devil worship
I have been trying to find a way to tell people that I do not Celebrate x-mass with out offending them. (I am not sure that is possible)
I do not condemn people for celebrating “christmas”. What I think shouldn’t matter.
We have to ask: ‘ Is Christ honored by us worshiping Him in this fashion?
His answer to this of course will be found in His Word the Bible. Do we celebrate Christ in any other way than we are instructed in scripture? These questions have torn families, friendships, and congregations apart.
Are we so selfish that we think that our own imaginations are Holy enough to offer God praise that we come up with? Let’s look at this analogy. ::
- If you ordered a steak at a restaurant but I brought you grilled chicken because I thought (sincerly) that it is better for you, wouldn’t you be mad? Shouldn’t I bring you what you want (ordered)?
- The same is for God’s ordinance for worship. If he orders spicific worship and we give him something WE think is better, how is that not offensive?
Any way… I know several people who agree that xmas is pagan and they choose not to celebrate it as the birth of Christ. They choose not to celebrate Santa Clause because he is a Roman Catholic bishop. But they think that it is okay to partake in everything else as long as we do not mix Christ in to it. (This is how I was doing it too)
I started thinking about terminology this year. (I love etymology)
We use the word Pagan when describing the history of where Xmas came from. The Saturnalia, Winter Solstice, Yule, and of course Sun Solaris Invicti (Dec 25th Birth of the Sun God)
In my personal opinion the word Pagan is “too kind” of a word these days.
The word Pagan just simply means the worship of many gods that are not the LORD God of Scripture. But it is more like saying “Mentally Challenged” instead of “retarded“, or “Little People” instead of “Midget” … When it comes to something as serious as this, I will not be as P.C., I will call it what it is..
Paganism is Devil Worship.
Here is an issue I have now. If we take Christ out of Christmas, because it is blasphemous. We do not Celebrate Santa Clause because he is Roman Catholic, then all we are doing (what is left of the holiday) is Devil Worship.
WHAT?
So Jym you are trying to tell me it is devil worship to swap gifts with friends and visit family?
my answer: No that is not what I am saying.
So Jym you are telling me that xmas decorations and the tree are all devil worship?
my answer: yes.
It is easier to hear that these things came from a “pagan” background many years ago and that they have a different meaning now that they are part of a religious celebration. But to say that it is Devil Worship … well that sounds worse to our ears.
- We know that the 12 days of xmas is the Roman Pagan festival of Saturnalia.
- We know that the Wreaths are symbols of female reproductive organs that pay homage to Pagan fertility goddesses,
- We know the tree represents the pagan Nimrod / astoroth.
- The Yule Log is a pagan tradition representing fertility and the resurrection of Nimrod,
- We know Dec 25th is the celebration of the birthday of the different pagan sun gods.
- The stockings on the chimminy are for the pagan “hearth gods”
- Wassailing is an ancient pagan tradition ensuring a good crop of cider apples for the next year’s harvest
(I could go on, but I am sure you know these already)
“Pagan Origins” we are okay with. But how do we feel if we call it what it is. Are you okay with it? Is Christ okay with it? … How can we justifiably clean it up enough in our heads to make it okay? Are we not commanded in scripture to not partake in devil worship?
I will go see my families, swap gifts, eat food and enjoy the cold weather. But I do not want to offend Christ by partaking in devil worship festivals, nor do I want to worship Christ as if he was a devil. That is my conviction.
Ps
“To many, Xmas has become a day of fables with Santa Clause and his Reindeer. Is the Xmas tradition innocent or cute? Is it merely clever fiction and fables? What if it is an idolatrous way of worship? Do you think God would be pleased if I took an Islamic prayer rug, pointed it toward my church, and prayed the memorized prayer of Allah only replacing the name of Allah with Jesus Christ? Do you think God would be provoked to wrath? Do you think God would be pleased with worshipping him through an alien religious practice? Read the truth behind Xmas and reckon the facts! The Xmas tradition is a conglomeration of idolatrous worship practices. It is a fever of frivolous Heathenistic fun that will melt in wrath hotter than the Sun.” — http://www.xmasexposed.com
also check out * http://goo.gl/SPfCu
Robots of Calvinism
I have an old Blog of the same topic Reformed Theology. Well, to be honest it was an attempt to witness to Pentecostals. I used to be pentecostal and have studied the history of the religion in great detail. I changed over to this Blog because I can access it from my job which has a heavily filtered internet connection.
I just got an email alert from some one responding to my posts on the other blog. It really got me thinking… The way that people ridicule others beliefs in an attempt to defend their own doesn’t seem the Cristian way. I believe that the God of the Holy Bible is all powerful and is in control of his creation, the only reason I believe this, is the scripture proofs. The response was to Calvin’s Definition of salvation:
Salvation is accomplished by the almighty power of the triune God. The Father chose a people, the Son died for them, the Holy Spirit makes Christ’s death effective by bringing the elect to faith and repentance, thereby causing them to willingly obey the Gospel. The entire process (election, redemption, regeneration) is the work of God and is by grace alone. Thus God, not man, determines who will be the recipients of the gift of salvation.
Their response:
“Causing them to willingly Obey”??? LOL! Robots of Calvinism anyone??? God used irresistibly once to fullfill his purpose throughout time it is the exception not the rule. This is the mistake that the reformed make with their false doctrine. God does not want any of that from his people.
Now .. I wonder if they are even worshiping the same God I am sometimes.. I know that sounds harsh, but… the point of that quote is sumed up at the end: “God, not man, determines who will be the recipients of the gift of salvation”.
============I emailed a response to him============
This response was to one of Calvin’s soteriological quotes. I am sorry I have not responded on that blog. I can’ not access it at work. I had to start a different blog on wordpress. This ‘Heirs With Christ’ blog, I never even go to anymore. 
I know it seems robotic, like we are just machines. But that is a fatalist point of view, and that is not what I believe. Historically we are taught “Although, in relation to the foreknowledge and decree of God, the first Cause, all things come to pass immutably, and infallibly; yet, by the same providence, He orders them to fall out, according to the nature of second causes, either necessarily, freely, or contingently” Westminster Confession of Faith V:II
Scripture
ACT 2:23 Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain.
9] GEN 8:22 While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease.
JER 31:35 Thus saith the Lord, which giveth the sun for a light by day, and the ordinances of the moon and of the stars for a light by night, which divideth the sea when the waves thereof roar; The Lord of hosts is his name:
EXO 21:13 And if a man lie not in wait, but God deliver him into his hand; then I will appoint thee a place whither he shall flee.
DEU 19:5 As when a man goeth into the wood with his neighbour to hew wood, and his hand fetcheth a stroke with the axe to cut down the tree, and the head slippeth from the helve, and lighteth upon his neighbour, that he die; he shall flee unto one of those cities, and live:
1KI 22:28 And Micaiah said, If thou return at all in peace, the Lord hath not spoken by me. And he said, Hearken, O people, every one of you. 34 And a certain man drew a bow at a venture, and smote the king of Israel between the joints of the harness: wherefore he said unto the driver of his chariot, Turn thine hand, and carry me out of the host; for I am wounded.
ISA 10:6 I will send him against an hypocritical nation, and against the people of my wrath will I give him a charge, to take the spoil, and to take the prey, and to tread them down like the mire of the streets. 7 Howbeit he meaneth not so, neither doth his heart think so; but it is in his heart to destroy and cut off nations not a few
Obama, Calvinist?
Obama is a Christian says he is a Christian. Is this a deception? or is he for real?
This quote even sounds VERY CALVINIST for some one like Obama.
But the religion question was perhaps the most revealing for the president – and also perhaps the most welcome, given that polls show that the public appears confused about his religion, with some 18 percent of Americans believing, erroneously, that he is Muslim.
“I’m a Christian by choice,” the president said. “My family, frankly, they weren’t folks who went to church every week. My mother was one of the most spiritual people I knew but she didn’t raise me in the church, so I came to my Christian faith later in life and it was because the precepts of Jesus Christ spoke to me in terms of the kind of life that I would want to lead. Being my brothers and sisters’ keeper, treating others as they would treat me, and I think also understanding that Jesus Christ dying for my sins spoke to the humility we all have to have as human beings, that we’re sinful and we’re flawed and we make mistakes and we achieve salvation through the grace of God.”
Mr. Obama went on: “But what we can do, as flawed as we are, is still see God in other people, and do our best to help them find their own grace. That’s what I strive to do, that’s what I pray to do every day.’’ Yet he said that as president, he also “deeply believes that part of the bedrock strength of this country is that it embraces people of many faiths and of no faith.’’
So he speaks of salvation by Grace alone, but then starts talking about finding God in other people.. helping them find their own grace, which leads me to believe that Mr Obama does not understand what the Grace of God is. Unless he is talking about helping the Elect realize that they are saved by grace, but he could be talking about helping them find their own path to their own gods.
He also said the he is a Christian by “Choice”. Hmm, Do we choose to be Christian? Or is the Holy Spirit drawing us to the path? It just seems like he is tossing around terminology like most Christians these days. I want to know what he believes on the actual doctrines of Grace. My guess, since he is Episcopalian (Anglican) is that he holds to the Arminian school of soteriology.
I got this from The Caucus By SHERYL GAY STOLBERG in the New York Times Sept 29th 2010; Read the article in it’s entirety http://goo.gl/HA4h
An anonymous email was sent to me on this topic as a reply to an earlier post on this topic.
I think it is a deception… I do think we should continue to pray for our country and our leaders… but I think he is obviously trying to boost his morale…
he claimed that we are no longer a Christian Nation and he has been proven wrong…
he refused to swear in on the Bible, no “christian” would ever dare swear in on the koran, even a lackadaisical one, even the worst christian would never do that….
his previous speeches in dismantling the bible and taking it out of context, unfortunately there is too much evidence to prove otherwise and that he is lying and a puppet.
He is being forced to say these things when it’s apparent he will not be re-elected.
I have to agree to this. I mean, unless God is changing this mans heart, the evidence is overwhelming that he is apostate.
Who knows, This post really could get too long.. we should continue praying for him regardless.
I want to hear your thoughts! Comment!
Theology: the foundation
There is a prayer I have been petitioning to God lately. I want more desire to involve myself as a father to the teaching of Christ to my children. I want to seek Christ even more than I do now. This world we live in is corrupt. I believe that our minds are conditioned to indulge on entertainment. Not just movies and football, but everything we can do to “make life more comfortable”. Knowing this you would think that it would make it easier to turn away from those things when need be in order to focus on Christ or to do Scripture studies. But it seems to be more difficult some times. For me. I know that when I am in the Word, or reading a good book written by puritan reformers, I feel nourished where the entertainment of the world leaves me empty and mindless. I pray that God will give me the strength to have daily devotions with my family as that they are all reformed as well now. I want to teach my children more about Christ, more about the beautiful history of the church and the martyrs and why they died.
I was reading a little of Richard Baxter’s “The Reformed Pastor” and came across something that was a beautiful insight:
“…that they study the creature before the Redeemer, and set themselves to physics, and metaphysics, and mathematics, before they set themselves to theology; whereas, no man that hath not the vitals of theology, is capable of going beyond a fool in philosophy. Theology must lay the foundation, and lead the way of all our studies.” ~ Richard Baxter from “The Reformed Pastor”
Porch Time
Posted by jymevans on July 1, 2010
The other day I was sitting on my porch smoking my Erik Nording churchwarden pipe looking out into the back yard that is a forest. I was watching the chickens and the birds and just thinking about how good I have it. Yeah I do not make enough money to comfortably support my wife and two kids, but I know that I am happy. (well we make it, but nothing extra really) Before I was made aware of my election I was always worried about things. Now I am not talking soteriology (salvation) or anything of that nature.. I always believed I was saved no matter what religion I was in at the time. The difference was who I was giving the glory to for my salvation. It has always been me. Reformed Theology has taught me that no matter what I think I can do or not do, I am His… by His own pleasure and glory. I know that Christ has known me from before the foundation. I know peace and Joy like i have never known. Back to the porch… Then my beautiful wife comes out with 2 wine glasses and sits beside me. I thought to myself, This is what it is all about.. thank you Lord for this wonderful life you have given me. So I am learning now how good it is to not worry. If the Lord is in control of all things, if he is truly sovereign, then I should not worry as much .. you think? God, right now, is teaching me to enjoy the little things that our fast paced world takes for granted.
Electro Magnetic Fields
This is a very big post but I feel like I need to post this article..I am diabetic, I have type 2. this is very interesting. I feel like this is an important article because we need to see the impact of electropollution. It is everywhere. We are all coming in contact with EMF every day.. we should know the risks.
To read the article follow this link: http://www.naturalnews.com/028967_electropollution_diabetes.html
God’s Rainbow
Okay look I know that this seems a little rash but i’m sick of the homosexual community using the the rainbow as their symbol of pride. I personally think the rainbow [prism spectrum] is beautiful. It is a symbol of God’s promise to never flood the earth again. I do know some homosexuals and consider some of them friends and acquaintances. That does not mean that i have to agree with their lifestyle or their pride. It is just a shame that I cannot wear rainbow colored things without being assumed to me a homosexual. Maybe if enough of us Christians made a stand we could take back the rainbow! lol. like I said, I know that seems absolutely ridiculous but i’m just sick of not being able to wear rainbows.
What you think?
I might do a study on this and post my findings.
Comic Book Epiphany [warning:explicit language]
Sometimes we need a clean break and a dramatic change in our life. Just when I thought I was safe, conviction attacks. I am so sick of this world. I mean, I was reading one of my favorite comics, Batman, and saw something that evoked a moral epiphany.
I am a comic collector. I collect with my son, but the only reason he is so in to comics is because of me. Now, I have to ask myself why I am in to comics and am I being a good Christian father to let my son read them. I mean I do like the stories, and mostly the art. That is why I collect, because of the art. I have collected Wolverine Comics since I was little. That comic has really changed, even dropped the Comics Code and made it “explicit”. That is the main reason I stopped collecting Wolverine. It seems that in this world every one has to try to push the limit, because to them cussing, gore and nudity/sex is freedom, and morale is oppression. This is the same in comics, as the old writers and artists die or retire and the new younger [less moral] artists and writers are taking over and try to push the limits. I realized that most Marvel characters were not rally moral, I decided to jump over to DC and abandon Marvel all together. I had already abandoned the “independent” comics like Imagine, Dark Horse or IDW because of their lack of moral standards.
I switched to DC because they always had the “morally” good Super Heroes, like Superman and Batman who do not kill. Batman, the darker of the two, never uses guns and never kills the badguys. Well in this issue I am reading, Issue #700, the drop the word “Goddamn“. Now me, personally, I find this word [and the mis-use of the word Jesus] more offensive than any other swear word, including the F-bomb, … and there it is, in one of my favorite comics.
Now I have a friend, Calvinist as well, who when reading books or Comics, will use a sharpie marker and black out vulgar words. I thought about doing this to the comic, but as a comic collector, I wasn’t sure if i could bring myself to do this. The value of the comic decreases if there are any marks in, or on it. This is where the epiphany comes in to play. As a collector, do I value the sanctity of this comic more than my own morality? Wow! Took me back a bit. I had to think about it.. I mean I am collecting these comics for what? my own pride. I am proud of the collection, I am proud of the comics. Not in a boastful “look at me and my comics” way, but more of an inward pride that makes me feel good about something I have. [as a collector]
So now I am past that, I am asking myself: Do I mark out bad words, or stop collecting all together?
There are more than just language in these comics, there are adult themes (not sex, I mean psychological themes, killing and violence etc.) There is also the anatomically exaggerated females in tight revealing clothes too.
I feel like I might have to box up my comics and make a clean break from the comic book world. I am in prayer, please let me hear your thoughts on the subject.
beautiful morning
I am just out here in the back yard, leaning up against a tree smoking a pipe and thinking about the intricacies and simplicities of being a follower of Christ. the magnitude of the creation and the beauty of how God makes things work. I feel the tree trunk “breathing” as the limbs sway in the wind and think about how the trees all grow towards the light because the light feeds them what they need to flourish, as does the light of scripture for us. I am watching chickens and birds go about their daily routines and enjoying life. This is what it is all about.. just wanted to share.. God bless.
UNICORNS?
The Bible mentions this creature six times in Numbers 23:22, 24:8; Job 39:9-10 and Psalms 29:6; 92:10. Perhaps all the pictures of horses with horns have been so embedded in our minds that we cannot get them out. Scripture mentions the unicorn’s great strength, aversion to man, and untrainability. Horses are domestic animals that train well; reptiles are wild animals with small brains that don’t train well, if at all.
If we could start fresh and read what the Bible says about unicorns, we might find that a stocky strong reptile like the Triceratops or Monoclonius would fit the description much better. We have all seen so many pictures of a horse with a horn that it’s doubtful we will be able to clear our minds and think about this subject without bias. We will have to wait and ask God that question.
http://www.drdino.com/what-are-unicorns/
