with Easter ham that Jesus would puke at the thought? Neither Jesus or Peter, James or John ever ate forbidden foods. They wouldn't feel too comfortable at plenty of people's dinner tables.
Easter or Passover: Which Is Christian?
Many believe that God's endorsement of Passover ended with Christ's death—and that He has since replaced it with the observance of Easter as a celebration of Christ's resurrection. But is that so?
http://www.davidbenariel.org/
Thursday, March 25, 2010
He Set Ephraim Before Manasseh
As memories of the British Empire fade into the distant past, many think the United States is Ephraim and Britain Manasseh. There are sound historical reasons for this not being the case.
He Set Ephraim Before Manasseh
He Set Ephraim Before Manasseh
What is the "soul"?
Frequently Asked Bible Questions
What is the "soul"?
Is the soul talked about in the Bible an immortal part of human beings...or is it something else entirely?
The Bible, in both the Old and New Testaments, repeatedly makes reference to the "soul." Mainstream Christianity generally teaches that this soul is an immortal component of human beings; that upon our death, it is released from our bodies to spend eternity in either eternal bliss or eternal torment, depending on our conduct in this life. But a closer examination of the word shows that this is not the case.
The only Hebrew word translated as "soul" in the Old Testament, nephesh, is also translated elsewhere as "creature" or "being." All three words are synonymous, whether we look at God's creation of "an abundance of living creatures [nephesh]" in the sea (Genesis 1:20) or that "man became a living being [nephesh]" (Genesis 2:7) or read God's declaration that "the soul [nephesh] who sins shall die" (Ezekiel 18:4).
That last verse is key to understanding the concept of a soul. If the soul is immortal, it would be impossible to say that sinning would produce death. Rather, if mainstream Christianity were correct in its doctrine of hell, Ezekiel 18:4 would have to say, "the soul who sins shall be condemned to eternal torment." But it, along with the apostle Paul in Romans 6:23, plainly states that the penalty of sin is death, not never-ending fiery torment in hell.
Given that the soul is capable of death, and taking into consideration the fact that the word translated "soul" is used in reference to all sorts of living creatures, we can only conclude that the soul talked about in the Bible is a living being itself—not an eternal component of mankind.
For further explanation of the soul, including a look at instances of the word in the New Testament and information about the "spirit in man" (Job 32:8), please see the related resources below.
Many people think the Bible says we have an immortal soul destined, at death, for heaven, hell or purgatory. What does the Bible say?
The Biblical Truth About the Immortal Soul
Ideas about us going to heaven or hell hinge on belief in the immortal soul, which must go somewhere when the body dies. Yet the Bible nowhere teaches the soul is immortal. So where did the idea originate?
Video: The Myth of the Immortal Soul
What if I told you that at death you have no thoughts, no memory, no knowledge of anything beyond the grave? Would you believe me?
The Spirit in Man
The apostle Paul asked, "For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him?" (1 Corinthians 2:11). What is this "spirit in man"? Is it immortal?
The Mystery of Death from the booklet What Happens After Death?
Death is one of life's greatest mysteries. Do we really die, or do we have a soul that lives on apart from the body? Many are confused about this, and this has led to great misunderstandings about death. Does the Bible provide answers?
What is the "soul"?
Is the soul talked about in the Bible an immortal part of human beings...or is it something else entirely?
The Bible, in both the Old and New Testaments, repeatedly makes reference to the "soul." Mainstream Christianity generally teaches that this soul is an immortal component of human beings; that upon our death, it is released from our bodies to spend eternity in either eternal bliss or eternal torment, depending on our conduct in this life. But a closer examination of the word shows that this is not the case.
The only Hebrew word translated as "soul" in the Old Testament, nephesh, is also translated elsewhere as "creature" or "being." All three words are synonymous, whether we look at God's creation of "an abundance of living creatures [nephesh]" in the sea (Genesis 1:20) or that "man became a living being [nephesh]" (Genesis 2:7) or read God's declaration that "the soul [nephesh] who sins shall die" (Ezekiel 18:4).
That last verse is key to understanding the concept of a soul. If the soul is immortal, it would be impossible to say that sinning would produce death. Rather, if mainstream Christianity were correct in its doctrine of hell, Ezekiel 18:4 would have to say, "the soul who sins shall be condemned to eternal torment." But it, along with the apostle Paul in Romans 6:23, plainly states that the penalty of sin is death, not never-ending fiery torment in hell.
Given that the soul is capable of death, and taking into consideration the fact that the word translated "soul" is used in reference to all sorts of living creatures, we can only conclude that the soul talked about in the Bible is a living being itself—not an eternal component of mankind.
For further explanation of the soul, including a look at instances of the word in the New Testament and information about the "spirit in man" (Job 32:8), please see the related resources below.
Related Online Resources
What Does the Bible Say About the "Immortal Soul"?Many people think the Bible says we have an immortal soul destined, at death, for heaven, hell or purgatory. What does the Bible say?
The Biblical Truth About the Immortal Soul
Ideas about us going to heaven or hell hinge on belief in the immortal soul, which must go somewhere when the body dies. Yet the Bible nowhere teaches the soul is immortal. So where did the idea originate?
Video: The Myth of the Immortal Soul
What if I told you that at death you have no thoughts, no memory, no knowledge of anything beyond the grave? Would you believe me?
The Spirit in Man
The apostle Paul asked, "For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him?" (1 Corinthians 2:11). What is this "spirit in man"? Is it immortal?
The Mystery of Death from the booklet What Happens After Death?
Death is one of life's greatest mysteries. Do we really die, or do we have a soul that lives on apart from the body? Many are confused about this, and this has led to great misunderstandings about death. Does the Bible provide answers?
GN Commentary: Easter or Passover: What Does the Bible Teach?
Maybe it's time to take a closer look at Easter—and instead learn about the biblical Passover, with its wonderful meaning. It can easily be found in the pages of your Bible.
************
The Big Lie of Easter
"Why do you perpetuate pagan fertility symbols of rabbits and eggs and don't have anything for Passover? No little lambs, nothing. John the Baptist called Jesus the 'Lamb of God' - not the Easter bunny!" - so I wrote a popular family restaurant about their country store and was informed they received my email and would respond.
The Plain Truth About Easter
Has it ever occurred to those stuffing their faces with Easter ham that Jesus would puke at the thought? Neither Jesus or Peter, James or John ever ate forbidden foods. They wouldn't feel too comfortable at plenty of people's dinner tables.
************
The Big Lie of Easter
"Why do you perpetuate pagan fertility symbols of rabbits and eggs and don't have anything for Passover? No little lambs, nothing. John the Baptist called Jesus the 'Lamb of God' - not the Easter bunny!" - so I wrote a popular family restaurant about their country store and was informed they received my email and would respond.
The Plain Truth About Easter
Has it ever occurred to those stuffing their faces with Easter ham that Jesus would puke at the thought? Neither Jesus or Peter, James or John ever ate forbidden foods. They wouldn't feel too comfortable at plenty of people's dinner tables.
Night Shift: Tel Aviv
A California crime reporter shadows two cops on all-night patrol in Israel’s liveliest city. Come along as they chase cars, investigate a possible explosion at a gay club, tame a street fight and look into a mysterious disappearance that gripped the country.
Emilie Raguso
moment magazine
March/April 2010
Night Shift: Tel Aviv
Emilie Raguso is a reporter in Oakland, CA. Her work has been featured on The New York Times website, Salon, NPR and in a range of California publications.
Emilie Raguso
moment magazine
March/April 2010
Night Shift: Tel Aviv
Emilie Raguso is a reporter in Oakland, CA. Her work has been featured on The New York Times website, Salon, NPR and in a range of California publications.
The Plain Truth About South Africa
- SAmizdat
Die polities-inkorrekte feite - Plaasmoorde
Hierdie blog poog om 'n kroniek te wees van die ekstreme geweld en geheime volksmoord wat gepleeg word teen die Europese minderheidsgroep van Suid-Afrika.
Tien duisende Europeërs is alreeds vermoor sedert 1994, gepleeg gedurende geweldadige rasse-haat aanvalle wat deur sy stilswye deur die regering goedgekeur word.
Brutale marteling en verkragting is volop en nie eers jonk of oud word gespaar nie. - Farm Murders
This blog attempts to chronicle the extreme violence and secret genocide being committed against the European minority of South Africa.
Tens of thousands of Europeans have been murdered since 1994 during violent racial hate crimes that are condoned by the government.
Brutal torture and rape is common and not even the young or elderly are spared. - Plaasmoorde Wordpress Blog
Hierdie blog poog om 'n kroniek te wees van die ekstreme geweld en geheime volksmoord wat gepleeg word teen die Europese minderheidsgroep van Suid-Afrika.
Tien duisende Europeërs is alreeds vermoor sedert 1994, gepleeg gedurende geweldadige rasse-haat aanvalle wat deur sy stilswye deur die regering goedgekeur word.
Brutale marteling en verkragting is volop en nie eers jonk of oud word gespaar nie. - Farm Murders Wordpress Blog
This blog attempts to chronicle the extreme violence and secret genocide being committed against the European minority of South Africa.
Tens of thousands of Europeans have been murdered since 1994 during violent racial hate crimes that are condoned by the government.
Brutal torture and rape is common and not even the young or elderly are spared. - I Luv SA
I love South Africa but I hate my government - Perspektief
Perspektief blog deur Vlad du Plessis - South Africa P.I.G.
Politically incorrect news about South Africa
Court told 'citizen' Obama actually may be alien
'Under British Nationality Act … he was a British subject'
March 25, 2010
By Bob Unruh
© 2010 WorldNetDaily
Forget the dispute over the "natural born citizen" requirement of the U.S. Constitution for presidents, Barack Obama may not even be a "citizen," according to a new filing in a long-running legal challenge to his eligibility to occupy the Oval Office.
"Under the British Nationality Act of 1948 his father was a British subject/citizen and not a United States citizen and Obama himself was a British subject/citizen at the time Obama was born," says a new filing in the 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals in the case Kerchner v. Obama.
"We further contend that Obama has failed to even conclusively prove that he is at least a 'citizen of the United States' under the Fourteenth Amendment as he claims by conclusively proving that he was born in Hawaii."
Click here to continue
March 25, 2010
By Bob Unruh
© 2010 WorldNetDaily
Forget the dispute over the "natural born citizen" requirement of the U.S. Constitution for presidents, Barack Obama may not even be a "citizen," according to a new filing in a long-running legal challenge to his eligibility to occupy the Oval Office.
"Under the British Nationality Act of 1948 his father was a British subject/citizen and not a United States citizen and Obama himself was a British subject/citizen at the time Obama was born," says a new filing in the 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals in the case Kerchner v. Obama.
"We further contend that Obama has failed to even conclusively prove that he is at least a 'citizen of the United States' under the Fourteenth Amendment as he claims by conclusively proving that he was born in Hawaii."
Click here to continue
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Is There Any Worse Time the Health Care Bill Could Become Law?
America’s economic future is on full display in Greece. Adding another massive government entitlement program is a great way to accelerate the timetable.
America thinks it could never fall. Could Greece collapse? Yes. But America—not a chance. This is the richest country in the world. And in spite of all the headlines, in spite of all the dire statistics blared by reporters, the American way of life still continues. Gas stations still have gas. Food still sits on grocery shelves. Even if through debt, most Americans are still enjoying life. So surely America can’t be in that much financial trouble. After all, politicians just voted in potentially the largest expansion of the welfare state in American history on Sunday. America must have money to burn.
But here is the reality. It wouldn’t take much for the vulture investor dinner party to turn its sights from Greece to America. That is the conclusion of a small but growing group of concerned analysts.
“The wolf could be at our door sooner than we think,” says Carmen Reinhart, economics professor at the University of Maryland and author of This Time Is Different. Confidence in the dollar “could turn quite abruptly,” she says.
All it would take is one failed treasury auction, warns Reinhart, and the dollar’s status as a perceived safe heaven would vanish—along with its status as the world’s reserve currency.
If that were to happen, media commentators wouldn’t be comparing California to Greece, they would be comparing the entire nation to something more akin to Zimbabwe or Soviet Russia.
Politicians are far too complacent about America’s economic condition. Instead of getting America’s financial house in order now—while some analysts think it still has a chance—politicians are doing the exact opposite. Rather than seeing the crisis in Greece and cutting expenses and leading the country to live within its means—it is as if politicians are doing their level best to make it happen here too.
Click here to continue
America thinks it could never fall. Could Greece collapse? Yes. But America—not a chance. This is the richest country in the world. And in spite of all the headlines, in spite of all the dire statistics blared by reporters, the American way of life still continues. Gas stations still have gas. Food still sits on grocery shelves. Even if through debt, most Americans are still enjoying life. So surely America can’t be in that much financial trouble. After all, politicians just voted in potentially the largest expansion of the welfare state in American history on Sunday. America must have money to burn.
But here is the reality. It wouldn’t take much for the vulture investor dinner party to turn its sights from Greece to America. That is the conclusion of a small but growing group of concerned analysts.
“The wolf could be at our door sooner than we think,” says Carmen Reinhart, economics professor at the University of Maryland and author of This Time Is Different. Confidence in the dollar “could turn quite abruptly,” she says.
All it would take is one failed treasury auction, warns Reinhart, and the dollar’s status as a perceived safe heaven would vanish—along with its status as the world’s reserve currency.
If that were to happen, media commentators wouldn’t be comparing California to Greece, they would be comparing the entire nation to something more akin to Zimbabwe or Soviet Russia.
Politicians are far too complacent about America’s economic condition. Instead of getting America’s financial house in order now—while some analysts think it still has a chance—politicians are doing the exact opposite. Rather than seeing the crisis in Greece and cutting expenses and leading the country to live within its means—it is as if politicians are doing their level best to make it happen here too.
Click here to continue
Monday, March 22, 2010
Talk of Impeachment
By Alan Caruba
We are now living in a state of constant crisis in America. That is precisely the way the White House likes it. Such conditions could lead to a complete seizure of power in the name of protecting the Republic.
Talk of Impeachment
We are now living in a state of constant crisis in America. That is precisely the way the White House likes it. Such conditions could lead to a complete seizure of power in the name of protecting the Republic.
Talk of Impeachment
Healthcare Reform Passes
Congressman Paul's Texas Straight Talk: Healthcare Reform Passes
“Following months of heated public debate and aggressive closed-door negotiations, Congress finally cast a historic vote on healthcare late Sunday evening. It was truly a sad weekend on the House floor as we witnessed further dismantling of the Constitution, disregard of the will of the people, explosive expansion of the reach of government, unprecedented corporate favoritism, and the impending end of quality healthcare as we know it…”
Click here to read the full article: http://www.house.gov/htbin/blog_inc?BLOG,tx14_paul,blog,999,All,Item%20not%20found,ID=100322_3678,TEMPLATE=postingdetail.shtml
“Following months of heated public debate and aggressive closed-door negotiations, Congress finally cast a historic vote on healthcare late Sunday evening. It was truly a sad weekend on the House floor as we witnessed further dismantling of the Constitution, disregard of the will of the people, explosive expansion of the reach of government, unprecedented corporate favoritism, and the impending end of quality healthcare as we know it…”
Click here to read the full article: http://www.house.gov/htbin/blog_inc?BLOG,tx14_paul,blog,999,All,Item%20not%20found,ID=100322_3678,TEMPLATE=postingdetail.shtml
Pagan fertility symbols of rabbits and eggs...
The Big Lie of Easter
by David Ben-Ariel
"Why do you perpetuate pagan fertility symbols of rabbits and eggs and don't have anything for Passover? No little lambs, nothing. John the Baptist called Jesus the 'Lamb of God' - not the Easter bunny!" - so I wrote a popular family restaurant about their country store and was informed they received my email and would respond.
How many folks actually stop and THINK? How many question why the focus is on an Easter bunny and not on the Passover Lamb? Why have professing Christians enabled this deliberate diversion and deception? Where has the outrage been among those who profess to love the Lord when they see society swept away with hare-brained traditions? Why the tacit approval by deathly silence and default?
Those who dishonestly continue to partake of Easter's modified pagan practices, its whitewashed heathen customs, are guilty of spiritual adultery! Such perverse Christians are whoring around with foreign gods and goddesses and undoubtedly will incur the wrath of God upon our nation of drunks and whores and illegitimate children (who have been sacrificed to demons rather than consecrated to God).
“Were they ashamed when they had committed abomination? No! They were not at all ashamed nor did they know how to blush. Therefore they shall fall among those who fall [the slain] at the time I punish them, they shall be cast down, says the LORD” (Jeremiah 6:15).
Traditional Christianity, like an adulterous woman, "…eats and wipes her mouth, and says, ‘I have done no wickedness...'" (Prov. 30:20).
God let ancient Israel and Judah suffer NATIONAL DEFEAT, DESTRUCTION AND DEPORTATION due to their "harmless" religious celebrations! Has God changed His mind? Isn't Jesus Christ the same yesterday, today and forever?
God condemns our countries for IDOLATRY — not just for immorality! Easter is both immoral and idolatrous, as are those worthless ministers who have let Easter take root and defile our land with its pagan pollutions. It is idolatry when religious folks continue to put pagan Easter above Passover (that the early Church of God faithfully observed), when they continue to pimp traditional religious lies of a "Sunday resurrection" - even though the plain truth of the Bible teaches: "After the women rested on the regular weekly Sabbath, they went to Jesus' tomb early on the first day of the week (Sunday), "while it was still dark" (John 20:1), and found that He had already been resurrected (Matthew 28:1-6; Mark 16:2-6; Luke 24:1-3)"- Easter: Masking a Biblical Truth .
Easter's not harmless; engaging in pagan practices like dying eggs and mindlessly decorating trees with eggs and eating Easter ham (an abomination!) is showing extreme disrespect to our Great Creator God, the God of the Bible, the God of Israel who thunders:
Jeremiah 10
2 Do not learn the way of the Gentiles...
Why not keep it simple and love and obey God and do as He says rather than blind tradition dictates? If not, stop calling yourself a Christian nation and be honest enough to admit you're a pagan nation and prepare to suffer the consequences!
http://www.davidbenariel.org/
by David Ben-Ariel
"Why do you perpetuate pagan fertility symbols of rabbits and eggs and don't have anything for Passover? No little lambs, nothing. John the Baptist called Jesus the 'Lamb of God' - not the Easter bunny!" - so I wrote a popular family restaurant about their country store and was informed they received my email and would respond.
How many folks actually stop and THINK? How many question why the focus is on an Easter bunny and not on the Passover Lamb? Why have professing Christians enabled this deliberate diversion and deception? Where has the outrage been among those who profess to love the Lord when they see society swept away with hare-brained traditions? Why the tacit approval by deathly silence and default?
You will find people celebrating Passover throughout the Bible, including Jesus. But you won't find people celebrating Easter. The word Easter comes from an ancient fertility goddess. It's spelled in different ways but usually pronounced "Easter" or something like it. For instance, the Babylonians called her Ishtar. The Phoenicians worshipped their goddess Astarte. The Germans had Ostara. The Hebrews called her Ashtoreth. This is all the same goddess, and God condemned the Israelites for having anything to do with this pagan goddess of fertility and the dawn. - Shocked by the BibleHow can a Christian nation have anything to do with a pagan goddess? With the fertility symbols of rabbits and eggs long associated with Easter and exposed by history and condemned by the Bible? Any observance of Easter is as impudent as a whore who feels no shame for her sins.
Those who dishonestly continue to partake of Easter's modified pagan practices, its whitewashed heathen customs, are guilty of spiritual adultery! Such perverse Christians are whoring around with foreign gods and goddesses and undoubtedly will incur the wrath of God upon our nation of drunks and whores and illegitimate children (who have been sacrificed to demons rather than consecrated to God).
“Were they ashamed when they had committed abomination? No! They were not at all ashamed nor did they know how to blush. Therefore they shall fall among those who fall [the slain] at the time I punish them, they shall be cast down, says the LORD” (Jeremiah 6:15).
Traditional Christianity, like an adulterous woman, "…eats and wipes her mouth, and says, ‘I have done no wickedness...'" (Prov. 30:20).
God let ancient Israel and Judah suffer NATIONAL DEFEAT, DESTRUCTION AND DEPORTATION due to their "harmless" religious celebrations! Has God changed His mind? Isn't Jesus Christ the same yesterday, today and forever?
God condemns our countries for IDOLATRY — not just for immorality! Easter is both immoral and idolatrous, as are those worthless ministers who have let Easter take root and defile our land with its pagan pollutions. It is idolatry when religious folks continue to put pagan Easter above Passover (that the early Church of God faithfully observed), when they continue to pimp traditional religious lies of a "Sunday resurrection" - even though the plain truth of the Bible teaches: "After the women rested on the regular weekly Sabbath, they went to Jesus' tomb early on the first day of the week (Sunday), "while it was still dark" (John 20:1), and found that He had already been resurrected (Matthew 28:1-6; Mark 16:2-6; Luke 24:1-3)"- Easter: Masking a Biblical Truth .
Easter's not harmless; engaging in pagan practices like dying eggs and mindlessly decorating trees with eggs and eating Easter ham (an abomination!) is showing extreme disrespect to our Great Creator God, the God of the Bible, the God of Israel who thunders:
Jeremiah 10
2 Do not learn the way of the Gentiles...
Why not keep it simple and love and obey God and do as He says rather than blind tradition dictates? If not, stop calling yourself a Christian nation and be honest enough to admit you're a pagan nation and prepare to suffer the consequences!
http://www.davidbenariel.org/
Sunday, March 21, 2010
German-Jesuit jackboot to stomp Jerusalem
PM sparks Germany's anger in latest East Jerusalem construction spat
By Barak Ravid
During the crisis between Israel and the U.S. administration last week, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu managed to anger German Chancellor Angela Merkel, too, after his office gave the media details of a phone conversation between the two leaders on construction in East Jerusalem. Merkel said that Netanyahu had "used" her and undermined her trust in him.
Merkel and Netanyahu spoke last Saturday, several hours after the phone call in which U.S. Secretary State Hillary Clinton reprimanded the prime minister. A senior German source who requested anonymity said Merkel had called Netanyahu after a request from the White House. The Americans requested her involvement to stress that it was not only the United States that disagreed with the construction in East Jerusalem's Ramat Shlomo neighborhood.
************
Anybody who thinks Merkel or Germany are truly friends or allies of Israel is woefully ignorant of the Bible and history. The final revival of the unholy Roman Empire is being forged in Europe today and it will wage a New Crusade under the guise of peace and brutally betray both Arabs and Jews.
Warning Jews
Pope's Evil Eye on Jerusalem!
UN Resolution 181: Blueprint of the Beast?
http://www.davidbenariel.org/
By Barak Ravid
During the crisis between Israel and the U.S. administration last week, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu managed to anger German Chancellor Angela Merkel, too, after his office gave the media details of a phone conversation between the two leaders on construction in East Jerusalem. Merkel said that Netanyahu had "used" her and undermined her trust in him.
Merkel and Netanyahu spoke last Saturday, several hours after the phone call in which U.S. Secretary State Hillary Clinton reprimanded the prime minister. A senior German source who requested anonymity said Merkel had called Netanyahu after a request from the White House. The Americans requested her involvement to stress that it was not only the United States that disagreed with the construction in East Jerusalem's Ramat Shlomo neighborhood.
************
Anybody who thinks Merkel or Germany are truly friends or allies of Israel is woefully ignorant of the Bible and history. The final revival of the unholy Roman Empire is being forged in Europe today and it will wage a New Crusade under the guise of peace and brutally betray both Arabs and Jews.
Warning Jews
Pope's Evil Eye on Jerusalem!
UN Resolution 181: Blueprint of the Beast?
http://www.davidbenariel.org/
Saturday, March 20, 2010
Jews to offer biblical Passover sacrifice
Temple Institute wants to Offer Biblical Passover Sacrifice
by Maayana Miskin
(IsraelNN.com) The Temple Mount Institute has filed suit in its fight for the right to sacrifice a sheep on the Temple Mount prior to Passover, as commanded in the Torah.
"The command to perform a Paschal [Passover] sacrifice is a positive commandment; the punishment for failing to perform it is 'karet' [lit. -- 'cut off', meaning that a person is cut off from the Nation of Israel], and it can be performed only on the day before Passover and only on the Temple Mount,” the organization explained in a petition to the Supreme Court. Fighting the group's request are the Israel Police, who argue that the sacrifice would lead to Muslim riots and thus threaten public safety.
Jews have the right to offer animal sacrifices on the Temple Mount under Israeli law, the organization claimed. Israelis are guaranteed the right to freedom of worship, and Israel prides itself in allowing members of all faiths to access their holy sites...
Click here to continue
************
If Israel were run by self-respecting Jews, they would immediately instruct their military and police officials to remove the threat the Nazi Muslims clearly present to Jews and Christians. The hateful Arabs discriminate against all non-Muslims daily upon the TEMPLE Mount, contrary to Israel's much vaunted claims of "freedom of access" for all to religious sites.
It's past time the Passover sacrifice is performed. We know the foreign objects are destined to be history and the Temple Mount restored as the Temple Mount, a House of Prayer for All Peoples who seek to worship the God of Jacob and bring sacrifice. So be it. Let it begin!
Jews Must Demand Rights to Temple Mount
During a 1995 Root and Branch lecture in Jerusalem, Professor Nahum Rakover, author and then Deputy Attorney General of Israel, publicly agreed with me that it isn't illegal for Christians or Jews to pray upon the Temple Mount, even though it is forcibly prevented by the police.
Restore Israeli Sovereignty Over Temple Mount
The Wakf, the militant Muslim authority that oversees Jerusalem's Temple Mount, Judaism's holiest site and Islam's alleged third holiest site (following Mecca and Medina) continue to show blatant disregard for Jewish, Christian and biblical history and non-Muslim sensitivities.
http://www.davidbenariel.org/
by Maayana Miskin
(IsraelNN.com) The Temple Mount Institute has filed suit in its fight for the right to sacrifice a sheep on the Temple Mount prior to Passover, as commanded in the Torah.
"The command to perform a Paschal [Passover] sacrifice is a positive commandment; the punishment for failing to perform it is 'karet' [lit. -- 'cut off', meaning that a person is cut off from the Nation of Israel], and it can be performed only on the day before Passover and only on the Temple Mount,” the organization explained in a petition to the Supreme Court. Fighting the group's request are the Israel Police, who argue that the sacrifice would lead to Muslim riots and thus threaten public safety.
Jews have the right to offer animal sacrifices on the Temple Mount under Israeli law, the organization claimed. Israelis are guaranteed the right to freedom of worship, and Israel prides itself in allowing members of all faiths to access their holy sites...
Click here to continue
************
If Israel were run by self-respecting Jews, they would immediately instruct their military and police officials to remove the threat the Nazi Muslims clearly present to Jews and Christians. The hateful Arabs discriminate against all non-Muslims daily upon the TEMPLE Mount, contrary to Israel's much vaunted claims of "freedom of access" for all to religious sites.
It's past time the Passover sacrifice is performed. We know the foreign objects are destined to be history and the Temple Mount restored as the Temple Mount, a House of Prayer for All Peoples who seek to worship the God of Jacob and bring sacrifice. So be it. Let it begin!
Jews Must Demand Rights to Temple Mount
During a 1995 Root and Branch lecture in Jerusalem, Professor Nahum Rakover, author and then Deputy Attorney General of Israel, publicly agreed with me that it isn't illegal for Christians or Jews to pray upon the Temple Mount, even though it is forcibly prevented by the police.
Restore Israeli Sovereignty Over Temple Mount
The Wakf, the militant Muslim authority that oversees Jerusalem's Temple Mount, Judaism's holiest site and Islam's alleged third holiest site (following Mecca and Medina) continue to show blatant disregard for Jewish, Christian and biblical history and non-Muslim sensitivities.
http://www.davidbenariel.org/
Update from the front lines
 Update from the front linesWhile the prospects for Federal gun control continue to grow by the day, state groups across the country are making strides to protect and advance our right to keep and bear arms.WyomingWyoming Gun Owners (www.WyomingGunOwners.org) made a real splash during Wyoming’s short legislative session. WyGO pushed for two marquee pieces of legislation: a Vermont concealed carry bill (which WyGO dubbed “Constitutional Carry”) and their own version of the Firearms Freedom Act.While the Vermont Carry bill (i.e. no permit needed) passed the House but not the Senate, the Wyoming Firearms Freedom Act was passed by both chambers and signed into law by the governor. NAGR Operations Director Luke O’Dell testified on behalf of both of WyGO's bills at the state capital in Cheyenne. Wyoming’s Firearms Freedom Act was slightly different from the legislation passed in Montana. Wyoming’s bill included criminal penalties and fines for federal agents who try to enforce federal regulations that contradict this new Wyoming law. This legislation has real teeth, and has already created quite a stir in Wyoming as well as Washington. Bravo, Wyoming Gun Owners. South DakotaSouth Dakota Gun Owners (www.SDGO.org) continues to dominate their legislature with a pro-freedom agenda, passing a South Dakota Firearms Freedom Act through both chambers of the legislature, and signed into law by Governor Mike Rounds.IowaStill less than a year old, Iowa Gun Owners (www.IowaGunOwners.org) has been making waves across Iowa.Though their Vermont Carry bill died, the compromise bill pushed by the institutional gun lobby (which took several steps backward for state law) also failed. Unfortunately, compromise forces just resurrected this backward legislation earlier this week (in a cynical attempt to kill any future attempts at Vermont Carry). This is frustrating because Iowa is one of the few rural states in America with a “May Issue” concealed carry law. Look for Iowa Gun Owners to change that in 2011. VirginiaThe Virginia General Assembly has seen a slew of pro-gun legislation this sessions. Most notably, Virginia's 15-year-old ban on concealed carry in restaurants and bars is on the verge of being overturned through the hard work of two groups, Virginia Gun Owners Coalition (www.VGCO.org) and Virginia Citizen's Defense League (www.vcdl.org). Under the current "criminal safe zone" law, concealed weapon permit holders are forced to disarm themselves before entering a restaurant or bar.Legislation repealing the ban passed both chambers of the Virginia State legislature and is awaiting the signature of Governor "Gun Ban Bob" McDonnell. To help the National Association for Gun Rights grow, please forward this to a friend. To view this email as a web page, please click this link: view online. Help fight gun control. Donate to the National Association for Gun Rights!  |
Easter’s five fatal flaws
Easter’s five fatal flaws
Do you unknowingly worship a false Jesus? Do you plan to participate in Easter sunrise worship services this year, which are rooted in what your Bible calls "abominable" paganism? If you really love Jesus, then you should not.
Let us briefly review five fatal flaws of Easter:
For those who desire to learn how to truly please and honor their Lord and Heavenly Father by observing the Biblical Holy Days, please study the detailed booklet, The Holy Days—God’s Master Plan.
Let us briefly review five fatal flaws of Easter:
1) Jesus was not resurrected Sunday morning. A careful study of Scripture reveals that Jesus was in the tomb exactly three days and three nights as He promised He would be. To deny this is to reject Christ’s one and only claim to be the Messiah (Matthew 12:39-40)! Jesus died on a Wednesday afternoon, just before the "annual Sabbath" known as the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread. He was buried and then resurrected 72 hours later, just before the end of the weekly Sabbath (near the end of the day, Saturday).For much more about the origins of Easter and what God says about true, righteous worship, please read the excellent articles: “The Sign of Jonah” by Mr. Rod McNair, “Holidays or Holy Days” by Dr. Douglas Winnail, or watch the excellent Tomorrow’s World telecasts, “The Resurrection was NOT on Easter” by Mr. John Ogwyn, or “Easter is Pagan” by Dr. Roderick Meredith.
2) Sunrise worship services are indeed found in your Bible, and they are condemned as pagan “abominations” to God. Sunrise worship was an integral part of the Babylonish Mystery Religion and was core in worshipping Semiramis and her infant son, Tammuz. Semiramis claimed that Tammuz was Nimrod reborn as the Messiah. Later, Semiramis was represented as the goddess Astarte (or Ishtar), the “queen of heaven.”
Read Ezekiel 8:14-16 where the glory of the Lord shows the ancient Israelites committing an “abomination” by “weeping for Tammuz” during sunrise worship services (v. 16)! Worship of Semiramis (“the mother of god”) and Tammuz (a counterfeit Messiah) continues today in the form of Easter Sunrise services.
3) Your Bible sternly condemns anyone who adopts pagan practices, regardless whether or not someone claims that they keep these customs “to honor Jesus.” Jeremiah 10:2 commands us to “Learn not the way of the heathen” and 2 Thessalonians 2:15 demands that we do not follow the “traditions of men.”
4) Claiming we somehow “honor” Jesus by pagan practice simply defies common sense and sound reason. Analogies are rarely entirely adequate, but consider this question. If you knew that your human father enjoyed steak and potatoes as a special dinner … and that he hated ham sandwiches … but you refused to make steak and potatoes for him and instead kept making him ham sandwiches … could a rational person really argue that you are honoring or loving your human father by continually trying to serve him ham sandwiches?
God has shown how He wants to be worshipped through His weekly Sabbath and annual biblical Holy Days. Yet while perhaps well-intended, many supposed Christians and supposed Christian ministers and priests reject God’s Holy Days and claim to show their love to their Lord and their Heavenly Father by continually trying to serve Him with what He calls revolting, pagan and abominable! Jesus asks these people, “Why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not the things which I say?” (Luke 6:46).
5) Finally, 1 Corinthians 6:9 and Revelation 22:15 condemn those who practice these pagan and idolatrous customs as not being allowed in the Kingdom of God!
For those who desire to learn how to truly please and honor their Lord and Heavenly Father by observing the Biblical Holy Days, please study the detailed booklet, The Holy Days—God’s Master Plan.
Traditional Christian iniquity and idolatry
"No hunting on Sunday"
#41. To: Don (#39)
Armstrong was a false prophet.
Knee-jerk response from one stuck in the muck of Babylon, like typical spiritual drunks and whores who remain in denial, counterfeit Christians who refuse to repent of their SUNday-keeping Cult of Constantine, who prefer idolatrous traditions over the plain truth of the Bible that Herbert W. Armstrong faithfully taught.
Both the Bible and history condemn "Christian" idolatry and "Christian" iniquity.
1 Samuel 15
23 For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, And stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the LORD, He also has rejected you...
Revelation 21
8 But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death" (the real Hell that will destroy the unrepentant - not torment them like a sadist).
Traditional Christian dishonesty is appalling and the deceit of counterfeit Christianity is repulsive, and proves such unclean Christians, Christian reprobates, are as much or more of religious liars, children of the Devil, murderous members of the Synagogue of Satan, as those who set Yahshua up and Stephen and Paul with false accusations - religious people lying through their teeth to keep their traditions because they hate the plain truth! Nothing new under the sun.
Herbert Armstrong was not a false prophet!
Apostate Christians make it abundantly clear they don't want their darkness disturbed by the facts, as both the Bible and history testify as two witnesses and condemn your traditional Christianity as baptized paganism, whitewashed heathen custons and doctrines of demons, but for the sake of others, others who are honest seekers of truth like the noble Bereans, who really hunger and thirst to know what the Bible really teaches on this or that subject and who don't get hung up on who God chooses to use to deliver the message of truth, I take the time to respond knowing some will be set free from the traditional bondage your unclean kind enjoy and will suffer the consequences for, having been more than warned to FORSAKE BABYLON.
Mark 7
"Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you hypocrites; as it is written: " 'These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. 7They worship me in vain; their teachings are but rules taught by men.' 8You have let go of the commands of God and are holding on to the traditions of men."
9And he said to them: "You have a fine way of setting aside the commands of God in order to observe your own traditions!... 13Thus you nullify the word of God by your tradition that you have handed down. And you do many things like that."
http://www.davidbenariel.org/
#41. To: Don (#39)
Armstrong was a false prophet.
Knee-jerk response from one stuck in the muck of Babylon, like typical spiritual drunks and whores who remain in denial, counterfeit Christians who refuse to repent of their SUNday-keeping Cult of Constantine, who prefer idolatrous traditions over the plain truth of the Bible that Herbert W. Armstrong faithfully taught.
Both the Bible and history condemn "Christian" idolatry and "Christian" iniquity.
1 Samuel 15
23 For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, And stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the LORD, He also has rejected you...
Revelation 21
8 But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death" (the real Hell that will destroy the unrepentant - not torment them like a sadist).
Traditional Christian dishonesty is appalling and the deceit of counterfeit Christianity is repulsive, and proves such unclean Christians, Christian reprobates, are as much or more of religious liars, children of the Devil, murderous members of the Synagogue of Satan, as those who set Yahshua up and Stephen and Paul with false accusations - religious people lying through their teeth to keep their traditions because they hate the plain truth! Nothing new under the sun.
Herbert Armstrong was not a false prophet!
Apostate Christians make it abundantly clear they don't want their darkness disturbed by the facts, as both the Bible and history testify as two witnesses and condemn your traditional Christianity as baptized paganism, whitewashed heathen custons and doctrines of demons, but for the sake of others, others who are honest seekers of truth like the noble Bereans, who really hunger and thirst to know what the Bible really teaches on this or that subject and who don't get hung up on who God chooses to use to deliver the message of truth, I take the time to respond knowing some will be set free from the traditional bondage your unclean kind enjoy and will suffer the consequences for, having been more than warned to FORSAKE BABYLON.
Mark 7
"Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you hypocrites; as it is written: " 'These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. 7They worship me in vain; their teachings are but rules taught by men.' 8You have let go of the commands of God and are holding on to the traditions of men."
9And he said to them: "You have a fine way of setting aside the commands of God in order to observe your own traditions!... 13Thus you nullify the word of God by your tradition that you have handed down. And you do many things like that."
http://www.davidbenariel.org/
Human prototypes?
Questions about ancient peoples, even cavemen, possible human prototypes, were brought up in my mind since I've just returned from visiting the Navajo Nation and regions known to Comanche, Ute, Cheyenne, Kiowa nations/tribes (Monument Valley, Canyon de Chelly, Four Corners, Palo Duro Canyon, Washita River Battlefield, etc.), and because of a recent discovery in the Galilee mentioned in Israel National News, which prompted me to write a rabbi friend, Yehoshua, in Israel...
Does The Bible Teach There Were Human Prototypes?
http://www.davidbenariel.org/
Does The Bible Teach There Were Human Prototypes?
http://www.davidbenariel.org/
Friday, March 19, 2010
Shocked by the Bible
Shocked by the Bible
A Good News interview with Shocked by the Bible author Joe Kovacs.
by Jerold Aust
Listen to the Good News interview with Shocked by the Bible author Joe Kovacs.
Journalist Joe Kovacs has written for broadcast, print and online media for more than 25 years, receiving awards for excellence in news coverage from both the Associated Press and United Press International news services. Mr. Kovacs has been executive news editor for WorldNetDaily, a leading Internet news site, since 1999. His strong interest in the Bible led him to write the recent best seller Shocked by the Bible: The Most Astonishing Facts You've Never Been Told. The book documents many surprising facts regarding common beliefs that are and are not supported by Scripture.
Joe Kovacs: I was originally surprised because some people thought I was speaking against the Bible when the exact opposite was true. I was trying to shock people with the actual words of the Bible. Some people couldn't understand that. They thought I was talking against Christianity or the Bible.
I need to make it clear from the outset that I am a Bible-believing Christian. I believe that every word of the Bible is true.
GN: What got you interested in the Bible in the first place?
JK: While growing up, I had no interest in the Bible. I never read the Bible until I was about 14 years old. But then I started reading it based on a challenge from my sister. She made some comments about Christmas—that much of the Christmas traditions were not found in the Bible. I couldn't believe that, so I started reading the Bible to find out what it said about Christmas. This sparked my interest in the Bible because no matter how deeply I looked, I could not find Christmas traditions in the Bible. So I wondered what else people are missing.
GN: Was that the very first topic that shocked you personally?
JK: Absolutely. It started with Christmas. Whether people celebrate Christmas is their own decision, but people should know why they do what they do and that virtually everything to do with Christmas is not in the Bible.
The birth of Jesus is found in the Bible, but you won't find three wise men showing up at the manger when Jesus was born in Bethlehem. You won't find Christmas trees mentioned in the Bible, but you will find that God condemns the decoration of trees with silver and gold. That's in the book of Jeremiah [chapter 10] and people don't seem to know about this.
GN: Do you feel that the Bible is the inspired word of God for all mankind? Is the Bible for everybody?
JK: The Bible is definitely for everybody. God created mankind in His image and He does have an eternal purpose for them, so the Bible is for all humanity. Still people are free to choose to follow God. God has given us that freedom, and unfortunately most people on this planet choose not to follow the instructions God has given.
GN: What do you hope to impart to your readers through your book?
JK: People should realize why they do what they do. Most have no idea why they follow certain customs, why they believe certain things. They go to church for 30 or 40 years and still don't know why they do certain things. I want to educate people on what's in the Bible and what's not. Again, people should have an understanding about why they do the things they do.
GN: Let's get into today's popular religious holidays. First, why do you think that even though Easter is not in the Bible, a billion people continue to celebrate it?
JK: The word Easter is not found in most Bibles. It's found once in the King James Version [Acts 12:4] and that one instance is a mistranslation of the Greek word Pascha, which means Passover.
You will find people celebrating Passover throughout the Bible, including Jesus. But you won't find people celebrating Easter. The word Easter comes from an ancient fertility goddess. It's spelled in different ways but usually pronounced "Easter" or something like it. For instance, the Babylonians called her Ishtar. The Phoenicians worshipped their goddess Astarte. The Germans had Ostara. The Hebrews called her Ashtoreth. This is all the same goddess, and God condemned the Israelites for having anything to do with this pagan goddess of fertility and the dawn.
People wonder why they color eggs and go on Easter egg hunts when none of that is in the Bible or endorsed by God. You don't see the apostles going on Easter egg hunts or hiding eggs. There was no Easter egg in the tomb when they looked for Jesus at His resurrection. The eggs and rabbits associated with Easter are simply ancient fertility symbols. Traditional Christianity today is a mixture of a little bit of the Bible and a whole lot of pagan, heathen traditions which have infiltrated church teachings and practices.
GN: How do you think God views Easter, and why?
JK: There's no question that Easter is an abomination to God. People can say they are celebrating the resurrection of Jesus, but they are using the method of pagan worship.
God has nothing to do with paganism. In fact, the first commandment is "Thou shalt have no other gods before Me" [Exodus 20:3]. Yet people bring the name of a pagan goddess and put the name of Easter in front of God's face, even as they are allegedly trying to worship Him. People think they are doing the right thing.
I'm not against people for wanting to honor the resurrection of Jesus and God raising Jesus from the dead, which shows us how we can be saved and how we can be resurrected into the actual family of God. But to do so with a pagan method is the wrong way to do it.
GN: Let's turn to Christmas. Why do you think that so many people celebrate Christmas when you can't find it in the Bible?
JK: The biggest reason is that it's fun, plain and simple. It's a fun holiday. There's the family, the kids, an enjoyable time when you exchange gifts, get together and enjoy excellent food.
It also survives because of merchandising. The fourth quarter of the year in which Christmas happens to fall is when merchants do most of their business. It survives because of money and fun.
GN: So how do you think God views people observing Christmas?
JK: The Bible is silent on Christmas. You don't find people celebrating Christmas in the Bible. If you look throughout biblical history, the Israelites would worship the true God with pagan methods and even get into child sacrifice, but they thought they were worshipping the true God. If you extrapolate that to Christmas, God and Jesus Christ might not appreciate that you are using pagan methods to supposedly honor Him.
Nowhere in the Bible does it say we should celebrate the birth of Jesus. The Bible does have a number of holidays which are mentioned that people are to celebrate forever, like the Passover and the Feast of Tabernacles. But it doesn't say to celebrate the birth of Jesus.
GN: There's a great pull for people to get together with family for Christmas and to honor Christ through this observance as they see fit. What are your thoughts on this?
JK: I know many people in this world who celebrate Christmas. If they want to know about Christmas they can Google terms like "Christmas origin" and add "pagan" and they'll learn where these customs come from. They are not in the Bible. They originate with the worship of the sun and the worship of trees. It has nothing to do with the worship of Jesus Christ. Just because someone throws the name of Jesus Christ on something does not make it Christian.
GN: Let's discuss the Sabbath. How did you discover that Sunday was not the biblical Sabbath?
JK: The Bible talks about the Sabbath as the seventh day of the week. It's always referred to as the seventh day of the week and not once do you see Sunday, the first day of the week, referred to as the Sabbath day of rest. The Bible did not ever declare that Sunday should be the Sabbath day.
The Sabbath day is mentioned in the Fourth Commandment [Exodus 20:8-11] and in the account of creation after God created the world and mankind [Genesis 2:1-3]. He set the seventh day apart to rest on that day. It's consistent in both the Old and New Testaments that the Sabbath is the seventh day of the week, what we call Saturday.
GN: The Catholic Encyclopedia states that Jesus and His disciples always observed the seventh-day Sabbath, but the Catholic Church had the right to change the Sabbath day from Saturday to Sunday. What are your thoughts on this?
JK: Religion doesn't always go along with the Bible. The fact is that nowhere in the Bible do you see the Sabbath changed. If it were changed, there would have been a huge discussion on it, especially in the New Testament.
It's interesting that in different languages around the world, the word for the seventh day of the week, Saturday, is Sabbath. In Greek the word is Savvato; in Italian, Sabato; in Spanish, Sabado; in Hebrew, Shabbat; and in Polish, Sobota. Go to many other nations, and you will find that the seventh day is defined by the word Sabbath.
GN: That's a good indicator of the Sabbath. Let's talk about the unseen god of this world. You address Satan as "public enemy number one" and say that he wants to be worshipped. Why would Satan want to be worshipped?
JK: If you understand who Satan is and the origins of Satan, you would know what he's doing. Satan, "the god of this world" [2 Corinthians 4:4, King James Version], is not the ultimate God who created everything. He is the ruler of this present society. Satan was originally an archangel of God. He was booted out of heaven because he tried to lead a rebellion of angels against God.
The Bible refers to this rebellion, saying he ascended above the clouds to be like the Most High. He has a "god complex" and thinks he can do a better job than God. Who knows what his motivation is, but apparently he was a brilliant individual. The Bible calls him an angel of light. He is able to appear as very good so he can lead people away from God.
He wants to be God and to be worshipped. I can say unequivocally that most people on earth, no matter what religion they are, think they are worshipping the true God. However, they are actually worshipping a corrupted form of satanic confusion that was begun back in the Garden of Eden.
GN: Paul said in 2 Corinthians 11:4 that there was "another Jesus" with "a different spirit" and "a different gospel." Do you think this scripture reveals what Satan is doing?
JK: I think that Satan has transformed himself into an angel of light [2 Corinthians 11:14], and many, but not all, people think that they are worshipping the true God, the true Creator God of the universe. Yet they are actually following, unknowingly in many cases, Satan the devil. He has brought a brilliant deception upon people of this world and especially the Christian world.
Many people call themselves Christian, and yet they do things that are antithetical to what the Bible teaches. You can go through the Bible and find out what God's teachings are. You can look at what the religions of the world teach and see that they are, in fact, very different from what the Bible teaches. GN
Billions of Bibles have been published and distributed around the world. Millions of people regard it as the inspired Word of God. It's been one of history's most influential books. But can you—and should you—believe it?
How to Understand the Bible
Millions of Bibles are sold or given away every year. It's the world's most popular book, but at the same time the most misunderstood! To many it's difficult to understand, yet the Bible itself gives us keys to understand it!
Commentary: Shocked by the Bible?
In the book Shocked by the Bible, author Joe Kovacs shows many shocking misconceptions people have about the Bible today.
Can You Believe the Bible?
Both God and the Bible have long been under attack. What are some of the motives of critics? And, far more important, what does the evidence dug from the dust of the Middle East reveal?
Can You Prove the Bible Is True?
Belief in the Bible as the inspired and accurate Word of God is plunging. Here are some simple proofs you can use to show that the Bible is indeed what it claims to be—the very Word of God.
Learn, Live and Love the Bible
God's Word discusses several tools we can use to grow spiritually and build our relationship with our Creator. In this second article in a series on tools for spiritual growth, we examine the foundational tool of Bible reading and study.
Bible Study Guides The Bible is a unique book full of inspiration, wisdom and practical answers. But it doesn't claim to be an easy book. It can be intimidating and overwhelming on first glance. These Bible Study Guides are designed to help.
This is the United Church of God - Preaching the Gospel, Preparing a People
The mission of the United Church of God is to proclaim to the world the little-understood gospel taught by Jesus Christ—the good news of the coming Kingdom of God—and to prepare a people for that Kingdom. This message not only offers great hope for all of humanity, but encompasses the purpose of human existence—why we are here and where our world is headed.
A Good News interview with Shocked by the Bible author Joe Kovacs.
by Jerold Aust
Listen to the Good News interview with Shocked by the Bible author Joe Kovacs.
Journalist Joe Kovacs has written for broadcast, print and online media for more than 25 years, receiving awards for excellence in news coverage from both the Associated Press and United Press International news services. Mr. Kovacs has been executive news editor for WorldNetDaily, a leading Internet news site, since 1999. His strong interest in the Bible led him to write the recent best seller Shocked by the Bible: The Most Astonishing Facts You've Never Been Told. The book documents many surprising facts regarding common beliefs that are and are not supported by Scripture.
The Good News: Your unique book Shocked by the Bible has drawn a lot of attention. Were you surprised by this?
Joe Kovacs: I was originally surprised because some people thought I was speaking against the Bible when the exact opposite was true. I was trying to shock people with the actual words of the Bible. Some people couldn't understand that. They thought I was talking against Christianity or the Bible.
I need to make it clear from the outset that I am a Bible-believing Christian. I believe that every word of the Bible is true.
GN: What got you interested in the Bible in the first place?
JK: While growing up, I had no interest in the Bible. I never read the Bible until I was about 14 years old. But then I started reading it based on a challenge from my sister. She made some comments about Christmas—that much of the Christmas traditions were not found in the Bible. I couldn't believe that, so I started reading the Bible to find out what it said about Christmas. This sparked my interest in the Bible because no matter how deeply I looked, I could not find Christmas traditions in the Bible. So I wondered what else people are missing.
GN: Was that the very first topic that shocked you personally?
JK: Absolutely. It started with Christmas. Whether people celebrate Christmas is their own decision, but people should know why they do what they do and that virtually everything to do with Christmas is not in the Bible.
The birth of Jesus is found in the Bible, but you won't find three wise men showing up at the manger when Jesus was born in Bethlehem. You won't find Christmas trees mentioned in the Bible, but you will find that God condemns the decoration of trees with silver and gold. That's in the book of Jeremiah [chapter 10] and people don't seem to know about this.
GN: Do you feel that the Bible is the inspired word of God for all mankind? Is the Bible for everybody?
JK: The Bible is definitely for everybody. God created mankind in His image and He does have an eternal purpose for them, so the Bible is for all humanity. Still people are free to choose to follow God. God has given us that freedom, and unfortunately most people on this planet choose not to follow the instructions God has given.
GN: What do you hope to impart to your readers through your book?
JK: People should realize why they do what they do. Most have no idea why they follow certain customs, why they believe certain things. They go to church for 30 or 40 years and still don't know why they do certain things. I want to educate people on what's in the Bible and what's not. Again, people should have an understanding about why they do the things they do.
GN: Let's get into today's popular religious holidays. First, why do you think that even though Easter is not in the Bible, a billion people continue to celebrate it?
JK: The word Easter is not found in most Bibles. It's found once in the King James Version [Acts 12:4] and that one instance is a mistranslation of the Greek word Pascha, which means Passover.
You will find people celebrating Passover throughout the Bible, including Jesus. But you won't find people celebrating Easter. The word Easter comes from an ancient fertility goddess. It's spelled in different ways but usually pronounced "Easter" or something like it. For instance, the Babylonians called her Ishtar. The Phoenicians worshipped their goddess Astarte. The Germans had Ostara. The Hebrews called her Ashtoreth. This is all the same goddess, and God condemned the Israelites for having anything to do with this pagan goddess of fertility and the dawn.
People wonder why they color eggs and go on Easter egg hunts when none of that is in the Bible or endorsed by God. You don't see the apostles going on Easter egg hunts or hiding eggs. There was no Easter egg in the tomb when they looked for Jesus at His resurrection. The eggs and rabbits associated with Easter are simply ancient fertility symbols. Traditional Christianity today is a mixture of a little bit of the Bible and a whole lot of pagan, heathen traditions which have infiltrated church teachings and practices.
GN: How do you think God views Easter, and why?
JK: There's no question that Easter is an abomination to God. People can say they are celebrating the resurrection of Jesus, but they are using the method of pagan worship.
God has nothing to do with paganism. In fact, the first commandment is "Thou shalt have no other gods before Me" [Exodus 20:3]. Yet people bring the name of a pagan goddess and put the name of Easter in front of God's face, even as they are allegedly trying to worship Him. People think they are doing the right thing.
I'm not against people for wanting to honor the resurrection of Jesus and God raising Jesus from the dead, which shows us how we can be saved and how we can be resurrected into the actual family of God. But to do so with a pagan method is the wrong way to do it.
GN: Let's turn to Christmas. Why do you think that so many people celebrate Christmas when you can't find it in the Bible?
JK: The biggest reason is that it's fun, plain and simple. It's a fun holiday. There's the family, the kids, an enjoyable time when you exchange gifts, get together and enjoy excellent food.
It also survives because of merchandising. The fourth quarter of the year in which Christmas happens to fall is when merchants do most of their business. It survives because of money and fun.
GN: So how do you think God views people observing Christmas?
JK: The Bible is silent on Christmas. You don't find people celebrating Christmas in the Bible. If you look throughout biblical history, the Israelites would worship the true God with pagan methods and even get into child sacrifice, but they thought they were worshipping the true God. If you extrapolate that to Christmas, God and Jesus Christ might not appreciate that you are using pagan methods to supposedly honor Him.
Nowhere in the Bible does it say we should celebrate the birth of Jesus. The Bible does have a number of holidays which are mentioned that people are to celebrate forever, like the Passover and the Feast of Tabernacles. But it doesn't say to celebrate the birth of Jesus.
GN: There's a great pull for people to get together with family for Christmas and to honor Christ through this observance as they see fit. What are your thoughts on this?
JK: I know many people in this world who celebrate Christmas. If they want to know about Christmas they can Google terms like "Christmas origin" and add "pagan" and they'll learn where these customs come from. They are not in the Bible. They originate with the worship of the sun and the worship of trees. It has nothing to do with the worship of Jesus Christ. Just because someone throws the name of Jesus Christ on something does not make it Christian.
GN: Let's discuss the Sabbath. How did you discover that Sunday was not the biblical Sabbath?
JK: The Bible talks about the Sabbath as the seventh day of the week. It's always referred to as the seventh day of the week and not once do you see Sunday, the first day of the week, referred to as the Sabbath day of rest. The Bible did not ever declare that Sunday should be the Sabbath day.
The Sabbath day is mentioned in the Fourth Commandment [Exodus 20:8-11] and in the account of creation after God created the world and mankind [Genesis 2:1-3]. He set the seventh day apart to rest on that day. It's consistent in both the Old and New Testaments that the Sabbath is the seventh day of the week, what we call Saturday.
GN: The Catholic Encyclopedia states that Jesus and His disciples always observed the seventh-day Sabbath, but the Catholic Church had the right to change the Sabbath day from Saturday to Sunday. What are your thoughts on this?
JK: Religion doesn't always go along with the Bible. The fact is that nowhere in the Bible do you see the Sabbath changed. If it were changed, there would have been a huge discussion on it, especially in the New Testament.
It's interesting that in different languages around the world, the word for the seventh day of the week, Saturday, is Sabbath. In Greek the word is Savvato; in Italian, Sabato; in Spanish, Sabado; in Hebrew, Shabbat; and in Polish, Sobota. Go to many other nations, and you will find that the seventh day is defined by the word Sabbath.
GN: That's a good indicator of the Sabbath. Let's talk about the unseen god of this world. You address Satan as "public enemy number one" and say that he wants to be worshipped. Why would Satan want to be worshipped?
JK: If you understand who Satan is and the origins of Satan, you would know what he's doing. Satan, "the god of this world" [2 Corinthians 4:4, King James Version], is not the ultimate God who created everything. He is the ruler of this present society. Satan was originally an archangel of God. He was booted out of heaven because he tried to lead a rebellion of angels against God.
The Bible refers to this rebellion, saying he ascended above the clouds to be like the Most High. He has a "god complex" and thinks he can do a better job than God. Who knows what his motivation is, but apparently he was a brilliant individual. The Bible calls him an angel of light. He is able to appear as very good so he can lead people away from God.
He wants to be God and to be worshipped. I can say unequivocally that most people on earth, no matter what religion they are, think they are worshipping the true God. However, they are actually worshipping a corrupted form of satanic confusion that was begun back in the Garden of Eden.
GN: Paul said in 2 Corinthians 11:4 that there was "another Jesus" with "a different spirit" and "a different gospel." Do you think this scripture reveals what Satan is doing?
JK: I think that Satan has transformed himself into an angel of light [2 Corinthians 11:14], and many, but not all, people think that they are worshipping the true God, the true Creator God of the universe. Yet they are actually following, unknowingly in many cases, Satan the devil. He has brought a brilliant deception upon people of this world and especially the Christian world.
Many people call themselves Christian, and yet they do things that are antithetical to what the Bible teaches. You can go through the Bible and find out what God's teachings are. You can look at what the religions of the world teach and see that they are, in fact, very different from what the Bible teaches. GN
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