Posted on 04/23/2011 10:25:07 AM PDT by patlin
As we come to the final days of Passover when we celebrate the Risen Christ and as I journey into a deeper study of the Christian faith, I find myself learning many eye opening truths that were never taught to me by my church leaders since youth. Truths that I did not teach my children & have not taught grandchildren because I failed to explore Christian doctrine outside of the church teachings.
For the 1st time in my life, I did not decorate for the Christmas season last December & for the 1st time, I am not decorating nor celebrating an Easter,"Estore", season either. Why? Well, let's start with the words of Martin Luther ...
"The world at the present time is sagaciously discussing how to quell the controversy and strife over doctrine and faith, and how to effect a compromise between the Church and the Papacy. Let the learned, the wise, it is said, bishops, emperor and princes, arbitrate. Each side can easily yield something, and it is better to concede some things which can be construed according to individual interpretation, than that so much persecution, bloodshed, war, and terrible, endless dissension and destruction be permitted.
"Here is lack of understanding, for understanding proves by the Word that such patchwork is not according to God's will, but that doctrine, faith and worship must be preserved pure and unadulterated; there must be no mingling with human nonsense, human opinions or wisdom." "Estore" is a sun goddess worshipped by the pagans during the spring equinox. Bunnies & eggs are her signs of the fertility of mother earth. So the questions begged to be answered are, why did the Roman Catholic Papacy use the name of a pagan god to define one of Christianity's most important events? Why are Christians all over the globe today still celebrating this pagan event at home & in the Church when God rebuled these pagan religious traditions?
When Judeo-Christian monks worked mendaciously to gain followers by destroying pagan history and defaming the elder gods as demons, they had no weapons to deface the innocence of Eostre. Instead, they adopted her holiday and attempted to graft their values onto it. As the Judeo-Christians could offer nothing better, they simply claimed what existed as their own, changed the story slightly, and then tried to cover up and break people's connection to the past.
"Ostara, Eostre seems therefore to have been a divinity of the radiant dawn, of upspringing light, a spectacle that brings joy and blessing, whose meaning could be easily adapted to the resurrection-day of the christian's God. - Jacob Grimm, "Teutonic Mythology" 2 Corinthians 6: 14-16 tells us ...
"Do not be bound together with unbelievers; for what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness? Or what harmony has Christ with Belial, or what has a believer in common with an unbeliever? Or what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; just as God said, "I will dwell in them and walk among them; And I will be their God, and they shall be My people." The resurrection is about baptism, the immersion into the waters, as a sign of renewel & rebirth the life of Christ. The Bible no where speaks of bunnies & eggs. The Lord told us that many will come, but few will enter His gates ...
"Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets. Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it" When the Pilgrims first settled in American, these pagan customs were banned. These celebrations were deemed unlawful. The Christian Pligrims had fled Europe for a land in which they could establish Christian communites based on the biblical teaching of Jesus Christ. They wished to shred every heresy & pagan doctrine forced upon them by the Roman Catholic Papacy & the English Church who had become nothing more than Religious Political & Military entities that ruled with an iron fist & who kept their people under oppression. In Constantine's plight to rid the world of paganism, instead of banishing these pagan cutoms, he adopted them as Christian theocracy thinking that he could rid the worls of them by giving them a Christian definition that had no roots in Biblical Christianity. In 2 Corinthians 6: 17, we here this command...
" Therefore, COME OUT FROM THEIR MIDST AND BE SEPARATE," says the Lord."AND DO NOT TOUCH WHAT IS UNCLEAN; And I will welcome you" Now, what does this say of modern Christianity when these so-called Christians still cling to pagan traitiditions? It says that paganism is alive and well in the churches of all religions across the globe. The message it sends to me is that Christian churches must cling fast to pagan traditions in order to fill the pews so that they can keep their political & religious military alive. So that they can keep their monetary coffers filled to the brim.
If the Christian churches wished to truly celebrate Passover & Eternal Life through the resurrection of Christ, a more befitting celebration would be to usher in a season of global Baptism. A season of renewl & rebirth through cleansing. The washing away of the old so that one may arise with the new.
How glorious a sight would that be, to see thousands Baptized the same way they did during the times of Christ. This is what Passover & Pentecost is about. Isn't it about time Christians start standing for the truth instead of continuing to partake in pagan customs? The Scriptures give us the rule in no uncertain terms in Acts 5: 29 ...
'We must obey God rather than men' So, as you gather tomorrow with family & friends to celebrate, ask yourselves ... what are you celebrating & how are you celebrating it?
Speaking of the Res Sea, I was particulary touched by this prayer last night from the Extraordinary Form Mass:
IT is truly meet and just to proclaim with all the affection of heart and soul, and sound of voice, the invisible God, the Father Almighty, and his only Son our Lord Jesus Christ: who paid for us to his eternal Father the debt of Adam; and, by his sacred blood, cancelled the guilt of the original offence. For this is the Paschal solemnity, in which the true Lamb was slain, by whose blood the doors of the faithful are consecrated. This is the night, in which thou formerly didst bring forth our forefathers, the children of Israel, out of Egypt, leading them dry-foot through the Red-Sea. This also is the night which dissipated the darkness of sin by the light of a pillar of fire. This is the night, which, withdrawing all those who, through the whole world, believe in Christ, from the vices of the world, an in the darkness of sin, restores them to grace, and gives them a fellowship with the saints. This is the night in which Christ broke the chains of death, and ascended victorious from the grave. For it would have availed us nothing to have been born, unless we had also the advantage of being redeemed. 0 the wonders of thy mercy towards us! O the inestimable excess of thy love. Thou didst deliver up thy Son to redeem a slave! O truly necessary sin of Adam, which hath been blotted out by the death of Christ! O happy fault, which deserved such and so great a Redeemer! O truly blessed night, which alone wast privileged to know the hour and moment when Christ rose again from the dead! This is the night of which it is written: “And the night shall be as light as day: and the night shineth upon me in my pleasures.” The sacredness therefore of this night puts crimes to flight, washes away sin, and restores innocence to the fallen, and joy to those in sorrow. It banishes enmities, produces concord, and makes potentates bow.
This line really hit me: “Thou didst deliver up thy Son to redeem a slave!”
Thank you heavenly Father! Thank you Lord Jesus!
I respect your opinion & your faith in your religion & that is where I will leave it lest I offend you and THAT was never my purpose or intention with this thread.
Praise be to our Lord, Jesus Christ, Glory be to God!
What language is that!?
Always mind that though Lent lasts forty days, the holy season of Easter lasts a full fifty days, from Easter Day until Pentecost, and is followed by still more feasts, those of the Holy Trinity and of the Sacred Body and Blood of Our Lord. It is as though, after a time of sorrow, our Joy — even our merriment — should continue until we can celebrate no more. We are spent before our Joy is done.
And must it not be so: that though our sin gives grave cause for great and lengthy sorrow, yet the great Triumph of the Love of God, made plain in the rising of the Son, gives weightier cause for greater and more lengthy Joy? We ought to grieve and to be abashed for a season, because our sin required so dreadful and doleful a remedy. But much more ought we to make merry because our sweet Lord so willingly paid the price of our sin and now is risen gloriously.
And much more still ought we to rejoice because He carries us as captives in His climbing train and bears us as precious trophies to lay before the Father’s throne. Alleluia!
“If you want me to believe your argument, you have to base it on biblical teachings that I can actually take from the Scriptures.”
Once you said you didn’t believe Jesus Christ died and rose again, I didn’t think the Bible served much of a purpose in your thought process...
“I don’t pretend to know one tenth of one percent as some folks, but one thing I know for sure, Christ is my savior and I worship Him, not a dyed egg, not a chocolate bunny, etc.”
And that is the one thing you need to know. :-)
It is also the most important truth of all time.
People who are heaping hate on the chocolate bunny have deeper issues then the chocolate bunny...
He is Risen!
ampu
I most certaily DID NOT say that. I think you had better go back and actually read everything that I wrote, not what someone else wrote. People here that do not know how to use HTML, mix their words with mine. Kinda like you jsut did, using quotes, but not italicizing it, so it is differentiated from yours.
You are correct and in Non-germanic language countries, Protestant or Catholic the season is referred to as Passover and it coincides with the Jewish Passover.
If it was not you who said Christ did not die because God can can not die, my apologies.
ampu
YHWH has said that he HATES that - taking pagan holidays and dedicating them to Him. He says to worship Him as HE defined.
patlin,
I think I confused your posts with another, unnamed freeper, who must be a new age hindu-kind-of-guy.
Apologies.
ampu
For true believers, please read this:
For those who have chosen to work knowingly and intelligently with Cosmic Law, Easter has a great significance. To them it means the annual liberation of the Christ Spirit from the cramping confines of the Earth and His joyful ascent into His true home world, there to remain for a season resting in the bosom of the Father. And if their eyes are truly open they behold angelic hosts waiting, ready to accompany Him on His heavenward journey; if their ears are attuned to heavenly sounds they hear celestial choirs chanting His praise in glad hosannas to the risen Lord.
[12]
To the enlightened ones Easter brings a keen realization of the fact that all humanity are pilgrims on the Earth, that the real home of the spirit is in the heaven realm, and that to reach that realm all should endeavor to learn the lessons in life’s school as quickly as possible so that they may be able to look for the dawn of a day that will permanently release them from the bondage of the Earth. Then like the liberated Christ they will come to a realization of that glorious immortality which is the reward of the perfected Spirit. To the illuminated ones Easter symbolizes the dawning of a glad day when all mankind, as well as the Christ, will be permanently freed from the cramping confines of materiality, and will ascent to heavenly realms to become pillars of strength in the Father’s house, from which they shall no more go out.
The Mystical Interpretation of Easter by Max Heindel
http://www.rosicrucian.com/mie/mieeng01.htm
This humble effort is intended to be an inspiration to those who have glimpsed that Spark of Divine Light and Love, and who are striving to reach that ultimate goal which was attained by Christ Jesus two thousand years ago on Golgotha. What He accomplished then is the task that lies before each and every one of us. When we have surrendered all to the Higher Self or Christ within us, then will come the resurrection or complete liberation from matter. Then we can say with Christ, “It has been accomplished.”
What a crock of blasphemy this is. True believers? In who’s world? The pagan mystical worshipers is my guess.
this is a Western Christianity my friend you don’t know what you are talking about, pity to you.
Old Church Slavonic
Thank you
I do know what I am talking about, because I take my knowledge straight from God's words. Furthermore, who said anything about Western Christianity? I am talking about the True Biblical Christianity of the Gospel (Rev 2: 8-11 The Persecuted Church; Rev 3: 7-13 The Faithful Church of Philadelphia) neither of which have roots in western civilization & both of whom rejected Easter & Christmas and all their paganism. Both of whom followed the Gospel & the keeping of the Feasts & Passover covenants as commanded by our Lord, Jesus Christ.
Luke 22: 18-20 ~ For I say unto you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine, until the kingdom of God shall come...And he took bread, and gave thanks, and brake it, and gave unto them, saying, This is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me...Likewise also the cup after supper, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood, which is shed for you
Then after the feast he finished washing the feet of the Disciples and commanded them to continue the practice.
John 13: 10-15 ~ Jesus saith to him, He that is washed needeth not save to wash his feet, but is clean every whit: and ye are clean, but not all...For he knew who should betray him; therefore said he, Ye are not all clean...So after he had washed their feet, and had taken his garments, and was set down again, he said unto them, Know ye what I have done to you?...Ye call me Master and Lord: and ye say well; for so I am...If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another's feet...For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you
I don't know who you are, but I wouldn't quite use the term friend, for that is someone whom I would know personally and am very well acquainted with. I hardly think a couple of sarcastic internet posting snippets on your part, that presume you know what I am thinking and who puts words in my mouth I never spoke, constitutes a friendship.
>(Obama: pansy progressive, mad Mohammedan, or totalitarian tyrant? Or all three?)
I cannot resist but...two words: Putie knows
>I don’t know who you are, but I wouldn’t quite use the term >friend, for that is someone whom I would know personally and >am very well acquainted with. I hardly think a couple of >sarcastic internet posting snippets on your part, that >presume you know what I am thinking and who puts words in my >mouth I never spoke, constitutes a friendship.
This was your test you do not passed, a true believer and a Christian would not talk that way. And spiritual “knowledge” is found not in the dead books but gained in direct a spiritual experience and good deeds in the real life.
Creed or Christ
No man loves God who hates his kind,
Who tramples on his brother’s heart and soul;
Who seeks to shackle, cloud, or fog the mind
By fears of hell has not perceived our goal.
God-sent are all religions blest;
And Christ, the Way, the Truth, the Life,
To give the heavy laden rest
And peace from sorrow, sin, and strife.
Behold the Universal Spirit came
To all the churches, not to one alone;
On Pentecostal morn a tongue of flame
Round each apostle as a halo shone.
Since then, as vultures ravenous with greed,
We oft have battled for an empty name,
And sought by dogma, edict, cult, or creed,
To send each other to the quenchless flame.
Is Christ then twain? Was Cephas, Paul,
To save the world, nailed to the tree?
Then why divisions here at all?
Christ’s love enfolds both you and me.
His pure sweet love is not confined
By creed which segregate and raise a wall.
His love enfolds, embraces human kind,
No matter what ourselves or Him we call.
Then why not take Him at His word?
Why hold to creeds which tear apart?
But one thing matters, be it heard
That brother love fill every heart.
There’s but one thing the world has need to know.
There’s but one balm for all our human woe:
There’s but one way that leads to heaven above—
That way is human sympathy and love.
—Max Heindel.
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